Alastair's Adversaria Networks, Shortcuts, and Hubs
Jan 24, 2026
A tour of network science: small-world shortcuts, hubs, and how few links shrink vast distances. Why hubs form through preferential attachment and the friendship paradox. How targeting key hubs can change epidemic and social dynamics. A historical take on early Christian networks, Roman infrastructure, epistles as connective tools, and travel as a means of building trusted bridges.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Small World Effect From Few Shortcuts
- Networks with a few shortcuts can become 'small worlds' while remaining locally clustered.
- Such structures combine the benefits of order (local clustering) and randomness (short paths) simultaneously.
Hubs Arise From Preferential Attachment
- Hubs form because new connections preferentially attach to already well-connected nodes, creating highly influential centres.
- Recognising hubs lets one explain fast dissemination and target interventions more effectively.
Target Hubs For Greater Impact
- Focus interventions on hubs to multiply impact rather than broadcasting uniformly to everyone.
- Targeted hub interventions can outperform broad campaigns in controlling spread or changing behaviour.
