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How your immune system combats infections like COVID-19

Your immune cells can be found everywhere in your body and without hesitating they will fight against any intruder to ensure your well-being. But how much do you know about your immune system and the way your immune cells handle infections like COVID-19?

How can Denmark better detect children 0-5 years with developmental and behavioral problems?

COMMENT: The first years of life are crucial for the rest of life. Still, too many infants and toddlers are largely not periodically screened to measure their communication, motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills in Denmark, and therefore you might not be swiftly identifying the children who deserve extra help, writes an American pediatrician.

Is the Danish west coast disappearing?

COMMENT: Is climate change causing people’s houses to fall into the water? The answer, as it turns out, is not that straight-forward.

Sibling studies: Nature's own randomised trials?

COMMENT: Why do some people get sick while others remain healthy? We can learn more about that by comparing siblings to one another. But it is a delicate balancing act to perform such studies.

Researchers: Western ideas of Africa are hypocritical fantasies

COMMENT: Africa is corrupt, absurd, dangerous and wild. Or is it? Danish social scientists severely criticise our Western delusions about the continent and its people.

The future map of the world is all about power and money – and it risks making the world more unequal

COMMENT: Future maps of roads and cities will be made by an artificial intelligence that may very well have only seen a small part of the world. This can result in a geo-cultural bias that can make the world more unequal.

Water channels in the brain can determine how deeply you sleep

COMMENT: A new study has found a possible link between deep sleep and cleansing of the brain, which may prove to be the next step in understanding why we sleep.

Evolutionary mystery divides scientists: Did the nervous system evolve twice?

A number of new studies suggest that the evolutionary history of the nervous system is not as straightforward as previously thought.

What is the point in having a nervous system?

Can some animals really exist without a nervous system? Trichoplax, an animal that evolved about a billion years ago, might give us an answer.

Researcher: Universities have become assembly lines that make us dumber than we need to be

COMMENT: Scientific ideals have been replaced by market mechanisms. Knowledge has become a commodity, and the university is like any other profit-driven company, a researcher writes.

Coronavirus: Schoolchildren and parents emerge unscathed from being guinea-pigs

Many parents feared sending their children back to school midway through a global pandemic. Fortunately, that fear has so far proved unfounded, reveals a new report from CBS.

The future of renewable energy targets in Europe in the era of the Green Deal

OPINION: The EU as a whole has committed to ensure that 32% of its energy consumption comes from renewable sources by 2030 but individual targets for member states towards this goal are not binding. Still, there are other ways for the EU to ensure compliance by member states.

Conspiracy theories in the age of corona: How they flourish, and why they are a problem

COMMENT: The uncertainty of coronavirus leaves room for alternative explanations, but conspiracy theories’ mistrust of experts and authorities could potentially weaken democracy.

What’s funny about coronavirus?

The internet abounds with corona jokes. But why are we laughing at something gravely serious?

Computers must learn to make mistakes

As human beings, sometimes we do not know enough to make a decision. And, when it comes to computer systems, we actually ought to develop the same uncertainty.

AI: This is how researchers make computers that can think

Deep learning is susceptible to bias. Therefore researchers are working to develop new methods to teach computers to think about their decisions.

The pandemic demonstrates that facts are not just facts

COMMENT: The pandemic has done more for science than years of laborious research. This is not least the case concerning the importance of 'facts', the question of how science actually comes about and the value of interdisciplinary science.

When epidemics change the world: Can we learn anything from the third plague pandemic?

Around the year 1900, the third plague pandemic raged. This paved the way for several major changes in society and interacted with developments that were already underway. Perhaps this will also be the case with the present crisis, a history researcher writes.

Quinoa is a super crop that can resist future climate change

Quinoa is exceptionally nutritious and robust – it even withstands extreme conditions of drought and salinity. A large new research project wants to uncover the mechanism that makes quinoa so resilient. This is meant to create the basis for future improvement of this unique plant.

Science is more than applied statistics – can we be freed from p-value tyranny, please!

COMMENT: It is nice when complex things can be reduced to something simpler. But sometimes you lose more than you gain – such as, for example, when scientific studies are violently shoehorned into two simple boxes: ‘significant’ and ‘nonsignificant’.

What is the use of moral philosophy?

New advanced doctoral thesis questions whether traditional moral theories are of any use to us at all.

Suicide and ship hijacking: Join the Asian Company on a dramatic journey to India in the 1700s

Dive into the Asian Company's extensive archive packed with exciting and detailed descriptions of life aboard the huge ships.

Corona isolation puts our existential state to the test

The coronavirus is a biological phenomenon that affects our social world. But what about the existential alterations? Søren Kierkegaard can help us understand fear and anxiety during pandemic isolation.

Is the world going to run out of water?

In many places the answer is yes – if we continue as we have done. The rest of the world could learn a lot from Denmark, one of the few countries to have reduced its water consumption.

The H-index turns 15: but is it a good idea to put a number on researchers' performance?

The H-index is an attempt at measuring the productivity and impact of researchers. This is an illustration of the universities’ shift from trusting researchers towards micromanagement, efficiency and competition.

Psychological Strategies Can Reduce Your Cravings

Your uncontrollable craving for a bar of Snickers bar is real enough – but it is probably not because your body lacks chocolate or sugar. A health psychologist offers you tips on how to prevent cravings from turning into eating.

Researcher: Denmark's world-record level of trust is helping us in the fight against corona

COMMENT: The vast majority of Danes are showing 'community spirit'. This is due, fundamentally, to the fact that we trust each other and the authorities.

Coronavirus puts world’s religions under pressure

Prayer assemblies are defying restrictions and spreading the virus — but faith may also be a coping strategy. Religious studies researcher discusses the role of religion in times of disasters and pandemics.

Brain researchers want to know how you take care of your brain

One in three will develop a brain disease in their lifetime, and we know that lifestyle influences brain health. Find out how you can help researchers understand what motivates people to take care of their brain.

Professor: Physical activity may prevent cancer risk

American researchers have given concrete estimates as to what extent physical activity is able to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer. The goal is that doctors will one day prescribe physical activity to patients the same way as they do regular medication. However, Danish researchers are more hesitant.

How do we promote gender equity in computing?

Computing society needs to promote more gender equity and better ways at working together. We present our experiences on trying to do so.

Hospitals fear a new, deadly fungus – How big is the threat and what can we do?

Drug-resistant infections are increasing globally. One new member of the superbug family has already caused severe illness in hospitalized patients. Here is what you need to know.

Mathematical models can predict animals’ risk of extinction

It’s not easy to predict whether a species will die out. However, scientists from Syddansk Universitet are on the case using statistics to save endangered animals.

Does your ‘private’ data picture meet the beauty standards of society?

COMMENT: Private companies and public sectors collect our data every day and minute. In a democratic society, we need to teach children to become critically aware and understand how data processing and digital technologies really work.

God's own weapons: Danish foreign fighters tell why they are fighting for jihad

A Danish scientist has followed six Danish foreign fighters to try to understand, what makes people leave security and safety in Denmark to go to war in the Middle East.

No link between MMR vaccine and autism

Another study confirms that the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella does not lead to autism.

Professors with advice to inactive people: Football is good for your health

But if you want to play football rather than taking medicine, the advice is that you will need to keep playing and only do it after consulting with your doctor.

Linguists need preservation of languages to study human language

Indigenous languages can tell us a lot about humanity. But as we are advancing our knowledge, languages are dying out rapidly.

Are all cancer cells the same?

Not necessarily. And being able to identify the differences at a genetic level could lead to more effective, personalised treatments.

2019 is the UN’s International Year of Indigenous Languages. And we need it to be

Linguists warn against the death of half of the world’s languages by the end of this century.

A single protein could be the key to treating hydrocephalus

A new study in mice identified a mechanism responsible for brain fluid production

We desperately need to store more carbon – seagrass could be the answer

Seagrass plants have an excellent capacity for taking up and storing carbon in the oxygen-depleted seabed, where it decomposes much slower than on land. This oxygen-free sediment traps the carbon in the dead plant material which may then remain buried for hundreds of years.

Should we say farewell to the Arctic's unique nature?

A warmer Arctic could lead to major changes in Arctic plant communities that will influence local and perhaps even global climate.

Using personal data to understand aging

A new six-year research project shows how patient data can help progress scientific research while maintaining personal data privacy.

Danish children are reaching puberty earlier

A new study shows that Danish children start puberty earlier than their parents did.

Where should we draw the line between a healthy and an unhealthy sports body?

Norway is working on the answer with health certificates for athletes.

Are joint custody and shared parenting a child’s right?

OPINION: Traditional family roles of mothers and fathers are changing, and policies to public protect children's interests should reflect this.

Why the new Arctic 'Cold War' is a dangerous myth

OPINION: Discussing “a new Cold War” detracts from the broader roles that militaries play throughout the Arctic and stokes the very tensions it warns of.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of haemorrhoids

Warning: Includes spanking and leeches around the anus.

Elite female athletes at greater risk of eating disorders

Especially in disciplines like running and gymnastics, where body weight is especially associated with aesthetics and fast running times.

The Anglo-Saxons were worse than the Vikings

Linguistically, the Anglo-Saxons practically eradicated the native Britons. The question is: was it ethnic cleansing?

Explore 200 years of climate change in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faeroes

DATA: Each year DMI updates their historical collection of climate data, which is available to download free. Here are some of the highlights.

Erectile dysfunction? Physical activity could be the solution

Aerobic exercise can reactivate the penile tissue and, in many cases, improve the erectile function in men with lifestyle diseases, according to a new Danish study.

Is China’s social credit system really the dystopian si-fi scenario that many fear?

OPINION: Many of the concerns around the social credit system are either inaccurate or one-sided.

Scientists reveal a new permafrost gas mystery

You might have heard that the Arctic permafrost may burp up large amounts of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane upon thawing. But did you know that hundreds of other climate-relevant gases might also be released?

Will we ever see a black hole?

In the shadowy regions of black holes two fundamental theories describing our world collide. Can these problems be resolved and do black holes really exist? First, we may have to see one and scientists are trying to do just this.

An open letter to Danish universities: Let us show the way towards a more ambitious climate agenda

The letter is signed by more than 650 academics from a number of research fields in Denmark. They are calling for universities to lead by example, and implement climate friendly policies in the workplace in the hope of inspiring change in other sectors.

New Materials for a New Age

You probably haven’t heard of “multiferroics,” but they could lead to entirely new ways of designing technologies, some of which we are only just starting to imagine.

Ireland becomes western most site of world's largest radio telescope

Birr Castle in Ireland was a centre for astronomical research 170 years ago, and the story continues with the construction of the I LOFAR telescope.

Warfare spurred on the welfare state in the 20th century

...but it probably won’t in future.

Are organisms basically living machines?

Is your body just a very complicated mechanical system? New project examines the biological differences between living organisms and machines.

Why the world should remember this forgotten Danish physicist

The little-known physicist Ludvig Lorenz ought to be better known, for he truly stands alongside the great figures in international science.

How to build your own personal robot

Researchers in Denmark are helping people who have suffered brain damage to develop their own personal robots that fit in with their existing routines and aid recovery.

How the Greenland ice sheet fared in 2018

It's time for the Greenland ice sheet's annual health report, brought to you by scientists from the Danish Meteorological Institute and Polar Portal.

What in the world is consciousness?

Our perception of the world around us, and ourselves within it, are ‘controlled hallucinations’ that the brain uses to help keep itself alive

The Big Bang – an eyewitness account

What did the Big Bang actually look like? Join astrophysicist Peter Laursen and his travel companion ‘Alice’ as they explore the beginnings of the Universe.

Seagrass meadows: an underwater time capsule for archaeology

…by providing a protective matt above exceptional archaeological treasures.

Computer game addiction is now a diagnosis

OPINION: Who’s decision to classify game addiction as a mental disorder could negatively impact the most vulnerable in society.

An enlightened approach to “illegal” drugs will revolutionise medicine and science

OPINION: Let logic prevail! It is time for all countries to review their support of the current UN approach to recreational drug control and allow medical research on illegal substances.

How the Nazis abused the history of runes

A brooch inscribed with runes was found in a field in Denmark during the Second World War and tells a story of the use and abuse of runic writing during some of the darkest moments in our history.

Stephen Hawking: Master of the Multiverse

The multiverse challenges science as we know it, and Hawking wasn’t pleased with it. But our journey to the edges of time has since reshaped our vision of the cosmos, and ourselves.

How kite skiing and weighing snow helps improve projections of sea level rise

For the past two years, scientists from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland have skied across the Greenland ice sheet to see how much snow is accumulating. Their data will ultimately improve projections of sea level rise.

Does it really matter if one animal goes extinct?

New study reveals the true extent of famous extinctions like the Mauritian Dodo and the knock-on effects they have on other island life.

Hummingbirds are ecological super-specialists

...and thus vulnerable to climate change and habitat destruction.

Historic building activity in Europe mirrors plague outbreaks and food prices

A new study shows that the dramatic upheaval and population decline known as the Late Medieval Crisis began much earlier than previously thought. Thanks to the use of felling dates from old construction timber a new picture emerges of past demographic changes in Europe.