The New Atlantis – more and more of the world is underwater
Most of our planet is underwater – and steadily more will be underwater in the years to come. What do we really know about the underwater world?
Viewpoints
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When will we see a ‘Spotify’ for spare parts?
Vessel components are being transported all around the world when just a simple datafile would suffice.
Yes, we should produce hydrogen in Norway
Producing hydrogen will become an important part of decarbonising Europe’s energy system and is one of the opportunities Norway has to maintain value creation along the lines of what the country has experienced with oil and gas.
Fear of new technology in schools is exaggerated
We shouldn’t be too worried that conversational agents such as ChatGPT might be making cheats of our pupils. Schools should be empowering them to try out new technologies.
Nuclear power causes least damage to the environment
A comprehensive analysis of 870 power plants worldwide shows that nuclear power is a clear winner in protecting ecosystems. Bioenergy is a sure loser.
An artificial lava for sealing oil and gas wells has passed its lab tests
Norwegian oil and gas companies are now plugging and abandoning production wells using an artificial ‘lava’. So far, the results have been excellent. Recent laboratory results indicate that the same method can be used to seal subsurface CO2 storage reservoirs.
The hidden helpers
The situation of family carers has recently been the national news in Norway. Hidden helpers – caregiving relatives – must become visible in order to prevent becoming patients themselves, and health policy rhetoric needs to be translated into action.
Jewish prisoners forced to lie in stream so Germans could cross
It is difficult to understand how conspiracy theories can create hatred directed at individuals and an entire people, but we are witnessing the same thing today.
Confusing terminology is preventing the promotion of a healthy working environment
Many managers believe that their efforts to promote a healthy psychosocial working environment are succeeding. According to a recent report, however, many employees do not agree. No surprise, perhaps, since it appears that people are defining the concept in different ways.
Some stroke patients become more fatigued afterwards
Some people feel worse than others after a stroke. Stroke patients with cognitive and emotional problems tend to experience fatigue more often and sleep more during the day, according to recent research.
Urgent need to commercialise CCS
At last it is now possible to capture CO2 at industrial scales without state subsidy, and countries across the world should be persuading private industry to identify storage sites that will make a real difference.
Blue hydrogen: the real bridge between fossil fuels and renewable energy
Blue, also called “low carbon” hydrogen will make for a much more suitable transition towards renewable energy than natural gas.
Light’s invisible properties can be used to detect cancer
Machines are currently learning how to identify cancer cells with the help of manipulated light. This approach may help to take the pressure off our hard-pressed health services and reduce waiting times for anxious patients.
Now is the time to stop talking up the benefits of natural gas
The view that natural gas can act as an eco-friendly bridge in the transition from our use of coal to renewable energy has experienced a renaissance in the wake of the European war. Thus, the time is right to review the data behind the politics.
In search of a smarter grid
The Norwegian government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. This will involve dramatic changes to the electricity grid system.
No correlation between windy conditions in northern and southern Norway means money in the bank for the offshore wind sector
A stroke of serendipity, courtesy of the weather gods, will save the Norwegian offshore wind sector from the intermittent moods of windpower. But only if wind farms are distributed across large geographical areas.
Diagnostic tests not recommended “just to be on the safe side”
Paradoxical maybe, but it’s what often happens in the health services: When you ask for an MRI to be on the safe side, your uncertainty increases.
Philosophers and technologists join forces to develop a common computer language that can crack some unsolved mysteries
Linguistic logic rooted in classical philosophy can help us in our search for future eco-friendly materials.
Managers must strike the right balance – or the best talent will find somewhere else to go
Working from home is here to stay. And this makes team building more important than ever. Recent research demonstrates that making employees’ working lives more flexible may also erode their loyalty.
Action from the building sector is more important than ever as the world races headlong towards 2.5 degrees
If only the Norwegian building and construction industry would embrace a little more digitalisation, this alone would enable Norway to achieve its 2023 emissions target agreed with the EU.
Data is never objective. Sometimes we must also give free rein to experience and intuition
Blind faith in data as a perfect reflection of reality is causing many businesses to make decisions on false premises.
School, war and crisis management
The Norwegian school year start up again after another pandemic crisis year and with the ongoing war in Ukraine. Pupils’ experiences may be different, but all children are affected by these crises, some many years later.
Stroke patients with delirium may struggle more afterwards
Stroke patients who experience delirium during a stroke could be more prone to developing cognitive and psychiatric difficulties.
Suicide – we know too little about how to take care of the bereaved
Those close to suicide victims are at a higher risk than others of attempting to take their own lives. We know too little about the support they are getting.