Instant-Messagers Really Are About Six Degrees from Kevin Bacon

[eelixduppy]

The "small world theory," embodied in the old saw that there are just "six degrees of separation" between any two strangers on Earth, has been largely corroborated by a massive study of electronic communication.

With records of 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 million people from around the world, researchers have concluded that any two people on average are distanced by just 6.6 degrees of separation, meaning that they could be linked by a string of seven or fewer acquaintances.

[washingtonpost.com...]

I knew about the 6 degrees of separation theory, but what I liked about this article is the method of trying to "prove" this theory. Pretty neat stuff!

For those of you reading who don't know me personally, I can bet I know someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows you. ;)

[Staffa]

I can bet I know someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows you. ;)

I doubt it :o)

[D_Blackwell]

I'm not a math guy, but how hard can it be - especially if you focus on the target. Pyramid schemes and MLMs collapse regularly because they rely on X people recruiting X people who recruit X people. It takes shockingly few levels before there aren't enough people on the planet to keep it going.

"My Date with Drew" followed the path of a guy trying to meet Drew Barrymore and working his way through people who might get him closer to someone who knew someone who knew Drew, to someone who actually knew Drew, to someone could and would actually help make it happen. He got his date. (But she only does musicians.)