The most important fact or observation of the tipping point is that small changes can cause epidemic consequences. Thus little changes in trends can make big effects in impact and spread. The tipping point theory does not detail step by step procedures for causing an epidemic trend, instead, it describes characteristics and traits common in many trends. Trends are unpredictable because of the complexity and propensities associated with human nature. A trend suggests consensus among the group, it does not suggest longevity or sustain direction. Epidemics trends can rise and fall in a rapid and drastic manner. Epidemic trends are described as geometric progression. For example the Flu that caused 20 million deaths during World War I; the speed of sexual diseases originated from 160 individuals in a bar; the PCP epidemic infecting 80 individuals causing 24 infant deaths; and the HIV epidemic of the 1980s. Three traits describe epidemics: the law of the few, stickiness factor, and the power of context.[Learn More ...]

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