Watts and Networks

One of this week reading is by Duncan Watts. Watts discussed how networks can be seen as a particular systems and explain how we as the audience could understand the behavior of individual component as well its collective behavior changes.  The idea reaffirms that relationship between parts is more important and far more crucial that the part themselves.

He uses the structure of power grid, the electricity network, as an example (I find this cute Watts=Electricity).  He states that: ‘the
power system is arguably the most essential technological feature of the modern world. More pervasive even than highways and railroads, and more fundamental than cars, airplanes, and computers, electric power is the substrate onto which every other technology is grafted, the foundation for the grand edifice of the industrial and information ages.
Without power, pretty much everything we do, everything we use, and
everything we consume would be nonexistent, inaccessible, or vastly
more expensive and inconvenient. Electricity is a fact of life so basic
that we cannot imagine being without it.’

I can’t help but agree, I mean who can live without electricity. Imagine living without internet, TV, A/C, Lamps, … etc I just can’t think. I think all of this power i.e. technology, electricity are here to drive us toward the future.