We take a deep dive into the “six degrees of separation” idea by running simulations that show how just a few random “shortcuts” in a network (aka weak ties) turn huge webs of people into surprisingly small worlds. Along the way we see how quickly diseases can hop across those links, how certain people (“hubs”) emerge through preferential attachment, and why even small changes in your own connections can ripple out to reshape the entire network.
Alongside shout-outs to Duncan Watts, Steve Strogatz and Albert-László Barabási for laying the groundwork, the video also touches on the Prisoner’s Dilemma in network behavior—showing that your choices don’t just influence your immediate circle, but can actually change the world’s connectivity on a grand scale.
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