The “oddly satisfying” video compilation has become a genre unto itself, although, per the name, it’s often hard to pinpoint the psychology behind it. Who knows why humans are drawn to—and often comforted by—footage of frozen paint being cut or various objects being crushed by a hydraulic press?
But in the case of thep00lguy, the connection between his videos and the narcotic tingling sensation in our brains is immediately clear. You see, thepoolguy (real name Miles) is a self-described swimming pool engineer who specializes in restoring sullied aquatic paradises to their former glory, removing debris, adding chlorine, and—in some cases—skimming away foul layers of congealed, honeycombed scum. And if he can transform these filth-ridden cesspools back into regular-ass pools, well, maybe there’s hope for eradicating the bigger problems of the world. There’s catharsis in watching someone clean up babyshit-colored messes with such ease and grace.