The Golden Age of Science Video

Not long ago, science video was limited to a few shows on television and occasional documentaries. But YouTube and other streaming platforms have ushered in a golden age for short-form science video, allowing hundreds of video creators to make a living combining science journalism and education. They're explaining science visually and creatively, engaging audiences and supporting a diversity of voices to share their take on everything from medicine to math to maps.

Join the Video Consortium and the National Association of Science Writers as we explore this exciting new chapter in science, media, and video innovation. Our event will explore the evolution of science video, from NOVA to YouTube to TikTok, and how three expert creators are thriving in a competitive world of facts, narrative innovation and visual creativity.

What’s next for the always-changing explainer form? Why have science videos gained such a popular following? What can viewers do to join the renaissance in science communication and contribute to this exciting field? Join this panel on May 25 to find out:

Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated video producer at Vox. She’s currently working on Vox's YouTube Originals show Glad You Asked, and previously produced the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show Explained. She was also the host and a senior producer on Vox’s first ever daily show Answered. In her stories, Cleo decodes complex topics in technology, culture, and economics, revealing how underlying systems work to help people better understand and find wonder in the world around them. For fun, you can find her answering questions from curious followers on TikTok.

Jordan Harrod is a PhD student in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program where she studies non-invasive brain-machine interfaces and machine learning for pain and anesthesia. Her YouTube channel, which focuses on artificial intelligence, has attracted 67,000 subscribers since she began it in 2018. She’s also active as a science communicator on Twitter, Instagram and with ComSciCon.

Dave Wiskus is the founder and CEO of Standard, a community of creators making thoughtful videos covering everything from media criticism to science and engineering. Standard is the business force behind their creators’ sponsorships, merch, and, in some cases, video production. They’re also building Nebula, the creator-owned streaming video and podcast platform with over 250,000 active paying users. Dave is also a filmmaker and the frontman for the band Airplane Mode.

Moderator: Eli Kintisch is a producer with PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs. As a science writer and video producer he’s written for Science, National Geographic and It’s Ok to Be Smart and produced series including After the Ice, recently published on PBS Terra, Thaw for Vox, and Into the Dark, a documentary about the mysteries of the polar night.

More info and registration

This workshop is pay what you wish, with a suggested donation of $10! Your donation goes directly into maintaining Video Consortium’s administrative costs and towards allowing this global community to continue to thrive.