Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is an educational YouTube channel founded by German designer Philipp Dettmer that began releasing videos in 2013. The Munich-based channel explains science, technology, biology, space, and philosophy through animated shorts and essays.

Dettmer created the YouTube channel on July 10, 2013, uploading its debut video about evolution two days later. British voice actor Steve Taylor has narrated the English-language videos since that first release. Videos typically run between 8 and 16 minutes, presenting complex scientific topics with flat 2D color animation and distinctive duck characters. In 2015, the channel secured a grant of $570,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to produce animated explanations of global health issues. The team later created dedicated channels in German and Spanish.

From September 2017 to January 2023, the German public media network Funk co-funded the German edition, Dinge Erklärt – Kurzgesagt. The English channel reached 10 million subscribers in 2019, making it the first German YouTube channel to cross that mark. In December 2020, American creator Marques Brownlee selected Kurzgesagt for the Streamys Creator Honor at the 10th Streamy Awards. The studio launched a second channel in February 2026 called Nightshift – Kurzgesagt After Dark, which focuses on unusual historical events and darker human stories.

Dettmer published his illustrated biology book, Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive, in September 2021 with publisher Hodder & Stoughton. The studio partnered with German game developer Toukana Interactive in 2024 to design a simulation video game based on asteroid mining. Titled Star Birds, the game entered early access on Steam on September 10, 2025, using the channel's signature avian art style. Over 200,000 players tried the free computer demo of the game prior to its launch.