Why Do We Like Networks?

Networks catch hold of you. They are enchanting and contagious. As a first ‘proof’ of these statements let me give you my own example. Just before starting to write this chapter, I sat on a train and watched a charming mother and her little daughter just opposite me. The baby fell asleep playing with her comforter. As I continued to watch, my mind went to work. What could be the periodicity of her suckling motions? Was it perhaps scale-free, showing sudden bursts of activity separated by longer and longer periods of stasis? Did it show self-organized criticality? Was this a punctuated equilibrium? My thoughts continued: What if I looked outside? Would I see fractals instead of trees and clouds?