Something Strange Happens When You Trace How Connected We Are

Veritasium dives into the magic of six degrees of separation, exploring Duncan Watts’ small-world model, Steve Strogatz’s network shortcuts and the “strength of weak ties.” It shows how just a few random links can shrink huge social networks, making diseases—or ideas—spread crazy fast.

Then it zooms out to hubs and preferential attachment, courtesy of Albert-László Barabási, explaining why a few super-connected nodes dominate everything. Along the way, you’ll see simulations of viral outbreaks, a splash of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and how your own choices can ripple through this vast web of connections.

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