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IrelandSimon Clark revisits PhD-vlog life, with earlier finishing times
His decade-later return to the format includes climate research, choir rehearsal and a family outing to Westonbirt Arboretum.
Simon Clark
Story of Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.
Washed, chopped, and quite possibly unc
Video summary
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- 1:04Simon shows his Bath workspace and explains how miniature models fit into his climate videos.
- 2:52A train journey takes him to London for an interview with climate scientist Friederike Otto.
- 4:16The Handful Chamber Choir rehearses for a performance of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.
- 4:30Simon introduces the team helping with editing, research, administration and production.
- 12:12He heads to Bristol for a Dupery livestream at Yogscast Studios.
- 14:08A family visit to Westonbirt Arboretum follows the working week.
Midnight editing has company. Simon Clark's return to week-in-the-life vlogging finds him stopping work earlier, making room for family life rather than recreating his PhD routine exactly.
"Washed, chopped, and quite possibly unc" looks back a decade after his first viral vlog. It was the more watched of his two uploads this week, reaching roughly 77,000 views. The old format now follows a full-time science communicator working from Bath, with a team helping research, edit and organise the videos.
There is plenty beyond the desk: a London interview with climate scientist Friederike Otto, rehearsal with the Handful Chamber Choir, and a Bristol trip to play the social deduction game Dupery at Yogscast Studios. His enthusiasm for electric buses survives the commute. At home, his wife and daughter's faces are obscured, and he explains why he chose to put the camera aside for family time. The video also includes a sponsored shaving segment.
The comments offer a particularly fitting anniversary portrait. Viewers describe discovering his student vlogs at school, then going on to physics degrees and PhDs themselves. Others remember replaying the PhD playlist as a comforting companion through their own research. The passage of time is not just Simon's subject; it is theirs too.
His other new upload, "Why GB News loves North Sea drilling", turns back towards energy and media commentary. But "This is the graph giving me hope right now", about progress in the global energy transition, remains the channel's busiest video, approaching a million views.
Subscribers were unchanged over the week, while today's viewing is below Simon's usual daily level. Nearby in the science group, Just Have a Think also had an unchanged subscriber count and below-usual daily viewing. For Simon, the distinctive addition is that personal return: the climate communicator briefly reopening the diary that helped some viewers imagine a scientific life of their own.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
I watched your vlogs as a highschool student and now i'm half way through my astro particle physics PhD, and i can say that you were part of the reason i decided to even start studying physics. Coding bugs haven't changed in 10 years...
@galaxyvita2045See it on YouTubeI binged your entire PhD life playlist multiple times. It got to the point where it became like a background 'comfort' listen. I actually found it really impactful too. It helped me quite a lot in my own PhD journey.
@erik_carter_artSee it on YouTubeThis was fantastic. I would absolutely adore another week in my life series or something, even if it's just one project. Those videos helped me through sixth form and my early uni days.
@kaizooYTSee it on YouTube
5 more comments
I first came across your channel sometime in high school (iirc). I turned 30 this year and suddenly found you again. I'm so happy to just see you still making content!
@dthope9376See it on YouTubeI started watching your phd vlogs when I was in high school. It was honestly one of the reasons why I ended up deciding to do physics. I recently finished my master's and will be applying for a PhD in Quantitative Finance soon. Thank you very much, your vlogs got me through some hard times.
@anuragagarwalphiSee it on YouTubeI've been watching your videos since the PhD vlogs, so it is kinda funny that when I see those clips of early days I also remember of how my life was back then and how much it changed. Glad that you kept doing this and found a way to make a living out of your passion!
@vmizobutiSee it on YouTubeVery successful decade for sure 👍 here's to at least 10 more years of brilliant content
@GayGHvain87See it on YouTubeAmazing throwback Simon! Your vlogs inspired me to do a PhD after hesitating for years and it was the best experience, after a postdoc and a couple of years lecturing it is time to leave academia with the current state of it. Your climate videos are an amazing resource for students and the wider public. Super happy for you and your family!
@Amy-wv8pzSee it on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on Simon Clark right now
- Channel
- Simon Clark
- Subscribers
- 750,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 729,630
- Videos published this week
- 2
- Video published
- October 29, 2026
- Video views so far
- 77,476
- Views on its first day
- 31,933
The numbers
Here is how Simon Clark's uploads and audience moved over the week.
💡 Test your knowledge
Who composed Dido and Aeneas, the opera Simon's choir is rehearsing?
Dido and Aeneas is an opera by English composer Henry Purcell.