Information Cascades Within Living Cells
From a basic understanding of biology, we know that certain cells within the human body, and other living organisms for that matter, communicate with one another. The cells transmit chemical signals in response to interactions with their external environment and their needs. Research now shows that these cells have the power to adjust the “volume,” […]
Trading for Centuries – Silk and Spice Route
In class, we have studied the various types of trade networks in-depth. There can be an array of situations from simply a buyer and a seller agreeing to a price to several intermediaries involved and the buyer having the option to choose a different intermediary for a lower price. What amazed me is that while […]
Does the Web Reflect the World? Demographic Data Company Uses Web to ‘Predict Future’
NYTimes: Crushing the Cost of Predicting the Future Another novel use of the mountains of data generated daily with the web 2.0 revolution has sprung to life- Recorded Future, a company funded by Google’s venture arm, seeks to glean valuable data about demographic and social trends using a method revolving around a snapshot model of the […]
Blackhat – The Dark Side of Search Engine Optimization
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=pagerank&st=cse&scp=2 In the information-dominated world, hundreds of millions of people turn to search engines like Google in response to their daily needs. Much of Google’s success comes from their decision to separate advertiser-funded results from the “organic” results that its engine believes are best. Users also recognize this difference and subsequently tend to focus on […]
Cascade By Sandusky
Recall the recent events at Penn State, where the assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky, was allegedly seen by janitor James Calhoun having inappropriate interactions with a boy around 11-13. Since then, Sandusky has been charged with 40 counts of abusing eight young boys over a period of approximately 15 years. Now, the scandal is bringing […]
The Market for Politicians: A Lemons Problem
With the Republican presidential primaries heating up for the 2012 election year, you have a slew of candidates with varied backgrounds and differing levels of qualifications. Every candidate is spieling their own rhetoric, and it’s up to the republican voters to select the best candidate, much like any election. However the problem that arises is […]
Klout.com: The PageRank of the Social Web
http://gigaom.com/2011/01/10/klout-gets-8-5m-to-create-the-page-rank-of-the-social-web/ As social media sites become more and more a part of daily life, they are becoming useful for more than just staying connected with friends and family. Companies are taking notice of the effect that social media can have on their products and their marketing strategies. In particular, certain people have more “influence” on […]
What does the Future Holds for Alternative Fuel Vehicles?
It seems as if more and more companies are adopting hybrid and electric vehicles as the product of the future, but when will we see that change come into full effect, and will it be in time to counter the impending oil crisis that we are heading towards? It is the opinion of some transportation […]
Google Music: Google’s Next Attempt at Defying Network Effects
Google has been sticking its nose in places it doesn’t belong as of late. Over the summer and early fall, the company launched its new social media interface, Google+ (excluding the existent Google Buzz, which never caught on). The service experienced a big rush of new users on the short term, however on the long […]
Leverage, Indifference and the NBA Lockout
In Chapter 11, Easley and Kleinberg discuss the predicament of Buyers and Sellers in different equilibria in trading networks. As shown below, Buyers (B) and Sellers (S) are subject to a monopoly when they exclusively have access to a single Trader (T): (0) Seller –(0)—>Trader—(1)–>Buyer (1) In this situation, the trader retains complete leverage in […]
« go back — keep looking »