Niall Ferguson's book "The Square and the Tower" explores the evolution of networks and power dynamics from historical contexts, such as the Freemasons, to modern platforms like Facebook. Ferguson examines how networks influence society and the implications of these connections on power structures.

The quote, "we shall quickly find ourselves about as important to the algorithms as animals currently are to us," suggests that as technology advances, human beings may become merely data points within algorithms, much like animals in various ecosystems. This points to a future where human significance could diminish in the face of powerful algorithms and advanced technology.