People’s eyes lit up when they got the game – the notion of being treated like genes seemed to appeal
- Dr Rafael Carazo Salas
Speed dating, in which potential lovers size each other up in brief 10 minute encounters before moving on to the next person, can be an awkward and time-wasting affair. Finding the perfect research partnership is often just as tough. Speed dating-style techniques are increasingly used at academics conferences, but can be equally frustrating - with busy academics being pushed into too many pointless encounters.
But now a group of scientists led by geneticist Rafael Carazo Salas have constructed a system that could revolutionise conference speed dating - by treating scientists like genes.
Using mathematical algorithms, the team created a method of matching conference-goers according to pre-set criteria, bringing about unforeseen collaboration opportunities while also enabling “would-like-to-meet” match-ups across disciplines and knowledge areas. The results have been recently published in the open-access journal eLife.
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Image: Albert holds court
Credit: James Vaughan
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
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