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Brief Communications
Nature 403, 849-850 (24 February 2000) | doi:10.1038/35002660
Self-organizing processes: The sound of many hands clapping
Z. Néda1, E. Ravasz1, Y. Brechet2, T. Vicsek3 & A.-L. Barabási4
Abstract
An audience expresses appreciation for a good performance by the strength and nature of its applause. The thunder of applause at the start often turns quite suddenly into synchronized clapping, and this synchronization can disappear and reappear several times during the applause. The phenomenon is a delightful expression of social self-organization that provides an example on a human scale of the synchronization processes that occur in numerous natural systems, ranging from flashing Asian fireflies to oscillating chemical reactions1, 2, 3. Here we explain the dynamics of this rhythmic applause.
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