publication date: Friday, July 2, 2021 (part of Summer 2021)

category: Science

clue: This professor of social psychology is most famous for the shocking experiment that bore his name, but he also conducted experiments that led to the scientific understanding of six degrees of separation.

explanation: Milgram conducted what has come to be called the Milgram Experiment, in which students were ordered to administer electric shocks to actors who faked pain, and many went along with the authority figure's instructions despite their misgivings. He also conducted what he called "small world" experiments into the connectedness of social networks, which other scientists used to validate the social concept of "six degrees of separation." more…

intended difficulty: medium

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, and Mike Eberhart


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