fireflies

Fireflies’ synchronized light shows have fascinated observers for ages. Credit: Raphaël Sarfati, CC BY-ND Imagine an ancient forest in the fading light of a summer evening. As the last rays of the sun disappear below the horizon, a small flash catches your eye. You turn around, hold your breath; it flashes again, hovering 2 feet …

Synchronize with chaos: the flashing lights of a swarm of fireflies embody in nature what mathematics predicted Read More »

Imagine an ancient forest in the fading light of a summer evening. As the last rays of the sun disappear below the horizon, a small flash catches your eye. You turn around, hold your breath; it flashes again, hovering 2 feet above the leaf litter. From across the dark clearing, a fleeting response. Then another, …

Synchronize with chaos – the flashing lights of a swarm of fireflies embody in nature what mathematics predicted Read More »