Fireflies — emergent synchronization

Fireflies puts hundreds of glowing dots in a dark meadow. Each one has its own internal clock — but they nudge each other a little every time a neighbor blinks. After a few seconds, they all blink together. This is the Kuramoto model, the same math that explains real fireflies in the Smoky Mountains synchronizing their flashes.

How to play

There's nothing to play, that's the magic. Watch. Move the cursor across the meadow and the fireflies drift toward it, gathering into a glowing pool. Watch the SYNC meter rise as their phases align.

Why it's satisfying

Synchronization without a conductor is one of nature's most surprising tricks. Fireflies makes the invisible math visible: dozens of independent agents, each obeying a tiny local rule, end up moving as one.

About

Fireflies is part of Alcy, thirty free contemplative micro-games in your browser. Other emergent simulations: Murmuration, Wave, Orbit.