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.
Well-meaning climate measures can make matters worse
Lifestyle changes can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help protect nature. While some actions offer great potential, some aren’t as effective as we think and may even require more land and water, such as shifting to renewable energy.
Sun and wind in a box
Renewable energy is fine, but often it’s needed at times other than when the wind is blowing or the sun makes an appearance. The energy needs to be stored – and a new method is on the horizon.
Stephen Fry: If we sleepwalk, we’ll die
“We may be a mere 20 years away from creating artificial life,” says Stephen Fry. He warns that these new life forms won’t see any need to keep us, and may instead look at us as pests.
“The fabric of life is disintegrating”
“Human beings are destroying the nature that we are all a part of,” says the winner of the Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science, Professor Sandra M. Díaz.
Earth’s population could shrink soon
Better opportunities for women mean that the threat of overcrowding the planet may not be as dramatic as people fear. The population may well decline in a few decades.
Publishing half-truths worsens treatment for patients
“I am a doctor who reveals idiots as a hobby,” says Ben Goldacre. If so, it’s become a pretty comprehensive hobby.
How to defend yourself against fake news
How can we defend ourselves against false information? NTNU researchers provide some tips and tackle the problem during The Big Challenge Science Festival this week.
$180 million to go toward mapping world’s species
We can’t take care of the Earth’s species unless we know what species exist. A collaborative project that will help us know more is being launched in Trondheim during The Big Challenge science festival.
Eliminating infamous security threats
Meltdown and Spectre attack computers. No efficient protection has been found. Until now.
Michelin-class composting
Now you can learn how to compost food scraps from a Michelin restaurant. Restaurant Credo folks in Trondheim will be showing off their artistry at the FUTURUM exhibit, part of NTNU’s science festival The Big Challenge.
Migrants not particularly prone to depression
Migrants are doing well generally, but experience higher rates of depressive symptoms than the population at large in some European countries. One country stands out as an exception.
What makes everyone sick?
The world’s best-known doctor is coming to the Big Challenge to talk about the world’s biggest challenge, and one that thousands of scientists are trying to figure out: what makes us sick? Norway is among the challenge participants.