MIT grad, former astronomy researcher and Hawaii native Dianna Cowern also carries another mantle: Physics Girl. Her YouTube channel answers science questions in a fun, engaging way, and she's recently began creating content for PBS Digital Studios.
We talk with Dianna about fighting through school struggles, being part of the YouTube renaissance, and what it's like to have "Girl" in your title.
On the importance of getting outside
If you sit inside and just consume — meaning just watching videos or playing video games or even just playing games over and over — I think it puts you in a closed framework. And when you get outside, the limits are gone.
On avoiding the "female scientist" trap
My experience as a woman in physics and as a woman in science communication is something separate (from) my actually doing the science communicating and doing the science, and I hope that that comes across.
On what makes a good YouTube video
For me — and it could just be the way that I think — but for me, a really effective video asks a specific question and a good question that says "Why does this happen?" or "Why did this happen in history?" or "Who was this person?" and then goes about answering it well.