Scale-free correlations in starling flocks

This physics-based study demonstrated that starling flocks operate at 'criticality' - a phase transition point between order and chaos. At this critical point, the flock exhibits scale-free behavior: perturbations (like one bird turning) can propagate across the entire flock regardless of size.

Criticality explains why murmurations are simultaneously stable (maintaining cohesion) and responsive (adapting rapidly to threats). The mathematical signature - power-law distributions of turning events - is characteristic of systems at phase transitions, like water at the freezing point.

For organizations, this suggests that optimal coordination exists at a specific balance point: too much structure creates rigidity (perturbations die out), too little creates chaos (perturbations amplify destructively). The goal is to operate near criticality - responsive without fragmenting.