Shows
How Humans Work Podcast#48: Robin Dunbar - Friends, Tribes and Social CohesionEpisode SummaryRenowned evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar returns for part two of his conversation with Jef Szi and the How Humans Work Podcast, diving deeper into the limits and leaps of human social patterns.In this episode, Professor Dunbar expands on the evolutionary foundations of human relationships, moving beyond social grooming and the endorphin system to explore kinship and the deeper nature of our social lives.He begins by examining the cost and time investment required to maintain our inner circle of intimate friends. From there, he maps out the concentric layers of...2025-05-301h 05
How Humans Work Podcast#47: Robin Dunbar - The Chemistry of ConnectionEpisode SummaryThe equally erudite and jovial Robin Dunbar joins Jef Szi and the How Humans Work Podcast for the first of a two part conversation about limits and leaps of social patterns in primates and humans. An Oxford University professor of evolutionary psychology and someone with a facile grasp of multiple sciences and histories, Professor Dunbar offers us a fascinating account of the social roots of human nature. In part 1—The Chemistry of Connection—we dive deeply into the endorphin system and the how it functions to stabilize social bonds in groups. We come to s...2025-05-2041 min
The Privileged Man PodcastE27 - Robin Dunbar – The Science of Male Friendship & Why Men Need a TribeWhy do so many men lose friendships in midlife? And what does science say about the impact of social isolation on male health and well-being?In this episode of The Privileged Man Podcast, host Pete Hunt sits down with renowned evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar to explore the biological and social foundations of male friendship. Dunbar, a leading expert in human relationships, explains why men are wired for structured social networks—and why losing them can have serious consequences.Find out how privileged you REALLY are in just 90 seconds by clicking here.https://insight.mo...2025-03-111h 00
ResearchPodSize matters: The link between social groups and human evolution with Robin DunbarHumans are social creatures; we live in family groups, socialise with friends, and work with colleagues both in person and online. Yet, how many friends do you really have? Evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar says it won’t be more than 150. Proposed in the 1990s, ‘Dunbar’s number’ puts a limit on the number of stable relationships humans can maintain at any given time, and his ‘social brain hypothesis’ suggests that brain size is directly related to social group size in mammals. In short, the bigger the group, the bigger the brain. In this interview with our siste...2025-02-261h 00ResearchPodSize matters: The link between social groups and human evolution with Robin DunbarHumans are social creatures; we live in family groups, socialise with friends, and work with colleagues both in person and online. Yet, how many friends do you really have? Evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar says it won’t be more than 150. Proposed in the 1990s, ‘Dunbar’s number’ puts a limit on the number of stable relationships humans can maintain at any given time, and his ‘social brain hypothesis’ suggests that brain size is directly related to social group size in mammals. In short, the bigger the group, the bigger the brain. In this interview with our siste...2025-02-261h 00
Unbound | Conversations Without Limits#40: Robin Dunbar | The Science of Human Connection and EvolutionRobin Dunbar, a renowned anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist, delves into human connection and the evolution of social structures. He is widely known for devising "Dunbar’s Number," which explores how early life in culturally diverse environments shaped his understanding of the social complexities in monkeys, apes, and humans.From his groundbreaking studies on sociability in primates to human evolution, Robin illuminates the parallels between our primate cousins and contemporary human society, revealing how these insights contribute to our understanding of relationships today. Join us to explore:Human vs. primate social structuresDunbar’s Num...2025-02-261h 09
The Art of DecidingRobin Dunbar and Sam Rockey - authors of The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful GroupsWhat is the ideal number of people to involve in a collective decision? What do we need to be happy - and effective - in a group? Why should more companies have pubs?Professor Robin Dunbar is Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford. He’s famous for Dunbar’s number - the limit to the amount of meaningful relationships that we can have at any one time (listen to the podcast to find out what it is). Sam Rockey is an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School - also at Oxford - and a cons...2025-02-0627 min
Branches of Philosophy Podcast[76] How Religion Evolved And Why It Endures By Robin DunbarAn introduction and summary of "How Religion Evolved And Why It Endures" By Robin Dunbar 2022
A fascinating analysis of the evolution of religion from the internationally renowned evolutionary psychologistWhen did humans develop spiritual thought? What is religion's evolutionary purpose? And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured?Every society in the history of humanity has lived with religion. In How Religion Evolved, evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar tracks its origins back to what he terms the 'mystical stance' - the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a transcendent world, and which...2024-10-1315 min
Understanding EmotionsExploring Dunbar's Number and Gender Dynamics with Professor Robin DunbarFree guide on emotional intelligence: https://newsletter.sankalpgarud.org/52waysguide
In this episode, I sit down with the esteemed Professor Robin Dunbar, emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford. We dive into Dunbar's Number and the science behind the limits of human relationships. Our discussion spans various topics, including the formation of friendships, the importance of shared humor, gender differences in attraction, and the dynamics of dating. We also explore how cultural and environmental factors influence social networks, the impact of online dating, and the intriguing neuroscience of relationships. Join us...2024-08-251h 53
Intelligence SquaredThe Magic Number for Creating a Successful Team, with Robin DunbarThe anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar is Emeritus Professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University. He’s also part of a small club of academics whose work has become part of the modern public discourse as the thinker behind Dunbar’s Number, the idea that humans can only meaningfully maintain around 150 social relationships at a time. In the social media and hybrid working age, his work has helped us better understand how our friendships and online networks operate. His latest book, co-authored with Oxford University colleagues Samantha Rockey and Tracey Camilleri from the Saïd Business School, is The S...2024-06-2355 min
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'ShaughnessyRobin Dunbar - Optimizing Human Connection (Dunbar's Number)My guest today is Robin Dunbar. Robin is a biological anthropologist, evolutionary psychologist, and specialist in primate behavior. He is the man behind Dunbar’s number, a theory about the number of stable relationships we can maintain at once. Robin unravels the thread of research that led him to Dunbar’s number and describes how this plays into every single person’s layers of human connection. It was fascinating to hear how his findings on social circles have implications for optimally structuring businesses and organizations, as well as the idea of homophily, all of which Robin thoughtfully explains. It was a...2024-04-021h 02
unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc400. The Essence of Human Bonds from Tribes to Modernity feat. Robin DunbarUnlock the mysteries of human connections as we share a compelling dialogue with the man behind ‘Dunbar’s Number,’ the number of connections that humans can and do maintain across different cultures and time periods. What evolutionary forces have sculpted the essence of friendship and religion, also impacting our well-being and longevity?Robin Dunbar is emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford. He is also the author of several books, including Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships, How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures, and The Science of Love and Betrayal.R...2024-03-251h 10
Please ExpandHow Religion Evolved with Robin DunbarIn this episode we look at Robin Dunbar's particular thesis that religion is not just an unexpected outcome of evolution but is, in fact, a mode of engaging with the world that confers substantial benefits on its adherents. We look at the importance of group bonding and the important role that religion plays in this. We talk about why religion is the most effective mode of bonding people in large groups, paying special attention to the role that endorphin release plays in this. Indeed, the emotional background to religion raises interesting questions about the futility of arguing about religious...2024-03-022h 10
Keep TalkingEpisode 93: Robin Dunbar - Why Do Humans Have Friends? Robin Dunbar is a professor, an evolutionary psychologist, and the author of many books, including "Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships." During our conversation, Robin talks about how and why he became interested in evolutionary psychology, what evolutionary psychology is, and its explanatory power.He also talks about human social dynamics, and our "circles of friendship." These concentric circles include the universal findings of how, on average, human numerically structure their social lives: intimate friends (1.5), close friends (5), best friends (15), good friends (50), friends (150), acquaintances (500), and known names (1,500). "Dunbar's number" of 150 is really just one of...2024-02-101h 06
3 Books With Neil PasrichaChapter 132: Robin Dunbar on nullifying negativity with numbered natural networksBack in Chapter 101 of ‘3 Books’ we had a magical, eve-of-‘Everything-Everywhere-All-At-Once’-coming-out moment-in-time conversation with creative super-geniuses Daniels — who are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. We were discussing the fascinating book 'Sex At Dawn' and our conversation led to discussing Dunbar’s Number. Dunbar’s Number! Have you heard of Dunbar’s Number? It’s 150! That’s the cognitive limit on the number of social relationships we can have. We, as in humans. Limit, as in our brains can’t handle any more. The number was coined, of course, by Oxford Emeritus Professor, Anthropologist, Evolutionary Psychologist, and Gener...2024-01-253h 11
Inner Life, Talks and ThoughtsHow to make friendship work. A conversation with Robin DunbarRobin Dunbar is an Oxford evolutionary psychologist who has written extensively about friendship, amongst other things, not least in relation to “Dunbar’s Number”.We talked about what friendship is, and how it differs from other loves. We explored the varieties of friendship that people experience, and why metaphors such as “circles of friends” are so significant.Numbers are illuminating when it comes to understanding the dynamics of friendship, not only Dunbar’s Number, but also other threshold numbers – 5, 15, 50, 150, 500. Get those group sizes right, and much will be gained.We also asked about why social med...2023-11-101h 14
The Business of Being BrilliantS6 E7 'Understanding our social brain' with Professor Robin DunbarI talk with Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, originator of ‘Dunbar’s number’ and a leading expert in the psychology of high-performing groups. We chat about optimimum group sizes for different tasks and why investing in social time at work yields the greatest returns. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.2023-10-2236 min
Rediscovering Connection with Shelley Doyle#7 - Dr. Robin Dunbar - Building Community in the Modern WorkplacePart 2 of our Podcast with Dr Robin Dunbar - renowned anthropologist, Head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research at the University of Oxford, and the mind behind Dunbar's Number - focuses on community building and loneliness in the modern workplace.In this episode, Robin compares organizations to intimate villages, we dive into the history of community in the workplace, and the profound impact of remote work on team dynamics.We discuss the challenges of maintaining team cohesion in a remote work environment and strategies to keep team dynamics alive.And we question...2023-09-0840 min
Rediscovering Connection with Shelley Doyle#6 - Dr. Robin Dunbar - The Science of Connection and FriendshipDr Robin Dunbar is a renowned anthropologist, Head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research at the University of Oxford, and the mind behind Dunbar's Number. In this episode of Rediscovering Connection we explore the secrets of lasting friendship and the intriguing world of social interaction. Do you ever wonder what it takes to cultivate and maintain lasting friendships? Have you considered the profound impact of social connections on your wellbeing? Robin enlightens us on the significance of having a tight-knit group of friends for optimum health and happiness. Diving into virtual friendships, tru...2023-09-011h 55
The CFO PlaybookHow Social Evolution Affects the Dynamic of Organizations with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford
This episode of the CFO Playbook features an interview with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford and Co-author of The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups.Professor Dunbar is British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist and a specialist in primate behavior. He is best known for formulating Dunbar’s number, a measurement of the “cognitive limit to the number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships.” His research is concerned with trying to understand the behavioral and cognitive mechanisms that underpin social bonding in primates and humans.In thi...2023-06-2845 min
The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & PsychotherapyInterview #50: The Evolution of Friendships and Dating (With Professor Robin Dunbar)Professor Robin Dunbar is a British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist and a specialist in primate behaviour. He is currently head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. He is best known for formulating Dunbar's number, a measurement of the "cognitive limit to the number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships".He is the author of many books including Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships which we discuss today. Interviewed by Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson with Dr...2023-05-191h 20