Many people have an innate curiosity about chemical reactions and science. This is why television shows such as Mythbusters, or Bill Nye the Science Guy have always had strong followings, even when the shows are no longer on the air.  

The curiosity that drives those shows is part of the reason why Regina’s Ryan Doka started seeing what would happen if he put various things into a jar, just to see what would happen, and record the results for the world to see.  

The result? 

Doka is one of the more popular Canadian creators on the video-sharing app Tik Tok. He has over a million followers on the app and is closing in on two million. Some of his most popular videos have had over 10 million views.  

So, where did this humble kid from Saskatchewan get the idea to start doing this? 

“I started putting things in jars just for my own, kind of interest,” Doka said. “I’ve always been a fan of science, and I’ve always loved seeing what happens when you put certain objects in certain other things.” 

Starting as a kid with things like detergents in a jar, as an adult, he is seeing what can happen when things interact with acid, bleach, vinegar or various alcohols.  

While he has a growing following on the internet, he didn’t start doing this as a way to get famous. After all, he is balancing creating a few videos a week with a regular full-time job, plus his home life. 

“Everything I have ever done has always been spur of the moment,” Doka explained. “I've always winged it. I’ve always done it mainly for myself and I haven’t really looked towards ‘are other people going to like this?’ but it’s amazing how people have found it now, and they're really saying ‘hey, you’re teaching me weird things about science’ and they’re loving it because it’s under a minute so they have the time to watch it.” 

While the videos are short, they can sometimes be time to make, which is where the balance comes in.  

Doka sets aside around 3-4 hours at the beginning of a week or month to film the starts of the videos. Then, the follow-up is about another 3-4 hours. Then, there is one to two hours for the editing of the videos. 

“When it’s a hobby, that it’s something you love, you can always find time to make it happen,” Doka added.  

As for what could be happening going forward, Doka is enjoying finding a niche in entertainment. This includes becoming a full-time content creator on Tik Tok, or even hosting a television show for children about science. There is one issue that comes up, though, when it comes to becoming a paid content creator on Tik Tok, and that is the fact he is here in Canada. 

In roughly a dozen countries, Tik Tok content creators, when they meet certain requirements, qualify for what is called the Tik Tok Creator fund – money set aside from the app’s advertising revenues to distribute amongst its creators to help ensure a steady stream of quality videos. This can be quite lucrative, with 3-5 cents paid per thousand views of a video.  

While this may seem like a pretty sweet setup, it is something Doka doesn’t qualify for, because he is here in Canada. In fact, no Canadian content creators technically qualify for the Creator Fund, as it hasn’t been established here yet.  

“The creator fund would change my life, definitely,” Doka pointed out. “It would allow me to take that next step into doing this possibly full time and I know it would help a lot of other people, but it’s just nobody has heard anything about the creator fund happening.” 

You can follow Doka on Tik Tok, where he uploads regularly.