Instagram is not just for selfies anymore, it can also be used more mindfully by filling your stream with nuggets of bite-sized learning you can “snack on” while you’re on-the-go.

And I’m not just talking about inspirational quotes!

What I’m talking about is useful knowledge that you can use in conversations and to help inspire your curiosity. Instagram is the ideal mobile app to combine visual inspiration and learning in a way that dramatically increases the amount of novelty, unpredictability and complexity in your daily information diet.

To get started, here are some of the best educational Instagram accounts that I highly recommending following to spike both your curiosity and dopamine levels:

1. Science

This fascinating Instagram account is dedicating to helping you understand how the building blocks of the Universe fit together with science, which is something definitely worthing learning about!

2. Tech

The pace of technological innovation is at breakneck speeds these days. It can be hard to keep up with all the latest discoveries and innovations coming from all the amazing creative minds in the world today. This Instagram account will help you stay informed.

3. NASA

What could possibly be more inspiring than contemplating the vastness of outer space? NASA has a great Instagram account that gives you an ever-changing window on the glory and enchantment of the Cosmos. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is also a must-follow account for astronomy buffs.

4. U.S. Department of the Interior

Explore the beauty and wonder of the natural world that lies within the borders of the United States. The Department of the Interior is charged with the task of protecting America’s vast wilderness. Hopefully, they can inspire enough people to go explore for themselves and then fight to protect this amazing Planet.

5. Astrophysics

Impress your friends with your knowledge of Astrophysics. This Instagram account is full of insanely beautiful starscapes and great explanations for how the mysterious laws of the physics and the Universe operate.

6. Futurism

Pledge allegiance to the future. This fun and inspiring Instagram account explores how new scientific discoveries are shaping the future of the world. Follow their weekly guides to new discoveries in science and technology to discover the new possibilities that science is regularly uncovering.

This Week in Space: New Alien Planets, Images of the First-Ever Predicted Supernova, And More: Futurism.com/ThisWeekInSpace A photo posted by Futurism (@futurism) on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:11pm PST

7. The History Channel

I think history is underrated. It won’t make you rich, but it may make you smarter enough to not make the same mistakes that have been made by people, cultures and societies over and over again for eons. The History Channel’s Instagram is a good way to spark your interest in learning from historical events (another good one is History in Pics).

In 1799, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s military campaign in Egypt, a French soldier named Pierre Francois Bouchard discovered the Rosetta Stone. This artifact would provide the key to cracking the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics, a written language that had been dead for almost 2,000 years. A photo posted by HISTORY (@history) on Nov 30, 2015 at 8:19am PST

8. Curiosity

Spark your curiosity with daily, bite-sized educational insights. For example, can you believe that a headless chicken named Mike lived without a head for 18 months? Seriously interesting stuff!

9. TED

An educational Instagram from the people dedicated to sharing ideas worth spreading. The TED Conference (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) inspires with the stories of their incredible speaker’s lives and all kinds of amazing facts about the world we live in.

10. National Geographic

I spent a lot of my childhood reading my parent’s massive library of yellow National Geographic magazines. Now I can follow them for daily inspiration in my Instagram feed. I love the way their stories celebrate the adventure and diversity of life on Earth.





You should also follow my Instagram account DIY Genius for creative inspiration and thought-provoking memes.

What Did I Miss?

What are your favorite Instagram accounts for learning and inspiration? Let me know in the comments below.

Did you learn something new from this post? Please share the learning inspiration with your friends.