Bristle-Bot swarming

Moshpit Simulator

Apparently, moshpits and heated gas molecules have a lot in common. Play with the controls on the flocking simulator to get different levels of chaos.
From: http://mattbierbaum.github.com/moshpits.js/
Listen to the news story about the science behind the simulator on NPR.

Flocking Behavior in Schools of Fish

A big influence on my artwork is a group behavior among social animals called flocking. Whether it is schools of fish, flocks of birds or swarms of ants; there really is a group intelligence at play that is reminiscent of both neurons in the brain as well as traffic patterns in cities... Although I do think that the fish have cars beat hands down as far as elegantly working together as a group.

Starlings Flocking

I am always baffled by this phenomenon. It is amazing that such a visual spectacle is achieved simply by each bird paying close attention and reacting to what its immediate neighbors are doing. And then, using this local behavior, a slight change in one bird's flight pattern radiates outward to the entire mass.