Theories of collective dynamics and active matter constitute a set of analytical and computational techniques used to model systems of self-driven units that convert internal or ambient energy into persistent motion, leading to emergent nonequilibrium phenomena. These techniques include continuum hydrodynamic theories, kinetic theory approaches, and agent-based modeling frameworks that describe pattern formation, phase separation, flocking, and anomalous transport in active systems. They provide mathematical tools to derive effective equations of motion, quantify correlations and fluctuations, and predict macroscopic behavior from microscopic interaction rules, enabling systematic analysis of biological, synthetic, and granular active materials beyond equilibrium statistical mechanics.
Animals come in an extraordinary range of body shapes. A starfish looks nothing like an earthworm, a mouse, or a human. Yet even closely related species can appear radically different: corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2026
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Researchers at the University of Vienna have uncovered a surprising phenomenon: polymer chains with segments that simply fluctuate at different intensities can spontaneously develop directional, persistent motion when densely ...
General Physics
Mar 5, 2026
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39
How do biological cells join forces to form a structure? In her Ph.D. research, Daphne Nesenberend uses mathematics to show how forces and cooperation between cells create structure—and how simulations and experiments can ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 5, 2026
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14
Snakes may be best known for slithering. But consider that these animals also perform one of the most extreme feats of posture control found in nature: They can stand nearly straight upright on a narrow perch without falling, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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200
Leiden physicists Daniela Kraft and Julio Melio have created soft structures that can take on different shapes without any external drive in their lab. They present their research on microscale metamaterials in Nature—a breakthrough ...
General Physics
Feb 25, 2026
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46
With a new mathematical model, a team of biophysicists has revealed fresh insights into how biological tissues are shaped by the active motion of structural imperfections known as "topological defects." Published in Physical ...
Several years ago, scientists discovered that a single microscopic particle could rock back and forth on its own under a steady electric field. The result was curious, but lonely. Now, Northwestern University engineers have ...
Soft Matter
Jan 26, 2026
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119
A collaboration between the University of Konstanz and Forschungszentrum Jülich has achieved the first fully tunable experimental realization of a long predicted "swarmalator" system. The study, published in Nature Communications, ...
General Physics
Dec 10, 2025
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26
A collaborative team of physicists and microbiologists from UNIST and Stanford University has, for the first time, uncovered the fundamental laws governing the distribution of self-propelled particles, such as bacteria.
General Physics
Oct 24, 2025
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46
Asymmetric interactions between different species of molecules have previously been demonstrated to result in self-organized patterns and functions. If one species A is attracted to B, but in turn, B is repelled by A, run-and-chase ...
General Physics
Aug 20, 2025
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