Nexus : small worlds and the groundbreaking science of networks

As Chaos explained the science of disorder, Nexus reveals the new science of connection and the odd logic of six degrees of separation. "If you ever wanted to know how many links connect you and the Pope, or why when the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank sneezes the global economy catches cold, read this book," writes John L. Casti (Santa Fe Institute). This "cogent and engaging" ( Nature ) work presents the fundamental principles of the emerging field of "small-worlds" theory—the idea that a hidden pattern is the key to how networks interact and exchange information, whether that network is the information highway or the firing of neurons in the brain. Mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, and social scientists are working to decipher this complex organizational system, for it may yield a blueprint of dynamic interactions within our physical as well as social worlds. Highlighting groundbreaking research behind network theory, "Mark Buchanan's graceful, lucid, nontechnical and entertaining prose" (Mark Granovetter) documents the mounting support among various disciplines for the small-worlds idea and demonstrates its practical applications to diverse problems—from the volatile global economy or the Human Genome Project to the spread of infectious disease or ecological damage. Nexus is an exciting introduction to the hidden geometry that weaves our lives so inextricably together. Cover......Page 1 ©......Page 3 CONTENTS......Page 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 6 SMALL WORLDS......Page 7 LINKS AND CONNECTIONS......Page 8 LAWS OF FORM......Page 9 LETTERS TO ANYONE......Page 12 THE ORACLE SAYS......Page 13 NETWORKING......Page 14 GETTING CONNECTED......Page 16 FRIENDS OF FRIENDS......Page 17 BRIDGES BETWEEN WORLDS......Page 18 THE WORLDWIDE REVOLUTION......Page 20 CHAPTER 3. SMALL WORLDS......Page 22 A DISTRACTING THOUGHT......Page 23 INTERCONNECTIONS......Page 24 HOW TO WIRE A WORM......Page 25 CHAPTER 4. BRAIN WORKS......Page 27 CONSCIOUS COMPLEXITY......Page 28 THINKING QUICKLY......Page 29 NATURAL PLANS......Page 30 A NETWORK OF SOME INTELLIGENCE......Page 31 WORLD CHANGES......Page 32 INTERNET EXPLORERS......Page 33 CYBERSPACE......Page 34 KINDS OF SMALL......Page 36 CHAPTER 6. AN ACCIDENTAL SCIENCE......Page 37 PANNING FOR PATTERNS......Page 38 ACTS OF CREATION......Page 39 ORDER IN DISGUISE......Page 40 A PROCESS BEHIND HISTORY......Page 41 NATURAL NETWORKS......Page 42 CHAPTER 7. THE RICH GET RICHER......Page 44 THE ART OF ATTACHMENT......Page 45 GROUPTHINK......Page 46 THE OLD BOYS’ NETWORKS......Page 47 THE FLAVORS OF SMALL......Page 48 FROM RAGS TO RICHES...AND BACK TO RAGS......Page 49 THE SENSES OF SMALL......Page 50 CYBER-THREATS......Page 51 FAILING GRACEFULLY......Page 52 BIO-WARFARE......Page 53 SMALL-WORLD THINKING......Page 54 BATTERED COD......Page 55 THE STABILITY OF COMPLEXITY?......Page 57 THE SECURITY OF WEAK TIES......Page 58 TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION......Page 59 KEYSTONES TO COLLAPSE......Page 60 CHAPTER 10. TIPPING POINTS......Page 62 HOW IDEAS ACQUIRE PEOPLE......Page 63 LITTLE THINGS...BIG DIFFERENCES......Page 64 A THEORY OF UNIVERSALS......Page 65 MAKING CONTACT......Page 66 ORIGINS OF AN ADVERSARY......Page 67 MEANS OF ESCAPE......Page 69 NO TIPPING......Page 70 CORE THINKING......Page 71 CHAPTER 12. LAWS FOR THE LIVING......Page 72 AN ECONOMIC UNIVERSAL......Page 73 WEBS OF WEALTH......Page 74 A PROBLEM OF CONDENSATION......Page 75 CAPITALIZING ON THE SMALL WORLD......Page 77 SOCIAL WHOLENESS......Page 78 NOT SO SMALL CONSEQUENCES......Page 79 SIMPLE WISDOM......Page 80 NOTES......Page 81 Cover 1 © 3 CONTENTS 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6 PRELUDE 7 SMALL WORLDS 7 LINKS AND CONNECTIONS 8 LAWS OF FORM 9 CHAPTER 1. STRANGE CONNECTIONS 12 LETTERS TO ANYONE 12 THE ORACLE SAYS 13 NETWORKING 14 CHAPTER 2. THE STRENGTH OF WEAK TIES 16 GETTING CONNECTED 16 FRIENDS OF FRIENDS 17 BRIDGES BETWEEN WORLDS 18 NETWORKING 20 THE WORLDWIDE REVOLUTION 20 CHAPTER 3. SMALL WORLDS 22 A DISTRACTING THOUGHT 23 INTERCONNECTIONS 24 HOW TO WIRE A WORM 25 CHAPTER 4. BRAIN WORKS 27 A THOUGHTFUL ARCHITECTURE 28 CONSCIOUS COMPLEXITY 28 THINKING QUICKLY 29 NATURAL PLANS 30 CHAPTER 5. THE SMALL-WORLD WEB 31 A NETWORK OF SOME INTELLIGENCE 31 WORLD CHANGES 32 INTERNET EXPLORERS 33 CYBERSPACE 34 KINDS OF SMALL 36 CHAPTER 6. AN ACCIDENTAL SCIENCE 37 PANNING FOR PATTERNS 38 ACTS OF CREATION 39 ORDER IN DISGUISE 40 A PROCESS BEHIND HISTORY 41 NATURAL NETWORKS 42 CHAPTER 7. THE RICH GET RICHER 44 THE ART OF ATTACHMENT 45 GROUPTHINK 46 THE OLD BOYS’ NETWORKS 47 THE FLAVORS OF SMALL 48 CHAPTER 8. COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES 49 FROM RAGS TO RICHES...AND BACK TO RAGS 49 THE SENSES OF SMALL 50 CYBER-THREATS 51 FAILING GRACEFULLY 52 BIO-WARFARE 53 SMALL-WORLD THINKING 54 CHAPTER 9. THE TANGLED WEB 55 BATTERED COD 55 THE STABILITY OF COMPLEXITY? 57 THE SECURITY OF WEAK TIES 58 TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION 59 KEYSTONES TO COLLAPSE 60 CHAPTER 10. TIPPING POINTS 62 HOW IDEAS ACQUIRE PEOPLE 63 THE SECRETS OF SPREADING 64 LITTLE THINGS...BIG DIFFERENCES 64 A THEORY OF UNIVERSALS 65 MAKING CONTACT 66 CHAPTER 11. BREAKING OUT, SMALL-WORLD STYLE 67 ORIGINS OF AN ADVERSARY 67 MEANS OF ESCAPE 69 NO TIPPING 70 CORE THINKING 71 CHAPTER 12. LAWS FOR THE LIVING 72 THE DEMISE OF HOMO ECONOMICUS 73 AN ECONOMIC UNIVERSAL 73 WEBS OF WEALTH 74 SHADES OF INEQUALITY 75 A PROBLEM OF CONDENSATION 75 CHAPTER 13. BEYOND COINCIDENCE 77 CAPITALIZING ON THE SMALL WORLD 77 SOCIAL WHOLENESS 78 NOT SO SMALL CONSEQUENCES 79 SIMPLE WISDOM 80 NOTES 81 "As Chaos explained the science of disorder, Nexus reveals the new science of connection and the odd logic of six degrees of separation.". "How can geometry explain the puzzles of human behavior? In this incisive insightful work Mark Buchanan presents the fundamental principles of the emerging field of "small-worlds" theory - the idea that a hidden pattern is the key to how networks interact and exchange information, whether that network is the information highway or the firing of neurons in the brain. Mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, and social scientists are working to decipher this complex organizational system, for it may yield a blueprint of dynamic interactions within our physical as well as social worlds. Highlighting groundbreaking research behind network theory. Buchanan documents mounting support for the small-worlds idea and demonstrates its multiple applications to diverse problems - whether explaining the volatile global economy or the Human Genome Project, the spread of infectious disease or ecological damage. Nexus is an exciting introduction to the hidden geometry that weaves our lives so inextricably together."--BOOK JACKET. Discusses research in "small-worlds" theory, which contends that networks, whether they be social or biological, interact according to a set pattern; and examines the theory's application to such topics as the global economy and the Human Genome Project Presents the fundamental principles of "small worlds" theory, highlighting groundbreaking research, its benefits and applications to diverse problems, and the logic behind the "six degrees of separation." 40,000 first printing. FORTY- ONE YEARS AGO, at the height of the Cold War, the philosopher Karl Popper published a short anti-Marxist volume entitled The Poverty of Historicisrn.