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The Human 'Flock' Instinct

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 8:41 am
by Grim...
http://www.kk.org/outofcontrol/ch2-b.html
"Let's try something else," Carpenter suggests. A map of seats in the auditorium appears on the screen. He draws a wide circle in white around the center. "Can you make a green '5' in the circle?" he asks the audience. The audience stares at the rows of red pixels. The game is similar to that of holding a placard up in a stadium to make a picture, but now there are no preset orders, just a virtual mirror. Almost immediately wiggles of green pixels appear and grow haphazardly, as those who think their seat is in the path of the "5" flip their wands to green. A vague figure is materializing. The audience collectively begins to discern a "5" in the noise. Once discerned, the "5" quickly precipitates out into stark clarity. The wand-wavers on the fuzzy edge of the figure decide what side they "should" be on, and the emerging "5" sharpens up. The number assembles itself.

"Now make a four!" the voice booms. Within moments a "4" emerges. "Three." And in a blink a "3" appears. Then in rapid succession, "Two... One...Zero." The emergent thing is on a roll.
Interesting stuff.

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:51 pm
by Deemo
wow thats kind of weird.

my question is what number of people you have to reach to start this "hive-mind" form. Im sure a group of 10 people (Similar to a flock of 10 birds) do not participate with eachother in the same way. Perhaps it is something in the human mind that requires a larger number to start a hive? This would also explain how riots escalate

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:29 pm
by J_Iceman05
I read a lot of that stuff... more than just the page that your link goes to, but that stuff was very intersting..
and I would like to go to a conference like that one. be among 5 thousand ppl in an auditorium and play pong, or a flight simulator...
i would love that.