Flocking together: the physics of sheep herding and pedestrian flows

In this episode of Physics World Stories , host Andrew Glester shepherds you through the fascinating world of crowd dynamics. While gazing at a flock of sheep or meandering through a busy street, you may not immediately think of the physics at play – but there is much more than you think. Give the episode a listen to discover the surprising science behind how animals and people move together in large groups. The first guest, Philip Ball , a UK-based science writer, explores the principles that underpin the movement of sheep in flocks. Insights from physics can even be used to inform herding tactics, whereby dogs are guided – usually through whistles – to control flocks of sheep and direct them towards a chosen destination. For even more detail, check out Ball’s recent Physics World feature “ Field work – the physics of sheep, from phase transitions to collective motion “. Next, Alessandro Corbetta , from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, talks about his research on pedestrian flow that won him an Ig Nobel Prize . Corbetta explains how his research field is helping us understand – and manage – the movements of human crowds in bustling spaces such as museums, transport hubs and stadia. Plus, he shares how winning the Ig Nobel has enabled the research to reach a far broader audience than he initially imagined.

You can listen to Flocking together: the physics of sheep herding and pedestrian flows online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Flocking together: the physics of sheep herding and pedestrian flows is an episode from Physics World Stories Podcast by Physics World.

This episode is 1:00:31 long.

This episode was published on Oct 21, 2024.

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