Clusters

Clusters: a miniature ballet performed by thousands of colored dots.

How many ways can colored dots chase each other around? What happens when a hundred dots fall in love with each other? What happens when some dots are afraid of other dots and fly away when they come near?

With the Clusters app, you can explore the dynamics of colored dots that huddle, hug, swarm, squiggle and scram. It's all based on a clever particle system algorithm that uses a mix of attractions and repulsions.

Each color is like a species in an ecosystem. Some species enjoy each other's company, so they stick together. Other species avoid each other like the plague. So, you may ask...what happens when a yellow dot and a blue dot are in love, but the yellow dot hates red dots, while the blue dot loves red dots? What happens when a red dot comes along?

Sometimes there's a skirmish. Other times, there's a delicately-balanced symbiotic relationship. When hundreds of these dots converge, the results can be quite unpredictable.

With the Clusters app, you can set up little experiments and watch what happens. It's a little bit like biology; it's a little bit like physics. So, what is it exactly? Let your imagination decide.