Topic: Connected: The power of six degrees #1 => No winner

[75america]

This week I saw the documentary “Connected: The power of six degrees” on television

At one point or another, you’ve probably heard of “six degrees of separation,” the theory that, through social relationships, you’re only six handshakes from anyone on the face of the earth.
Or, you may have heard of its pop culture incarnation, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” a trivia game in which players attempt to link any Hollywood actor to Kevin Bacon through six films (or fewer).

I had the, IMO, brilliant idea to make an Autopuzzles version of this game.

There are some more connection restrictions than in our neverending chain game. 
For example, the connection ‘They both have a fiberglass body” is not valid, except when the fiberglass body of the 2 cars is made by the same firm.

The connection has to be a real link. 
A vital (technical or visual) part must be shared, the cars must be designed by the same guy, are from the same brand,… 

I think that the rules will become clear when we play the game…

I suggest to give 1 point to the one who gives the shortest chain and that after nobody else responded with a shorter chain in the following fortnight.

To make the game clear, I already made a possible solution for puzzle #1. 


How to connect an  Alfa Romeo 1938 8C 2900B Lungo Carrozzeria Touring with a 1992 Buick Skylark


-) Alfa Romeo 1938 8C 2900B Lungo with  Carrozzeria Touring coach

1) Alfa Romeo 90 TD    => same brand

2) Rover SD1 Diesel   => same 2393 cc VM diesel engine

3) Rover 3500    => same car

4) 1961 Buick special   => same Buick 215 engine block

5) 1992 Buick Skylark => same brand


=> 5 steps

Who can make a connection in fewer steps?

[Paul Jaray]

Cool!
Have you got a solution or we just have to find the shortest one?
I mean we can't just use a Buick Touring form 1923 (Touring-touring) and a same brand connection...

[75america]

Cool!
Have you got a solution or we just have to find the shortest one?

No I have no solution, because I think there are always different ways to follow. 
You just have to find the shortest.

Maybe during the game, some additional rules will be necessary, but I propose to just start the game and see how it runs...

[Paul Jaray]

I'll try:
Alfa Romeo 1938 8C 2900B Lungo Carrozzeria Touring
Alfa Romeo 1939 8c 2900B spider corto aerodinamico Pininfarina  (same brand-model)
Buick Lido Pininfarina 1957  (same coachbuilder)
Buick Skylark 1992 (same brand)

[75america]

I mean we can't just use a Buick Touring form 1923 (Touring-touring) and a same brand connection...

Correct, but a Buick Touring has no connection whatsoever with Carrozzeria Touring (only the name is the same)
As I stated in my first post, the connection has to be a real link.

[Paul Jaray]

Got it.
what about this:
Alfa Romeo 1938 8C 2900B Lungo Carrozzeria Touring
Alfa Romeo 1939 8c 2900B spider corto aerodinamico Pininfarina  (same brand-model)
Buick Lido Pininfarina 1957  (same coachbuilder)
Buick Skylark 1992 (same brand)

[Otto Puzzell]

Brilliant!

Question - must the connection be car-to-car, or can it be, for instance, car-to-driver-to car, or other such connections?

[Paul Jaray]

I have the same question.
the only way to have a shorter list is to find a car connected with the buick and the alfa at the same time.
The Alfa should be that precise exemplar, or that model, even in a different configuration? (a Le Mans racer, for example....)

[75america]

Well, to be honest even for myself the rules are not that clear at the moment 
Therefor that I started this game without a lot of rules.
I don't have the experience like you guys in this kind of games, I only thought that the six degrees connection idea is very well suited for autopuzzles.com
I just don't want to make the game too easy, therefore I would like to rule out some connection possibilities...
But maybe one of the more experienced members can make the full playing rules.
All suggestions are more than welcome.

Your Alfa-Buick link in 3 steps through the Pininfarina-link is indeed correct.
But this example is not that hard because both models are from a well known brand, with a lot of models,...
Finding a connection between 2 obscure cars will probably  be a lot harder.

I think that it is important that you mention the connection for each link.

[Paul Jaray]

Your Alfa-Buick link in 3 steps through the Pininfarina-link is indeed correct.
But this example is not that hard because both models are from a well known brand, with a lot of models,...
Finding a connection between 2 obscure cars will probably be a lot harder.

I think that it is important that you mention the connection for each link.

But aren't we supposed to connect these cars (Alfa and Buick)?
Or we have to pick a couple of cars and find a quick connection?

I like this kind of puzzles, and I know that it's not easy to define the rules, but that's really cool, keep on!

[Ray B.]

I like it too, but, being known for having a slow brain, I wait until tomorrow to have a go at it.

[75america]

@ Paul Jaray: TBH I don't understand what you try to explain in your last post. (you made a correct connection between the Alfa and the Buick,...)

So let's try this game again with a more difficult combination.
Try to make a connecting (through real links) between the last 2 cars that appeared on the neverending chain contents:

1959 Ascort TSV 1300 1959 and 1958 TVR Grantura I

[faksta]

Let's try this one:

Ascort TSV 1300 - Volkswagen Beetle (same chassis)
Volkswagen Beetle - TVR Grantura I (same suspension)

Or 'same suspension' connection is not enough?

[Paul Jaray]

@ Paul Jaray: TBH I don't understand what you try to explain in your last post. (you made a correct connection between the Alfa and the Buick,...)

I do not understand how to proceed. You post 2 cars (the Buick and the Alfa), I wrote the connections.
We have to wait for your next two cars?
When you can say that the chain is the shortest possible?

[75america]

Let's try this one:

Ascort TSV 1300 - Volkswagen Beetle (same chassis)
Volkswagen Beetle - TVR Grantura I (same suspension)

Or 'same suspension' connection is not enough?

This is a valid connection!
Damned, I thought this game would be very hard, but apparently, it is not...

[75america]

@ Paul Jaray: TBH I don't understand what you try to explain in your last post. (you made a correct connection between the Alfa and the Buick,...)

I do not understand how to proceed. You post 2 cars (the Buick and the Alfa), I wrote the connections.
We have to wait for your next two cars?
When you can say that the chain is the shortest possible?

When nobody can give a shorter chain within to weeks after your response, you win.

[Paul Jaray]

Got it...ready for the next!

[75america]

I think that we need to fine-tune the rules a little bit more, otherwise it will be too easy (see the Ascort TSV 1300 -> TVR Grantura I chain, or was that a coincidence?)

What do you think of only using the following links:
- Same engine
- Same chassis
- same brand
- Same coachbuilder
- Same designer

I suggest to retry the game with the 1959 Ascort TSV 1300 1959 and 1958 TVR Grantura I and with the new proposed rules.

[Paul Jaray]

Ascort TSV 1300 1959     and Karmann-Ghia                Same engine
Karmann-Ghia                  and Ford RS200 Prototype   Same coachbuilder
Ford RS2000 Prototype   and Ford Popular                   Same brand
Ford Popular                      and TVR Grantura MKI          Same engine

[75america]

I found a shorter one:

Ascort TSV 1300 1959   and VW Karmann-Ghia => Same engine
VW Karmann-Ghia and Ford Taunus Station Wagon 12M (1951 sample body) =>    Same coachbuilder (Karmann)
Ford Taunus Station Wagon 12M (G13)       and TVR Grantura MKI   =>Same engine

[75america]

No winners here, I made the shortest chain myself