The other road to a mind
A small fish and a human, hundreds of millions of years apart, build the sensing brain by the same underlying logic. The finding suggests there may be rules a vertebrate brain follows.
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A simple test can predict whether smokers will manage to quit
Despite the effect smoking has on cancer, many people continue to smoke after receiving a cancer diagnosis. A simple test can help predict whether smokers are likely to succeed in quitting.
Language affects how quickly we perceive shades of colour
People who speak a language that has multiple words for different shades of colour perceive the shades more quickly.
Reindeer adapt to climate change by eating seaweed
The arctic archipelago of Svalbard is already experiencing dramatic effects from climate change. A new study shows how these changes can force wild reindeer to graze on seaweed, a strategy that increases their likelihood of survival— and is recorded in their poop.
Men sometimes act less interested in sex – in order to get it
In a new study, women said they acted a little more interested in sex than they really were. Men are the ones who apparently play cool most often.
Santa Claus take note: winter is coming, but get yourself a raincoat
Climate change in the Arctic means more winter rain, and consequently more rain falling on snow. The result can be a buildup of ice under the snow, which can wreak havoc with arctic ecosystems.
Four World Cup gold medals — and a baby
Marit Bjørgen was a world-class athlete at the top of her career — and then she decided to have a baby. How did that change her ability to train — and her performance afterwards?
Deadly fungus that kills amphibians had its origins in East Asia
The fungus kills frogs, toads and salamanders, and now we know where it emerged. The pet trade may be to blame.
Raising better salmon
The aquaculture industry typically selects salmon with the right genes for breeding to provide the freshest and biggest fish. A new method has the potential to produce better results.
Debatable whether Norway will become Europe’s green battery
Can Norwegian hydropower and natural gas play a role in Europe’s future power market? Results of a recent study show that Europe needs to craft a new and shared vision for energy policy for Norway to be a player.
Envisioning a future where all the trees in Europe disappear
Global climate change is already affecting the globe, as demonstrated by the shrinking polar ice cap, melting glaciers and cities in the grips of longer, more intense heat waves. Now a team of researchers has conducted a radical thought experiment on how extreme land use changes could influence future climate.
Global trade doubles material use for fashion, electronics over two decades
A new database gives researchers — and potentially policymakers — the ability to see how global trade affects environmental impacts.
Fewer headaches as you age
That midlife crisis in your 40s actually comes with some benefits. Fewer headaches are one of them.
Norwegian family’s medical mystery solved
Back in the 1970s, a Norwegian family was found to have abnormally high red blood cell counts. Thirty-five years later, researchers succeeded in solving the mystery, thanks to new analytical methods and the latest developments in genetic engineering – and a chance meeting with a Swiss scientist.
Museums can give us better beer, paint and omega-3
Natural history collections aren’t just dusty financial sinkholes. Actually, they can be gold mines for industry.
Unique Middle Age tapestry gives insight into medieval times
Norwegian churches in the Middle Ages were decorated with embroidered tapestries that told Bible stories almost like a comic series. The Høylandet tapestry is the only one of its kind that has survived the march of time.
Japan’s cuteness phenomenon is hundreds of years old
You’ve seen the pictures and the products: Japanese teenage girls in a pastel little-girl world, and children and adults who love Hello Kitty products. They’re all part of the Japanese kawaii phenomenon, which actually started several hundred years ago.
Using Tinder doesn’t result in more casual sex
Tinder users don’t have more sexual partners than other similarly minded people. Women tend to use the app to feel better about themselves, whereas men are more focused on sex.
Boys still lag behind in reading
When boys start school, they recognise fewer letters and their corresponding sounds than girls do. The difference is just as great at the end of the school year.
Nine things to know about microplastics
Picking up a plastic bag from the beach makes a bigger difference than you might imagine.
Cheerful Madonna with a lot of bling
A Madonna figure from Grong municipality is one of the best preserved and special church sculptures in Norway from the Middle Ages. She looks like a sweet, friendly girl who’s been asked to model for the sculpture.
In the bullfinch world, she gets to decide
A lot of birdwatchers like the bullfinch. They’ve probably noticed that the female can chase off the more colourful male from the bird feeder. That makes this species different.
On the topology of helimagnets and difficult-to-understand things
There are in fact good reasons to care about vortex structures in helimagnets. Our fearless Gemini reporter explains.
Ambulance drones on the horizon
Would you hop into a driverless drone and let it fly off with you? In a few years you may have the chance to do just that.