Be careful when hanging out with Nigel Braun. He just may feed you Styrofoam.
OK, that’s a bit misleading. To clarify, he’ll break the Styrofoam down to its basic components in order to extract styrene, a molecule making up Styrofoam. But that molecule is also similar to cinnamaldehyde, the chemical that makes cinnamon smell and taste the way it does. And once Braun’s broken the Styrofoam into its chemical components, he’ll use them to make cinnamon candy.
It’s this kind of chemistry that Braun showcases on his YouTube channels, NileRed and NileBlue.
What’s the difference between the two channels? Well, NileRed is generally more focused and formal. Braun explains his scientific process in each video, and he tackles things with the precision that a chemist strives for in a lab. NileBlue, on the other hand, might be described as his “goofy” channel. It’s where Braun has a bit more fun: videos are informal, measurements are winged, and tools are improvised.
Both channels are ultimately meant to dispel the idea that chemistry is boring and unenjoyable.
“My goal is to capture the natural beauty of chemistry in fun and interesting ways,” Braun writes in his channel description for NileRed.
And whether Braun’s turning a block of wood transparent or extracting the DNA from strawberries to see how it tastes, it’s hard not to see how chemistry just might be fun.
As stated above, Braun’s ultimate goal is to ignite an interest in chemistry for the channel’s viewers. He uses interesting experiments to counter what he sees as poor teaching of the subject in some schools; he believes that unfortunate influence has turned many young students off to the subject. And as viewers watch his videos, they’ll be taught what chemical reactions are occurring as well as why certain chemical compounds allow him to alter his projects in interesting ways.
However, a lot of what Braun does is dangerous, which he clearly warns viewers about. The chemicals he works with and produces can be toxic to humans, so he always warns people when something may be harmful. We don’t expect that most people will have the desire, capacity or equipment to replicate Braun’s experiments, but the warnings are appreciated all the same.
Braun occasionally misuses God’s name. He also sometimes says “crap.”
A couple of experiments use unsavory ingredients, such as a lubricant originally made for sexual purposes or his own urine (both are solely used for to extract components from its chemical makeup).
My experience with chemistry was an interesting one. While I really enjoyed organic chemistry, I wasn’t very interested in the rest of it. But NileRed and NileBlue apply chemistry to real experiments to make it fun—not only to watch, but to learn, too.
Though some videos will be too advanced for a young tot, Braun’s videos may encourage teens and adults to take the science a bit more seriously. And with only a couple minor content concerns to note, NileRed and NileBlue just may exert a positive reaction from you.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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