''SciShow'' is a collection of

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channels that focuses on science news. The program is hosted by

Hank Green William Henry Green II (born May 5, 1980) is an American vlogger, science communicator, entrepreneur, author, internet producer, and musician. He is known for producing the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers with his older brother, author John Green ...

along with a rotating cast of co-hosts. ''SciShow'' was launched as an original channel. The series has been consistently releasing new material since it was created in 2012. Since its launch, three additional channels have been launched under the ''SciShow'' brand: ''SciShow Space'', ''SciShow Psych'', and ''SciShow Kids''.

History and funding

The channel was launched as an " original channel", which meant that

funded the channel. The show's initial grant was projected to expire in 2014, and in response, on September 12, 2013 ''SciShow'' joined the viewer-funding site ''Subbable'', created in part by Green. In 2014, the channel landed a national advertisement deal with YouTube. The educational program was featured on platforms such as billboards and television commercials as a result. Green details that the advertisements had a positive effect on ''SciShow'', stating, "My Twitter exploded, our followers and subscribers exploded." After Patreon acquired ''Subbable'', the channel switched over to Patreon where it continues to receive support in exchange for various perks. ''SciShow'' currently has over five thousand patrons.

Production and hosting

Though Green hosts the majority of episodes, the show has alternate hosts; Michael Aranda has been with the show since its inception, and Olivia Gordon of the Missoula Insectarium joined in June 2016. Gordon left ''SciShow'' in August 2020, and was replaced by ethnobotanist Rose Bear Don't Walk. Prior to her move to Chicago,

Emily Graslie Emily Graslie (born 1989) is an American science communicator and YouTube educator. She started volunteering at the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum at the University of Montana in 2011. After appearing in a VlogBrothers video by Hank Green i ...

of ''The Brain Scoop'' also occasionally hosted on the channel. There have also been guest appearances by

Lindsey Doe Lindsey Takara Doe (born ) is a sexologist, sex educator, and host of ''Sexplanations'' on YouTube. Personal life Lindsey Takara Doe was born in . , she had three non-biological children: a five-year-old foster son and two teenaged daughters. ...

, who hosts ''Sexplanations'', another channel launched by Green; and by longtime SciShow staffer Stefan Chin, who since 2017 has been a regular host. ''SciShow'' has grown since its 2012 launch; it now employs a full editorial, production, and operations staff. ''SciShow Space'' has three rotating hosts: Hank Green, Reid Reimers, and Caitlin Hofmeister. Similarly, ''SciShow Psych'' rotates hosting between Hank Green, Brit Garner, and Anthony Brown. ''SciShow Kids'' is primarily hosted by Jessi Knudsen Castañeda, host of Animal Wonders Montana.

Content

Several different scientific fields are covered by ''SciShow'', including

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

. The videos on ''SciShow'' have a vast variety of different topics, such as nutrition, and "science superlatives". As of April 2020, ''SciShow'' has released over 2250 videos. A spin-off channel, ''SciShow Space'', launched in April 2014 to specialize in

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

topics. A second spin-off, ''SciShow Kids'', launched in March 2015 to specialize in delivering science topics to children. ''Kids'' went on hiatus in late 2018, returning in April 2020. A third spinoff channel was announced in February 2017, ''SciShow Psych'', which debuted in March 2017, specializing in psychology and neuroscience. A

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

, ''SciShow Tangents'', was launched in November 2018; it features entertaining exchanges of scientific facts among many of the shows' staffers, and is directed at a mature audience.

Podcast

In November 2018, a co-branded podcast titled ''SciShow Tangents'' was launched as a co-production with

WNYC Studios WNYC Studios is a producer and distributor of podcasts and on-demand and broadcast audio. WNYC Studios is a subsidiary of New York Public Radio and is headquartered in New York City. History In May 2015, WNYC began distributing its shows ''R ...

. It consists of a panel format where Hank Green, Ceri Riley, Stefan Chin, and Sam Schultz share facts about science on a weekly theme; each episode has multiple segments, several of which are competitive. In late 2020, the podcast ceased its association with WNYC Studios, and continues as an independently produced entity. The podcast is a restructured and reimagined continuation of their previous podcast, ''Holy Fucking Science'', which ran from January 2017 to March 2018.

Reception

As ''SciShow'' has amassed a large following, the channel has been featured on several media outlets. In October 2014 the channel surpassed two million subscribers, and over 210 million video views. As of September 2021, the channel has over 6.7 million subscribers and over 1.4 billion total views. In 2017, ''SciShow'' won a Webby Award in the People's Voice category.

References

External links

* * * * {{VlogBrothers 2012 web series debuts Works by the Green brothers American non-fiction web series YouTube channels launched in 2012 Science-related YouTube channels YouTube-funded channels Science education English-language YouTube channels Education-related YouTube channels Mass media in Missoula, Montana