Comments on: Six Degees of Separation http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Carol Blair http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-3#comment-630527 Carol Blair Fri, 29 May 2009 11:37:17 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-630527 what about networking, six degrees at the cellular level? Does it offer the opportunity of prediction? what about networking, six degrees at the cellular level? Does it offer the opportunity of prediction?

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-2#comment-629849 David Bradley Tue, 05 May 2009 14:39:55 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-629849 BBC is running a "news" story at the moment to tie swine flu and six degrees of separation to its new show - Six Degrees of Separation - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8029774.stm BBC is running a “news” story at the moment to tie swine flu and six degrees of separation to its new show – Six Degrees of Separation – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8029774.stm

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-2#comment-590972 David Bradley Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:23:48 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-590972 There's one guy isn't there who already does that with his life...keeps everything...maybe he's at IBM, I cannot remember his name. Thanks for the link though, nice predictions... There’s one guy isn’t there who already does that with his life…keeps everything…maybe he’s at IBM, I cannot remember his name. Thanks for the link though, nice predictions…

]]> By: OutsideMyBrain http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-2#comment-590962 OutsideMyBrain Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:50:32 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-590962 Regarding our earlier discussion here, on whether our brains can handle connecting with more than 150 people at a time. I was saying that soon technology will be able to help us with these types of tasks and others. Well, it may be sooner than we think. IBM is creating an audio/video image device that stores everything we see and here and downloads it to the computer when it can be categorized, bookmarked, replayed, etc. Check out the article: http://www.physorg.com/news146852022.html Hard to imagine, but certainly possible! Take care, Bradley (@OutsideMyBrain) Regarding our earlier discussion here, on whether our brains can handle connecting with more than 150 people at a time. I was saying that soon technology will be able to help us with these types of tasks and others. Well, it may be sooner than we think.

IBM is creating an audio/video image device that stores everything we see and here and downloads it to the computer when it can be categorized, bookmarked, replayed, etc.

Check out the article:
http://www.physorg.com/news146852022.html

Hard to imagine, but certainly possible!

Take care,
Bradley (@OutsideMyBrain)

]]> By: Russell Tripp http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-2#comment-590108 Russell Tripp Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:59:14 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-590108 I didn't find my copy of his book, but searching for a quote from it online, I did come across this interesting post from http://141.104.22.210/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/lessons/stat/sixdeg.html "In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram devised a new way to test the theory, which he called "the small-world problem." He randomly selected people in the mid-West to send packages to a stranger located in Massachusetts. The senders knew the recipient's name, occupation, and general location. They were instructed to send the package to a person they knew on a first-name basis who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on, until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient. Although the participants expected the chain to include at least a hundred intermediaries, Milgram found that the number of intermediaries to get each package delivered ranged from two to ten, with five being the most common number. Milgram's findings were published in Psychology Today and inspired the phrase "six degrees of separation." This helps to explain how confidential information, rumors, and jokes travel so rapidly through a population. How many times have you been sent the same e-mail???" @avfguy I didn’t find my copy of his book, but searching for a quote from it online, I did come across this interesting post from http://141.104.22.210/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/lessons/stat/sixdeg.html

“In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram devised a new way to test the theory, which he called “the small-world problem.” He randomly selected people in the mid-West to send packages to a stranger located in Massachusetts. The senders knew the recipient’s name, occupation, and general location. They were instructed to send the package to a person they knew on a first-name basis who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on, until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient.
Although the participants expected the chain to include at least a hundred intermediaries, Milgram found that the number of intermediaries to get each package delivered ranged from two to ten, with five being the most common number. Milgram’s findings were published in Psychology Today and inspired the phrase “six degrees of separation.” This helps to explain how confidential information, rumors, and jokes travel so rapidly through a population. How many times have you been sent the same e-mail???”

@avfguy

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-2#comment-590105 David Bradley Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:44:33 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-590105 Do report back...be interested to read about you find. Do report back…be interested to read about you find.

]]> By: Russell Tripp http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-1#comment-590044 Russell Tripp Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:08:49 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-590044 I'll have to dig out my copy of Innumeracy - Paulos explains this phenomenon pretty well in that book if I remember correctly. I’ll have to dig out my copy of Innumeracy – Paulos explains this phenomenon pretty well in that book if I remember correctly.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-1#comment-589927 David Bradley Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:50:36 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-589927 @Bradley It is curious isn't it...that we all have sooooo many virtual friends these days, but our brains may really only be able to cope with the numbers one would have in a small, small village. As to the Kevin Bacon game, here's a little secret those who tout it don't tend to reveal: it works for almost any Hollywood actor. @Bradley It is curious isn’t it…that we all have sooooo many virtual friends these days, but our brains may really only be able to cope with the numbers one would have in a small, small village. As to the Kevin Bacon game, here’s a little secret those who tout it don’t tend to reveal: it works for almost any Hollywood actor.

]]> By: OutsideMyBrain http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-1#comment-589912 OutsideMyBrain Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:30:34 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-589912 David, I just met you through @jimconnolly. You bring up an interesting point about how many people we can actually connect with, with that limit being around 150. Hmmm... that blows out most people on Twitter then. LOL However, perhaps in the future, there will be some sort of software that enables us to better connect with a larger number of people. Twitter certainly seems to helping to push that number a little higher. Like you said, interesting concept regardless of the actual numbers, because it all works on the law of averages anyway. Kevin Bacon may only be seperated from you by 2 or 3 degrees, granted you choose the correct 1st degree. Hence the platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Linked in create those paths for us allowing us, if we choose, to persue relationships with people who are a friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend. Thanks for the food for thought! Bradley @OutsideMyBrain David,

I just met you through @jimconnolly. You bring up an interesting point about how many people we can actually connect with, with that limit being around 150. Hmmm… that blows out most people on Twitter then. LOL

However, perhaps in the future, there will be some sort of software that enables us to better connect with a larger number of people. Twitter certainly seems to helping to push that number a little higher.

Like you said, interesting concept regardless of the actual numbers, because it all works on the law of averages anyway. Kevin Bacon may only be seperated from you by 2 or 3 degrees, granted you choose the correct 1st degree. Hence the platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Linked in create those paths for us allowing us, if we choose, to persue relationships with people who are a friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend.

Thanks for the food for thought!

Bradley
@OutsideMyBrain

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html/comment-page-1#comment-552396 David Bradley Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:32:26 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/six-degees-of-separation.html#comment-552396 Jack, the whole idea of us being connected by however many degrees of separation, 5, 6, 7, is a purely hypothetical construct. It is not entirely verifiable but a statistical average. The bigger the number though, the more chance of more people being connected via that number of other people. The WSJ blog has this to say about it: http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/were-far-removed-from-proof-of-six-degrees-theory-391/ As to just how special is Kevin Bacon, an aspect of that actor's position in the network of movies is that it is not very different from any other prolific actor. The game would work just as well for Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Dustin Hoffman or many others. In fact, there is the possibility that one could find a "hub" individual with 5 degrees. Fascinating idea regardless of how the numbers add up. Jack, the whole idea of us being connected by however many degrees of separation, 5, 6, 7, is a purely hypothetical construct. It is not entirely verifiable but a statistical average. The bigger the number though, the more chance of more people being connected via that number of other people.

The WSJ blog has this to say about it:

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/were-far-removed-from-proof-of-six-degrees-theory-391/

As to just how special is Kevin Bacon, an aspect of that actor’s position in the network of movies is that it is not very different from any other prolific actor. The game would work just as well for Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Dustin Hoffman or many others. In fact, there is the possibility that one could find a “hub” individual with 5 degrees.

Fascinating idea regardless of how the numbers add up.

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