Marvel Universe Is Almost Like *Real Life* Society 221
TheMatt writes "Scientists at the University of the Balearic Isles have analyzed the Marvel Universe and found that it is almost
like real society. The team studied the statistical properties of each character, the books they were in, and who else appeared in them (through resources like the MCP).
While there were some similarities to real society, a close look revealed the artificiality. For example, the MU isn't very clustered, only 1.5x that of a random network; real life is about 10x more clustered. Of course, the realities of comics (the business) are why this occurs. Also, they found the most networked of all Marvel heroes was Steve Rogers, Captain America himself."
hmm (Score:1)
Re:hmm (Score:1)
Ummm, no.
You see the X-Men have funding . . .
::ducks::
Re:hmm (Score:1)
Re:hmm (Score:2, Funny)
Ummm, no.
You see the X-Men have funding . . .
Where do the X-Men get funding? Adventure capitalists?
Man, if someone else said what I just said, I'd sure have to punch 'em!
Stories like this (Score:2, Funny)
Why people are examining clusters in comics I don't know. Are they beowulf clusters of Marvel Superheroes? Or just load-sharing clusters of Marvel Superheroes?
yeah. (Score:2, Funny)
Whewww!! (Score:3, Funny)
Now this is the kind of science that I can enjoy, especially after Book Reviews: The Skeptical Environmentalist
OMFG (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm wondering just how much exactly they spent on this study just to find out that comic books are in fact based on real society? I think the only reason this would even be important to the slashdot community is to see how foolishly Universities spend their money. I could have told them that comic books contain artificial societies for only $100 probably saving them thousands...
Any Universities needing useless information about comic books should make thier checks payable to aardWolf64, care of...
Re:OMFG (Score:2, Interesting)
I got you beat, in honor of Open Source, I woulda done it for FREE!
You're right, though. How about putting that money into real research. Organizations like NASA get budget cuts while projects studying the Marvel Universe go on?
Think about it!
Real research?? (Score:1)
Who knows what applications or concepts can be extracted from what a research finds?
Scientists do not research for profit, or for launching things in space or for making the big bucks.
(and yes, it is THAT kind of thinking that got me choosing Physics over engineering, and now working for a call center, eating kraft dinner)
Bleh... (Score:2, Insightful)
Well, first off, the study was done in Spain. Last I checked, NASA funding from Spain wasn't getting cut
Actually, though, all the outrage here seems kinda silly to me. What happened to the "Science for the sake of Science" mantra? This is exactly that.
Yes, it doesn't have on-the-surface real-world applications. Reading comic books isn't gonna make a cure for cancer. However, it -does- have some economic value.
Think entertainment. TV shows, computer games, books, comics. If I were creating one of these, I could benefit from this study, a LOT. Marvel comics are extremely successful, and they have a "clustring level" of about 1.5. I wonder what some of the failures have? Probably, a lot less. This is valuable, because gives me hard figures correlating success or failure of a venture with the reality level of its social networks.
Even if it only increases the "reality index" of my entertainment products by 3%, that's significant. A universe which can be related to by my readers in inherently more interesting. If it's more interesting, then more people will buy my product, increasing my revenue, potentially by a lot.
Plus, a bunch of scientists got to sit around reading comics
( unless, of course, the study was done by computer OCR of the comics, but still... gotta do something with them once they're scanned
Re:Bleh... (Score:2)
If the authors of this paper did this without public funds, then that is wonderful. If they did it with tax dollars, then a lot of Spainards would be quite justified in being angry that food is being taken out of their mouths by their gov't to fund such illegitimate gov't activity.
Science for science's sake is good.
Science for the sake of getting a gov't grant to read comics is bad.
I have no clue which this is.
A more worthwhile study (Score:3, Funny)
Re:OMFG (Score:2, Insightful)
Well, the point of the research is: When you set up an artifical universe, with artifical character relationships, what networking properties emerge, and how, exactly, do they compare to the networking properties of the real society on which the artificial construct was based?
The researchers probably don't give a flying fig about the Marvel Universe itself. It just happens to be a rich model (designed by someone else) which they're trying to use to figure out causes and principles of population interaction.
Bjorn Christianson
Re:OMFG (Score:2)
Shoot, just go watch Mallrats and find out all about it.
Re:OMFG (Score:3, Funny)
Please, please, please tell me that money was diverted from an athletic program to fund this research.
Poetic justice man.
Poetic justice.
explanation (Score:1, Flamebait)
here's what I got out of it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:explanation (Score:3, Insightful)
Marvel Comic book characters are modelled after real world social interactions. Such as Person A has Friend B who has a Friend C, at a 3rd degree of seperation. Person A is more likely to know Friend C, because of social clustering.
All it is doing is showing a web of each characters connections and affiliations, similar to a six-degrees setup. Like Kevin Bacon. [virginia.edu]
Re:explanation (Score:5, Insightful)
"No matter how many friends/associates they have in common, the first meeting between two heroes commonly results in them fighting."
Re:explanation (Score:1)
In other news... (Score:1)
Quote from the article (Score:4, Funny)
'nuff said (Score:1)
Not a good thing (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately, this research was responsible for the incredibly boring "Apocalypse Protection" series, when Captain America just tried to sell insurance to other superheroes for like 10 straight issues.
Don't be silly (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Nonsense (Score:1)
Re:Not a good thing (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Not a good thing (Score:2)
Colin Winters
What? (Score:1)
- Remember: there is no stupid question
Re:What? (Score:1)
Well you probably have already read some of the other comments (or, amazingly enough, the article itself) that would answer your question, but just in case, they are referring to the comic book characters that exist in comic books from a company called "Marvel" - Spiderman, Captain America, The Hulk, etc. (and not Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. who are all from a competing company, "DC").
I don't think it's always consistent, but for the most part, all of the characters in the "Marvel" group exist in the same imaginary "Universe" - they interact with each other (and in case it isn't complicated enough, they occasionally interact with characters from the DC "universe").
Perfect. (Score:1)
Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:5, Informative)
The Kevin Bacon stuff is just a game based upon the same principle. I don't remember his score exactly, but in Hollywood circles Kevin is like 665th on the list of connectors. He can be connected to other people in Hollywood within 4.x people. The most connected person is Rod Steiger, who can be connected in 2.1x.
Re:Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:2)
Not to nitpick, but the "Center of the Hollywood Univerise" is actually Christopher Lee. Rod Steiger is second. Kevin Bacon rates #913.
The Oracle of Bacon at Virgina [virginia.edu] is a great resource for this stuff.
Re:Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:2, Interesting)
As you can see, Malcolm Gladwel(author of The Tipping Point) did not introduce this concept.
Re:Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:2)
Congrats, you probably found that study. I didn't remember it off the top of my head.
I know Malcolm Gladwel did not introduce the concept.
Re:Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:2)
Re:Kevin Bacon not that connected (Score:2)
I smell... (Score:2, Funny)
Woohoo! (Score:2, Funny)
"Lady, I'm not 'wasting time and money on funny books,' I'm conducting an analysis of social interaction through the medium of networked vigilantism. Now pass that new issue of X-Force and refresh my strawberry sprite."
Re:Woohoo! (Score:2)
Damn them (Score:5, Funny)
All I see is that some bastards are paid to read tons of comics and do resume about them, which, to be scrupulously accurate, needs to be cross-checkes... by reading the comics again.
Bastards
Missing something? (Score:5, Insightful)
As an example, consider this scenario:
Jane Goodcitizen is friends with Peter Parker.
Spiderman is friends with Captain America.(?-don't know, but let's just say)
In the real world, there would be a high correlation of friendship between Jane and Captain America, while the whole secret identity thing puts a monkey-wrench in the comic universe.
The closest real-world model would probably be the network of say traveling salesmen or spies.
Re:Missing something? (Score:1)
I mean, how often do comic books even worry about who-knows-who when writing cameos/cross-over issues? They always just happen to be in the same place or after the same enemy or something COMPLETELY random (Secret Wars, Infinity this-or that, etc.). I think it's cool they found the level of clustering that they did. I think they should conduct additional studies in which the real-life creators of the comic are included in the data.
I also want to go to grad school in Spain now.
Adventures of THE MAN (Score:2)
2036 elections
It has been 8 years since the city of New York has been renamed to Metropolis. The current primary elections for the United States President have been reduced to the following candidates:
Al Gore
Lex Luthor
Stan Lee
Edward Brock
Strom Thurmond
Jeb Bush
Impossible Man
Adam Warlock
Re:Adventures of THE MAN (Score:1)
Re:Adventures of THE MAN (Score:2)
Though, having Puck in the White House would be cool. And I can just see Drax the Destroyer as Secretary of Defense!
Re:Adventures of THE MAN (Score:2)
Captain America (Score:2, Interesting)
Why not? He was the first major character (March 1941) that put Marvel, then known as Timely Comics on the map. He's simply had more time to network.
Only Human Torch (October 1939) and Sub-Mariner are older.
More info here [google.com] (Google cache only)
I can see some usefulness from this (Score:3, Interesting)
- Software developers creating "artificial universes" apply the study to increase the clustering, and hence the underlying realism, of their creations -- for instance, Non-Player Characters in EverQuest or The Sims.
- Practical implementation for Marvel: LAY OFF THE CROSSOVERS and let characters who know each other already keep in touch each other instead.
To quote The Android's Dungeon owner.... (Score:2, Funny)
...worst...study...ever.
Sorry, it had to be said.
Re:To quote The Android's Dungeon owner.... (Score:1)
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Other applications (Score:1)
There's a lot to be said for how modern society, and the internet, lead to the fragmentation of society. This methodology of this study could be a way to analyze how those fragments come back together again.
(Also, I think secret identities are part of why the clusers are smaller in the Marvel Universe. Does Aunt May know Captain America? Doubtful.)
sign me up! (Score:2)
Seems like a huge waste of .
How the hell do you get funding for something like this? If you know, please tell me, I have an experiment to run to see if beautiful actresses enjoy sleeping with nerds (me). Of course, I would have to recheck my results many, many times.
another key difference (Score:5, Funny)
Another example of the artificiality of the Marvel Universe is that there are a bunch of people with super powers in it, where as in reality, there are realitively few people who can shoot lasers out of there eyes or turn into a gigantic green monster when they are angry.
Re:another key difference (Score:2)
Really? I just married one of the few that does it? Do I get anything extra for the fact that she does both when she's pissed?
The skin on my backside used to be pretty pasty because, well, geeks don't get out much. Now its sort of tan after those close calls with the lasers. I still haven't had time to fix the hole in the concrete wall she made when I dodged her punch.
Re:another key difference (Score:2)
Re:another key difference (Score:2)
Marvel (Score:1)
Personally the folks I know that spend too much time in the Marvel Universe don't know enough about the real universe to be able to compare.
Captain America is connected for a reason (Score:1)
a closer look (Score:2)
hehe.. the sentances are so much truer when I finish them.
What I want to know is (Score:3, Interesting)
Did they include issue #3 of Transformers [tfarchive.com]?
Re:What I want to know is (Score:2)
I know. [corollaperformance.com] Meant to post that link originally, but didn't have time to search.
You needed a study to tell you... (Score:2)
Did they mention the similarities in genetic mutatations?? They have Captain Doom, we have Microsoft.
Re:You needed a study to tell you... (Score:1)
Re:You needed a study to tell you... (Score:2)
I thought DC did the Elseworlds series...
Although, come to think of it, the What if... series was a Marvel property.
Re:You needed a study to tell you... (Score:2)
Non-random associations (Score:2)
"It seems," say the researchers, "that Marvel writers did not assign characters to books in the same way as natural interactions would have done it."
Wow. No kidding. What a freakin' revelation.
Do you think it might instead have something to do with sales, or perhaps who had a good idea for a storyline?
IT'S COMICS, PEOPLE! It's not real life. Any attempt to do serious analysis just ruins it for the rest of us. Well, me anyway.
Don't these guys have some social paradigms to overturn? Or maybe some cosmic mystery to unwrangle?!
Slashdot presents.. Future news (Score:5, Funny)
Scientists at the University of the Balearic lose funding altogether
Hah! (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Almost as good as The Simpsons (Score:1)
Re:Almost as good as The Simpsons (Score:2)
[incidently
my point being
[still though
Re:Almost as good as The Simpsons (Score:1)
Quite amazing (Score:2)
Imagine that.. humans living in real society have created fiction that is almost like... real society! Simply amazing! Good thing those research dollars are still being put to good use now that we've got the environment all figured out. So uh.. who gets the patent?
What about Rick Jones? (Score:1)
Equivalent (Score:1)
This is the equivalent of trying to find a deep, moral, reality based meaning out of the crap stuck on a canvas thrown onto it randomly by one of them artistic monkeys.
samiam (Score:1)
Scientists.... (Score:1)
Why does this sound familiar? (Score:1)
Wait, Captain America is really Steve Rogers? (Score:2, Funny)
The "Spider-Man" Reference (Score:2)
At least, I think it does.
Slashdot, just like society! (Score:2)
But as you might expect, Slashdot has improved over society. Here you can always tell who loves [slashdot.org] or hates [slashdot.org] you, and you are reminded whom you love [slashdot.org] or hate [slashdot.org]. You can even ignore your enemies by assigning them a negative comment bonus. Just think of how convenient the world would be with those signals visible!
benefits (Score:2)
determin how close an artificial universe, created without much plan(if any), will be similiar to real society. May give insight to the way we think.
This is data, a rel thinker would find a way to put it to use, instead of just knee-jerk poopooing it.
Hope the Captain enjoyed it while he could... (Score:2)
Re:Hope the Captain enjoyed it while he could... (Score:2)
Oh well. A guy can hope, can't he?
Damn straight (Score:2)
Re:Damn straight (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm... I gotta go visit home soon... (Score:2)
Hmmm. Stay away from the Brickyard 400. You don't seem to be familiar with NASCAR ladies.
"Aw, Cletus, stop that! My parents are watching!"
"They's my parents too."
Huh? (Score:2)
What do the researchers mean by 'real world corollary?'
Do they mean when you meet people out of costume?
Ooop. Hark! The distress signal and the 'big guy' are calling! We must swoop to the aid of the under-represented capitalist war monger establishmentarians. . !
-Fantastic Lad awaay
Say.... (Score:2)
Wow, they're right! The similarities are uncanny.
Statistical futzification *smirks* (Score:2)
Well, with all this thought about the whole six degrees thing. [columbia.edu]
I'm just afraid that someone in the US's SSSSq Agency (Super Secret Secret Squirrels of course) will realize they have a good chance of finding that some hidden terrorist types (cat
Why... The implications of this amazing research to national defense are amazing.
It's a good thing that affirming our consequents [datanation.com] is a common practice now-days (psst... If (all persons in the world are "connected" via a small number of links) then (randomly picking a person and starting from there is a good way to "connect" to someone specific). (randomly picking a person and starting from there is--sometimes--a good way to "connect" to someone specific). Therefore (all persons in the world are "connected" via a small number of links).
Mmmmm fuzzy logic.
Not under-Clustered- OVER-Clustered! (Score:2)
This brings the Marvel Universe's clustering factor to ~300x that of reality, making the Marvel Universe into surreality...
The next episode of Marvel Universe is slated to have John Malkovich play every character [beingjohnmalkovich.com]
-D
Re:Its really sad (Score:1)
Re:Its really sad (Score:2)
Jaysyn
Re:Umm... (Score:2, Informative)
But, your argument breaks down if we are talking about geeks who read superhero comics. Are we?
Re:Umm... (Score:2)
IOW, smart cats, dogs, bears, etc. that take on human roles. In some cases, the "species" mix and in others, the animals hve replaced humans. Ever played Star Fox? Kinda like that...
And, much like tentacle pr0n, there's a subgenre of furry-on-furry and furry-on-human sex...Interesting...
GTRacer
- Would be a felinoid (probably)
Re:bzzt:: Wrong (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Six Degrees of Captain America? (Score:1)
You're on your own for Howard, though.
Re:You? (Score:1)
as for some things that are now considered real literature are awful, and much is read in a manner completely different then how it was intended.(i.e. how many people read shakespeare for the off color jokes and commentary, trust me its there.)
there isn't any reason to dismiss a section of current culture just because it doesn't fit the guidelines set up decades ago for what is good and what isn't.