SNORW-tag

What use are biting horseflies?

All animals, birds and insects have their place in the ecosystem, scientists say. But what good is a horsefly, really?

What happens to flowers and birds when we massacre mosquitoes with modern traps?

It’s only recently that people have thought that eradicating mosquitoes might be a bad thing, a mosquito researcher says.

How annoying is it for sheep to wear a bell all summer long?

Do sheep bells qualify as mistreatment of animals?

Into the Subglacial Tunnel

A POST FROM THE SUB-GLACIAL BLOG: After a steep walk up the mountain, we arrived in front of the tunnel entrance. There we stood, in shorts and t-shirts, suddenly realising that the heat and sunshine we were used to until now were about to become only a distant memory. With our winter coats, hats and gloves on, we followed Miriam as she opened the door leading into the mountain.

Arrival at Svartisen

A POST FROM THE SUB GLACIAL BLOG: On the 17th of July, our advisor Miriam Jackson and the three of us (French students Perrine, Sophia and Juliette) made an excursion from their internship in glaciology at the NVE in Oslo to the Svartisen Subglacial Laboratory.

How studies of Norwegian fjord ice can help create a safer future for the arctic

During winter, a thick layer of ice can form on the surface of the northern Norwegian fjords. The knowledge of the varying conditions of this ice can be applied to understand to protect and aid the Arctic in the future.

Smokeless «fire» under water

We say that there is no smoke without fire, but there can be fire without smoke. At the bottom of the streams, under water, bacteria are burning organic matter, making a considerable contribution to carbon emissions to the atmosphere. A recent study shows how heavy rainfall stimulate to increased burning and CO2 emissions.

It is all in the genes: Decoding the effects of multiple stressors

Genomic markers are the key in a new approach for assessing the toxic effects arising from exposure to multiple stressors.

Why are you and I – and everything else – here?

Apparently, everything should have turned to light. Instead, you and I and everything else are here. But physicists don’t know why.

Why does the humpback whale migrate?

A Norwegian all-you-can-eat herring feast in the fall and winter, followed by a spring break party in the Caribbean... What a life! Maybe that's why humpback whales keep commuting back and forth between the two extremes.

A teeny-weeny mystery: investigating the difference between you and me and a single-celled organism

The more scientists look at single-celled organisms, the more they realize we’re not as different from them as was once thought.

Solving the mystery of Serengeti’s vanishing wild dogs

Twenty-five years ago, African wild dogs disappeared from Serengeti National Park. A firestorm of debate followed when one researcher claimed that handling by scientists was the cause. New research refutes that claim and offers another explanation.

What the world can learn from Brazilian coral reefs

Unlike Australia, coral reefs in Brazil haven’t seen any mass mortality events related to bleaching so far. Could Brazilian corals hold the key to more resilient reefs?

Scientists explain a fishy attraction to Norwegian waters

Complex mixing patterns and underwater waves that occur in specific locations drive productivity along Norway's coast, making them hotspots for certain fish and marine life.

Time to wake up: Climate Change is already here

The serious warnings of the latest IPCC report lost the battle for media attention to Brexit, Trump, and the US mid-term elections. But it’s time to sit up and take notice. For small island states that face loss of sovereignty due to climate change, the clock is already ticking, warns climate researcher Adelle Thomas from the Bahamas.

Holy mackerel! Debunking myths about this silvery fish

After six years of tracking mackerel in the North Atlantic, scientists have uncovered a few fishy secrets.

Scientists want to make holes in Norwegian fjords

Norway doesn’t know nearly enough about their fjords, say scientists.

How did birds first begin to fly?

Three trained bats named “Chin,” “4” and “Clear” could help scientists figure out how birds first took flight.

An ice-free oasis in the Arctic sheltered life during the last ice age

Researchers from Norway and the UK have found evidence for ice-free corridors in the Arctic where life flourished during the Ice Age.

Giant gas craters discovered at the bottom of the Barents Sea

Cracked gas chambers in the seabed south of Svalbard could blow out and create craters that are up to 30 metres deep, say scientists.

Common painkiller may substantially increase the risk of heart disease

Painkillers like Voltarol and Voltaren may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 50 per cent, according to a new study.

Boreal lakes are becoming browner, but the fish don’t mind

Boreal lakes can become darker over time by a process known as “browning.” But these darker waters do not seem to affect fish as much as researchers once thought.

House sparrows and humans are old buddies

These little beggars have hung around humans for more than 11,000 years, new Norwegian research suggests.

How the last ice age changed Norway

Researchers are learning more about what happened when several thousand metres of ice covered Norway roughly 10 000 years ago.

The truth is in the sediments

OPINION: The seafloor has different patterns on top than underneath the surface. Researchers at Nord University suggest that new seafloor research in the Lofoten-Vesterålen region contributes to future marine management.

Humans have always caused plant and animal extinctions

Our warming planet is pushing some plant and animals species towards extinction. But there’s actually no such thing as untouched nature — humans have always altered their environment. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to protect what’s here now.

World’s highest waves form west of Norway

The world’s tallest ocean waves are generated south of Iceland. From there, these giants roll into the Norwegian and North Seas.

Salmon get their sense of direction from mum

Offspring are twice as likely to find their way home if their mother was wild.

How do trees know when to awake in spring?

Trees can see, feel and calculate time. Norwegian researchers have helped reveal another of trees’ tricks for surviving frigid winters.

When two raven species become one

On the outside, they look similar, but common ravens in North America contain a counterintuitive tale about evolution in their genes.

It matters who your mother is, even for fish

OPINION: New research could result in both bigger and better farmed fish.

Humans curb movements of wild animals

But researchers do not think this is necessarily catastrophic. It even makes life easier for a few species.

Why can’t you get your cat to follow orders?

Punishment certainly does not work. It only makes you and your cat become foes.

How cod took over in the icy Arctic waters

Codfish can eat prey right up under the sea ice in winter, thanks to an antifreeze in their blood.

Norwegians and Swedes aim for more equal game management

Moose stocks have declined along the border between Norway and Sweden, causing friction and competing national interests and attitudes. Efforts will now be made to better align game management in both countries.

Inbreeding in Scandinavian wolves is worse than we thought

Everyone knew that the tiny population of wolves in Norway and Sweden was inbred. Using precise genetic techniques, researchers can now describe the severity of the problem.

Why do starlings dance in the sky?

Flocks of several hundred thousand starlings can fly swiftly in coordinated and mesmerising formations, even when trying to evade predator birds. Why do they do it, and more significantly, how?

Retiring the prototype kilogram

The kilogram is the last international measurement standard that relies on a precisely crafted physical object. This standard-bearer will soon be replaced by space-age measurements based on physical constants.

Be careful not to overfeed wild birds

It gives advantages to certain species but can make life – and survival – harder for others, warns an ornithologist.

Where did Norwegian wolves originate — and are they hybrids?

A new look at the genetics of wolves in Norway is in the works. An initial look to establish where the controversial animals have come from hasn’t provided a definitive answer.

Can we really limit global warming to “well below” two degrees centigrade?

Yes, but only in a model. We have essentially emitted too much carbon dioxide already, and the most feasible pathways to stay “well below” two degrees all require removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at an unprecedented scale.

Why you should train your sense of smell

Mette Bratt researches the strengthening of the sense of smell. She is now working with test persons who have normal senses of smell. You might consider this ― you might not be capable of judging your own sensitivity to odours.

Do animals have personalities?

Donkeys are stubborn, pandas are cute, and dogs are faithful — right? We usually describe people's personalities, but are we right to assign personalities to animals, too?

Are soccer roars self-amplifying?

Does the volume double when two persons yell together? A reader has questions about the hoots and hollers of the crowd at his local football stadium.

What are these gigantic balls of jelly in the sea?

Observations have been made of large gelatinous spheres in the ocean off the west coast of Norway. Many have seen them this year. Scientists want to know what these are.

This is the face of a salmon louse

Most things on our planet are too small for us to see. Powerful microscopes give scientists the opportunity to catch a glimpse of what we are missing. Check out these close-ups of some of the micro-life in our midst

What’s the best way to implement carbon capture technology?

An Oslo-based researcher has a plan.

What on earth are these slimy lumps?

Long, slimy bags were dangling from under the boat when I brought it up on land. What in Poseidon’s name are these? We went to a scientist for answers.

Making the building blocks for artificial life

Irep Gözen has a singular goal — to make an artificial cell from the bottom up.

Eureka moment with a eukaryote

Certain unicellular organisms have fabulous abilities to create intricate skeletons. How do they do it? The single-cell radiolarian on this grainy photo has provided scientists with an answer to a question that has baffled biologists for over 150 years.

These juggling balls are the result of clever engineering

Jugglers learn new patterns – and engineering students gravitate toward a Newtonian challenge.

None of the herbal supplements were really as claimed

When scientist conducted DNA analyses of some dietary supplements allegedly containing St. John’s wort they found that none contained what their list of ingredients claimed.

The king of northern lights

The professor whose face is emblazoned on the Norwegian 200-kroner banknote was forgotten for nearly 60 years. Today he is considered one of Norway’s greatest researchers ever.

Arctic Ocean starting to resemble the Atlantic

A process of “Atlantification” is turning the Arctic Ocean inside out.

Where do bats go in the winter?

Bats are quite visible in Norwegian skies during the summer, but scientists are not quite sure what happens to them in winter.

Two-hundred-year old butterflies allow research to take wing

It’s been two centuries since these butterflies have flown in their tropical haunts. But the collection the insects come from played a critical role in establishing the study of entomology in Norway.

This rock switches colours in an instant

Sodalite deposits are found on South Greenland, Canada, Russia and other countries including Norway, and are famous for their chemical colour tricks.

How to track down your ancestry with DNA

Many can follow their ancestry as far back as 2,000 years.

Arctic moth turns up after 140 years

Norwegian researcher found a living specimen of a small grey moth presumed gone from Svalbard. He thinks this demonstrates how poorly charted parts of Norway’s polar archipelago are.

Zebra stripes keep birds from colliding with aircraft

Colliding with birds can cause an airplane to crash. Researchers are working on ways to scare birds away from planes, and zebra stripes have so far proven effective.

How to capture a jaguar

Before a tracking collar can be placed on a jaguar it has to be caught. Here is how it’s done.

Norwegian researcher takes Darwin's theory a step further

Do species evolve in fits and starts or gradually?

Sponges grew carnivorous in ocean depths

A Norwegian researcher has found that all species of this odd creature share a common ancestor.

What is a pure tone?

Most of us can recognize when music is out of tune. Why can we hear this, and what exactly is a pure tone?

Should genetically modified organisms be part of our conservation efforts?

OPINION: Should the Seed vault on Svalbard collect and preserve GMO-seeds?

Are aliens really trying to contact us?

Probably not. But why did two Canadian researchers think they were?

Growing Norwegian weeds on international space station

A Windows update on the space station created a crisis moment for a Norwegian experiment on cultivating plants in space. Forskning.no followed events from NTNU’s CIRiS control room.

Walnuts are fruits, not nuts - but does it matter?

Biologists shy away from the term vegetables and they consider bananas to be berries. Why do they use other names than the rest of us?

DNA evidence is not always foolproof

DNA testing has become more and more precise, and tests can now be conducted on tiny bits of material from the crime scene. But DNA testing has its —mostly human—weaknesses.

Bumblebees show social learning

VIDEO: When one bumblebee learned to get hold of the sugar water it taught others the trick.

Horses can communicate through symbols

Horses can learn to use symbols to tell their owner if they are cold, shows new research.

New maths to predict dangerous hospital epidemics

Mathematicians are now developing completely new statistical calculations on the world’s fastest computers in order to be able to predict how epidemics of dangerous hospital bacteria spread.

Shelved fossil was a Svalbard jewel

The fossil was originally found on Spitzbergen, the largest island of Svalbard, in 1962. Fifty years later it was rediscovered amongst uncatalogued material in the storage shelves of the University of Oslo’s Natural History Museum.

Can we use seaweed instead of salt?

We consume too much sodium chloride, common table salt, for our own good. But European researchers are closing in on a solution that could improve public health. It grows along the shore.

OPINION: Increasing border security fences are a lethal problem for wildlife

Wire fences and walls along country boarders are a huge problem for wildlife. Animals die after getting entangled in the wires and many species are cut off from important seasonal habitats. This situation forces a re-think of conservation strategies across borders, says researcher.