Month: September 2022

NEW MODEL "for long-range information exchange in bird flocks based on the projected view of each individual out through the flock. Visual input is coarse grained to a pattern of (dark) bird against (light) sky. We propose the simplest hybrid projection model that combines metric-free coalignment, and noise, with this projected view; here the birds fly toward the resolved vector sum of all the domain boundaries." https://lnkd.in/ernkfgF View in LinkedIn

SELF-ASSEMBLING FLOCKS. "This model leads to robustly coherent flocks that self-assemble to a state of marginal opacity. It therefore provides a mechanism for the control of density." https://lnkd.in/ernkfgF View in LinkedIn

CUSP OF A SHIFT. "The secret lies in the same systems that apply to anything on the cusp of a shift, like snow before an avalanche, where the velocity of one bird affects the velocity of the rest. It is called "scale-free correlation" and every shift of the murmuration is called a critical transition." https://lnkd.in/eJ7rdtJ View in LinkedIn

SCALE-FREE. "The change in the behavioral state of one animal affects and is affected by that of all other animals in the group, no matter how large the group is. Scale-free correlations provide each animal with an effective perception range much larger than the direct interindividual interaction range, thus enhancing global response to perturbations. Because the size of the flock doesn't matter, a huge flock is able to respond to a predator attack as effectively and fluidly as a small flock." https://lnkd.in/eJ7rdtJ View in LinkedIn

CRUX OF THE MATTER. "The question remains, however, how does an individual bird spark a change if all are busy responding to the movement of everyone else? And more importantly, how do they do it so incredibly quickly?" https://lnkd.in/eJ7rdtJ View in LinkedIn

STARLINGS AND FERROMAGNETS. "The researchers give the example of ferromagnetism, where particles in a magnet exhibit perfect interconnection at a precise, 'critical' temperature." The team's research suggests that starling murmurations are just such a critical system." https://lnkd.in/eJ7rdtJ View in LinkedIn

MURMURING BRAIN. "The concept of the brain as a network is gaining traction and is rapidly becoming a dominant perspective. I contend that the whole notion of functional areas should be abandoned. Rather than the brain being a fixed collection of functional areas, it is much more like a continuously changing flock of starlings. At any given point in time it is possible to identify clusters in a flock of birds. However, the clusters rapidly change size, shape, and location." https://lnkd.in/e7ZHptT View in LinkedIn

BONE NON-LINEAR PATTERN FORMATION. "One mechanism is examined here – chaotic non-linear pattern formation (NPF) – which underlies in a unifying way natural structures as disparate as trabecular bone, swarms of birds flying, island formation, fluid turbulence, and others." https://lnkd.in/efe-KPB View in LinkedIn

PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION. "At the heart of NPF is the fact that simple rules operating between interacting elements, and Turing-like interaction between global and local signals, lead to complex and structured patterns. The study of “group intelligence” exhibited by swarming birds or shoaling fish has led to an embodiment of NPF called “particle swarm optimization” (PSO)." (NPF: Chaotic non-linear pattern formation). https://lnkd.in/efe-KPB View in LinkedIn

SWARM INTELLIGENCE IN CELLS. "This theoretical model could be applicable to the behavior of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes, seeing them operating “socially” in response simultaneously to both global and local signals (endocrine, cytokine, mechanical), resulting in their clustered activity at formation and resorption sites." https://lnkd.in/efe-KPB View in LinkedIn