The Remarkable Properties of Mythological Social Networks The social network between characters in Homer's Odyssey is remarkably similar to real social networks today. That suggests the story is based, at least in part, on real events, say researchers. Ten years ago, few people would have heard of a social network. Today, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn permeate our lives. They show us how we are linked to each other and how we are more broadly placed within society. What fascinates scientists is that the general properties of social networks seem to be invariant regardless of where they crop up. For example, one of the remarkable properties of social networks is their small world character. This means it is possible to go from one part of a network to any other part in a small number of steps (this is where the phrase 6 degrees of separation comes from). [...] continua qui: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/516081/the-remarkable-properties-of-myt...