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Explanations like what? Op didn’t put forward much in the way of hypotheses. If you have a good explanation of the mechanism by which attention accumulates around topics that doesn’t require orchestration it would be interesting to hear, it seems like a poorly understood phenomenon.

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The way I read it, Op was suggesting a flirt with conspiratorial thinking ("someone is doing this") and I wanted to turn to something more rational.

I don't really know how trends and fashions form and haven't thought so much about it. Some aspect of it might look like research into the ising model and phase transitions - small changes in "temperature" everywhere in the mass of people might look like a phase transition in the overall mood.

It’s called: product market fit. When people like your products, they talk about them.

I have heat pumps through a mini split system. I like them so much I’m redoing my entire HVAC to add ducts with heat pump powered heating and AC. They’re kind of a miracle: they produce great heat (way better than a gas-powered furnace), they’re ultra-efficient, and they’re whisper quiet.

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