Google introduces Kevin Bacon algorithm

Ever wonder how many degrees of separation exist between Kevin Bacon and Russell Brand? No? Well, if you did Google will now tell you that answer.

Google has released a new search tool that gives answers for the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game.

The Bacon Number essentially tells users the degrees of separation between Kevin Bacon and all other actors, based on the movies they have been. Just search the words "Bacon Number" followed by the name of any actor and you're off.

It puts the infamous "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" (SDoKB) game to the test. SDoKB (an acronym we just made up) hypothesises that every actor that ever existed and Kevin Bacon only has as much as six degrees of separation between them.

For an example, Kevin Bacon has a Bacon Number of zero because he's been in a movie with himself. Russell Brand, meanwhile, has a Bacon Number of 2 because he was in Get Him to the Greek with Rose Byrne, who was in X-Men: First Class with the illustrious actor with the delicious last name.

The new tool uses Google's Knowledge Graph to hunt down the connections. According to Google the Knowledge Graph "will enable us to make search more intelligent, moving us closer to the 'Star Trek computer' that I've always dreamt of building."

Just for the record Kevin Bacon has never been in Star Trek. However, Patrick Stewart's Bacon Number is only two so that must account for something.

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