I saw an interesting documentary on the BBC yesterday, about the Six Degrees of Separation. This model of connectivity is not new. What was new to me however was the fact that the mathematical model explains not only human relationships, but also how networks in general function. Whether they studied computer networks, electricity or the the network that connects Hollywood actors (like Kevin Bacon), they all comply to the same mathematics. Intriguing and scary in a way.
Another interesting point made was the role of hubs. Not everyone has the same number of connections. This is true on Facebook as it's true in real life. Nor are all websites connected in the same way. Some sites have thousands of links, other sites have just some links. The sites (and people) that have abundant links to others are called hubs. Hubs play a crucial role in connecting the network. On internet and in real life hubs also play a leading part in the distribution of computer viruses and human diseases.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kdtvv (If you're outside the UK, you cannot view this documentary online).
No comments:
Post a Comment