Vsauce (/ˈviːsɔːs/) is a YouTube brand created by educator Michael Stevens.[3] The channels feature videos on scientific, psychological, mathematical, and philosophical topics, as well as gaming, technology, popular culture, and other general interest subjects.[4][5]
History
On April 17, 2010, Michael Stevens launched the main Vsauce channel.[6] According to episode #18 of LÜT on the original Vsauce channel, the name " Vsauce" was generated using the fake website generator portion of a site called Fake Name Generator.[7] After Stevens generated the fake website Vsauce.com, he registered it and began uploading videos.[7] Initially, the channel's programming focused on video games and featured a number of hosts.[8] However, certain segments such as IMG! slowly took over, and Stevens became the sole host.[citation needed] The channel then became a mix of information and online activities, and solely educational segments popped up.[citation needed] The educational segments became more popular, and since September 9, 2012, only the educational segment (known as DOT.) has been presented.[9]
In December 2010, the Vsauce2 (on December 7) and Vsauce3 (on December 24) channels were created.[10] On July 25, 2012, the WeSauce channel was created.[11] Vsauce was one of the fastest growing channels during September 2012.[12] During that month, the main Vsauce channel reached 1 million subscribers.[13]
Stevens, in the video "A Defense of Comic Sans", notes that the text font Alsina was used by the Vsauce channels because of its close resemblance to the handwriting of Nik Guinta, the creator of the original Vsauce logo.[14] A new branding scheme designed by Natasha Jen was adopted in December 2014 to bring a "grown-up" feel to the channels. It utilizes the DIN Next Rounded font and fluid designs to convey the idea of sauce that the name "Vsauce" implies.[15]
The Vsauce channel, also known as Vsauce1 to distinguish it from the brand as a whole and the other channels, is presented by the founder, Michael Stevens, and features videos about science, mathematics, anthropology, and philosophy.[citation needed] The primary series features Stevens discussing a topic or question in a tangential manner, including various interpretations of the question and related facts and observations.[16] In 2013, Stevens stated that he researches on Wikipedia and academic papers to find information for his videos.[17] Stevens collaborated with educator and television personality Adam Savage in 2017 for a show titled Brain Candy Live.[18]
Mind Field (a word play on minefield and mind) is an American web television series produced exclusively for Youtube Premium (formerly YouTube Red), created and presented by Michael Stevens. Three seasons of Mind Field have been released on Vsauce, each one with eight episodes. On October 1, 2019, all episodes became viewable, with ads, for free for those without YouTube Premium.[24]
Vsauce2
Kevin Lieber, the host of Vsauce2
Vsauce2, hosted by Kevin Lieber, has covered topics concerning unusual knowledge, gadgets, and people. Since 2019, Vsauce2 has largely produced videos regarding probability, paradoxes, and dilemmas, most of which are mathematical or economic in nature and visualized through real-world situations.[25][26] Before 2019, videos were released under recurring segments,[25] such as MindBlow, BiDiPi, 54321, and BOAT.
The Create Unknown
In November 2018, Lieber and channel producer Matt Tabor launched The Create Unknownpodcast, which interviews digital creators.[27] The podcast has featured interviews with Casey Neistat, Derek Muller from Veritasium, Destin Sandlin from Smarter Every Day, Dolan Dark, iDubbbz, and Grandayy.[28]
Vsauce3
Jake Roper, the host of Vsauce3
Vsauce3 is hosted by Jake Roper and is dedicated to fictional worlds and video games.[25][29] There are currently four recurring segments: HeadShot, Game LÜT, 9bit, and Fact Surgery. Vsauce3 has collaborated with YouTubers Joe Hanson from It's Okay to be Smart and Vanessa Hill from BrainCraft. He has also presented videos with celebrity guest appearances from Bill Nye, Jack Black, The Muppets, Paul Rudd, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. On November 26, 2015, Jake revealed that he has sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.[30] On December 19, Jake announced that he had begun treatment and a tumor on his lower leg had been successfully removed by surgery.[31]
WeSauce
WeSauce was a channel that compiled works from fans of the Vsauce channels. The channel featured segments Your BiDiPi, JAM, Music LeanBack!, Riddle Challenge, This World of Ours, and ITVS. WeSauce has remained inactive since October 15, 2015.[citation needed]
D!NG
D!NG, formerly DONG (Do Online Now, Guys), is a spin-off channel by Vsauce that features unusual pages, apps, and games from around the Internet.[32] Some videos also focus on various topics in mathematics and science. DONG was formerly a segment featured on the main Vsauce channel and then on the Vsauce3 channel before its own channel was launched in 2015, with the first video uploaded on October 29, 2015. The channel was renamed to D!NG on May 12, 2019, seemingly due to the channel being demonetized for having a name that was not considered advertiser-friendly.[33]
Collaborations
Some people or channels Michael Stevens of Vsauce1 has collaborated with include Bill Nye, BrainCraft, Derek Muller, Good Mythical Morning, The Filthy Frank Show, and others. The following collaborations were mentioned in publications. Vsauce has collaborated with Henry Reich of MinutePhysics on two videos: "Guns in Space"[22] and "What if the Earth were Hollow?".[34] In 2014, Jake of Vsauce3 had narrated two episodes of the series Did You Know Gaming? covering the Game Boy. In August 2016, Stevens served as a guest host on the show BattleBots.[35] On March 24, 2018, Stevens was largely involved with a collaboration featured on HowToBasic's YouTube channel.[36]
Awards
In 2014, Vsauce won a Webby for People's Voice award for best news and information.[37]
In 2014 and 2015 the channel won the Streamy Award for Best Science and Education Channel, Show, or Series.[38]
^Greengart, Tani (July 13, 2017). "Three Strategies of Successful Educational Videos". Jewish Link of New Jersey. Retrieved February 18, 2019. Vsauce itself explains scientific and psychological phenomena, Vsauce2 creates mind-blowing videos about new technology, Vsauce3 analyzes the junction between science and pop culture and D.O.N.G. introduces viewers to all the weirdest internet sites and merchandise.
