The rodents are back: Surprising amounts of mice in Eastern Norway

The phenomenon of rodent population explosions had stopped appearing in Norwegian nature. Until around the year 2000, when they for some reason returned. This summer, enormous amounts of mice have taken over Eastern Norway.

Svalbard provides clues about Earth’s largest mass extinction

In a new study, Norwegian researchers have gotten closer to understanding what happened during the greatest mass extinction of life on Earth. The element phosphorus may have played an important role.

Researchers get a hint about how the brain matures

What really happens in the brain when a baby suddenly starts to smile? Or when a toddler from one day to the next becomes interested in playing with other children? Norwegian researchers believe they’ve discovered a clue from creatures that are completely different from us.

When a several-hundred-metre-high tsunami hit Northern Norway

Scientists know more and more about the giant meteorite that crashed into the sea between Finnmark and Svalbard millions of years ago. And about the huge wave that washed over northern Norway.

Historic amount of flooding in Europe during the last 30 years

Europe is now experiencing more frequent and greater floods compared to the last 500 years, according to a pan-European study that included Norway.

Geologists want people to help them hunt for meteor craters

Just two have been found on land in Norway so far. The world tally is 191, a number which keeps increasing. Geologists now want Norwegians to hunt for more craters.

These measures can slow lice infestations on farmed salmon

A study of nearly 50 million salmon over six years shows that cleaner fish can delay lice infestations at salmon farms — if there are enough of the cleaner fish. As a result, fish farms could reduce the number of delousing procedures.

Your blood is a power meal for mosquitoes

ASK A RESEARCHER: Mosquitos love human blood, but can they live without it? And what does a mosquito eat when it can’t get blood?

Here’s how you can make your own compost

Linda Jolly has been practicing organic gardening for 50 years. She explains how to make your own soil from garden and food waste.

What is soil, anyway?

Did you know that the soil in fields is made up mostly of rock, while planting soil from the garden centre is almost pure moss?

Small additives can make old antibiotics work again

Norwegian researchers have created several promising additives for old antibiotics. But even if they were to reach the market, they would only be a short-term solution. “We can never win the battle against bacteria,” says professor Dag Berild.

The hunt for a shell with a left-hand twist

One summer long ago, two children found a naked hermit crab. They wanted to save it. But it would prove to be difficult. Decades later, sciencenorway.no is trying to figure out why the crab was in such dire straits.

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.

World food production depends on phosphorus. Are we about to run out?

For the past decade, scientists have warned that phosphorus reserves are running low. Are we heading towards a crisis?

Moose lower body temperature and heart rate in winter

Using surgically implanted sensors, researchers have for the first time been able to measure precisely what happens in the body of the moose during the changing seasons. Their body temperature and pulse are at their lowest in early spring - when conditions are the toughest.

Oceans are at their deepest in 250 million years

And they have hardly been deeper in the last 400 million years than now.

Chinese and Norwegian scientists have drilled an almost 600-meter deep hole into the Tibetan Plateau. This gives them a window into the past.

Among their findings is that ice age cycles suddenly became stronger just over 600,000 years ago. Researchers were also struck by how little plant life has changed over the past 1.7 million years.

Data on how Norwegians move around allow for a finetuned model of calculating the spread of coronavirus

But how accurate are these calculations, and what exactly can they be used for?

A new solar cycle may be underway

A new solar cycle has probably begun. It may peak in just a few years.

Emil Korsmo’s goal was to beat back weeds. But the wall charts he made of the bothersome plants were beautiful and popular

Weeds are no longer just plants we want to get rid of. Many people are concerned about biodiversity, while others have become increasingly captivated by harvesting wild plants to eat.

What happens to a species when it becomes more important to reproduce than to survive?

Researchers fiddled with how seed beetles were allowed to mate. The experiment showed that when the competition between the males becomes too strong, their offspring end up with more mutations.

Discovered new species on Svalbard: Britney was an arctic plesiosaur with a tiny head and enormous eyes

Researchers have learned more about an ancient, nearly headless family of prehistoric animals.

Norway's first onshore sea urchin farm up and running

Sea urchin farming could give Norway a new export commodity for gourmet restaurants in Europe and Asia, and help to save the kelp forests on Norway’s coastal seabed.

From the laboratory to the gallery: Microscopic images of our cells as art

The researchers' goal is to create artifical cells that can for instance knock out a type of cancer or neutralize harmful substances in the body. Now they are sharing their images of how life's tiny building blocks behave under the microscope.

Do birds like modern architecture?

Birds need hiding places, and some like to build nests in our buildings. So how are birds dealing with all the flat roofs and clean lines in modern construction?

You will never fly to far-away holiday destinations by electric plane

There are physical limitations that we can never overcome, one physicist says.

RNA: Scientists have discovered a new layer in the genetic code of life

Our cells contain a previously unknown layer of information. This layer facilitates a whole new level of regulation that might make us more adaptable. Or sick, when the system fails. Welcome to the new world of epitranscriptomics.

Smartphones still need to be charged daily. So what's happened to the battery revolution we've been promised?

The media often portray laboratory results as market-ready products, one battery researcher says.

The Kongsberg mines are famous for their beautiful native silver. Researcher now claims they may also be full of gold.

In the 1600s, promising gold discoveries were made in Kongsberg's silver mines. Now a researcher has looked into the gold finds from 350 years ago.

Bacteria lady: She’s terrified of bacteria – and their greatest champion

Jessica Lönn-Stensrud was holding her new-born daughter in her arms when she heard that three infants had died in an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant intestinal bacteria at a maternity ward in Sweden. Fear hit her like a punch to the stomach. Ten years later, she has become the micro-organisms’ noble defender.

As many as 200,000 coral reefs off Norway

Researchers are surprised by the number.

Here’s what it looks like 4000 meters below the Arctic ice

Far below the Arctic ice lies a special area with volcanic activity. What lives down there? Scientists have gone on a journey to find out.

Neuroscientists cultivate mini-versions of human brains in the lab. Could they become conscious?

An American brain researcher warns that we may already be "perilously close" to crossing ethical boundaries. At the same time, research on so-called mini-brains can provide great opportunities to unlock some disease mysteries.

From tornadoes in Oklahoma to Arctic survival training

Is it okay to feed your dog leftovers?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Many dogs love to eat the same thing that we humans serve for dinner, but is it good for them?

Wasting water in Norway has consequences for the environment

Norwegians use almost twice as much water as the Danes. These wasteful habits come at a cost.

Wolves won’t save the forest

Wolves have returned to Norwegian forests in greater and greater numbers in recent years. Although wolves mainly prey on moose, researchers have found that the presence of more predators hasn’t cut back on the damage caused by hungry moose.

Your cat meows mostly for you

Cats don't often meow to other adult cats, but they quickly learn to use sounds to talk to humans.

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

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: 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.

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.

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.