Veritasium: If you don't understand this, you don't understand evolution

In this Veritasium deep dive, Derek Muller unpacks why evolution isn’t just a “nice idea” but a powerful simulation game of life. He starts with the chemistry of poop odors and the origins of life, then jumps into gene mutations, how we can model evolution in action, and the nuts-and-bolts of natural selection. Along the way you’ll learn what traits actually get passed on, why kin selection matters, and how Richard Dawkins’s “selfish gene” idea ties it all together.

Packed with expert insights (shout-outs to Dr. Jack Szostak, Dr. John Sutherland and more), the video wraps up by showing evolution as an ongoing simulation—no grand designer needed, just simple rules playing out over billions of years.

Watch on YouTube