• by Sophie Kleber , February 11, 2010

How are we embedded in social netweorks, and how do they affect our lives? How do they form, operate and affect us? Cluster clouds help visualize human social networks and with that identify patterns and clusters. Example Obesity: Obesity clusters show that there is an obvious relationship between the close social network being obese and the individual being obese. Reasons for this could be human behavioral patterns of Induction (influence of surroundings on own behavior), homophony (association based on same body size), and confounding.

Friends: Cluster clouds show that people have different ways of friendships: Some have friends that know each other (tight web of social interactions), others have friends that are independent from each other. Pro of edge of network: Epidemic may not hit you. Pro of center of network: Gossip finds you. Our experience of the world depends on how we embed ourselves in the Connection matter of the world - the human super-organism. The spread of good and valuable things are required to nourish social networks, and vice versa, social networks will spread the good. They are fundamentally related to goodness, so what the world needs now is more social networks.