Pursuing í Through the Punctuated Equilibria of Human Communications

Adapting the theory of punctuated equilibria to human communications, we are in a period of rapid evolution. Through this period, storing data, exchanging research results and sustaining scientific literacy in the U.S. requires adaptability, strategy and luck. This presentation quantitatively and qualitatively explores how two research stories have fared in the new communications environment. The first story — a video of an aquaculture project that garnered an audience of 200,000 in two years after being loaded to YouTube — illustrates the importance of cultivating synergistic relationships among Social Media platforms. “Growing Fish in Greenhouses” gained 2000 viewers within five days after one Facebook posting and a Tweet. The second story tracks the success of efforts to inform people about advances in fish physiology. Knowing success is tracked with what could be considered imaginary numbers (i), we explain how these arcane metrics illuminate programmatic impacts and inform future communiqués. Together, the examples illustrate strategies for communicating science-based information to a variety of audiences through a changing suite of communication technologies.