When it comes to networks, nature has an edge

Networks exist in both nature—such as biological systems like food webs and gene regulatory networks—and in engineered systems as seen in power grids. Though natural and engineered systems share an overarching goal—providing a mechanism for interacting components to transmit information—one system appears to have a clear advantage, according to findings published recently by a University of New Mexico-led team. In this case, the team found that nature does it best when it comes to networks.