6 Degrees of Separation Down to 4.74, thanks to Facebook

fabvini · Nov 23, 2011

The oft-cited "six degrees of separation" between individuals hasâ€”at least for the 721 million users of Facebookâ€”narrowed to 4.74, researchers say. That's the average number of acquaintances that separate any two random Facebook acquaintances, according to a study that used algorithms to analyze the links between users, the New York Times reports. The study, which involved scientists from Facebook and the University of Milan, found that within a country, that number shrank to just three degrees apart.

"When considering even the most distant Facebook user in the Siberian tundra or the Peruvian rainforest, a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend," Facebook's official blog says. But some links are a lot stronger than others, notes a computer science professor who advised the researchers. "We are close, in a sense, to people who donâ€™t necessarily like us, sympathize with us, or have anything in common with us,â€ he says. â€œItâ€™s the weak ties that make the world small."
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http://www.newser.com/story/133832/6-degrees-of-separation-down-to-474.html

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6 Degrees of Separation Down to 4.74, thanks to Facebook

fabvini Well-Known Member

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6 Degrees of Separation Down to 4.74, thanks to Facebook

fabvini Well-Known Member

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