HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- He goes by Destinws2 and is known as the "Chicken Man" among his YouTube fans through his Smarter Every Day science channel.

And all day today, Destin Sandlin is in the YouTube homepage spotlight after receiving the most votes in July's "On The Rise" poll, a monthly contest held by the website.

Sandlin is an engineer who tests missiles at Redstone Arsenal by blowing things up.

To welcome visitors to Smarter Every Day, he put together a Rube Goldberg system of rockets that's eye-popping for the visuals and the fact that he made it in 36 hours.

It includes a tornado of fire, a rifle, matches and bottle rockets which make for an interesting creation by the rocket scientist.

There's even a disclaimer: "Warning. Do not try this at home. We are trained rocket scientists. (Really)"

Sandlin's experiments and projects stem from his love of science and making it fun - heralding back to his childhood and watching "Mr. Wizard" and "Bill Nye the Science Guy."

"Imagine a junior high school science fair except the kids have master's degrees in rocket propulsion and have access to much cooler resources," he said. "Since I could talk, I've always asked 'why,' and I frequently set up experiments to answer just that question."

A Christian, he doesn't see God and science being mutually exclusive. And he passes that on to his children.

"I love to explore Creation using the tools of the scientific method as my map and compass," Sandlin said. "The saying I've taught my children is that 'In a world of talkers, we are to be thinkers and doers.'"

He hopes for viewers of Smarter Every Day to learn a little bit more about science - and have a good time, too.

"I am very thankful for those who took the time to vote for 'Smarter Every Day' in the On The Rise video contest," he said. "Come join the fun and contribute science projects you'd like to see in this science fair."

See also: Huntsville engineer's YouTube channel, 'Smarter Every Day,' in running for best entertaining, educational videos