In a new paper published in the Feb. 19 issue of Science, the Northeastern University physicist and his colleagues describe how they used data from 50,000 anonymous cell phone users to study human mobility, or where we are and when. Their work reveals that our movements follow a pattern, whether we are homebodies or frequent fliers. 

They found that most people stay close to home and, more intriguingly, that even the frequent travelers were no less predictable than the homebodies. Furthermore, they discovered that this phenomenon didn't merely stem from the workweek -- the fact that so many of us spend Monday to Friday in the same office. Weekend movements were no more random. 

In effect, we are predictable even when we don't have to be. A summary of the findings puts it this way: "Spontaneous individuals are largely absent from the population." 

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