http://www.metafilter.com/tags/DuncanWatts Posts tagged with 'DuncanWatts' at MetaFilter. Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:59:20 -0800 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:59:20 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://www.metafilter.com/60491/Is%2DJustin%2DTimberlake%2Da%2DProduct%2Dof%2DCumulative%2DAdvantage In a parallel universe <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/magazine/15wwlnidealab.t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin">Your Favorite Band Really Does Suck</a>! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_J._Watts">Duncan Watts</a> and others conducted a <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/~pdodds/research/papers/2006/SCImusiclab.pdf">Web-based experiment</a> [PDF] called <a href="http://www.musiclab.columbia.edu/">Music Lab</a>. Their findings: "while talent might distinguish good from bad, social pressure and pure dumb luck are also big influences on which bands gain the most fame." "Calling the [experiment] '<a href="http://www.musicpsychology.net/en/article80.html">pathbreaking</a>,' sociologist Michael Macy of Cornell University says the findings illustrate how a small advantage can snowball, making popularity hard to predict. Economist Robert Frank, also at Cornell, says the work shows 'we're all susceptible to the herd mentality.'" The effect of "<a href="http://blog.futurelab.net/2007/04/cumulative_advantage_versus_th.html">cumulative advantage</a>" has impact on the popularity of other aspects of contemporary culture: books, films, websites and more. tag:metafilter.com,2007:site.60491 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:59:20 -0800 Columbia ColumbiaUniversity CululativeAdvantage DuncanWatts MusicLab ericb