Impressions: Every exploit to “break the algorithm” targets this baffling metric @AlphaPhoenixChannel

Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Welcome to my first meta-video! Today we will be taking a break from physical science (It'l be back tomorrow) and entering the realm of computer science, with a YouTube video about impressions and the recommendation algorithm that has a self-referential updating thumbnail that tells you how many people have seen the thumbnail!
I also introduce the "CTR-Watch-Time Product" as a metric for video success, effectively the additional time YouTube expects to retain a viewer by showing them a thumbnail. It's an interesting metric when youtube is behaving normally, and for videos of similar length.
At the end, I go into some detail on the python script that's actually updating this thumbnail all the time. Warning: it's absolutely horrendous code…
#YouTube #Algorithm #CTRWtP

Music etc. in this video:
I Dunno by grapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626

Deep Thought - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Patrick "push it somewhere else" meme - Spongebob Squarepants
Purple Crewmate - Among Us
GlaDOS voice and screenshot - Portal/Portal 2 by Valve
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CSIRO_ScienceImage_2042_A_row_of_computer_servers_in_a_server_rack.jpg
Slack quotes from other YouTubers used with permission

Impressions: Every exploit to “break the algorithm” targets this baffling metric

Electroshock Catan (pt. 2: How it Works)

$Inside Grande Pines Observatory: Top-of-the-line amateur astronomy A look inside Grande Pines Observatory! This observatory has featured in multiple timelapses, appearing in my channel trailer, the Barn Door tracker video, and the Polaris Timelapse video, but Ive never actually done a video about the observatory and all of the awesome equipment inside, so here it is! Grande Pines Observatory is operated by my dad (the astronomer). He is also the presenter in this video. I got to have fun shooting somebody elses project this time! Hope you enjoy! The gallery of images at the end of the video were taken in this observatory, some with the old 10 f/4.0 Newtonian telescope that the telescope featured here replaced. Music and stuff used: I Dunno by grapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) http://ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626 Comfortable Mystery 2 - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100537 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Ether by Silent Partner Creative Commons Simulation of a bahtinov mask diffraction pattern when focusing Niels Noordhoek Creative Commons Attribution$

Introducing the Magneto-Turboencabulator

Star-Stabilized 360 Camera #perfectloop #astronomy

$A laser pointer at 2 billion fps makes the speed of light look... kinda weird Ive upgraded! It took almost a year, but today I finally get to show off a TWO billion frame per second camera! I really want to record refraction, interference, and other awesome stuff with this camera, but today Im looking into a really strange quirk of the speed of light. In a way, understanding this weird phenomenon is kind of a prerequisite for everything else I want to do with this camera - I hope you find it as interesting as I have! MANY more technical details for the curious: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYHMTkuzdT3Zwk3UialNtxXrpkmaC_ZI bonus points to hakonjdjohnsen for advice on colormaps, R520 for a typo, and @dl33 for the top suggestion in last videos comments! Massive thanks to my top Patreon supporters! birdiesnbritts John Sosa Trustham Vladimir Shklovsky Aloysius Sparglepartz Jason Whatley Lohann Paterno Coutinho Ferreira nothings Eugene Pakhomov Glenn Willen R520 Nick F Mirko Rener Chris Connett Tyler Filla Chandler Freeman Benjamin Manns MPG Seth Reuter Danny Thomas Lucy Fur tiaz David Antoš Chris Duvarney Nick Wage John T Jack Serrino Ethan Sifferman Dit55 Ashley Hauck Scott Schlesier Steve James K Allan Adams Usama Cody and Sara Doug Strain Justin McCaskill Chapters: 0:00 Bouncing light is actually complicated! 5:35 The mirror 11:50 The optics train 13:51 The sensor 19:40 The cables? 23:02 Seeing the past Media Credits: I Dunno by grapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license http://ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626 Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Switched on Carcassi by Brian Bolger, YouTube Music license Future Freeway by Adam MacDougall Disco Knights by Quincas Moreira This Close by half.cool Gemini by half.cool Mountain by Text Me Records / Bobby Renz Local Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Meme from The Spongebob Movie$

Freezing water sounds like a special effect #shorts

Flying playing card through smoke in slow motion