Bacon’s Number
https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/08/tech/web/kevin-bacon-six-degrees-sxsw/index.html
The idea of “six degrees of separation” is one of amazement and skepticism. Also known as the “small world phenomenon,” this theory states that every one person can be connected to another person on average through 6 edges (links) or less. Stanley Milgram even proved in one of his experiments that the mean number of edges any one person is from one another is on average 6, when he had a group of participants transmit a letter to someone via the means of others. When a few classmates at Albright College were watching television movies one day, they were all baffled at how Kevin Bacon appeared in all 3 movies they watched in that one day. After that idea, the Bacon Number was born, stating that most celebrities are connected to Kevin Bacon through 6 edges or less. Although Bacon initially felt that the premise was a “giant joke at [his] expense,” he eased into it and eventually created SixDegrees.org which helps fundraise money for people in need. On, The Oracle of Bacon, which is a website that lets you see the “Bacon number” of each actor or actress, it was hard for me to find a celebrity with a Bacon number of more than 2. Even Shaquille O’ Neal has a Bacon number of 2. Shaq was in the Kid and Iwith Jamie Lee Curtis who appeared with Kevin Bacon in Queens Logic.
There is most likely one giant component of the majority of actors and actresses, considering most of them are somehow connected to Kevin Bacon. This also shows the notion of weak ties and the theory behind acquaintances more apt at getting you a job than a strong close friendship. If someone who worked in a movie with Kevin Bacon has a friend with no other mutual friends, the local bridge established could possibly allow that mutual friend to get a connection with Kevin Bacon.
Felicia Day, a renowned actress, said that this idea was the notion behind social media even before social media was a well-known trend. Social media, Facebook especially, allows you to see who is connected to whom. Someone you were best friends with in High School could know the waitress who works at your local diner, for example. The Strong Triadic Principle can actually relate here. Say Kevin Bacon is Node A and he worked with an actress, Node B. On the other hand, Node A also worked with an actor, Node C, whom Node B has never met or worked with. Since Node A has worked with both and has edges to both, Nodes B and C are more likely to know each other. If Node A had strong relationships with Node B and Node C, theoretically both Nodes B and C would have to be linked in either a weak or strong from to satisfy the Principle.