Person
Every book Michael Stevens recommended on podcasts
Michael Stevens is an educator, filmmaker, and creator of the popular educational YouTube channel Vsauce. As a guest on platforms like The Joe Rogan Experience and the Lex Fridman Podcast, Stevens frequently explores scientific curiosities, psychology, philosophy, and historical oddities. During these discussions, he has referenced several books that intersect with his passion for science and human experience. On the Joe Rogan Experience, Stevens mentioned Neil deGrasse Tyson's book Death By Black Hole while discussing the physics and subtle mathematical calculations surrounding satellite launches and the Earth's rotation. In the same conversation, he brought up Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods? while exploring cargo cults and ancient astronaut theories. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, Stevens shared a personal reflection by quoting Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, using the passage to illustrate his philosophical view that the true measure of a human life depends on internal subjective experience rather than external physical displacement. These literary references highlight his broad intellectual curiosity spanning hard sciences, anthropology, and classic fiction.
Books recommended by Michael Stevens
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Death By Black Hole
Death By Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson is a popular science collection of essays that explores astrophysics, cosmic phenomena, and the mysteries of the universe in an accessible manner.
Recommended“Neil degross Tyson did a great calculation in his book um death by black hole I think”
Where to get it
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Chariots of the Gods?
Why people recommend it: Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken is a pioneering 1969 international bestseller that popularized fringe theories about extraterrestrial intervention in ancient human history, monumental architecture, and civilization development.
Discussed“Von danin used that as an argument in Chariots of the Gods to explain that”
Where to get it
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy is a tragic Victorian masterpiece that follows the heartbreaking struggles of Tess Durbeyfield as she navigates harsh social moralities, poverty, and the devastating consequences of men in rural England.
Discussed“one of my favorite quotes is from Tess of the d'Urbervilles and it's along the lines of the the measure of your life depends on not your external displacement but your subjective experience if I am happy and those that I love are happy can that be enough”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Stevens: Vsauce | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2019-12-17 | 1 |
| #528 - Michael Stevens, from VSauce | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2014-07-30 | 2 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“one of my favorite quotes is from Tess of the d'Urbervilles and it's along the lines of the the measure of your life depends on not your external displacement but your subjective experience If I am happy and those that I love are happy can that be enough”