The Soul of the Story

“What is the role of the story?” Vicky Porter asked yesterday. 
"They are interesting,” said someone else.
"Important,” emphasized Tom Siegfried.
“Stories excite neurons,” replied Larry Gonick.
And so the debate raged on.  While writers may never agree on their role in informing the public, they can agree on something bigger.  The importance of choosing a “good” topic (with as many definitions here as there are people in this room) should be one of their main concerns. 
Educators and entertainers alike can unite over the gravity of topic choice.  And as science becomes more technical and narrow in scope, particularly in fields like molecular biology and neuroscience, it becomes harder to say something meaningful about the recent advances. 
“We need to challenge each other,” concluded Vicky Porter.