Mapping Social Contagion in Complex Systems
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Why do people make the choices they do? Whether we are voting in elections, responding to economic shocks, tackling complex problems collaboratively, or even participating in civil unrest, our decisions often reflect hidden forces at work. External influences—like news stories, policy shifts, or economic pressures—clearly matter. But what is often overlooked is how our social networks dramatically amplify these effects through what scientists call social contagion. So, what influences really shape our behavior, and why? How does the invisible structure of our connections intensify collective actions, sometimes leading to unintended or harmful consequences? And perhaps most crucially, how can we recognize, understand, and control these contagion effects? In today's conversation, we will explore these questions through insights from complex systems science. We will focus on examples from social and engineered systems, but we will also uncover universal patterns of collective behavior found across diverse domains—including ecological systems, genetic regulatory networks, and even animal group dynamics.
NECSI proudly presents Conversations About Complexity: a discussion series with the world's leaders in complexity science. For more information, please visit www.necsi.edu

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