Tag: society and culture

Researchers have discovered that there’s something not quite right with Norway's finest Baroque art from the 17th century

For a long time, the wrong person has been given the credit for much of the art.

Born late in the year? Then it's much more likely that you will pursue a vocational track

Norwegian researchers have found a strong correlation between our birth month and the educational choices we make.

The world's oldest rune stone was found sticking out of the ground. Here’s how researchers figured out how old it is

The stone could be up to 2,000 years old — and we know that because of a cremation.

Norway will spend over 300 million USD to build a research station in Antarctica

The government is considering spending over 300 million USD on a new research station in Antarctica. The old Troll station is 32 years old and will be demolished.

Parental leave gives better mental health, especially for mothers

For mothers, the effect lasts for a long time. For fathers, it is weaker and more short-lived.

Several thousand people have been found in bogs in Europe. What kind of stories are found in 12,000 years of remains?

Many of them ended their lives in horrible ways, but there are many reasons why someone might have ended up in a bog.

Researchers fear the US will not help Europe as they have in the past if a new war hits the continent

The US has so far accounted for 90 per cent of arms aid to Ukraine. Going forward, Europeans must prepare to manage without so much help from the USA, researchers say.

The media almost never write about age discrimination

Older workers are very rarely mentioned in the press. To the extent that they do appear, they are most often about happy outcomes. Very few articles are about negative events or bad attitudes towards the elderly.

A mystery solved: Who killed the Swedish king Charles XII?

For centuries experts have debated who killed the Swedish King Charles XII. A new Finnish study in which the researchers shot at artificial skulls completely refutes the idea that he was killed by his own war-weary soldiers.

Why do Russians trust Putin about Ukraine, but not the Covid-vaccine?

Putin may have succeeded in getting a good number of Russians to believe the story of Nazis in Ukraine and the West. But the Kremlin leadership never got control of the narrative about the coronavirus in Russia.

Most people now live in a country where women have fewer than two children

"Virtually every country in the world has experienced a fall in fertility in recent decades," demographics researcher Øystein Kravdal said to sciencenorway.no.

Negotiations over Ukraine at this moment will probably lead to more war in the long term, says law expert

Russia will never let go of the Crimean peninsula, as has been demanded by Ukraine as part of a negotiated peace, experts believe. Given this, there is a great deal of disagreement over whether negotiations should still take place.

World’s oldest rune stone found in Norway, archaeologists believe

The find was kept secret by researchers for more than a year.

The inner parts of the Oslofjord contains some of the most exciting traces of Stone Age people in Europe

Archaeologists are now seeing how a landscape of fjords, straits and islands attracted people in the Stone Age. Few other places in Europe lend themselves as well to studying the lives and disappearances of the Stone Age people.

Do older people get more distracted by the technology in new cars?

In 2022, every third person killed in traffic accidents in Norway was aged 65 or older. Researcher believes this could be the start of a trend that will increase in the coming years.

Child welfare caseworkers ignored violence against mothers

According to a new study, the support system helps women who are exposed to violence, but not to the same extent in cases of break-ups where both children and violence are involved.

Now we know who the Vikings had children with

DNA evidence from Norway points above all to Britain and Ireland rather than people from the north-east. But a lot of this hereditary material has mysteriously almost disappeared after the Viking Age.

40-tonne steel rigs will protect the Viking ships during the building of a new Viking Age museum in Oslo

The Viking ships have remained in the same place since they were first put on display. Now they are being moved, with comprehensive security measures in place to ensure they are not damaged.

Therapists detect few cases of intimate partner violence

A new study finds that therapists in the Norwegian Family Services rarely detect physical intimate partner violence.

What happens when an economic bubble bursts?

“The moment the market realizes that there will be no more optimists, then the bubble bursts,” says the economics professor.

Norwegians over the age of 60 have become significantly richer in the last 10 years

Transitioning to a retirement pension usually means a decrease in income. Even so, Norwegian elderly continue to expand their wealth.

Here’s what Norwegian archaeologists discovered in 2022

5,000-year-old rock art. The remains of a 1,600-year-old house. A shipwreck at the bottom of a lake. A Viking grave, a Viking sword and a Viking silver treasure. These are among the top finds from Norway in the year gone by.

Study: One in three young people open up about difficult experiences online

Sharing on social media gets a lot of negative attention. But most young people who have shared something they felt was difficult experience support.

Insurance is a foundation of modern society

When modern insurance arrived in the 18th century, houses and buildings suddenly became collateral for loans. This laid a foundation for modern society, says economics professor Knut Sogner.

Most read 2022: Ancestors without cavities, Viking swords in random backyards and glacial archaeological finds

Here’s the 2022 top-ten most read list from sciencenorway.no.

Buying and selling credit is worth thousands of times as much as the ‘real’ economy

Credit is about ‘time’, ‘trust’ and ‘faith’, economic historians say.

More and more children have shared residency after their parents break-up

As many as 43 per cent of the children now live alternately with one or the other parent after a break-up.

The culture of sleeping: Some slept in rose-painted beds, others barely had time to sleep

In his new book, cultural historian Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen takes us back to a time when decorative beds were a status symbol, and having to share a bed with random relatives was quite normal.

Norwegian parliamentary politicians laughed when they quoted from the Bible

The Bible has been used as a political guiding principle in three Norwegian parliamentary debates, twice for real and once for fun.

The world's most modern Viking ship can parallel park

You probably haven’t heard of electric Viking ships before. Old meets new in ‘Saga Farmann’ — and the Vikings would probably approve, being the innovators that they were.

Why do we drink coffee in the morning?

In the past, people drank beer and spirits for breakfast.

The social gift system is suitable for psychopaths according to researcher

Consider this before accepting an expensive gift.

Norway gives limited permission to Russian research project

Norway will allow Russia to carry out parts of a research expedition, but not in the territorial waters of Svalbard.

Viking grave discovered in the middle of Norway's capital Oslo

A grave with the remains of a shield and a cape buckle were uncovered during the construction of a new house this autumn. It is the first Viking grave rich in artefacts that archaeologists have excavated in Oslo.

Is Russia a greater or lesser threat to Norway than before?

The Ukraine war has weakened Russia's military presence in the north, but increased the importance of the country's nuclear weapons.

No gifts, no society: “It's strange how little people know about why we give each other gifts.”

“The exchange of gifts is the glue that holds society together,” one researcher says.

The three fears every leader has to know: Why appealing to fear is essential in a crisis

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Knowing how to appeal to apocalyptic fear, political fear, and private fear will help a leader name reality in a credible manner and assess which fear to prioritize at a given time.

The typical person who loves buying Christmas gifts is an extroverted, self-confident Christian woman who's bad at planning

Who actually enjoys buying Christmas presents?

The average Norwegian employee costs 85,000 USD

An average Norwegian employee costs his employer well over 50 USD an hour, when all costs are taken into account.

Jihadist terrorism is more deadly than far-right terrorism

According to new data, extreme Islamists have had a completely different capacity for violence than far-right terrorists.

How cloves from Indonesia and dates from the Middle East became part of Norwegian Christmas food

Cloves, cinnamon, ginger and figs were already being consumed in Norway during the Middle Ages. But these exotic goods probably only became a Christmas tradition at the end of the 19th century.

Now we have documentation: Women earn less than men in the same job

Norwegian women earn 9 per cent less than men, even if they work in the same workplace, have the same occupation and the same job. Fifteen countries, including Norway, have been investigated in a large international study.

The Princess from Kyiv was Norway's last Viking queen

Harald Hardrada became the last Viking king of Norway. Ellisiv from today's Ukraine was his queen.

How drunk are you planning to get at this year's Christmas party?

OPINION: Another round? Find your Christmas party alcohol level before it's too late.

These days we indulge. But in the past, you had to wear ragged clothes and eat bad food in the run-up to Christmas

Even after fasting stopped being a part of the run-up, the idea was still to not treat yourself before Christmas Eve.

Did you know that you can lend money to the government?

Lending money to the government is not for everyone. But you can if you want to, by buying a government bond.

Sex for the first time: Norwegian teens are postponing their sexual debut

A fear of unclear boundaries and a lack of control in intimate encounters may contribute to young Norwegians postponing the onset of sexual intercourse.

Researcher believes bitcoin may become as important as the internet

All the bitcoins in the world are worth no more than a third of the Norwegian Oil Fund. But researcher Svein Ølnes believes that the currency will take over the world.

In the old days, people used rune staffs like this to count down to Christmas

The rune staff had no dates. Nevertheless, it kept track of many important days throughout the year, especially at Christmastime.

The Norwegian Research Council saved: End of year grant deletes debt and ensures funding for next year

The severe cuts of research funding in Norway made international headlines and sent shock waves through the Norwegian research community. Today the government announced that it will cover the bill for the remaining deficit.

Three guys with torches have found almost 600 new rock carvings in their spare time

A group of friends has revolutionized the hunt for rock art in Norway.

Researcher accused of running Putin’s errands when the war broke out: "I have never before experienced such difficult times”

When Russia went to war against Ukraine in February, the war also crept into research circles.

Boys who spend all their time gaming: A huge social experiment with unknown consequences

Even boys with good grades in high school spend almost all their free time gaming. They’re pretty relaxed when it comes to homework, a new study shows.

Ground rent: Norway’s new salmon tax turns economic textbook models into reality

The Norwegian Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum believes the introduction of a salmon tax will equalize differences between Norwegians. But some economists warn against unintended consequences.

Norwegian academics must be more vigilant against espionage, says intelligence expert

Universities need to improve their background checks on visiting researchers in Norway.

Shipwreck discovered at the bottom of Norway’s largest lake – possibly 700 years old

Marine archaeologists believe the ship dates to sometime between 1300 – 1850. It was found at the bottom of the lake Mjøsa, at 410 metres.

Fewer and fewer girls play video games

While nine out of ten boys between the ages of 9 and 18 play video games, only six out of ten girls play games, according to a new survey from the Norwegian Media Authority.

This is how DNA analysis has been revolutionized over the last decade

A number of technological advances enable forensic geneticists to detect tiny amounts of biological material that a perpetrator has left at a crime scene.

More than 70 per cent of Ukrainian refugees struggled to find the right information, report shows

“I think this is the first time the authorities have been interested in how refugees themselves experience their first encounter with Norway,” says researcher.

Meet Tora, 65 years old. She lived during the Middle Ages

Researchers have created a model of a medieval woman from Trondheim in Norway, based on analysis of her bones.

What exactly are interest rates and where do they come from?

The sting from increased interest rates is something people have felt as early as ancient Mesopotamia.

Why am I at my best when it doesn't matter?

When a lot is at stake, things tend to go awry. In terms of evolution, it doesn't make sense. Why aren't we at our very best when we need it most?

Norwegian companies with English names make more money

Researchers have taken a closer look at what characteristics successful start-ups share.

Is it cruel to keep your cat indoors?

Or can cats live inside and be walked on a leash like dogs?

Ötzi-museum does not believe there are so many more ice mummies out there

What happens to artifacts in ice patches in the Norwegian mountains is not necessarily transferable to the Alps and the Ötzi-find-site, according to Andreas Putzer from the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.

A ski from the Viking Age melted out of the ice in 2014. A few years later the second ski in the pair appeared

The skis are the best-preserved pair from prehistoric times in the world. But who was trying to cross a mountain pass during winter in the 8th century, and why did they lose their skis? More clues may yet melt out of the ice to tell the story.

New research on 5300-year-old Ötzi suggests there could be more ice mummies out there

The 31-year-old find of the ice man from the Alps, has been studied again. While Ötzi is unique, the conditions that preserved his body are not, say the researchers.

Should Norway give away the billions of dollars made in profits from the war in Ukraine?

Never before has Norway made as much money from gas and oil exports as now.

Wait out the stock market crisis if you can, one professor says

“If you can afford it and have faith in the company, then it's just a matter of staying calm and waiting,” advises Professor Kjell Jørgensen.

Suspected Russian spy in Norway does not agree to being interrogated

The guest researcher now suspected of being a Russian spy has changed his mind and does not agree to interrogation, says the man’s defense attorney Marijana Lozic.

Men of the forest: What was it like to be a lumberjack?

Lumberjack attire and a full beard are today associated with hip and urban parts of modern cities. Professor of history Ingar Kaldal argues that loggers working deep in the forests back in the day, were in fact also modern, for their time.

Man suspected of being a Russian spy in Norway participated in training to find weaknesses in the handling of hybrid threats

One of the scenarios discussed during a conference he participated in was sabotage of gas pipes, writes Norwegian newspaper VG.

One Viking’s lost silver treasure discovered by metal detector enthusiast