Ithiel de Sola Pool (October 26, 1917 - March 11, 1984) was
one of the pioneers in the field of social sciences and communications in the
twentieth century. His major contribution to the field of social network analysis includes his study and analysis of contact networks and separation
between individuals in a network. This work ultimately lead to the development
of the concept of 'Six degrees of separation' many years later. He also
pioneered the study of technological developments in communication and the
study of communication systems. He was one of the main commentators on the
socio-political effects of communication, and his work has contributed greatly
to the study of human behavior through computerized programs. He argued that
the various modes of modern communication were integrating into a single
system.
Pool's major academic appointments included those with
Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he
co-founded the MIT Political Science Department. He also served as a member of
the Council of Foreign Relations where he advised the US government.
Pool has produced many scholarly works, both individually
and in collaboration with co-authors. Political scientists Harold D Lasswell
and Robert C. North were two of his major collaborators. Some of his major
works are: Politics in a Wired Nation,
The Small World, and Technologies of Freedom.
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