This essay feels like an instant classic. It's a very thoughtful blend of prose and code, in service of teaching some wildly relevant lessons about networks.
One eye opener is the extent that the "Degree" parameter reduces the critical threshold.
> The degree of a node is the number of neighbors it has. Up to this point, we’ve been looking at networks of degree 4. But what happens when we vary this parameter?
And here's the power of this interactive essay, you can try it yourself. It's a toy model but makes a visceral argument. It adds up to the kind of media we dreamed of for the world wide web.
The degree parameter has exploded via social networks, greatly lowering the critical threshold of idea transmission. Our cultural DNA is being revised at a supercritical pace. This piece helps make a little sense of it in a way that static words couldn't.
One eye opener is the extent that the "Degree" parameter reduces the critical threshold.
> The degree of a node is the number of neighbors it has. Up to this point, we’ve been looking at networks of degree 4. But what happens when we vary this parameter?
And here's the power of this interactive essay, you can try it yourself. It's a toy model but makes a visceral argument. It adds up to the kind of media we dreamed of for the world wide web.
The degree parameter has exploded via social networks, greatly lowering the critical threshold of idea transmission. Our cultural DNA is being revised at a supercritical pace. This piece helps make a little sense of it in a way that static words couldn't.