philedwardsinc posts
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The rise and fall of kitschy 90s restaurants
How did restaurants become so chaotically wonderful? And why did it all disappear?You can watch the full video here.How this video happenedI got the suggestion on Instagram. High five to Alex. I think he may have anticipated a less cultural evolution story —this video gets into some "why do we have nostalgia"...
Why Minecraft Won
Minecraft is culturally dominant. How did a blocky game from nowhere take over the world?Here's the video on YouTube.How this video happenedListen, I'll be honest. I thought my video about frozen orange juicewould be a huge flop (it wasn't!), so I was like, I have to do something in the news. And the Minecr...
Frozen orange juice is actually super weird
It's FCOJ's world. We just live in it.Frozen orange juice is a strange, incredibly creative solution to a bunch of different problems. What does it do, and how did it change the 20th century?Here's the video.How this video happenedI stumbled on this topic when I was researching "Why the Soviet Union was...
The Secret Economics of D&D
What happens when a company tries a huge experiment with their most famous game? And what happens when they change their mind?Here's the video.How this video happenedI knew for a while that massive innovative businesses were being built around D&D. But the deeper I got, the more I realized this was one of the first...
The United States of Pizza, mapsplained
How did we get so much —and so many types — of pizza? It's a complicated story with some cheesy digressions.How this video happenedThis has long been the most requested mapsplained video (after I did my videos on BBQand beer). I didn't know how to do it, because I didn't want to publish a laundry list. ...
The loophole that made Temu — and could kill it
How did Temu take over the world? And can it keep it?How this video happenedIt really is like I say in the video: I got a Temu drone for Christmas and wondered —how did this happen? How did we get to this place? I didn't expect the answer would take me to customs, but it did.The video is here.Check out moreHere&#...
2024, in 6 weird minutes
It was a weird year. What year isn't? Watch the video here.How this video happenedIt's no secret that Vox does a great end of year video. I'm sure they'll have one out soon. But I always found myself thinking — isn't it really all the weird stuff that everybody likes?So this is my terminally onlin...
The State of the Phil Edwards Channel: 2024
Is this navel gazing? You bet! But I feel that for a channel made for curious people, it's only natural to provide a bit of behind-the-scenes info.Long and short, things are going...fine...as I make the adjustment from employee to jack-of-all-trades entrepreneur. I know it might even be a bit disorienting to think ...
Why the Soviet Union was obsessed with corn
Original video here: https://youtu.be/9w7WrXsHkIQHow this video happenedI think I saw Khrushchev's corn-adoring picture on the cover of Lifeand said: I have to do a video about this now. I'll admit that a combination of logistical delays and worries about the commercial viability of corn content (corntent?) mea...
Sam Altman, the CEO behind Chat GPT, unpacked
He controls ChatGPT. But what controls him? Here's the video.How this video happenedIn Spring of 2023, I did a series about AI for Vox (touching on bad hands, special effects, training data, language,and AI art). I developed a lot of opinions while researching it and talking to computer scientists. My strongest opi...
The secret economics of Escape Rooms
The only way out is through (spending a ton of money). Here's the video link.How this video happenedOnce I put a callout on Reddit, it became clear I was going to be able to report it out (not always the case — I've been trying to nail down a few other stories that I can't get people on conference for).Th...
The real reason we drove on the moon
The Lunar Rover was an incredible feat of engineering. But it was a feat of political engineering, too.At the end - a question for you!How this video happenedI think when I was researching my Earthrise videoI stumbled on footage of the LRV (Lunar Roving Vehicle, a NASA-ism I don't actually use in the video). I thou...
The United States of Beer, mapsplained
Here's the real question: how did beer get to the United States, then get bad, then get good again? Here's the video.How this video happenedI've long wanted to do a sequel to the US of BBQ, Mapsplained, but I hadn’t found the right story (I'm getting closer with pizza, but not there yet). When I reali...
The secret economics of Google Street View
There's a whole world of Street View economics. You just have to know where to look. Here's the video.How this video happenedI'll be transparent — my video aboutMigrant Motherwas a burnout cure, but it was also a flop. I wanted to find something zeitgeisty and considered a few ideas — but then I complet...
The geography behind Migrant Mother
How did these two people meet and, in a few minutes, make history? Here's the video.How this video happenedI wanted to understand a photograph I've seen all my life.In all honesty, despite being intoxicated by my last video on...uh....gas stations, I wanted to do something slightly more meaningful for this one ...
Reaction video for: The geography behind Migrant Mother
Original video here: https://youtu.be/PHJ9GNTwwas
Why gas stations are at war
Gas stations have evolved from random roadside stops into sandwich-slinging, turf-protecting superstores. How? That's what this videois all about.How this video happenedSheetz-Wawa polarization may be the thing that splits our country apart. I'd always noticed these gas stations in the news, but it was only whe...
The truth about Utopias
Utopias are kingdoms of the imagination. So why bother with them?How this video happenedWhat began as "Frank Lloyd Wright's Insane Utopia" became a much more meditative piece once I learned about the aforementioned "Insane Utopia."I love doing a close read and deep research on a topic, but the more ...
Why Taiwan Can't Compete Under Its Own Name
Chinese Taipei is at the Olympics this year. It also doesn't exist.How this video happenedInitially, this videowas an attempt to get more Olympics juice in the system, and it still is that — even though I'm not a sports guy, my last videomade me intrigued by the weirdness of the Olympics. And people are inter...
When America broke the Olympics
The boycott was an existential threat to the Olympics. How did it happen?How this video happenedI cast about for a few different Olympic topics: the Olympic Village; breakdancing; the alternative games GANEFO(more on that below). I was drawn to the broader topic of an Olympic boycott because I thought the tick-tock had...
Why the suburbs were built for cars (and the forgotten plan for shopping centers)
The suburbs won't change. Why?How this video happenedThis started with strip malls.I stumbled on this Masters thesisand was hooked. Though the author was writing it to make the argument that strip malls should be considered a preservationist's subject (which...I dunno about that), I was intrigued by the researc...
Why he went into space without a rope
Bruce McCandless II made the first untethered spacewalk in history. Why did he do it?How this video happenedA wise commenter named Beetmonster recommended I check this story out.I'd love to see your take on the famous Bruce McCandless photo! Subscribing.After the relative success of my video about the photography b...
Reaction video to: Why 295,000 businesses are in this little building
Original video here: https://youtu.be/b4q99EuZF_Q
Why Your Gum Says "Contains Phenylalanine"
For years, I've cultivated an addiction to Trident White, an addiction that has slightly freshened my breath and had no apparent effect on the whiteness of my teeth.When discarding an old package of the good stuff, I'd always see the following warning under the ingredients:Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalani...
Beautifully Weird Photo
Researching a video about "how TV went from dumb to good." Through my lens, I think it'll be a rambling story about how changes in business and technology, not culture, changed the medium. So I ran into this.I am one of those people who is very hesitant to slap the label "Lynchian" on things (since ...
How I made Steamboat Willie's visual soundtrack
After this, I realized it probably makes as much sense as a text post as a video. Nevertheless, I made a video (above).As I explain there, I couldn't find a period-appropriate scan of SW (scans available are from later on, using different sound methods). I needed variable density and, happily, found a way to make i...
My Joke Deciphering Promise
By the end of my next video, you WILL understand this joke. OK, by the end of this post (I can't leave you hanging).As Hollywood began to adopt sound recording, it wasn't just like they synced up a record player with the video (though that was basically what they did in "The Jazz Singer). Two common, and co...
Why have we been denied Aerobic Defense classes?
Imagine a world in which, at one moment, you're slow-exercising to "Lady in Red." The next, attack. How to combine the two?Aerobic defense is the answer. Finally, leotards and violence can become one.
Moscow McDonald's - old minidoc I found
I ran into this doc when researching an upcoming (90% unrelated) McDonald's topic. It's pretty fascinating —90s footage, Christopher Plummer, and lots of background music.
Who can guess the map?
Well, I guess some of you have had it spoiled in chat. But I'm pretty excited for this one. I've already had FaceTimes with people from A to B (Atlanta to Boise).
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