4.74 degrees of separation – the world is smaller than you thought

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The average number of links from one arbitrarily selected person to another was 4.74.

Scientists at Facebook and the University of Milan are adding a new chapter to the research that cemented the phrase “six degrees of separation” into the language.  They have reported that the average number of acquaintances separating any two people in the world was not six but 4.74.

 

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90 million Americans will use a tablet by 2014

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35.6% of all internet users will use a tablet by 2014.

Tablet devices have only been available for a couple of years, but the iPad has propelled them to rapid increases in ownership and usage.  By the end of 2011 it is estimated that 33.7 million Americans will use a tablet device at least monthly—a rise of 158.6% over last year, the year the iPad was released.

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Large nest of juvenile dinosaurs found

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What new information will this lead to?

A nest containing the fossilized remains of 15 juvenile Protoceratops andrewsi dinosaurs from Mongolia has been described by a University of Rhode Island paleontologist, revealing new information about postnatal development and parental care. It is the first nest of this genus ever found and the first indication that Protoceratops juveniles remained in the nest for an extended period…

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Bookmarklet lets you know how the companies you buy from lobbied Congress

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Money, money, who got the money.

Nicko from the Sunlight Foundation sez, “Before Americans open their wallets for Black Friday (and Cyber Monday), the Sunlight Foundation encourages consumers to first explore the connection between their spending and politics in Washington. Checking Influence, a secure bookmarklet that analyzes financial statements with one click, exposes the lobbying activities and campaign contributions of companies you frequent. ”

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Here’s what Leonardo da Vinci’s to-do list looked like in 1490

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Oh no, he forgot milk!

Even the brilliant mind of Leonardo da Vinci needed to jot things down in a notebook so he could remember what he needed to do. The only difference, of course, is that da Vinci’s to-do list was much more complex than ours. I mean, who needs to calculate the measurement of Milan and its suburbs and learn how to repair a lock, canal and mill?

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Bullying by text message becoming more common

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24 percent said they had ever been “harassed” by texting. That was up from about 14 percent in a survey of the same kids the year before.

More and more kids in the U.S. say they have been picked on via text messaging, while there has been little change in online harassment, researchers reported Monday.

 

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Facebook tracking sites it’s users visit even after logging off

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Facebook relies on tracking cookie technologies similar to the controversial systems used by Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Yahoo and others in the online advertising industry.

Facebook has admitted it is tracking which sites its users visit even after they log off, thanks to plug-ins and cookies.

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