Cocaine's Reward Trap, Explained in Animation
A vivid 72-second science explainer that turns a provocative question into a clear mechanism and escalating consequence.
By @kurzgesagt for kurzgesagtRuns 01:12
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Why it works
The full question is on screen at 0:00 and spoken by about 0:02, while the character's expression and prop change before the first cut at 0:04.8. Across 13 shots, literal diagrams make the fast 186-wpm explanation readable; a bright reward sequence turns into dark discomfort around 0:34 and escalating bodily risk through 1:05. The most-replayed interval, 1:05.5–1:06.2, coincides with the danger image giving way to the closing action.
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Tagged verticalanimated explainerscience educationcharacter animationvector graphicsvoiceoverinfographicvisual metaphor
