Time for the world’s elite — heads of state, chief executives, academics, artists and celebrities — to take over a tiny Swiss town for the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering. From the parties to the panels and private dinners, more than 2,500 attendees from over 100 countries will convene in Davos. The attendees have some obvious connections — it’s no surprise that heads of states might be connected to major academics or chief executives. But then there are the connections that surprise. Kevin Spacey connected to a banking giant? Leonardo DiCaprio connected to Shimon Peres? The hidden links are everywhere.

This year’s Davos theme, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, could reveal even more connections as arcane economic topics give way to something more, well, connected. The theme, says the WEF, "refers to the fusion of technologies across the physical, digital and biological worlds which is creating entirely new capabilities and dramatic impacts on political, social and economic systems”. The forum’s sessions will focus on understanding this shift, particularly because "the speed, scale and systemic nature of this transformation has the potential to disrupt all sectors,” according to the WEF.

The connections, of course, are endless.

(BBC)