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.
Satellite data can help us studying Earth’s water cycle and understand droughts Microwave satellite systems can see through clouds and provide valuable insights to the drought prone Senegalese Sahel.
H. C. Ørsted discovered aluminium, but he did not take his discovery seriously Ørsted, the great physicist, was also a great chemist. In 1825, he was the first to discover the element aluminium, but it was not until 100 years later that his discovery was recognised.
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.
Chance separates the strongest from the weakest COMMENT: Studies show that an element of luck and contingency determines whether actions are considered intelligent – both in a computer's algorithms and in executive offices.
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.
The medicines of the future are hiding in Nature's treasure trove Researchers at the University of Copenhagen are studying bioactive molecules in fungi to find the medicines of tomorrow.
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?
Venus has no moon, yet this moon was discovered in the 1700s BOOK: How can one discover something that does not exist? Here's the story of the non-discovery of the Venus moon and the planet that never was, Vulcan.
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.
Are we getting enough out of PhDs? Universities invest millions in educating PhD's, but many of them do not continue in a career in research. How do we ensure the best return on this investment for society?
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.
Why the words we use to describe the coronavirus matter Is the coronavirus just a 'little cold'? Or are we 'at war' with an 'invisible enemy'? Our choice of metaphors has consequences in pandemic times.
Why are men hit hardest by COVID-19? COMMENT: To answer that and many other questions, we need to examine how coronavirus is related to gender – and not just the biological one. This knowledge would also be helpful in the prevention and handling of future pandemics.
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.
Slime-loving bacteria from fresh faeces may be able to help anorexia patients Researchers have transferred fresh faeces from a healthy donor and helped one anorexia patient gain weight. It is the first time it has been done. Now it requires further testing to show that the weight gain was not just a lucky coincidence.
Our attention span is shorter than ever before. What are the consequences? Get the explanation as to why we are so bad at concentrating for an extended period of time... That is, if your attention span goes that far.
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.
Fiction can help us understand ourselves during the coronavirus crisis Works of fiction are important in that they can help us approach the unthinkable when we are subjected to sudden experiences of the wholly unanticipated.
Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that we create our own futures OPINION: How should the COVID-19 crisis be resolved, understood and explained? The solutions and explanations we can imagine will shape tomorrow's society and world order, writes lecturer in history of ideas.
Why mice are man's best friend in the fight against COVID-19 Researchers around the world are recreating the type of mice used in SARS research for many years. Because you cannot just use any mouse to test possible COVID-19 vaccines or to research the biology of the disease.
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.
Biodiversity at risk because we don’t assess the risk of pesticides properly A more complete approach to pesticide environmental risk assessment should replace the current system, which represents real world conditions poorly.
Why are the Danes not as funny as they think they are? Every country has its own forms of national humour, and what Danes find funny can seem tasteless and offensive to a Swede or Frenchman.
After four billion years, the code of life has begun to shrink The genetic code is billions of years old and contains the recipe for all life. Now scientists have managed to change it.
We must move beyond 'green capitalism' Big corporations are branding themselves as sustainable. But the capitalist logic of expansion and consumption that make them thrive is the real climate issue, CBS professor claims in a new book.
Daily life of the Dodo – tales from a 12,000 year old swamp full of bones Excavations in Mauritius has led researchers to a closer understanding of the mythical extinct Dodo.
Disinformation goes South In the Global South, social media monopolies and a surge in digital media users allow information operations to reach millions and affect political elections and developments. The consequences can be fatal, as seen in Myanmar.
Wax on, wax off: What do plant roots and karate have in common? A particular type of wax that accumulates on the surface of plant root cells is vital for their nutrient balance, new study shows. The results truly challenge the way we think about plant growth and plant root adaptations.
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.
Green transition: The whole world can learn from a small town in Iceland A small town in northern Iceland has gone almost CO2-neutral. Researchers went there to find out how they did it and what we can learn from them.
Is Danish welfare facing a break-up? OPINION: Denmark is now discussing a break with the philosophy of universalism, although social expenditure in the Nordic countries is no higher than in Germany or France. Social policy experience tells us that universal welfare schemes are the most redistributive and that welfare for the poor always ends up as ‘poor welfare’.
