Facebook Social Graph using Netvizz & Gephi

   
     Since I used Wolframalpha to analyze my facebook data (by just typing 'facebook' into it) in a minute back in 2012, I found it is really fascinating to make my own social graph using data from my own facebook account and see the connection that I have on facebook. Then, I found a blog called 'Persuasion' by Sarah Joy with a page called 'Using Netvizz & Gephi to Analyze a Facebook Network' about how to easily make a social graph using only two softwares: Netvizz and Gephi.

    - Netvizz allowed you to quickly download (if you do not have that many friends) your facebook data from the website as a gdf file.
    - Gephi will let you visualize gdf file easily with many options to change your own graph.

    I will not go into detail of how exactly to do this because you can find it extensively at the page above that I mentioned. But I will tell you of what I found in my own social graph. It made me realize many friends that I used to keep in touch with and how those people are very far in connection with people that I am with now.

Social Graph for Me from Facebook Data

     Now, everyone can see all the connections that I have for my facebook friends (which are almost entire group of my friends since almost everyone has facebook these days). There are some cool features that I found fascinating on this graph that I would like to point out and many more that I cannot explain all.

1. There are 3 distinct groups on the graph (purple one, bright green one, and the rest) which are represented for all my Thai friends which are extremely connected, Asheville School where I went to high school for a year and my friends from University of Chicago. I found that the path that I walked once I was in Thailand is really common such that my friends from elementary school also connect with my high school friends. Everyone does the same thing.

2. There are couple peaks from the big cluster presenting friends that I do not know everyone in that circle, such as friends from Thai college (Chulalongkorn University) that I went there for only a week or friends from astro competition that I met just one week as well. These people are doors for me to find more people that I have not been a part with.

3. The University of Chicago's friends that I have (purple one) are not completely circle like the one from Asheville School because of the disconnection between people within the cluster. There are couple people who are bridging this gap, but they are not everyone so there are some signs left.

4. The biggest three name that I have is P'Boss +Paphon Kiatsakuldecha, N'Wee and N'Swiss simply because they are people who have are part of more than one big cluster in my graph. P'Boss especially connected to every big cluster that I have making him the biggest name on the graph and N'Wee and N'Swiss are Thai who went to Asheville School like me.

5. There are couple connection that I have not realized until I saw this graph. For example, one of my elementary school friends have a connection with one student at University of Chicago.

The biggest cluster in my graph (high school and middle school friends)

     I hope you found this graph and this blog helpful and inspired. Everyone can learn something new from their own social graph. You just have to make one. Feel free to share what new you learned from your graph or any comments below.

My first NBA game: The Bulls Game

Michael Jordan Statue in front of The Bulls Stadium

     When you talk about basketball, I always think of  The United States and NBA. Many of my friends back in Thailand followed basketball closely, but I am not one of them. I played basketball with my friends during high school for fun but I have never been good at it. I found this sport is pretty fun.

     My roommates and I went to a NBA game because of Joe's birthday. It was my first basketball game. Before we went to the stadium, we stopped by Michael Jordan statue. I believe that if someone has to name one person who played professional basketball, Michael Jordan can easily be their first one. He is the legend of The Bulls and NBA. Then, we went inside the stadium. This game is play-off for quarter final rounds, so the stadium is almost full with their capacity which is not small, around 20,000+ people. If I was raised with basketball when I was a kid, I might appreciate my chance to see this game more.

The Bulls was making a free throw

     The Bulls played against the Brooklyn Nets. We all thought that we might lose this game since we are 10 points behind the Nets when we have 3 mins left; however, Nate Robinson scored the most important goal to make us to the overtime. The atmosphere at the game was getting more exciting and powerful. Everyone in the stadium all cheered for the Bulls to win this game, but not until the third overtime that the bull beat the nets 142-134. We all went crazy at the end after winning the game.

Inside United Center Stadium, House of The Chicago Bulls, when we won the game

Geyser from Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Geyser: the first geyser in the park to receive a name

     Old Faithful Geyser is one of the biggest geyser in Yellowstone National Park, but the most fascinating about this geyser is how humans can predict with an accurate precision within 5 minutes. If you think about it, how can we predict when the water will be heated by magma underground is hot enough to erupt the next time. It is famous because of its high frequency within 90 mins. 

     Yellowstone National Park is one of the major geysers field in the world because it is located over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. Some people told me that the eruption of this volcano will cover almost the entire North American Continent with dust.

Castle Geyser: a cone-type geyser

      There are plenty geysers covering the whole area of Yellowstone National Park. However, it is almost impossible to see the eruptions of every geyser in the park within a week because each geyser has their own period for the eruption. We can lucky enough to see several of them erupting during our time there. Castle Geyser is one of them that we have to run back from our hotel to actually see the eruption.

     However, the most exciting geyser in my opinion for this trip was Beehive Geyser. We had to wait for just 10-15 mins for the eruption which is really good because the eruption happened only 10-15 hours. The eruption are nearly 200 feet (61 meters) high into the sky. It covered part of the sky once we looked up and some people got wet from the eruption. The eruption is just unbelievable high from a relatively small cone. It just gave me beyond my expectation about geysers even though I had seen several before seeing this one.

    Geyser is a fascinating geophysical effect from underground heat. It is one of the signs of active world underneath our feet. Another unbelievable feature from Yellowstone is a color hot spring, especially Grand Prismatic Spring.

Beehive Geyser: over 61 meter above my head

The largest mall in The United States: Mall of America

Me. In front of Mall of America

     I was standing in front of the largest mall in the United States. It was unbelievable enormous and I could not comprehend the purpose of this building. There was also a small amusement park inside the mall which, I think, is pretty cool and awesome.

     This building made me think about malls in Bangkok. There are many different malls and department stores which are usually really packed during the weekend. In my opinion, these malls represent the product of middle-class people who can afford to buy and eat at the mall. They were somewhat like a center of the city, but without much meaning. If you want to learn something new today, the mall should be the last place that came up to your mind since it was almost impossible to find. But if you want to find modernness,  convenience and comfortableness, malls are your friends.

     I did not say that I do not like malls since I sometimes missed the malls back in Bangkok. They were places for me to hang out with my friends after school, during weekend, during summer and during breaks. They might be the only place that I hang out with my friends. But I have learned that there are many more places in any towns that you can learn so much more than you are in the malls. If you want to eat something, do not head to the mall but rather street food right next to the mall. You might find something worth learning there.

I told you, there is an amusement park in this mall. How crazy is that!!

Green River, Chicago

Green River, Chicago

     Green River is one famous thing in Chicago that I have heard many times since I came to University of Chicago. It was stunting and unbelievable to see the whole section of river turned to green for celebrating Saint's Patrick Day. 

     I do not know much about Irish culture and their legacy, but this event made me realize that Irish was not just a small part of American culture. It is rather big and important as a group of immigrants who came to the United States. There are a lot more out there for us, a traveler, to learn from different places in the world. It only depends on whether you want to see or not.

Rowing or canoeing in this river at this time could be a great experience that you can hardly find somewhere else in the world.  

Bunker Hill, Boston, MA

Bunker Hill, Charlestown,  MA

     Boston is one of big cities that I have never really experienced until now. I have heard many good things about this city and looked forward to seeing it. Apart from many great restaurants and all great schools in Boston, one thing that I forget about this city is the American history lying behind this great city. Boston is the city where American Revolutionary War started and the United States was born here. There are so much more in this city that I have not had enough time to learn, so I wish I will have a chance to come back some time soon.

     Bunker Hill from the photo above is really similar to Washington Monument in Washington DC. I'm not quite sure which one is built first. The park ranger told us that the reason for the monument to be like this is because American did not win on this hill. They tried as hard as they could but without supplies and a good leader, they could not conquer the British troops. Not until George Washington came later and reorganized the whole military that American armies could win the war.

Sun set at Sears

On Top of Sear Tower

     Being on the top of the most tallest building in Chicago and the United States makes me realized how far I came from three years ago when I was just a senior high school in Thailand and ready to graduate. I remembered when I sat in my dormitory and looked up some college in the United States that I might want to go. I remembered that I did nto even dream to come this far: working in a astrophysics labs, taking classes from best professors, having lots of good and great friends, traveling around the US. I'm so excited to see what will happen next. I want to see what I will be able to do and accomplish while I'm in America and what I, as a person, will become once I finish my long journey away from home.
    Right now, just nnjoy the sun set on top of the Sear Tower  and appreciate what we have right now.
: D

Downtown Chicago from the Sky