There’s been quite a bit of chatter about the “Brian Cox Effect” in the UK recently, as interest in science seems to be on the rise. But I haven’t heard anyone talking about the “Charlie McDonnell Effect”.
Maybe it’s because Charlie appeals more to a growing movement of teens who just want to immerse themselves in awesomeness, rather than science advocates on the lookout for the next Carl Sagan. Maybe it’s because Charlie doesn’t fit the mold as science communicator extraordinaire – he didn’t even go to University for goodness sake! But like it or not, 20 year old Charlie McDonnell is reaching out to millions of teens when it comes to science, and engaging with them in ways few others are even getting close to!
Charlie McDonnell was lauded in today’s Sunday Times as the first Brit to hit 1 million regular viewers on YouTube (the story’s behind a paywall I’m afraid). You may remember that I highlighted him as someone to look out for in the recent roundup of Science and VidCon.
Amongst the many things he talks about on his YouTube channel, the Sunday Times piece specifically mention his interest in science. To quote the article,
“Among his latest releases is a four-minute video called Fun Science, in which he plays his ukulele while singing in rhyme about how sound works. It has had 1.7m hits.”
Here is that video, which at the time of writing has has 1,804,281 views, and received more than 21,000 comments:
This is pretty significant when it comes to connecting teens with science (it was only posted two weeks ago). Charlie’s YouTube channel – charlieissocoollike – currently has 1,194,000 subscribers, and has received over 172 million views. More importantly, there are millions of teens the world over who listen to what he says, are inspired by it, and act on it – actively engaging in a growing community, rather than passively absorbing received wisdom.
Charlie McDonnell may not fit middle class expectations of an educated yet hip science advocate. But believe me, he’s the one your kids are more likely to be listening to. Which means I expect that the “Charlie McDonnell Effect” is alive and kicking – albeit hidden down in the grass roots of a science-hungry on-line community.
Nice post. I subscribed to Charlies channel after I saw the Fun Science: Light video a few months back. They are all very well done and he needs to get on the ball and give his fans more!! , although it does help that he has a British accent which instantly gives this kid an air of credability 🙂 (at least to us Americans)
Good stuff. While the ‘grown up’ world obsesses about Brian, wonderful as he is, all this stuff is bubbling away without us really knowing.
I’d never heard of this guy before today, but if he’s connecting with folk and helping them realise that using their brains is one-up on anaesthetizing them, he’s a good thing.
I suspect there’s a more general point, that parents/grandparents/diff. generations often don’t really know what the hell the ‘younger’ generation are getting up to.
I’d be interested to see if data is available re the demographic Brian Cox/Bill Nye/Neil Tyson/others are touching compared to, say, this guy? (I think Charley is more Nye influenced btw).
And for sure, British accents help in all sorts of ways 🙂
This kid is doing a great job of combining humor with information to make the material approachable. The fact that he is roughly their age helps immensely. We need more Charlies out there reaching out to kids on science and technology through their own methods – not our adult (i.e., boring) methods of talking at the kids.
Nice post.
As a young teenager, I can say that Charlie does a great job elaborating on the compelling parts of the scientific world rather than make it feel like something we should have to learn or know. Charlie’s passion for science is much closer to the heart of science–curiosity, wonder–than most other means that teenagers learn about science, which makes him someone we want to listen to, and at the same time, a phenomenal source to learn from. Charlie uses his reputation and gifts of being humorous and musical to enhance his presentations of science, which makes him very entertaining. To tell the truth, I have not heard of Brian Cox, but I’ve been a fan of Charlie McDonnell for a long time and he has never put out a video that I didn’t like. Charlie McDonnell is a great musician, comedian, Youtuber, person, and teacher. Thanks, Charlie!
Just to clarify, given that you are American and may not be able to tell, Charlie is definitely middle class, as that term is defined in England. Talking about unconventional teens, it is interesting that his younger brother went to the Royal Ballet School, so the McDonnells are one family that isn’t afraid to follow its interests regardless of fashion. We just need a few million more of them over here, and you need a few tens of millions more over there.
My own interests are totally different – I’m a classical music buff – but I know how appallingly intolerant many, many young people are of anything outside the pop culture mainstream from my own experience, and it is adults who create the environment in which anti-intellectualism flourishes.
I forgot to say in my last post that Charlie McDonnell and Brian Cox are acquainted. I’m not sure how well, but they’ve definitely met, and Charlie said Brian would be his dream interviewee during his brief foray into presenting.
I was googling cool scientist to do my research project on….it seems the internet will not let me get away from Charlie….