Stefan Thurner

For thousands of years, humans have lived in complex social networks, from small groups on the savannah to today’s megacities. But what happens when these networks change faster than we can adapt? Why is our society fragmenting into separate bubbles, and why is polarisation increasing? What does the digital revolution mean for friendships, communication, supply chains, flows of information and social cohesion? Stefan Thurner takes us on an extraordinary intellectual journey from atoms and molecules to people and societies. In clear and accessible terms, he shows how natural laws and mathematical models can explain social dynamics—and how cooperation can remain possible even under new conditions.