If you’ve ever spent a late night spiraling down the rabbit hole of high-voltage DIY experiments, you’ve definitely run into Drake Anthony. Most people know him as styropyro, the guy who makes "unlimited power" memes look like a safety video. He’s the undisputed king of building things that probably shouldn't exist in a suburban garage. Naturally, fans have one recurring question: how old is styropyro, and how has he survived this long without accidentally vaporizing himself?
The short answer? As of early 2026, Drake Anthony is 33 years old.
He was born on August 20, 1992. It’s a bit wild to think about, but he’s been on the platform for nearly two decades. While most of us were figuring out how to use a microwave at thirteen, Drake was already dissolving styrofoam in acetone to make "fire paste" and tinkering with laser diodes. He’s basically the elder statesman of the "don't try this at home" genre.
The Timeline of a Mad Scientist
Drake didn't just wake up one day and decide to build a 200-watt laser bazooka. It was a slow, terrifying burn. Growing up in Goodfield, Illinois, he was that kid who actually paid attention in science class. When he was 12, he learned about lasers and—instead of just pointing a red dot at a cat—he went home and started researching how to make them stronger.
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He started his YouTube channel back in 2006. Think about that. That’s the era of 240p videos and the "Evolution of Dance." While the rest of the world was posting grainy clips of their dogs, styropyro was documenting his descent into high-powered electronics and chemistry.
By the time he was 23, he was already a viral sensation. News outlets like Business Insider were calling him the "laser guy" because he was putting literal death rays on robots. He wasn't just some guy with a hobby; he was a trained chemist with a degree from Southern Illinois University (SIU). He actually graduated in 2016 with a B.Sc. in Chemistry. He even briefly toyed with the idea of a PhD at the University of Rochester before deciding that the "traditional" academic path was a bit too slow for his brand of madness.
Why People Think He's Younger (or Older) Than 33
There’s always been a weird confusion about his age. Honestly, it’s probably the hair. Drake has that classic "mad scientist" look that hasn't really changed since 2012. You’ve seen the videos—he’s usually wearing safety goggles (thank God) and standing in a dark room illuminated by a neon-green beam that could probably melt a hole through a tank.
Some people think he’s way younger because of his energy. He still gets genuinely, visibly hyped when a capacitor bank makes a sound like a shotgun blast. On the flip side, some think he’s older because he’s been around forever. Being a creator since 2006 puts you in the same "OG" bracket as people who have long since retired or pivoted to corporate sponsorships.
The Chemistry Behind the Chaos
Drake isn't just "some guy with a soldering iron." He’s a legitimate scientist. That’s why his videos are so compelling. He’s not just showing you a cool light; he’s explaining the physics of why a 405nm beam interacts with a certain material the way it does.
In late 2025, he even went back to his alma mater, SIU, to give a lecture at a physics colloquium. The topic? Short-circuiting a bank of 400 car batteries to hit 100,000 amps. That’s basically trying to recreate the power of a lightning strike in a controlled (sorta) environment. You don't do that kind of stuff unless you really, deeply understand the math.
- Degree: B.Sc. in Chemistry (Southern Illinois University, 2016)
- Research: Worked in the Goodson Lab focusing on NMR/MRI technology.
- Skillset: Laser physics, power electronics, old-school chemistry (the kind from 1930s textbooks that they don't teach anymore).
He’s also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. So, if the lasers don’t get you, the grappling will. It’s this weird mix of "extreme nerd" and "guy who could actually survive a wasteland" that keeps his audience hooked.
How He’s Still on YouTube in 2026
If you follow him, you know the struggle. YouTube hates his content. Or, more accurately, their automated safety systems hate his content. He’s had his channel threatened with deletion more times than most creators have had bad haircuts. In 2018, he famously got a strike for testing recipes from a 1933 chemistry book.
He’s been very vocal about how the platform suppresses "dangerous" science. But he’s still here. Why? Because there’s a massive audience of people who want to see the real stuff. We’re tired of "science-lite" where someone drops a Mentos in a Coke bottle. We want to see 250-watt lasers that can burn through diamonds.
Drake’s approach to safety is actually pretty interesting. While he looks like he’s being reckless, he’s usually wearing specific wavelength-filtering goggles and has massive exhaust systems for chemical fumes. He’s the first to tell you that what he’s doing will kill you if you don't know the math.
What’s Next for the 33-Year-Old "Styro"?
As he moves further into his 30s, the projects are only getting bigger. We aren't talking about handheld pointers anymore. We’re talking about industrial-scale madness. He’s recently been obsessed with "overclocking" everyday items—taking a standard plasma globe and pumping it up to a million volts just to see what happens to the air around it.
He’s also branched out into more "outdoorsy" madness. If you follow his socials, you’ll see him chasing tornadoes or foraging for rare mushrooms. It’s like he has a biological need to be near things that could potentially end him.
But honestly, that’s why we watch. In a world where everything is sanitized and "algorithm-friendly," styropyro is a throwback to the wild-west days of the internet. He’s a reminder that science isn't just about formulas in a book; it’s about the raw, terrifying power of the universe.
Actionable Insights for Aspiring Makers
If you’re looking at Drake and thinking, "I want to do that," here is the actual, non-celebrity advice based on his career:
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- Get the Foundation First. Drake didn't start with 100-watt lasers. He got a B.Sc. in Chemistry. If you don't understand the "why," the "how" will eventually hurt you.
- Learn Old-School Skills. He’s a huge advocate for using a hacksaw and a soldering iron over just 3D printing everything. Learning how to manipulate raw materials is a dying art.
- Safety is Non-Negotiable. Specifically with lasers, "cool" is secondary to "not being blind." If you’re going to mess with high-powered light, buy the $100+ certified goggles, not the $10 ones from a random site.
- Document the Process. Part of his success is that he shows the failures. If a circuit blows up, he explains why. That’s where the real learning (and the views) happens.
So, while he might be 33, styropyro’s influence on the maker community is timeless. He’s proved that you can build a massive career by just being the smartest, most dangerous guy in the room—and having the camera rolling while you do it.
To stay updated on his latest builds, check out his main channel or his "styro_drake" secondary account, where he posts the more technical, less-edited deep dives into his chemistry experiments. Just don't blame me if you end up spending your rent money on eBay laser diodes.