This formula explains why NYC is great for ride-sharing and Sydney is terrible

The ebb and flow of a city may feel entirely unique, but it turns out there are universal laws that may govern the chaos of your commute.

A team from the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created what they call a law of "shareability." Using inputs like traffic speed and urban density, they think they can predict the potential for ride-sharing in any city.

And no, not Uber's version of ride-sharing — basically a glorified taxi service — but actual car trips shared between strangers.