Barabasi: The First Link

1. What elements or factors were critical to Paul's success in spreading the Christian message?

Removing the barriers when converting to Christianity, such as circumcision, and spreading the messages to the large communities were the critical factors to Paul's success in spreading the Christian message.

2. Barabasi asks the question, "Could it happen again?" (p.4), what is your answer?

It might happen again. I do not have any religious faith so it is difficult to imagine, though spreading of the messages can be done very quickly with the use of internet. Remember how fast YouTube became famous (Alhough YouTube is not religion).

3. What new kinds of maps have been made of our interconnectivity (p.5)? What kinds of interconnectivity would you like to see mapped?

Our interconnectivity made maps of the Internet, companies, interaction between species in ecosystems, genes, and so on. These maps enabled to uncover many mysterie, and some new possibilities emerged. I would like to see maps of talented people's brains, such as artists and musicians, and see if talent really exists.

4. What is the 'real surprise' (p.5) that such maps have revealed? Personally, does this surprise you?

The surprise is that although networks are very complex, the structure and evolution of them were simple. Personally, it shocked me a little. It is like the world of nature. They are complicated yet simple as well.

5. How does the author define the nature of most scientific research in the 20th Century? What is the problem associated with such an approach (p.6-7)?

By nature, most scientific research in the 20th Century gave its focus on components. Researchers thought that they had to know the parts to know the whole. However, because those pieces were linked to something else, it was not very effective.

6. What does Barabasi predict will be the new focus of scientific research in the coming era (p.7)? What is your view?

The new scientific research in the coming era will focus on networks. Rather than looking at the components, looking at the links give us different perspectives. Perhaps the networks are significant just like relationships between friends and family are very important in our daily life. New perspectives can be risky but it can also give us new discoveries.