黑料网

News

Robin Dunbar: We can have about 150 friends

On average, a person can have a maximum of 150 friends and acquaintances with whom he/she can maintain permanent social relationships.

This number is limited by the size of the neocortex area in the frontal lobe of our brain.

This does not only apply to people, as the size of animal groups is also surprisingly dependent on the size of the same brain area Maintaining relationships with other members of the species is a complicated matter that requires a lot of brain work.

The majority of people have 100鈥200 friends on Facebook. The impression that people usually have hundreds of friends is a myth that is not true. If there are more people in the networks, the relationships are not generally bi-directional in nature.

The same number comes up consistently in different materials. Studying the e-mails of researchers has also indicated that a person can usually carry out bi-directional e-mail traffic with approximately 100鈥200 other people. The activities of organisations generally become more difficult when the threshold of 150 people is exceeded.

Friends and acquaintances are divided into friends on different levels. The number of closest friends is usually approximately five. People usually give these friends some 40% of the time they spend with friends. The best ways of connecting people are laughter, discussion in small groups and singing.

Watch Dunbar's talk .

  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Minimalist table lamp with round bulb and two beige panels, beside dried grass on a light background
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

The Metex Prize 2026 winner is Hana Rehorc虒i虂kova虂

The Metex Prize is awarded for excellence in Master鈥檚 thesis work done in collaboration with a technology company or to promote the significance and use of design and art in Finnish industry.
Smiling woman with glasses in patterned dress and headband, standing indoors in soft light
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

Ornamo Awards '26: The Design Forerunner Award to service designer Mariana Salgado

The鈥疍esign Forerunner Award鈥痝oes to service designer Mariana Salgado, who brings design into climate research and builds people鈥檚 participation in the sustainability transition.
Modern kitchen with a cook, hanging pans and a phone showing a chocolate brownie review
Aalto Magazine, Research & Art Published:

Doctoral thesis: Kata Fodor examines sustainable diets 鈥 between the plate and the planet

In her doctoral thesis, Kata Fodor examines how more sustainable diets can be promoted through the design of environments, spaces, infrastructures, and cities.
Close-up of a microchip wafer on a metal probe station with fine gold test needles around it
Research & Art Published:

Five things everyone should know about photonics

Most of the digital devices we use daily rely on photonics. As artificial intelligence continues to grow, photonics will continue to make data centres more energy-efficient, says Paul Verrinder, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Aalto University.