There are a lot of dark, undiscovered corners of YouTube.
They lurk out there, like a jungle, waiting to pounce and kidnap you into a 6-hour rabbit hole if you dare let them.
DIY videos. Life hack videos. ASMR videos. Well, one YouTube jungle we’re glad to be pulled into are the science channels!
Science class can be, well… not super engaging, to put it mildly. But these creators, makers, and educators are out here getting us excited about physics, engineering, biology, all kinds of cool science things!
Get your snacks ready, and let’s dive into some of the best science channels on YouTube.
1. Simone Giertz
This Swedish maker and content creator is otherwise known as the “Queen of Sh*tty Robots”, with her rise to fame attributed to creating robots and contraptions with strange purposes -- a tooth brushing robot, an alarm clock that slaps you, and a Tesla converted into a truck, to name just a few.
Giertz is a self-taught engineer who believes in the power of making useless things and learning for the sake of learning. Not only are her videos thoughtfully created with an interesting idea always at the center, but her easygoing sense of humor and willingness to make mistakes along the way are inspiring for anyone who enjoys creating things.
2. Physics Girl
Helmed by Dianna Cowern, Physics Girl makes complex concepts and ideas fun and accessible.
From learning about the physics of stretching to slo-mo science experiments, Cowern wants to take you into the wildest bits of the universe she can find. Her energetic and bubbly personality are infectious, and she has some guests from time to time -- Simone Giertz and Adam Savage, to name a few casual cameos.
The science space on YouTube can often feel like it’s filled with testosterone, but there are some fantastic women teaching us all about the weird world we live in!
3. Smarter Every Day
Smarter Every Day is my own personal “the world is terrible and I need to be reminded that there are good things out there” go-to channel.
Destin, an engineer and a father, has shined a light on all kinds of amazing subjects! His more mathematical, academic approach might in less capable hands be unwatchable, but his ability to break down concepts and get his subjects to joke around and be human is unique and special. Something like laminar flow -- yeah, if you don’t know what that is, I didn’t either -- becomes cool and fun when he’s the teacher.
4. Adam Savage’s Tested
If you don’t know who Adam Savage is, I just… I can’t help you.
"MythBusters" ICON! Maker EXTRAORDINARE! Savage was on our televisions as one-half of the truly groundbreaking "MythBusters" duo with Jamie Hyneman. Today, he runs his own channel where he does super cool builds, interviews subjects, takes us around his shop, and teaches us about unique tools, devices, and ideas.
If you’re missing "MythBusters" (I know I do, literally every day), Tested is a great place to get your dosage.
5. Michael Reeves
If Simone Giertz is the Queen of Sh*tty Robots, Michael Reeves is their sailor-mouthed, frequently-annoyed king.
His channel is less so a gentle quest to build something beautifully useless than it is a quest to build the awful robots his viewers suggest. Reeves doesn’t consider himself an engineer, but his videos are surprisingly good at teaching basic (very basic) robot building and coding.
His videos, like Giertz’s, show us that not everything you make has to have an inherent, useful purpose. You can make sh*tty things. In fact, we’re encouraging you to. Go out and make a sh*tty thing this weekend and laugh about it, because the world is literally on fire. Laugh a little.
Do YOU have any favorite YouTube science channels?! Tweet us!