Viral storytelling? Hmm, there's a thought. So one challenge with designing a story to be told, is how to make it stable. Else it becomes a source of misconceptions, rather than of understanding. If the story is then passed on further, that becomes the telephone game, and stability... becomes even harder. Status quo disinclination to pass on (pervasively flawed) understanding does have benefits. So what if it were paired with a bit of traditional viral content, to provide a stable reference? How might one get the two, oral storytelling and viral content, to propagate together? Perhaps if the setup for storytelling was itself the viral content? Somehow search keyed so someone in receipt of only the oral, could recover the viral? Or if the viral had additional value, perhaps compelling video, so there was incentive to present both? Hmm. Fun morning brainstorming - thanks!
Oh, nice example. I wonder if repackaging a viral content of '<meme>' as a conversational cartoon, 'A: "<meme>!" B: "LOL!"', might increase the likelihood of it being spoken? Perhaps yielding viral content spread, with oral storytelling leaves. Or maybe even A: "<idea>" B: "Neat! <question>?" A: "<answer>" to scaffold further conversation and thought?
There's a common professorial comment, that they didn't really understanding some topic, until after preparing for, and teaching it. So the exploratory question is, how might 'preparing for, and teaching it' be made a greater part of the science education content and outreach experience. For the additional motivation of sharing the knowledge with others. And for the incentive towards clearer, more integrated understanding - eg, to be able to answer non-toy real-people questions.
