Six Degrees of Separation: How far apart are two strangers? - Psychology - Psychology Express

Are you friends with Bill Gates, Bush, or Saddam? It seems rather unlikely. Or pick any random person; if you want to get in touch with them, what should you do? You can do this: find a friend or family member who is most likely to have a connection with that person and relay a greeting to them. Then they do the same and find their next friend or family member. So, how many such intermediaries are needed to reach that person? The answer to this question might be a bit surprising: whether it's the richest billionaire, a reader of Psytopic, or any ordinary person on Earth, it usually takes only about six steps.