Barabasi

Barabasi: The Sixth Link pp. 25-35
Due Tuesday 10/2

1. What is the principle of six degrees of separation? What number of social links does any one person need to be connected to global society? p. 30
We people are separated by six people in this world. So if we trail six people, we can meet completely strangers like a gondolier in Venice. Only six people.

2. How is the fabric of society today different from pre-internet society? p. 31
The fabric of modern society is kept by URLs.

3. How many more links separate any pair of web pages compared to people in society? What can explain the difference? p. 34
Web pages have thirteen more links than people's one.

4. So far, what ranges of separation have network scientists discovered in different kinds of networks? p. 34
Our society which is consisted of 6 billion nodes has a separation of 6. The Web which is consisted of about billion nodes has a separation of 19. The Internet which has a separation of 10.

5. What does research suggest about the fundamentals of networks? p.34-35It suggest that logarithm is the base of network. But I could not understand the idea of logarithm.

6. What is your estimate of your personal number of connections to society? What connections are your strongest?
I think relative network is strongest. Family.

Lesson1

1. What elements or factors were critical to Paul's success in spreading the Christian message?
It was his idea of using social network which can propagate effectively.


2. Barabasi asks the question, "Could it happen again?" (p.4), what is your answer?
I think the answer is yes.


3. What new kinds of maps have been made of our interconnectivity (p.5)? What kinds of interconnectivity would you like to see mapped?
Maps of companies, ecosystem interactions, genes and so on.
I want to see the map of international marriages.

4. What is the 'real surprise' (p.5) that such maps have revealed? Personally, does this surprise you?
Simple and far-reaching natural laws govern the structure and evolution if all the complex networks that surround us.


5. How does the author define the nature of most scientific research in the 20th Century? What is the problem associated with such an approach (p.6-7)?
He said reductionism is the nature of most scientific research.
Pople meet with the hard wall of complexity. Because the components which constitute this world is linked to everything.


6. What does Barabasi predict will be the new focus of scientific research in the coming era (p.7)? What is your view?
I have no idea.