How Collaboration and Collective Action Are Powering Science and Engineering
From the deepest mysteries of the cosmos to the simple act of breaking a piece of spaghetti, the principle that a collective is stronger than the sum of its parts is a fundamental force in nature and human endeavor. This concept, often called "strength in numbers," is not just a popular saying; it is a powerful driver of modern scientific discovery, engineering innovation, and social resilience. In an age defined by complex global challenges, scientists are increasingly moving away from the myth of the lone genius and toward a model of collaborative problem-solving. This article explores how this principle operates across different scales—from the bundled strands of a simple pasta beam to the international, interdisciplinary teams unlocking the secrets of the universe—and reveals why our collective future depends on it.
Once upon a time, the image of a solitary scientist achieving a brilliant breakthrough in a lonely lab was a common trope. No longer.
Today, science is increasingly conducted in teams that can include hundreds of researchers scattered across continents and representing a range of hierarchies and disciplines 1 . This shift has given rise to a new field of study: the "science of team science," which investigates how these complex collaborations function and how to make them more effective.
Research in team science investigates how complex collaborations function and how to make them more effective.
Successful collaborations employ "consultative collaboration management" to incorporate team member preferences.
Research in this field, synthesised from national surveys and interviews with scientists, seeks to answer critical questions: When three hundred people contribute to a discovery, who gets credit? How can all collaborators' concerns be addressed? What separates successful STEM collaborations from failed ones? 1 . The answers are crucial because collaborative research is not automatically more effective than individual work. Successful collaborations often employ what researchers call "consultative collaboration management," a strategy that deliberately incorporates the preferences and values of all team members to optimize the group's effectiveness 1 .
This collective approach even extends to how leading scientific journals evaluate new work. Nature Communications has implemented a policy to reduce the negative impact of being "scooped"—when a competing study is published while another team's similar work is still under review.
The journal recognizes that when two independent groups arrive at similar conclusions, they are, in effect, validating each other's findings. This corroboration strengthens scientific knowledge and enhances reproducibility, a cornerstone of the scientific endeavor 2 . This policy encourages a healthy shift away from an excessive focus on being "first" and toward a recognition of the inherent value of verified, collective knowledge.
The principle of "strength in numbers" is not just an abstract concept; it can be demonstrated with a simple, hands-on experiment that reveals fundamental properties of materials. By testing beams made from bundled spaghetti, we can explore how collective structures bear loads and why they sometimes fail.
Bundling spaghetti strands together increases their collective strength, demonstrating the "strength in numbers" principle in materials science.
This experiment tests the bearing capacity of spaghetti beams of different thicknesses. You can perform it yourself with common household items 4 6 9 .
Set up two chairs, tables, or boxes of equal height, leaving a gap between them that is slightly shorter than a piece of uncooked spaghetti.
Take a paper or plastic cup and use a nail or pen to poke two holes near the top rim, opposite each other. Thread a loop of string through the holes to create a handle. Bend a paperclip into an "S" hook.
Bundle together different numbers of spaghetti strands using rubber bands or tape to secure them at both ends. For example, you might test beams of 1, 5, 10, and 25 strands.
Place a spaghetti beam across the gap between your supports. Hang the cup from the center of the beam using the paperclip hook. Slowly and carefully begin adding weight to the cup using coins or water. If using coins, support the cup as you add each one to avoid sudden impacts.
Continue adding weight until the beam breaks. Record the total weight the beam held (including the cup itself) for each trial. Repeat the test at least three times for each beam size to get an average.
Pay close attention to where the break happens. Do you hear individual strands snap before the complete failure? Are the first breaks at the top or the bottom of the beam?
You should find that a single strand of spaghetti can hold very little weight before it snaps. As you bundle more strands together, the total weight the beam can support increases. However, the relationship is not perfectly proportional. The strength-to-weight ratio—the weight supported divided by the weight of the beam itself—is a key metric for evaluating efficiency 4 .
Dry spaghetti is a brittle material, meaning it fractures suddenly with little bending 9 .
This is because when the beam bends under the load, the bottom strands are stretched and experience tension (a pulling-apart force), while the top strands are squeezed together under compression 6 . This experiment demonstrates a "brittle failure," which is exactly what engineers strive to avoid in structures like bridges and buildings. Understanding how and why bundled materials fail is the first step in designing safer, more resilient structures.
| Number of Spaghetti Strands | Trial 1: Max Weight (g) | Trial 2: Max Weight (g) | Trial 3: Max Weight (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 18 | 16 |
| 5 | 85 | 90 | 80 |
| 10 | 150 | 170 | 155 |
| 25 | 350 | 375 | 340 |
| Number of Spaghetti Strands | Average Weight Supported (g) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16.3 |
| 5 | 85.0 |
| 10 | 158.3 |
| 25 | 355.0 |
| Number of Spaghetti Strands | Avg. Weight Supported (g) | Beam Weight (g) | Strength-to-Weight Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16.3 | 1 | 16.3 |
| 5 | 85.0 | 5 | 17.0 |
| 10 | 158.3 | 10 | 15.8 |
| 25 | 355.0 | 25 | 14.2 |
The primary test material. Its brittle properties allow for clear observation of tension and compression failures.
Used to construct a hook and hanger that applies the load to the center of the spaghetti beam without friction.
The cup holds weights which apply a measurable, increasing force to determine bearing capacity.
These bundle individual strands into a composite beam, allowing testing of collective strength.
The "strength in numbers" principle extends far beyond materials science into the very fabric of human society. From ancient times, communities have provided key evolutionary advantages: protection from threats, sharing of resources, and collective problem-solving 8 . This unity transforms individual abilities into a collective force, a "social technology" that has been vital to human progress.
Groups consistently outperform individuals on complex tasks. Breakthroughs like gravitational waves detection and CRISPR were collaborative achievements.
Emotional support in communities reduces stress, improves health, and fosters resilience.
Communities pass down knowledge, traditions, and practices through generations, creating a foundation for innovation.
Today, this is evident in the power of collective intelligence, where groups consistently outperform individuals on complex tasks. Breakthroughs like the detection of gravitational waves and the development of CRISPR gene editing were not the work of lone geniuses but of large, collaborative teams pooling cognitive resources 8 . Similarly, the emotional and social support found in communities—from close-knit neighborhoods to online support groups—is proven to reduce stress, improve health, and foster resilience 8 .
Furthermore, communities are the engine of cultural transmission, ensuring that knowledge, traditions, and practices are passed down and refined through generations 8 . This creates a foundation upon which each new generation can build, avoiding the need to rediscover fundamental knowledge and instead focusing on innovation.
From the bundled spaghetti beam that reveals the physics of failure to the global research teams that are expanding the frontiers of human knowledge, "strength in numbers" proves to be a durable and powerful principle.
It teaches us that whether facing the physical forces on a structure or the complex challenges of modern science and society, we are stronger together. The lesson is clear: by harnessing the power of collaboration, collective intelligence, and shared purpose, we can build a more resilient, innovative, and successful future for all.
The principle of "strength in numbers" applies across disciplines, from materials science to social organization, demonstrating that collective action is fundamental to progress and resilience.