COVID-19: five years since lockdown – what has Norway learned?
How did COVID-19 impact Norway and our lives? Researchers know a lot about what changed, and about what remained exactly the same afterwards.
Politics
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Soldiers can cope with killing
Researchers have investigated the mental health of all of Norway’s Lebanon and Afghanistan veterans. One factor determines whether they struggle after having killed another person.
A ski festival is good, but does it have to cost so much?
“It would be boring if you could never have a party! The challenge is to do it in a way that the cost is in a reasonable proportion to the benefit to society,” says researcher Denis Becker about the 2025 World Ski Championships in Trondheim.
Increase in media coverage of crises, but not in the number of crises
It might seem like the world is being bombarded by one crisis after another. But what’s really happening is an increase in media coverage.
Will wokeness derail the Democrats?
The presidential race appears to be a dead heat ahead of the United States election on 5 November, but wokeness is ‘an unexploded bomb’.
Building peace
“Put very simply, conflicts end in one of three different ways,” says peace researcher Karin Dyrstad.
The danger of AI is that it’s so good, you simply can’t resist
Inga Strümke does not believe artificial intelligence will take over the world with killer robots, but it might kill your spark. This is an area that needs rules, and Europe is about to get them.
Is the American Empire collapsing?
The United States remains a global power unparalleled in history. So what would it take for this situation to change? Four possible developments or events seem to be plausible candidates.
Strange bedfellows: Howard Hughes, the CIA and a lost Soviet sub
The American eccentric billionaire, Howard Hughes, wasn’t afraid to make expensive investments in new technologies. So when he announced in 1972 that he was going to build a giant ship to mine manganese nodules from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, few were surprised. But the ship had a very different – and top secret – mission.
Norway needs to know much more before actually mining the deep sea
Norway’s law on mining seabed minerals is too unclear, the knowledge base too flimsy, and the Storting’s White Paper on seabed mining does not hold water.
Climate change causing problems for reindeer
Unstable winters are making reindeer herding more difficult. The animals are also having trouble finding food on their own.
What happens when so many voters cast advance ballots in elections?
More people are taking advantage of early voting than before. But the impact on the elections is not exactly what politicians had hoped for.
Professor wants to involve children in work
“A sense of community between generations will be key to ensuring sustainable coastal communities. The importance of children’s learning through work is underestimated,” says Professor Anne Trine Kjørholt.
What happens when artificial intelligence is used in public administration?
Data-driven public administration changes the public sector in a fundamental way. But what does this mean for you as a citizen?
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.
Southern Sámi language in danger if reindeer herding is restricted
Wind turbines are contributing to the Southern Sámi losing grazing land for their reindeer husbandry. This livelihood is central to the identity of the Southern Sámi culture and thus to their language, researchers say.
Differences between rich and poor are increasing in Norway
We might imagine that the differences between people in Norway are small, but this is not true. On the contrary, inequities have increased in recent years. And it matters who your parents are.
Home offices continue to affect our travel patterns
When countries shut down during the pandemic, many people stayed home. Some replaced their old habits with new ones, either temporarily until society opened up again or continuing post-pandemic. What do these changes in habit mean for our travel patterns?
Who has died from COVID-19?
At least six million people have died from COVID-19 to date. But who dies is often not random. The same pattern is found around the world.
Rare for women’s rights to be so front and centre in Iran
Women often participate in non-violent demonstrations, and they can be of crucial importance. But what is now happening in Iran stands out from other popular uprisings.
A failed democratic experiment?
This is how the democratic process is described in several of the former Soviet states that won their freedom starting in the 1990s. Now researchers want to propose new ways of building democracy.
And behind it all looms the threat of nuclear weapons
Ukraine is certainly putting pressure on Russia in the war. How can this be? And is this good news against an authoritarian regime with atomic weapons?
Is it really selfish to complain about electricity prices?
Norwegians are not necessarily being selfish by wanting to go back to the good old days of cheap electricity. Nor do people think it is acceptable to use the situation for some to enrich themselves at the expense of others, says the researcher.
Sceptics of welfare schemes don’t increase with more immigrants
Scepticism about social welfare schemes can increase as immigration grows. But only among those who are already sceptical of immigrants.