The Towing Tank turns 75
NTH, Norway’s first technical university and one of the main predecessors to NTNU, SINTEF and MARINTEK, opened in Trondheim in 1910. Just three years later its scientists began to think very big – 170 metres big.
Technology
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Capturing false hormones
They damage our ability to reproduce, and they pollute the natural environment. Yet chemicals known as hormone mimics can be found in consumer goods. Eventually they end up in our water. But we now have a way of capturing them.
Preventing air accidents
A Norwegian, satellite-based system aims to ensure that helicopters and light aircraft are prevented from colliding with power lines and other obstacles.
A symphony of stars
Øyvind Brandtsegg has composed a piece that plays for seven consecutive years based on how gigantic antennas on the Earth rotate to find the most powerful stars in space.
Monitoring neighbourhood electricity consumption
With more and more Norwegian households owning one or even two electric cars requiring charging overnight, how will we manage without sacrificing our hot morning shower and fresh bread for breakfast?
Urgent changes needed in the pre-fabricated housing
Norwegian houses can no longer have the same design in western as in eastern Norway. Building designs must adapt to local climate variations, say researchers.
‘Likes’ provide humanitarian support
According to a Norwegian study, ‘likes’ on Facebook are providing a new type of humanitarian support and social responsibility.
What do we do when a well blows out?
Oil and gas companies are worried about gas discharges at the sea bed. Recent field experiments can now quantify the volumes of gas reaching the sea surface and how they spread in the atmosphere.
Celebrity ice
Not since the Titanic has a block of ice been quite so famous. In early June, Discovery Channel Canada came to NTNU’s Structural Impact Laboratory (SIMLab) to watch ice researchers from NTNU’s Sustainable Arctic Marine and Coastal Technology programme use a giant machine to simulate what happens when a ship slams into an iceberg.
“Super bacteria” cleaning up after oil spills
Researchers in Trondheim have achieved surprising results by exploiting nature’s own ability to clean up after oil spills.
“Virtual human” unlocks key mechanisms of high blood pressure
Scientists regularly use computer models to understand complex problems, from predicting the weather to designing boats and automobiles. Now they are also using this approach to better understand the human body — including the causes behind high blood pressure.
A bird’s eye view of fish farms
Drones and “flying eyes” are making a major advance into the aquaculture industry.
Putting RFID technology to work
From Finnish hockey players to London double-decker buses to rhino horns, the humble RFID chip is hard at work. New software can help companies harness the power of this tiny technology.
Jacket works like a mobile phone
A fire is raging in a large building and the fire leader is sending a message to all firefighters at the scene. But they don’t need a mobile phone – they simply check their jacket sleeves and read the message there.
Building a hybrid fishing boat
It isn’t just car manufacturers that are looking into hybrid energy systems. A Norwegian boat builder is now aiming to become the world’s first supplier of environmentally friendly fishing vessels.
Lifesaving sensor for full bladders
A small pressure sensor can make the difference between life and death. The first tests on humans will be carried out in April on patients with spinal injuries at Sunnaas Hospital in Norway.
Crash course
As the Arctic Ocean’s summer ice cap melts away, new trans-Arctic shipping routes will open and see a growing amount of shipping traffic. But what’s the best way to protect ships and other ocean structures if they crash into icebergs?
Learning from algae
By controlling the sex life of algae, scientists can promote the properties they want.
Secrets of the High North
The Norwegian arctic island archipelago of Svalbard offers scientists the chance to investigate some of the most intriguing – and perplexing – puzzles facing the high north.
Urban mines of tomorrow
Today’s cities are the urban mines of tomorrow.
Graphene and semiconductor technology together: smaller, cheaper, better
Mobile phones that bend, self-powered nanodevices, new and improved solar cell technology and windows that generate electricity are but a few of the potential products from the union of semiconductors and graphene.
Stress alarm for smoke-divers
Smoke-divers are exposed to high temperatures, physical exhaustion and stress. A new sensor system lets them know when the body has had enough.
Beating the winter blues
The lack of sufficient daylight in northern climes makes many tired and depressed. But don’t worry, researchers have come up with ways to counteract the winter blues.
New material may replace silicon
Norwegian researchers are the world’s first to develop a method for producing semiconductors from graphene. This finding may revolutionise the technology industry.