Something Strange Happens When You Trace How Connected We Are

Ever noticed how you’re only a handful of handshakes away from anyone on the planet? This video unpacks the six-degrees-of-separation mystery with the small-world model, showing how random “shortcuts” and the surprising power of weak ties make our social network insanely compact—and how that same wiring lets diseases spread in the blink of an eye.

Then come the network hubs—those ultra-connected influencers born from preferential attachment—and a detour into the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The takeaway? Even tiny tweaks in how we link up and cooperate can send shockwaves across the entire network.

Watch on YouTube