Latest news from Aalto University on News en-us Copyright 2025 News 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/significant-proportion-of-world-s-rural-population-missing-from-global-estimates-says-study/?sc=rsin /articles/significant-proportion-of-world-s-rural-population-missing-from-global-estimates-says-study/?sc=rsin Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:00:00 EST Governments, international bodies and researchers rely on global population data for resource allocation and infrastructure planning to disease epidemiology and disaster risk management. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Aalto University in Finland show the profound and systematic extent to which these datasets underestimate rural population figures worldwide. Aalto University /articles/researchers-create-gel-that-can-self-heal-like-human-skin/?sc=rsin /articles/researchers-create-gel-that-can-self-heal-like-human-skin/?sc=rsin Fri, 07 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST Until now, artificial gels have either managed to replicate either the high stiffness or natural skin's self-healing properties, but not both. Now, researchers have developed a hydrogel with a unique structure that overcomes these limitations, opening the door to applications such as drug delivery, wound healing, soft robotics sensors and artificial skin. Aalto University /articles/study-smartwatches-could-end-the-next-pandemic/?sc=rsin /articles/study-smartwatches-could-end-the-next-pandemic/?sc=rsin Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:30:00 EST Everyday smartwatches are extremely accurate in detecting viral infection long before symptoms appear -- now, research shows how they could help stop a pandemic before it even begins. Aalto University /articles/study-world-s-critical-food-crops-at-imminent-risk-from-rising-temperatures/?sc=rsin /articles/study-world-s-critical-food-crops-at-imminent-risk-from-rising-temperatures/?sc=rsin Tue, 04 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST A new study in Nature Food offers a more precise picture of exactly where and how warming will affect our ability to grow food. Aalto University /articles/leading-love-research-from-the-world-s-happiest-country/?sc=rsin /articles/leading-love-research-from-the-world-s-happiest-country/?sc=rsin Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:45:21 EST Aalto University /articles/tiny-chip-big-breakthrough-in-spectral-sensing-for-everyday-devices/?sc=rsin /articles/tiny-chip-big-breakthrough-in-spectral-sensing-for-everyday-devices/?sc=rsin Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:00:37 EST The invention of a microscopic spectral sensor that can identify myriad materials with unprecedented accuracy is set to overhaul our approach to healthcare, food safety and more. Aalto University /articles/why-are-most-companies-failing-to-benefit-from-ai-it-s-about-the-people-not-the-tech-says-new-study/?sc=rsin /articles/why-are-most-companies-failing-to-benefit-from-ai-it-s-about-the-people-not-the-tech-says-new-study/?sc=rsin Wed, 22 Jan 2025 06:00:56 EST Successful uptake of new technology is a matter of emotions -- and with 80 percent of companies saying they're failing to capitalise on its potential, managers need to know how to deal with them, according to new research. Aalto University /articles/the-visions-that-shaped-us-nokia-design-archive-opens-to-the-public-online/?sc=rsin /articles/the-visions-that-shaped-us-nokia-design-archive-opens-to-the-public-online/?sc=rsin Wed, 15 Jan 2025 07:00:09 EST Opening the door to two decades of Nokia's inner workings, a new online portal brings never-before-seen material to the public -- from the raw ideas behind iconic designs to the concepts that never left the drawing board. Aalto University /articles/building-better-infrared-sensors/?sc=rsin /articles/building-better-infrared-sensors/?sc=rsin Thu, 02 Jan 2025 17:30:41 EST Researchers at Aalto University have developed a new type of infrared photodiode that is 35% more responsive at 1.55 (micro)m, the key wavelength for telecommunications, compared to other germanium-based components. Importantly, this new device can be manufactured using current production techniques, making it highly practical for adoption. Aalto University /articles/breakthrough-in-photonic-time-crystals-could-change-how-we-use-and-control-light/?sc=rsin /articles/breakthrough-in-photonic-time-crystals-could-change-how-we-use-and-control-light/?sc=rsin Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:00:00 EST An international research team has for the first time designed realistic photonic time crystals -- exotic materials that exponentially amplify light. The breakthrough opens up exciting possibilities across fields such as communication, imaging and sensing by laying the foundations for faster and more compact lasers, sensors and other optical devices. Aalto University /articles/storm-in-a-laser-beam-physicists-create-light-hurricanes-that-could-transport-huge-amounts-of-data/?sc=rsin /articles/storm-in-a-laser-beam-physicists-create-light-hurricanes-that-could-transport-huge-amounts-of-data/?sc=rsin Mon, 11 Nov 2024 07:40:39 EST Much of modern life depends on the coding of information onto means of delivering it. Researchers at Aalto University's Department of Applied Physics found a new way to create tiny hurricanes of light -- known to scientists as vortices -- that can carry large amounts of information via cable. Aalto University /articles/cop29-built-environment-researchers-call-for-better-alignment-of-policy-with-science/?sc=rsin /articles/cop29-built-environment-researchers-call-for-better-alignment-of-policy-with-science/?sc=rsin Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:30:52 EST Scientists from across the globe are calling for experts to show their willingness to tackle emissions challenges in the built environment sector by endorsing a call for more effective collaboration between researchers and policymakers. Aalto University /articles/echoes-in-the-brain-why-today-s-workout-could-fuel-next-week-s-bright-idea/?sc=rsin /articles/echoes-in-the-brain-why-today-s-workout-could-fuel-next-week-s-bright-idea/?sc=rsin Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:00:00 EST In a pioneering longitudinal study, researchers tracked one person's brain and behavioural activity for five months using brain scans and data from wearable devices and smartphones. They found that the everyday effects of sleep, exercise, heart rate and mood -- both good and bad -- could linger in our brains for over two weeks. Aalto University /articles/carbon-trapping-cement-alternative-for-soil-stabilisation-ready-for-industry-trials/?sc=rsin /articles/carbon-trapping-cement-alternative-for-soil-stabilisation-ready-for-industry-trials/?sc=rsin Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:05:33 EST Researchers have developed a binder material that can replace carbon-intensive cement on soft clay construction sites. It's capable of slashing emissions from binder manufacturing by up to 75%, without compromising the durability of structures in construction. Aalto University /articles/struggling-with-tech-user-interfaces-are-too-complex-for-many-and-it-s-widening-the-digital-divide/?sc=rsin /articles/struggling-with-tech-user-interfaces-are-too-complex-for-many-and-it-s-widening-the-digital-divide/?sc=rsin Mon, 02 Sep 2024 02:00:42 EST A new study has found that intelligence, in the form of general cognitive abilities such as perception, thinking and remembering, is more important than hitherto thought at predicting a person's ability to complete common tasks with a PC. Aalto University /articles/finding-love-study-reveals-where-love-lives-in-the-brain/?sc=rsin /articles/finding-love-study-reveals-where-love-lives-in-the-brain/?sc=rsin Mon, 26 Aug 2024 02:00:00 EST We use the word 'love' in a bewildering range of contexts -- from sexual adoration to parental love or the love of nature. Now, more comprehensive imaging of the brain may shed light on why we use the same word for such a diverse collection of human experiences. Aalto University /articles/a-world-first-qubit-coherence-decay-traced-to-thermal-dissipation/?sc=rsin /articles/a-world-first-qubit-coherence-decay-traced-to-thermal-dissipation/?sc=rsin Thu, 22 Aug 2024 05:00:04 EST Hitherto a mystery, the thermal energy loss of qubits can be explained with a surprisingly simple experimental setup, according to research from Aalto University. Aalto University /articles/living-breathing-buildings-bio-foams-could-transform-the-way-we-build/?sc=rsin /articles/living-breathing-buildings-bio-foams-could-transform-the-way-we-build/?sc=rsin Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:05:12 EST Over the next three years, European researchers aim to construct passive ventilation systems not from concrete or steel, but from a wood-based foam. Aalto University /articles/getting-bacteria-into-line/?sc=rsin /articles/getting-bacteria-into-line/?sc=rsin Thu, 04 Jul 2024 03:05:30 EST Researchers at Finland's Aalto University have found a way to use magnets to line up bacteria as they swim. The approach offers more than just a way to nudge bacteria into order - it also provides a useful tool for a wide range of research, such as work on complex materials, phase transitions and condensed matter physics. Aalto University /articles/nordic-researchers-develop-predictive-model-for-cross-border-covid-spread/?sc=rsin /articles/nordic-researchers-develop-predictive-model-for-cross-border-covid-spread/?sc=rsin Wed, 03 Jul 2024 08:05:51 EST In a major multidisciplinary collaboration effort across Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, researchers have published a pioneering study on the spread of infections across Nordic borders from spring until the end of 2020. The report sheds light on the efficacy of cross-border travel restrictions, helping us better understand which measures actually make a difference. Aalto University