PE&RC News

Human social networks are currently more visible than ever due to the existence of social media. Yet social networks are not a human invention; they exist all around us in nature. From plants that use a thread-like fungus to warn each other about predators, to coral reefs that form sustainable recycling systems; in all natural systems organisms share information and resources to their own benefit and that of the network. On the PE&RC day 2018 we would like you to meet the scientists who discover and unravel the connections in nature’s social networks. We will take a look into the amazing functionality and connectivity of these natural networks and how we can learn from them to optimise our own man-made networks.

Similarly to last year, we have decided to award something that we feel every PhD candidate of PE&RC can equally compete for and that are attractive to look at for the broader (scientific) public: pictures or other visualisations of your work! The idea of the PE&RC Picture Awards is as follows. We will have three categories, one about PhD thesis covers, one about PhD fieldwork, and one about PhD labwork or modelling. Each participant can submit 3 images (one in each category). The top 3 of each category will be awarded a prize with a value of € 75,-, € 50,-, and € 25,-. The pictures will be exhibited during the PE&RC Day itself, and everyone at the PE&RC day will get the chance to vote for their favourite. Then, at the end of the PE&RC Day, the votes are counted, and the prizes awarded. More info at www.pe-rc.nl/picture-award.