Science & Cocktails in X31: Hidden Networks of Fungi

Hidden Networks of Fungi: Unraveling Earth's Hidden Climate Regulators Science & Cocktails is proud to announce an episode with ecologist superstar and mycelium expert Toby Kiers, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and University Research Chair at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Executive Director of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Toby will tell you how hidden fungal networks help regulate many functions on our planet. All this just after MØR mixes electronic pop, techno, performance art and poetry. Afterwards DJ Second Sun plays soundscapes. Tickets Seated tickets are paid.Standing tickets are free and valid until 8pm. This means that you should enter before 8pm and can stay the entire event.After 8pm we let people in on a first come, first served basis. What is the event about? Why should we care about underground ecosystems? Why are fungi important in climate, conservation and restoration? What is the fungal infrastructure below our feet? How do fungi control carbon flows? How are we mapping the Earth’s mycorrhizal fungi? Fungi help regulate Earth’s climate and ecosystems by forming underground networks that draw down carbon and provide essential nutrients to plants. However, despite their key role in regulating the climate, fungi have been overlooked in climate change strategies, conservation agendas and restoration efforts. This is a problem: the destruction of underground fungal communities accelerates both climate change and biodiversity loss. In response, the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks is working with scientists across the world to map the Earth’s mycorrhizal networks. In her lab, Toby Kiers uses high-throughput imaging and video, nanoprobe-tracking and high-resolution network mapping to probe the inner lives of fungi. More info here: https://www.scienceandcocktail... About Toby Kiers Toby Kiers is a Professor of Evolutionary Biology and University Research Chair at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her lab uses nanoprobes and high-resolution imaging to map the nutrient flows and architecture of plant-fungal networks. She is globally-recognized for her scientific work in the evolution of symbiotic trade. Kiers is the Executive Director of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, a scientific organisation mapping the Earth’s mycorrhizal networks. For her public outreach activities, she was named on TIME’s 100 next list. Kiers won an Ammodo Award in 2019 for “unfettered science,” and was awarded the E.O. Wilson Award for Natural History in 2021 and a SPINOZA award from the Dutch Science Foundation in 2022. Kiers was named as one of the 22 Scientists playing a crucial role in expanding our understanding of biodiversity by the UN committee on biodiversity. About MØR MØR is an electronic music act from Copenhagen that has captivated audiences in vibrant industrial spaces in New York, gritty punk basements in Reykjavik, and at festivals and clubs across Europe. With one foot in electronic pop and techno and the other in performance art, poetry, and battle cries, MØR delivers a unique concert experience that spans from fragile, haunting beauty to full-blown dance euphoria. Their lyrics explore themes of oppression, the paralysis of action, and the blindness of privilege, while also embracing the perspectives of others and nurturing hope and dreams. MØR is performance artist Anika Barkan and electronic musician Mika Forsling. For this special evening, they will be joined by drummer Frederik Juul Hauch. About DJ Second Sun Second Sun is the electronic music project of Copenhagen based musician Jacob Rasmussen, presenting ambient soundscapes composed & performed on modular synthesizers, tape machines & effects pedals. The style is instrumental and minimalistic - sometimes with a beat, sometimes not. Event held in English and with the generous support of the Novo Nordisk Foundation