Linked: The Final Chapters

In Linked: The New Science of Networks, Albert-Laszlo Barabasi lays the framework for the inner working of the world’s interconnectedness through scientific and mathematical experiments conducted since the late 1920’s in the first section of the book. In the final chapters he applies that argument to real-life scenarios and how those links work in the real world.

Chapter ten begins with the how the now AIDS epidemic spread throughout the world killing millions, through the carelessness and narcissism of one man, Gatetan Dugas, a highly promiscuous homosexual flight attendant. Though not the first person to contract the then deadly disease, Dugas is considered a hub, because of the number of partners he reportedly had during a ten-year period. The chapter continues to give other examples of hubs, people that are do not have to be the innovators, though sometimes are, in the spread of fads and epidemics.

Next Barabasi tackles the genesis of the Internet and key figure Paul Baran an employee for the RAND Corporation. Baran, trying to keep this new method of communication from an easy attack proposed that the Internet be a distributed method of communication rather than centralized or decentralized. Ten years later a programmer at UCLA, Charley Kline was given the task of using a phone  line to deliver a computer to computer message to Stanford University. Though a slightly rocky start, success happened and now massive communication is done every minute of the day via this innovation.

The twelfth link as Barabasi calls is talks about the fragmentation of the web. In this chapter he gives a history of the web starting with old ever famous, now in antiquity Alta Vista. Alta Vista was the web’s primary go-to search engine as Google is today. He returns to the discussion of the nineteen degrees of separation on the web as opposed to the six in personal contacts and diagrams how a directed network operates. His theory states that there is a central core with in continents and out continents. The continents are connected by tubes and have tendrils dangling from each. Finally there are islands that are not connected in this directed network that still compromise the overall structure. He finishes out the chapter with all of the litigations and cyber wars that have been a part of this global landscape since its’ inception.

Moving from the Internet Barabasi then goes on to the map of life taking on the links in the human body. He goes into great detail about DNA, RNA, cells, and the web of life itself. He uses examples of social networks to lighten the discussion of the inner workings of the human body and to break down the complex interconnections that are a part of every facet of the universe just in different terms. His next link takes these same analogies and turns them to the business world and the global economy. He goes through how business and governments are structured and how this linked principle is present within their systems as well no matter what name they may call themselves.

We are one massive web, linked and interconnected in ways that we may never understand fully. The important things is to know that no man is an island and that everything in life has an effect on everything in life no matter how great or small the contribution.