I KNOW KEVIN BACON!

Can you find a connection between you and someone famous? Rumor has it that you can connect yourself to anyone by six degrees of separation if you really think about it. How valid is this? Well, according to Duncan Watts, its more of a coincidence than reality. Common people have common circles and therefore you can tie yourself to someone else by some vague connection and shared friend.
I thought the chapter The Connected Age from Duncan Watts' book Six Degrees was really interesting. I was surprised to find out that studies have been done on the Kevin Bacon game (well not the ACTUAL game but the idea the game is based on). I didn't know someone could test an idea like that. The test to tie yourself to the stockbroker in Boston from Omaha seemed ridiculous, but intriguing nonetheless.
The advent of the Internet has taken this idea to a whole new level. In a day when we can connect ourselves to strangers from across the country just by sitting down in a chat room throws a wrench into the whole six degrees of separation idea. But that will take us back to discussion from a few weeks ago: How reliable are these connections? There is no way to determine the answer. Just think about the websites we have all made. They can be blatantly fictitious, like Erin's, or they can seem true until the author tells you otherwise, like Andy's.
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On a completely "unconnected-to-the-reading" note, Gregg Doyel (mentioned in my previous post) has apologized to the state of Wisconsin. This is a miracle of God from the cocky sports writer. We Wisconsinites are a defensive bunch; Doyel was invited by numerous people (including yours truly) to visit UW for a complementary elbow dislocation, followed by a chuckle. While my personal comment wasn't posted by Mr. Doyel, many forms of it from others were. We are feisty. On Wisconsin!