I’m a designer/marketer with very limited scientific knowledge. Still, lately I’ve been fascinated by quantum physics and computing, so I’ve been devouring content on this topic一mostly…

Perhaps it was the Avengers movie saga, with its multiverse and quantum-sized superheroes, that got me hooked. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I believe quantum computing will soon help humankind solve some of its most complex problems.

Brain-Frying Reads

Google has been doing an excellent job of collecting my preferences to feed me content I’ll like. However, most of the quantum articles showing up on my phone screen are five-minute reads for PhDs, which are more like 25-minute reads for someone like me.

Curious as I am, I’ve never let those overwhelming paragraphs intimidate me. But as I trained my brain to navigate a sea of unfamiliar terms, I learned to value videos even more. For example, after reading this article on quantum computing complexity classes twice, or potentially five times, I found this video on the biggest unsolved problem in computer science. Suddenly things made a lot more sense.

If you’re a science-curious-but-not-expert person like me, check out some of my favorite channels: PBS Space Time, Domain of Science, and Up and Atom. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is not as science-focused, but it has some worth-viewing graphics.

It’s All About Focus

According to an MIT experiment in reading versus watching, one can learn about the same from a text or a video, but reading requires more brainpower. In a controlled environment, reading might give you better learning results, but in our day-to-day life, it is way harder to keep focus. So videos end up being a more efficient and effective way to absorb knowledge.

The real challenge is turning complex stories into engaging videos. This requires more than just some animated text, images, and sound effects. It needs good storytelling.

Tricks to Make Videos More Engaging:

• Know your audience一Understanding who wants to know more about what you have to say is important. This will help you define your narrative pace and choice of words. See how Dr. Thalia Gerhson explains quantum computing to different audiences.
• Lay the groundwork一The first 8.5 seconds of a video are extremely important. That’s the approximate time you have to prove to the viewer that the video is worth watching.
• Start with known concepts and terms一Use analogies, when applicable.
• Feed the viewer’s curiosity一Build on the problem you’ll solve or question you’ll answer.
• Satisfy the viewer with answers一Enlighten their thoughts little by little.
• Don’t try to cover multiple topics in a single video一You can always link the viewer to another video or article.
• Highlight keywords or concepts using screen text.
• Support your narrative with animated graphics to make concepts more visual.
• Connect all the dots with a quick summary at the end.

Happy video watching and creating!