Today’s PuzzleToday’s Puzzle

““Lateral Thinking Puzzles, unlike most puzzles, Lateral Thinking Puzzles, unlike most puzzles, are inexact. In a sense, they are a hybrid are inexact. In a sense, they are a hybrid between puzzles and storytelling. In each between puzzles and storytelling. In each puzzle, some clues to a scenario are given, puzzle, some clues to a scenario are given, but the clues don't tell the full story. Your job but the clues don't tell the full story. Your job is to fill in the details and complete the story. is to fill in the details and complete the story. Obviously, there is usually more than one Obviously, there is usually more than one answer to any given puzzle, but, in general, answer to any given puzzle, but, in general, only one solution is truly satisfyingonly one solution is truly satisfying.”.”

Brain Food Website Brain Food Website http://www.rinkworks.com/brainfood/p/latreal1.shtmlhttp://www.rinkworks.com/brainfood/p/latreal1.shtml

Lateral Thinking PuzzleLateral Thinking Puzzle

A woman had two sons who were A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?not twins. How could this be so?

http://brainyplanet.com

About YouAbout YouWelcome: Will, Karthik, Shyamli, DouglasWelcome: Will, Karthik, Shyamli, Douglas

Your nameYour nameMBA or MSITM?MBA or MSITM?When do you graduate?When do you graduate?Your “hometown”Your “hometown” City, State, Country (if outside U.S.)City, State, Country (if outside U.S.)

If you work, where and what do you do?If you work, where and what do you do?Why did you take this class?Why did you take this class?What is the ultimate road trip car?What is the ultimate road trip car?

Class Discussion:Class Discussion:Your First Blog PostYour First Blog Post

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First Posts: My ObservationsFirst Posts: My Observations

The GoodThe Good Quality of writingQuality of writing Sharing your professional “stories”Sharing your professional “stories” Use of linksUse of links

The BadThe Bad Temptation to summarizeTemptation to summarize Formal/academic style of writingFormal/academic style of writing LengthLength Uninspired titlesUninspired titles Limited formattingLimited formatting

HousekeepingHousekeeping

Reminder: Two Week Comment PeriodReminder: Two Week Comment Period

Read Posts in Your Blog CircleRead Posts in Your Blog Circle

Four Comments over next Two WeeksFour Comments over next Two Weeks

Social Capital, Six Degrees, and Social Capital, Six Degrees, and Social Network AnalysisSocial Network Analysis

Blog TalkBlog Talk

Topic: Social CapitalTopic: Social Capital

What is Social Capital?What is Social Capital?

““Social capital refers to the collective value Social capital refers to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] of all "social networks" [who people know] and and the inclinations that arise from these the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each othernetworks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].” ["norms of reciprocity"].” – Saguaro Seminar– Saguaro Seminar

Social Capital (Continued)Social Capital (Continued)

““Not just any set of…norms constitutes Not just any set of…norms constitutes social capital; social capital; they must lead to they must lead to cooperation cooperation in groups and therefore are in groups and therefore are related to traditional virtues like honesty, related to traditional virtues like honesty, the keeping of commitments, reliable the keeping of commitments, reliable performance of duties, reciprocity, and the performance of duties, reciprocity, and the like.” like.” - Fukuyama- Fukuyama

Francis Fukuyama, The Institute of Public Policy, George Mason University

Cross’ ConnectorsCross’ Connectors

Central ConnectorsCentral Connectors Unsung HeroUnsung Hero BottleneckBottleneck

Boundary SpannersBoundary Spanners

Information BrokersInformation Brokers

Peripheral PeoplePeripheral People

Gladwell’s “3 Types”Gladwell’s “3 Types”

Connectors: Those with wide social circles. They are the "hubs" of the human social network and responsible for the small world phenomenon.

Mavens are knowledgeable people. While most consumers wouldn't know if a product were priced above the market rate by, say, 10 percent, mavens would. Bloggers who detect false claims in the media could also be considered mavens.

Salesmen are charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills. They exert "soft" influence rather than forceful power. Their source of influence may be the tendency of others, subconsciously, to imitate them rather than techniques of conscious persuasion.

Paul Revere: The ConnectorPaul Revere: The Connector

ScoreScore William Dawes = 3William Dawes = 3 Paul Revere = 100’sPaul Revere = 100’s

Time for Hands-OnTime for Hands-On

Photo © Charles Darwin University 2005

Are You a Connector?Are You a Connector?

One point for every surname shared by One point for every surname shared by someone you knowsomeone you know

Multiple points for multiple people with the Multiple points for multiple people with the same surname (e.g. you know 3 people same surname (e.g. you know 3 people named Johnson)named Johnson)

The definition of "know" here is very broad The definition of "know" here is very broad -- you know their name and they know -- you know their name and they know your name.your name.

http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/tp_excerpt2.html

Class Discussion: Class Discussion: Are You a Connector?Are You a Connector?

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Topic: Six DegreesTopic: Six Degrees

Six DegreesSix Degreeshttp://www.sixdegrees.org/http://www.sixdegrees.org/

There is a theory that anyone in the world There is a theory that anyone in the world is connected to any other person through a is connected to any other person through a

chain of no more than six people…chain of no more than six people…

Six DegreesSix Degrees

The great social psychologist Stanley Milgram devised The great social psychologist Stanley Milgram devised an ingenious experiment in the late 1960s to test the an ingenious experiment in the late 1960s to test the hypothesis. Milgram and his graduate student Jeffrey hypothesis. Milgram and his graduate student Jeffrey Travers gave 300 letters to subjects in Boston and Travers gave 300 letters to subjects in Boston and Omaha, with instructions to deliver them to a single Omaha, with instructions to deliver them to a single target person (a stockbroker from Sharon, Mass.) by target person (a stockbroker from Sharon, Mass.) by mailing the letter to an acquaintance who the subject mailing the letter to an acquaintance who the subject deemed closer to the target. The acquaintance then got deemed closer to the target. The acquaintance then got the same set of instructions, thus setting up a chain of the same set of instructions, thus setting up a chain of intermediaries. Milgram found that the average length intermediaries. Milgram found that the average length of the chains that completed (64 of them) was about of the chains that completed (64 of them) was about six.six.

Source: Scientific American “Ask the Experts”

Six Degrees of Kevin BaconSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon

““The game requires a group of players to The game requires a group of players to try to connect any film actor in history to try to connect any film actor in history to Kevin Bacon as quickly as possible and in Kevin Bacon as quickly as possible and in as few links as possible.” as few links as possible.” (source:wikipedia)(source:wikipedia)

http://oracleofbacon.org/

About the MathAbout the Math

Manfred Kochen (a mathematician) and Manfred Kochen (a mathematician) and Ithiel de Sola Pool (a political scientist), Ithiel de Sola Pool (a political scientist), proposed a mathematical explanation of proposed a mathematical explanation of the problem. Assuming that individuals the problem. Assuming that individuals choose 1,000 friends at random from a choose 1,000 friends at random from a population as large as 100 million, Kochen population as large as 100 million, Kochen and Pool showed that no more than two or and Pool showed that no more than two or three intermediaries (hence three or four three intermediaries (hence three or four degrees of separation) would be required degrees of separation) would be required to connect any two people. to connect any two people.

Source: Scientific American “Ask the Experts”

More on the MathMore on the Math

Sixth root of the CIA’s July 2006 world Sixth root of the CIA’s July 2006 world population estimate of 6,525,170,264 population estimate of 6,525,170,264

Do you know 43 people that don’t know each other?Do you know 43 people that don’t know each other?

43

Facebook: Put the Theory to a TestFacebook: Put the Theory to a Test

““After more than forty years, it’s status as After more than forty years, it’s status as a description of social networks still a description of social networks still remains an open question. Little research remains an open question. Little research has been done in this area since the has been done in this area since the publication of the original paper.”publication of the original paper.”

Class Discussion: Class Discussion: Six Degrees – Reality or Myth?Six Degrees – Reality or Myth?

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IntermissionIntermission

Artwork © Jan’s Courtyard 1996-2005

““Trendspotting” Trendspotting” from The Daily Showfrom The Daily Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpcvR1tIBfQ

Social Network AnalysisSocial Network Analysisaka aka

The “Social Graph”The “Social Graph”

It’s all about Visualizing NetworksIt’s all about Visualizing Networks

Visual ComplexityVisual Complexity http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/trend.cfmhttp://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/trend.cfm

TwitterTwitter http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2007/04/19/thttp://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2007/04/19/t

witter-social-network-analysis/witter-social-network-analysis/ http://twittervision.com/http://twittervision.com/

Neural Stem CellsNeural Stem Cells http://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/imagehttp://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/image

s/Zhang_neural_stem_cells04.jpgs/Zhang_neural_stem_cells04.jpg

Facebook (again)Facebook (again)

New terminology: “Social Graph”New terminology: “Social Graph” aka Social Network Analysis (SNA)aka Social Network Analysis (SNA)

http://www.touchgraph.com/http://www.touchgraph.com/

What does all this mean for business?What does all this mean for business?http://www.bikethehoan.com/tlwlogo.jpg

Time for Hands-on in the LABTime for Hands-on in the LAB

Photo © Charles Darwin University 2005