Draft:Professor Dave Explains

Dave Farina
Farina in 2020
Born
David James Farina

(1983-07-23) July 23, 1983 (age 43)
Syracuse, New York
EducationCarleton College (BA)
California State University, Northridge (MA)
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2015–present
Subscribers4.29 million
Views504.4 million
Last updated: 11 May 2026
Websitedavefarina.com

Dave James Farina (born July 23, 1983) is an American science communicator, debunker and musician. His YouTube channel Professor Dave Explains was created in January 2015, focuses on educational videos to make complex concepts accessible to a broad audience, covering a range of subjects including chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics. Farina is known for his opposition to pseudoscience and science denial, creating videos which address and oppose flat earth, intelligent design, creationism, anti-vax activism and pseudoarcheology. He is also a member of the indie rock band the Lonely Wild.

Life and career

Farina was born on July 23, 1983,[‡ 1] in Syracuse, New York. He was raised by Italian parents from Pisa who had moved to Canada for studies before settling in West Hartford, Connecticut. Farina had an interest in science from a young age. He attended a high school in Milton, Connecticut.[1] In 2005, Farina earned a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Carleton College, and got a Master of Arts in science education from California State University in 2018.[1][2][3]

Farina playing the drums in 2015

Before starting his online career, he taught for about a decade in high school and undergraduate settings, focusing on organic chemistry, general chemistry, and physics.[4] In 2012, after member Edward Cerecedes exited the indie folk band The Lonely Wild, Farina joined the band, and played the drums.[5]

Professor Dave Explains was launched on YouTube in January 2015. Farina is known for a clear and engaging teaching style aimed at both students and casual learners.[6][7][8][9] The channel is aimed mostly at general science, but it also includes mathematics-related content.[10] Farina has produced over 1,700 videos.[11] The channel's growth has been cited by students supplementing coursework and adults seeking to learn.[1] His most-viewed video debunks flat Earth theories and has accumulated over 10 million views.[12][13] Farina's debate with flat earther David Weiss in 2022 has over 4 million views.[14] Farina also debunks creationists,[11] anti-vaxxers and medical hoaxes.[15] Other debunks include: Terrence Howard's appearance on Joe Rogan, Billy Carson,[1] Matt Walsh,[12] and Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute.[16]

Farina has spoken at various science events, including UCLA's "Exploring Your Universe", advocating for scientific literacy and public education.[3] in 2023, Farina debated with American scientist James Tour at the Rice University, entitled “Are we clueless about the origin of life?”.[17]

In 2025, American rapper and flat earther Lord Jamar's claims led to a public debate with Farina. The debate, which took place on an In Godfrey We Trust Podcast episode, featured Farina systematically debunking Jamar's arguments using scientific principles and observational evidence. The exchange garnered significant attention online, with many viewers and commentators noting that Farina's responses directly addressed and refuted Jamar's points.[18][unbalanced opinion?] In March 2026, he gave a speech outside the Wilshire Federal Building to protest anti-science at the pro-science marches Stand Up for Science.[19]

Views

Farina is politically left-leaning.[1] He is an atheist,[20] and supports trans rights.[12] In 2020, Farina has praised high school students graduates for overcoming the challenges of online learning and the civil unrest in the country, encouraging them to recognize that their future is one were "no one can tell your stories but you.”[21] Farina said that, while government science denial has existed for years, the second presidency of Donald Trump has been unprecedented in promoting dangerous medical misinformation through major federal public health agencies, including denying climate change.[19] In an 2024 article with Wired, Farina said that, due to generative AI, he had 140 videos lifted for YouTube Subtitles. He added “If you’re profiting off of work that I’ve done [to build a product] that will put me out of work or people like me out of work, then there needs to be a conversation on the table about compensation or some kind of regulation.”[22] Farina has called Israel's actions in Gaza a "genocide."[1]

Books

  • Is This Wi-Fi Organic? A Guide to Spotting Misleading Science Online. Mango Media. March 30, 2021. ISBN 9781642504163.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Thorpe, Evelyn (April 5, 2026). "Dave Farina: Chemistry Grad's Meteoric Rise as Professor Dave on YouTube". Academicjobs.
  2. ^ "Tantor Media - Dave Farina". tantor.com. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  3. ^ a b "Dave Farina – Exploring Your Universe". Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  4. ^ Gynn, Ann (2022-10-24). "Professor Dave Farina Draws Over 2M to YouTube". The Tilt Publishing. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  5. ^ "The Lonely Wild Live Session". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  6. ^ Goldchain, Michelle (2019-03-06). "'Professor Dave' Explains How He Attracted 345,000 YouTube Subscribers". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  7. ^ Chaudhary, Ananya. "Teacher-tube". El Estoque. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  8. ^ Austin, Daryl. "What are enzymes, and what do they have to do with digestion?". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  9. ^ Halsey, Denise; Boodhai, Sunil (2022-03-23). "4.1 Routes of Administration". Drugs, Health, Addictions & Behaviour – 1st Canadian Edition.
  10. ^ McFadden, Christopher. "Struggling with Maths? These Math YouTubers Can Help". Interesting Engineering. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  11. ^ a b McKee, Samuel (2025-07-28). "Debunking creationists, flat-earthers, and other enemies of science: interview with 'Professor Dave'". The Freethinker. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  12. ^ a b c Hale, James (2022-07-28). "YouTube Millionaires: Stuck on science? Math? History? Let Professor Dave explain". Tubefilter. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  13. ^ "Flat Earther falls silent after professor 'humiliates' him in debate". UNILAD. 2022-12-17. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
  14. ^ "Flat Earther left humiliated after trying to argue with a scientist | indy100". www.indy100.com. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  15. ^ Powell, Mike (2024-01-18). "The Birth of the Science Communicator | Professor Dave Explains | Skeptical Inquirer". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  16. ^ McKee, Samuel (2026-06-02). "A recent 'intelligent design' blunder proves that science is still the biggest problem for religious apologetics". The Freethinker. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  17. ^ "Rice's James Tour and YouTuber 'Professor Dave' debate the origins of life". Rice’s James Tour and YouTuber ‘Professor Dave’ debate the origins of life - The Rice Thresher. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  18. ^ Muhammad, Iyanna (2025-01-12). "Lord Jamar Debates Flat Earth w/ a Science Communicator". Media Take Out. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  19. ^ a b "UCLA Faculty Association, science advocates host Stand Up for Science protest". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  20. ^ McLatchie, Jonathan (2023-07-06). "My "Debate" with Professor Dave". Evolution News and Science Today. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  21. ^ Aronson (2020-06-16). "High school students showcase environmental short films in virtual contest". Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA.
  22. ^ Gilbertson, Annie; Reisner, Alex (2024-07-16). "Apple, Nvidia, Anthropic Used Thousands of Swiped YouTube Videos to Train AI". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2026-07-22.

Primary sources

In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dave Farina.
This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories:

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.