Synchronization...

Slightly more into physics here than pure math (…not that the two are always so separable), but caught this 4-min. video of synchronizing metronomes over at Cosmic Variance blog:



Read the CV blog post for a fuller explanation (which is dependent upon subtle movements/oscillation of the platform the metronomes sit on):

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2012/10/01/you-are-getting-sleeeeeeepy/

Meanwhile, in other matters, this week's NY Times offering from Steven Strogatz is a fun exposition on "the birthday problem" with Johnny Carson making an appearance:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/its-my-birthday-too-yeah/

Strogatz, by the way, once wrote a book on synchrony entitled "Sync", describing how order arises from a chaotic universe.