AlphaPhoenix

AlphaPhoenix is made by Brian Haidet, who has a PhD in materials science. He describes the channel as a home for his side projects and favourite physics demonstrations.

Many videos start with a question and then build the equipment needed to answer it. He has built cameras fast enough to film a pulse of laser light as it travels, and set up long cable runs to test how electricity really travels. The experiments are careful and the explanations are honest about what went wrong along the way.

Some highlights include:

A homemade camera recording at around 2 billion frames per second shows a laser pulse moving, and explains why it looks strange.

An experiment with 1,000 metres of wire to settle a debate about how energy flows in an electrical circuit.

Ultra slow footage of an electrical signal reaching a junction in a wire, showing how it splits and reflects.

AlphaPhoenix has over 720,000 subscribers.

These videos show what experimental engineering looks like: designing equipment, measuring carefully and testing ideas against reality. The signal videos are a great way into electrical and electronic engineering, where reflections in cables matter for everything from internet links to computer chips. The camera builds connect to optics, sensors and instrumentation. It also shows that good engineering often starts with a simple question and a willingness to test it properly.