Society & culture - Sciencenorway.no

We can’t punish and help drug addicts at the same time, researchers say

Norwegian drug policy may be about to change radically. One researcher hopes this will provide addicts more help.

Huge increase in international students doing their PhD in Norway

40 per cent of the people who get doctorates in Norway are foreign citizens. Half of them leave when they are done. Is Norway investing in lost knowledge?

Sex testing of female athletes - fair for whom?

Female athletes with a high testosterone level are required to take hormone-reducing medication in order to participate in the women’s category. This is problematic, according to researcher Mari Haugaa Engh.

Swedish men report less stress with longer paternity leave

Fathers who shared parental leave equally with their partner felt more secure in their parental role. They were also happier in their relationship, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg. Norwegian studies show similar results, according to researchers.

Floating solar power connected to hydropower might be the future for renewable energy

OPINION: Hydropower plants need an upgrade. And we need to use more renewable energy sources. The solution? Floating solar power connected to existing hydropower plants.

How do young Muslims deal with hate speech and verbal assaults?

What does it do to you to be regularly called a "bloody terrorist" or some other ugly epithet?

More people are getting permanent jobs in Norway

The share of permanent jobs have increased in the last 25 years. There are no signs of an increased use of temporary employees, according to a new report.

Mysterious remains of a huge, 'ship-shaped' house discovered near the Viking ship grave at Gjellestad

Archaeologists suggest that the almost 40-metre-long building may have been a house for ancient rituals, or a feasting hall.

Ecolabelling of clothes has catastrophic consequences for the environment

OPINION: When environmental rankings for apparel misuse research and are not reviewed by independent third parties, the results can be catastrophic for small-scale growers and farmers. Those who profit from these rankings, on the other hand are the global fashion industry.

Why are fewer men becoming fathers than before?

One in five men haven’t had children of their own by the age of 50. Fewer and fewer men are becoming fathers. What’s happening to Norwegian men?

Badger might have been behind "looted" viking graves in Norway

Someone, or something, has "drilled" deep holes into 17 Viking graves.

American politicians use the Nordic region as both a role model and a scare tactic

Different groups use the Nordic countries for different rhetorical purposes, one political scientist observes.

What happens when parents bring a foster child into the family?

New research illuminates the experiences of foster parents' biological children when their home becomes a foster home.

Ordinary Scandinavians tweeted more about the American 2016-elections than the Russian trolls accused of interference

OPINION: “Foreign interference” in US elections isn’t just for Russian trolls. Social media have made American politics accessible to ordinary users.

The far left: What happens when activist groups are labelled violent extremists?

Little research has been done on extreme left activists. Now, two researchers have looked at what happens when they are labelled as violent. Researchers who study extremism believe that the findings can be transferred to activists on the far right.

90 per cent of Syrian refugees in Norway have had life-threatening experiences

Had been in life-threatening danger before they fled the country or during their attempts to reach safety, according to a new report.

Dying for the Cause? Not really. The Far-Right has its own take on “martyrdom”.

Suicide attacks are virtually absent in far-right terrorism. A recent study of the subcultural, strategic, and historic references to martyrdom, self-sacrifice, and suicide in the contemporary far right shows the potential reasons for this, highlighting the peculiar political mythology of “martyrdom” that characterizes this extremist environment.

Viking children practiced with swords and quickly grew up to become adults

They grew up playing with swords, and were adult at puberty. Here's what we know about the life of a Viking child.

Women in academia publish more than people think

At least if you look in the middle, at the more normal researchers, with normal publication rates.

The ‘plastic rivers’ of Asia play a key part in the fight against plastic in the ocean

OPINION: Near half of the global plastic leakage from land to sea comes from a few countries in Southeast Asia. To overcome the plastic problem, we need to treat the cause and not just the symptoms. We must turn the spotlight on the sources.

When Norwegian petrol stations looked like Greek temples

Old petrol stations evoke strong emotions.

Epidurals do not in themselves improve birth experiences

OPINION: Epidurals may slow down a birth and are associated with lower levels of satisfaction with the birth experience. While sometimes necessary, we are skeptical of the extent to which they are offered and used.

Remains of what may be a temple where Norse gods were worshiped have been found in Norway

Researchers believe they have found the remains of a pagan temple, where Vikings made sacrifices to gods like Thor and Odin. If so, then this would be the first Norse temple identified in Norway.

Why don't cyclists just stop at red lights?

Do you ride your bike through red lights? If so, you're not alone. And perhaps sometimes, it should even be legal for you to do so.

Shattering the myth that nice and quiet teenagers pose a danger sign

Is there cause for concern if a teenager is introverted and never does anything wrong? A new Norwegian study now shows that kids who were loners in their youth are doing surprisingly well. Researchers have been following them for 25 years.

Why do we condemn, blame and stigmatize people who have experienced something traumatic?

OPINION: Some trauma victims are met with negative social reactions when they tell others about what they have experienced. Why does this happen?

Being labelled as “violent extremists”: The consequences of soft repression

What are the consequences of being labeled as a “violent extremist”? How does labeling affect individual activists, their organizations, and the social movement they are part of?

Fewer people in Norway are getting permanent jobs these days

More immigrants, “bike messenger jobs,” and what researchers call gig economics. Put together, these trends challenge traditional working life.

Why do jihadists cry?

Norwegian researcher has collected hundreds of stories about terrorists crying over the past decade. For it appears that terrorists shed quite a few tears when they are together. But why?

The richest Norwegians pay the least taxes

Researchers now see that income inequality in Norway is much greater than official figures have shown.

Both pedestrians and drivers are angry with the cyclists

The coronacrisis has led to an increase in cyclists on Norwegian roads. But the sharing of roads with cars and pedestrians creates frustration and potentially dangerous situations according to a new study.

Social media “likes” and comments lead to poorer self-esteem

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Girls who “like” and comment on what others post on social media develop a worse self-image over time. Posting on your own profile doesn’t have the same effect.

No, a woman’s hymen does not reveal whether she has had sexual intercourse or not

“When girls reach puberty, the hymen becomes very elastic and may not tear at all during first sexual intercourse,” says gynaecology researcher.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused more violence against women in Norway

A new report uncovers insufficient communication from the Norwegian authorities concerning support for women who are victims of domestic violence during the corona crisis.

Not even a Nordic welfare system protects children from the effects of a tough childhood

Children who experience a high degree of adverse events had up to 4.5 times the risk of dying before they were 35 years old as compared to children with few or no challenges, according to a new study from Denmark.

Why are teenagers drinking less alcohol than before?

Far fewer adolescents in big cities are drinking alcohol. Four out of ten 13- to 17-year-olds reported being drunk in 2002. In 2015 that percentage had declined by half. A big part of the reason is that they have become more home- and school-oriented and hang out less with friends.

Researchers have examined the burial mound where the Gokstad Viking ship was found. What they found surprised them.

“The first thing that struck me was that it was so neat. All the layers were so clean,” says archaeologist Rebecca Cannell to sciencenorway.no.

Here’s how the beliefs of Christians and atheists change over a lifetime

One researcher followed 13 people for 22 years. He saw that they became more humble and pragmatic.

How to commit financial crime

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: A convicted felon defends fraud.

European female ISIS supporters feel like strangers in their own country

On the web, they cultivate their sense of exclusion with other like-minded women, according to one researcher’s interpretation of Facebook profiles in Europe.

How the corona crisis contributes to new types of crime

Attacks on health personnel and breaches of infection control laws are dangerous consequences of the way we talk about the pandemic, according to a Norwegian researcher studying media coverage in Latin America.

On academia and diversity: It wasn’t overt racism, but I have been sidelined.

OPINION: Having spent 25 years as a brown man in Norwegian academia, here are some reflections on diversity and inclusion in Norwegian science.

Employees at Norwegian kindergartens really enjoy their work

On average, these employees stay at the same workplace for nine years.

How dirty and stinky were medieval cities?

People in the Middle Ages were aware that a putrid urban environment was unhealthy, and according to Norwegian researchers they confronted the problem.

Stone age handprint found in Norway’s northernmost county

Several pieces of rock art of human figures have also been discovered on outcrops in Kvænangsbotn, Troms og Finnmark County.

Flawed experiment sends misleading message about corona-safe gyms

OPINION: Without the presence of coronavirus, the researchers’ hypothesis, that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in training facilities with good hygiene and social distancing measures would be low, cannot be tested.

The tiny island of Hitra was home to a large-scale cannery — without electricity or running water

As many as 18 canneries were in operation on the islands of Hitra and Frøya at the mouth of Trondheim fjord from the 1890s until 2011.

Is this the world’s simplest mill?

The export of millstones was probably a major industry in Norway during the Viking Age.

What happens when episodes of violence come up in family counselling?

Some believe that violence only happens in certain families. But according to psychologist Trine Eikrem, violence happens more often than we like to think. Adressing violence has been a challenge for family counselling offices in Norway.

Young social welfare users: Mandatory activities are ok, but benefit sanctions can feel unfair

Young people under the age of 30 who receive social assistance in Norway are now required to participate in work-related activities. Young people find the attendance requirement reasonable, but many find benefit sanctions unpredictable, according to a new study.

Coronavirus and training in gyms: Misunderstandings about Randomized Training Trial

OPINION: Joar Vittersø has misunderstood the rationale, design and results of our randomized trial on re-opening of gyms in Norway, write the researchers behind a Norwegian study on the transmission of coronavirus in gyms.

Norwegian coronavirus “experiment” was misleading. People who train in gyms can infect each other with COVID-19.

OPINION: An undocumented message about it being safe to work out in gyms during the coronapandemic has been disseminated.

Preferring to be social on social media rather than face-to-face is not deviant. It’s the new normal.

OPINION: Are you secretly dreading the day when social distancing is just a vague memory? When you once again have to physically interact with other people, whether you like them or not? Chances are you are not a social deviant or a freak, but a representative of the new normal.

New research supports Thor Heyerdahl's theory on South Americans in the Pacific

There was contact between Polynesia and America long before the arrival of Europeans, a large new DNA study shows. One Norwegian researcher says the new findings are solid.

Fighting fake science - one duplicated or fake image at a time

One Chinese company has produced at least 400 fake scientific articles to order. A Norwegian researcher was central to the discovery.

Low levels of competence among those who work with the intellectually disabled

Just one in 10 employees who work with the intellectually disabled in Norway has trained as a social educator. This percentage has been at a near standstill since the early 1980s, according to a new report.

What did the Vikings really eat?

Norwegian researchers are working to find out more about what the Vikings cooked in their cauldrons.

Black Lives Matter and the archaeology of heritage commemorating bigoted white men

OPINION: White society has actively resisted critically reconsidering the significance of commemorative statues of colonialism. Rather than wait for the next statue-gate – let’s have a self-critical debate about what these statues actually represent.

This tiny bird carving is more than 13,000 years old

This is the oldest known man-made animal figure from East Asia.

Norway needs coronavirus-style measures to start the green shift along the coast

OPINION: Norway’s coastal communities and ocean industries want stricter regulations and greater investment in becoming more sustainable. Governments around the world have acted swiftly to suppress the coronavirus – a similar coordinated effort would be an effective tool to combat the climate changes we are facing.

Researcher: When doctors talk to girls and women who have undergone female genital cutting, they must talk about sexuality

Although some of these women were sceptical about having sugery to help with their problems, most were receptive to talking to a sexologist or psychologist, new research shows.

Does immigration lead to less trust in a society?

People in Norway and Sweden have a great deal of trust in each other. Swedish researchers have now looked to see if this trust is dropping in areas where many people of different ethnic backgrounds live.

What kind of person supports illegal hunting of Norway’s wolves?

If you think it’s okay to shoot wolves illegally, you are probably also opposed to immigration and a climate sceptic. Living in proximity to where wolves are found in Norway however, has little influence on your opinion, researchers say.

Immigrants and men with low incomes and low education levels more likely to die of COVID-19

Men with low incomes, low education and who have never been married are at increased risk of dying from COVID-19. Immigrants from low-income countries are similarly vulnerable, according to a Swedish study.

The coronavirus pandemic has taught us something important: Technocrats are no longer precautionary

OPINION: In present-day Sweden, an expert – state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell – is de facto head of state. Tegnell has based his strategy on model projections rather than testing and tracing, and the venture is proving a spectacular failure, writes Emil Flatø

Archaeologists have found astonishingly well-preserved gear from a fisherman who lived 5,000 years ago

Stone Age harpoons found in southern Norway speak of perilous fishing. But now the traces from this time are slowly crumbling away.

Is it ok to publish racist representations if your intention was for it to be funny and cute?

OPINION: In the face of criticism far too many people tend to hide behind the “intention” of their words, writes senior researcher Edwin Schmitt. But does it matter that Norway’s national broadcaster didn’t intend for a children’s song to be racist against Chinese people, if in fact it is?

Norwegians are wasting less food since the coronavirus crisis

One in five Norwegians are throwing away less food than they used to. Many have also gotten better at cooking, a new survey suggests.

Political controversy over how Norway decides to shoot wolves

If wolves have reached or exceeded target population numbers, is that reason enough to shoot them? The Norwegian parliament recently voted yes to this. The result may be more wolves shot in Norway.

Can a book change your life?

Have you ever read a book that has gripped you so strongly that it affected the way you live or the way you understand yourself? Now the Norwegian health care system is starting to take an interest in literature as part of treatment.

Why Black Pete matters: Institutional racism and police violence in the Netherlands

Black Lives Matter has shaken up political discussions about racism across the globe. In the Netherlands, it has led to yet another escalation around the ‘Black Pete’ controversy, Iris Beau Segers argues that the empty rhetoric, inaction and opportunism of (radical) right politicians indicates their continued reluctance to tackle institutional racism at its roots.

Now kids and teens in Norway have their own Climate House

How can scientists really know that the climate is changing? A visit to the new Climate House that has just opened in Oslo may help you understand it.

Should Norwegians tear down their Churchill-statue?

OPINION: Campaigns to remove statues from our common spaces is history making, not a rejection of history, as many have recently claimed. Statues are representations of who we want to be, not what the past was. This issue is being debated contentiously and with insufficient historical awareness around the world, including in Norway.