Tag: society and culture

New research lets us into the brains of artists

Ever wondered what goes on inside a performer’s brain? With EEG-technology we can show what the performing person feels in real time.

Why are fences so provoking?

Fences are not only a convenient tool for structure. Fencing also tells a story about power, exclusion and social dynamics.

Heading towards mushroom wonderland

The cultural role of psychedelic mushrooms and how they affect the body.

Why has the Danish welfare model remained so strong against Covid-19?

A CBS researcher has developed a ‘butterfly model’ that she believes can answer precisely that question – and help prepare the rest of the world for similar crises.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

The Anglo-Saxons were worse than the Vikings

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

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.

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 do people talk politics online?

OPINION: Because they don’t care what you think

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

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.

Making academics compete for funding does not lead to better science

New study challenges accepted science policy that more competitive funding and powerful top-down university management is the best way to boost the quality of science produced.

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.

Companies win when they understand the future

OPINION: Industry benefits from taking a long-term macroperspective, but research in this field is under-prioritised and often forgotten.

Archaeologists celebrate spectacular discovery of Iron Age treasure

Evidence suggests that a recently uncovered treasure trove of Iron Age gold in Denmark, was a rich man’s gift to the Gods. And there turned out to be much more where that came from.

Conflict between alternative medicine and medical sciences stretches back to the 19th century

Unorthodox healers recommended ‘morally correct’ remedies such as less sex or eliminating certain foods from the diet, while the medical establishment prescribed mercury and narcotics.

What the world can learn about equality from the Nordic model

OPINION: Given that the five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – are some of the world’s most equal on a number of measures, it makes sense to look to them for lessons in how to build a more equal society.

Why you can't have free trade and save the planet

OPINION: For centuries world trade has increased not only environmental degradation, but also global inequality. The expanding ecological footprints of affluent people are unjust as well as unsustainable.

Tax havens can drive environmental degradation

A new study from Sweden shows how the use of tax havens is indirectly linked to illegal fishing as well as deforestation in the Amazon.

Is there a solution in sight for Catalonia?

OPNION: You may remember the fight for Catalan secession last autumn. But what happened next? And is there a solution on the cards between Catalonia and the Spanish government?

There are 8,475 languages that we know of

What do we know about the new languages that are appearing and how does a new language form? Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, are investigating just this.

Danish Viking fortresses were designed to fend off other Vikings

After four years, the excavation of the famous Viking fortress, Borgring, is coming to a close and archaeologists can now describe the fortress in a broader perspective: An anti-Viking defence that allowed the Danish King to forge a new, mobile army.

Researcher: Monopolies are good

OPINION: Without monopolies consumers miss out on the best technology at a good price. The task is to prevent that monopoly from abusing its power.

Why you shouldn’t bring your mobile device shopping

If you want to save money after your holiday, leave your mobile phone at home when shopping. Consumers who used their phones in the grocery store ended up with fuller shopping carts.

Time to re-think the climate change challenge

OPINION: We now know enough about the nature of the earth system that the risk of crossing a planetary threshold that propels us into a Hothouse Earth needs to be taken very seriously.

A visit to Rome using centuries-old guidebooks

"There were big differences in what people thought was important and noteworthy, beautiful or ugly," says Anna Blennow.

Ancient Palmyra: A story of urban resilience

The warrior queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, made a stand against the encroaching Roman Empire, but was ultimately defeated. But what happened next, after the Romans left is less documented. A new book reveals how Palmyra survived in Late Antiquity.

Girls experience sexting more negatively than boys

A new study finds that Swedish boys and girls have very different reactions to sexually explicit texts. One researcher thinks this is very disheartening.

How we discovered three poisonous books in our university library

While analysing a collection of old texts, scientists discovered a coat of green paint containing arsenic. The books have since been removed for safe storage.

You will probably hang out in 25 places this year: Here is why

Decisions and plans drive our day-to-day movements. But new research shows that fundamental limits constrain how, as humans, we spend our time.

Are these Danish cities older than previously thought?

Odense could have been settled as early as the late eighth century, and many other towns could be older than you think, according to new study.

Fathers with more education more likely to take paternity leave

Swedish doctors and lawyers take twice as much parental leave as their less well-educated peers. But the trend is the opposite for well-educated women.

Archaeologists reveal new finds from legendary Swedish warship

The Mars warship was carrying hundreds of soldiers when it exploded in the Baltic Sea in 1564 during the Northern Seven Years’ War.

Following a new trail of crumbs to agriculture's origins

Archaeologists have found tiny pieces of ancient bread from hunter-gatherers that predate agriculture by about 4,000 years.

A tiny dragonhead illuminates life in a Viking trading town

This little head dates from the Viking Age and was produced in unique style.

Raw fish gave the Vikings tapeworms

“I’ve never thought about how they prepared their food – or didn’t,” says archaeologist.

Fear of reprisals muzzles Swedish police

The consequences of working in a culture of fear can be serious.

Power to the people - How to make the low-carbon energy transition work

A recent study of two successful energy transitions in Denmark and Germany shows that transparency and community participation are essential to drive the clean energy agenda forward at the local level.

1600-year-old evidence of beer brewing in Sweden

And there’s every reason to believe that people in the Nordic countries have been brewing beer much longer than that.

Leprosy DNA extracted from medieval skeletons in Denmark

The well-preserved bones contain DNA from multiple strands of one of medieval Europe’s biggest killers.

Grasping the nettle: Swedish tax to tackle aviation’s impact on climate

OPINION: The new aviation tax aims to change consumer behavior by taxing one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.

How to decorate like a Viking

To begin with you will need a handy Viking paint chart. Luckily, archaeologists in Denmark have just made one.

What type of project leader are you?

Everyone has their own way of organising a project. Read about the four types of leadership, and why a diversity of types is good for any organisation.

Archaeologists uncover remains of a horrifying Iron Age battle in Denmark

Thirteen-year-olds fought side by side with adult men and the dead were left where they fell, ripped to pieces by hungry animals.

No evidence that Danish bog bodies were gay

And it’s unlikely that they were mutilated and tortured before their death.

Scientists map the earliest Icelandic genome

Scientists have mapped genetic material from the first generations of Icelanders, whose DNA appears to be more closely matched to present day Norwegians than their Icelandic descendants.

Once lost archaeology revealed by satellite images and aerial photography

Using a high tech approach, archaeologists have turned back time and reconstructed a hidden urban landscape in Jerash, Jordan.

Selfies: Why We Love (and Hate) Them

NEW BOOK: Don’t be a selfie-hater. For some people they open up a new world of representation.

Evidence uncovered of a 1500-year-old massacre in Sweden

The remains, discovered by researchers, appear to have been left in the same places where they had been slaughtered.

Coma patients might feel pleasure and pain like the rest of us

Emerging evidence suggests the unconscious can experience many of the things that conscious people do. What does this mean for medical ethics and even how we perceive ourselves as humans?

The researcher who became a stand-up comic

Marianna Keisalo defied her own nerves to become a stand-up comic in Denmark and Finland. “It’s given me an entirely new perspective on humour.”

High definition archaeology reveals secrets of the earliest cities

A new approach to urban archaeology casts fresh light on daily life in some of the world’s first cities.

Vikings versus Iron Age: Who made the best swords?

How important was steel for the Vikings? Would someone from the seventh century stand a chance against a tenth century Viking warrior?

The eyes look, but the brain sees

Our brain quickly adapts to new surroundings and only sees the most important information captured though our eyes.

Fear of gender quotas is irrational

Opposition arises when management believe that they always choose the best candidate for the position. But they are blind to their own biases, which keep women out of the top jobs.

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Archaeologists think they have found Copenhagen’s oldest church

If they are correct then Copenhagen was already a bustling city in medieval times, much earlier than previously thought.

Medicine in Antiquity: From ancient temples to Roman logistics

A showdown with religious dogmas, an early scientific approach, and diligent use of plants were some of the ingredients of ancient medicine. Welcome aboard a historic journey to Greek temples, body fluids, and Roman hygiene.