As you might expect, ‘athlete’ and ‘firefighter’ are two of the most sought after jobs for children. But it wasn’t a surprise to me to find ‘astronaut’ and ‘scientist’ holding their own in the top ten as well. Why not? Defying gravity, even zero gravity, must be one of the most exciting scientific developments of our time, and children everywhere want to be a part of it.

So, why is it that that in recent years 47% of young people think that science subjects are for those who are ‘boring’, with a further 55% of online conversation describing STEM as ‘too difficult’? What about the role physics has played in making space travel real? Or the scientific research which has allowed pilots to fly across the world at up to 39,000 feet? Science certainly isn’t boring and I’m fascinated to know why one in two schoolchildren think it is.

Answering a question like this is not straightforward, and no one answer can solve it. But I think one way to address the issue is by encouraging schoolchildren to understand science away from their textbooks. I was lucky – Mr Davies, my primary school teacher, was nothing short of legendary in the classroom. He loved doing the sort of exploding volcano experiments that left red stains on the ceilings, and got us jumping out of our seats from the start of the lesson.

It was these kinds of lessons that put me on the path to where I am today: presenting science live at events, on the TV, and on the radio. Doing what I do gives me the chance to convey to the next generation that science is not only important, but fun.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves – not all science is volcano-exploding-awe-inspiring amusement. Some elements of STEM subjects can be tremendously pure, complex and difficult to convey. But, even these subjects can be explained to children in interesting ways. I’m not expecting every lab technician in Britain to charge towards their nearest school test-tube in hand; but when scientists can explain things in a way that we can all relate to, it’s great to try and make the link.

One way, for example, of presenting science to young people is as an explainer of everything we see. Science can answer a simple question, like why on earth your voice sounds different on video, or a more exciting one, like exploring how fireworks explode. Beyond this, science is about answering the most complex questions young people will face, so let’s do everything we can to make it engaging.

Explaining real-world phenomena, big or small, in terms of science is what I love, and that’s why I am working with Statoil and the Science Museum on this year’s Young Imagineers competition. Steph McGovern, Jill Tully, Lopa Patel and I are inviting 7-14 year olds to design the future, under the title ‘what invention would you create to make tomorrow’s world a better place’. We’re looking for a huge mix: everything from teleporters to biscuit dunkers welcome! Entries can be submitted here.

The ten most creative entries will be shortlisted and the entrants will get a chance to develop their invention with a top developer. Then, they’ll be invited to showcase their entry to us with a live audience in an exclusive day of events at the Science Museum, on the 18th of November. The winner will get an even bigger prize – their invention will be created and displayed inside the Science Museum for everyone to see.

This is a great way to engage the UK’s most talented minds with the STEM subjects, and show just how important they can be to the world we live in. Science isn’t going anywhere, so let’s make it as relevant as we can and have a laugh, and maybe a few explosions, along the way.

1https://www.fatherly.com/what-kids-want-to-be-when-they-grow-up-1463191840.html
2https://www.worcester.ac.uk/documents/BIS-14-899-STEM-book-of-insights.pdf

So you want to become an Insta-famous eh? Have tens of thousands of followers, reap in hundreds of likes and be an influencer in your own right? It all sounds very attractive, especially since the Hopper HQ Instagram Rich List 2017 highlighted top influencers get paid up to $18,000 per post! However as grand as it sounds becoming insta-famous isn’t as easy as you may think – back when Instagram was fairly new it was much easier to climb up the ranks, but since the app introduced an algorithm led feed and changed the way the explore tab works, the task of becoming Insta-famous is much more tricky. So here are five simple, but very effective tips from us.

1. Find your niche

First things first, whether you already have a decent following on Instagram or you’re just making a new account, you’re going to want to define yourself. What do I mean by this? Well the most popular accounts on Instagram are those that are based on specific niches. Think of it as a certain topic that will interest a large demographic of users. Whether it be food, fashion or fitness, finding your niche will help shape your account and help you draw in loads of followers that are interested in that topic. When finding your niche, be sure to choose an area that you have interest in, a hobby or a passion, this will create a more authentic feel to your account and will also help you create better content.

2. Post high quality content

Which conveniently leads us on to the second tip and that’s all about content. Anyone can start posting on Instagram in the hopes of gaining loads of followers, but there’s a huge gap between high quality content and those unfocused, shaky camera snaps from your holiday. Poor quality posts simply won’t cut it any more, the competition is fierce so you really do need to up your game and get your pictures on point. Don’t just rely on your phone camera, use additional editing tools to perfect your posts, and most importantly get creative. Make sure you’re using the correct hashtags to get your posts the best visibility as well.

3. Engage with the Instagram community

Instagram is not a one way relationship, if you want to gain loads of followers you’re going to have to do some following of your own, some liking and even some commenting. A great place to start is by following those in the same niche as you, and users who have interest in that niche, like posts and start conversations. You’ll soon start to see the rewards of your engagement efforts and reap in return follows and more likes on your posts. Engagement is the key to more engagement, it’s kind of like the circle of life on Instagram, the more you give the more you get.

4. Let your personality shine through

There are millions of Insta-famous accounts out there and one thing you’ll find with the best accounts is that those that showcase their personality through their Instagram are on top, and that’s what helped them break away from the crowd and gain popularity. Authenticity and originality are key ingredients for you to shine, so let your personality show with your posts. Give your followers a window into your world. Often times you’ll stumble across famous instagrammers doing mini blogs, Q&As, or giving their review on the latest product or eatery. Let your followers get familiar with who you are, voice your opinion and they’ll naturally lend their ears to hear what you have to say.

5. Use Instagram

Tip number five is to use Instagram, it sounds very obvious but again many ‘grammers don’t use Instagram to its full potential. The platform has grown enormously since its early inception from being just a photo sharing app in 2010, now it’s packed with loads of features you need to be utilising to perfect your Insta game. Use stories, boomerangs, videos and carousel posts to add variety to your feed, make the most out of hashtags to gain more reach, tag in brands to get exposure from a feature and even try live video. You never know what will work for you, so don’t limit yourself. Above all else the most important lesson from this tip is to be consistent with your posting, being more active is said to help boost your posts up the algorithm feed and keep you relevant for longer, if you are finding it difficult balancing life outside the gram, consider scheduling your Instagram posts, you can save time and guarantee to still be posting.

If you want to know the latest Instagram trends and updates, head over to the Hopper HQ Instagram scheduling blog, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic on Twitter! @Hopper_HQ blog, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic on Twitter! @Hopper_HQ