Washington – What do applause and typhoid fever have in common? They are both contagious – at least, they fan out in ways that can be predicted by contagion theory, a bundle of models and assumptions that can apply to the spread of everything from a hot fashion trend to violence to an infectious disease.

According to a paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society, clapping is far from a straightforward expression of appreciation. It has a mind of its own – like malaria! – and a surprising logic.
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