This may not be exactly relevant, but the diagram here reminds me of 
> the "map of science collaboration" 
> described here:
> 
> http://wbpaley.com/brad/
> 
> There was another rather more attractive diagram of a similar nature, 
> but I seem to have lost the link. But a Google search turns up one!:
> A map of science
> 
> http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/mapofscience/
> 
> The brain map also has resemblance to diagrams of 
> the tree of evolution of life:
> 
> http://tolweb.org/tree/
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TreeActinobacteria.svg
> 
> Though of course the visual resemblance doesn't necessarily 
> imply anything more profound than a similar graphic method.-Human social interactions are typically modeled in such diagrams--these similarities don't strike me as odd at all. Thanks for those links , they were all smashing reads!