For those interested, see Daniel Shiffman's Nature of Code[1], a book in which you go from simple "ant" simulations to "boid" flocking behaviors, and from physics simulation to machine learning, neuroevolution, and NEAT using p5.js for graphics.

[1]: natureofcode.com

The original Boids program was developed by Craig Reynolds at Symbolics Graphics Division for their Lisp machines: https://youtu.be/xBniZYiyrb4

I implemented it in the browser. For demo & src, see https://svelte.dev/playground/2c1bf42e0d2a4cebb38b907fa7f90a...

Adjust separation, cohesion and alignment manually, or use the presets.

I haven't yet read the article but my immediate reaction is that back around 1992 there used to be an X screensaver program that did pretty much exactly what's shown in that YT video and it was strictly algorithmic...

The quintessential project for programming newbies. I implemented it when studying Haskell.

https://github.com/vladov3000/boids-hs

The impressive recent ALSA either used graphically or actually Boids. I don't know which because there's too much information to go beyond surface even in impressive things.