Preschool teachers test children’s social skills
A new test that uses emojis can check the social skills of preschoolers. A vocabulary test is underway.
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Mental health study: ChatGPT advice preferred over that of professionals
Artificial intelligence provides good answers to mental health questions. Young people even like ChatGPT’s responses better than healthcare professionals’ advice.
This traditional fish processing company increased production by 50 percent
New technology and automation have radically changed production practices. Workers now lift around 20 tonnes less fish – each day – than they used to.
Many young people are sexting on social media
New research shows that it is very common among Norwegian teens to both send and receive messages with a photo or video of intimate body parts.
A new “plug and play solution” enables offshore charging for electric ships at sea
Connecting ships to charging stations is a bit of a hassle when you are out at sea. But with a new magnetic charging plug for boats – it is about as easy as putting a cup in a cup holder.
Botany’s answer to Darwin’s finches shows evolution in real time
A new study reveals how a remarkable group of plants on the Galápagos Islands developed their diverse leaf shapes – offering unique insight into evolution at the genetic level.
Express ferries: from climate culprits to green champions
High-speed passenger vessels with diesel engines are currently the least environmentally friendly form of passenger transport – but they do not have to be.
Decommissioning old wind turbines generates thousands of tons of new waste
By 2040, up to 20,000 wind turbine blades could be landfilled or incinerated simply because we lack good ways to process them sustainably.
Feeling lonely? Try a walk in the great outdoors
Even a solitary walk in the woods or by water provides a sense of connectedness. Simply spending time in natural environments can help prevent loneliness.
This drone reveals what lies beneath snow and soil
Using self-developed drones and advanced sensors, researchers can now see both under the snow and into the ground. The scientists’ goal is to reduce societal risk and environmental encroachment.
Can Europe create artificial intelligence that we actually understand?
Artificial intelligence is currently controlled by a number of tech giants in the United States and China. One professor believes Europe can choose to take a smarter and more democratic path.
About to emerge: One of the world’s most advanced laboratories
Concrete has never had to meet such high standards. Deviations cannot exceed millimetre level. Even the curvature of the Earth must be taken into account in building the world’s most advanced laboratories.
Europe’s power grid has a big drought problem
Europe’s droughts are challenging its clean energy ambitions — with considerable social and environmental costs. There’s a solution – but it’s not quite what you might expect.
High levels of forever chemicals in Svalbard reindeer
Svalbard reindeer live in a place so remote they have actually evolved to become a subspecies. But that remoteness isn’t enough to protect them from contaminants from the industrial world.
Experienced therapists can give psychology students an extra boost
Psychology students who will work with patients during supervised professional training can benefit from observing experienced therapists at work.
Helping resolve quantum computers’ memory problem
A major problem with quantum computers is memory, as the information they contain can be quickly lost. We can now see how fast this happens, and much more precisely than before.
Huge quantities of German ammunition lie at the bottom of Norwegian lakes
The stockpile of German ammunition left in Norway in 1945 could have been cleared and dismantled by the Germans. Norway declined the offer and began dumping it in Lake Mjøsa and other lakes instead.
Eyewitness: Bjørn helped dump ammo into Lake Mjøsa
Bjørn Karlstad was a young man when he went out with his grandfather to dump old WWII ammunition into Lake Mjøsa.
Believing that practice makes perfect is most important for success at school
Pupils who believe they can improve through practice enjoy their subjects more and achieve better academic outcomes.
Securing the water supply in Longyearbyen is critical
With increased pressure on the Arctic, a secure water supply is becoming a critical part of emergency preparedness in Svalbard. Now researchers are investigating how Longyearbyen’s only source of drinking water can be better secured.
The northern lights’ dark twin is a wild card for the power grid
Scientists are working to understand how magnetic currents from the sun spread beneath the Earth’s crust when the northern lights dance across the sky. Their goal is to tame its “dark twin” and prevent damage to our power grid.
Widespread temptations bad news for people with a high risk of diabetes
Some people have a greater genetic risk than others of developing type 2 diabetes. Now, more of these at-risk people are actually developing diabetes than previously.
Crashing into new railings to test the strength of old bridges
More than 4000 ageing bridges in Norway need to be secured with new railings. NTNU researchers are now crash testing new railings to see if it is safe to install them directly on to the old bridges.
Swapping batteries for hydrogen gives drones a whole new range
Researchers have built a drone that runs on hydrogen. This technology will enable us to fix power outages faster and replace dangerous helicopter missions with the new drones.
How Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream might look in 300 years’ time
Edvard Munch used materials that make his paintings vulnerable to the ravages of time. A new digital tool now shows how much The Scream may change over the next 300 years.
New material can help combat water shortages where water is needed most
A newly developed plastic material of the same type as is used in baby diapers can collect clean and safe drinking water from the air.
Teamwork is a skill – it must be practiced
How do you talk to a colleague who is obviously making work-related mistakes? And how would you yourself want this kind of feedback?
A microphone that can sort sounds and measure noise could be coming to a construction site near you
A new AI-based sound metre can distinguish between excavators and seagulls. This is not that easy for artificial intelligence to understand.
Tiny marine organism stressed by warmer Arctic waters
As ocean temperatures continue to rise, one of the smallest but most important organisms may be starting to struggle.
A green solution to replace the use of superpotent greenhouse gas
Many large circuit breakers are filled with sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) – a greenhouse gas that is 24 300 times more powerful than CO₂. But an ingenious Norwegian solution could offer us a climate-friendly alternative.
Simple steps can reduce microplastic emissions from aquaculture industry
The fishing and aquaculture industries are major consumers of plastic. Feed hoses, nets and ropes all contain plastic – and even washing fish farming nets can be a culprit. But research shows that simple methods can reduce emissions.
Open-source software can increase security – but a long-term approach is required
The security policy landscape has changed. We are at increasing risk because we are so dependent on large US technology companies.