Six Degrees of Separation: The Early Mathematical Theories

When the old Disney song "It's a Small World" starts playing--don't necessarily think that it represents a hopeful idea that's just a pipe dream to this day. And, yeah, you--the one who feels as if you're a speck of dust in the vast world of important people--you may feel a little more inspired once you learn just how close you may be to some notable person who has a Nobel Peace Prize on their mantle or who's a great mover and shaker. According to mathematical theories conducted throughout the 20^th century by writers, scientists and sociologists, we could be even less than six degrees of separation from any person in the world. That means that famous Kevin Bacon game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" may bring even more actors into Bacon's sixth degree fold. Those same actors (and every living soul on the planet) may be only one or two steps away from you, too, along with a lot of people you probably want to relegate to the 10,000 degrees of removal theory.

History is always interesting when examining who came up with concepts such as this before they became studied to the core in universities. It's said that a Hungarian writer by the name of Frigyes Karinthy first dreamed up a scenario of connecting people around the world through a sense of networking. And this was all delineated in a short story of his, mind you. His design behind this idea was based more on who knew who, who knew who, etc. Of course, this was the only way anybody living 10,000 miles apart could be connected then (this was 1929)--even though he hinted at the psychological aspects behind it and how it can make a person who felt insignificant due to an unfair economic status or other hierarchical class feel a lot better. Whether it did or not to Americans suffering through the Great Depression not long after was never known. Karinthy's works were and are virtually unknown here in America--unless you were or are a fiction historian.