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This is a supplemental blog for a course which will cover how the social, technological, and natural worlds are connected, and how the study of networks sheds light on these connections.

Google to Connect Friends Across the WebMay 16

As if social networking craze weren’t spreading across the globe quickly enough, Google recently announced a new service  - Friend Connect – that can turn any website into a social networking site. All the webmasters have to do is add “ a snippet” of code to their page and Google takes care of the rest.  [...]

Containing Violence and Spreading Masculinity in ChicagoMay 9

Tim Krueger               The cover article of Sunday’s New York Times Magazine explores the mechanics of a new approach to gang conflict on Chicago’s south side, in doing so weighing the logic behind regarding violence as a sort of virus.  Alex Kotlowitz explains how Gary Slutkin, the architect of CeaseFire in Chicago, plots out a strategy [...]

Braess for Closures: A New Take on City CongestionMay 9

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7D81530F936A15751C1A966958260&scp=1&sq=Braess’Paradox&st=cse Much to the chagrin of many New Yorkers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a widespread traffic proposal that would charge people $8 to enter Manhattan below 86th Street. While many praised Bloomberg for his plan—estimated to bring New York City $500M—most said that the toll would encumber New York City businesses. For months, the mayor has [...]

Incorrigible Information: The Housing Bubble and Information CascadesMay 9

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/business/02view.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=information%20cascade&st=nyt&scp=1 One of my father’s favorite jokes is “What is the state bird of Florida? The construction crane!” For a time, I believed that the joke was more of a fact than a mere quip. Driving up A1A, a major thoroughfare that runs parallel to South Florida’s beaches, revealed hundreds of new condominium development project each [...]

Is It Worth It? Network Effects and Private InstitutionsMay 9

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/education/13voices.html?pagewanted=2&sq= Upon completion of this four-course meal they call college, Cornell University will stick me with a bill totaling $200,000. The price of college education—especially at private institutions—has been the subject of much media attention as of late. Institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale have instituted bold programs providing free education for students who cannot [...]