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The Latest Breaking News from Robin Dunbar

Do you have a ‘normal’ amount of friends? Here’s how to work it out

LET’S UNPACK THAT: Dunbar’s Number, the theory that we are only capable of having 150 friendships at any one time, remains surprisingly robust in the digital age. Helen Coffey investigates whether ignoring in-built limits means stretching ourselves too thin, and why social media shouldn’t make us feel guilty about losing…

The Independent UK

How many friends is too many friends? The scientific debate is raging

Loneliness is increasing in the U.S., with more than 20 percent of adults reporting feeling lonely

The Independent UK

Why do we kiss? ‘I am not sure we have anything close to an explanation’

One new theory has been added to the mix about why many – but not all – humans lock lips in love

The Guardian - AU

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

‘Five to ten seconds appears to be optimal’: the science behind hugs

As an airport limits goodbye cuddles to three minutes, here’s a guide to different embraces, and their positive effects

The Guardian - UK

Party season is coming. Here are 2 ways to make small talk less awkward

Most people will tell you they hate small talk. It can feel awkward, especially when it steers to that blandest of topics, the weather.

The Conversation

‘Be more vulnerable!’ What women can teach men about friendship – and what they can learn from men

Banter, backslaps and no falling out – or baring your soul and obsessing over BFFs? When it comes to friendship, men and women tend to do things differently. So what can they learn from each other?

The Guardian - UK

I was obsessed with collecting friends – but it left me feeling empty

A study suggests that the optimal number of friends a person can have is five; any fewer and we are prone to loneliness. But this discovery came late for Anya Meyerowitz, who spent decades collecting as many people for her tribe as possible

The Independent UK

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Meet regularly, invest time – and don’t hold grudges: 10 ways to revitalise flagging friendships

Staying close to friends isn’t always easy. From calling out flakiness to singing together in a choir, experts share their advice on how to keep the spark alive

The Guardian - UK

‘A mega-mechanism for bonding’: why singing together does us good

Carols and choirs are enjoying a boom in popularity, and science is showing how they improve lives

The Guardian - UK

You don't need words to calm a grumpy kid. Parents around the world use a magic touch

Modern parents are told to TALK with an agitated kid to improve their mood. But in many cultures, mom and dad opt for a soothing caress to induce tranquility. Neurologists explain why it works.

WEKU

I find socialising so tiring, but worry I’m missing out

Experiment with being who you are, not who you think you ought to be

The Guardian - UK

‘We don’t do deep emotional discussions’: why men lose their friends – and how they can make more

A quarter of British men say they have no close mates. But even in middle age, where the ‘friendship recession’ hits hardest, it’s possible to buck the trend

The Guardian - UK

Bruce Daisley: “We should remember to enjoy the strength we draw from each other”

Author Bruce Daisley celebrates the power of communities and learns lessons from a champion marathon runner in his exploration into human physical and mental resilience

The Independent UK

Five intimate friendships is the optimal amount – I scrape two

Research tells us living near our loved ones makes us happier and strengthens our relationships. But is that possible, and how can we be better friends if not, asks Emma Beddington

The Guardian - UK

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The Guardian - UK

‘I learned to love the bot’: meet the chatbots that want to be your best friend

Thousands of people enjoy relationships of all kinds – companionship, romantic, mental health support – with chatbot apps. Are they helpful, or potentially dangerous?

The Guardian - UK

‘It feels unconditional’: the secrets of lifelong friendships - according to lifelong friends

Friends are essential to our health and happiness, and even affect how long we live. But how do you keep a relationship alive when you are living in different places and can barely make time for yourself?

The Walrus

Alone Is about Much More than Pure Survival

The History channel series spins our fear of solitude into a showcase of how much humans can withstand

The Independent UK

This is how many close friends most women need, survey suggests

More than nine in 10 women wish they could spend more time with friends

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news in one place.

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One news app.

The Independent UK

Experts reveal how many hours of socialising it takes to seal a friendship

Two thirds of those polled said they were actively looking to make new friends

Wales Online

What it takes to turn an acquaintance into a friend

You need 34 hours of commitment with each interaction lasting just over three hours

Evening Standard

Pint? Anyone? The big problem men have with keeping friends (and what I did about it)

When Max Dickins got engaged to his girlfriend, he realised he had no one to be his best man. He soon learned that he wasn’t the only bloke with a friendship issue

The Guardian - UK

Let’s be honest - faiths divide us. It can be hard to see the ties that bind

As Easter, Ramadan and Passover festivals converge, it was a week in which I got to test my convictions

The Guardian - UK

How Religion Evolved by Robin Dunbar review – sharp history of belief

The Oxford psychology professor traces the evolutionary advantages, or otherwise, of faith

The Guardian - UK

Religion is here to stay – but it must evolve to meet our needs

Letters: Liz Slade makes a case for Unitarian churches, Joanna Hodgkin says prayer is more important for her than church, while Robert Chamberlain looks to James 1:27

Inverse

30 years ago, one scientist redefined social networks — and revealed an evolutionary truth

Dunbar's number predicts our social networks and seems to govern how some algorithms work. The number — 150 people — holds up against scrutiny.

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