MinutePhysics (YouTube)

MinutePhysics was created by Henry Reich, a Canadian filmmaker and science communicator who launched the channel in 2011. Reich studied filmmaking and physics, and he combined these interests to produce short explanatory videos that use hand-drawn whiteboard animation to explore topics in physics and related sciences. He has since launched a family of related educational channels, including MinuteEarth, expanding the same animation and narration style to other subject areas.

Yes, MinuteEarth was created by the same team behind MinutePhysics, led by Henry Reich, and uses the same distinctive hand-drawn animation and narration style but focuses on earth science, ecology, and environmental topics rather than physics. The two channels share production methods and a similar approach to simplifying complex scientific ideas into short, visually driven explanations. Both channels have accumulated millions of subscribers on YouTube.

MinutePhysics uses hand-drawn stick-figure diagrams and equations on a whiteboard or digital equivalent, captured through time-lapse or accelerated real-time drawing and paired with voiceover narration. The visual style is intentionally minimal and schematic, prioritizing clarity of physical concepts over polished illustration. This approach allows the videos to be produced efficiently while maintaining a distinctive, recognizable aesthetic that sets them apart from motion-graphic or fully animated science channels.

The channel covers a wide range of topics including special and general relativity, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, cosmology, and occasional forays into mathematics and chemistry. The explanations are generally vetted for scientific accuracy and often reference peer-reviewed research or established physics curricula, though they necessarily simplify complex topics for a general audience. Reich has occasionally collaborated with professional physicists and addressed corrections or nuances raised by viewers in follow-up videos.