Three Twentysix – Explaining Chemistry to the World（Dr Andrew Robertson）

We interviewed Dr Andrew Robertson – an associate professor at Kyushu University who received the 2023 Chemistry Communication Award – about the background to his award and his activities. Dr Robertson runs the YouTube channel, Three Twentysix, which provides in-depth explanations of chemistry. In this interview, we asked him about the origins of the channel, the challenges of creating educational content, the impact of the award, and future plans for expanding the channel's reach.
（Date of interview: 6 November 2024）

日本語によるインタビュー記事の要約はこちら。

Impact of Winning the Chemistry Communication Award

—— Congratulations on winning the 2023 Chemistry Communication Award. What motivated you to apply for this award?

Dr Robertson: I saw a poster about the award in our department, and I knew that if I didn't apply for it, I’d regret it for the rest of the year. So I put the application together and sent it in.

—— How did you feel when you heard that you had won the award?

Dr Robertson: I didn’t expect to win at all, so I was very surprised and, of course, happy. It was a great validation of the work we had been doing on the channel. Winning the award was also a great morale booster for our team and reaffirmed the value of our chemistry communication efforts.

—— How did your colleagues and team react to the news?

Dr Robertson: My colleagues were very happy for me and it was great for my team to see their hard work recognized in such a prestigious way. It also helped to show people at the university that this project is a useful and worthwhile endeavour and demonstrates the importance and impact of our work in chemistry communication.

—— How has winning the award affected your work and the channel?

Dr Robertson: Being able to say we won the 2023 Chemistry Communication Award demonstrates a professional credibility and value. That sort of thing opens doors when it comes to making collaborations and getting resources.

The Genesis of Three Twentysix

——How did you come up with the idea for your YouTube channel, Three Twentysix?

Dr Robertson: The idea originally came from my walks around the laboratory while waiting for experiments to run. I would think of ways to explain chemical concepts that don’t appear in textbooks. I also watched a lot of YouTube and had ideas for funny sketches that I thought would appeal to students and non-chemists. Eventually, I wrote a proposal to make edutainment videos and see if they could interest people in more academic lectures. Research grants are so competitive, I didn’t think it had much chance but, to my surprise, the grant was accepted.

—— So, the grant pushed you to start the channel?

Dr Robertson: Yes, it did and, crucially, it allowed me to get the resources to get the project started. The grant also had the effect of making me focus on the channel full time as I quickly discovered it was going to be a lot more work than I’d thought. My original plan was to quickly record and edit videos, but it turned out to be much more time-consuming.

—— What was the biggest challenge you faced in starting the channel?

Dr Robertson: That was learning all the practical and software skills, not to mention finding the time. I thought I could shoot a video in 10 minutes and edit it in an hour, but it took much longer.

—— How did you balance your research and the channel?

Dr Robertson: I had to put my laboratory research on hold to focus on the channel. But since I’d won a grant to make videos, that became the main focus of my research anyway. The lab work is on hold at the moment but I’m still planning to go back and carry on at some point.

—— Did you have any specific goals when you started the channel?

Dr Robertson: My main goal was to see if edutainment videos would make chemistry more accessible and engaging. I wanted to present chemistry concepts in a way that was different from traditional textbooks, using humour and visual aids to engage the audience. From there, I was planning to hit ten thousand subscribers within three years. We’re currently over ninety thousand.

—— What inspired the name Three Twentysix?

Dr Robertson: Element number 3 is lithium (Li) and element number 26 is iron (Fe). Together, they spell LiFe. The original tagline for the channel was ‘Chemistry, Science, and Life’, so I thought the name made a nice connection between chemistry and life.

—— Did anyone figure it out from the channel name?

Dr Robertson: I thought chemists would get it quite quickly but even some top chemists didn't get it. Now, I put pictures of lithium and iron on the channel's homepage to help people make the connection.

Defining the Audience and Content

—— What are the goals and objectives of your channel?

Dr Robertson: In any communication endeavour, it's essential to define your audience and what you're offering them. I started out making videos for a broad audience, but that won’t work on YouTube. You have to focus on a specific group. With feedback and guidance from YouTube experts like Nate Black, I realized my focus should be on people with a knowledge of, or an interest in, chemistry. This shift really helped my channel grow and create more relevant and engaging content.

—— So, your content is more targeted now?

Dr Robertson: Yes, so that meant it could become more in-depth. For example, I have an upcoming video on chemical equilibria that helps students visualize and understand the concepts better. A general audience aren’t going to be so interested in that kind of topic.

—— What makes your channel unique compared to other chemistry channels?

Dr Robertson: My channel focuses on explaining complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand and visualize. I use 3D graphics and animation to help viewers understand difficult topics. This approach sets my channel apart from others that may focus on academic problem solving or flashy experiments.

—— Can you give an example of a video that illustrates this approach?

Dr Robertson: One of my most successful videos is about atomic orbitals. I used 3D animations to show how orbitals overlap and interact, which is a concept that can be difficult to visualize from textbook diagrams alone. In particular, I used a stack of photographs of a lunchtime crowd at Kyushu University to illustrate electron density. The positive feedback on that video highlighted the importance of using visuals to enhance understanding.

Challenges in Creating Educational Content

—— What challenges do you face in creating your videos?

Dr Robertson: The first challenge is script writing. It takes weeks to write a script that is interesting, within a reasonable time limit, and with zero mistakes. I also have to choose examples that are easy to animate. Editing is another big task, and takes about as long as the script writing.

—— How long does it take to complete a video?

Dr Robertson: About six weeks from start to finish. I have part-time students who help with animation and graphic design, which is invaluable.

—— Can you describe your scripting process?

Dr Robertson: I start by making a bubble diagram, or mind map, of the topic. That’s a crucial step because it allows me to write down any ideas as they come into my head, without having to worry about how they will eventually fit together. I then choose the bits that will make a good video and organise them into a simple linear list before writing the first draught. Then it’s revisions, corrections, revisions, a last minute panic about something I’ve left out or got wrong, and then the final version.

—— What tools do you use for animation and editing?

Dr Robertson: I use Blender for 3D animation and DaVinci Resolve for editing. These are free tools that are powerful and versatile and allow me to get the high standard I require. My team members are also skilled in using these tools, and some of them are experts.

—— What other challenges do you face in the production process?

Dr Robertson: Time management is a tough one. Balancing the demands of scripting, filming, and editing with my other work responsibilities is difficult. In addition, ensuring the scientific accuracy of the content while making it engaging and accessible means that tough editorial decisions have to me made. I need to keep people watching and I dread leaving a big mistake in a video.

—— How do you ensure the accuracy of your content?

Dr Robertson: Most importantly, I write about what I know. There are many topics I’d like to make that are at the bottom of the list because I don’t have expert experience of them. They’ll have to wait for future collaborations. After that, if there’s any doubt, I go back to text books and the internet and check that what I’m saying really is correct. So far, I’ve only made some minor slips, in terminology for example, but you always have to be vigilant.

The Role of Teamwork

—— Can you tell us about your team?

Dr Robertson: I've had great help from students. Two of my team members, in particular, were so important they were named as joint winners of our prize. Jirapathiran Hiranpakorn introduced Blender for 3D animation and his expertise in aeronautical engineering and animation was crucial for creating detailed and accurate visuals for our videos. Maria Sucianto is our graphic designer and her skills transformed our thumbnails and overall visual presentation. Those attributes are essential for a successful channel.

—— Are they still with you?

Dr Robertson: Maria is, but Jirapathiran has moved on to work in Italy. Fortunately, we've been able to recruit new talent to carry on the work.

—— How do you manage your team?

Dr Robertson: Managing the team requires clear communication and delegation of tasks. I make sure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Regular meetings and feedback sessions help keep everyone on track and motivated. That said, my team all begin as volunteers, so there needs to be a balance between keeping professional standards and maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.

—— How do you find and recruit collaborators?

Dr Robertson: So far, my team has come exclusively from students that are keen on joining the project. I look for people who really want to be involved and have the necessary skills. From here on though, I’ll be casting my net wider to find professionals to work with. Moving to the next step will require a workload that would be too tough for students working part-time.

—— What advice would you give to others who want to collaborate in science communication?

Dr Robertson: Make sure you’re aware of what you can provide the collaboration and what you need to receive in return. Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities from the start, and that everyone keeps to them. Finally, be sure to maintain communication. Collaborations might be for fun, or they might be for professional goals, but all successful collaborations will hold to those basic ingredients.

Viewer Feedback and Audience Engagement

—— Can you share some examples of the most impactful feedback you’ve received?

Dr Robertson: I’ve had several comments from viewers who said they wish they’d seen my video decades ago. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that my content can help people grasp complex ideas that they struggled with for so long. Another memorable piece of feedback came from an engineering lecturer who told me that my videos had become a valuable resource in their classroom because that’s professional recognition. And then there are those from people in countries that don’t have good access to education. These kinds of comments motivate me to keep improving and expanding the channel.

—— It’s wonderful to hear that your videos are making such a positive impact. You mentioned that the majority of your audience is male. What steps are you taking to attract more female viewers?

Dr Robertson: Attracting more female viewers is a priority for me. One approach I’m considering is featuring a female presenter on the channel so I’ve been actively looking for a female chemist who has the time, is comfortable in front of the camera, and preferably lives in Fukuoka. That’s a tricky combination to come by. Additionally, I’m exploring ways to make chemistry content which appeals to a non-chemistry audience. But, on YouTube, that will require setting up a second channel so it’ll have to wait until I can hire some professional help.

Future Directions and Goals for the Channel

—— What are your long-term goals for the channel?

Dr Robertson: Looking at other channels like mine, and based on comments from my own viewers, a million subscribers is a reasonable target to make. But I need to double my output to reach that level. Crucially, that number of subscribers will mean that I can reach out to well-known scientists, and invite them for collaborations and interviews etc. To achieve this, I need to recruit a professional team and expand our reach with multilingual videos. Then we can explore new topics like the philosophy of science and medicinal chemistry. So it’s not about how many subscribers so much as what you can do with those numbers. Ultimately, we’ll be making chemistry accessible to people around the world, who might not otherwise have taken an interest.

—— What challenges do you anticipate?

Dr Robertson: Balancing quality and quantity as the channel grows is the biggest challenge. Getting a hundred subscribers in a month is exciting in the early days but that’s almost nothing once you reach the semi-professional level. And the problem then is that YouTube stops promoting your content once you stop growing. It’s a very tricky thing to get right and many content creators simply burn out after a few years.

—— Do you have any specific plans for new content or series?

Dr Robertson: Yes, I have several ideas in the pipeline. One is a series on medicinal chemistry, exploring how different drugs work and the science behind them. Another idea is to delve into the philosophy of science, discussing how scientific knowledge is developed and validated. I actually have a very long list of ideas, most of which I’ll probably never get round to.

—— What role do you see technology playing in the future of your channel?

Dr Robertson: Well, AI is the big one, of course. My editing software, DaVinci Resolve, already employs AI for automatically adding subtitles and making more subtle changes like colour correction. Who knows, maybe we’ll move into virtual reality at some point.

—— What advice would you give to aspiring science communicators?

Dr Robertson: The first thing you have to do is get out and try it. Then, you have to think about your audience. Who are they and what is it that you want to bring to them. You then have to make your plan, execute the plan, evaluate it and remake it. Seeking advice and feedback from peers and your community is essential to making that work.

Deep Future Plan of Dr Robertson

—— Finally, can you tell us about your deep future plan and what inspired it?

Dr Robertson: My journey began with a Ph.D. on self-replicating molecules, which explored the fascinating boundary between non-living chemicals and living systems. After completing my Ph.D., I took a break from chemistry and started my own business. This break gave me new perspectives and I was inspired to develop a theoretical framework to distinguish between dead chemicals and living systems. I returned to chemistry to develop those ideas and now here I am.

—— That sounds fascinating. What is this theoretical framework?

Dr Robertson: I believe I can define a clear dividing line between non-living and living systems. However, to put this idea on a concrete theoretical basis, I need some mathematical expertise. This is where collaboration with mathematicians becomes crucial.

—— How do you plan to attract these mathematicians to collaborate with you?

Dr Robertson: Originally, the plan was to develop some living systems of my own but that had to take the back seat once I won the research grant for Three Twentysix. So now, I’m planning to use the clout from a successful science engagement platform to approach mathematicians that might be interested. It’s certainly unconventional but ‘My name’s Andrew Robertson and I have a million subscribers who’d like to hear about your research’ is a good way to open an offer of collaboration!

—— That's an interesting approach. How do you plan to document this collaborative process?

Dr Robertson: I’m planning to video the whole process for either Three Twentysix or a related channel. This includes showing the developmental stages of my theory and taking it through to publication. It's an educational process that I want to share with my audience so they can see, in real time, how science evolves and develops.

—— That sounds like a comprehensive plan. What do you hope to accomplish with this documentation?

Dr Robertson: By taking my audience through the whole thing, I want to show people how science really works, that it’s not just people coming up with crazy ideas. Currently, only scientists really understand the whole process of how scientific ideas develop from a thought to a publication so I’d like to make it clear.

—— Thank you very much for your valuable talk today.

Dr Robertson: Thank you for inviting me.

Through our interview with Dr Robertson, we were impressed by his efforts to convey complex chemistry concepts in a visually understandable way through his YouTube channel "Three Twentysix." His passion and ingenuity not only convey the appeal of chemistry to viewers, but also play a major role in the field of education. We hope that he will continue to expand his activities and convey the fun and importance of chemistry to many people.

Biography