The best science accounts to follow on Instagram and Twitter

Social media might feel at times like it is all about food, fashion and celebrities, there can be much more to it than that. You can transform your feeds into places of scientific discovery, if you just follow the right people.

WIRED has put together a list of the best scientists to follow on Twitter and Instagram to make your feeds more informed places.

Nicole Stott hasn't just spent 104 days living and working in space – she was also the first person to paint while she was there. Calling herself "The Artistic Astronaut", Stott left Nasa after 27 years to focus on her painting. She recreates the views she had of Earth and space from the windows of the International Space Station.

Referring to herself as a ‘#Chemistry Blackademic in the Ivory Tower’, Raychelle Burks’s Twitter feed is a fearless and funny take on racism and sexism in science.

Love science? Love dogs? Then Julie Hecht is a must-follow. Hecht is studying a PhD in animal behaviour at The City University of New York and her Twitter is full of canine facts to satisfy your curiosity for man's best friend.

It turns out that the life of a National Geographic photographer makes for a visually stunning Instagram feed. Follow Cory Richards for a glorious, environmentally conscious view of the natural world, and prepare for serious job envy. While you're at it, give the main National Geographic account a follow too.

Cox is a physicist, author, broadcaster and all round super smart guy. Follow him on Twitter to be inspired by his jet-set lifestyle; his love of old-school smiley faces; and overly-modest tweets about his incredible pictures of space and nature.

Honourable professor of computer science at University College London, Black is an advocate and role model for women in tech. Her Twitter account is full of content worth reading for anyone interested in technology or computer science. Follow her here.

While not a person itself, one of the most social media-savvy of the Nasa missions, the Curiosity Rover posts pictures from its home on the surface of the red planet. If nothing else, follow the account for its hilarious pun-filled captions, like “They see me rovin’, they hatin’”.

From baby pandas to a sloth celebrating her third birthday, San Diego Zoo is the best account on Instagram for lovers of strange and cute animals. The zoo is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary and conservation organisation. Follow the zoo here.

Theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack, based in Australia, is studying the early universe using astronomical observations. This includes the earliest galaxies in the universe and black holes. Tweets include fluid mechanics in tea plus a healthy does of the latest space images and discoveries. Follow her on Twitter here.

For outspoken views about vaginas with a solid scientific basis, Gunter is the gynaecologist for you. She is best known for her blog, a source of evidence-based advice where she takes to myth busting anything about women’s health, from vaginal highlighters to ‘love eggs’.

For a light-hearted character to amuse you on a daily basis, follow Dr Karl. An eccentric Australian science broadcaster, Dr Karl’s Instagram is filled with video photographs of him in brightly coloured shirts making children cry, by telling them that T-rex really had feathers.

Host of Radio 4’s Inside Science podcast, Dr Rutherford has a background in genetics, and is author of the book ‘A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived’. On Twitter, Rutherford tackles everything from politics to anti-vaccination liars, with a twist of humour at each turn.

If you want to be confronted with the vastness of our Universe on your morning commute, you should follow NASA on Instagram. Between videos of the latest discoveries and historical archives, NASA’s posts are guaranteed to teach you something new each day. It's no wonder the agency has over 25 million followers.

Chair in Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, Ernst has studied the evidence, or lack of, towards alternative medicine for 25 years. “My goal is to provide objective evidence and reliable information,” he writes on his blog. “This ambition did not endear me to many believers in alternative medicine.” Follow him for strong opinions (based on facts) and heated arguments.

Who doesn’t love clouds? Not only does Cloud Appreciation Society’s Instagram account post pictures that are wonderful to look at, they will teach you things you never knew you wanted to know about clouds.

If fossils are your thing, Chris Stringer, a researcher in human evolution at the Natural History Museum, is worth a follow. His Tweets are full of interesting takes on the latest developments in anthropology and human evolution, complete with the hashtag #FossilFriday.

Which other scientists and science accounts should we add to this list? Tweet us @WIREDUK to let us know.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK