Press

By analyzing the Framingham data, Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing. And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people. By keeping in close, regular contact with other healthy friends for decades, Eileen and Joseph had quite possibly kept themselves alive and thriving. And by doing precisely the opposite, the lone obese man hadn’t. Originally published on September 10, 2009.

Genes play an important role in how people make friends and form social networks, according to a new study that may help researchers better understand the spread of ideas and diseases in a society. Originally published on January 27, 2009.

In a string of hot articles, two social scientists report that obesity, smoking, and other behaviors "spread" in networks. As the two friends expand their theory, doubters sharpen their questions. Originally published on January 23, 2009.

The next time you get the flu, there will almost certainly be someone you can blame for your pain. There's the inconsiderate co-worker who decided to drag himself to the office and spent the day sniffling, sneezing and shivering in the cubicle next to yours. Or your child's best friend, the one who showed up for a playdate with a runny nose and a short supply of tissues. Then there's the guy at the gym who spent more time sneezing than sweating on the treadmill before you used it. Originally published on December 11, 2008.

We’ve all had experiences where the sight of someone smiling makes us smile, the sound of laughter makes us laugh. Well, turns out that there’s some science behind all that. Originally published on December 5, 2008.

New York Times article. Originally published on December 5, 2008.
 

Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other. Originally published on December 5, 2008.

Der US-Mediziner Nicholas Christakis über die überschätzte Macht des Erbguts, die Wirkung sozialer Ansteckung und die erstaunliche Geschwindigkeit der menschlichen Evolution. Originally published on July 14, 2008.

Facebook, MySpace and other Web sites have unleashed a potent new phenomenon of social networking in cyberspace. But at the same time, a growing body of evidence is suggesting that traditional social networks play a surprisingly powerful and underrecognized role in influencing how people behave. Originally published on May 26, 2008.

For better or worse, friends and family members can influence your health. If a close friend or spouse quits smoking, you're more likely to quit, medical experts say. But what if your friends' friends give up cigarettes? A recent study shows that the influence of social networks extends much further than you might think. Originally published on May 22, 2008.