Pondering the Social Brain with Robin Dunbar

Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University has studied the social networks of apes and humans for more than 50 years. He is the author of the book “Friends”. In this podcast he describes how the superior computational power of the human brain evolved to enable enduring lifelong social interactions that enhance security, reduce discord, and facilitate information exchange within and across generations. Dunbar has shown that there is an optimal group size for all social species; that number in humans is 150. In this podcast he talks about the neuronal networks in the brain that evolved to maintain and enhance harmony within social groups. Dunbar describes how language, music, and laughter enhance sociality. He also discusses how very large social groups of a size well beyond the evolutionarily ancient optimal size (for example, religious and political groups) enhance social cohesion within the group while simultaneously fostering antagonism towards individuals not in the group.