TL;DR

Veritasium dives into the magic of six degrees of separation by running network simulations that show how a few random “shortcuts” and weak ties can collapse huge social webs into tiny worlds. You’ll see how disease or ideas zip across these networks, why hubs (super-connected folks) are inevitable, and how models like preferential attachment explain their rise.

Plus, there’s a fun detour through the Prisoner’s Dilemma to highlight how your choices ripple out—and why a bit of altruism or selfishness can actually change the whole network. Spoiler: even small actions can have big effects when everyone’s connected!

Watch on YouTube