Dense crowds of pedestrians shift into surprisingly orderly lines. Math explains why
New research into lane formation adds to decades of study on the wisdom of crowds
![An overhead photo of several pedestrian intersections with lots of people walking through the area.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/033123_dm_crowds_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Pedestrians heading in opposite directions have long been known to form multiple parallel lines at big intersections such as Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo (shown).
Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon/Moment/Getty Images Plus