YSM Issue 94.1

INTO THE
NEWSROOM
TEACHING THROUGH TIKTOKS
By Ann-Marie Abunyewa
IMAGE COURTESY OF @HANKGREEN1 ON TIKTOK
Ever wondered what our appendix actually does? Or why you
feel like sneezing when you pluck your eyebrows? How about
why the spider in your bathroom only has six legs? Well,
Hank Green has an answer for that. You might have encountered
Hank on his CrashCourse channel, which he co-founded with
his brother John, while you were cramming for that high school
biology test. Now he’s migrated to TikTok, where he shares some of
his hot takes and answers some of the scientific questions that may
(or may not) be on your mind—all while maintaining his everfamiliar
eccentric personality between two of his largest platforms.
Hank Green is one of many creators on TikTok who use their
platforms to talk about science. In his most popular TikToks, his
followers submit videos asking any question on their minds, and
Hank directly posts his responses on his page. The TikToks with
the most views match his high-energy YouTube persona and use
lightheartedness and sarcasm to point out that he is not always right
and should not be the only scientific authority his viewers consult.
You might also remember the aesthetic whiteboard illustrations
and the infamous “Periodic Table Song” from AsapScience’s YouTube
channel. Well, Greg and Mitch, the channel’s creators, have also brought
their platform from YouTube to TikTok. Still, their style of disseminating
information is a little different. Some of their most popular videos
are reminiscent of the illustrative visuals they are known for on their
YouTube channel. But others involve social commentary on STEM,
dance breaks with captions calling attention to our reckless destruction
of the planet, and Greg and Mitch’s everyday thoughts and hot takes.
Hank, Greg, and Mitch never seemed to have sacrificed their
personas on TikTok. Of course, their long-form content on YouTube
can’t necessarily be translated onto TikTok. Instead, TikTok allows
their audiences to see a more personable side that may not have
been portrayed in the same way on their main YouTube channels.
TikTok’s sixty-second time limit better accommodates short tidbits
than complex concepts. This allows them to focus more on aspects
that enable them to better connect with their audience—like Q&As
or talking about their personal lives.
As for creators that have built their platforms solely on TikTok,
Darrion Nguyen (@lab_shenanigans) and Hailey Levi (@
chaoticallyscience) are worth checking out. Many of Darrion’s TikToks
use sounds from reality shows to help playfully illustrate concepts
helpful for studying biochemistry while others showcase some of his
after-hours antics as a research technician. One of Darrion’s most
popular videos shows him pasting images of James Watson, Francis
Crick, and Maurice Wilkins in his Mean Girls-inspired Burn Book.
He alludes to how they snubbed Rosalind Franklin of her deserved
recognition for identifying the double helix of DNA. The humor and
classic references that Darrion incorporates are starting points for a
social commentary on science and science history.
Meanwhile, Hailey is a PhD student who creates videos to prove
that science isn’t as dull or out-of-touch as it is sometimes portrayed
to be. Her most recent posts showcase her having fun during her
after-hours, whether she is switching on the vortex mixer to Gloria
Estefan and Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” or doing the Perfect
Match trend with her lab mates. But she also puts out advice on
starting graduate school and uses her platform to talk about being
a person of color in STEM. Periodically, she educates viewers on
prominent black women in STEM. She empowers her audience
based on the importance of seeing other black women making
significant strides in fields in which they’re underrepresented. From
Hailey’s content, you feel like you’re connecting with a supportive
peer mentor and easy-going friend.
What do all of these creators have in common? They have all found
ways to make attention-grabbing videos that promote science—
but not exactly in a format that is as high-stakes as your nine AM
chemistry class or as passive as your asynchronous math class.
Because these creators only have sixty seconds, the points that they
communicate must be incredibly concise and clear. Moreover, they
sprinkle in their personalities and humor to make learning STEM
more engaging and more fun. Maybe Hank’s status as a Gen-X
member makes his TikToks more entertaining as he attempts to
understand the questions coming from his majority Gen-Z audience.
Meanwhile, Darrion’s use of pop culture helps boost his relatability
in his videos. It is no wonder that TikTok has become a popular
destination for access to science and scientific news. ■
Brown, G. & Moffit, M. [@asapscience] (n.d.) AsapSCIENCE
[TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved February 24, 2021
Green, H. [@hankgreen1] (n.d.) Hank Green [TikTok profile].
TikTok. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.tiktok.
com/@hankgreen1?lang=en
Levi, H. [@chaoticallyscience] (n.d.) Hailey [TikTok profile].
TikTok. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.tiktok.
com/@chaoticallyscience?lang=en
Nguyen, D. [@lab_shenanigans] (n.d.) Darrion Nguyen [Tik-
Tok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://
www.tiktok.com/@lab_shenanigans?lang=en
38 Yale Scientific Magazine March 2021 www.yalescientific.org