Something Strange Happens When You Trace How Connected We Are

This video dives into the magic math behind “six degrees of separation,” exploring how just a few random shortcuts in our social networks turn them into “small worlds.” You’ll see how weak ties connect distant clusters, watch simulations of disease outbreaks racing through networks, and discover why a handful of hubs—those super-connected individuals—inevitably pop up thanks to preferential attachment.

Along the way, Derek Muller highlights Duncan Watts’ small-world model, Steve Strogatz’s viral insights, Albert-László Barabási’s hubs theory and Mark Buchanan’s big-picture takeaways. From the Prisoner’s Dilemma to the power of your own connections, it’s a whirlwind tour of how our behavior can ripple across the globe.

Watch on YouTube