The 5 Best Mad Scientists on YouTube

The days might be finally getting longer up here in the Northern Hemisphere, but we’ve still got a bit of a way to go before we’re back to those Summer evenings filled with fun and adventure. With the new year here and still no true respite from the pandemic that shall not be named, we have a feeling that all of us are going to need some ways to kill a bit of time over the next month or two.

Instead of flicking through Netflix, starting another Zoom quiz, or just screaming incoherently into the void (although I like the sound of that last one) why not check out some of our favourite mad scientists on YouTube so you can learn a thing or two?

Disclaimer: To the best of our knowledge, none of these people are actually “mad.” They just make amazing, crazy, scientific content. We use the term “mad scientist” with only the highest level of respect.

With that out of the way, let’s get onto the list.

1. PartyLab Industries

Ok, you caught us. We’re shamelessly self-promoting in a list intended to name some of our favourite science YouTubers. But, in our defence, we’re so excited for our plans for YouTube this year that we just had to put ourselves in.

Creating YouTube videos has always been one of the big goals for us here at PartyLab, and we can’t wait to share our content with you very soon! If you like what we do here, we’d love it if you could subscribe to us on YouTube so that you can be among the first to see what we have in store.

Expect deep dives into pop-culture related science, answers to outrageous theoretical questions, needless (but entertaining) experiments that have no right to be carried out, and so much more!

2. I Did a Thing

One of the beautiful things about science is that there are so many individual fields contained within it. For this entry, we turn to the field of engineering. Alex Apollonov is the genius behind I Did a Thing. He’s an Australian YouTuber who creates some of the most outrageous devices and contraptions you could ever think of.

A sandpaper treadmill, pizza-cutter rollerblades, and the world’s most powerful hammer are only a handful of Apollonov’s vast collection of projects. The engineering and manufacturing behind some of these devices truly blurs the line between science and art, and the deadpan Aussie humour is just an extra on top. We highly recommend you check him out.

3. Kurzgesagt

This next one is among the most artistically pleasing channels you’ll come across on the entire platform. Kurzgesagt is a design studio and YouTube production team based out of Munich, Germany. Their distinctive animation style is simply gorgeous and the theoretical work and research that underpins each of their videos is immensely thorough. They believe in making science look beautiful, simply because it already is.

Typically, they create explainer videos across a wide range of scientific fields. They approach each topic with what they term “optimistic nihilism,” and do an amazing job of condensing difficult and expansive topics into easily viewed videos. Go take a look.

4. The Hacksmith

We return to the world of engineering once again as we visit Hacksmith Industries. James Hobson, the Hacksmith himself, is a Canadian engineer and YouTuber. He and his team specialise in taking fictional ideas and making them come to life. 

Captain America’s shield? Made it. Thor’s Hammer? Easy. A genuine real-life, working lightsaber??? Yeah, they did that too. 

Each video gives us a start to finish look at what it takes to create one of these projects. We see the planning, the mock-ups, the manufacturing, and the final product in all its glory. These aren’t just for show either. The Hacksmith team isn’t a glorified cosplay manufacturer. All of these items work as they were intended to as we see fictional cinema science made real.

The projects continue to get bigger and better, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Check them out here.

5. BroScienceLife

What do you mean he’s “not actually a scientist?” He literally has science in his name! Dom Mazzetti, aka The Brofessor, provides a wealth of definitely accurate, not at all incorrect, videos about fitness and the human body. As the great man himself puts it, his videos are “50% fact, 50% magic, 100% results.”

In all seriousness, BroScienceLife is a fantastic comedy channel that takes a look at some of the fake science permeating gym culture through the eyes of a hilarious caricature. The channel’s creator, Mike Tornabene, has developed a cult-like following for his page and deservedly so. While the content on this channel may be the furthest thing from actual science, sometimes it’s good to take a break.

As far as we’re concerned, The Brofessor is one of the greatest modern minds science has to offer. But don’t just take our word for it, check it out here.

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