Simon Whistler
Simon Whistler is one of the most widely watched voices in educational storytelling, reaching over 50 million viewers monthly across a network of more than a dozen YouTube channels, including Biographics, Highlight History, and Today I Found Out.
About Simon
Born in south-east England and now based in the Czech Republic, Simon built his career on making complex subjects genuinely accessible without sacrificing depth. His approach to storytelling goes beyond surface-level summaries, exploring the strategic logic, historical context, and human consequences that shape how ambitious ideas become real work.
SideProjects is where that curiosity turns toward creative builds, unusual inventions, workshop systems, and the practical business choices behind projects that start small.
The Whistlerverse
MEGAPROJECTS
Deep dives into mankind's largest engineering achievements and infrastructure systems.
INVENTIONS / BUILDSSIDEPROJECTS
Focused explainers on smaller innovations, creative builds, practical tools, and overlooked breakthroughs.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGEBIOGRAPHICS
Biographical storytelling about notable figures, discoveries, and turning points.
HISTORYINTO THE SHADOWS
Darker historical stories and controversial episodes from modern history.
MYSTERIES / GEOGRAPHYDECODING THE UNKNOWN
Investigations into mysteries, unexplained claims, and speculative history topics.
MYSTERIES / GEOGRAPHYPLACES
Global geography and place-based storytelling across regions and cultures.
GEOPOLITICS / CONFLICTHOMEFRONTS
Geopolitics, modern conflict, military history, and the civilian and societal dimensions of global events.
SPACECELESTIUM
Accessible, visually rich explorations of space science and cosmic phenomena.
ENTERTAINMENT / GENERAL KNOWLEDGETODAY I FOUND OUT
General knowledge explainers spanning history, science, culture, and unusual facts.
ENTERTAINMENT / GENERAL KNOWLEDGEBRAIN BLAZE
Fast-paced comedic commentary on bizarre stories and internet oddities.
The Formula Brief
Weekly dispatch from Simon Whistler — the hidden systems, patterns, and mechanisms behind how everything actually works. Precise. No filler.
One formula per week. Zero fluff.
Latest from The Formula
The Formula for a Hit Song
Music executives have been searching for the hit formula for a century. It turns out there is one — and it involves calculus, neuroscience, and a very specific tempo.
Simon Whistler · June 1, 2026
The Math Behind a Perfect Penalty Kick
A penalty kick is often called a lottery. The data says otherwise — there is a precise formula, and the best takers know it.
Simon Whistler · May 20, 2026
Why Every Coffee Chain Copies the Same Floor Plan
There is a precise, replicable formula for how coffee chains arrange their space — and it has nothing to do with aesthetics.
Simon Whistler · May 14, 2026
The Deliberate Practice Formula
Anders Ericsson spent forty years studying what separates world-class performers from merely good ones. The answer was not talent — it was a specific kind of practice.
Simon Whistler · April 22, 2026