CLMN | Eindhoven and the six degrees of separation (or maybe less)
Let me tell you a story about acquaintances, short chains and travelling postcards. Once upon a time, before the Facebook era, a bearded social psychologist called Stanley Milgram claimed that everyone is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world. In other words, a chain of ‘a friend of a friend’ statements is the only thing you need to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. Six degrees of separation, also called the ‘small-world phenomenon’. Have you ever heard of it?
Now, I want to be the first in the world (wow!) to prove that the six-degrees-of-separation theory perfectly applies to ESWP, aka the ‘Eindhoven Small World Phenomenon’. How? With the help of some randomly selected TU/e students, a challenging game, and a few rules to be followed rigidly.
Below you’ll find the ‘experimental design’.
First of all you, reader, start looking all around TU/e campus. I left special postcards everywhere that are waiting to be collected.
Should you find one, don’t be shy: pick it up. See that beautiful face in the bottom left corner? Well, that’s me. Compliments are highly appreciated, thanks. Anyway, back to the research project.
Have you ever seen my (awesome) face before?
If so, return the postcard to me, and we’ll celebrate the successful conclusion of the experiment together.
In the more likely case you don’t recognize my face at all - I’m not that popular, even though I’m working on it - leave your mark by printing out your picture and sticking it on the postcard (follow the arrows and choose the first available spot).
Think of a friend you know who is more likely to know me. Leave them the card and hope the next connection will be the lucky one closing the chain!
Research question: will the card eventually reach me in fewer than 6 steps?
I bet it will, but you don’t believe me, do you? So let the game begin.
For results and data analysis, stay tuned for my next column!
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