Society & culture - Sciencenorway.no

One of the most famous acts of sabotage during WWII happened in the basement of this building. Now it's open to the public

On a mission to prevent Hitler from developing a nuclear bomb, a group of brave soldiers made their way into the basement where heavy water was being produced. That very basement was rediscovered a few years ago.

EU-study: One in four Norwegians do not believe that climate change is caused by humans

While eight in ten Italians believe that climate change is caused by humans, only six in ten Norwegians believe the same, according to a new study.

Monks had to remain silent whilst they ate, so they invented a sign language

The Cistercian monks lived by strict rules.

How do we know if people are poor enough to receive financial assistance?

The way we measure poverty today can contribute to people who actually need help not getting it.

Roald Amundsen’s final journal entries were about his lover and money

The polar explorer was waiting for his lover. He was just going to write a little more polar history by saving crashed Italian polar explorers first.

No more delays for the new Museum of the Viking Age

About a month ago, the Museum of the Viking Age was asked to cut costs by NOK 1 billion. Now the government has allocated NOK 700 million to them instead.

COVID-19 triggered the most severe economic crisis ever in the Nordic countries – but also the shortest

Researchers have studied the success of the Nordic countries in their economic management of the crisis.

Climate change: One year of warm currents fundamentally changed Spitsbergen’s sea ice coverage

OPINION: When meteorologists report fine weather on Svalbard, it's the air temperature they talk about. But when it comes to global warming, ocean temperature is the big joker.

Why did somebody build a ceramics factory on this remote island 2000 years ago?

It's far off the Norwegian coast, and there isn't clay available to make ceramics. Still, somebody made a lot of pottery at Kirkhelleren in Træna, thousands of years ago.

University rector says Viking ships may collapse in 5 or 50 years if new museum is delayed

The future is still uncertain for Norway’s Viking ships after budget agreement.

Who painted pictures like this on rock walls in Norway 5000-8000 years ago?

Researchers are uncovering the mysteries of rock paintings millennia after they were created. More and more paintings are being discovered.

E-scooters steal passengers from public transport

“Public transport companies need a completely new strategy,” one researcher says.

Negative attitudes towards the elderly have a profound effect on society

International research shows that age has become the most widespread basis for discrimination in working life.

Researchers have started a petition to save the Norwegian Viking ships

“This is a desperate cry to the government,” says one of the archaeologists behind the petition.

New report: Budget cuts put 1200 year old Viking ships at risk of being destroyed

Cutting costs means risking Norway’s greatest cultural heritage and largest tourist attraction. “We cannot allow this,” says Svein Stølen, rector at the University of Oslo.

Medieval excavation greatest hits: 800 years ago a fashion queen strolled the streets of Oslo in this elegant shoe

An exquisitely carved king holding a falcon, an elaborately decorated shoe and a rune stick are among the finds the archaeologists have picked for their top 11 list of finds from the recently ended excavation in the Medieval Park in Oslo.

Tired employees are more exposed to bullying

Employees who were tired more often stated that they were bullied in the workplace more often than those who were well-rested and alert. It's important for management to have routines for handling such conflicts, a Norwegian researcher says.

What happens in your brain when you become a teenager?

Hormones make teenagers’ emotions very strong. “They go full throttle with little to no breaks,” Marte Roa Syvertsen says.

Unique sword from the Viking Age found in Stavanger

Metal detector enthusiasts in Norway have found a unique type of Viking Age sword with spectacular ornamentation.

Ukraine: How can we protect animals when we can’t even protect humans?

OPINION: Ukraine may be a game changer for pets and animal protection rules, and for how we understand pets as a humanitarian protection problem.

Luck is important for new businesses

Entrepreneurs can have bad luck. Or they may be lucky. Researchers in Bergen are now seeing how decisive the effect of chance can be.

The Viking Ships can’t wait

OPINION: Each day that construction is delayed, valuable time in the race to preserve this cultural heritage is wasted. The government should not mess about at this point - it should guarantee steady progress of the project.

The planned new Viking Age Museum in Oslo told to cut a billion NOK

The Norwegian Minister of Research, Ola Borten Moe from the Centre Party, has delivered a clear message: The cost of building a new Viking Age museum in Oslo must be reduced by a billion NOK.

Why do people buy the equity funds that have the worst returns?

Economics researchers in Norway have come closer to an explanation to a major paradox.

Norwegian Nobel prize winners shocked by cuts in government research spending

“We’ve been doing this for 30 years now, and we’ve never seen cuts as dramatic as these,” say Nobel prize winners Edvard and May-Britt Moser.

When will the next economic crisis hit?

An important lesson from economic crises is that they are so distinct from each other.

Minister forces resignation of the board of the Research Council of Norway. “This is about whether ten-year-olds with cancer diagnoses should live or die” says rector

“What do you really want from your universities?” asks Curt Rice.

Mysterious medieval moat found in the middle of Oslo: "Could suggest a desperate need for defense"

An untouched area of land in the middle of the city presented a puzzle to the archaeologists. Until they realized what it was: King Haakon Haakonsson’s moat. But why did the King build what was by then an outdated defense system?

Hit them where it hurts: Producers of fast fashion should pay the most

OPINION: How best to deal with the negative environmental impact of the clothing industry? The writers behind this opinion suggest a system in which those who sell large volumes of clothes that don't last pay the most.

Critical colleagues may prevent researchers from stepping into the public eye

Researchers are particularly worried about criticism from colleagues and superiors working in the same field, according to sociologist Marte Mangset. She has interviewed researchers who study gender, immigration and climate research, and studied factors that may prevent them from expressing themselves in the media.

The nightman emptied the toilets of the city in the 17th century. It was dirty work, and his kids were considered dirty too

“Working as a nightman was one of the few ways you could be pardoned and escape the death penalty,” says historian Ragnhild Hutchison. She's not sure it was a better option.

This is the best treatment for Achilles tendon ruptures

Your first run in springtime could end with a bang. Especially if you are not well trained. Norwegian researchers have now confirmed what the best treatment is.

New Norwegian debt register saves more people from the debt trap

Those who lend money must now make much better credit assessments, researchers find.

Ukrainian women engage in resistance and should be in the peace talks

OPINION: Despite both women’s agency and victimization in Ukraine, they have not been included in peace talks so far. A recent survey finds that Ukrainians believe they should be.

Hugs are back in Norway

As Norwegians get back to hugging, the numbers of deaths due to Covid are also at peak. Why does one researcher say that this is completely fine?

How will Russia respond to a NATO application from Sweden and Finland?

It looks like both Sweden and Finland will decide to apply for NATO membership. This may happen as early as May. How will Putin and his advisors react?

War in Ukraine could last for months

OPINION: The war in and over Ukraine has already lasted nearly two months. There is little reason to assume that it will be over anytime soon.

A lost Viking town discovered in the 1950s is stored away in this basement

Not until recently have researchers really started studying a thousand-year-old Norwegian town we know surprisingly little about.

“Western equipment has changed the war, but we should have given much more,” says researcher

Like most other countries, Norway is sending equipment which is relatively old, yet still works.

Why do men kill their partners?

Women have a much higher risk of being killed by their boyfriends or ex-husbands than vice versa. Often, these men have several risk factors that can be interpreted as ‘red flags’.

What the evolution of the hero in Norwegian fabulations can tell us about ourselves

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: How has the Norwegian fantastic hero changed over time, and what can this tell us about ourselves?

People who are unable to pay their debt are twice as likely to commit suicide

Social services should be acutely aware of the risk of suicide, according to professor.

How was Easter celebrated in the olden days?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Norwegians have celebrated Easter for almost 1000 years. Easter used to be a solemn holiday, but now it’s evolved into primarily a holiday time, according to two researchers.

Why was this flimsy Roman-looking sandal buried beneath the snow in an ancient, dangerous Norwegian mountain pass?

“It looks almost like a sandal. It’s pretty astonishing, we’re up here at almost 2000 metres, and we find a shoe with fashion elements, similar to those found on the Continent at the time,” says glacial archaeologist Espen Finstad.

Are Russians more macho?

OPINION: Is it Russian propaganda alone that provides the basis for support for the war in Ukraine, or is there a need for dominance in the Russian people's soul?

Struggling with debt you are unable to handle leads to poor mental health

Norwegians are one of the world's most indebted people, and now interest rates are rising. Researchers warn that problems with debt leads to poor mental health.

This pile of rubble is actually an ancient fort. Historians have discovered 450 of them around Norway

In times of shifting power relations during pre-viking times, many may have needed a stone structure for protection. But were they also used for other means?

Can Ukraine be divided into two?

"Top military leaders must now carefully prepare Putin to accept a variety of different possible outcomes," says reseacher Pavel Baev.

Aksel Kjær Vidnes is our new editor-in-chief

Vidnes takes over as editor-in-chief and general manager of the Nordic region's largest online newspaper on science and research on 1 May.

Norway: Record levels of foreign citizens among new PhDs

A total of 1,601 new PhDs were completed at Norwegian universities and university colleges last year. Almost 700 of them were foreign citizens, according to figures from Statistics Norway.

Ukrainian sociologist fled to Oslo: "Its really hard for me to be here, even though I'm safe"

She managed to cross the border from Ukraine to Poland by foot. Now sociologist Oleksandra Deineko works as a guest researcher at OsloMet.

Fewer than 1 per cent of Ukrainians believe Russia will win the war

Ukrainian and Norwegian sociologists have asked 3 000 Ukrainians about their lives during the war. They found surprisingly little psychological damage. Researchers link this finding to the people’s strong will to resist.

Does imposing women's quotas for corporate boards pay off?

Norway pioneered the way in demanding an increase in the proportion of women on Norwegian corporate boards nearly 20 years ago. Now California is following suit. So what lessons can be shared?

What happened when Robots invaded Norwegian banks?

Norwegian banks were digitalised in the 1990s. Management had high hopes of laying off staff.

Survey from besieged Ukraine:Will Russian terror deter or motivate Ukrainian resistance?

OPINION: The Russian forces have turned to terrorizing ordinary citizens, hoping that Ukrainians will lay down their arms. It may have the opposite effect.

A reindeer hunter lost this knife in the Norwegian mountains 1500 years ago

“It’s incredibly well preserved”, says archaeologist Lars Pilø from Secrets of the Ice.

Norwegian geographers: "We cannot be members of the same association as Putin"

OPINION: We distance ourselves from the close relationship between science and power in totalitarian Russia, write Norwegian geographers.

Putin may fall

OPINION: We can be pretty sure that the likelihood of both a coup and a revolution in Russia is significantly higher today than it was a couple of months ago.

Supporters of Ukraine may decide to restrict supplies of arms that Ukraine wants

OPINION: Compared to direct deployment of military forces, arms supplies are often seen as relatively uncomplicated and low cost means to assist a friendly or allied state. That's not always the case, argues Nic Marsh.

The Norwegian medieval kings were known to give the best gifts: Falcons

Norwegian falcons given as gifts from the Norwegian king during the Middle Ages are said to have been valued more highly than silver and gold by the English royal family.

What motivates soldiers to fight?

There is reason to doubt that Russia’s military leaders could have made a more accurate estimate of the Ukrainians’ resilience and battle morale. The only way to assess an enemy’s willingness to fight is to actually engage in combat.

Afghans are starving. The USA and others must cooperate with the Taliban

OPINION: The UN warns of a risk that a million Afghan children will die. In this situation, there is no way of avoiding cooperation with those in control of the country, namely the Taliban.

The Norwegian economy fared better in the pandemic than all its Nordic neighbours

The economic downturn in Norway during the pandemic year of 2020 was far less than that experienced by the other Nordic countries according to a new report.

New study: The Black Death did not kill half of Europe’s population

An international research group has found that the pandemic affected different areas of Europe differently. Norway may have been hit hard.

No, the Vikings didn't wear helmets with horns

But 2,000 years before the Vikings – in the Bronze Age – horned helmets existed.

For the first time, Russia has lost the information war

OPINION: Russia’s federal government has blocked or forced offline virtually every remaining independent news outlet in the country. Journalism as we normally know it hardly exists in Russia anymore.

What do ordinary Russians know about the invasion of Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin is fighting to maintain control of what his citizens know. “It’s easy to understand why the Russian authorities fear independent news channels,” researcher says.

People become more conservative by owning stocks

And they become more left-wing if they have a daughter.

Gaming-pieces and a gaming board found in the Medieval Park in Oslo

New finds from Oslo's Medieval Park excavation shed light on one of history's most popular pastimes: playing games and gambling.

Will Taiwan be the next Ukraine?

OPINION: A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be more likely to ignite World War III than the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Women who wish to travel are forced to share irrelevant and intimate details about their private lives

OPINION: There is a lack of cultural awareness and gender equality in the travel industry.

How different governments communicated during coronavirus

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Poor communication will significantly undermine national responses to a pandemic.

Why does Poland welcome Ukrainian refugees but not others?

OPINION: More than a million people have fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine through the country’s borders to neighbours in Central and Eastern Europe. In a context of war in Europe, and the human suffering it brings,here are some rough reflections on mobility and inequality, but also solidarity.

Survey: Ukrainians do overwhelmingly not want to be part of Russia