How do extraordinarily complex emergent phenomena — like ants assembling themselves into living bridges, or tiny water and air molecules forming into swirling hurricanes — spontaneously arise from systems of much simpler elements? The answer often depends on a transition in the interplay between the elements that resembles a phase change. Read about this third episode of the new season of In Theory videos here: https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-complex-wholes-emerge-from-simple-parts-20181220 Directed by Emily Driscoll and animated by Lottie Kingslake for Quanta Magazine https://www.quantamagazine.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuantaNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/QuantaMagazine Sign up for our weekly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/6FnWj