Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 4 d ago, last 3 d ago, peak #2

Starling murmurations show order emerging without leaders

Original: A murmuration of starlings — thousands of birds swirling as one. 🐦 No leader. Each bird just follows about 7 neighbors,

Thousands of starlings have been filmed forming vast, shifting shapes in the sky, a behaviour known as a murmuration. Each bird tracks only about seven neighbours, yet this simple rule produces swirling collective motion with no leader. Physicists study the phenomenon to model flocking, drone swarms and crowd safety, and observers continue to share the spectacle widely.

Why now: The striking visuals and the counterintuitive science of self-organisation make murmurations a recurring point of fascination.

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Rank over time, top of the chart is #1. 15 snapshots from 4 d ago to 3 d ago.

Evidence

• A murmuration of starlings — thousands of birds swirling as one. 🐦 No leader. Each bird just follows about 7 neighbors, and from that simple rule these breathtaking shapes emerge. Physicists study murmurations to understand flocking, drone swarms, even crowd safety. It may also… · eatrics · 4

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