Skip main navigation

Social networks in conflict

Neil Johnson describes the dynamics of protests and explains how data from Facebook can be used to anticipate protest activity.

How do protests evolve? Can we anticipate a burst of protests?

In this talk, Neil describes the dynamics of protests, and explains in more detail how data from Facebook can be used to anticipate protest activity.

Neil Johnson directs the Complex Systems Initiative at the University of Miami, Florida, where he is also Professor of Physics. He is the author of two books and a previous presenter of the Royal Institution lectures for the BBC.

You can watch the whole of Neil’s presentation “The Dark Side: Dynamics of Clandestine Social Networks” on YouTube (33:27).

This article is from the free online

Big Data: Measuring And Predicting Human Behaviour

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now