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Couples collide with fewer people on walks than pairs of friends do

An analysis of over 800 hours of footage from busy pedestrian areas in Japan found that pairs of people that share stronger social bonds are less likely to physically bump into other people walking

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

10 June 2023

Couples are less likely to physically collide with others than friends

Couples are less likely to physically collide with others than friends are

Shutterstock/Shawn.ccf

Couples are less likely to physically bump into other people when walking in busy public spaces than pairs of acquaintances or work colleagues are. However, adding a child into the mix makes the group more likely to have a collision.

When developing mathematical models for how people move in crowds, researchers often borrow techniques from particle physics. But there is one particularly important way that two people in a crowded corridor can differ from a pair of particles – …

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