How do you get 32 metronomes to tap in sync? You don’t have to, because they’ll do it themselves! By placing metronomes on a light, freely moving surface, they can eventually coax each other into rocking in beat. This process, known as phase synchronization, was first observed in pendulum clocks in 1657 by Christian Huygens. It has since been found in systems ranging from thermoacoustic engines in the lab to the rhythmic blinking of fireflies in nature. Despite their apparent differences, these systems all follow the same rules, laid out by Dr. Yoshiki Kuramoto. Kuramoto’s model shows that even complex and unpredictable oscillators will come into phase in a predictable manner, as long as their natural frequencies are close enough, and some form of coupling exists between them (like the foam platform in the images above). (Video credit Cuk263. Article credit American Journal of Physics)
(Source: listentothisnoise)
