Linked: The New Science of Networks

Albert-Laszlo Barabasi talked about his book Linked: The New Science of Networks, published by Perseus Publishing. The book looks at the similarities between a series of different networks, ranging from the chemical interactions within the human brain, to the collection of nodes and links that form the world wide web, to the network of Hollywood actors connected, in one way or another, to Kevin Bacon. Professor Barabasi argues that the old theory that networks are relatively democratic has been proven wrong through the discovery that all networks are dominated by “hubs” (nodes which have a relatively large number of links). This discovery, he says, could have an impact in a number of different areas, including the efforts to contain AIDS in Africa and the United States' fight against al-Qaida. Professor Barabasi answered questions following his remarks. close