I heard this recently and would love to have it clarified.
2006-08-08 01:33:26 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Its an old idea...I will have a go at answering it..
Everyone relates to everyone else through six people...example:
Start with Someone in Texas: 1 SEPERATION WHO YOU DON'T KNOW
they know someone in London (who you don't know), 2 SEPERATIONS who knows someone in Brazil, 3 SPERATIONS
That persons mother might know someone in California
4 SEPERATIONS
That person has a grandmother 5 seperations
that knows your grandmother 6 SEPERATIONS
Your Grandmother knows you...I think that is right....
Its' that kind of thing anyway....all fairly loose assertions...but if you think about how Viral emails and things like yahoo answers work and spread around the world very quickly...it is like that really!
2006-08-08 01:41:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is basically that through a chain of only six people, you can be connected to anyone in the world! Of course you have to choose the right six people, so knowing people who travel or mix in different cirlces than your own is essential.
I don't remember the details but it's a fairly old idea (college research maybe) that was revisited recently. The new study said that the original was flawed in looking at middle to upper class folks, those with more opportunity to add more links.
In today's day and age, one could say that through the internet we are more linked. But when you look at some of the oppressed, you wonder how much opportunity they've been given to move outside of their normal circle (see Afghans under Taliban rule or people in Darfur).
It is interesting to think about though.
Also, it has taken on two other significant variations. One being that you look at the sex lives of people and see where their chain takes them. I think this is interesting for two reasons. One, to see if you have by extension hooked up with a celebrity and two, to show how promiscuity and the spread of STD's can happen.
The other variation and much more popular one, of course, is Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. In this game, you connect Kevin Bacon to any other actor/director by using a chain of movies instead of people. Loads of fun!
2006-08-08 10:15:18 · answer #2 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are no more six people away from knowing anyone, although some connections are closer than that.
I will illustrate in that I can be connected to Bill Clinton.
I have met Whoopie Goldberg (backstage at a Sting concert), Whoopie has met Clinton.
It may take some work, but I could know a tribal member of the Amazon rain forest through this I know him, he knows her, she know that guy.
2006-08-08 08:40:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
like I'm related to Hitler by 2 degrees. My mom's uncle was an SS Soldier (one of Hitlers men). Therefore I'm related to Hitler by 2 degrees. Degrees are like people. The 2 people that seperate me from hitler are my mom and her uncle.
2006-08-08 08:40:07 · answer #4 · answered by Al_Hattal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Supposedly, everyone on the plant knows everyone else through mutual aquaintances.
If you know this person (one degree) and they know so-and-so (2nd degree) and they know what's-his-name (third degree) and you get the picture.
2006-08-08 08:42:12 · answer #5 · answered by Jennifer W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means we live in a small world
2006-08-08 09:48:46 · answer #6 · answered by wonders never cease 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fastinating question... i look forward to checking back ...
2006-08-08 08:42:03 · answer #7 · answered by Sereny 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋