How many countries are there in Europe?
It sounds like a simple question: How many countries are there in Europe? However, the answer is more complicated than you might think.
Society
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Machines will be the drivers of tomorrow. But how will we get there?
The actions that vehicle drivers perform today will be handed over to machines – just as soon as the technology makes it possible and road users demand that such systems be put in place. This is no simple task, but Norway is far ahead of the curve.
New teaching method can even out children’s reading skills
In Norway, girls are much better at reading than boys. But girls and boys perform equally well when using a new teaching method.
Cultures of fear can be strangled at birth
In the wake of the shocking revelation from a major Oslo hospital that fear among employees is making corporate whistleblowing difficult, some in the IT sector are promoting the opposite. When something goes wrong, they learn from their mistakes together.
Is a foreign name a disadvantage?
Do we discriminate against people with foreign-sounding names? A clever experiment with fictional girls who wanted to play football yields some answers that might surprise you.
Project lures pilgrims beyond well-trodden paths
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make use of Europe’s many pilgrimage walks every year. However, travellers tend to visit only a few of the attractions along the routes. The EU project “rurAllure” aims to attract travellers to lesser-known sites of interest.
Residents must participate in the development of our future communities
In Palma de Mallorca in Spain, researchers are planning to use VR headsets to encourage resident participation in a community project.
We need to adapt our cities to a changing climate. But in Norway it’s still business as usual
If we are to avoid our cities becoming ‘heat magnets’ one day, and overwhelmed by flooding the next, we have to incorporate wetlands and ditch systems into our urban infrastructure.
More positive outcomes when elderly are treated locally
Municipalities were given more responsibility for specialist health services in 2012. The changes appear to have resulted in better healthcare for the elderly.
Artificial intelligence – fairy tale or nightmare?
Some people are very anxious. Others are enthusiastic. But how intelligent is AI, really?
Advanced simulation of air currents can result in more habitable cities
Densely-packed housing makes urban areas vulnerable to overheating, pollution and dangerous wind gusts. The effects of climate change can aggravate these problems, but we can also work to prevent them. This can be done by simulating microclimates.
Many developers forget that even the most intelligent systems have to interact with humans
The last dent in your car, two tragic aviation accidents, and the blow out at the Deepwater Horizon platform may all have had the same underlying cause.
How chemistry studies became a door opener for women in 1910
The Norwegian Institute of Technology had special status and an education from the institute virtually guaranteed good career opportunities. That allowed its women graduates to break the glass ceiling in the early 20th century and become chemical engineers. But every woman needed a supportive man behind her.
Working from home inhibits innovation. But researchers know how to fix it
When you work from home, you tend to communicate more with the members of your own team. This is good for implementing ideas. On the other hand, you also communicate less with other groups, which does not encourage the creation of new ideas. But all this can be fixed.
Can exams be fair with the broad availability of ChatGPT?
Teachers now face the extra challenge of designing exams that will prevent students from cheating their way to good grades with ChatGPT.
Grades shouldn’t be introduced too early
Assigning marks in Grade 7 can have negative effects. A new study shows that the practice can affect pupils’ academic performance and how they experience the transition to secondary school.
Pupils are making circular art for Oslo’s first ‘energy-plus’ school
Recycling is the guiding principle behind the new Voldsløkka school and Culture Centre. Pupils are taking part in an art project as their contribution to the research project called ARV.
To avoid a battery crisis, more of us should share small, lightweight EVs
Fossil fuel vehicles gulp down petrol, and electric cars gobble up minerals. The battery industry is so ravenous for lithium as a raw material that researchers believe the demand could threaten climate goals.
Sexually active women are not judged more harshly than men
It’s not true that women are subjected to sexual double standards, researchers say. Most people tend to be more liberal than they think other people are. But not all behaviour is OK.
Artificial intelligence could secure the power supply
Managing hydropower production is complicated. Artificial intelligence can help ensure that we don’t run out of power.
Must we sacrifice nature to mitigate climate change?
The magnets in wind turbines come from China, and the materials in our electric car batteries are for the most part sourced from Congo. Today, key minerals and metals are being transported to Europe from politically unstable countries far away. Is it possible to safeguard access to these raw materials here in Norway? In this article, we present three research-based strategies for addressing the problem.
Children’s language development doesn’t just happen through words
Seeing the similarity between graphic patterns or concepts can indicate whether a child has language difficulties.
What type of paths do we need to encourage more people to cycle all year round?
Even in Norway, more people than ever are cycling in winter. But what types of cycle paths are best for the cyclist, the bike, the path itself and the environment?
Fear of new technology in schools is exaggerated
We shouldn’t be too worried that conversational agents such as ChatGPT might be making cheats of our pupils. Schools should be empowering them to try out new technologies.