Proximity Decay: The Allen Curve and the Invisible Geometric Collapse of Remote Collaboration

In the age of instant digital communication, we operate under the assumption that physical distance no longer matters. With video calls and endless messaging channels, a colleague across the globe should be just as accessible as one sitting at the next desk. Yet, the fundamental geometry of human behavior refuses to adapt to our software.

In the late 1970s, MIT professor Thomas Allen discovered a ruthless mathematical truth known as the Allen Curve. He proved that the frequency of communicat...