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Science and Storytelling: How Animation, TV and Film Shape Public Understanding 

Science and Storytelling: How Animation, TV and Film Shape Public Understanding 

iGEM Community
iGEM Community

This article is a part of a series of three articles that explore how science is communicated through popular media such as animation, television and film, using engaging storytelling. 

Written by: Chaimae Benkerdagh, Hazvinei Mang'anda and Sarah Bukhari

Across different age groups, animation sparks curiosity, shapes the imagination, and makes the world of science feel more accessible and fun. Through visual metaphors, simplified storytelling, and relatable characters, animated series translate complex subjects, such as biological processes or technical concepts, into clear, engaging content. For many, animated shows serve as an early introduction to scientific ideas in biology, astronomy, and technology, often inspiring a lasting interest in science.

This article aims to examine how these media formats educate, build curiosity and influence public understanding of scientific ideas.

Science in Motion - How Animation Brings Ideas to Life

Scientific concepts, especially those involving unseen elements like atoms, cells, or forces such as gravity, can be challenging for the public to grasp. To support better understanding, science communicators increasingly use storytelling through media formats such as animation, television, and film (Nisbet & Scheufele, 2009). These visual tools transform abstract, complex ideas into engaging and accessible narratives.

Animation Uses Visual Metaphors to Explain Hard Ideas

Animation can simplify complex scientific ideas through visual metaphors. For example, the educational animated series Crash Course Kids represents gravity as a stretched rubber sheet, helping young viewers visualize how gravity affects objects (Green, 2015). Such visual metaphors make abstract concepts more concrete and relatable.

Giving Life to Science

By personifying biological elements as animated characters, animation boosts engagement and retention. In the film Osmosis Jones, a white blood cell is portrayed as a crime-fighting protagonist inside the human body. This creative storytelling helps learners understand the immune system in an entertaining and memorable way (Farrelly & Farrelly, 2001).

Reaching People of All Ages

Animation is versatile and can engage audiences across age groups. It can be playful for children and for sophisticated adults. The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell uses minimalist, flat-design vector animation combined with thoughtful and well researched narration, to explain complex topics such as vaccines, nuclear energy and space exploration. Its global reach and cross-generational appeal highlight animation’s effectiveness as a communication tool (Kurzgesagt, 2020).

Breaking Language Barriers

Clear science communication is often difficult due to technical jargon and language barriers. Animation can overcome these obstacles through universally understandable visuals. The animated short film, The Inner Life of the Cell, depicts intricate cellular processes using 3D animation and music, without any narration. Its powerful visual storytelling makes it effective across multilingual audiences (Alberts et al., 2006).

Examples of animation used to teach science

To better understand how animation supports science communication, we can look at a few examples that have made an impact by making complex topics fun and accessible.

For instance, Il était une fois… la vie is a classic French animated series that personifies cells, organs, and pathogens to explain the human body, including its development and its main biological functions. Similarly, The Magic School Bus, an American animated series, follows an elementary school class on extraordinary field trips inside the human body, into space, or deep into nature.

Both shows combine visual metaphors with compelling storytelling, making biology and natural science more approachable. Each episode becomes a new adventure, offering a fun and engaging way to explore and learn about the world.

In a more fiction-driven approach, Dr. Stone is a Japanese anime series about a genius teenager who awakens a thousand years after a mysterious event petrifies all of humanity. Using his scientific knowledge, he embarks on a mission to restore technology and rebuild civilization, one experiment at a time.

Sid the Science Kid is an American animated show aimed at younger audiences. It follows Sid, a curious child, as he explores the world around him. Through music, storytelling, and simple experiments, the show fosters curiosity and promotes inquiry-based learning.

How Effective is Animation in Communicating Science?

Animation is more than just a storytelling format; it’s a transformative tool in science communication. Its strength lies in its ability to simplify complex ideas, create an emotional connection, and improve memory retention through engaging narratives and visuals.

One of the biggest advantages of animation is how well it supports learning. Studies in multimedia education suggest that people learn more effectively when visual and auditory information are combined. According to Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (2009), presenting information through both images and words enhances retention. This is part of what makes animation such a powerful educational tool: It can use visual metaphors to explain complex scientific ideas in ways that are easier to grasp and remember, turning difficult concepts into something viewers can understand and retain.

Animation also excels in accessibility and inclusivity. It can overcome language and cultural barriers by relying on universally understandable visuals. For example, The Magic School Bus has been a beloved staple in English-speaking classrooms, while Once Upon a Time…Life has had a similar impact in French-speaking regions. Global platforms like Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell further enhance understanding by offering subtitles in multiple languages, making complex topics like vaccines and space exploration accessible to audiences worldwide.

Animation can also play a key role in early science engagement. Educational media consumed during childhood can shape long-term interest in STEM. Fisch (2004) suggests that early exposure to science-themed animated content boosts both understanding and future curiosity in science. Shows like Sid the Science Kid promote inquiry through storytelling and music, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking in young learners.

The benefits of animation in science communication are clear. It simplifies abstract concepts, brings scientific processes to life, and bridges educational gaps across age groups and languages. In an era of rapid information, and misinformation, animation stands out as a creative, accessible and impactful medium for promoting scientific literacy for all.

The Power of Visual Storytelling in Understanding Science

Animation transforms science communication. It simplifies abstract concepts through visuals, brings scientific processes to life with compelling narratives, and makes learning inclusive across ages, languages and cultures. From animated series on climate change, to explorations of cellular biology, animation plays a vital role in making science engaging, accessible and impactful.

References

From Puerto Varas to the World: Interview with Manuel Rozas, CSO of Kura Biotech

From Puerto Varas to the World: Interview with Manuel Rozas, CSO of Kura Biotech
Empowering India Through Synthetic Biology: Ruchika Tekethotil’s iGEM Journey

Empowering India Through Synthetic Biology: Ruchika Tekethotil’s iGEM Journey

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