Neil & Malcolm Gladwell Explore What Shapes Our Society

What do crime waves, contagious diseases, and social trends have in common? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice welcome best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell to explore the hidden forces that drive human behavior.

Gladwell shares the origins of The Tipping Point and its new sequel, Revenge of the Tipping Point, sparked by his fascination with epidemiology and crime in 1980s New York. How do social problems spread like viruses? Why do some people—or places—become "superspreaders" of everything from ideas to violence? We uncover the surprising role of environmental contagion in shaping societies and ask whether AI could revolutionize public health and policing.

We dive into the power of context: why do doctors in Buffalo and Denver treat heart disease differently? What can poop samples tell us about the next pandemic? And why might trained dogs be the future of disease detection? From the science of masks to hotspot policing, Gladwell unpacks the patterns behind epidemics of all kinds—biological, social, and criminal.

What will future generations find baffling about today? What would happen if we gave epidemiologists endless resources? Get ready for a mind-expanding conversation that connects sociology, science, and even The Little Mermaid.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Malcolm Gladwell
2:26 - The Tipping Point
8:51 - The Law of the Few
13:40 - The Power of Context
19:57 - Epidemiology & Criminology
28:50 - Anticipating a Tipping Point
34:36 - Poop & Vaccines, Naturally
39:34 - Do We Have Enough Epidemiologists?
41:33 - Dog Sniff Colonoscopy
46:07 - What’s Wrong with The Little Mermaid
51:23 - Closing

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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