Check out this gorgeous map of the Internet, compiled by researchers studying the Web's connectivity. The dense nodes in the
center represent the core of the Web through which most traffic flows.
The study's novel finding: Taking away these core connections wouldn't
crash the net. The 'mantle' and 'crust' of connections would keep
humming, albeit a little slower, through peer-to-peer connections. Furthermore, the increased use of peer-to-peer communications could improve the
overall capacity of the Internet and make it run much more smoothly. More BitTorrent will save the Internet? Hmm...
Findings aside, I think this is an intriguing picture. But is it art? I think so. Being a lawyer, I think would also be very interesting to be able to graphically represent a particular case. The center would represent a particular decision (e.g., Brown vs. the Board of Education), and then it would be linked to all decisions cited in the decision (i.e., precedents), as well as all cases which subsequently cite the decision. If there's anyone out there that is interested in pursuing this I'd love to have a picture of a few cases on my wall.
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