Two Phases, Two Faces: "Janus Oscillators" Undergo Explosive Synchronization

What do algae, grandfather clocks and a two-faced Roman god have in common? On the face of it, not much--but they all play a part in a recent paper out of Northwestern University.This story begins in the mid-17th century with a Dutch physicist and mathematician named Christiaan Huygens. In addition to his talent for abstraction, Huygens was a prolific inventor. In fact, he both created the first accurate pendulum clock in 1656 and correctly summarized the mathematical theory driving it some 17 y...