The scientists at Scripps Research are answering the most complex questions about the coronavirus in a very simple and artistic way. Graduate student Hailee Perrett has combined her passion for art and science, to help create the “Science Simplified” video series about COVID-19.
“We combined our different strengths to create these video that was hopefully accessible to a wider audience and we’re helping to make sure these abstract ideas and this information about the global pandemic is more palatable for the general population,” Perrett said.
Perrett’s illustration of a COVID-19 virus particle helped inspire Science Simplified. She worked with a team of animators and web designers to edit the series. The information is vetted by some of the world’s top researchers and leading immunologists. The short videos use pictures and simple explanations to answer some of the biggest questions about the pandemic, including how vaccines work, and the inner workings of antibodies.
“It’s very hard to go into the scientific literature and extract useful information if you don’t have the exhaustive training that these scientists have,” Perrett said. “We chose topics that were relevant that people were asking about, where there was misinformation or not easily accessible information for people to look up.”
As vaccination efforts continue countywide, Scripps Research is hoping their Science Simplified series will become a reliable resource for the community, while helping build trust in science during the pandemic.
For the next video project, Perrett is hoping to explain virus mutations. To view the Science Simplified series, click here.