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Curiosity gap 0:28
A 28-second explainer of Curiosity gap, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Curiosity gap demo
What this video covers
The curiosity gap is that itch you feel when you’re shown something you don’t know but are close to understanding. It pulls you in because you want to close the gap - which is why good teasers, subject lines, or ‘see why’ links are so hard to ignore.
The plain version told you everything, so there was nothing to chase. The gap version held one piece back - and you felt the tug to find out, didn't you? That pull is the curiosity gap: a sliver of missing information your mind wants to complete. It works best when what's on the other side actually rewards the curiosity, rather than punishing it.
