>[!abstract] Applied to social networks >The evaporative cooling effect describes the phenomenon that high value contributors leave a community because they cannot gain something from it, which leads to the decrease of the quality of the community. Since the people most likely to join a community are those whose quality is below the average quality of the community, these newcomers are very likely to harm the quality of the community. With the expansion of community, it is very hard to maintain the quality of the community ([[Cornell University, 2015]]). >[!abstract] Applied to cults >After the [cult] members with the highest kinetic energy escape, the remaining discussions will be between the extreme fanatics on one end and the slightly less extreme fanatics on the other end, with the group consensus somewhere in the "middle" ([[Yudkowsky, 2007]]). >[!note] >This reminds me of the joke that alcohol kills your weakest brain cells first — making you sharper as a result. Also, the antonym would be the witticism that "when someone leaves [group X] for [group Y], the average IQ of both groups increases". >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —