Ideas Matter readers may recall our discussion of Adrian Bejan's constructal law here. (I am therefore going to re-post Adrian's video--particularly for new visitors). Before discussing this idea further, allow me to offer an example of the principle at work right here at Ideas Matter.
Recently, Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution linked to our humble site. Marginal Revolution is a good example of a major "artery" in a "vascular flow system." In other words, MR deals with significant traffic currents. Tyler's link represents a new channel to our site -- one that, now established, can help continue to generate "flow."
Ideas Matter is still but a tiny brook--with Tyler's single link being a small, temporary tributary from a raging river of MR traffic. In networking language, we'd say the MR site is a major hub, while this site is a tiny node. But using constructal language, we might prefer to speak of currents, flow architectures, vascular hierarchies and evolution over time. Why? because such language unpacks an important feature of these flow systems, which Bejan refers to as: "Few Large, Many Small."
Though flow systems can evolve to become larger, you are not likely to find many blogs with traffic like Marginal Revolution. You are likely to find only a few, in fact--at least in the area of economics and ideas. Blogs with traffic like ours will be numerous. The constructal law predicts that - over time - power law distributions and 80/20-type phenonena are the norm in a given flow system.
Think about nature: vascularization is everywhere:
So in order to accommodate the currents of the world, vascularization abounds. Tree-like configurations in everything, from river basins to the transportation networks that deliver your milk, are instances of the constructal principle at work in various domains. For any such system to persist in time, it has continuously to provide better flow. (This is from an unpublished piece.)
The constructal law says:
For a finite-size system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the imposed currents that flow through it.
Creating linkages with other websites is a way to increase the possibility that traffic will flow to this blog. In Adrian Bejan's terms, this is to introduce a new channel. Once the channel is formed, we increase the likelihood that traffic will continue flow here (as long as I provide readers with interesting things to read, of course). Anyone who blogs knows this.
But if I understand it correctly, the constructal law predicts that this blog is not likely enjoy the traffic of Marginal Revolution. Why? Well, Tyler and Alex are tremendous writers and thinkers, of course. And content is still king. But also, well-established channels tend to persist over time, like river basins. And that is why most of the blogs that were popular now are mostly the same blogs that were the popular three years ago and are likely to be three years from now. And that's okay. Life can be perfectly good on the long tail.
Now for my shameless attempt at creating new flow architectures: Did you find this article interesting? Add us to your blog roll or link to this article. That way, we can "provide easier access" to currents of people looking for interesting content.
definitely interesting. it's cool to think about moving through the internet as a vascular component. kind of like a vine, moving quick, stretching and at times connecting.
i'm linking to you. say hi sometime.
@venueX
Posted by: amanda | 12/18/2010 at 07:24 AM