Playing by the Rules: Fish, Fads, and Fireflies
Exhibit [Return to listing page]
This exhibit is no longer at the Museum.
Fish in a school, the spread of fads, and fireflies flashing in sync are examples of systems in which there is no leader in charge, but patterns will still emerge from simple interactions among individuals. In this exhibit, you'll explore this idea through computer simulations and other interactive offerings.
These complex systems are all around us: in ant colonies, highway traffic, even in the evolution of life on Earth. Models, especially computer simulations, can help us explore these systems. These models have changed how scientists think about the world — and they might change how you think about it too.
A favorite in this exhibit, the "Virtual FishTank®," immerses visitors in a virtual undersea world populated by brightly-colored, cartoon-like fish. Visitors select attributes and behaviors for their fish, launch their creations into the tank, and then see how a few simple choices result in complex behaviors and patterns for a whole group of fish.
Visitors can also mimic the behavior of fireflies by trying to coordinate their blinking lights in sync, and they can test their knowledge of some of history's greatest fads and flops, from Beanie Babies to the paper dress.
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