36 | New Scientist | 15 August 2020collaborations. Consider an experiment by
Bernardo Monechi at the Sony Computer
Science Laboratories in Paris: a few years ago,
he set up an installation at the Palazzo delle
Esposizioni, a museum in Rome, with an
almost limitless supply of Lego and three
platforms for visitors to build sculptures on.
Participants were given an RFID tag, which
tracked how they interacted with each other
as they worked. Some of the constructions
were built by groups who already knew
each other and interacted very closely, but
Monechi found that the most impressive
and elaborate structures were created by
those with a large number of weak ties.
Monechi points out that groups of
people who are close often share a similar
background and outlook, while relative
strangers may bring fresh ideas and different
perspectives. He estimates that the optimal
ratio of strong to weak ties is about 50:50.
The results fit with historical analyses of
scientists’ and artists’ networks, finding that
the most productive collaborations are often
forged between people of different
experiences and backgrounds. Without a
queue in the canteen or a backroom chat at a
work conference, it is now far harder to strike
up these kinds of fruitful conversations.
Sandstrom describes many of our current
efforts as “social snacking” that creates a
relatively superficial sense of connection
without necessarily providing the
nourishment we need. “You can keepST
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snacking, but at some point you’re going
to feel unsatisfied if you never have a full
meal,” she says.
So what should we be doing instead?
Given the importance of shared experiences,
we might change how we interact with our
existing friends. Whether meeting virtually
or physically, we need to turn it into a joint
activity that will help to cement our bonds.
If you used to go to the cinema together, for
example, you might arrange to watch the
same film at the same time and then catch
up through video chat afterwards.
Replacing the comfort of physical touch,
while social distancing, will be much harder
to correct, but von Mohr believes we might be
able to enjoy some of the benefits vicariously.
An ongoing study of hers has found that
simply watching videos of people holding
hands or stroking cats and dogs has helped to
reduce some people’s anxiety during the
crisis. “It suggests that vicarious touch can
work as an important substitute for actual
touch during the pandemic,” she says.
While we may be unable to easily forge
new weak ties, we could attempt to make the
most of the chance encounters we do have,
whether striking up a conversation with
someone we see regularly in the park,
reaching out to a colleague whose work you
have admired from afar or perhaps sending
out an open invitation for a video conference
with people who work in the same field.
Although you may be nervous about their
reaction, Sandstrom’s research suggests that
most people respond very well to an attempt
to build new bridges – and you will feel
much better afterwards.
From our closest friends to our most
distant acquaintances, there has never been
more reason to recognise the importance of
the people around us, and our need to cherish
those relationships – and that is a lesson that
will be well worth remembering long after
the threat of covid-19 has passed. ❚David Robson is the author of The
Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise your
thinking and make wiser decisions.
His website is davidrobson.meContagious
ideas
While social capital is generally
considered to be a force for good,
it can be a double-edged sword, as
Francesca Borgonovi at University
College London recently found in
an analysis of covid-19 infections.
Looking at data from the US, she
and her colleagues discovered that
the disease initially spread much
faster in counties with the highest
levels of social capital, judged
using measures such as the number
of local community groups.
The effect didn’t seem to last,
however, because the areas with
the highest levels of social capital
were also the quickest to adopt
social distancing measures.
This may be due to people with
higher social capital tending to
have more trust in others and a
respect for reciprocal behaviour.
“So you try to protect not just
yourself and your immediate family,
but also the others within your
community,” says Borgonovi.A hug is a far more
potent source
of comfort than
soothing words