Glaciologist’s TikTok video goes viral, reaching 30,000 views
Scientists are using social media to share data, making complex research accessible and engaging to a broader audience.
Scientists social media videos, explaining complex concepts in simple ways, are often going viral. Photo: TNSPeter Neff understands why the world’s fifth-largest continent is interesting. The camera roll on his phone is full of videos and photos of his trips to Antarctica. The glaciologist and climate scientist has spent days and weeks at a time collecting ice core samples. His work helps develop a record of past climate conditions and predict what could happen next.
Neff posted a video to TikTok that captured the sound of a chunk of ice falling 90 metres down a borehole. It was an immediate success.
Many scientists studying climate and the environment have started sharing their work online. Neff stressed that scientists can play an important role in spreading fact-based information to a global audience.