Vinegar Eels Do the Wave
A Moment of Science

Vinegar Eels Do the Wave

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 29, 20262 min

Vinegar Eels Do the Wave

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The dance of synchronized activity is everywhere in biology.

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Swarms of fireflies synchronize their blinking lights in the night.

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B2

B2 · Upper-intermediate

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A1 6%A2 60%B1 17%B2 11%C1 6%
  • 83% of the words are B1 or easier.
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  • 16 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

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0:00

The dance of synchronized activity is everywhere in biology. Muscle cells coordinate their contraction in the beating of our hearts. Swarms of fireflies synchronize their blinking lights in the night. Flocks of birds in the air and schools of fish in the water synchronize their movements.

0:23

Researchers in several fields seek the general principles of this dance, which may be a key to understanding life. In 2022, a team of physicists from the University of Rochester in New York discovered a remarkable form of synchrony in creatures called vinegar eels.

0:41

The animals aren't actually eels, but are tiny, 2-millimeter-long worms called nematodes. They live in the microbial culture used to make vinegar. When vinegar eels assemble into troops, the researchers found that the wiggles that they used to swim become synchronized, much like football fans in a stadium doing the wave.

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