Video games do not lead to, or increase, ADHD
Children with ADHD play more video games than other kids do, but gaming does not cause or worsen the condition. Nor do electronic games cause anxiety or depression.
Instagram makes it easier to exercise
People who followed researchers’ motivational posts on Instagram got more enjoyment out of their training sessions. Just a couple of minutes over the course of four weeks was enough to make a difference.
Is your child getting enough sleep?
Children who get the least sleep have the greatest risk of developing mental health issues.
Water flow can be traced with synthetic DNA sand
If your drinking water is contaminated, you’d no doubt like to find out where the pollution comes from. Researchers are working to make this easier.
State’s large investments smarter than many people think
From the press coverage, you might expect only wasted time and projects built over budget when the government invests in roads, buildings and other large projects. But the state — in Norway, anyway — doesn’t do a bad job after all.
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.
Diabetes prediction tool overestimates risk and creates unnecessary anxiety
The FINDRISC questionnaire has been used extensively to predict a person’s degree of risk for getting type 2 diabetes, but new findings show that it does not adequately identify the most vulnerable individuals.
Trees struggle when forests become too small
As forest areas shrink and become fragmented, many tree species face problems. They often rely on animals that can no longer disperse their seeds effectively.
Climate change fuels Australia’s enormous wildfires
Bushfires are a normal part of the cycle of nature in Australia. But not like this. And it is going to get worse.
Important for kids to practice swimming outdoors
Norway may offer children’s swimming and lifesaving lessons outdoors as early as this year. The goal is to reduce drownings.
Little reason for moral panicking after #MeToo
Men and women generally agree on what constitutes sexual harassment.
Lithium can now be recycled
Lithium from Norwegian electric car batteries isn’t recycled that often. Instead, it ends up as waste when other metals it’s mixed with are recycled. But this may change.
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.
Tinder is a waste of time for most people
Dating apps won’t help you much if your goal is to have more relationships. You would probably succeed just as well – or poorly – without it.
Our mental maps are distorted by changed boundaries
We create mental maps as we move around. But these maps can be distorted if the surroundings change. That makes it more difficult to remember where something was.
Here’s how you help kids crack the reading code
Some children learn to read early. Others need more time. But we can do some things to help them, and one of them is important to do first.
People who need health care advice the most like it the least
Most people think it’s a good thing that public health authorities propose preventive health measures. The greatest resistance is found among individuals who need these measures the most – such as smokers, people with unhealthy diets or who don’t exercise.
Insect or virus? How plants know
How can plants defend against different threats to their cell walls?
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?
Fish in early childhood reduces risk of disease
It doesn’t take that much fish for young children to reap big health benefits. Even eating fish just once a week yields good results.
How cancer breaks down your muscles
A solid tumour can cause muscle cells in the body to self-destruct. Many cancer patients die from the consequences. Now researchers are discovering more about how cancer cells in a tumour can take control of muscle cell wasting and trigger a chronic, serious condition.
It is impossible to know which plastics are dangerous
A recent study found that three out of four plastic consumer products contain harmful chemicals. Bioplastics contained toxicants, too.
Epilepsy causes brain’s defences to collapse
What happens during an epileptic seizure? A recent study suggests that seizures occur after certain defence cells in the brain break down.
Predicted skewed waves – and found them
He solved a 127-year-old physics problem on paper and proved that off-centred boat wakes could exist. Five years later, practical experiments proved him right.
Immune system and mental health are connected
Our understanding of how our psyche affects our immune system – and vice versa – has been limited. Until now.
Seaweed and kelp are more than food
Algae cultivation is popular, but good uses for the raw material are still lacking. Researchers in Norway are set to do something about this, with the goal of fully using this resource.
Here’s what you need to rise to the top
Passion, grit, the right mindset and support from others are what’s needed to rank among the best in a given field. That’s the only way you’ll be able to keep yourself motivated and endure all the practice that’s required.
Practising cyber security gets easier
A new tool will make it easier and cheaper to train individuals who defend us from computer attacks.
New research could predict landslide threats
In theory, PoreLab studies porous media. But the research team dreams of being able to predict quick clay landslides as part of their results.
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a warning sign
Women who experience hypertensive disorders while pregnant are more susceptible to developing cardiovascular disease later in life. But the main reason doesn’t stem from the hypertensive disorder itself.
What killed this person?
Sometimes it’s hard to know what a person has actually died from. But post-mortem CT scans may provide a useful tool.
Giving ferries wings to optimize wave power
The boat wings started as an unfinished idea in Eirik Bøckmann’s head. Now they’re being mounted on a ferry in the Faroe Islands.