The book "Here's Looking at Euclid" (entitled "Alex's adventures in Numberland" in the UK) by Alex Bellos documents a conversation with Pierre Pica, currently i

The book "Here's Looking at Euclid" (entitled "Alex's adventures in Numberland" in the UK) by Alex Bellos documents a conversation with Pierre Pica, currently investigating the Pirahã in the Amazon, a tribe that apparently has no interest in counting, and appear not to be able to count accurately: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2210392 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2210392 Copyright seems to have expired on the excerpt that was in the Guardian, but it's pretty well discussed in this recent book. You can find much of Pica's work on-line if you choose. Here is one reference: http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/319.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/319.htm In short, I'm unconvinced that this is sheer and pure "churnalism," or that the Amazonian tribe that cannot count" really has been refuted. ADDED IN EDIT: Alex's book is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0747597162#reader-link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0747597162#reader-link and you can click on the "Search Inside" at left and search for "Pica."