Sleeping together: Examining dormitories as architectural types

Published:25.01.23 — A recent publication explores the unique history of dormitories from the Middle Ages to present day. Drawing on a corpus spanning everything from submarines to mountain huts, the authors examine the fine balance between the need for privacy and the function of dormitories as collective spaces, and reflect on the implications for contemporary challenges.

Deflecting lightning with a laser lightning rod

Published:20.01.23 — A European consortium involving EPFL has managed to guide lightning using a high-power laser installed at the top of Mount Säntis in Switzerland.

Why rivers matter for the global carbon cycle

Published:19.01.23 — In a new journal article, EPFL professor Tom Battin reviews our current understanding of carbon fluxes in the world’s river networks. He demonstrates their central role in the global carbon cycle and argues for the creation of a global River Observation System.

Improving perovskite solar cell resistance to degradation

Published:17.01.23 — Despite their huge potential, the way perovskite solar cells respond to external stimuli – such as heat or moisture – has a considerable impact on their stability. Researchers at EPFL have identified the cause of degradation and developed a technique to improve stability, bringing us closer to widespread adoption of these cost-effective and efficient solar cells.

A tool to detect higher-order phenomena in real-world data

Published:16.01.23 — EPFL researchers have developed a novel approach to network analysis that allows them to reveal and interpret, for the first time, interactions among multiple variables in data from neuroscience, economics, and epidemiology.