The rules of contagion
Why things spread––and why they stop
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9924099 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sebastian Kevany (0000-0001-5440-6637, Asia–Pacific Centre for Security Studies, and Rosemary Kevany, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 97 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 906-907 |
| Publication date | 2021-05-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Affairs (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/ia/iiab054 |
| OpenAlex | W3160064540 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
Never have the subjects of infection, contagion and outbreak been as relevant to modern humanity as today. Adam Kucharski's book is therefore nothing if not timely. And even though we currently find ourselves surrounded by a plethora of opinions on epidemics, it succeeds in bringing a unique and compelling perspective to the issue through its analysis of the digital and other realms. Kucharski's purpose is to connect the idea of contagion not only to disease, but also to consider the circulation of new ideas in scientific research and financial markets and examine the human chains of connection involved, including beliefs and behaviours. Understanding dissemination, and terms such as propagate, sow, spread and circulate, is integral to his analysis. ‘Our lives are shaped by outbreaks’, he writes, so he searches for the source, the surge and the diminution of contagion, which he sees as governed by hidden laws. Inevitably, much of this is conjecture, speculation and opinion. As we have discovered to our cost, neat rules do not apply to the incredibly diverse range of scenarios that epidemics produce. And yet all such understanding, whether transposed from the digital world to public health or vice versa, add to the body of knowledge on the subject in important ways
Economics · Epistemology · Humanity · Law and economics · Nothing · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Sociology · Speculation · Subject (documents · Computer Science · Law · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.8 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2021 - 2023 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |