The way fireflies are able to synchronize their flashing lights has fascinated scientists for generations. Now, new research has revealed that the same principle of synchronization seen in fireflies is also seen in brain cells, and even in human dancers.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have demonstrated that synchronization of flashing lights and rhythmic activity can happen in both animals and humans. By studying fireflies, they were able to identify the principle of synchronization – a process in which two or more objects match their behavior in a coordinated manner. This same principle was also seen in human dancers, as well as in brain cells.

The findings show that synchronization is an intrinsic quality of both biological and social systems, and that it is possible for us to use it to better understand the behavior of both. This could have implications for neuroscience, as well as for the study of collective behavior.

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source: Phys.org