You are only five to seven emails away from contacting anyone in the world. That's exactly how far you were away from that same person when email didn't exist and the Post Office was in charge of delivering all our written communications. That, at least, is the conclusion a researcher at Cornell University has come to after a massive experiment involving 60,000 people from 166 countries. I'm sure I'm less than 6 people (the average) away from the Queen of England, but what would happen if I wanted to contact a tribesman in the Kalahari desert?
I'm not sure if it is related, but you can join an experiment that is proving the same point.
Posted by Joe at August 8, 2003 08:34 PMCan't comment about e-mail, but I'm one degree from at least two US presidents (former life as a Washington journalist), three degrees from Japanese model and major babe Naoko Iijima and four degrees from Wim Wenders.
I'm feeling pretty well-connected today.
Posted by: DJ at August 10, 2003 05:27 PMIs one of your U.S. presidents Bill Clinton? I want to interview him sometime in the near future and one degree is usually close enough to get that all important first step through the door. ;+)
Posted by: Joe at August 10, 2003 08:59 PMOh! I'm impressed with your Wim Wenders connection. Reveal all.
Posted by: Joe at August 10, 2003 09:00 PMSorry not him. But you can probably contact him through his presidential library.
Posted by: DJ at August 11, 2003 10:47 AMWim. Well, in the movie 'Wings of Desire' he employs a band called 'Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.' At the Yomiuri, I worked with the cousin of the songwriter for the Bad Seeds.
'I don't want to tell you about a girl. I don't want to tell you about a girl. "I wanna tell you 'bout a girl!"'
Posted by: DJ at August 11, 2003 10:51 AM