# Do you know what Dunbar's Number is? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624 "2011-05-20T21:44:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/21 "2011-05-21T04:28:11Z")
Another, “not by name, know of the concept”. Voted no in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/22 "2011-05-21T04:36:31Z")
Brings a tear to my eye every time they show it at the Garden. I’m glad it was retired. Actually i am familiar with the entire concept but didn’t know that it had anyone’s name attached to it. i thought it was just some well known meme best expressed by the Monkeysphere. Also voted no. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/23 "2011-05-21T04:46:13Z")
I had a boss once whose name was Dunbar. He was a zero. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/24 "2011-05-21T05:41:45Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > While I answered no, I do know about the monkey sphere. Same here. Thank you, David Wong. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/25 "2011-05-21T09:46:44Z")
I couldn’t remember the term, but expected that once I googled it I would say: _Oh yeah! Now I remember!_ I was wrong. I have never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/26 "2011-05-21T10:22:45Z")
Didn’t know the term but have stumbled across the concept. Writing before Dunbar, Jaynes discusses a variation of it in his wonderful book: [QUOTE=Julian Jaynes] Now here is a very significant change in human affairs. Instead of a nomadic tribe of about twenty hunters … we have a town with a population of at least 200 persons… Of course it is not impossible that one chief could dominate a few hundred people. But it would be a time-consuming task if such domination had to be through face-to-face encounters… [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/27 "2011-05-21T10:26:14Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Another, “not by name, know of the concept”. Voted no in the poll. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/28 "2011-05-21T11:59:57Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Another, “not by name, know of the concept”. Voted no in the poll. And me too. I even knew the value was 150ish. Sounds to me like Prof. Dunbar needs to go on the Daily Show like that idiot woman with the Area 51 book or do some serious self-promotion like that fool preacher in Oakland. \*Then \*we’d all know his name in addition to his ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/29 "2011-05-21T13:16:11Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Another, “not by name, know of the concept”. Voted no in the poll. Ditto ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/30 "2011-05-21T14:22:34Z")
Isn;t it the phone number of Russell Dunbar on the show Rules of Engagement? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/31 "2011-05-21T14:33:13Z")
I’m another ‘knew of the concept but not the term’ person. It sounds like an interesting basis for a talk. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/32 "2011-05-21T15:56:16Z")
I replied no but after googling it I do know the concept. I read it in The Tipping Point. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/33 "2011-05-21T16:09:03Z")
Cool, thanks guys. I hadn’t actually heard about the monkeysphere term - it’s interesting that the concept has gotten out under a couple different names. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/34 "2011-05-21T16:12:57Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > While I answered no, I do know about the monkey sphere. I think I may have heard it called Dunbar’s number, but after I wiki’d it, my first reaction was ‘Oh, it’s the monkey sphere!’, too. I even remember where I first heard about it: it was this [Cracked article](http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/35 "2011-05-21T16:18:19Z")
I voted yes, because I know in general what it is, but I don’t have a thorough understanding of the concept, and I’m skeptical that a numerical value can be placed on every darn thing in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/36 "2011-05-21T18:22:31Z")
Never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/37 "2011-05-21T18:26:46Z")
I answered ‘yes’ because I thought I knew what it was, and googling reveals that I was right. But ‘know’ might have been overstating things somewhat - my confidence level wasn’t that high or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/38 "2011-05-21T20:29:45Z")
Never heard of it. Anybody here know what Skewe’s number is? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/39 "2011-05-21T20:44:49Z")
I answered no, but on reading the thread, as soon as folks started mentioning sociology, I said to myself “wait, is that the monkeysphere number?”. > [@](#): > > Never heard of it. Anybody here know what Skewe’s number is? That one I know, at least in generalities. It’s a lot bigger than Dunbar’s number. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624/40 "2011-05-21T21:55:16Z")
Like others, didn’t know the name, did know the concept once I googled it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-dunbars-number-is/582624.md?page=3)