My Two-Cents: Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
You have probably heard before we live in a small world. But how small, Actually? What if I told you that you're always within Six Degrees of Separation from anyone in the world. And that Kevin Bacon is the center of the Universe.
Storytime! Someone told me about the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game and I have been geeking out over it since Wednesday. I’m maybe a little too enthralled. It all started in January of 1994 when Kevin Bacon claimed during an interview that "he had worked with everyone in Hollywood or someone who's worked with them." A couple college students then had a field day with this – combining his comment, along with the presumption that Bacon was the center of the universe, and the Six Degrees of separation theory to form what is now known as The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, or Bacon's Law. You can even look up anyone's "Bacon number" on Google now. The Oracle of Bacon is an official website. He even started a charity based on how popular the game got -- what a guy!
So how does the game really work? Anyone in Hollywood can be connected to Kevin Bacon in less than 5 steps. Bacon himself is ground zero. If you’ve been in a movie with him, you are one degree from Bacon. If you’ve been in a movie with someone who's been in a movie with Bacon, you are two degrees from Bacon. This theory builds on the idea that we are always within six degrees of anyone on the planet at all times – which has been mathematically proven. The idea is that you probably know someone who knows a lot of people, who knows someone who knows a lot of people, and down the rabbit hole goes. We’re all a lot more connected than we think. You could even draw yourself and all your friends into the Bacon-Game if you're a loser with too much time like me. I am three degrees from Bacon, in case anyone was wondering. Last night my roommates and I all deep-dived into our Bacon numbers – which were all under five. I know someone who knows someone who was in a movie with Bacon – so Bacon and I are fucking tight, okay?
If we’re all more connected than we think, maybe the things we say and do actually do matter. Ugh, damn it. I hate to think about the consequences of my actions. I'm just hoping no one will probably (HOPEFULLY, for Christ's Sake) remember all the stupid little things I've done to embarrass myself, but maybe people will remember the times I was kind or thoughtful. From my own personal experience, I don't really remember when other people did stupid things because I'm too concerned with all the times I've done embarrassing things. But there have been times that I have remembered something wise or kind someone around me has said or done. Hopefully, I’ve taken that piece of advice, chewed on it, and exhibited its significance in a way that has affected someone else. If the things we do have Bacon numbers, then being kind has not one, but six degrees of effectiveness.
I linked the Bacon number calculator below.
Reminder that my Bacon number is #3, so I’m probably better than you!
Kate
