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Friday, August 12, 2011

On Self Organization and Elevators

Major scientific breakthrough. I was just on the elevator with a bunch of technical (computer science, possibly engineering, students). It seemed as if we all optimized the space in the elevator as we entered it, as we all line up around the border of the car. I wonder, do people from other disciplines happen to organize themselves differently in elevators? Do particle physicists happen to distribute themselves evenly throughout the elevator car?

-Matt

5 comments:

  1. Emergent behavior! It is easier to embarke and disembark that way. Figure 1 meter squared per person. You get 4 in that way or 6 (2 on each wall) and 2 more in the middle.

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  2. I think it was because all the geeks didn't want to get close to each other. They were optimizing their own personal space, not attempting to fit more in the elevator. In fact, they were all thinking about who to throw out of the elevator so their personal space would increase! :)

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  3. Ohh, good point. In fact, there was a girl on the elevator, so the cooty-factor might have been in play, as well.

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  4. Quantum physicists would occupy the elevator, but you could never be certain of their precise location in time.

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  5. Or, if we observe the physicists, we would not know their velocity.

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