SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 17, 2025Scientific American

Pedestrian Traffic Turns to Chaos at a Critical Angle, Mathematicians Find

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Pedestrian crowds naturally form lanes when walking, but this order breaks down at a critical angle of 13 degrees from straight-line movement. Researchers discovered this threshold through physics models and experiments, providing insights that could help improve crowd management and urban design for safety and efficiency.

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