Aug 15
Growing up, Kathy Joseph was convinced she wasn’t smart because she struggled to memorize facts like everyone else. But as she got older she realized she is smart, she just has to do things her own way.
Kathy leaned into her pattern recognition skills and became a math whiz; she went on to receive four higher education degrees in physics, engineering, and science education and spent 12 years teaching high school physics before ultimately starting her popular YouTube channel, Kathy Loves Physics.
Kathy’s channel is so engaging because she not only uses real human stories to teach science, she also lets her ADHD intensity and curiosity take center stage, which makes her content feel authentic and super fun to watch. Join our conversation to hear more about Kathy’s mission to make science fun again, her personal ADHD journey, how her book "The Lightning Tamers" led her to find success doing what she loves, and much more.
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"Teaching high school taught me to like myself more, but also to see myself in them and in their struggles."
- Kathy Joseph
"My whole life I'd been so disappointed in myself. I wanted to be different. I wanted to do things the way that other people did them, and I was so mad. Why was I always late? Why was I struggling with these things that no one else seemed to struggle with? And then I was like, ‘oh, this is what's wrong with me.’ And then it took me a little while to realize, ‘no, this is what's right with me.’"
- Kathy Joseph
"We need a portion of people to be different thinkers in order for us to have arts and science and creativity and we don't need to make up for being ourselves because being ourselves makes society. I feel like we're the spice of society."
- Kathy Joseph
- Kathy shares her ADHD diagnosis story, connecting it to her YouTube channel.
- Kathy struggled with math in high school, especially with a particular subject that kept causing her to fail tests.
- Kathy struggled in school due to social challenges, feeling lost in the formal setting and struggling to understand social rules, particularly those related to gender.
[17:44 - 35:36] Memory, learning, and neurodiversity
- Kathy finds relief in college, where she studies physics and makes friends with like-minded individuals.
- Kathy shares her experience of being told to stop moving her hands while recording videos, despite being married to an Italian who finds it amusing.
- Kathy recognizes and embraces her ADHD as a unique strength, valuing diversity and creativity in society.
- Kathy discusses using her ADHD as a strength in her YouTube channel, attracting viewers with her enthusiasm and personal stories.
- Kathy reveals she didn't know she had ADHD but tried to understand and empathize with her students, who were like her in their struggles.
- Kathy emphasizes the importance of understanding the history of science for inspiration and development as a person in society.
Website: www.kathylovesphysics.com
Youtube: Kathy Loves Physics & History
Book: The Lightning Tamers
