Are architectural approaches holding water?
Students, researchers and the building industry are collaborating to adapt our homes to climate change. And they’re identifying solutions that hadn’t been obvious before.
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Fish residues can compensate for raw materials shortages and improve our health into the bargain
More than a million tonnes of fish residues can rescue the food and cosmetic industries from raw materials shortages – and create new jobs. The key factors here are oils rich in omega-3, collagen and gelatin.
Children in the welfare system are not getting the health care they need
A recent report from SINTEF reveals that children and young people in the welfare system attend more out-patient mental health service appointments than other children. However, both they and their parents think that the help they are getting is inadequate.
What should we be using our electricity for?
Norwegian politicians should not be sponsoring the race to expand the use of AI. The process is wasting too much energy.
Nutrient-rich fertiliser from toxic ammonia
Researchers have recently found out how to use algae to convert ammonia and nitrates into a nutrient-rich fertiliser or fish feed ingredients.
Saying no to all gene technology is an ethical short-circuit
Conventional breeding techniques result in major and uncontrolled modifications to the genetic material of plants and animals. If arguments based on the ‘precautionary principle’ are used as blindly on this issue as in the gene technology debate, then we are condemning the world to starvation.
Bringing old brickwork back to life in heritage buildings
Researchers are testing and protecting old brickwork as their contribution to the renovation of the heritage building Sophies Minde in Oslo. Results indicate that much of this material can be reused.
Organs grown on microchips may offer a quantum leap for women’s health
Women’s bodies and their health in general have for too long been assigned low priority in the field of research. But an innovative and extraordinary technology may now offer us new treatments for conditions such as endometriosis.
Fishers working from small vessels are at the greatest risk
Friday 1 March another Norwegian fisherman was drowned while working. He became the 156th Norwegian working in the industry to lose his life since the new millennium. A safety researcher at SINTEF says that this only goes to underline the message delivered in a report recently published by her team.
Researchers surprised by penned fish responses to robots
Norway leads the world when it comes to the use of robots in the aquaculture sector. But how do these robots actually impact on the fish? Cyberneticist Eleni Kelasidi is surprised by just how much.
We can’t allow Google to waste its surplus heat
The new Google data centre being built in Skien is in danger of wasting its surplus heat because Norway has no legislation that reduces this risk. We really need to address this issue!
Development projects should be assessed according to the cumulative impact they have on nature
Does it matter if a small area of rare wetland is lost if a lot more of the same area remains intact? In Norway, it is impossible to say, because no-one can show how many such wetlands are being destroyed elsewhere at the same time.
We use chemicals for more or less ‘everything’. Now we have to find smarter ways of making them
Did you know that the chemical industry supplies products to virtually all other value chains, including the food, construction, health and transport sectors? All these industries are now having to renew themselves as part of the green transition, and SINTEF is working to help them.
A master’s student has tracked down greenhouse gas figures much needed by researchers
Climate scientists often lack the data they need for their calculations. A master’s student has helped to track down key figures from Africa’s most populous country.
Precautionary fundamentalism is threatening Norwegian food production
If the Norwegian government rejects the majority opinion of the Gene Technology Committee, it will miss a long overdue opportunity to boost food safety, improve animal welfare and promote more eco-friendly pesticides.
Bulk carriers can also be green
Research scientists from 16 countries are joining forces to make a bulk carrier climate neutral – all with the help of a new power train.
You may soon be making coffee powered by your car battery
Power cuts can be caused by heavy snow and icing, as well as lightning strikes and strong winds bringing down power lines. Together with more extreme weather events, Norway is also facing a major power supply deficit. So, what can we do to avoid a total electricity crisis?
Helping low-income families onto the housing ladder
Families who obtained help to purchase their homes improved their lives in many ways. But outcomes were not so positive for those renting as part of affordable housing allocation schemes.
A ‘new’ fish may soon be finding its way onto fresh food counters
Research is revealing that a cod-like fish called ‘cusk’ may soon be making a big splash on Norwegian dinner plates. But you will have to search long and hard to find it on sale today.
What researchers found out after 1,130 tests on Norwegian windows
Results from a major study may contribute towards developing windows that can withstand harsher climatic conditions involving heavier rainfall and stronger winds. Because that’s exactly what we can expect in the future.
Is it safe to feed farmed salmon with bristle worms raised on fish excrement?
It is currently prohibited to provide animals with feed derived from the same animals’ own ‘value chain’. But this legislation is not based on science.
Is there a new deep-sea fishery on the horizon?
Well, some researchers believe this is possible. Species living at depths between 200 and 1000 metres may be very valuable. However, harvesting them isn’t as easy as it might sound because, when taken on board, valuable catches change rapidly from pure gold to ashes.
A technology to help us achieve large-scale carbon storage
SINTEF researchers are applying methodologies used to transport oil and gas in their efforts to upscale a technology for carbon capture and storage. This is good news for the climate.
Ability to identify bone fractures tells us something important about AI
One of Norway’s biggest achievements to date in the practical application of artificial intelligence is in identifying bone fractures. The secret of this success may be of benefit to many of our business leaders.