In_my_element

Portrait Marcel Häfele — **Marcel Häfele** YouTuber of the science channel "Techtastisch"

My professional life began in the technical field. However, I felt underchallenged and started to delve deeper into metals and their properties in my free time. That's when I discovered that the melting point of gallium is below body temperature. I wanted to see this with my own eyes. This led to experimenting, during which I created an alloy of gallium and aluminum to lower the melting point of my material below room temperature.

The alloy reacted with water, forming bubbles of flammable gas: hydrogen! This sparked my curiosity for chemistry and was the starting point for my YouTube channel "Techtastisch," where I showcase experiments that can be replicated at home.

In one of my first videos, I focused on gallium. Upon skin contact, it melts into a very dense liquid. That's why I could literally let it melt in my hand. Gallium remains liquid over the widest temperature range of all elements. Additionally, it forms very beautiful crystals.

Through channels like "Techtastisch," people today can access well-founded information and expand their knowledge in an entertaining way. Many viewers report that my channel is the reason they chose scientific, technical, or mathematical education or degree programs. I often get ideas for videos from my community and frequently implement their requests within the same week.

A small pot of gallium floats in warm water.

It's great to inspire others with your own passion. I was personally inspired by the YouTube videos of science journalist Christoph Krachten. They encouraged me to start my own channel. As a child, I loved educational series like "Forscherexpress" (Research Express) or "Wow – die Entdeckerzone" (Wow – the discovery zone). I really enjoy my job as a YouTuber. It offers me creative freedom and variety. Moreover, it allows me to continuously educate myself in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology, as well as in video production. I owe much of my professional success to my encounter with gallium.

Marcel Häfele sits on a stone staircase in a garden. — Marcel Häfele founded the YouTube channel "Techtastisch" in 2014, where he regularly publishes videos of scientific experiments and DIY projects. The channel now has over 577,000 subscribers.

Marcel Häfele's channel, Techtastisch

Marcel Häfele explores gallium in a whole series of videos. In this one, he experiments with what gallium does to an aluminum alloy (in German, activate English subtitles).