CASBS Fellow Damon Centola Paper Cited in Washington Post
From the Washington Post (Feb 7, 2015):
"A new study led by the University of Pennsylvania's Damon Centola [CASBS Felllow 2014-2015] provides a scientific explanation for how social conventions can emerge suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, with no external forces driving their creation. (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania)"
Related News Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/02/07/behind-the-ebb-and-flow-of-baby-names/
The paper referenced in the article is "The spontaneous emergence of conventions: An experimental study of cultural evolution" by Damon Centola and Andrea Baronchelli. Abstract and full text available are at the following links:
PNAS Link: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/01/27/1418838112.abstract
Full Paper Link (from my research group website): http://ndg.asc.upenn.edu/publications