Hubbry Logo
Derek MullerDerek MullerMain
Open search
Derek Muller
Community hub
Derek Muller
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Derek Muller
Derek Muller
Derek Muller
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Derek Alexander Muller (born 9 November 1982)[3] is a Canadian-Australian[4] science communicator and media personality best known for his YouTube channel Veritasium, which has over 20 million subscribers and 3.9 billion views as of January 2026.[5]

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Muller was born to South African parents in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia. His family moved to Vancouver, Canada, when he was 18 months old.[3] In 2000, Muller graduated from West Vancouver Secondary School.[6] In 2004, Muller graduated from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics.[7]

Muller moved to Australia to study film-making; however, he instead enrolled for a PhD in physics education research from the University of Sydney, which he completed in 2008 with the thesis, Designing Effective Multimedia for Physics Education.[8]

Career

[edit]

Muller has been listed as a team member of the ABC television program Catalyst since 2008.[9] During his PhD program, he taught at a tutoring company, where he became the full-time Science Head after completing his PhD in 2008. He quit the job at the end of 2010.[3] In 2011, Muller created his YouTube channel Veritasium, which became his main source of livelihood within a few years.[3] During his early days as a YouTuber, he often recorded videos while walking through neighborhoods,[10] or hiking,[11] discussing general topics with a scientific and educational perspective.

Since 2011, Muller has continued to appear on Catalyst, reporting scientific stories from around the globe,[12] and on Australian television network Ten as the 'Why Guy' on the Breakfast program.[13] In May 2012, he gave a TEDxSydney talk using the subject of his thesis.[14] He presented the documentary Uranium – Twisting the Dragon's Tail, which aired in July–August 2015 on several public television stations around the world and won the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.[15][16]

On 21 September 2015, Muller hosted the Google Science Fair Awards Celebration for that year.[17] Muller has also won the Australian Department of Innovation Nanotechnology Film Competition and the 2013 Australian Webstream Award for "Best Educational & Lifestyle Series".[18] Starting in April 2017, he appeared as a correspondent on the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World.[19]

Muller presented in the film Vitamania: The Sense and Nonsense of Vitamins, a documentary by Genepool Productions, released in August 2018.[20] The film answers questions about vitamins and the use of dietary vitamin supplements.[21] Muller's works have been featured in Scientific American,[22] Wired,[23] Gizmodo,[24] and i09.[25]

Veritasium and other YouTube channels

[edit]

In January 2011, Muller created the educational science channel Veritasium on YouTube,[5] the focus of which is "addressing counter-intuitive concepts in science, usually beginning by discussing ideas with members of the public".[26] The videos range in style from interviews with experts, such as 2011 Physics Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt,[27] to science experiments, dramatisations, songs, and – a hallmark of the channel – interviews with the public to uncover misconceptions about science. The name Veritasium is a combination of the Latin word for truth, Veritas, and the suffix common to many elements, -ium. This creates Veritasium, an "element of truth", a play on the popular phrase and a reference to chemical elements. In its logo, which has been a registered trade mark since 2016, the number "42.0" resembles an element on the periodic table.[28] The number was chosen because it is "The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything" in Douglas Adams' famous novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[29]: 10m12s 

In July 2012, Muller created a second YouTube channel, 2veritasium. Muller used the new platform to produce editorial videos that discuss such topics as filmmaking, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, and for viewer reactions to popular Veritasium videos.[30] In 2017, Muller began uploading videos on his newest channel, Sciencium, which is dedicated to videos on recent and historical discoveries in science.[31] In 2021, Muller hosted Pindrop, a YouTube Original series exploring unusual places around the world, as seen from Google Earth. Only one episode exploring potash evaporation ponds in Utah was released before YouTube cancelled all original production in 2022.[32][33] As of 21 April 2023, Veritasium is majority-owned by the private equity media company Electrify.[34]

Reception

[edit]

Veritasium videos have received critical acclaim. Two early successful Veritasium videos demonstrate the physics of a falling Slinky toy.[a] At the 2012 Science Online conference, the video "Mission Possible: Graphene" won the Cyberscreen Science Film Festival,[39] and was therefore featured on Scientific American as the video of the week.[40] A video debunking the common misconception that the moon is closer than it is, was picked up by CBS News.[41]

After a video was posted in which Muller is shown driving a wind-powered car, equipped with a huge spinning propeller, faster than the wind, UCLA physics professor Alexander Kusenko disagreed with the claim that sailing downwind faster than wind was possible within the laws of physics, and made a $10,000 bet with Muller that he could not demonstrate that the apparent greater speed was not due to other, incidental factors. Muller took up the bet, and the signing of a wager agreement by the parties was witnessed by Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson. In a subsequent video, Muller demonstrated the effect with a model cart under conditions ruling out extraneous effects, but Muller did admit he could have done a better job at explaining the phenomenon in the first video. Kusenko conceded the bet of $10,000, which was given away as prizes for a science communication competition.[42]

In May 2025, the video on PFAS, named How One Company Secretly Poisoned The Planet,[43] was awarded the 2025 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award.[44]

Personal life and family

[edit]

After Muller's parents, Anthony and Shirley, married in South Africa, they moved to Vancouver, where his two sisters, Kirstie and Marilouise, were born. The family moved to Australia, Derek's birthplace, after his father got a job in Traralgon at a pulp and paper mill, and returned to Canada when Muller was 18 months old. He was educated in Vancouver and Kingston.[3]

After Muller moved to Los Angeles, he met Raquel Nuno, a planetary science PhD student,[3][45] whom he married in November 2025.[46] They have four children,[47] and live "nomadic lives", moving to Australia in 2024,[48] and then to Portugal in 2025.[47]

Footnotes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Derek Muller

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Derek Muller (born November 9, 1982) is an Australian-born science communicator, physicist, and filmmaker, raised in Canada, best known as the creator and host of the YouTube channel Veritasium, which explores scientific concepts through engaging videos and has amassed over 19.9 million subscribers and more than 3.9 billion views as of January 2026. Born in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia, to South African parents, Muller moved to Canada as a young child and earned a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in Ontario before moving to Australia, where he completed a PhD in physics education research at the University of Sydney in 2008; his thesis, titled Designing Effective Multimedia for Physics Education, focused on improving science learning through video content. Muller's career shifted from academia to public outreach after his doctoral work, where he initially tutored physics students; he launched Veritasium in 2011 to address common and make complex topics accessible, drawing on his research into effective multimedia . The channel has since become a cornerstone of online , earning the Streamy Award for Science or Education in both 2017 and 2021, and featuring collaborations with prominent figures such as and . Beyond , Muller has hosted award-winning documentaries including Uranium: Twisting the Dragon's Tail for in 2015, Digits, a CuriosityStream original series, and Vitamania in 2018, which examine nuclear energy, digital technology, and nutrition science, respectively. He also served as a correspondent on Netflix's and hosted the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's science series, further amplifying his role in global . In recognition of his contributions, Muller received the 2016 Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers for his innovative approaches to , as well as the 2013 Australian Webstream Award for online content. He has hosted events like the 2015 Awards and developed educational tools such as the Snatoms magnetic molecular modeling kit, which raised significant support in 2015 to promote hands-on chemistry learning. Muller's work emphasizes curiosity-driven inquiry and has influenced millions by challenging and highlighting real-world applications of physics, from to .

Early life and education

Early life

Derek Muller was born on November 9, 1982, in , Victoria, , to parents of n origin. His father worked as an engineer at the local paper mill, a role that had prompted the family's relocation to from prior to Derek's birth. When Muller was 18 months old, his family moved to , , , where he spent the remainder of his childhood. Growing up in this new environment, he demonstrated an early aptitude for academics, particularly in science and , excelling in school and tutoring his classmates. From a young age, Muller harbored a dream of becoming a filmmaker, blending his budding curiosity about the natural world with a passion for visual storytelling, which would later shape his approach to . This informal exposure to scientific concepts through family discussions and personal exploration laid the groundwork for his lifelong interest in demystifying complex ideas.

Education

Muller earned a in from Queen's University in , Canada, graduating in 2004. During his undergraduate studies, he took film production courses during summer breaks, blending his interests in science and visual media. Following his undergraduate studies, he moved to and enrolled in the University of 's School of Physics, where he pursued a PhD in research, completed in 2008. His doctoral thesis, titled Designing Effective Multimedia for Physics Education, examined strategies for creating multimedia resources that enhance conceptual understanding in physics, with a particular emphasis on video-based instruction. The thesis incorporated a series of controlled experiments to assess viewer engagement and the role of addressing common misconceptions in educational videos. For instance, it demonstrated that videos which explicitly confronted students' preconceptions—such as intuitive but incorrect ideas about or —led to greater learning gains, with post-test improvements averaging 9.1 percentage points compared to traditional explanatory formats. These findings highlighted the importance of provocative elements in video design to activate prior knowledge and reduce persistent errors, drawing on data from student cohorts exposed to varied prototypes. Muller's research contributed foundational insights to the field of by advocating for that challenges rather than reinforces superficial comprehension.

Career

Academic career

Following his PhD in physics education research from the University of Sydney in 2008, Muller contributed to the Sydney University Physics Education Research (SUPER) group, focusing on developing multimedia tools to address misconceptions in quantum physics and promote conceptual change in learners. His work emphasized designing educational resources that challenge common errors in understanding quantum mechanics, such as through interactive videos that elicit and resolve student preconceptions. Muller published several papers on effective multimedia for , including explorations of lecture practices in courses and the role of cognitive conflict in learning difficult concepts. Representative examples include studies on how including misconceptions in instructional videos improves retention and understanding for students at varying experience levels, published in journals such as . He delivered guest lectures and workshops at universities around the world, drawing on his doctoral findings to discuss strategies for video-based science learning and . These presentations highlighted practical applications of his , such as fostering productive struggle in educational media to enhance engagement with complex topics like quantum phenomena. Around 2011, as his YouTube channel gained prominence, Muller shifted toward part-time academic engagement while continuing to influence physics education through invited talks and collaborations.

Veritasium and YouTube channels

Derek Muller founded the YouTube channel Veritasium in 2011 while completing his PhD at the University of Sydney, using it as an experimental platform to apply his research on effective video-based physics education. The channel's inaugural video addressed common misconceptions in science, setting the tone for content that challenges intuitive but incorrect understandings of natural phenomena. Veritasium experienced rapid growth, reaching 1 million subscribers by 2013 and surpassing 10 million by 2021, with over 19 million subscribers as of late 2025. This expansion was driven by its distinctive myth-busting format, which debunks widespread scientific errors through engaging narratives, and high-production visuals that incorporate animations, on-location footage, and practical demonstrations to enhance comprehension and retention. The channel's core content revolves around accessible explanations of complex physics concepts, such as relativity and , alongside explorations of science history and hands-on experiments. For instance, a 2022 video examining the physics of dropping a from a debunked the urban of its lethality, garnering millions of views through dramatic testing in a and clear breakdowns of and air resistance. Muller has collaborated with other educational creators, notably on joint projects with the Smarter Every Day channel, including a 2015 dual-hemisphere experiment on the Coriolis effect's influence on swirl to test geographic myths. Additionally, in 2012, he launched a secondary channel, 2veritasium, which provides behind-the-scenes insights into video production and editorial discussions on science communication strategies. Initially self-funded during its early years, Veritasium transitioned to sponsorships from educational platforms like Brilliant.org to support larger-scale productions. In 2017, Muller relocated from to to access advanced filming resources and talent, enabling the establishment of a custom laboratory for intricate experiments featured in videos.

Other media and projects

Muller has extended his efforts into television and other formats beyond his channels. He has hosted several award-winning documentaries for international broadcast networks, including the three-part series : Twisting the Dragon's Tail (2015), which explored the history and impact of ; Digits (2016), focusing on the digital revolution; and Vitamania (2018), examining the and myths surrounding vitamins. In addition to these, Muller contributed as a reporter to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) science program Catalyst starting in 2011, covering global science stories through fieldwork and on-air segments. He also hosted Pindrop (2021), a YouTube Original series that investigated unusual global locations using Google Earth imagery, blending exploration with scientific inquiry. Although not a traditional podcast host, Muller has appeared in audio formats, such as a 2019 episode of the Making Sense podcast discussing chaos theory, randomness, and climate solutions. Muller's collaborations include a prominent TEDx talk delivered in 2012 titled "The key to effective educational science videos," where he shared research on enhancing learning through interactive and misconception-challenging video content, amassing over 2 million views. More recently, in 2025, he participated in a livestream event with the Perimeter Institute titled "What Everyone Gets Wrong About AI and Learning," addressing the implications of for and . In November 2025, Muller launched a campaign for Elements of Truth, a collaborative trivia designed to engage players in curiosity-driven learning. These projects draw from themes in his Veritasium videos to engage broader audiences in scientific discourse.

Reception and impact

Critical reception

Derek Muller's Veritasium has received widespread praise from media outlets and educators for its ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging to non-experts. A 2025 Scientific American profile commended Muller for challenging scientific misconceptions through cinematic storytelling, noting his channel's role in educating an audience of over 18 million subscribers on topics like environmental toxins and physics fundamentals, including a personal investigation into PFAS "forever chemicals" in his own blood. Similarly, a 2024 University of Sydney article highlighted how Muller's videos demystify advanced theories, transforming highbrow science into relatable content that fosters public understanding. Educators have integrated Veritasium into curricula to combat persistent student misconceptions, with resources like Chemical Education Xchange (2015) describing its use in modeling-based physics classes to encourage discussion and conceptual clarification. Academic studies, such as a 2015 analysis in The Physics Teacher, reference Muller's research-based approach to multimedia learning as a model for addressing errors in physics education. However, Muller's work has occasionally drawn criticism for elements of that may blur the lines between and . For example, his 2021 video "The Big Misconception About " faced backlash from engineers and physicists for allegedly oversimplifying electromagnetic and promoting a non-standard explanation in a way that could mislead viewers on circuit fundamentals. Critics argued the presentation prioritized dramatic demonstrations over rigorous caveats, sparking online debates about the boundaries of in communication, though Muller addressed the concerns in a follow-up video. Veritasium demonstrates strong audience engagement, with videos routinely achieving millions of views and high retention rates that underscore its appeal in education. A 2020 Frontiers in Communication study on video analyzed channels like Veritasium, finding that narrative-driven content correlates with elevated viewer interaction and shares, contributing to broader public . Post-2015 academic papers in , such as a 2020 European Journal of Physics article, have cited Veritasium videos in experiments showing improved student engagement and misconception reduction when used interactively in courses. Muller's innovative style has influenced other science creators, including collaborations with Vsauce's Michael Stevens at events like YouTube FanFest, where they discussed blending education and curiosity-driven content. His impact extends to scholarly work, with Veritasium cited in studies on , such as a 2025 University of North Carolina thesis on academic that praised its narrative structure as a pedagogical benchmark for future resources.

Awards and recognition

Derek Muller has received numerous awards and honors for his pioneering work in science communication, particularly through the Veritasium YouTube channel, which has amassed billions of views by making complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging. These recognitions span film festivals, scientific societies, and digital media accolades, underscoring his influence on physics education and public engagement with science. In 2012, Muller won first prize at the Cyberscreen Science Film Festival hosted by Science Online for his innovative educational videos. The following year, in 2013, Veritasium earned the Australian Webstream Award for Best Educational & Lifestyle Series, celebrating its role in delivering high-quality science content online. Muller was also elected an Honorary Member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society in 2014 for his significant contributions to science as a communicator and filmmaker. In 2016, he received the Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers, honoring his outstanding contributions to physics and effective communication of those ideas to educators and the public. That same year, Muller, along with collaborators Wain Fimeri, Sonya Pemberton, and Steve Westh, won the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism from the Australian Museum for the documentary Uranium: Twisting the Dragon's Tail, praised for its compelling exploration of nuclear science. Muller's Veritasium channel achieved further digital acclaim with for or in both 2017 and 2021, awarded by the of Web Television and recognizing top online video content in the category.

Personal life

Family

Muller is married to Raquel Nuno, a planetary scientist specializing in selenology. The couple met in in the early and now have four children. They lead a nomadic life, based in , , as of 2025, while balancing the demands of Muller's extensive travel for Veritasium video shoots.

Interests and views

Muller holds dual Canadian-Australian citizenship, and has maintained U.S. residency since 2017. He has commented on differences in global , notably emphasizing during a 2017 speech at the that is inherently political and cannot be separated from decisions affecting and priorities. In his views on , Muller advocates for curiosity-driven learning that challenges misconceptions to foster deeper understanding, rather than rote memorization, as evidenced by his PhD research on where incorporating common errors resulted in an average post-test gain of 9.1 points, compared to 6.8 points using traditional methods. This approach stems from his thesis finding that passive viewing of correct explanations alone leads to the illusion of understanding without retention, promoting instead active engagement through confusion and resolution. Muller has been vocal in activism supporting science, co-hosting the 2017 rally in , to defend scientific integrity amid political threats to funding and . On , he has produced content debunking common myths, such as in his 2017 video addressing 13 misconceptions about global warming to promote accurate public understanding and support for transitions. His family has occasionally supported these interests, with his wife assisting in video production that aligns with his educational activism. Regarding social media, Muller critiques its role in creating echo chambers that reinforce biases and limit exposure to diverse viewpoints, as discussed in 2025 interviews where he highlighted how algorithmic feeds exacerbate in science communication. In his 2018 video "Anti Social Media," he explores experiments showing that interactions reduce real-world social bonds, urging greater offline engagement to counter isolation and polarized discourse.

References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/veritasium
  2. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/11/05/the-element-of-truth.html
  3. https://www.veritasium.com/about
  4. https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2022/03/28/ubco-hosts-youtube-personality-derek-muller-as-next-distinguished-speaker/
  5. https://press.curiositystream.com/curiositystream-originals/digits/
  6. https://aapt.org/aboutaapt/Derek-Muller_2016_Richtmyer_Award_Recipient.cfm
  7. https://kids.kiddle.co/Derek_Muller
  8. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/veritasium/snatoms-the-magnetic-molecular-modeling-kit
  9. https://www.wired.com/video/watch/autocomplete-inverviews-veritasiums-derek-muller-answers-the-webs-most-searched-questions
  10. https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/management/move-over-dr-karl-veritasiums-derek-muller-has-you-in-his-sights-20180718-h12u8o
  11. https://www.yahoo.com/news/youtube-star-derek-muller-veritasium-173000568.html
  12. https://www.queensu.ca/alumni/news/physicist-educator-and-filmmaker-derek-muller-sc04
  13. https://www.veritasium.com/publications
  14. https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11344
  15. https://www.academia.edu/18111353/PhD_Muller_Designing_effective_multimedia_for_physics_education
  16. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220663243_Saying_the_wrong_thing_Improving_learning_with_multimedia_by_including_misconceptions
  17. https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/our-research/research-areas/physics/physics-education-research-group.html
  18. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek-Muller
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQaW2bFieo8
  20. https://medium.com/predict/4-youtube-channels-for-fun-physics-learning-55d18ee333f5
  21. https://trakt.tv/shows/veritasium/seasons/all
  22. https://vidiq.com/youtube-stats/channel/UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA/
  23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Ci_2bN_zc
  24. https://www.smartereveryday.com/toiletswirl
  25. https://www.youtube.com/2veritasium
  26. https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/05/08/electrify-video-partners-invest-derek-muller-veritasium-science-math-education/
  27. https://www.creatorhandbook.net/inside-veritasium-an-interview-with-dr-derek-muller-12ad2351a4b3/
  28. https://www.bigspeak.com/speakers/derek-muller/
  29. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/093-chaos-theory-w-derek-muller-veritasium/id1334787990?i=1000459123359
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xS68sl2D70
  31. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elements-of-truth/elements-of-truth-by-veritasium
  32. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-youtube-star-derek-muller-of-veritasium-is-challenging-scientific/
  33. https://www.chemedx.org/pick/veritasium-modeling-classroom
  34. https://pubs.aip.org/aapt/pte/article/53/2/114/277380/Using-Research-Based-Interactive-Video-Vignettes
  35. https://www.science20.com/hontas_farmer/veritasium_is_still_wrong_about_how_electricity_actually_works_by_his_own_standards_and_circuit_quantum
  36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI_X2cMHNe0
  37. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6404/abbaaf
  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX3KguqVxgQ
  39. https://www.veritasium.com/awards
  40. https://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/prizes-awards/honorary-membership
  41. https://australian.museum/get-involved/eureka-prizes/eureka-prizes-archive/2016-eureka-prizes-winners/
  42. https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/09/08/veritasium-a3-artists-agency/
  43. https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/derek-mullers-veritasium-goes-viral/
  44. https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekamuller
  45. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/derek-muller-speaking-at-march-for-science-science-is-inherently-political/2017/04/22/ccef81a4-2771-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_video.html
  46. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252653862_Veritasium_science_videos_by_Derek_Muller
  47. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/march-for-science-headed-to-national-mall-on-saturday/11853/
  48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWXoRSIxyIU
  49. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA_r7_9wR8g
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.