Six Degrees of Separation...

[amicus]

The Science Channel, it was shown first in February this year, dunno how I missed it, anyone?


Serendipitous in a way; earlier today I searched the web for a florist to deliver a bouquet to a certain city. The National Headquarters turned out to be the city where I lived before and five of my children were born in the hospital there.

Further, the very young sounding female who took my order was named Ashley and when I mentioned her name was the same as a character on West Wing, she knew the reference and answered: "Sometimes..." to my question, "Are you as mischievous as she was?"

Small world of six degree separation, ya think?

Amicus...

 

[slyc_willie]

Several days ago, the SO and I were talking about our new workout program, and I mentioned I was worried about my musculature becoming such that I'd "lose my neck," like a guy who used to work in my restaurant. Two nights ago, we wnet out to eat at a new restaurant, and who do you think was our server?

I graduated high school on an air force base in Germany, which closed down completely within a few years after we (my family) left for the states. I've never been great at keeping in touch with people across long distances, and soon lost touch with everyone. A few years later, while in holdover at Fort Knox awaiting to be assigned to a basic training platoon, one of my good high school friends was in the same barracks. Turns out we had enlisted on the same day, from different cities, and were subsequently sent to the same base.

Serendipity seems to be a fairly common occurrence in life.

 

[amicus]

I am going to assume, perhaps wrongly, that you have not seen the program I referenced and I am going to recommend that you do, if it is convenient, I suggest you will find it interesting.

It is a new science and a new mathematics of human networking that began with a trivia game based on the actor, Kevin Bacon. A student, 'with too much idle time', said the program, wanted to determine how the Hollywood actors related to each other in such a limited community.

The conclusion was that any given actor was only six steps from knowing every other actor in the community.

There was another aspect, 'synchronicity', that was curiously interesting also, that of 'fireflies' when they all light up at the same instant, schools of fish that act as one and crickets that all chirp at the same time.

I know personally the feeling you describe, however; I refer to it as a 'small world', when it happens to me and it has, often, before.

Regards again and give that lil rugrat a hug...

Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

I am going to assume, perhaps wrongly, that you have not seen the program I referenced and I am going to recommend that you do, if it is convenient, I suggest you will find it interesting.

It is a new science and a new mathematics of human networking that began with a trivia game based on the actor, Kevin Bacon. A student, 'with too much idle time', said the program, wanted to determine how the Hollywood actors related to each other in such a limited community.

The conclusion was that any given actor was only six steps from knowing every other actor in the community.

There was another aspect, 'synchronicity', that was curiously interesting also, that of 'fireflies' when they all light up at the same instant, schools of fish that act as one and crickets that all chirp at the same time.

I know personally the feeling you describe, however; I refer to it as a 'small world', when it happens to me and it has, often, before.

Regards again and give that lil rugrat a hug...

Ami

Sorry, Ami. I thought you were just ruminating.

I've played the game in the past, although I think if a new version was made now, it would have to be entitled "Six Degrees of Samuel L. Jackson."

I'll look for the show. At present, however, the cable is out. Happens around here from time to time.

 

[Vermilion]

They actually showed something similar on the Beeb the other day. They were using the equations of it to predict how STDs, or even a virulent 'flu strain, would spread across the world from person to person. It was fascinating, discussing the use of 'hubs' -- central people who knew/had contact with massive amounts of people and were key to spreading such things.

Wonder if it was the same programme?
x
V

 

[amicus]

Yep, Vermillion, same program, the 'hub' and 'virus' things were in the second hour of it. It seems the otherwise, 'random chaos', of everything, down to cellular levels, follows this same networking equation. They made some interesting quasi predictions about cures for breast cancer and cancer in general, by targeting cells as to those who naturally networked and those who do not.

Most interesting program I thought.

Amicus