Statistical analysis reveals the onset of synchrony in sparse swarms of Photinus knulli fireflies

Flash synchrony within firefly swarms is an elegant but elusive manifestation of collective animal behaviour. It has been observed, and sometimes demonstrated, in a few populations across the world, but exactly which species are capable of large-scale synchronization remains unclear, especially in low-density swarms. The underlying question which we address here is: how does one qualify a collective flashing display as synchronous, given that the only information available is the time and location of flashes? We propose different statistical approaches and apply them to high-resolution stereoscopic video recordings of the collective flashing of Photinus knulli fireflies, hence establishing the occurrence of synchrony in this species. These results substantiate detailed visual observations published in the early 1980s and made at the same experimental site: Peña Blanca Canyon, Coronado National Forest, Arizona, USA. We also remark that P. knulli's collective flashing patterns mirror that observed in Photinus carolinus fireflies in the Eastern United States, consisting of synchronous flashes in periodic bursts with rapid accretion and quick decay.

Is Virtual Reality Streaming Ready for Remote Medical Education? Measuring Latency of Stereoscopic VR for Telementoring

Telementoring in healthcare education has been used successfully to teach technical skills and clinical reasoning when in-person instruction is not feasible; however, previous technology for telementoring had limitations such as narrow field-of-view and high latency. Novel virtual reality (VR) livestreaming technology may address issues in traditional 2-dimensional (2D) systems by expanding the field of view while streaming with low latency. Low latency streaming of video and audio is necessary for smooth communication between a medical specialist and remote trainees. If latency is low between the instructor and the remote trainees, conversations can be held without a noticeable delay, supporting synchronous instruction and collaboration. This research reports the first latency test results of a novel VR system that livestreams stereoscopic video and audio to remote VR headsets. Results showed the one-way audio and video latency was less than half a second, confirming the viability of live VR for medical telementoring.