# Prof. Sinan Aral & Dylan Walker's new method of measuring influence on social networks is featured

1 Faculty News June 21, 2012 ![](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/con_036654.gif?itok=fGJhYGfT)>

Excerpt from [New Scientist](http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21961-facebook-study-reveals-what-makes-someone-a-leader.html) -- "Random selection of who gets the message allowed the researchers to avoid common pitfalls in measuring influence, such as homophily bias – the principle that we tend to make friends with people like ourselves. 'If two friends adopt a product one after the other, current methods have a hard time distinguishing whether it is because of peer influence, or rather that the friends simply have similar preferences,' explains [Aral](http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/sinan-aral)."

[Read more](http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21961-facebook-study-reveals-what-makes-someone-a-leader.html)

Additional coverage appeared in [Tech Crunch](http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/21/science-social-contagion-klout/).