Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Dunbar's Number

Check out some articles on this interesting concept.
From National Public Radio.
Dunbar has found 150 to be the sweet spot for hunter-gatherer societies all over the world. From the Bushmen of Southern Africa to Native American tribes, a typical community is about 150 people. Amish and Hutterite communities — even most military companies around the world — seem to follow the same rule.
The reason 150 is the optimal number for a community comes from our primate ancestors, Dunbar says. In smaller groups, primates could work together to solve problems and evade predators. Today, 150 seems to be the number at which our brains just max out on memory.
A guy tries to beat Dunbar's Number

On Wikipedia

Some commentary on the power of weak ties and why Dunbar's Number might be irrelevant.

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