RSI Research Seminar

Join us every other Monday at noon for lunch and a 30-minute research talk, presented by Resnick Sustainability Institute Graduate Fellows and Caltech researchers funded by the Resnick Sustainability Institute. To see the full schedule of speakers, visit the RSI Research Seminar web page. Seminars are currently in-person only. For more information, please reach out to [email protected]

Understanding the Networked Dynamics of technology adoption: Application to Pollution-Reducing cookstoves in Nepal

This project investigates whether joint learning-by-doing—experiencing a new technology together in a socially intimate setting—can accelerate adoption and strengthen social ties. We focus on the uptake of environment-friendly electric cookstoves in rural Dhankuta, Nepal, where firewood remains dominant despite health and environmental costs. Using a randomized controlled trial across 40 villages (1,800 households), we compare two treatments: (i) cookstove with demonstrations, (ii) cookstove with demonstrations plus meal-sharing with randomly matched peers. Households are randomly assigned in villages to receive an electric cookstove for a three-month trial.  The design allows us to understand how information flows may raise individual's value for adoption. Outcomes include adoption of cookstove, beliefs about benefits, health impacts, and spillovers on social interactions. By combining behavioral insights with network-based interventions, the study contributes to understanding how social learning environments shape technology diffusion and climate-friendly transitions.