What should we be using our electricity for?
Norwegian politicians should not be sponsoring the race to expand the use of AI. The process is wasting too much energy.
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Researchers can help shipowners achieve ambitious climate targets
International shipping does not want to be a climate bad guy and is aiming to be emission-free by 2050. A new tool designed by researchers in Trondheim can help shipowners who are searching for green solutions.
Are animals able to cope with climate change?
Professor Jane M. Reid has received NOK 29 million in EU funding to investigate how animals adapt to rapid environmental change.
NOK 29 million to make robots smarter
The EU is funding NTNU professor Ingrid Bouwer Utne’s work to make robots and autonomous systems understand situations better when there is imminent danger and give operators insight into what they are actually ‘thinking’.
Nutrient-rich fertiliser from toxic ammonia
Researchers have recently found out how to use algae to convert ammonia and nitrates into a nutrient-rich fertiliser or fish feed ingredients.
Proud seafarers have strong doubts about the safety of autonomous ships
Despite their great trust in on-board autopilots, bridge officers do not believe that autonomous ships will make shipping safer. Moreover, the greater the professional commitment and pride of the bridge officers, the less confidence they have in automation increasing safety at sea.
Saying no to all gene technology is an ethical short-circuit
Conventional breeding techniques result in major and uncontrolled modifications to the genetic material of plants and animals. If arguments based on the ‘precautionary principle’ are used as blindly on this issue as in the gene technology debate, then we are condemning the world to starvation.
4D imaging of fluids in pores
A method based on CT (computed tomography) – a type of imaging that is widely used in hospitals – can help improve our understanding of CO2 storage, batteries, and processes in the body such as nutrient uptake.
Pregnant women with obesity talk about difficult childhood experiences
Health care providers who provide prenatal care need to know more about the underlying causes of obesity, says researcher Heidi Sandsæter. She has interviewed 14 pregnant women with obesity about their childhood, body and weight.
Bringing old brickwork back to life in heritage buildings
Researchers are testing and protecting old brickwork as their contribution to the renovation of the heritage building Sophies Minde in Oslo. Results indicate that much of this material can be reused.
Artificial intelligence makes smarter use of seaweed and kelp
Seaweed and kelp, or macroalgae, are used in many products, and may become an even more important resource in the future. Artificial intelligence can help us avoid overusing this valuable resource.
Gloom and doom warnings about climate change do not work
How do you spread a message about climate change? According to an international study involving 59,000 participants, some tactics may actually reduce support.
Can life at sea teach us to live in a more meaningful way?
Life on board a tall ship can be cramped, cold and demanding, but according to one researcher, it also sheds light on what gives life purpose and meaning.
Organs grown on microchips may offer a quantum leap for women’s health
Women’s bodies and their health in general have for too long been assigned low priority in the field of research. But an innovative and extraordinary technology may now offer us new treatments for conditions such as endometriosis.
Strange bedfellows: Howard Hughes, the CIA and a lost Soviet sub
The American eccentric billionaire, Howard Hughes, wasn’t afraid to make expensive investments in new technologies. So when he announced in 1972 that he was going to build a giant ship to mine manganese nodules from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, few were surprised. But the ship had a very different – and top secret – mission.
Connecting computers so they can think faster
Calculations that previously took a year can now be performed in just 10 days by computers connected in a special way.
Fishers working from small vessels are at the greatest risk
Friday 1 March another Norwegian fisherman was drowned while working. He became the 156th Norwegian working in the industry to lose his life since the new millennium. A safety researcher at SINTEF says that this only goes to underline the message delivered in a report recently published by her team.
Researchers surprised by penned fish responses to robots
Norway leads the world when it comes to the use of robots in the aquaculture sector. But how do these robots actually impact on the fish? Cyberneticist Eleni Kelasidi is surprised by just how much.
Witchcraft trials in Norway ended in the 18th century
When it came to the Sámi people, a persistent fight continued against what was termed the art of witchcraft, and missionaries took over from the judicial system.
Do you have an ear for languages? It may be related to how you perceive the rhythms.
A test that shows how good or bad we are at perceiving the rhythm of language can predict the ability to acquire language. The test results may also help us understand individual differences in brain biology.
We can’t allow Google to waste its surplus heat
The new Google data centre being built in Skien is in danger of wasting its surplus heat because Norway has no legislation that reduces this risk. We really need to address this issue!
Cheaper batteries are key to shifting transport away from fossil fuels. Can the market deliver?
High metal prices can drive up the costs of electric car batteries, which will reduce their adoption. Car manufacturers are already responding to this by shifting to different technologies.
More than 16000 chemicals in plastic; many are harmful
Researchers have found more than 16,000 different chemicals in plastics. A new report shows that about a quarter of these chemicals can be hazardous to health and the environment.
Feeling apathetic? There may be hope
A new method that aims to help people develop grit looks promising.
Breastfeeding mothers who exercise pass on a beneficial hormone to their children
It’s okay to exercise when you are breastfeeding. High-intensity exercise releases a hormone that is good for your child’s metabolism
Development projects should be assessed according to the cumulative impact they have on nature
Does it matter if a small area of rare wetland is lost if a lot more of the same area remains intact? In Norway, it is impossible to say, because no-one can show how many such wetlands are being destroyed elsewhere at the same time.
Why did so many girls die?
Far more female infants than male infants died in Europe from 1700–1950. Researchers have been investigating why.
Too few caregivers and too many patients – a bad combination for elderly in rural areas
Elderly people living in rural areas in Norway have higher mortality rates if they are discharged to a municipality that has too many patients and not enough caregivers to provide services.
We use chemicals for more or less ‘everything’. Now we have to find smarter ways of making them
Did you know that the chemical industry supplies products to virtually all other value chains, including the food, construction, health and transport sectors? All these industries are now having to renew themselves as part of the green transition, and SINTEF is working to help them.
Can microplastics be used to make concrete?
Rubber granules from artificial grass pitches will be phased out, but what do we do with the thousands of tonnes of microplastics that are left? NTNU research shows that they can be used in the production of concrete.
Precautionary fundamentalism is threatening Norwegian food production
If the Norwegian government rejects the majority opinion of the Gene Technology Committee, it will miss a long overdue opportunity to boost food safety, improve animal welfare and promote more eco-friendly pesticides.
Bulk carriers can also be green
Research scientists from 16 countries are joining forces to make a bulk carrier climate neutral – all with the help of a new power train.