YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT...

Well except you Ray Kinsella, you did build that. (go ahead google it)  

The truth is, people have lived together, and helping each other in some social manner for as far back as we know. I know this cuz  Nicholas Wade told me in his New York Times article.  According to Wade's research on the hunter-gather era that has dominated our human existence, "tribes with highly cooperative members would prevail over those that were less cohesive, thus promoting genes for cooperation."  I imagine it is pretty difficult to bring down a saber tooth tiger by yourself....it might be a good idea to have some friends and a game plan before you leap into that fight.  

As humans we are  blessed by Darwin with the ability to speak and develop complex languages which we use to communicate ideas with one another, allowing for an expansion of knowledge and ability.  A group allows the opportunity for many to act as one in accomplish various objectives efficiently and cohesively, bringing the group closer to its long term goals.  

In a report for Sciencemag.org written by Anita W. Woolley titled "Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups", Woolley conducted a study about individuals working together in groups, and from her findings makes the case that the "collective intelligence", or "c", of a group is not based around the individual intelligence of the members, but rather the groups social dynamics and interpersonal communication abilities. More specifically she states "there was a significant correlation between "c" and the average social sensitivity of group members". Here I interpret social sensitivity to mean degrees of empathy.  Moreover, she states "c was negatively correlated with the variance in the number of speaking turns by group members" such that "groups where a few people dominated the conversation were less collectively intelligent than those with a more equal distribution of conversational turn-taking."  

Woolley's research report also got quite the attention buzz with it's last finding that collective intelligence "was positively and significantly correlated with the proportion of females in the group".  I feel the same rule goes for parties- you always want there to be a higher girl to guy ratio. But really I agree with Woolley's findings, women do tend to be more socially sensitive than men, I don't know about being more social, but definitely more socially sensitive.  Idk why this seems to be, it might be cultural, it might be something to do with the differences of brain function between men and women.  As a man I could say that this is some bullshit research based on some subjective ass questions conducted by a woman for women and the only results need be known on the issue can be researched every Sunday while watching the NFL- but I wont't because that would sound ignorant.  Some might even think that I'm some kind of caveman.  But to be fair to cavemen, without them first, we wouldn't be now.