What
is it? |
This
project illustrates how bees create honeycombs. Each bee moves
around randomly, dropping a chemical behind itself as it moves.
The amount of chemical present on the bee's current patch determines
how far the bee turns and moves.
|
How
to Use It |
Select
the number of bees you wish to create by adjusting the
number slider. Click on setup to set the bees up. Then
click on go to run the simulation. |
 |
|
Things
to Notice |
The
bees begin in the center of the screen and gradually spread
out. As the simulation runs you will notice shapes appearing
-- first circular and then hexagonal honeycombs appear. The
honeycomb shape emerges out of the interactions between bees
and the chemical trails the bees leave behind.
|
Explorations |
-
Whether or not the honeycombs are formed depends on the
number of bees. Try changing the number of bees to see what
happens to the honeycombs.
-
As the simulation runs, try changing the number to see how
bee "birth" or "death" effects the honeycomb formation.
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