TL;DR

Veritasium dives into evolution from the ground up—starting with why poop smells bad to illustrate natural selection, then walking through life’s origins, gene mutations and computer simulations that show how random changes plus environmental filters drive evolution. Along the way, Derek Muller unpacks classic concepts like inheritance, kin selection and the “selfish gene” idea popularized by Richard Dawkins.

Packed with expert insights, animations and even hands-on kits like Snatoms, the video turns the big, abstract story of evolution into a fun, interactive “simulation” you can actually see in action—reminding us that evolution isn’t a one-and-done event but a continuous, unfolding process.

Watch on YouTube