How long have you been streaming?
I began streaming in January of 2018 by playing RimWorld. I slowly grew my community and began adding pieces of educational content. My original goal was to provide free tutoring in biology for those who needed it, but it turned into something even more awesome. I love being able to share my knowledge with others and get them excited about science and learning. My Discord DMs are always open to questions for anyone who might have a general inquiry or just want to chat.
In October 2019 I moved my stream outdoors, and now I get to share my love of nature and hobbies. We go metal detecting, go on hikes, do bird, insect, and plant identifications, go kayaking, watch rocket launches, and do some cycling. I love doing outdoor IRL and love the tech behind getting it working. Streaming has been an amazing adventure and hobby and I’m happy I can share these things with you. We became Twitch partners in October 2020.
Why DrWD40?
WD are my initials and also stand for Watson and Darwin. The 40 is supposed to mean "for science" where the 0 is an atom like in my logo. I have no affiliations with WD40.
Why don’t you like financial support?
I know this goes against the grain of most streamers, but I honestly don’t want financial support. I teach full-time for my main source of income, and streaming is a hobby for me. My schedule is also inconsistent since teaching will always come first. Your support by watching the channel, following my socials, and sharing the stream with your friends is more than enough. Financially, I’d much rather you show that support to streamers where streaming is a main source of income for them. If you really want to support financially, the best way is via the Amazon affiliate link because I won't feel bad about purchases you'd already be making.
What are your stream goals?
My goals are pretty simple. I want to reach as many people as I can to show them interactive educational content exists on Twitch. As a cofounder of The Knowledge Fellowship, I want to bring more viewers to the edu communities and support those broadcasters. Another goal is to break down the barriers between the instructor/student relationship and show most instructors are easy to talk to. When I was in school I was always super nervous to have discussions with my professors. With streaming, I hope to show students that instructors can be laid back and understanding. I also love providing academic advice so feel free to ask in chat or DM.
Now that I've moved into doing more outdoor educational content, it would be awesome if National Geographic or the Discovery Channel ever noticed me. Interactive outdoor educational content is an untapped resource.
What sort of games do you play?
I don’t play games quite as much on stream now, but I prefer games where I can remain interactive in chat and have science asides if needed. That’s why games like RimWorld, Satisfactory, Minecraft, Eco, Surviving Mars, Jurassic World, ARK, Planet Coaster, Poly Bridge, Mashinky, and Cities:Skylines are great games to play on stream. Off-stream I play quite a bit of Rocket League. I suck at FPS games so if I’m ever playing one on stream I was most likely forced or I’m doing it to give you all a good laugh.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the middle of nowhere in central Pennsylvania.
Why are you so bad at keeping a consistent schedule?
I teach full time so having a dedicated stream schedule is difficult. Many of my outdoor streams are also weather dependent. Check Twitter or Discord for announcements. Thanks for understanding!
What’s your favorite food?
Buffalo chicken anything w/ ranch. Also, you might hear chat mention dino nuggies but I honestly don't eat them much.
What's your best find?
I don't have a favorite find, but you can check out all the finds here. I like to say the best finds are the friends we make along the way.
