Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

2.2K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.2K
Virtual Work for a System of Connected Rigid Bodies01:06

Virtual Work for a System of Connected Rigid Bodies

574
Virtual work is a powerful method used to solve problems involving several connected rigid bodies. When the system is in equilibrium, virtual work is zero. This allows the calculation of the resulting forces when a system undergoes a virtual displacement. When attempting to analyze such a system, first, use a free-body diagram, where an independent coordinate represents the configuration of the links, and mark its deflected position resulting from the positive virtual displacement.
Next,...
574
Sequence Networks of Rotating Machines01:24

Sequence Networks of Rotating Machines

368
A Y-connected synchronous generator, grounded through a neutral impedance, is designed to produce balanced internal phase voltages with only positive-sequence components. The generator's sequence networks include a source voltage that is exclusively in the positive-sequence network. The sequence components of line-to-ground voltages at the generator terminals illustrate this configuration.
Zero-sequence current induces a voltage drop across the generator's neutral impedance and other...
368
First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium01:18

First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium

11.8K
Recall that a particle in equilibrium is one for which the external forces are balanced. Static equilibrium involves objects at rest, and dynamic equilibrium involves objects in motion without acceleration; but it is important to remember that these conditions are relative. For instance, an object may be at rest when viewed from one frame of reference, but that same object would appear to be in motion when viewed by someone moving at a constant velocity.
Newton's first law tells us about...
11.8K
Dynamics of Circular Motion01:30

Dynamics of Circular Motion

21.0K
An object undergoing circular motion, like a race car, is accelerating because it is changing the direction of its velocity. This centrally directed acceleration is called centripetal acceleration. This acceleration acts along the radius of the curved path (thus is also referred to as radial acceleration).
Any acceleration must be produced by some force. Therefore, any force or combination of forces can cause centripetal acceleration. A few examples include the tension in the rope on a...
21.0K
First Law: Particles in One-dimensional Equilibrium01:10

First Law: Particles in One-dimensional Equilibrium

7.5K
Newton's first law of motion states that a body at rest remains at rest, or if in motion, remains in motion at constant velocity, unless acted on by a net external force. It also states that there must be a cause for any change in velocity (a change in either magnitude or direction) to occur. This cause is a net external force. For example, consider what happens to an object sliding along a rough horizontal surface. The object quickly grinds to a halt, due to the net force of friction. If...
7.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Moo-ving mountains: grazing agents drive terracette formation on steep hillslopes.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same author

Bridging Science Across Species: A Biomechanics Outreach Event at the Zoo.

Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Gait transitions in load-pulling quadrupeds: insights from sled dogs and a minimal spring-loaded inverted pendulum model.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same author

A centrin-Sfi1 myoneme fishnet powers ultrafast calcium-triggered contraction in the giant ciliate <i>Spirostomum ambiguum</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Cross-link collective: Entangled robotic matter with cohesive motion.

Science robotics·2026
Same author

Controlling noisy herds: Temporal network restructuring improves control of indecisive collectives.

Science advances·2026
Same journal

In This Issue.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Long-term cultural continuity across the Neanderthal-modern human sequence at Üçağızlı II Cave, northern Levant.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Dolphins use names to remember whom to avoid.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Retraction for Shaked and Frenkel, Curiouser and curiouser: Meningeal lymphoid structures in the aging brain.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Small but mighty: The outsized role of small water bodies in the global carbon cycle.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Functional traits produce conditional outcomes in different community contexts.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Author Spotlight: Collective Behavioral Analysis of the Nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans
03:32

Author Spotlight: Collective Behavioral Analysis of the Nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.3K

Collective dynamics in entangled worm and robot blobs.

Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin1, Daniel I Goldman1, M Saad Bhamla2

  • 1School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 6, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Thousands of entangled blackworms form a living "blob" that moves collectively. This self-assembly exhibits emergent locomotion and adaptive material properties, inspiring new bio-inspired robots and materials.

Keywords:
collective behavioremergent mechanicsentangled active matterorganismal collectiveswarming robot

More Related Videos

C. elegans Tracking and Behavioral Measurement
07:36

C. elegans Tracking and Behavioral Measurement

Published on: November 17, 2012

19.5K
Designing and Implementing Nervous System Simulations on LEGO Robots
10:34

Designing and Implementing Nervous System Simulations on LEGO Robots

Published on: May 25, 2013

15.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Author Spotlight: Collective Behavioral Analysis of the Nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans
03:32

Author Spotlight: Collective Behavioral Analysis of the Nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.3K
C. elegans Tracking and Behavioral Measurement
07:36

C. elegans Tracking and Behavioral Measurement

Published on: November 17, 2012

19.5K
Designing and Implementing Nervous System Simulations on LEGO Robots
10:34

Designing and Implementing Nervous System Simulations on LEGO Robots

Published on: May 25, 2013

15.4K

Area of Science:

  • Collective behavior in living systems
  • Biophysics of self-assembly
  • Robotics and biomimicry

Background:

  • Living organisms aggregate for various functions, often as unconnected individuals.
  • Some aggregations involve physical entanglement, leading to emergent material properties.
  • California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus) form entangled, motile self-assemblies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the dynamics of physically entangled and motile self-assemblies of Lumbriculus variegatus.
  • Understand how these worm blobs achieve directed locomotion through symmetry breaking.
  • Explore the potential for emergent functional properties in living materials.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory experiments with thousands of Lumbriculus variegatus.
  • Theoretical modeling of entangled worm dynamics.
  • Development of a robophysical model mimicking worm blob behavior.

Main Results:

  • Worm blobs form a 3D, soft, shape-shifting collective material.
  • The blob exhibits adaptive behaviors like surface area minimization and negative thermotaxis.
  • Emergent, directed locomotion was observed in both the living blob and the robophysical model without individual control.

Conclusions:

  • Physically entangled worm collectives display emergent mechanofunctional properties.
  • Collective entanglement and rudimentary functional differentiation drive blob locomotion.
  • Findings can inform the design of adaptive living materials and emergent robotics.