Some days ago we were talking to Mar Canet and Varvara Gurjevaabout our forthcoming projects. Later that night Mar sent me this link. It is a simulation of a mosh pit. Moshes, like pogos, are ostensibly chaotic dances that emerge from the crowd at hardcore concerts and the like. I say “ostensibly” because this chaos is actually governed by a whole host of unwritten rules of behaviour: help people up if they fall over, don’t hit people in the face, stop jumping around when the music ends, etc. The audience around the mosh pit not only holds it in place, but also acts as an elastic barrier that helps people who have been pushed out to get back in again and also works like a permeable barrier so people can leave or join the dance when they want. A mosh pit is a good example of an emerging system. A complex system, in this case a mass choreography, can be organised without the need for any hierarchical organisation.