Society & culture - ScienceNordic

Professor warns: This could happen to the economy if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed

Even if peace were to come now, the effects of the war would not disappear overnight. And if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed? “Then we're talking about a completely different scenario,” says the expert.

Why do we remember embarrassing things so well?

"The explanation is quite simple," says a brain researcher.

To unge på en Lime-el-sparkesykkel krysser et fotgjengerfelt.

This may be worse than drunk driving

It's illegal, yet many people still do it. A new report now suggests that two people sharing a single electric scooter may be even more dangerous than riding under the influence.

Sally Rooney, Kneecap, and the fine line between activism and support for terrorism in Denmark

Why Irish voices like Sally Rooney and Kneecap are leading the conversation on Palestine

Parents are burdened with an invisible 'tax'

Parents contribute with two and a half times more resources to societal reproduction than non-parents

Four coins make the Viking hoard in Norway truly unique. "Very exciting"

"This marks the birth of the monetary system we still use today,’ says professor.

Vestrahorn-fjell bak bølgende svarte sanddyner med grønt gress i lav sol

No, Iceland was not settled by freedom-loving Norwegians

They left for other reasons.

A hiker discovered a 1,500-year-old gold treasure in Norway

The discovery points to a centre of power on Norway's west coast, according to a researcher.

What is good lighting when the vision changes?

Is it just about being able to see? Or should we recognize that lightning can affect your mood and emotions and that might be just as important?

Young people imagine a dystopian future due to climate change

Rogue tidal waves. Killer heat waves. Prolonged drought. Unbreathable air. This is what young people imagine when writing climate sci-fi.

Time to leave the ME/CFS diagnosis

OPINION: The ME/CFS diagnosis causes more harm than good. In today’s debate, ME/CFS is portrayed as a distinct, clearly defined disease. It is not.

Cow tending to a newborn calf lying on green grass

"The cow radiated a form of happiness I have never seen before"

Some dairy farmers let the cow and calf stay together for an extended period after birth. Why did they do this?

Two people playing on a snowy slope in Norway, one mid-air in a jump.

The secret to positive emotions? Other people. And researchers fear we're drifting apart

“You should have some people around you whom you feel you can trust. Not just your family, but also some friends.”

The Iran ceasefire expires on 22 April. Then what?

OPINION: Six weeks ago, the question was whether airstrikes could achieve US political objectives. The answer is now clear — and the war continues.

"Today, these couples would be seen as homosexual"

Who were these so-called spinsters?

Nine out of ten are satisfied with gender-affirming treatment

At the same time, many transgender and non-binary individuals end up covering treatment costs themselves. Long waiting times are one reason for this, according to a researcher.

Museum artefacts from the 1200s discovered in a container

No one knows where the display case holding these objects has been since 1990, or why it ended up where it did. But it has now resurfaced and will be returned to the Museum of Cultural History.

Danes and Norwegians have different views on gender equality

Twice as many Danes suffer from 'gender fatigue' compared to Norwegians.

The election in Hungary could help curb the rightward shift in Europe, a researcher believes

The opposition in Hungary has a good chance of winning the election on April 12, according to researchers. This could have major consequences, both for Hungarians and for the rest of Europe.

The myth of European Qur'ān scholarship

OPINION: The idea that European orientalist scholars completely misunderstood Islam is historically inadequate.

Old black-and-white portraits of two men and a woman

What made books from Norway so appealing in Nazi Germany?

A retired professor has investigated a chapter of Norwegian literary history that few have wanted to talk about since.

Central Asian nations are finally resolving border disputes after Soviet collapse

OPINION: In a world increasingly defined by division and conflict, Central Asia is charting a different course.

Hånd som holder iPhone med sosiale medier-apper synlig på skjermen.

3 researchers discuss how smartphone use is affecting us

“A new awareness has emerged that we have been seduced. Now we must take back our lives and those of our children,” says researcher.

The weirdest brain hack on earth: mastering two grammars at once

OPINION: New research explores how the human brain handles linguistic 'intertwining' and what it means for the world—and Norway—that is increasingly multilingual.

Extremely fragile Viking sleds: "They crumble if subjected to too much strain"

The sleds are transported along steel tracks at a slow pace of just 25 centimetres per minute. See photos and videos from the relocation of the most fragile objects in the new Museum of the Viking Age.

Is taking control over our own data wishful thinking?

OPINION: Laws are promising to help us protect our privacy. But the ever-increasing complexity of digital systems can make this promise hard to keep.

How young people are lured into organised crime: "Anyone might encounter it in their feed"

"For some, it's about wanting to resemble the characters they see in films," says a professor.

Expert believes Norwegian minerals could make Europe less dependent on China

But this is not a 'quick-fix,' according to the professor.

The silver tsunami: "I was very surprised," says economist

Older people make up an increasingly larger part of the population, which is causing concern around the world. But in Norway, a researcher sees that some things are going better than feared.

More adults in kindergartens made one particular thing possible

A new study shows what happened when kindergartens got more staff.

Large, man-made belt of stones discovered underwater in Norway: "Very unusual"

"We saw a distinct belt of stones that ran across the strait. It was exactly what we had hoped for."

Folkemengde i Teheran bærer soldat foran Azadi-tårnet under protest i 1979.

How the USA and Iran became arch-enemies

The United States once had a close relationship with Iran. That ended in 1979.

Students sit in a classroom in Norway listening to an instructor at the whiteboard.

What do kids actually learn in Quran schools?

Many children attend religious schools on weekends. What do they learn there?

Iran experts fear the regime could become even more authoritarian

Israel and the United States hope their attacks on Iran will lead to regime change. Experts fear the opposite will happen: that Iran will end up with a more authoritarian regime.

Åpen skissebok med Fearnleys vestlandslandskap og Urnes stavkirke til høyre

Forgotten images reveal a different story about Norway's oldest surviving stave church

"J. C. Dahl describes some of the churches as 'Mongolian-Gothic'," says researcher Nick Walkley.

How to improve maternal and child health for migrant communities

OPINION: Experiences of maternity care among immigrant women in Norway vary greatly depending on personal expectations and familiarity with the system.

Close up of Kanye West in a red Make America Great Again cap

How can we understand the rise and fall of Kanye West?

OPINION: Public figures misbehave all the time – but what happens when one crosses the line so often that even their wins get framed negatively?

Why are Norwegians so good at skiing?

"Today, people ski about 20 per cent faster than they did in the early '90s," says researcher.

How spies are recruited in Europe. "They appeal to the ego," says researcher

New research shows that Russia is behind two out of three espionage cases in Europe.

Old black-and-white photo of a man sat beside an old-fashioned television set.

TV turns 100: John Logie Baird launched a new era

On January 26, 1926, an excited audience got to see a blurry image broadcast live. It was a sensation.

Epstein-friend scrutinised over secret archive: "The missing Oslo Accords documents will surface in Jerusalem"

Professor Hilde Henriksen Waage has spent years searching for the missing documents from the Oslo process. She believes they are in the Israeli national archive in Jerusalem, and that they will soon be made public.

The Vikings’ ancestors may have raided the North Sea coasts as early as the 3rd century

The Roman Empire's naval bases probably gave them the idea for similar structures in southern and western Norway.

Your health is decided by structural racism long before you see a doctor

OPINION: Structural racism remains one of the most powerful yet least visible forces driving health inequality around the world.

Why are American ICE protesters using a symbol from the Norwegian resistance movement?

The red pointed hat with tassels has also appeared in Minnesota.

What is the future of Vidkun Quisling’s grave monument?

OPINION: The debate concerning Quisling’s gravestone monument shows that Norway is still struggling with how to deal with the traces of the occupation, the contributors write.

Amulett i sølv som forestiller hodet til en viking. Bilde til høyre viser spor etter at hodet er kuttet vekk fra kroppen med vilje med hammer og meisel.

Wear patterns on figures from the Viking Age reveal how they were used

Until now, researchers have mainly focused on identifying who is portrayed on amulets from the Viking Age. Marianne Hem Eriksen wanted to find out how they were used.