Science is Weird

Science is Weird

Of all the science programs we’ve tested, Science is WEIRD is one of the only truly narrative-driven, concept-bending online science curricula that both kids and parents rave about. Created by educator Brandon Hendrickson to help kids see science as a grand, interconnected adventure rather than a list of dry facts, this unique program covers six full years of science, exploring physics, chemistry, astronomy, anatomy, biology, earth science, and zoology through deeply engaging video lessons. Instead of simply teaching kids to memorize terms for a test, Science is WEIRD uses humor, riddles, stories, and vivid metaphors to help students question assumptions and develop a profound understanding of how the universe works. Kids can simply watch the videos for an engaging overview, or dive deeper with a 10-page PDF that follows each lesson, packed with trivia, book recommendations from a science book specialist, imaginative and hands-on labs, and experiential activities that connect concepts to real-world phenomena—like feeling heat, observing shrinking objects, or exploring annual thunderstorms. Families love that the program is flexible enough for kids to watch independently while parents step away, yet rich enough for follow-up discussions and quizzing using the Deep Dive materials. While it’s perfect for curious learners ages 8 and up—including many gifted kids and neurodivergent learners—families should know that younger or highly literal learners might occasionally find the “weirdness” overwhelming. Science is WEIRD costs $40/month for access to all asynchronous recordings and resources.

Recommended Ages

Ages 8-15+
Style
OnlineProject-BasedTeenInclusiveVideo-Based

How we teach everything

Not the same-ol’-same-ol’
We teach differently because we think about education differently.

There are certain forms of information that stick in the human brain:

stories
metaphors
riddles
huge, game-changing ideas

There are more — they’ve been chronicled by Kieran Egan.

These special forms of information are what we call “the lost tools of learning”. They trigger emotion. They make content matter.

They’re most of what fills up the mind of an educated person… but schools have mostly forgotten about these.

Everything we teach is grounded in these.

"In schools we represent the world to children as mostly known and rather dull. But the opposite is the case: we are surrounded by mystery, and what we know is fascinating.”
— Kieran Egan

We explode the “boring”
Have you noticed that a lot of the topics we teach — “water”, “soap”, “hills” — seem sorta boring?

That’s on purpose.

We love it when kids come to class assuming they already understand a topic… because we help them discover the truth is 180º opposite.

Because here’s the secret: we live in a universe that’s really weird. Stuff that looks boring almost never really is.

We help them see that underneath the ordinary lies the extraordinary.

We help kids understand hard things

These tools (combined with our tower-approach to approaching science) lets us teach ridiculously hard things to kids.

particle–wave duality
the true size of the Universe
the rules of the ‘em dash’
art history
the philosophy of René Descartes

…and so much more

Self-Direction
E means highly structured. A is basically unschooled, completely self-guided.
How much do students guide their own learning in this course?
A
B
C
D
E
$40.00 USD
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Science is Weird
$40.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
View all collections
Science
Science
STEM
STEM
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Life Sciences
Life Sciences
Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Chemistry
Physics
Physics
Mechanics
Mechanics
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetism
Astronomy
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Earth Science
Earth Science
Geology
Geology
Genetics
Genetics
Medical Science
Medical Science

Our mission

We've all seen programs that try to lean into a student's interests to spark the rich joy of learning... and we've all seen that too often, those backfire. This does the opposite: it gives students (parents included) an incredibly boring topic, then uses small challenges to bore through that boredom, and find how fascinating everything in the world actually is. The challenges offer wild freedom inside of careful guidance. They tie together feeling and thinking to create motivation that had lain dormant.

Our story

Kieran Egan, a recently-deceased educational philosopher, had a brilliant dream of a simple program that would teach kids how to fall in love with the world by focusing on one small part of it. Through my science teaching, I've gotten to run my life on this experience, and I've got to say, it's HEADY! I wanted it to be something that anyone around the world could experience.

Science is Weird Demo

Watch a demo lesson

FAQ: Additional Details about Science is Weird

In one Science is WEIRD lesson about the Solar System, kids are challenged to figure out what’s “wrong” with the way we usually draw the planets orbiting the Sun. Instead of simply memorizing planet names, students learn why the word “planet” has changed meanings over time, how the Sun is really just a giant ball of the same stuff as Jupiter, and why “orbiting” is actually “falling and missing.” The lesson uses quirky humor, riddles, and surprising facts, like why asteroids were once called planets and how gravity means astronauts are still “falling” even when they feel weightless. After the video, kids can explore further with hands-on activities, such as modeling planetary motion, finding objects in their house that shrink when cold, or observing how “down” changes depending on perspective, all helping them see that science is far weirder and more wonderful than they ever imagined.

Science is WEIRD works by letting kids watch engaging recorded video lessons that bring science topics to life with humor, stories, and surprising ideas. After each video, families can dive deeper using a 10-page PDF filled with trivia, book recommendations from a science book specialist, and creative activities—from imaginative thought experiments to hands-on labs and real-world explorations. Parents can simply hit play and step away, or join in for discussions and quizzes using the Deep Dive materials. The program is designed to build knowledge year after year across six years of science topics.

Human beings! This is powered by “the lost tools of learning” — the original human toolkit. A few kinds of people, though, might find it especially up their alley…

The focus-challenged
Our pokes give specific (if sometimes bonkers) things to work on.

Autonomy-seekers
Each topic is a portal to the whole world. Inside it, you can steer your research in whatever direction you want.

Oversharers
We’ll help you share what you know in a way that grabs others’ brains — instead of pushing them away.

Anyone who has both very limited time AND a burning need to do all the challenges. (But either one is fine on its own.)

...Is everyone on our team 2e, or the parents of 2e kids? I think so, but I'll have to check that. I'm the ADHD homeschooling dad of one ASD 14-year-old, one ADHD 11-year-old, and a frighteningly feral 1-year-old. I've specialized in working with 2e students for more than a decade.

We have lots of science-geeky kids — but kids who thought science was boring love our classes, too!

We have lots of gifted/talented, ADHD, and ASD kids — but neurotypical kids love our classes, too!

Because we teach with the lost tools of learning, and investigate the weirdest, most complex ideas in the world… our classes can be for SO MANY KINDS of kids.

Basic reading and writing skills. (Beyond that, students can customize what they're reading and writing for themselves.)

It ranges from a totally open and go, independent curriculum to a parent-child learning adventure. The choice is yours.

We highly recommend adding on a $20/month subscription to ChatGPT+ or Claude Pro, if you don’t already. This gives you unlimited access to the most advanced models. We strongly suspect you’ll want to keep it after the cohort ends.

Real learning is epic: full of confusions and exultations, dark nights of the soul and days when you bestride the world.

It’s more fun with other people.

Learning in Depth isn’t as much a course as a cohort — a bunch of travelers going on an adventure together. Some are middle schoolers, others are high schoolers, others are homeschooling parents. (A few teachers will be joining, too.)

To help, we have mentors who’ve gone through this before, and can shepherd you along.

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Meet Brandon

Brandon’s the founder of Science is WEIRD! But he’s taught a bunch of stuff. He was an elementary school teacher, he taught a semester of college, and led high school humanities seminars in such topics as moral economics, world religions, the philosophy of happiness, and the psychology of evil. His favorite YouTube channels are SciShow and Kurzgesagt. He’s lived in Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Seattle, and now resides in beautiful Rochester, Minnesota with his wife and two kids… where he wants to help build an adventure playground.

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Modulo's thoughts

Our learning specialists give their honest evaluation
ManishaCEO and Founder

Brandon is the rare teacher and entrepreneur who has the rare vision to step completely outside of the traditional schooling system in order to develop an absolutely brilliant way of enlightening young mind's and cultivating the future deep thinkers and shapers of tomorrow. And he brings incredible compassion and sensitivity to all this. This class is not to be missed.

Customer Reviews

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Buffy P.

Absolutely amazing, engaging, thought provoking, yet somehow, not intimidating! We homeschool and we are starting Year 3 with Science is Weird. My son talks about his lessons all the time! His other homeschool friends ask about what he is learning and they all say they wish they were using this program. I only wish we had more than 2 years left of homeschooling, so we could take ALL the things he ever offers in years to come! Thanks, Brandon!

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