"Eighty people hold the same amount of wealth as the world’s 3.6 billion poorest people, according to an analysis just released from Oxfam. The report from the global anti-poverty organization finds that since 2009, the wealth of those 80 richest has doubled in nominal terms — while the wealth of the poorest 50 percent of the world’s population has fallen." - Todd Hoff

It wouldn't surprise me that this is an invariant in a connected human graph. Kings would have all the resources in ages past, today all that's missing are the crowns. - Todd Hoff

Why do human societies tend to organize in these structures? (There have to be reasons.) - Sean McBride

The driving force for why so few control so much is a want for MORE that organizes structure through access to opportunity. Like how raindrops at the top of a mountain organize into rivers as they flow down to the sea. The sea are the people who attract resources because they occupy the sink position in a kind of resource/energy/opportunity/gravity gradient. Rain is all the little opportunities that must flow down a mountain/gradient by their very nature. Rivers are the flowing channels that form as opportunities accumulate on their way to greet the sea. Money is energy and flows of energy organize structure. Energy flows always cause structures to self-organize in such a way as to maximize flow to the sea. The small number of people who control the majority of wealth are both created by the flow and help keep the flow moving. The people change, but the flow is forever. This is the Great Game. - Todd Hoff

^ where did that come from, Todd? - Greg GuitarBuster

It's mine. I'd use quotes otherwise. - Todd Hoff

How many animal species organize themselves into hierarchical social structures? And is there a genetic basis for this behavior? - Sean McBride

Quite a few species organize as groups from herds of sheep and goats to prides of lions. - Greg GuitarBuster