Hey, you, the person reading this comment thread who just skimmed over the above comment without giving the video link a second thought.

I'm telling you, go back and watch the video, or any other video on Tony Santoro's channel. The man is a legend who deserves more press. He absolutely embodies the hacker ethos, if in his own unique way. Autodidactic, anti-authoritarian, fiercely intelligent, sharply witty and indefatigably individualistic.

Seconded, and his series in the Atacama is incredible.

Seriously, he's incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUOejqhaeZI

Well. You guys sold me. I am not aware of Mr Santoro, but now I am very interested ! :)

I enjoyed this profile of him in Chicago local TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvtqKMxZ95s

"For around the country mostly illegally riding freight trains" and "being exposed to a variety of ecosystems" piquing his knowledge, and reading science books in the libraries where he went, is quite refreshing.

Wrong link?

Here's the one they were referring to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4BT8XHJaDm0

Hell yeah Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't is my favorite damn YouTube channel.

Like everyone else here, I sing high praise of Tony. His absolutely lovable one-in-a-million combative yet beautifully intelligent personality is perfect. I've developed a recent intense interest in revisiting my garden, which I attribute exclusively to stumbling upon his videos. Sometimes YouTube's Big Algorithm does something right. :)