Computerphile

Computerphile is a channel about computers and computer science, made by the filmmaker Brady Haran. It is a sister channel of Numberphile. Staff from the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham have worked with Brady on the channel since 2009, and other researchers and experts also appear.

Each video is an informal interview, with an expert sketching ideas on paper as they explain. Topics range across the whole subject: algorithms, security, networking, programming techniques and, more recently, artificial intelligence. Recent videos cover race conditions, how undo works in software and how watermarks can track AI-generated content.

Some highlights include:

An explanation of the tokens that AI language models work with and why processing them costs so much.

A look at the DeepSeek AI model and what its approach means for the wider field.

AI safety researcher Rob Miles discusses the idea of AI models developing internal “languages” that humans cannot read.

The channel has around 2.6 million subscribers.

Computerphile feels like sitting in on a conversation with a university lecturer. It gives a real sense of what a computer science degree covers beyond coding. It is a strong fit for anyone considering software engineering, cyber security or artificial intelligence, and its back catalogue is a useful revision and reading companion. Many videos are short enough to watch between lessons, and they often spark ideas for an EPQ or personal statement.