Six degrees of separation, simulated

Veritasium dives into whether you can actually reach anyone in six steps by modeling small-world networks—exploring network shortcuts, the “strength of weak ties,” and how hubs (hello Barabási) speed up connections. You’ll watch disease-spreading and preferential-attachment simulations in action, plus a quick spin through the prisoner’s dilemma to see why your own behavior can ripple through the world.

Along the way, Derek Muller tips his hat to Watts, Strogatz, Buchanan, and others, drops handy links so you can play with the simulations yourself, and sprinkles in sponsor codes, book recs, and chapter timestamps for easy deep dives.

Watch on YouTube