The science of HIPSTERS: Mathematical equation shows that trying to look different ultimately makes everyone look the SAME
Jonathan Touboul, a mathematician at
College de France,
normally spends his days studying the human brain, but recently had the
idea to apply principles of neuroscience to the study of hipsters. He
built a mathematical model, replacing the brain cells in a network with
“hipsters,” which were programmed to always choose the opposite of what
the majority were doing, and displayed anticonformist tendencies vs.
nonconformist.
Basically Touboul's research determines that in large
groups of individuals that are trying to go against the majority, by
trying to be different they will ultimately always do the same thing at
the same time, because it takes time for individuals to learn about and
process the decisions of others. Touboul concludes that “the hipster effect is this non-concerted
emergent collective phenomenon of looking alike trying to look
different.” And there you have it! Hipsters really do all look the same,
because science says so. Check out Touboul's calculations below for
proof.
