How Fluid Dynamics Can Help You Navigate Crowds

When dance music fans from all over the world congregated in Duisburg, Germany, on July 24, 2010, to celebrate the popular Love Parade, it was the first time the festival took place in a closed-off area. When people streamed through a narrow access road, a panic ensued. As people frantically tried to escape the crowd, 21 died and more than 500 suffered injuries. Writing for Smithsonian magazine, science writer Evelyn Lamb describes how scientists study crowds and explains how event organizers and participants can prevent disaster. getAbstract recommends Lamb’s insightful analysis to people who expect to find themselves in a crowd.