Going back to the question..(sorry everybody, I know I am really late..just throwing in my 2 paise) I liked altasensitivity too, but here is another thought. Faldage, there is an anthropological term, called, 'Stimulus diffusion' used to explain the rapid tranmission of an idea or behaviour that is culturally inherited. One chimp cracks a nut with a stone and suddenly many more chimps are doing the same thing. You *could stretch the same concept to what you are looking for - ?epidemic awareness?