Since its inception, TikTok has become an arbiter of culture, memes, and even political organizing, all while curating eerily specific For Your Pages for its users full of dancing videos, funny filters, and viral songs. But one of its most promising uses is connecting more people to fun, educational accounts, spanning the range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
STEM creators have gathered tons of engagement on their informational videos in various fields of science, math, and even public health, as physicians took to the platform to dispel misconceptions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational accounts like these combine the easily digestible format of the short-form video app with hard science, making often over-the-head STEM topics easily digestible for millions of viewers.
Want to know more about LGBTQ history? Follow these accounts.
The STEM side of TikTok offers something for just about everyone — no science interest is too niche. Scroll on for a short list of STEM accounts sharing content across a wide range of expertise, and give a few of them a follow to add some fun, educational videos to your FYP.
Geo Rutherford is a printmaker, fiber and book artist, and resident teacher of lake science for more than one million TikTok users. Rutherford’s account is a neat combination of beautiful, environment-inspired art and science posts about hydrology(opens in a new tab), geology(opens in a new tab), and underwater exploration(opens in a new tab). She’s known for her “spooky lake month” series, in which she spends all of October sharing eerie or unusual facts about bodies of water(opens in a new tab) around the world, like the parts of the Amazon River that boil(opens in a new tab) or the shipwrecks at the bottom of the Black Sea(opens in a new tab). Go to her page for more cool hydrology videos, explanations of strange Great Lakes geology(opens in a new tab), and explainers on ancient lakes(opens in a new tab) that have long dried out.
Rutherford makes it clear there’s a lot more to lakes and rivers than you might think
Credit: TikTok / @Geodesaurus
Did you know the Great Lakes have really crazy ice phenomena?
Credit: TikTok / @Geodesaurus
Samantha Cristoforetti, an astronaut with the European Space Agency(opens in a new tab), was credited as the first TikTokker in space, and, through her social media pages(opens in a new tab), she’s on a mission to educate the masses on what it’s like to orbit around in space. Cristoforetti’s TikTok page’s creation coincided with her journey back into space, which began on April 27, 2022. She posted her first TikTok from the International Space Station(opens in a new tab) on May 5, and has since landed safely back on Earth. Her TikTok account includes videos on how astronauts use the bathroom(opens in a new tab), what kind of food you can bring(opens in a new tab) on space stations, and how her fellow space explorers build up their muscles while in zero gravity(opens in a new tab).
Cristoforetti is taking her followers with her to the final frontier.
Credit: TikTok / @AstroSamantha
Floating through space? That’d make a good TikTok.
Credit: TikTok / @AstroSamantha
Head to Alexandra Doten’s page to learn even more about space. A former space communications specialist(opens in a new tab) for NASA and the U.S. Space Force, Doten started her account during the COVID-19 pandemic as a fun way to improve science literacy and cultivate interest in the space industry. She posts videos on breaking space news(opens in a new tab), debunks space misinformation(opens in a new tab), and makes sure to fill your FYP with mind-blowing(opens in a new tab) space facts(opens in a new tab).
Annelise Baer, TikTok’s “friendly neighborhood archaeologist,” is an archaeologist and producer with Project Nivica Archaeology, a research initiative on the prehistoric cultures of Nivica in southern Albania. Baer has a master’s degree in Archaeology for Screen Media, which she has used to produce educational archaeological content for various history and archaeology-themed series. On her TikTok page, Baer dives into archaeological history(opens in a new tab), highlights new discoveries(opens in a new tab), and dispels common misconceptions(opens in a new tab) about history and pseudoscience(opens in a new tab), as well as how archaeology is conducted(opens in a new tab) — it’s an inside look into the field.
Archaeological discoveries are happening all the time, and Baer makes sure her followers stay informed.
Credit: TikTok / @AnneliseTheArchaeologist
Look no further for cool historical artifacts.
Credit: TikTok / @AnneliseTheArchaeologist
Darrion Nguyen is probably one of the most recognizable STEM accounts on TikTok because of his frequently viral (pun not intended) comedy videos about biochemistry, medical research, and other human sciences. A recent graduate of the University of Texas, Nguyen’s posts often riff on current trends and memes, adding genuine science lessons to the app’s current crazes. Videos include funny takes on the immune system(opens in a new tab), protein synthesis(opens in a new tab), and other concepts(opens in a new tab) from your college biology courses you may have forgotten (or never even learned). His page is probably a relatable stop for any pre-med students or lab technicians, bonding over the struggles of doing hard research and combating misinformation(opens in a new tab).
Andre Isaacs is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, known for his colorfully energetic lab videos featuring his students(opens in a new tab). Isaacs’ videos give humorous glimpses into studying chemistry and scientists at large, collaborating with other STEM creators like Nguyen. He was even featured as one of TikTok’s 2023 LGBTQ+ Visionary Voices. Scroll his page to see fun moments with his students(opens in a new tab), videos on how to foster the next generation of scientists(opens in a new tab), and even conversations on how chemistry and LGBTQ identity are more similar(opens in a new tab) than you might think.
Isaacs’ lab is a vibrant science education hub.
Credit: TikTok / @DreDre4000
This kind of STEM content is anything but boring.
Credit: TikTok / @DreDre4000
Phillip Cook is a high school chemistry teacher at the private Culver Academy and a beloved TikTok educator, whose accessible teaching has even made it onto the Kelly Clarkson Show.(opens in a new tab) Cook’s account shares simple(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)science experiments(opens in a new tab) with things you can find at home, everyday chemistry explainers like how hair dye(opens in a new tab) or gel nail polish(opens in a new tab) work, and how chemistry can be used to create sustainable solutions, like how biodiesel fuel can be made from cooking oil(opens in a new tab). Follow his account for chemistry videos accessible for all ages.
Kyne Santos is a drag queen and longtime YouTube creator(opens in a new tab) with an impressive brain for all things math. Since 2020, the TikTok star has utilized their bachelor’s degree in mathematics to make short-form videos, sharing straightforward explanations of math and physics concepts to 1.3 million followers. Santos’ videos aren’t just about the formulas or concepts you learned in your math courses, though. Instead, the videos relate core math principles to our everyday life, like how the Farenheit temperature scale works(opens in a new tab), how to optimize making change by adding new coins to U.S. currency(opens in a new tab), and how game theory relates to the modern workplace(opens in a new tab). They even share videos about social justice topics like LGBTQ mathematics icons(opens in a new tab), AAPI history(opens in a new tab), and the importance of drag(opens in a new tab). Follow Santos’ account for a daily dose of math that’s helpful, interesting, and might break your brain — but in a fun way!
Weekly math riddles to keep your brain nimble.
Credit: TikTok/ @OnlineKyne
Santos adds glamour to a notoriously… misunderstood subject.
Credit: TikTok/ @OnlineKyne
With more than 10 million followers, the Institute of Human Anatomy(opens in a new tab) is TikTok’s go-to spot for quick lessons on human anatomy and physiology. Off the internet, the Institute is a Utah-based private human cadaver lab (received through body donor programs) that provides anatomical education for health professionals. The TikTok account is run by the organization staff, including marketing director and instructor Justin Cottle. In addition to the TikTok account, you can find science explainers by institute co-founder Jonathan Bennion on the Institute’s Instagram page(opens in a new tab), or head to its YouTube channel(opens in a new tab). A gentle warning here that this account doesn’t shy away from showing real body parts, genitalia, organs, you name it.
Yes, the Encyclopedia Britannica(opens in a new tab) does have a TikTok account and it’s sharing all things science with more than 200,000 followers — it’s basically the modern version of the famed general knowledge book first published in 1768. The page is great for all ages, posting fun songs(opens in a new tab) and trends turned into quick science lessons, as well as deep dives into facets of biology, physics(opens in a new tab), and just about anything else you can think of.
Clever songs make simple natural history lessons easy to learn and share.
Credit: TikTok / @EncyclopaediaBritannica
The page and its commenters tackle common questions and science principles.
Credit: TikTok / @EncyclopaediaBritannica
New York City’s American Museum of Natural History(opens in a new tab) also has its own TikTok page engaging more than 310,000 followers with content about its collection, the natural sciences, and museum curation. Scrolling through its feed, you’ll find videos on ancient creatures like the Megalodon(opens in a new tab), fun facts about present-day animals(opens in a new tab), and highlights from somewhat obscure facets of science, like paleoceanography(opens in a new tab). The page also features lessons by museum curators(opens in a new tab), museum history(opens in a new tab), and resources for educators and further learning(opens in a new tab) — not to mention a plethora of memes(opens in a new tab).
The Natural History Museum TikTok page highlights experts and curators.
Credit: TikTok / @NaturalHistoryMonth
Followers also get a glimpse into the museum’s collection.
Credit: TikTok / @NaturalHistoryMonth
An early platform favorite and beloved STEM creator, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has gone viral time and time again for its Mollusk Monday(opens in a new tab) weekly series, in which resident mollusk expert Tim Pearce shares jokes and occasional fun facts all about snails and their close relatives. The account isn’t just for snail fans, however, as the museum posts a plethora of content within the study of natural history, all of which is presented by museum experts in fields like herpetology(opens in a new tab), geology(opens in a new tab), paleontology,(opens in a new tab) and botany(opens in a new tab).
The OGs
Famous science educators like Bill Nye (the Science Guy)(opens in a new tab) and favorite YouTube educators like Hank Green,(opens in a new tab) founder of Crash Course, have easily made the transition onto the TikTok app. Follow their pages for more of their classic science content many of us grew up with.
Classic Bill.
Credit: TikTok / @BillNye
Hank Green explains it all.
Credit: TikTok / @hankgreen1