How Science Predicts Emergence in Human and Animal Behavior

Explore the fascinating world of emergent behavior in humans and animals through the lens of scientific prediction. Discover how physics principles can model crowd dynamics, traffic patterns, and animal group behaviors. Learn about the kinetic theory of gases, statistical mechanics, and their applications to human and animal collective behavior. Delve into the concept of emergence in complex systems and understand how simple rules can lead to intricate, seemingly intelligent group behaviors. Examine real-world examples of emergent phenomena, from pedestrian movements to bird murmurations and fish schooling. Gain insights into how these models reveal fundamental truths about the universe's workings and the predictability of large-scale behaviors despite individual unpredictability.

Human group behavior is not complex
Magellan documentary on birds
Crowds are predictable but individuals are not
Kinetic theory of gases, statistical mechanics
Statistical physics applied to crowds
Kinetic theory applied to road traffic
Emergent behavior in animals
What this tells us about how the universe works?