Photo: Screenshot from Weibo

"When we are infected, we start to suppurate. Earth also has such a place; when it suppurates, the liquid turns into magma." Liu Jiaqi, 83, renowned geologist and academician, has captured public attention with his engaging online geology classes, earning him the title of "Volcano Grandfather". 

With in-depth yet understandable science content and an affable vibe, Liu's online classroom fans have increased by more than one million a week. So far, Liu's online classes have more than 1.2 million followers, unlocking the new identity of "million-follower popular science expert", which opens the door of geology and volcanoes to the audience.

His ability to make geology accessible and relatable has resonated well with audiences, attracting floods of acclaims expressing appreciation for his distinctive teaching. 

According to the official website, Liu is a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the only academician in China's volcano research field. He has been engaged in scientific research for more than 60 years. Liu was the first to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of volcanoes in China and the geochemical characteristics of rock on Earth, raising China's research on the regularity of volcanic activity in the Neogene era up to the forefront of the international level.

Apart from scientific research, he values scientific education and popularization, and he has given popular science lectures to primary and secondary school students in China. Nowadays, he is often called the "Volcano Grandfather" by netizens. 

"Magma is like the 'dough filled soup' we drink daily, and lava mounds are like 'steamed buns'." In short videos, he uses vividly descriptive language to explain knowledge related to volcanoes and geology, making complex geological knowledge easier to consume. 

Many primary and secondary school students have shared their experiences attending Liu's offline lectures, even shared selfies taken with him. As the saying goes, "Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path is formed beneath them." The acclaims from youth piece together the hard work of an aged scientist's "sowing" journey in popular science.

After Liu's short videos became popular, netizens started a relay race of comments at Douyin.com, a short-video social media platform, constantly reporting the rise of the number of followers on Liu's account. 

"The significance of the internet is reflected," a netizen commented.

"Science is not about self-serving, science should serve the society and people," Liu noted.

Global Times