An equation is helping scientists to see parallels between magnets and flocks

A scientist has shown mathematically that the dynamics that govern swarms and bird flocks may also govern the properties of things like magnets. The researcher from Imperial College London has developed a mathematical equation to understand more about motility. This phenomenon refers to the ability of individual birds, insects or cells to actively influence the overall shape of swarms, flocks and human tissue. Scientists call these motility systems active fluids to describe how these organisms as a whole can move on their own. A fundamental question currently concerning some scientists is whether active fluid models bare any resemblance the way that molecules influence the overall structure in physical models such as magnets and cell membranes. If similarities between the two models can be found then scientists could apply what they already know about physical models to active fluids, paving the way for a deeper understanding of them. Now, Dr Chiu Fan Lee from Imperial and his collaborators in China and the USA have formulated an equation for understanding the principles behind motility in a generic active fluid model.