This model simulates the synchronization of the blinking of lightning bugs (or fireflies, if you prefer) in the night sky.
The lightning bugs will begin blinking as small groups, expanding their grouping until they all blink together. This is achieved using a radius that will include each fireflies' "neighbor" bugs. A bug blinks if the current time step is divisible by its blink rate.When a bug blinks, there is a percent chance for each neighbor to take its blink rate and average it with the bug's blink rate. Bugs are considered "grouped" if their neighbors have an average blink rate within the bug's blink rate, plus or minus the group tolerance value. This radius starts at 5, and increments by 5 when all bugs are grouped.
To open the menu, either click the ">" or click the screen. To close, click the "<" or click the screen again. The menu contains information including the time steps taken as well as the radius of lightning bugs' neighbors. The number of bugs, group tolerance, and percent chance are all alterable, but the simulation must be reset to apply these changes. Other simulation properties can be changed using