Employees are using ChatGPT for advice, but is this a good thing?
Recent data on people’s habits in the workplace are giving us reason to look into whether the use of artificial intelligence (AI) may be hampering collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Stopping industrial hackers needs more know-how
Plant managers used to be kept awake at night by the fear of unintended incidents. But their new nightmares are much worse.
The hydrogen race is putting Norwegian competetiveness on the line
Norwegian hydrogen research laboratories have recently been celebrating breakthroughs that can help heavy industry to achieve climate neutrality. But current Norwegian government policy means that these findings will most likely only benefit our competitors.
Clever hands can’t be digitalised
A huge amount of the knowledge we acquire about our work cannot be expressed either digitally or on paper. Children ought to be made aware of this as early as in primary school, because this tacit knowledge is in danger of dying out.
Norway needs a ‘salmon feed revolution’
The issue of salmon feed has become a bottleneck, hindering the growth and sustainability of the Norwegian aquaculture sector. In the future, insect meal, bristle worms and bacteria that consume CO2 may become essential components of a farmed salmon’s diet.
The aluminium in your old car should be recycled into a new car, not something else
Unless we acquire greater knowledge about what happens at the atomic and molecular scale during materials recycling, progress towards a truly circular economy will grind to a halt.
3D printing – a revolution in manufacturing technology
In recent years, 3D printing has exploded in popularity, and may open a new era of faster and more climate-friendly manufacturing. But is it really the manufacturing method of the future?
How solar energy can be stored in ‘batteries’ made from food waste
Soon you may be able to keep your house warm in winter using heat which molecules from food waste have borrowed from yesterday’s sunshine.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Which is best – digitalisation or digital transformation?
Have you ever wondered what the terms digitalisation and digital transformation really mean? Are you unsure about when to use these terms and what they mean to you? And, more to the point, what’s the difference?
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.
Rampant uterine cells can cause disabling pain. Now it’s time to find a cure
Endometriosis: If we utilise all the knowledge we have about cancer, there is reason to hope that effective diagnosis and treatments can be developed to combat the female condition ‘everybody’ is talking about.
Data is just as important as the electricity we generate from the sun and wind
During his visit to Norway earlier this year, Bill Gates was keen to emphasise the innovation that will be needed to reduce the costs of mitigating climate change. One place to start is to educate more experts in the field of data processing.
There are easier ways of integrating solar power into the energy system
We need the electricity generated by solar panels in order to meet our climate change mitigation targets. But solar power must be integrated rationally and fairly – something that can only be achieved with effective regulation.
When will we see a ‘Spotify’ for spare parts?
Vessel components are being transported all around the world when just a simple datafile would suffice.
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.
For how long can you keep warm during a power outage?
Many Norwegian homes can only be heated using electricity. The authors of this blog argue that in the event of an extended power outage, energy-efficient homes will stay warm for much longer than those built according to the minimum regulatory requirements.
An artificial lava for sealing oil and gas wells has passed its lab tests
Norwegian oil and gas companies are now plugging and abandoning production wells using an artificial ‘lava’. So far, the results have been excellent. Recent laboratory results indicate that the same method can be used to seal subsurface CO2 storage reservoirs.
Confusing terminology is preventing the promotion of a healthy working environment
Many managers believe that their efforts to promote a healthy psychosocial working environment are succeeding. According to a recent report, however, many employees do not agree. No surprise, perhaps, since it appears that people are defining the concept in different ways.
Blue hydrogen: the real bridge between fossil fuels and renewable energy
Blue, also called “low carbon” hydrogen will make for a much more suitable transition towards renewable energy than natural gas.
Light’s invisible properties can be used to detect cancer
Machines are currently learning how to identify cancer cells with the help of manipulated light. This approach may help to take the pressure off our hard-pressed health services and reduce waiting times for anxious patients.
Now is the time to stop talking up the benefits of natural gas
The view that natural gas can act as an eco-friendly bridge in the transition from our use of coal to renewable energy has experienced a renaissance in the wake of the European war. Thus, the time is right to review the data behind the politics.
In search of a smarter grid
The Norwegian government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. This will involve dramatic changes to the electricity grid system.
No correlation between windy conditions in northern and southern Norway means money in the bank for the offshore wind sector
A stroke of serendipity, courtesy of the weather gods, will save the Norwegian offshore wind sector from the intermittent moods of windpower. But only if wind farms are distributed across large geographical areas.
Philosophers and technologists join forces to develop a common computer language that can crack some unsolved mysteries
Linguistic logic rooted in classical philosophy can help us in our search for future eco-friendly materials.
Deep learning may help to prevent salmon escapes in rough seas
Artificial intelligence can be of great benefit underwater and SINTEF, in collaboration with the research centre SFI Exposed, is developing systems that will help to boost fish farm safety and security under harsh sea conditions.
Managers must strike the right balance – or the best talent will find somewhere else to go
Working from home is here to stay. And this makes team building more important than ever. Recent research demonstrates that making employees’ working lives more flexible may also erode their loyalty.
Action from the building sector is more important than ever as the world races headlong towards 2.5 degrees
If only the Norwegian building and construction industry would embrace a little more digitalisation, this alone would enable Norway to achieve its 2023 emissions target agreed with the EU.