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segunda-feira, 9 de maio de 2005

Modismos e questões Fashion

FADS, fashions and dramatic shifts in public opinion all appear to follow a physical law: one of the laws of magnetism.Quentin Michard of the School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry in Paris and Jean-Philippe Bouchaud of the Atomic Energy Commission in Saclay, France, were trying to explain three social trends: plummeting European birth rates in the late 20th century, the rapid adoption of cellphones in Europe in the 1990s and the way people clapping at a concert suddenly stop doing so. In each case, they theorised, individuals not only have their own preferences, but also tend to imitate others. "Imitation is deeply rooted in biology as a survival strategy," says Bouchaud. In particular, people frequently copy others who they think know something they don't.

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