A 2013 screenshot of a Twitter-based searchable real-time so-called “social heat map”, a type of social heat gauge, found at Boston.com, according to which the social networks that glow red with activity indicate venues having the greatest activity in the given time period. [5] |
“In the inorganic world, every act of combination is an act of motion. So it is in the social one. If it is true that there is but one system of laws for the government of all matter, then those which govern the movements of the various inorganic bodies should be the same with those by which is regulated the motion of society; and that such is the case can readily be shown.”
“To motion there must be heat, and the greater the latter, the more rapid will be the former.”
“In the physical universe, heat is engendered by friction. Consequently the case must be the same in the social world. The ‘particles’ must rub together here, as they do there. The rubbing of the human molecules, which produces warmth, light and forward movement, is the interchange of goods, services, and ideas.”
“In the material world, motion among atoms of matter is a consequence of physical heat. In the moral world, motion is a consequence of social heat—motion, consisting in an ‘exchange of relations’ resulting from the existence of those differences that develop social life. Motion is greatest in those communities in which agriculture, manufactures, and commerce are happily combined. That such is the fact will be obvious to all who see how rapid is the spread of ideas in those countries in which agriculture, manufactures, and commerce are combined, compared with that observed in those which are purely agricultural. In the one there is great heat and corresponding motion, and the more motion, the greater is the force. In the other there is little heat, but little motion, and very little force.”
“Second, major concepts of thermodynamics—temperature, heat, mass, pressure, entropy, free energy, and heat capacity—must have correspondingly defined social thermodynamics conceptions. These are social temperature, social heat, social mass, social pressure, etc. These latter concepts must carry their original (thermodynamic) meaning as well as reflecting the unique characteristics of social phenomena.”
“Adapting thermodynamic ideas to the study of culture is limited by a very simple fact: nobody has yet figured out what might be the cultural equivalent of heat or energy … nobody has yet found the ‘heat’ or the ‘energy’ in cultural matters … the concepts of ‘cultural temperature’ (see: social temperature) to refine our understanding of ‘cultural heat’ have not yet appeared. This is one of the most pressing problems for the next generation of anthropologists, and the difficulties are profound.”(add discussion)
See main: Human thermodynamic instrumentThe following is 2013 summary of a Twitter-based searchable real-time so-called “social heat map” found at Boston.com: [5]
“The Social Heat Map builds a database of more than 250,000 venues, 500,000 restaurants and 1.4 million event listings. The social heat map then mines Twitter and other social media outlets for information about the venues, restaurants and listings and plots them on a map. A visualization layer is applied that shows the most active areas within the defined area. The venues that show the greatest activity in the social networks glow red with activity. You can search by keyword to see activity, click on an area for a sample of the tweets during that time period, filter by various categories, and click on a venue for event information. Social map is powered by Eviesays.”