NSYSU, TAIWAN — Even as the scientific community has reached broad consensus that infectious pathogens, such as viruses, can spread through airborne transmission in virus-laden aerosols, one fundamental challenge remains:
How can scientific evidence be transformed into public understanding—and ultimately into meaningful action for effective airborne disease control and prevention?
A new international study led by researchers at Aerosol Science Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), Taiwan, offers an evidence-based answer. Published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, a Nature Portfolio journal, the study demonstrates that animation is significantly more effective than text alone in motivating people to adopt preventive health behaviors.
The findings suggest that effective science communication is not simply about delivering accurate information. Rather, it is about helping people understand complex science, emotionally connect with its relevance, and translate that understanding into action.
From Knowledge to Action
The interdisciplinary research team evaluated three science communication formats—plain text, explainer comics, and animation — using "The Quest of the Virosols", an original educational series developed by the team of Aerosol Science Research Center, NSYSU following publication of the team's Science review article on airborne transmission of respiratory viruses (Wang et al, Science 373, eabd9149 (2021)).
The cross-national study involved 3,217 participants from Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, including healthcare professionals, educators, and university students. Researchers examined how different communication formats influenced scientific understanding and willingness to adopt preventive measures against airborne infectious diseases.
While all three formats improved participants' knowledge, animation consistently produced the strongest behavioral impact. Compared with plain text, animation and explainer comics made complex concepts surrounding airborne virus transmission substantially easier to understand. Animation, however, went one step further—significantly increasing participants' willingness to implement preventive measures.
Why Animation Works Better Than Comics and Plain Text
Professor Paichi Pat Shein, one of the study's corresponding authors, noted that animation's effectiveness lies not only in its visual appeal but also in its ability to create emotional engagement.
By combining narrative, imagery, and character-driven storytelling, animation allows viewers to better understand how airborne diseases affect themselves, their families, and society. This emotional connection strengthens risk perception, increases empathy, and ultimately encourages behavioral change.
The study also found that animation had an especially strong impact among female participants, possibly reflecting stronger concern for environmental issues, public health, and the well-being of others. These findings suggest that empathy may play an important role in translating scientific understanding into preventive action.
Science Communication as a Public Health Strategy
"The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that scientific evidence alone is not enough to change the world," said Professor Chia C. Wang, Director of the Aerosol Science Research Center, and Professor of Department of Chemistry at National Sun Yat-sen University and one of the study's corresponding authors.
"Science communication is not merely about transferring knowledge. It is about transforming knowledge into understanding, understanding into empathy, and empathy into action."
Professor Wang noted that the implications of the research extend well beyond aerosol science.
"Effective science communication should be recognized as an essential component of public health preparedness. Our findings demonstrate that helping people understand science is just as important as generating scientific evidence."
Beyond COVID-19
Originally developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, "The Quest of the Virosols" was designed to explain the science of airborne virus transmission through engaging comics and animation. The educational materials have since been translated into 20 languages, reaching audiences around the world.
The new study closes an important loop: educational resources created during the pandemic have now become the foundation of an international evidence-based evaluation demonstrating how science communication can influence human behavior.
The researchers argue that these findings have implications extending beyond infectious disease prevention. Effective science communication can strengthen public engagement with complex societal challenges, including climate change, environmental health, sustainability, and future global emergencies.
Supporting Global Sustainable Development from Inside Out
The study further highlights that effective science communication helps cultivate essential human capacities—including openness to learning, systems thinking, critical thinking, empathy, connectedness, communication, courage, and responsible resource use—closely aligning with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs).
By strengthening these capacities, science communication may accelerate progress toward multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while fostering more resilient and informed societies.
"In our increasingly interconnected world," the researchers conclude, "we breathe the same air and share a common destiny. The challenge ahead is no longer simply generating more scientific knowledge— it is ensuring that knowledge becomes understanding, empathy, and collective action." The findings demonstrate that effective science communication should be recognized as an essential component of public health preparedness and evidence-informed policymaking. More broadly, the study demonstrates that effective science communication can serve as a bridge between scientific discovery and societal transformation.
This work contributes not only to better future pandemic preparedness, but also to broader efforts in public health communication, disease prevention, sustainability, and global resilience.
Link to the origainl explainer comics and animation of "The Quest of Virosols" developed by ASRC, NSYSU: https://aerosol.nsysu.edu.tw/en/scopes/108
