Forum: base
Page 12801
Subject: OT -- Six Degrees of (mmmmm) Bacon

  Posted by: James K Polk - [4455731] Fri, May 17, 2002, 14:55
Surely everyone's heard of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. Check out this site. It's been around for a few years, but I've just rediscovered it, and how oddly fascinating it is. (Work? What work?) Pick any actor/actress, and it will calculate that person's Bacon number.

There are also several variants here, like the Link Any Actors game, and tons of useless trivia, like Centers of the Hollywood Universe.

Kevin Bacon is not the best center of the universe, as it turns out. The average number of actor links it takes to get to him is 2.917, putting him 1,161st on the list. Sean Connery, for example, is better; he has an average link number of 2.682, good enough for 12th on the list.

Trivia question time: Without looking, who do you think is No. 1 on the list? I'll award points for Top 10 answers as well.
 
1Matt S
      Donor
      ID: 47115618
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 14:59 		Pamela Anderson?

I know she was #1 a couple of years ago...
 
2Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:00 		Michael Cain?
 
3James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:01 		#1 on "most downloaded" list, perhaps :)

but nope, she doesn't even register on the top 1000
 
4biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:02 		I was thinking Cain as well.
 
5James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:02 		Michael Caine an excellent guess! He's No. 13, though. Nopointsforthehall.
 
6Matt S
      Donor
      ID: 47115618
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:02 		Hmmm, Al Pacino?
 
7James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:03 		Pacino -- #405.
 
8Matt S
      Donor
      ID: 47115618
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:06 		Ok, so I'm not very good at this :) Patrick Swayze?
 
9James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:08 		LOL! Nope, Patrick "She's Like The Wind" Swayze didn't make the top 1000. "Next Of Kin" was some fine work, though.
 
10ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:08 		How about Paul Newman...
 
11James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:09 		Newman clocks in at #81.
 
12biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:11 		Harrison Ford.
 
13TimmyBogar
      ID: 444321710
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:11 		How about Gene Hackman, he's in everything
 
14biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:12 		Nah - Ford wasn't that prolific. How about Jack Nicholson?
 
15Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:14 		I was thinking about Gene Hackman. I bet it's an old-timer. James Cagney?
 
16beastiemiked
      ID: 17414316
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:14 		James Earl Jones first came to my head.....
 
17James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:14 		Harrison Ford #84.
Jack Nicholson #119.
 
18Matt S
      Donor
      ID: 47115618
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:14 		How about Rip Torn? That guy has been in every movie since 1965!
 
19James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:14 		Gene Hackman #10!!!

1 point for Timmy Bogar!
 
20ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:15 		How about Robert DeNiro....
 
21James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:15 		James Cagney not on list.
James Earl Jones #40.
Rip Torn #74.
 
22Sludge
      Sustainer
      ID: 29939249
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:16 		For the nerds:

The Erdös Number Project

Mine is 3. I was co-author on a paper with James Lynch, who was co-author on a paper with Paul Deheuvels, who was co-author on a paper with Erdös.

And then there's always The Mathematics Geneology Project. Unfortunately, mine doesn't go back very far. If you consider John Young (SMU) as one of my parents (he was basically my undergrad mentor), there's some famous statisticians and mathematicians there. (Neyman, Markov, Chebyshev, Liapunov)
 
23ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:16 		any females in the top ten?
 
24James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:16 		Robert De Niro #24.

LOL Sludge! :)
 
25RecycledSpinalFluid
      ID: 42121814
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:16 		Morgan Freeman to Wilt Chamberlain in two moves. Who would have thunk it.
 
26James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:17 		No women in top 10. Highest woman is Shelley Winters at #17.
 
27ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:17 		Harvey Keitel...
 
28biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:17 		Clint Eastwood
 
29ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:17 		Samuel L Jackson...
 
30James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:18 		Honorable mention points for ChicagoTRS. Keitel is #11.
 
31ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:18 		Anthony Hopkins...
 
32Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:18 		Jack Lemon
 
33James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:18 		Clint Eastwood #49.
Samuel L. Jackson #183.
 
34ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:19 		Christopher Walken...
 
35beastiemiked
      ID: 17414316
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:19 		Hmm, how about one of the stars of Six Degrees of Separation, Donald Sutherland.
 
36biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:19 		John Wayne.
 
37J
      Leader
      ID: 49346417
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:19 		Woody Allen?
 
38James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:20 		Jack Lemmon #91.
Anthony Hopkins #138.

There is an "Anthony" in the top 10, however.
 
39ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:20 		Henry Fonda...
 
40Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:20 		Peter Fonda
 
41GoatLocker
      Sustainer
      ID: 482202812
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:20 		How's about Bruce Willis.

Cliff
 
42James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:21 		1 point for beastiemiked! Sutherland is No. 5!

...

Walken #78.
Wayne #223.
Woody #192.
 
43ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:22 		Jimmy Stewart...
 
44biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:22 		"Anthony" Quinn

Dennis Hopper?
 
45Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:22 		Walter Mattheau
 
46James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:22 		Henry Fonda #92.
Peter Fonda #148.
Jane Fonda #313
Bridget Fonda #571.

Bruce Willis #191.
 
47beastiemiked
      ID: 17414316
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:23 		Booyah!! BTW, SDOS is a great flick, I recommend renting it.
 
48Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:23 		Oooh Stewart Quinn and Hopper are good guesses.
 
49James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:24 		Doubleplusgood for biliruben! Anthony Quinn and Dennis Hopper are Nos. 7 and 8, respectively.

Jimmy Stewart #867.
Walter Matthau #158.
 
50TimmyBogar
      ID: 444321710
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:24 		woohoo what do I get with a point?
 
51James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:25 		so many punch lines for that one ... :)
 
52James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:26 		OK, folks, I've got about 5 minutes til I've GOT to do some work. Get your last guesses in, and I'll post the whole top 10 in about 5 ...
 
53ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:27 		out of left field...Steve Buscemi...
 
54Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:27 		Mickey Rooney
 
55ukula
      ID: 34231715
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:27 		Laetitia Casta?
 
56TimmyBogar
      ID: 444321710
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:27 		Peter North
 
57ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:28 		Telly Savalas...
 
58James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:28 		Nope x 4.
 
59ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:28 		Charles Bronson...
 
60James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:28 		No soup for Telly.
 
61James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:29 		Bronson #58.
 
62John Budge
      Donor
      ID: 29141112
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:29 		Martin Sheen
 
63gibby88@WORK
      ID: 588371414
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:30 		Kirk Douglas

Michael Douglas
 
64ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:30 		damn I was going to say Martin Sheen
 
65biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:30 		Marlon Brando
 
66ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:30 		Michael Douglas has got to be there

 
67biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:31 		Oooh. Sheen is good.

I was working my way through Apocalypse Now... ;)
 
68GoatLocker
      Sustainer
      ID: 482202812
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:31 		Tom Cruise
 
69James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:31 		Nice guess Martin Sheen, but he's #16.

Nope on the Douglas boys.
 
70ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:32 		Nicolas Cage?
 
71James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:32 		No Brando, No Cruise. (on the list, though)
 
72James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:33 		No Cage.
 
73JeffG
      Sustainer
      ID: 40451227
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:33 		A few wild guesses

Charlton Heston
David Niven
Edward G Robinson
 
74James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:33 		Top 10 list coming up...
 
75gibby88@WORK
      ID: 588371414
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:33 		Robert Redford
 
76biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:33 		Mel Brooks.
 
77James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:34 		Oooh, but first, JeffG hits the shot under pressure! Heston is #9.
 
78James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:34 		Top 10 Centers of Hollywood Universe
1. Lee, Christopher (2.622940)
2. Steiger, Rod (2.627270)
3. Pleasence, Donald (2.651306)
4. Welles, Orson (2.661389)
5. Sutherland, Donald (2.662426)
6. von Sydow, Max (2.662549)
7. Hopper, Dennis (2.665564)
8. Quinn, Anthony (2.667077)
9. Heston, Charlton (2.670193)
10. Hackman, Gene (2.675916)
 
79Mattinglyinthehall
      ID: 1832399
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:35 		Humphry Bogart
 
80James K Polk
      ID: 4455731
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:35 		The collective gets half the top 10 in what, about 40 minutes? Not bad!
 
81ChicagoTRS
      Sustainer
      ID: 3948815
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:36 		I would have never got any of the rest...who the hell is Donald Pleasence?
 
82biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:39 		Halloween
 
83biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:40 		I didn't know Christopher Lee was in Apocalypse Now! ;)
 
84JeffG
      Sustainer
      ID: 40451227
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:41 		IMDB links to the filmographies of

Christopher Lee
Rod Steiger
Donald Pleasence
 
86biliruben
      Sustainer
      ID: 3502218
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 15:44 		Lee has either played Death himself (4) or Death has been in the title 18 times! I guess if you want work in Hollywood, Death is kinda like playing catcher. ;)
 
87Perm Dude
      Leader
      ID: 22347210
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 16:15 		Doesn't hurt when he has a hit or two, either!

pd
 
88Seattle Zen
      Donor
      ID: 37241120
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 16:40 		Of course, it's Sarumon, that dirty bastard!

Amazing that Max von Sydow is on the list considering how many films he made in Sweden before jumping the pond.
 
89CansecoInTheHall
      ID: 422581220
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 17:27 		Anybody try their own name? I was surprised to find out I have a bacon number of 2
 
90Bungers
      Leader
      ID: 5311343110
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 17:46 		Makes sense, CITH. Canseco fooled around with Madonna or someone who was in a Bacon flick. Had to be. ;)
 
91Perm Dude
      Leader
      ID: 22347210
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 18:04 		It appears I have a Bacon Index number of 4. Cool.
 
92KevinL
      Donor
      ID: 2357199
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 19:28 		Saruman AND Count Dooku / Lord Tyrannus
 
93Ender
      ID: 13443221
      Fri, May 17, 2002, 19:33 		Darth Tyranus
 
94Tu Papi
      ID: 10231614
      Sat, May 18, 2002, 00:26 		WOW. Jenna Jameson....Bacon number is 2.
 
95Perm Dude
      Leader
      ID: 493261822
      Sat, May 18, 2002, 00:32 		So does Ron Jeremy. Weird.

BTW, it's kind of funny to look through Mr. Jeremy's filmography.

pd