Alternative Public Service Announcements

Fiction and fantasy can be powerful tools to socialize knowledge and prepare us for real-world challenges. In 2011, the CDC embraced this by publishing a blog post on how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. It wasn’t just an exercise in creative storytelling; the post used the idea of a zombie outbreak to engage a broader audience and encourage people to think about disaster preparedness. By leveraging the familiar and often entertaining narrative of a zombie attack, the CDC made the serious topic of emergency planning accessible, relatable, and even fun. This creative approach sparked national attention, making it easier for people to learn the importance of having disaster kits, emergency contacts, and evacuation plans.

Similarly, the 2007 Alternate Reality Game World Without Oil invited players to imagine life in a world where oil supplies had run dry. Through gameplay, participants explored the challenges of energy shortages, learning about sustainability and community resilience in the process. Like the CDC’s zombie strategy, World Without Oil used speculative scenarios to inspire real-world actions, encouraging players to consider how their daily lives and communities could adapt to new energy realities.

These examples demonstrate that fiction and alternative realities can offer unique pathways to learning—sparking conversations, breaking down complex ideas, and engaging people in new ways to be prepared for the unpredictable.