We describe a new type of collective behavior in C. elegans nematodes, aggregation of starved L1 larvae. Shortly after hatching in the absence of food, L1 larvae arrest their development and disperse in search for food. In contrast, after two or more days without food, the worms change their behavior--they start to aggregate. The aggregation requires a small amount of ethanol or acetate in the ...

The Human Dynamics research group at the MIT Media Laboratory has demonstrated that wearable technology can be used to characterize face-to-face interactions, measure individual and collective patterns of human behavior, and automatically map out a company's de facto organizational chart (Choudhury & Pentland, 2003; Pentland, 2006; Olguin-Olguin et al., 2009a, 2009b). This capability can be an ...

We revisit the mean field model of globally and harmonically coupled parametric oscillators subject to periodic block pulses with initially random phases. The phase diagram of regions of collective parametric instability is presented, as is a detailed characterization of the motions underlying these instabilities. This presentation includes regimes not identified in earlier work [I. Bena and C....

We address the objective of the generation of finite magnetic flux out of unbiased thermal current fluctuations in a collection of identical mesoscopic cylinders which are coupled via mutual inductances. The influence of thermal Nyquist fluctuations are described in terms of a set of Langevin equations or a corresponding Fokker–Planck equation, respectively. In the limit of infinitely many cons...

Optimizing group success is challenging for multi-robot systems, especially for large systems such as robot swarms where even simple individual interaction rules can lead to complex group behavior. Studies of natural systems have shown that heterogeneous groups can outperform homogeneous groups, especially when individual differences lead to role or niche specialization. This happens even when ...

We discuss ambiguities of the two main dimensions of the map proposed by Bentley and colleagues that relate to the degree of self-reflection the observed agents have upon their behavior. This self-reflection is a variant of the "looping effect" which denotes that, in social research, the product of investigation influences the object of investigation. We outline how this can be understood as a ...

T he abundance of embedded computational resources in autonomous vehicles enables enhanced operational effectiveness through cooperative teamwork in civilian and military applications. Compared to autonomous vehicles that perform solo missions, greater efficiency and operational capability can be realized from teams of autonomous vehicles operating in a coordinated fashion. Potential applicatio...

Social organisms form striking aggregation patterns, displaying cohesion, polarization, and collective intelligence. Determining how they do so in nature is challenging; a plethora of simulation studies displaying life-like swarm behavior lack rigorous comparison with actual data because collecting field data of sufficient quality has been a bottleneck. Here, we bridge this gap by gathering and...

This paper explores the behavior of rational probabilistic deciders (RPDs) in three types of collectives: zero sum matrix games, fractional interactions, and Edgeworth exchange economies. The properties of steady states and transients are analyzed as a function of the level of rationality, N , and, in some cases, the size of the collective, M. It is shown that collectives of RPDs, may or may no...

A simple model of coupled oscillators is investigated from the perspective of quantum mechanics. The classical model of two oscillators connected by a common platform can be easily solved analytically, but the quantum system requires a numerical approach. We assume that both the oscillators and the platform are quantum objects in their respective ground states at start and they evolve in time a...