we live in a really small world but even so sometimes finding a new job
but even so sometimes finding a new job
but even so sometimes finding a new job opportunity or tapping into new
opportunity or tapping into new
opportunity or tapping into new knowledge can be an impossible task I’m
knowledge can be an impossible task I’m
knowledge can be an impossible task I’m gonna help you with that
gonna help you with that
gonna help you with that so I’m Nikki and I’m a recovering
so I’m Nikki and I’m a recovering
so I’m Nikki and I’m a recovering Network scientist I see networks
Network scientist I see networks
Network scientist I see networks everywhere
everywhere
everywhere in fact I think that my brain has been
in fact I think that my brain has been
in fact I think that my brain has been hardwired to find connections between
hardwired to find connections between
hardwired to find connections between people you may have heard about the six
people you may have heard about the six
people you may have heard about the six degrees of separation theory which
degrees of separation theory which
degrees of separation theory which essentially means that everybody in this
essentially means that everybody in this
essentially means that everybody in this world is connected to everyone else by
world is connected to everyone else by
world is connected to everyone else by just six steps just six but how does
just six steps just six but how does
just six steps just six but how does this translate to real life well I grew
this translate to real life well I grew
this translate to real life well I grew up in Cyprus and Cyprus has a population
up in Cyprus and Cyprus has a population
up in Cyprus and Cyprus has a population of one point one seven million people so
of one point one seven million people so
of one point one seven million people so the interesting question here is how
the interesting question here is how
the interesting question here is how many degrees of separation do you think
many degrees of separation do you think
many degrees of separation do you think there are between myself and every other
there are between myself and every other
there are between myself and every other Cypriot on the island okay let’s do some
Cypriot on the island okay let’s do some
Cypriot on the island okay let’s do some basic math and I’ll show you how to get
basic math and I’ll show you how to get
basic math and I’ll show you how to get to the answer so I assume that when I
to the answer so I assume that when I
to the answer so I assume that when I went to primary school I made 35 people
went to primary school I made 35 people
went to primary school I made 35 people and then I went to secondary school and
and then I went to secondary school and
and then I went to secondary school and I made 35 different people and then
I made 35 different people and then
I made 35 different people and then let’s just say when I went to university
let’s just say when I went to university
let’s just say when I went to university I made 35 people more this brings us to
I made 35 people more this brings us to
I made 35 people more this brings us to a grand total of 105 people so if the
a grand total of 105 people so if the
a grand total of 105 people so if the average separate has 105 people that
average separate has 105 people that
average separate has 105 people that they know of how many degrees do you
they know of how many degrees do you
they know of how many degrees do you think it will take for me to get to
think it will take for me to get to
think it will take for me to get to everyone so this is me and one degree
everyone so this is me and one degree
everyone so this is me and one degree away are the 105 people that I know
away are the 105 people that I know
away are the 105 people that I know directly if we go out one more degree
directly if we go out one more degree
directly if we go out one more degree that will be at 2 degrees of separation
that will be at 2 degrees of separation
that will be at 2 degrees of separation that’s 105 multiplied by 105 and let’s
that’s 105 multiplied by 105 and let’s
that’s 105 multiplied by 105 and let’s go out one more degree so at 3 degrees
go out one more degree so at 3 degrees
go out one more degree so at 3 degrees of separation that will be 105
of separation that will be 105
of separation that will be 105 multiplied by 105 multiplied by 105
multiplied by 105 multiplied by 105
multiplied by 105 multiplied by 105 again and
again and
again and number comes to one point one six
number comes to one point one six
number comes to one point one six million people does this sound familiar
million people does this sound familiar
million people does this sound familiar very quickly within just three degrees
very quickly within just three degrees
very quickly within just three degrees of separation I managed to get to
of separation I managed to get to
of separation I managed to get to everybody in the whole of Cyprus not six
everybody in the whole of Cyprus not six
everybody in the whole of Cyprus not six just three and then you may wonder in
just three and then you may wonder in
just three and then you may wonder in your everyday life do you really need to
your everyday life do you really need to
your everyday life do you really need to reach everybody in this world or do you
reach everybody in this world or do you
reach everybody in this world or do you even need to reach everybody in your own
even need to reach everybody in your own
even need to reach everybody in your own country or are you interacting this much
country or are you interacting this much
country or are you interacting this much smaller world and if so is there a way
smaller world and if so is there a way
smaller world and if so is there a way that you can network more effectively in
that you can network more effectively in
that you can network more effectively in order to minimize the degrees of
order to minimize the degrees of
order to minimize the degrees of separation between yourselves and
separation between yourselves and
separation between yourselves and everybody you’ll need bridges help us
everybody you’ll need bridges help us
everybody you’ll need bridges help us navigate the world that we live in how
navigate the world that we live in how
navigate the world that we live in how much of a bridge Simone is is actually a
much of a bridge Simone is is actually a
much of a bridge Simone is is actually a very well-known measure in the network
very well-known measure in the network
very well-known measure in the network science world and it’s called the
science world and it’s called the
science world and it’s called the betweenness centrality the betweenness
betweenness centrality the betweenness
betweenness centrality the betweenness centrality is calculated by looking at
centrality is calculated by looking at
centrality is calculated by looking at every single pair of people in the
every single pair of people in the
every single pair of people in the network finding the minimum paths
network finding the minimum paths
network finding the minimum paths between them and then assessing how many
between them and then assessing how many
between them and then assessing how many of these pass through each person so
of these pass through each person so
of these pass through each person so someone with a high betweenness
someone with a high betweenness
someone with a high betweenness centrality will have many paths joining
centrality will have many paths joining
centrality will have many paths joining people but will also be the person that
people but will also be the person that
people but will also be the person that connects different communities and
connects different communities and
connects different communities and connects people within their communities
connects people within their communities
connects people within their communities so what you can do is have a look in
so what you can do is have a look in
so what you can do is have a look in your everyday life so this is me in my
your everyday life so this is me in my
your everyday life so this is me in my community a and let’s say that’s my work
community a and let’s say that’s my work
community a and let’s say that’s my work community I’m a data scientist at the
community I’m a data scientist at the
community I’m a data scientist at the government digital service and I
government digital service and I
government digital service and I regularly interact with other data
regularly interact with other data
regularly interact with other data scientists policy people governance
scientists policy people governance
scientists policy people governance people and so on but let’s assume that I
people and so on but let’s assume that I
people and so on but let’s assume that I need to get to community B let’s say
need to get to community B let’s say
need to get to community B let’s say that’s an industry where they’re
that’s an industry where they’re
that’s an industry where they’re producing their brand-new machine
producing their brand-new machine
producing their brand-new machine learning algorithm that I really need to
learning algorithm that I really need to
learning algorithm that I really need to get my hands on I can have a look around
get my hands on I can have a look around
get my hands on I can have a look around in my network and see who are my bridges
in my network and see who are my bridges
in my network and see who are my bridges who are the people with the highest
who are the people with the highest
who are the people with the highest betweenness centrality that can get me
betweenness centrality that can get me
betweenness centrality that can get me from the community I mean in the one
from the community I mean in the one
from the community I mean in the one that I’m not currently present in but in
that I’m not currently present in but in
that I’m not currently present in but in fact today people aren’t just connected
fact today people aren’t just connected
fact today people aren’t just connected by personal relationships or by
by personal relationships or by
by personal relationships or by relationships they connected by ideas
relationships they connected by ideas
relationships they connected by ideas and interests and beliefs and for this
and interests and beliefs and for this
and interests and beliefs and for this reason with a bunch of friends I set up
reason with a bunch of friends I set up
reason with a bunch of friends I set up dated beers London
dated beers London
dated beers London you heard right I said beer dated beers
you heard right I said beer dated beers
you heard right I said beer dated beers London and the idea behind this is that
London and the idea behind this is that
London and the idea behind this is that anybody who has an interesting data
anybody who has an interesting data
anybody who has an interesting data story to tell no matter what the
story to tell no matter what the
story to tell no matter what the technical background can come together
technical background can come together
technical background can come together and share this story and they can learn
and share this story and they can learn
and share this story and they can learn from each other of course having the
from each other of course having the
from each other of course having the free beer helps but data stories come
free beer helps but data stories come
free beer helps but data stories come flooding in from industry from academia
flooding in from industry from academia
flooding in from industry from academia from government and from the arts people
from government and from the arts people
from government and from the arts people come together to share about what data
come together to share about what data
come together to share about what data science and what data and visualizations
science and what data and visualizations
science and what data and visualizations go on in their own domain and then learn
go on in their own domain and then learn
go on in their own domain and then learn from each other but data beers isn’t
from each other but data beers isn’t
from each other but data beers isn’t just a London thing the idea has spread
just a London thing the idea has spread
just a London thing the idea has spread all over the world and in fact with just
all over the world and in fact with just
all over the world and in fact with just this one idea we’re connecting people
this one idea we’re connecting people
this one idea we’re connecting people across boundaries across the oceans
across boundaries across the oceans
across boundaries across the oceans everyone is learning from each other
everyone is learning from each other
everyone is learning from each other based on just this one interest one idea
based on just this one interest one idea
based on just this one interest one idea that we had isn’t that amazing
that we had isn’t that amazing
that we had isn’t that amazing think of how many interests do you have
think of how many interests do you have
think of how many interests do you have how many ideas you have that can connect
how many ideas you have that can connect
how many ideas you have that can connect you to other people networks aren’t
you to other people networks aren’t
you to other people networks aren’t these static things they’re actually
these static things they’re actually
these static things they’re actually living organisms and they need to be
living organisms and they need to be
living organisms and they need to be nurtured have a think about your network
nurtured have a think about your network
nurtured have a think about your network and have a thing of how you can change
and have a thing of how you can change
and have a thing of how you can change it to shape your career goals or your
it to shape your career goals or your
it to shape your career goals or your personal goals
personal goals
personal goals be proactive actively build your bridges
be proactive actively build your bridges
be proactive actively build your bridges and actively find them when you need
and actively find them when you need
and actively find them when you need them and you never know where they’ll
them and you never know where they’ll
them and you never know where they’ll take you thank you
take you thank you
take you thank you [Applause]
”
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