this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2026
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199
Can anyone recommend any good science communicators for a 12 year old girl? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago by abbadon420@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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When I was growing up, we had discovery channel. That sparked my intrinsic curiousity. My daughter has that intrinsic motivation as well, but only for k-pop now. She likes youtube videos and she likes when I tell her about science stuff. Maybe I can combine that by recommending her some good youtube channels.

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[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Lots of great recommendations already, but I haven't seen mention of Nebula, and I was looking for something like it last year.

I'm not affiliated with Nebula, I'm just a fan.

I look for ways to support creators more while supporting Google less, and Nebula is my favorite for science video creators, at the moment.

Some of the creators recommended here also post to Nebula with ad-free versions of the same videos and with a little bit of extra content (think DVD bonus features) - slightly longer videos, sometimes extra or extended interviews with interesting people.

And pretty much any creator who is on Nebula will say so at some point in their YouTube videos.

[–] braxy29@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

i feel like Ze's humor is fairly adult

[–] observes_depths@aussie.zone 1 points 2 hours ago

Dr Karl is the GOAT

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 14 hours ago

if your 12yo is interested in space, physics, pbs space, is another one, but it might be hard to follow if your not versed in the field though.

[–] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 15 hours ago

I have started becoming a supporter of my local PBS station so I've been watching a lot of pbs content on pbs.org

It seems they have quite a few options for young kids learning science

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 7 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Slop for my horses. Used AI to parse the comments and make a cohesive list with it's best shot at links

Then hand checked the links, fixed any broken ones I could find.

The classifications to the right are AI generated, feel free to comment and have me change things.

Added from posts: Fraser Cain, The Crash Course, Beakman's World, Cleo Abram

Added from my own list: nile blue, my green guy, hyperspace pirate, smarter every day, jeremy fielding, stuff made here, laura kamph, jerri ellsworth

[–] IronBird@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago

watch mythbusters with her, maybe?

[–] trolololol@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

Cleo.

She's not a scientist but a journalist, but a pretty good one, like, my top 1. She always covers science and engineering and always communicates extremely well.

https://youtube.com/@cleoabram

[–] presoak@lazysoci.al 5 points 22 hours ago

Carl fucking Sagan.

[–] motruck@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

Crash Course is great. https://thecrashcourse.com/

[–] Noja@sopuli.xyz 3 points 22 hours ago

Space and physics stuff: David Butler - https://howfarawayisit.com/

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago

Well I was closer to 6 and 7, but I grew up with Mr. Wizard. He was probably Bill Nye's inspiration. Unpatronizing, simple, and straightforward science for kids. Man was a national treasure.

[–] konim@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago

I dont really know whats age appropriate for a 12 year old but BobbyBroccoli has some good science controversy videos. He has a good series of videos on a physics scandal and a video on another physics scandal. He uses some cool visualizations and I like how he talks about the science and the people involved. Theres also cold fusion. One of the fusion videos has a title thats worrying but no one dies, its making a point.

Too dark at her age probably but maybe good as a teenager. I listen to Fascinating Horror who covers various disasters in 15 mins or less. I liked that the videos arent sensationalized. He always says the victims names and backgrounds, the circumstances leading up to it and the fallout. Like theres a video about a woman who was rushed the hospital and made the staff sick. Theres a lot of videos calling her the toxic lady. His video refers to her by name, mentions that moniker doesnt match how positive and loved she was, and her prior medical issues that likely caused her desperation.

[–] Heliumfart@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

Fraser Cain, universe today.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

you tube has pbs space time, nova, terra and the sci show along with others.

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Seconding this. PBS has a TON of YouTube channels for all kinds of interest areas. Not all are going to be geared to a middle school audience, but much like the TV stations themselves, at least you don't have to worry as much* about the potential content as a parent (in terms of quality or appropriateness) vs random YouTube channels.

*I would say all their stuff is high school appropriate, but some of the more local/news-related stuff could be a bad fit for younger audiences depending on the kid, only because we don't live in a world that's child-friendly. Also channels like PBS Terra do a lot of videos about how fucked we are re: climate change (not in so many words of course) and although they do try to put an optimistic spin on it, sensitive kids might get freaked out by how bad things are (which would be an accurate response of course, so it depends on how much you've been trying to shelter your kid from this kind of thing I guess).

[–] cv_octavio@piefed.ca 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I was about 12 or 13 when my parents taped a series from TV called "Connections" featuring a historian called James Burke. I've probably watched it over 30 times since and have shared it with my daughter (then about 8, now 13). 

Anytime she's home sick from school, that's what she wants to watch with me now. Highly recommended.

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Found it streamimg on curiosity stream. $3-4 isn't much to try the service for a month and see if it's worth it to us.

Thanks for recommendation.

[–] Boron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago

Oh my God I love the fact that you are using Lemmy for this! :D

#lemmy4everything

[–] Hayduke@lemmy.world 67 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (16 children)

In addition to the others mentioned.
Kyle Hill
Steve Mould
Physics Girl
The Action Lab
Anton Petrov
Scott Manley
Veritasium
Minute Earth
Minute Physics
VSauce
SciShow
Hank Green
Cleo Abram

[–] runner_g@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Also Nile Red and 3brown1blue.

for a more adult audience - Technology Connections. I say adult because I don't think Alec would hold the attention of a teenager.

[–] DFX4509B@lemmy.wtf 3 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

NileRed is more adult than T-C based on the type of stuff he messes with being super dangerous sometimes, though. Like, I wouldn't want a kid messing around with things like manganese heptoxide or various strong acids or whatever that are super dangerous on their own with adults messing with them, let alone kids.

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 28 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Hannah Fry is great too. Becky Smethurst as well.

I approve of your list but Anton Petrov is a bit much for a 12 year old, I think. Kyle Hill gets a bit dark for a 12 year old sometimes.

It certainly doesn't hurt to just start off on the right foot with Carl Sagan and Cosmos.

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[–] yesman@lemmy.world 75 points 1 day ago (1 children)

SciShow is good people making science content aimed at a general audience.

[–] em2@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

In addition to SciShow, PBS Eons is a good watch. Shout out to The Octopus Lady and The Monterey Bay Aquarium as well!

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[–] morphballganon@mtgzone.com 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Dr Iain Stewart has some good documentaries, Earth: The Biography and How The Earth Changed History

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Haven't seen Dr. Pamela Gay's name in this thread. So her.

[–] bathroomconnoisseur@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

I would have loved this when I was 12, I get to enjoy it now though https://youtube.com/@zefrank

[–] muffedtrims@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Bill Nye the Science Guy from the 90s.

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[–] zenitsu@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

Crash Course/Hank Green

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Myron Cook is the Bob Ross of Geology. His channel is a treasure:

https://www.youtube.com/@myroncook

[–] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Simone Giertz

https://m.youtube.com/c/simonegiertz

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[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Technology Connections
Periodic Videos
Computerphile
One Blue Three Brown
MinutePhysics

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 2 points 20 hours ago

The first few, at least, seem kinda heavy for a tween

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