more fireflies sync

[tukkek]

I'd be scared to death if I saw such a thing in the woods! And LOL there are some dumb ones who can't play along!

[dismember1349]

nonlinear dynamics!

[choice1994]

your AWESOME!!!!!

[edro3111]

Those who say this is faked must not have seen it in person as have thousands of people visiting the Smokies every year. In Elkmont and in Asia are the only known locations that this is seen as far as I know. If it was faked, why does the Park Service run shuttle busses to the location just for folks to witness this great and strange event?

[vstormes]

this video is a fake. anyone who has seen them would readily know that. look carefully, it is a loop of one flashing event. combined with others.

[Zoasterboy]

@vstormes

nah it's real, the video is just low quality and appears that way if you're looking for it to be a loop, since they're so well in sync. It's a well documented phenomenon.

[87ramasaurus]

They're so beautiful.. I can sit on a rocking chair and stare at them all night

[zsparx]

that whats nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[archucky]

they're in MN to

[gabe0083]

I want fireflies in oregon damnit!!!

its not fair!

NOT FAIR!

RARRRR!

[S1587915G]

And I want fireflies in Singapore too, damnit!!!

[leigh8959]

this is amazing.

[StateRoad42]

Awesome. Does this happen on the NC side of the Smokies?

[parkourTNT]

it's amazing what nature could do....

[thewirrow]

howw/?? how is it possible? its too amazing.. TOO amazing :o

[soylentgreenb]

"howw/?? how is it possible?"

The same way animals flock or swarm, they observe their neighbours and adjust their behaviour to act in unison. As more fireflies start to get their flashing in sync, they provide a clearer timing signal for other fireflies that have not yet got into sync.

When the fireflies are more spread out you can see that the timing is not instantaneous and does not occur over great distances. You get isolated pockets blinking out of sync and you get propagating waves.

[newtwerp]

aww the poor little shunned ones that are off by like a second :(

[thegrimmer]

Where is this? I am headed to Thailand and the Emergence episode got me curious about these.

[bassquake1986]

me too! RadioLab is the best!

[Achatina12]

Yes and fireflies too.

[khsfrst]

amazing, isn't it?

[Felt07]

I heard about this in a podcast from WNYC's RadioLab!

[lazyrabbit]

I know I know!!!