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Published online 9 December 2005 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news051205-11

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Warped geometry speeds airline boarding

A free-for-all gets people on planes quicker than starting at the back.

Budget airlines' 'free boarding' policies may produce an indecorous scramble for seats, but don't be too quick to grumble. According to a team of computer scientists and mathematicians, this is one of the most efficient ways to board passengers.

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