In your podcast, you mention that there are no synchronous fireflies in the United States, this is incorrect.
Please see this link: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm
It is disappointed that no one fact checked this point.

Regarding neighborhoods, I belive historically many homogeneous markets like are homogeneous because of government regulation. I'm thinking of old markets in the middle east, where the rulers and/or regulators wanted everyone in the same spot for better control. But for the flower street in NYC, my guess is that was natural. Any experts out there who can comment?

For more video of fireflies and other animals exhibiting emergent synchronized behaviors, see Steven Strogatz’s TED talk on synchronization:

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_strogatz_on_sync.html

And here are a couple more YouTube videos:

“Synchronous firefly display brings visitors to Elkmont”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC2OkCEdqU4

“Synchronized Fireflies”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Vy7NZTGos

So, this may be a figment of my foggy memory, but I remember spending a summer in Michigan and noticing that fireflies there, rather than the ones in Illinois where I live, would light up only as they descend. So they would make a short downward streak. However, the Illinois fireflies made more of a random squirrelish streak. I've wondered what this variation could be from, if it indeed is rooted in reality.

A friend, his wife and i experienced this beautiful-magical phenomena one summer evening in central W.Va back in the late 70's.

i did and audio piece about it which can be found here.
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/31607

By the way, was just turned on to your show and i think its GREAT!!!
chask

There are also in-sync fireflies in a little cove in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. My mother has seen them. For a long time they weren't well-known, but I guess word is spreading about them because now a lot of people show up to see them in the summer.

Here's a link: http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/site/voice_stories/the_synchronous_fireflies_of_elkmont/issue/528

I wait eagerly for every show on the podcast and since learning it will be coming only in november in five episodes i came to the site to hear older episodes.

I love the theme of this program but I felt you left an important conclusion out of it,the simple takehome message "simple rules can create complex behavior". You filled the episode with unaswered questions, maybe for the sake of storytelling, but leaving the one big answer out of it gave a tone os mysticism to everything, as if a "invisible hand" of god was needed to make fireflies flash and ant colonies find food.

Time and time again, simple computer games or simulations proved that all the phenomenons reported where explained by very simple rules. Ie:
If one firefly gets in sink with just two other in the vicinity, the network effect wil be that all of them will quickly sinc. If all one ant does is follow and excrete some bits of ferophone on the ground, the end result are multiple paths leading to the right place.

You have quickly glanced on how the ants work, but you let pass a great opportunity to teach a lesson in a field that even touches the creationist dillema, not stating the most important discovery: little things + following simple rules -> complex more inteligent system

I'd been looking for video of he fireflies flashing in sync for months...and finally found thisd on youtube....kinda cool 15 sec video of the fireflies flashing in sync: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sROKYelaWbo&feature=related

This is the most intellectually provocative programming I hear. Grand stuff. Keep it coming.

I actually have the same question as Bazooka Joe. I want to know the name of the piece of music during the ants section. It is quite famous, but... I don't know what it is called!

This was the first Radiolab I heard... and I wanted to say... this show rocks.

Keep up the good work!

Would someone be as so kind as to list the musical sources for today's show? As a matter of fact, that would be a great idea for every show.

Thanks in advance!

ciao,
Bazooka Joe