Basic models of flocking behavior are controlled by three simple rules:

1. Separation - avoid crowding neighbors (short range repulsion)
2. Alignment - steer towards average heading of neighbors
3. Cohesion - steer towards average position of neighbors (long range attraction)

With these three simple rules, the flock moves in an extremely realistic way, creating complex motion and interaction that would be extremely hard to create otherwise.

via wikipedia

This is a very good post that starts to find the rules for deep group work on tough problems - IE Netflix prize work - at its heart are Nature's Rules for Flocking - here they are. As with all things Natural - the rules are few and simple but drive huge complexity.

You know you have shit rules when they are many and complicated.