Vision may be the real cause of children’s problems
Do you have poor motor skills or struggle to read, write or solve math problems? Maybe it’s really because of how your brain interprets what it sees.
Technology
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How much microplastic is there in your laundry basket?
Every time you wash clothes, you are releasing microplastics into the sea, but we know little about the amount and distribution of such material from different types of textile. Research scientists are now working on measuring and capturing microplastics in our laundry.
SF6: The Truths and Myths of this Greenhouse Gas
The atmospheric concentration of the highly-potent greenhouse gas SF6 has never been higher. Fingers have been pointed at the expanding renewables industry, but is that a fair assessment?
Making future transport more climate friendly
The world’s transportation network is constantly growing. “Green asphalt” and sustainable bus transportation will ease the environmental impact of future transport routes.
Putting off old age on the Norwegian shelf
Sand in the oil stream with the risk of well collapse is a well-known problem when sandstone reservoirs approach depletion. Advanced sensors and a super machine are helping research scientists to find the threshold at which profitable production ceases. This can increase the lifetime of reservoirs.
Proteins in blood test can reveal and predict disease
An analysis of 5 000 proteins from a blood sample is providing valuable information on a variety of diseases we might get or be at risk for. “Sensational” is the word from Christian Jonasson at the HUNT Research Centre about the US-British-Norwegian study.
Need to reduce oil activity to create new industry, say researchers
Offshore wind energy is seeing renewed wind in its sails as a major industrial opportunity for Norway. But researchers warn that economic and political players could hinder this development if they get locked into the existing industrial structures.
Ground-breaking astronaut glove for exploring the moon and Mars
NTNU students have developed a smart glove for astronauts that can be used while exploring other planets. NASA partners recently conducted successful testing of the glove at the Haughton Mars Project research station.
An award that puts Norway on the international map
Cybernetics professor Kristin Ytterstad Pettersen has been awarded the BODE prize for her groundbreaking research in underwater robotics. It is one of the most prestigious technology prizes in the world.
Prestigious EU grant to create the world’s smallest network
Professor Dennis Meier and the research team he leads will create the world’s smallest electronic network. Dennis Meier has been awarded the ERC Consolidator Grant to conduct this research.
Testing CO2 transport on the laboratory roof
When scientists carry out experiments to investigate safe and efficient CO2 transport on the roof of the thermal power engineering laboratories at Trondheim, Norway, the noise they make will sound like a jet engine.
Still fewer pupils distracted by school desk computers
In the classroom, non-educational distractions are only a click or two away. However, a recent SINTEF report demonstrates that these thieves of school pupils’ attention are already being severely weakened.
Safer cars and buildings start at the nano level
When accidents happen, the difference between life and death may come down to the materials of the car, boat or building that you find yourself in. The best possible protection requires understanding as much as possible about how different materials behave under stress.
Water was a winner in capturing CO2
Reducing the level of CO2 in the atmosphere will probably require carbon capture. A surprising substance just might be the ticket.
Could a chatbot be your friend or romantic partner?
Researcher Marita Skjuve has been interviewing people who have a close relationship with a chatbot called Replika. Her conclusion is that such relationships offer value and meaning to the chatbot’s users, and can even be romantic.
Breaking glass to make it safer
Our craving for daylight has accelerated the use of glass in modern buildings. However, for people concerned about safety, our passion for the light comes with a dark side.
Artificial bees from a pressure cooker?
What if we could create artificial bees that helped us with food production? Ola Gjønnes Grendal cooks up the materials needed to do just this.
This technology will transform you into Superman
Imagine yourself putting on a suit of extra muscles, seeing with super vision and inspired with new skills – with sensors making sure that you don’t overextend yourself. This is the idea behind the project called “HuMan”, which has recently delivered what looks like pure sci-fi technology to partners including an Airbus factory.
Turning waste heat into hydrogen fuel
Hydrogen as an energy carrier can help us move away from fossil fuels, but only if it is created efficiently. One way to improve efficiency is to use waste heat that’s left over from other industrial processes.
Simulating her way to better batteries
Do you have a phone or a car that always runs out of juice? Ingeborg Treu Røe is studying batteries that can store more energy and triple the range of your EV.
Super-strong magnetic supercrystals can assemble themselves
Materials scientists who work with nano-sized components have developed ways of working with their vanishingly small materials. But what if you could get your components to assemble themselves into different structures without actually handling them at all?
Nature’s way of keeping surfaces clean
Nature has long been an inspiration for materials engineers and designers — just think of Velcro, the ubiquitous stick-to-itself tape that was created by a Swiss engineer after he picked burs out of his dog’s coat. Now a team of NTNU researchers has looked in more detail at how tiny conical structures on a lotus leaf or insect’s wing repel water and help keep it clean.
What doesn’t crack them makes them stronger
It sounds a bit strange, but some materials become stronger when subjected to stress. Why is that, and why do they eventually fail anyway?
Ammonia may hold key to greener combustion
One way to reduce flight shame may lie in a ring of flames. And in the gas that’s generated in an outhouse.