The fact that pairs of moving pendulums can become synchronized was first observed by the great Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens back in the 17th century. But as Jonatan Pena Ramirez and Henk Nijmeijer explain, synchronized pendulums still have today’s researchers scratching their heads
Ballet dancers moving in harmony to the rhythm of music. Violinists in an orchestra playing perfectly in unison. A school of fish swimming gracefully together in the sea.
Synchronization – two or more events happening at the same time – is one of the most common phenomena in nature. Extending from unconscious entities to human beings, it’s even an Olympic sport in the form of synchronized swimming or diving. Synchronization is essential to life too. Pacemaker cells, for example, have to fire electrical discharges synchronously to ensure our hearts beat properly.