Sylvia Todd is “big on the Internet.” The 11-year-old science star has already received more than 1.5 million hits on her YouTube series “Sylvia’s Mini Maker Show,” in which she teaches viewers how to make things — like electricity-conducting dough and painting robots.
But unlike many other YouTube stars, the Todds haven’t been able to capitalize on the success of the series, making it more of a labor of love than a source of revenue: “I would say we spend maybe $100 a year,” Sylvia’s father said of the series budget. “We don’t have a lot of money for this; really, it just takes time.” But budding young scientist Sylvia isn’t much interested in a media career, and sees herself as an astronaut or an aeronautical engineer later down the line.
Although, being the sensible type, she does have a backup plan: “If all else fails,” she told the Times, she’ll consider becoming “a comic book artist.” For curious kids that like to tinker with electronics we offer our series Fabschool.
