Unsurprisingly, the spread of entrepreneurial activity followed the same pattern as the spread of personality: there were more start-ups in those states whose residents were more entrepreneurial.

FORBES: Unlocking The Personality And Living Choices Of Entrepreneurs

The spread of skimming wheat off the water followed the same pattern as the spread of potato washing.

FORBES: The Rising Silver Tide: Aging as Counter Current to Innovation

Scientists say they have, for the first time, worked out the pattern of spread of hepatitis C, showing early diagnosis is key to preventing epidemics.

BBC: Spread of hepatitis C pinpointed

Dr Goldenberg and Dr Levy speculated that when parents chose a name for a child, they were influenced by their interactions with other new parents, so the spread of the names the babies were given was a proxy for the pattern of those interactions.

ECONOMIST: Babies' names and the internet

Staal spent more than 17 minutes on the ice in the Rangers' 4-3 Game 3 victory, helping neutralize Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. (The Rangers trail the series, 2-1, going into Wednesday's Game 4 at home.) More, he afforded coach John Tortorella the freedom to spread out ice time among his six regular defensemen, deviating from a pattern Tortorella had fallen into during last year's playoffs.

WSJ: A Reason for Ranger Hope

This air circulation pattern "compartmentalizes" the air flow into sections, thereby limiting the spread of airborne particles throughout the passenger cabin.

CNN: Commentary: Flu and your health on a plane