Why People Are Obsessed With C? (Even In 2026)

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The video provides valuable insights into why C persists, using concrete examples and data points (e.g., 95% of OS kernels, 21% growth in C repos, embedded market size). The argumentation is coherent and builds from origin to technical reasons to psychological appeal. It fairly addresses the Rust memory-safety case and the White House memo, then counters with deployment realities. The narrative effectively combines technical facts with psychological observations, though some claims (like ‘95%’) are presented without precise sourcing. The argument is persuasive and well-structured, though it leans rhetorical at times.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The video cites the TIOBE index, Stack Overflow survey, GitHub Octoverse, White House ONCD report, ISO standard, and MISRA C, among others. However, many links are not provided in the description, and some statistics (e.g., ‘21 billion connected devices’) lack direct attribution. The disclaimer acknowledges updated data. The title is highly accurate. The content is consistent with the stated sources, though the video does not clearly delineate which claims come from which study. The creator’s own commentary is distinct from cited facts, and the overall rigor is satisfactory for a science communication piece.

The title perfectly matches the content, which explores the enduring relevance and psychological appeal of C.

8/10

The video provides a well-structured overview with specific references to standards, reports, and industry data. While some statistics are approximate and the narrative is engaging, the core technical arguments are accurate. Sources cited are credible, though not all are explicitly linked in the description.

• 00:00Introduction
• 00:54The Origin
• 02:40The Invisible Layer
• 04:43Why Nothing Can Replace It
• 09:03The People
• 13:44Everything That Tried To Kill C
• 17:52The Future
• 19:27The Last Thing

• GitHub Octoverse — Referenced for C repository growth statistics.
• Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 — Referenced for language popularity trends.
• TIOBE Index — Referenced for language rankings.
• Your Life at Every Level of C++ — Promoted as related content from the same channel.
• What If You Learned to Code in the 80's? — Promoted as related content.
• Why Some People Are Obsessed With Linux — Promoted as related content.
• Psychology of People Who Prefer C++ Over Modern Languages — Promoted as related content.
• Psychology of People Who Refuse to Use AI Tools — Promoted as related content.

• White House ONCD Report, 'Back to the Building Blocks' — The video cites this report to discuss memory safety recommendations.
• ISO/IEC 9899:2024 (C23 Standard) — The video references C23 standard updates.

• Rust in the Linux kernel — Some commentators argue that Rust adoption is growing faster than implied, but the video downplays it by citing only 25k lines. No direct source is provided.