From the global economy to the human brain, understanding the connections is key. To make sense of the world you've got to know network theory
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If trends continue, sometime in 2012 Facebook's active users may exceed 1 billion. By studying what connects these people we can get a handle on how this mammoth network is changing society.
It's the same for any complex system: from the global economy to the human brain, understanding the connections is key. To make sense of the world you've got to know network theory - the branch of mathematics that holds the answers. Network analysis is really taking off, thanks to a mass of data on complex systems, combined with heavy-duty computing power to crunch the numbers. One emerging theme is that biological networks can resist perturbation, up to a point. Disturb the system enough and things go awry - which is what happens when we get sick.
In addition to the connectome (see left), expect a flood of data on the interactions between proteins that make up the molecular machinery of human cells - the interactome, in other words.
Because networks created by human activities aren't shaped by natural selection they may collapse if disrupted. This is why network theorists are busy studying connections between big firms. "Too big to fail" is only partly right: "too connected to fail" is the message from network theory.
Where do social networks fit in? Facebook wants algorithms to help it recognise which relationships are strongest, allowing it to better personalise the site. As Mark Zuckerberg might put it, it's complicated, but we're better connected.
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