Scientists at EPFL and Penn State have trained a computer-learning algorithm to identify crop diseases with extremely high accuracy. The algorithm will be incorporated in a smartphone app to help farmers prevent future food shortages — Read more
New material offers stable spintronics
Skyrmions are electromagnetic vortices that can be used for spintronics. EPFL scientists have now discovered a material that can produce stable skyrmions in a wide range of temperatures, making it ideal for building devices. Read more
Rubidium pushes perovskite solar cells to 21.6% efficiency
EPFL scientists have stabilized perovskite solar cells by integrating rubidium into them. The innovation pushes power-conversion efficiency to 21.6%, ushering a new generation of perovskite solar cells. Read more
Self-consciousness is a heartbeat away
With a virtual-reality experiment, EPFL neuroscientists have shown how the brain receives heartbeat signals to produce bodily self-consciousness. Read more
A new path for killing pathogenic bacteria
Bacteria that cause tuberculosis, leprosy and other diseases, survive by switching between two different types of metabolism. EPFL scientists have now discovered that this switch is controlled by a mechanism that constantly adapts to meet the bacterium’s survival needs, like a home’s thermostat reacting to changes in temperature. Read more