Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For K-12 Students · Reaction-Diffusion

Reaction-Diffusion for a firefly sync

Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a firefly sync live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Reaction-Diffusion (Gray-Scott)Live

Turing patterns from chemistry

Controls

Presets

Feed rate F

Kill rate k

Speed1×

Two chemicals diffuse and react by the Gray-Scott equations. Different feed and kill rates spontaneously form spots, stripes, and mazes — the mechanism Alan Turing proposed for animal coat patterns.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Feed F0.0545

Kill k0.0620

Steps0

Governing equation

\frac{\partial u}{\partial t} = D_{u} \nabla^{2} u - u v^{2} + F (1 - u), \frac{\partial v}{\partial t} = D_{v} \nabla^{2} v + u v^{2} - (F + k) v (F = 0.0545, k = 0.0620)

Reading this result: High feed (F=0.0545): abundant substrate lets spots grow and merge into branching maze and coral networks.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

or unlock everything with Pro →

Also for:Students Researchers Educators Engineers Hobbyists & Makers First Responders General version →

More with Reaction-Diffusion

Reaction-Diffusion for a traffic jam Reaction-Diffusion for a bird flock Reaction-Diffusion for a forest fire Reaction-Diffusion for a crowd evacuation Reaction-Diffusion for an ant colony Reaction-Diffusion for a rumor spreading Reaction-Diffusion for a market bubble Reaction-Diffusion for a power-grid cascade

Frequently asked questions

Is this good for k-12 students?: Yes — this version of "Reaction-Diffusion for a firefly sync" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.