this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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Mark Rober just set up one of the most interesting self-driving tests of 2025, and he did it by imitating Looney Tunes. The former NASA engineer and current YouTube mad scientist recreated the classic gag where Wile E. Coyote paints a tunnel onto a wall to fool the Road Runner.

Only this time, the test subject wasn’t a cartoon bird… it was a self-driving Tesla Model Y.

The result? A full-speed, 40 MPH impact straight into the wall. Watch the video and tell us what you think!

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[–] MurrayL@lemmy.world 83 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

YouTubers - especially large channels like this - constantly A/B test with different thumbnails and stick with whatever one drives the most traffic (no pun intended) to the video.

You might not like it, but it’s unfortunately the reality of operating a content creation business on an algorithm-driven platform.

There are plenty of channels I follow that make fantastic videos, but sometimes you have to tolerate the shitty thumbnails because that’s just the reality of the system they’re operating within.

[–] Tanoh@lemmy.world 13 points 6 hours ago

Yeah, that is just how youtube works. You as an individual can say you don't like annoying thumbnails and titles, but they 100% work. And channels that don't use them are just not getting as many viewers.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

algorithm-driven platform

And what is this "algorithm" based on? Actual user behavior. So the way to correct an algorithm is to change actual user behavior, no?

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 1 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

And what is this "algorithm" based on?

No one knows.

Actual user behavior. So the way to correct an algorithm is to change actual user behavior, no?

Definitely not. I pretty much exclusively get recommended garbage content, and 90% of it is already on the "trending" page. At least it was like 3 years ago before I stopped using any of YTs first-party front-ends.

[–] SloppyPuppy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I must say that the recommendation section on youtube for me is spot on! Though I spent years on youtube constantly liking and disliking content. But I think it learned me quite well.

When im tired of recommendations I move to subscriptions. And 5 hours just passed by…

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Presumably, the "algorithm" is based on whatever is most profitable. So probably some combination of most viewers, best ad engagement (click through rate), and best conversion/appeal to Premium subs.

That's assuming YouTube's primary goal is to make money, and which it should be as part of a publicly traded company.

My point is that those thumbnails and titles work, so if we want something different, we need to reward better thumbnails and titles and stop engaging w/ poor ones.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 8 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Lemme know when they release an OTA for our parietal lobes.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 3 points 6 hours ago

Just don’t fall asleep during the update.