(科技)「六度分隔理論」可能需要重算

1967年有位美國的心理學家斯坦利米爾格拉姆，同自願者作了一項調查和其他研究，讓他發表了有名的理論：每個人都可以經由六個人來跟世界上的某人有關。意思是指，你認識某人，某人認識某人，某人又認識另一人等，另一人則認識遠在世界另一邊的人，這人你無法想像此生會認識他。這就是「六度分隔理論」的概念，將你和世界上的每個人連繫在一起。

但是現在，一些新的研究讓這個數目變得更小。一項調查Facebook使用者的研究實際上顯示，這個數目接近4(精確來說是4.74度)。由於Facebook創造出人們的電子網絡，研究人員可以使用算式求出人們是如何和世界相連的。當然現在這只適用於Facebook用戶。但是透過網路和真實世界的擴展，顯示出我們彼此的關係比想像的還要緊密。所以記住，下次當你搭地鐵或在路上遇到某人，你可能比你認為的還要了解他們。

(Technology) Six Degrees of Separation May Need To Be Recalculated

In 1967, an American psychologist named Stanley Milgram did a study where he worked with volunteers and performed other research that led him to the famous claim that every person can be connected to anyone else in the world through 6 people. Meaning that, you know someone, who knows someone else, who knows someone else, etc. who knows a person far away, on the other side of the world, that you never imagine you could know in your lifetime. This led to the idea of six degrees of separation which connects you to everybody on Earth.

But now, some new research makes those numbers even smaller. A study using Facebook users actually showed that the number is actually closer to 4 (4.74 degrees, to be exact). Because Facebook creates an electronic web network of people, researchers were able to use algorithms to find out how people are really connected in the world. Now, of course, this applies only to Facebook users. But even branching out through the internet and into the real world shows that we are all more connected to each other than we think. So, remember that the next time youe on the subway, or bump into someone walking on the street, you may know them better than you think you do.

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