If You Click the First Link in a Wikipedia Article, the First After That, and So On, You’ll Arrive at “Philosophy”
The webcomic XKCD dropped another Internet truism when it proclaimed in the alt-text of its latest comic:
Wikipedia trivia: if you take any article, click on the first link in the article text not in parentheses or italics, and then repeat, you will eventually end up at “Philosophy”
Someone took it as a challenge, and put together a “useful” little tool that will show you, with links, exactly how many clicks it takes to get from the subject of your choice to the Wikipedia article on philosophy. It certainly is eye-opening, and is certain to keep folks entertained for quite some time.
The real question is if anyone has yet proved XKCD wrong. 20 steps was my longest chain, who can beat it?
Update: Geekosystem reader Andrew has found one that breaks the chain: “numerary” first links to “supernumerary,” which first links to “numerary” … and so on. What other combo breakers exist?
(XKCD Wikipedia Steps to Philosophy)
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
