Does adapting to a warmer climate have drawbacks?
When animals evolve to tolerate higher temperatures, those evolutionary changes might have other negative effects. Or maybe not.
The future of marine operations: Robots that organize themselves
Autonomous robots that organize themselves are the next step in working in and studying the ocean.
New clues from old bones: Some Vikings were much more violent than others
An investigation into Viking skeletons reveals a hidden story of violence, power, and the surprising differences between neighbouring Viking societies.
Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?
The lifetime of some Norwegian appliances, like washing machines and ovens, has in fact decreased over the last decades, a new study says. But the reason is most probably due to consumer preferences and not because of “planned obsolescence.”
Why a groundbreaking discovery about tiny RNA molecules may be helpful for humans and wildlife
Short strands of genetic material called microRNA have implications for human health – but they could also revolutionize species identification, and perhaps even allow monitoring of wildlife health. Here’s how they work and the potential they offer.
Trump wants Greenland – but here’s what the people of Greenland want
Donald Trump used a 2018 survey on Greenlandic preferences for national independence to bolster his argument for annexing the autonomous territory.
Why is it so hard to bring clean cookers to Africa?
Despite decades of innovation, more than a billion people in sub-Saharan Africa still don’t have access to clean cooking. Low-tech, affordable cookers exist, yet firewood remains the go-to fuel. Why?
NTNU physicist honoured in Australia
Physicist Sol Jacobsen from QuSpin has been awarded a prestigious award.
A lifeline – with challenges and risks
Norway’s support for scholars at risk is a lifeline for displaced academics. As displaced scholars, however, we see that challenges remain.
Fossil fuels help us grow food. That’s good for food production but bad for the planet.
By now, most people know that a regular diet of animal-based products isn’t a good choice for the planet. But how bad are these foods, really?
From running rats to brain maps: A Nobel odyssey
It’s been 10 years since Norwegian neuroscientists May-Britt and Edvard Moser won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with their former mentor and colleague John O’Keefe. Listen to the Mosers themselves tell the story of how they came to discover grid cells, the neurons that help form a GPS in the brain.
Nuclear energy will play a vital role in Europe’s clean energy mix
Learning from nuclear construction successes and failures can help reduce the cost of building nuclear energy in Europe. But even if these power plants turn out to be more costly than we would like, putting them to work can reduce overall energy costs.
What happens to patients when their GP retires or relocates?
Almost everyone agrees that having the same GP (general practitioner) over a long period of time is beneficial, but are you at risk if your GP relocates or retires?
Finding the place for faces
She raised cormorants in her back yard in a kid’s swimming pool and studied the psychology of nuclear war on a MacArthur grant. But Kavli Award winner and cognitive neuroscientist Nancy Kanwisher always found herself coming back to studying the workings of the human mind.
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.
The summer that changed Norway’s climate policy
He’s been called the father of carbon capture and storage in Norway – but Erik Lindeberg isn’t resting on his laurels. At 76, he’s still crusading to make sure this technology is put to use as quickly and comprehensively as possible, to help the world avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
The cathedral at the end of the world
Trondheim’s Nidaros Cathedral is full of secrets, messages from the past written in stone. One researcher is now decoding these missives, half hidden in a very special spot in and around the most sacred place in the church.
Norway should lead the fight against plastic pollution
Norway’s coastline is littered with plastics from around the world. Plastic pollution is a global problem, but Norway can be a role model in putting an end to it.
Peering into your heart – with the help of AI
Portable ultrasound devices can bring high technology imaging to your doctor’s office, to emergency vehicles, and to lesser-developed countries. A new AI tool helps make these devices easier for a wider range of health professionals to use.
Unlocking the secrets of evolution
We know that evolution works over many, many millennia, giving rise to everything from hippopotamuses to whales and more. A new study looks at the links between microevolution, or evolution over a shorter period, and macroevolution, or evolution over thousand or millions of generations.
Climate emissions from air travel 50 per cent higher than reported
A new study that looked at nearly 40 million flights in 2019 was able to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel for nearly every country on the planet. At 911 million tonnes, the total emissions from aviation are 50 per cent higher the 604 million tonnes reported to the United Nations for that year.
Can Bismuth Prevent Oil Leaks – (and save Norwegians billions)?
Companies can’t simply walk away from old oil and gas wells. They have to be capped in a way that protects the environment and prevents leaks. A new approach to today’s solution could be better for the environment and cheaper, too.
4D imaging of fluids in pores
A method based on CT (computed tomography) – a type of imaging that is widely used in hospitals – can help improve our understanding of CO2 storage, batteries, and processes in the body such as nutrient uptake.
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.
Cheaper batteries are key to shifting transport away from fossil fuels. Can the market deliver?
High metal prices can drive up the costs of electric car batteries, which will reduce their adoption. Car manufacturers are already responding to this by shifting to different technologies.
European union’s ambitious climate goals are achievable – here’s how
Europe is well on its way to achieving its ambitious climate goals of a 55 per cent reduction in emissions in 2030 and “net zero” in 2050. But proposed policies must be implemented quickly and effectively.
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.
The energy footprint of architecture built by oil
Four of the six Gulf States are among the top five biggest greenhouse gas emitters per capita. Why? Oil is the answer, but not quite in the way you might think.
Climate talks and the way forward
What should power the future’s shipping fleets? How can we change the way we build buildings so that they’re truly climate neutral? If we’re going to actively alter the planet’s climate, how should we study this?
Jon Fosse is both high culture and a champion of the banal
In a literary conversation, Jon Fosse said “I am who I am”, which perfectly sums up the awkward, yet insistent way he writes.
When trees talk
We think of trees as silent sentinels, watching as the world goes by and the ages pass. But what if you could interview them about what they have seen?
When 1100 teachers defied Hitler — and won!
More than 80 years ago, Norwegian teachers refused to teach Nazi ideology to their students. They were tortured, imprisoned and starved. But they prevailed. The story of how they won — and why it still matters.