ARISE fellow Arnau Fabra Ruiz is bringing science closer to the Catalan public on his Instagram account Expli.cat

Science outreach efforts are crucial to encourage trust and interest in science. In today’s digital age, using social media for scientific outreach is an excellent way to connect with the “digital native” generation and fight misinformation while fostering community engagement. Arnau Fabra Ruiz, ARISE fellow in the Torres-Sanchez group at EMBL Barcelona, recognized this potential and co-created Expli.cat, an Instagram channel dedicated to making science relatable and accessible to the Catalan public. 

Expli.cat was born in 2022 as a joint effort of Arnau, his wife Clàudia Galan, a medical doctor at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, and his friend Bernat Molero, PhD candidate at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Since its launch in 2022, they have released 348 short educational videos in Catalan, reaching thousands of followers, and its reach continues to grow. 

What inspired the creation of Expli.cat? 

I’ve always felt drawn to creating content on social media, and I’m a big fan of science communication online. One day, while watching a short reel on Instagram, I thought: Why is no one doing this in Catalan?

To give some context: Catalan is my mother tongue. It has over 10 million speakers and is the ninth most spoken language in the EU. However, it is currently facing a language crisis. Its use among young people is declining, and it is becoming less and less present in big cities like Barcelona.

So, creating a science outreach project in Catalan could be a fun,  and pioneering way to contribute, and, in my own small way,  to help address this situation. I’ve always believed these kinds of projects are better when shared, so I proposed the idea to Clàudia, and she came up with the name Expli.cat. The name essentially means “explained” in English, with the “.cat” also referencing the Catalan language.

We started creating videos, and Bernat was the first to collaborate. The synergy between us worked so well that we invited him to join the project officially. The three of us have been the Expli.cat core team for the last three years, collaborating with many others along the way.

Can you tell us about the team and how you work together?

Clàudia is currently completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology, and Bernat is finishing his PhD in Photonics. The fact that the team is made up of people with whom I have a very close personal connection makes things much easier for me.

Our workflow is as follows: we all choose the topics we want to cover in the videos. After conducting the necessary research, we write a script and usually send it to the other members for review. Afterwards, everyone records themselves and sends the videos to me, the editor. I edit all the videos and send them back to the other members for a final review. Finally, I publish the videos on social media and manage all the comments and interactions.

This methodology allows us to work freely, ensuring our content is reviewed by people who are not experts in the field we are discussing. As a result, the feedback is usually focused on making sure that everything can be easily understood by anyone, rather than on searching for technical errors.

Why is it important for scientists to engage with the public?

I think it is great when scientists choose to take part in outreach activities, and it can sometimes feel like a way of giving back to society, which often helps fund our work. However, the real contribution of a scientist to society is their research itself. Public communication should not be seen as an additional responsibility placed on individual scientists, but rather as a core mission of research institutions.

Outreach and communication departments should be one of the main pillars of any research infrastructure. Too often, outreach activities depend on volunteers, but I believe they should be carried out by professional, well-trained, and fairly paid science communicators.

Science communication is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight misinformation. To be truly effective, it should be treated as a profession in its own right, not as a complementary skill that every scientist is expected to master.

What valuable skills or experience have you gained so far working on Expli.cat?

Like many people, I used to be shy when presenting in front of an audience, but this project has helped me a lot to overcome that fear. My communication skills have improved significantly, along with my ability to synthesize and explain complex concepts using simple examples and comparisons. Moreover, I have learned a great deal about social media, engagement, and marketing.

In terms of professional experience, Expli.cat has also given us the opportunity to collaborate with national TV and radio. For the past three years we have been working with La Marató de TV3, a major televised charity event in Catalonia that raises funds for scientific research on specific diseases, while also promoting public awareness. We have also been featured with our own sections on national radio stations such as SER Catalunya and RAC1.

What advice would you give other fellows who want to engage with the public?

I’m not sure I’m the most qualified person to give advice, but I can share what has worked for me. Starting small and keeping things simple has made a big difference. It also helps to choose a format you feel comfortable with, whether it is writing, speaking, or creating videos. Feeling at ease with the medium makes communication more natural and effective.

I would also say: don’t try to do everything on your own. Collaborating with colleagues or professional science communicators makes the process easier and much more effective. You may be an expert in the field you want to talk about, but that can make it difficult to judge whether your explanations are truly clear. Having others review your work is an invaluable ally. And finally, engage with the public because you genuinely want to, not because you feel you have to.

What hobbies or interests do you enjoy outside of work?

Maintaining a project like Expli.cat takes up a significant amount of my free time, making it my main hobby. Beyond that, I love playing chess and basketball, and I am also the composer and singer of an amateur music band called Som Núvol. We play Catalan pop-rock, and you can find our music on Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.