The phrase has extended beyond its original meaning and been applied to any process in which, beyond a certain point, the rate of the process increases dramatically. It has been applied in many fields, from
economics to
human ecology to
epidemiology. It can also be compared to
phase transition in
physics or the propagation of populations in an unbalanced
ecosystem. Journalists and academics have applied the phrase to dramatic changes in governments, such as during the
Arab Spring. The concept of a tipping point is described in an article in an
academic journal, the
Journal of Democracy, titled "China at the Tipping Point? Foreseeing the unforeseeable": Regime transitions belong to that paradoxical class of events which are inevitable but not predictable. Other examples are
bank runs, currency inflations, strikes, migrations, riots, and revolutions. In retrospect, such events are explainable, even overdetermined. In prospect, however, their timing and character are impossible to anticipate. Such events seem to come closer and closer but do not occur, even when all the conditions are ripe—until suddenly they do. American journalists at
NPR have used it to describe
an influx of sexual assault allegations, saying that a tipping point has been passed regarding societal tolerance of
sexual harassment and
feminism.
Mathematically, the angle of repose may be seen as a
bifurcation. In
control theory, the concept of
positive feedback describes the same phenomenon, with the problem of balancing an
inverted pendulum being the classic embodiment. The concept has also been applied to the popular acceptance of new technologies, for example being used to explain the success of
VHS over
Betamax.
Decarbonization The concept of social tipping points has been applied to analyze global
decarbonization pathways and the ability to activate contagious and fast-spreading processes of social and technological change that would accelerate carbon emission reductions needed to achieve the goals of the
Paris Agreement. A study suggests, "path dependencies, increasing returns to scale and learning-by-doing cost reductions can produce sudden, tipping-point-like transitions that cannot be extrapolated from past system behaviour", and that "historically, technological innovation and government policies often motivated by energy security concerns have also, in notable cases, spurred rapid
shifts in energy systems". Moreover, "social norms that shape individual behaviour and preferences can exhibit similar tipping-point style dynamics", which could affect "the regulatory and market conditions in which energy technologies compete". When social norms of sustainability are costly – or at least detrimental rather than beneficial – for individuals to violate, this may substantially increase the probability that an individual engages in pro-environmental behaviour. Removing all subsidies from fossil fuels could intervene the
tipping points occur. And researchers also stress the importance of building carbon-neutral cities, which could educate the general public and drive consumer interest in emerging clean technologies. ==In popular culture==