Relflections on the Monkeysphere

heterodoxy linked to an article that references this study that compares the size of primate neocortexes with the size of their social groups. Extrapolating from this study, researchers conclude that humans should organize into social groups of about 150 individuals, with a smaller inner circle of about twelve.

So how have we managed to organize into such unnatural groups such as cities, states, nations, or the UN? Simple. We have better technologies than the apes. Most relevant to this question, we have better social technologies.

Voting is a social technology. So is shunning. Capitalism, etiquette, dictatorships are all social technologies. These are the ways we manage groups we wouldn't bother with naturally, just as a bulldozer helps a man move much more earth than his body could unassisted.

Examining a man's brain may give an indication of how large his optimum social group size is, but that's as relevant as the indication of his physical capabilities you'd get from studying his skeleton or musculature.

"The literature suggests that 150 is roughly the number of people you could ask for a favour and expect to have it granted," observes one of the researchers leading the project. This is what we turn to money to augment -- another one of our social technologies.

In a simpler society, you do favors for others in your social group. In fact, most of our friendships operate exactly this way. Once we meet someone outside our social group, how do we manage that relationship? We have no reputation with them, no trust in them. Money augments this social currency, leveraging the relationships with the people who exchange money for our time into transactions with others that we have no permanent relationship with at all.

Using these techniques -- and many others -- humans can form and maintain stable social groups much larger than extrapolating from our brain size would suggest.

Hyperlinking my life

I just got finished chatting over IM with Charlie, who was at the same Body Electric workshop I attended in May, Celebrating the Body Erotic. Charlie is the second man in the chain that has linked me to everybody who reads these words, because he told me about CBE, where I met heterodoxy and heard about LiveJournal.

Charlie's not bowling this season, so I haven't seen him in months. As we were conversing, I found myself sending him hyperlinks to different pages from my journal. What a neat thing to do, to have a record of your life that you can link to! Absolutely amazing! I'd want to talk about the heart circle, for instance, and I'd find the entry in question and drag the link over to the iChat window and send it off. So easy!

Charlie was contacting me to invite me to his fortieth birthday celebration. However, it conflicts with legalmoose's party. :-(

I invited him to Baltimore for a birthday dinner, my treat. I'm sad that I won't be able to make both parties. If I had a car, it would be possible. If I had more cash right now, I'd rent one, but that's a bit extravagant for me right now. I'll have to content myself with sending a salacious card. ;-)