A study made by the Microsoft researchers based on the IM`s messages sent through Microsoft Messenger seem to confirm the theory of the "six degrees of separation" between any 2 people from the planet. Or, more precisely 6,6 degrees of separation.The theory of the six degrees of separation says that any 2 persons from Earth can be connected through 6 intermediate bonds based on the idea that "i have a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend...". The theory was conceived by an American Academician, Stanley Milgram, who made an experiment in the `60`s by sending letters to people he knew and the arrived at the conclusion that the medium number of connections between any 2 unknown persons is 6,2.
The later experiments, including the analyzing of the original`s study reasults, didn`t confirm anymore this theory, which remained somewhere at the urban mit level, becoming popular in the theatre play of Six Degrees of Separation, in the movie with the same title from 1993 and in the Six Degrees game of Kevin Bacon.
A group of researchers from Microsoft seem to confirm now this theory, found on larger and more precisely amount of data , meaning all the 30 milliards of messages sent through Microsoft Messenger between all its 180 millions of users during a single month of the year 2006.
The researchers were themselves surprized by the resalut, which showed that in average, the distance between 2 Messenger`s users is 6,6. The study considered that between 2 users existed a connection since they sent al least one message one to another. The reaults show that 78% of the users can be connected through maximum 7 connections, the maximum number of connections is of 29 persons.
From my point of view this is just another proof for me that we live in a small world.
What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment