Fireflies

Each firefly has a phase oscillator. When it peaks, it flashes. Each flash nudges nearby fireflies toward the same phase. Drag the density slider. Watch what happens above the threshold.

80
30
80
fireflies: 80 sync order: period:

Sync order measures global coherence (0 = random phases, 1 = perfect sync). The critical transition appears around 0.6–0.7. Period is detected from collective flash bursts — it emerges, not from any individual. Based on Photinus carolinus research (Science Advances, 2021).