Aalto University

Do you feel true love and passionate love in the same parts of your body? What about parental love or sibling love? This research tries to answer these questions with a map of where and how strongly people feel 27 different types of love. ❤️

The study says that true love touches every part of your body. And unconditional love doesn't look the same as romantic love, but more like a mother or father's love for their child.

‘It was noteworthy, though not very surprising, that the types of love associated with close relationships are similar and are the most strongly experienced,’ says Pärttyli Rinne.

According to Rinne and the rest of the team, the different types of love form a continuum from weaker to stronger. All were felt strongly in the head, but they differed throughout the rest of the body – some spread only to the chest, while others were felt all over.

‘The more strongly a type of love is felt in the body, the more strongly it’s felt in the mind and the more pleasant it is,’ adds Rinne.

Read the article!

Where do we feel love? | Aalto University New research sheds light on where and how we feel different kinds of love

The construction of our built environment is a truly destructive activity.

Ecosystems, bodies of water, topography, geology, climate, humans and nonhumans are affected every day. The construction industry is consuming HALF of all the raw materials extracted annually by humanity. Urbanization devours hectare after hectare of unbuilt land as cities are expected to triple by 2050. Producing, transporting, installing and dismantling constructions use immense amounts of energy and release CO2 emissions at a tectonic scale.

At Aalto University, we’re calling TIME OUT! 🚫

How do we want to care for our buildings, how much built environment do we actually need and what do we find beautiful? Stay tuned and take a time out to reflect.

As a start, visit the Time Out! Rethinking Construction exhibition online. Time Out highlights solutions that could help change our mindset towards the built environment and keep construction within our planetary boundaries. Check out how we can make use of materials and resources that already exist and how nature can be a source of inspiration.

Time Out is curated by Matti Kuittinen, Professor of Sustainable Construction.

Time Out | Aalto Virtual Exhibitions Time Out! Rethinking Construction

Have you met Niksi? She’s Human Resources Advisor Mari Tammisaari's guide dog and most important colleague. And she loves to be on campus.

❓ Niksi, what would you like the people on campus to do in terms of greeting you?

(looks long and hard into my eyes) ‘As difficult as it is, we can't say hello when I'm wearing my guide dog harness. I'm responsible for moving safely, and it's really important to focus on that. I do try to catch people’s eyes every now and then, but it's not something you should respond to.’

❔ What is your favourite place on campus?

(free of her harness, she bounces excitedly when she’s allowed to greet a person passing by) ‘Dining halls and kitchens! I'm really greedy. I walk around and grab everything on the floor. I know I should concentrate on guiding, but food is just irresistible.’

❓ Aalto researchers are also developing a brain imaging device for dogs and cats, with the aim of unlocking the secrets of their minds. How does that sound?

(raises her head with curiosity) ‘Oh, that’s interesting! Then I could share more ideas with people. Now, I'm just trying to get my message across with my eyes and tail.’

And even without devices, we can learn to interpret dog body language.
Let’s take good care of our furry friends! 💝 💖

Read the whole Walk in my shoes (or paws) interview: https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/guide-dog-niksi-its-always-amazing-and-fun-to-come-to-campus

Summer listening tip: Unwind with our student ambassadors’ own podcast! ☀️ In Aalto Squadcast, Aalto Squad members Owein, Bhattarabhop, Anubhuti, Labiba, Beatriz, Olga, Milica and Anastasiia discuss the trials and tribulations of being an international student at Aalto and in Finland.

‘We cover a little bit of everything, trying to give an overall idea of what it’s like to be an Aalto student in Finland. We focus on our own, real-life experiences,’ says Anubhuti.

Listen to Aalto Squadcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! 🎧 🤩

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xKCKjw
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3L7Zs8b

Did you know that we’re taking care of the nature on our campus with respect to biodiversity? Endangered habitat types and their endangered species can be supported by for example establishing meadows.
🌸 We’re using various meadow plants to provide habitat for many plant and animal species, including many rare butterflies and other insects
🐝 We’re favouring multi-species environments and providing nesting sites for wild pollinators, who are particularly dependent on them
🌱 We’re doing invasive species control to protect the meadows
✂️ We’re regulating mowing in grassland to allow flowering plants sufficient time to produce seeds and provide food

Wishing a buzzing summer to all creatures on our campus!

Photos: Minttu Somervuori Aalto University Campus & Real Estate

How about working a week remotely from the Mediterranean as a reward for a job well done, together with dozens of your colleagues from the same unit, while other units’ employees continue business as usual?

Lauri Pietinalho and Frank Martela investigated how low-hierarchy organisations deal with shared policies in confrontational situations, and how authority functions within them.

‘The problem in this case was that people were moving between these partly arbitrary business units, and some did not belong directly to any one unit. There was a debate about whether the travel of one unit was fair to the others who had also worked for the whole’, says Pietinalho.

In this case, after initial doubts, the company CEO decided to support the trip and sent an email to everyone. Then things started happening on the company's Slack channel. Some tried to keep up community spirit, most were just looking for answers.

Eventually, the unit's trip to the Mediterranean took place, but no further trips in that form were made afterwards.

‘What is exceptional here is that even big issues were discussed in Slack. A picture was formed of the general opinion, rather than necessarily following the view of the leader’, says Martela.

https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/in-low-hierarchy-organisations-even-key-policy-issues-are-discussed-in-slack?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_own

In low-hierarchy organisations, even key policy issues are discussed in Slack | Aalto University In a recent study, Aalto University alumn Lauri Pietinalho, a visiting scholar at New York University's Stern School of Business, and Frank Martela, an assistant professor at Aalto University, investigated how low-hierarchy organisations deal with shared policies in confrontational situations and ho...

You may not think of wood first when looking for a material to slow down the spread and extent of fire, but that doesn’t stop Aaltonians in the BIOSUOJA project! 🔥

Professor Juha Lipponen and his research group are looking to make bio-based fire retardant coatings that can be used to save lives. These coatings could provide more time to evacuate from a building or an aircraft on fire. Once turned into a product, this would mean a safer environment for us all.

Read more below! 👇

BIOSUOJA project is saving lives by developing bio-based fire retardant coatings | Aalto University A talented group of young researchers is making these non-toxic coatings out of wood.

Imagine aligning bacteria with just the flip of a switch! Researchers at Aalto University have discovered a groundbreaking way to use magnets to line up bacteria as they swim. The bacteria are mixed into a liquid with millions of magnetic nanoparticles. When the magnets are switched on, the ensuing magnetic field nudges these tiny swimmers into near perfect alignment.

But this isn't just about bacteria. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for research in complex materials, phase transitions, and condensed matter physics.

Getting bacteria into line | Aalto University Physicists use magnetic fields to manipulate bacterial behaviour

Can AI help architects find new insights when it comes to urban renewal? 💚

The Ethelburga area in Battersea, London, will be the subject of a regeneration project in the near future. The area is home to the campus of the Royal College of Art, a sister university of Aalto.

The Intelligent Mobility unit at the university collaborated with Aalto's Department of Architecture and local stakeholders to explore the development of a London suburb. They focused on social and physical urban renewal and future social innovations.

Our students addressed these matters by applying new digital solutions, including the use of visual artificial intelligence to illustrate qualitative design criteria and to generate alternatives. The aim of architecture is to create sustainable housing and examples that meet various qualitative criteria. AI can help to bring these together and to bring depth to evolutionary design.

These photos present some of the solutions the students created using AI. Credits: Eeva Rosenqvist, Liina Kiviö, Karolin Kull.

Read more: https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/architecture-students-use-ai-to-design-social-innovations-for-london?utm_medium=social_own&utm_source=facebook

As many countries hurried to close their borders in 2020, there was little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of these drastic measures. Now researchers have developed a predictive model for cross-border COVID spread in a unique study enabled by transparent data-sharing between Nordic countries.

The findings shed light on the efficacy of travel restrictions, offering insights into which measures truly matter. The model indicates cross-border travel restrictions had very limited effect on the spread of the disease.

Nordic researchers develop predictive model for cross-border COVID spread | Aalto University The uniquely multinational and cross-disciplinary research was made possible by transparent data-sharing between Nordic countries.

Tiesitkö, että 26 astetta on raja viihtyisäksi koetulle huonelämpötilalle? Helleaaltojen aikana monet kodit kuitenkin lämpiävät helposti yli 30-asteisiksi. Mitä asialle on tehtävissä? Tekniikka & Talous haastatteli aiheesta lvi-tekniikan professoriamme Risto Kososta (juttu tilaajille, linkki kommenteissa).
🌡 Tehokkaimmin sisälämpötilaa nostaa ikkunoista sisään porottava auringonpaiste
🌡 Asumisterveysasetuksen mukaan kotien lämpötila ei saisi milloinkaan ylittää 32 astetta (vanhainkodeissa ja palvelutaloissa raja 30 astetta). Rajat ovat Kososen mukaan liian korkeat ja ylittyvät jo nykyisin hellekesinä, ja ilmaston lämmetessä vielä enemmän.
🌡 Kososen mukaan asuintaloja voitaisiin jo nyt suunnitella paremmin hellettä sietäviksi riippumatta siitä, mitä rakentamismääräykset sanovat
🌡 Suomessa on esim. palvelurakennuksissa käytössä sisäilmaston luokitus, jossa on kolme laatuluokkaa. Kososen mukaan “kukaan ei rakenna toimistoihin sitä minimiä, sillä se ei menisi kaupaksi. M***a asuntopuolella toiminta on toisenlaista.”

Welcome new students!🎉

The final results of the application round for bachelor's programmes have been sent out! Congratulations to all new students who have been accepted and welcome to a community like no other! We’ll see you on the orientation week in August!🤩

You can read more here: https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/2-027-new-students-admitted-to-aalto-universitys-finnish-swedish-bachelors-programmes?utm_medium=social_own&utm_source=facebook

Pictures taken by Maria Tuunanen / Aalto University Student Union 📸

Are you planning to work remotely during the summer? Our researchers have some tips that you might find useful when combining work duties with summer adventures. ☀️

👉 According to Matti Vartiainen, one of hybrid work’s major advantages is that it gives individuals an increased sense of autonomy and genuine influence over their work, especially regarding where to work and when. Maybe you can indeed work from the cottage, jetty or even the forest.

Vartiainen emphasises the importance of taking breaks from work and making the most of the flexibility that comes with hybrid work. This can, for example, mean doing some sports or having a walk between work activities.

👉 Niina Nurmi, on the other hand, used to assume that people get stressed in remote meetings. But when she studied the topic, she found out that the opposite was true – especially those who were not engaged in their work quickly became drowsy during remote meetings. Nurmi has a few tips too to make remote meetings better:

‘Think about who’s at the meeting and why: large meetings are inefficient, and you can’t see everyone’s reactions. Even if you’re bored during a virtual meeting, multitasking isn’t a solution. It can also affect other people’s engagement.‘

This means you shouldn’t maybe go swimming in the middle of a meeting no matter how warm it can be. Take that break in between the meetings.

Find more tips in the articles in the comments!

Happiest of anniversaries to Aalto’s fantastic Wood Program for turning 30 years! Over the years the projects have been both local and global, but the core remains the same: researching the possibilities of wood. Here are some of Wood Program's works.

Images 1-2: Kokoon is a modular living unit built to address the acute shortage of temporary accommodations for asylum seekers, students and residents displaced by building renovations in Finland. Wood Program 2015-2016. Photos: Mark Goodwin, Tomoyo Nakamura.

3. Kohta (Finnish for soon, in a moment, presently, spot, location, part or piece ) is a railway shelter in Koria, Finland made by Wood Program 2018-2019. Photo: Tuomas Uusheimo.

4. Kupla is a wooden ten-meter high observation tower, situated on the cliffside of Korkeasaari island made by Wood Program 2000-2002. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.

5. Aikalava is a stage built in honor of Finland’s 100 years of Independence. It has been used for performances in SuomiAreena and Flow Festival. Wood Program 2017. Photo: Jouni Harala.

Occassionally, our employees get support and help from TET interns. The fields of internships might be anything from programming and business management to renewable energy. And in most cases, Aalto Junior is the first place of contact.

‘I didn’t know much about Aalto beforehand. I just sent an email to Veli-Matti Ikävalko at Aalto Junior, and I was accepted. I was just brave enough to get in touch,’ says Vilma Svynarenko, who spent two weeks at Aalto together with another intern, Fajr Asghar.

Initially, their task was to calculate the efficiency of solar cells. But soon, supervisor Imran Asghar was in trouble. The interns did all the calculations in just two days, and the supervisor had to come up with something else.

‘Their work was impressive. Therefore, I ended up giving them keywords and a very rough idea, and they wrote an article on sustainability, energy, and clean technologies in a very short time. And it was of such high quality, both the text and the drawings.’

Fajr Asghar and Vilma Svynarenko also visited different restaurants, buildings, departments and even one of the guild rooms. And they loved Täffä’s spaghetti, like many of our researchers.

‘The overall atmosphere in Aalto is positive. No matter who you meet, everyone is passionate about what they do,’ Fajr Asghar says.

https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/tet-interns-fajr-asghar-and-vilma-svynarenko-explored-everything-from-solar-cells-to-taffas?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_own

TET interns Fajr Asghar and Vilma Svynarenko explored everything from solar cells to Täffä’s spaghetti in Aalto | Aalto University Fajr Asghar and Vilma Svynarenko first calculated the efficiency of solar cells and then wrote an article on renewable energy.

How did Aalto University come to life?

🤝 Aalto University saw the light almost 15 years ago when the University of Art and Design Helsinki, the Helsinki University of Technology, and the Helsinki School of Economics merged to form a multidisciplinary autonomous university.

👉 The new university's guiding principle is to seek synergies and a new competitive advantage at the interface of technology, economics, and the arts. There are many universities in the world that bring economics and engineering together under one roof, but it is rare that the arts are included.

💬 ‘It was difficult to imagine in autumn 2005 what this would become, but the project materialised amazingly fast and the progress has brought us this far. We can be proud and happy that Finland has a university like this,’ says Yrjö Sotamaa, former Rector of the University of Art and Design Helsinki, who initiated the process of creating Aalto.

📚 The recent book "Aalto. The Birth of the University" tells the story of how the new Finnish university was born. The book features interviews with nearly 100 key figures, including former prime ministers, business leaders, professors, alums, students and even fierce opponents of the project, who shed light on the unique social process from their own perspectives.

New book tells the story of the birth of Aalto University | Aalto University "Aalto. The birth of the University" outlines the extraordinary administrative-political-social process that led to the formation of Aalto University.

Here it is being built brick by brick, and finally we can see the end result – our brand new, open-to-all meeting place, Marsio, which we invite you to visit from September onwards.

👉 Marsio is a new meeting place on the Aalto University campus where everyone is welcome to attend events, exhibitions and open lectures, or to drop in for lunch or coffee and visit the Aalto University Shop.

👉 The idea is to make our research and activities widely visible and experiential.

👉 The building also has plenty of state-of-the-art facilities for art and media and multidisciplinary teaching and research.

👉 The name Marsio is a tribute to Aino Marsio-Aalto, a creative pioneer, architect, designer, entrepreneur and Aalto University alum. The Marsio building offers a place for radical creativity, experimentation and new thinking, just like its role model Aino Marsio-Aalto.

👉 Two exhibitions kick off Marsio's autumn season in September showing how Aaltonians are shaping a sustainable future and solving global challenges.

Check https://www.aalto.fi/en/marsio?utm_medium=social_own&utm_source=facebook for the latest updates on the programme. See you at Marsio! 🌻

SuomiAreena kerää taas tällä viikolla ihmisiä yhteiskunnalisten teemojen äärelle. Porissa Aaltolaisia on mukana keskustelemassa kestävästä energiateollisuudesta, kaupunkivihreän merkityksestä, kestävästä muodista ja työelämästä. Asiantuntijamme SuomiAreenassa ovat Frank Martela, Mari Lundström, Minna Halme, Ranja Hautamäki ja Hertta Vuorenmaa.

Keskustelut voi katsoa MTV Katsomosta, jos et ole paikan päällä Porissa.

SuomiAreena Katso SuomiAreena suoraan selaimessa tai sovelluksissamme. Näe tämä ohjelma ja paljon enemmän MTV Katsomossa!

Happy Pride week! It goes without saying that we drive for equal rights for everyone to study and work as themselves at Aalto, without fear of discrimination.

Did you know that we have an organisation for any and all LGBTQIA+-orientated and -curious students as well as an LGBTQIA+ staff club?

GAAY organises open events with Pride spirit, such as Otaniemi GayDay, which is usually celebrated the day after the Pride Parade. If you’d like to take part in excursions, shenanigans and other joyful and proud parties and happenings, become a member.

QueerA! is a network for q***r / LGBTQAI+ staff members across all schools and services. You can find the network through Teams internally.

We acknowledge that Aalto University and society are far from perfect when it comes to accommodating LGBTQIA+ rights, but we aim to be better at it every day.

Exciting news for our future scientists! Aalto University Junior has received a generous donation of 20 000 € from the Automation Foundation! 🎉 This will allow them to purchase virtual glasses and renew the robotics equipment, enhancing the technology workshops for school-age children.

Olli Ventä, CEO of the Automation Foundation, highlighted the importance of sparking an early interest in technology and automation.

Thanks to the donation, Aalto University Junior will also be able to introduce virtual glasses for the first time, offering immersive experiences in space technology, urban planning, virtual painting and more. Technology Coordinator Riikka Keto-Tokoi shared that VR will bring complex, fascinating worlds to life for the children.

The new devices will be ready by August, just in time for the September semester start. Thank you, Automation Foundation, for supporting the future of technology education!

Automation Foundation donates to Aalto University Junior | Aalto University Automation Foundation donates to Aalto University Junior. A donation of twenty thousand euros has been targeted at the purchase of virtual glasses and the renewal of robotics.

Midsummer, midnight sun, and a fresh mindset – summers in Finland are pure magic! We hope you enjoy this season in Finland whether you're attending summer school, working, or on holiday.

☀️ Enjoy endless daylight and celebrate Juhannus, the Midsummer Festival. Midsummer marks the beginning of the holiday high season, and it reminds us to grab some friends and grill, sauna, and swim.

🍀 How about some sauna shenanigans? Gather a bunch of fresh birch leaves and tie them together to create a ‘vihta.’ Then, use your ‘vihta’ to experience the ultimate summer sauna with a twist – birch beating! It’s a Finnish tradition that’ll leave you refreshed and glowing.

🍓 If you're staying in the city, loose those winter layers and embrace the outdoors. Take a mini-vacation and go island hopping, for example. Discover the Finnish Capital Region Archipelago, which has over 300 islands. Pack some snacks and blankets and enjoy the summer nights!

Recharge and relish the Finnish summer – your perfect antidote to winter darkness! Happy Midsummer!

Haaveiletko kesähelteillä superpakastimesta? Mietitkö tehokkaampia säilöntäkeinoja mansikoille tai muille kesäherkuille? Entä kaipaatko itsellesi viilennystä?

Vaikka superpakastin – toiselta nimeltään kryostaatti – voi kuulostaa houkuttelevalta, kannattaa miettiä toinenkin kerta. Sen sisällä on tyhjiö ja kaikki romahtaa kasaan. Se niistä mansikoista sitten.

Katso video ja hyppää kvanttitutkijoiden matkaan!

https://youtu.be/KYs9283XiN0?si=9qAVck6B1m1KHcWO&t=166

Tulevaisuuden teknologiat: kvanttiteknologia

Great news in the field of eco-friendly fashion! A team of students has developed a wood-based material for shoe insoles that can withstand repetitive loading. This innovative insole, created over nine months on the basis of groundbreaking research from the Aalto University Department of Applied Physics, combines a hard, biodegradable mesh with a soft filling for exceptional durability and comfort. Finnish shoe brand VIBAe will pilot the insole this autumn, aiming for market launch in just over a year.

Compostable wood foam replaces plastic in shoe insoles | Aalto University Aalto University students develop prototype of durable wood-based insole – Finnish shoe company starts testing material on users this autumn

When familiar realities shift, emotions often run high – even for top managers. How can leaders avoid the disruptive influence of unchecked feelings on their decision-making? Based on his research with Harvard Business School Professor Michael L. Tushman, Associate Professor Timo Vuori shares lessons from Nokia’s pivotal 2010-2011 decision to choose Microsoft over Google.

1️⃣ Big breakthroughs cause pain and anxiety – we need to accept this and give it time.
2️⃣ When business foundations falter, competitiveness must be viewed broadly. It’s all too enticing to cling to past greatness and choose weak partners to maintain a leading position, without ensuring the ecosystem itself is viable.
3️⃣ In the initial phase of transformation, management should pause – then create vivid future scenarios as a form of desensitization.
4️⃣ Finding a new purpose comes next. Brutal quantitative analysis should be the last step when choosing the best direction.
5️⃣ Nokia's lessons are crucial today as AI transforms industries and geopolitical tensions threaten long-established markets and supply chains.

Five things leaders should know about the power of emotions in watershed moments | Aalto University Associate Professor Timo Vuori explains how to turn harmful anxiety into constructive energy

‘The digital world is not just a separate dimension in some virtual cloud. It is physical data centres, servers, cables, workers, energy and emissions,’ says Vili Lehdonvirta. ‘Their location and centralisation will ultimately determine how policy can influence the digital world.’

Lehdonvirta was awarded a €2.5 million Advanced Grant from the European Research Council for a five-year research project to develop methods for mapping the size and location of global cloud empires. And this week, he’s one of around 100 participants including our President Ilkka Niemelä in the Kultaranta Talks hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

In Europe, concerns about digital sovereignty and data localization weigh heavily. Lehdonvirta’s project will examine the way governments try to influence the geography of computing through policy. And amidst all the geopolitical manoeuvring, the whereabouts of data remains an enigma for most users.

Hyperscale cloud providers have noticed European anxieties around digital sovereignty and developed offerings that seek to address these concerns with data localization, encryption, and organisational arrangements — what Lehdonvirta calls “sovereignty-as-a-service”.

‘If sovereignty has to be bought as a service, is it really sovereignty?’ he asks. ‘What if the additional service ceases to be provided? Is the data then available to intelligence services, for example?’

Read the article https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/cloud-empires-mapping-the-geopolitics-of-data-infrastructures?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_own

Cloud empires: Mapping the geopolitics of data infrastructures | Aalto University The trend towards hyperscale cloud infrastructures is creating powerful global gatekeepers of computational capability. We must understand the geopolitical implications.