Nicholas Christakis: The Science of Human Connection

Howie and Harlan are joined by Nicholas Christakis, director of Yale's Human Nature Lab, to discuss his research on social networks, human connection, and the forces that help societies cooperate and endure. Harlan discusses promising phase 3 results for retatrutide, Eli Lilly's experimental "triple G" obesity drug; Howie provides an update on the fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Show notes:

Obesity Drugs

"Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, delivered powerful weight loss in pivotal Phase 3 obesity trial"

"Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity—A Phase 2 Trial"

Bariatric surgery

Nicholas Christakis

Human Nature Lab

Nicholas Christakis: Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society

Free rider problem

Phenotype

Stephen Pinker

The Enlightenment

Nicholas Christakis on YouTube: For the Love of Science 

Nicholas Christakis: "The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network Over 32 Years"

Social contagion

Altruism

Wet lab vs. dry lab 

Microbiome

Communicable vs. non-communicable diseases

Nicholas Christakis: "The Collective Dynamics of Smoking in a Large Social Network"

Nicholas Christakis on YouTube : "Learning in a Time of War"

Tymofiy Mylovanov

The president of the Kyiv School of Economics, who invited Christakis to lecture in Ukraine.

Ebola

CDC: Ebola Disease 2026 

CDC: Ebola Disease Basics 

"The Ebola virus spreading in Congo is a rare species with no vaccines or treatments"

Hypertension

Watch last week's episode on YouTube.

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