Mike Caulfield assembled this sequence of simulations to illustrate how ideas spread through a federation. This is the fifth part of a larger presentation, Federated Education: New Directions in Digital Collaboration. webpage 
2-4 minutes each, 9 minutes total, playlist
One: Capture and Linking
YOUTUBE 6GbGBUugz_w Arthur C. Clarke writes down his idea for a GPS system, and links it to his thinking about geostationary satellites.
Two: Routing and Spread
YOUTUBE pnE7arrlj0o Maria sees Clarke's idea and forks it to her site as an interesting discovery, which puts it out on her Recent Changes feed.
Three: Extension and Adaptation
YOUTUBE _oDR0tH1JZM Expert finds Clarke's idea, corrects and expands it. Clarke forks back and extends.
Comments
I love the storytelling here. There are many small touches one might not notice on first viewing. I especially like the inclusion of character specific backgrounds for each author's site.