Crowds are not random – everyone is in their own lane

BATTLING through a crowd in a busy train station or city centre may seem chaotic, but actually everyone is sticking to defined lanes, research has shown.

Experts at the University of Bath developed a new mathematical theory to predict how people fit together when moving in opposite directions without bumping into each other or grinding to a halt. It suggested that groups moving in a similar direction subconsciously form lanes that sometimes curve but do not break.

The team then tested out the theory by filming a group of volunteers walking across an experimental arena that mimicked different layouts, such as King’s Cross Station.

Looking at the video footage they spotted the same lanes emerging in real life.

Karol Bacik, the lead author, said: “Lane formation doesn’t require conscious thought – the participants were not aware they had arranged themselves into well-defined mathematical curves.” The research was published in Science.