UVM computer scientists investigate: why do ideas go viral?

BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) - “We were inspired in part by forest fires."

That's the basic metaphor that researchers at the University of Vermont and the Santa Fe Institute are using to try to answer how ideas, beliefs, and trends spread in the digital age.

“Fires can grow stronger when burning through dense forest, and weaker when crossing open gaps. That same principle applies to information, jokes, or diseases. They can intensify or weaken depending on the conditions," said paper co-author Sid Redner.

People often think that "going viral" is an either-or thing. Either an idea catches on, or it doesn't and quickly dies off. But UVM's Laurent Hébert-Dufresne says that ignores the human element of the equation: as people share content, they don't just copy it exactly, but naturally ad