news

Psychology People with high scores on the so-called Dark Factor of Personality have significantly less interest in social and creative jobs.

Animals A horse's whinny is an unusually distinctive mix of sounds including both high and low frequencies. Researchers from Department of Biology demonstrate how horses produce high-frequency sounds that defy their large size while simultaneously producing lower tones: they whistle through their larynx while vibrating their vocal folds as a human does while singing.

Climate New research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that volcanic eruptions during the Ice Age may have triggered sudden climate change by disrupting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), causing temperatures to fluctuate between hot and cold for thousands of years. The study contributes missing pieces to our understanding of what could cause Northern Europe's radiator to shut down.

Archaeology Using advanced machine-learning and climate models, researchers have shown that the ancestors of crops like wheat, barley, and rye probably were much less widespread in the Middle East 12,000 years ago than previously believed. This challenges traditional assumptions about the geography of early plant domestication and agriculture.

Psychology Pregnant women react more positively than non pregnant women when exposed to audio recordings, videos, and images of infants. This suggests that pregnancy mentally prepares women to process infant signals, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen and the Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen.

Wetlands Contrary to expectations, wetlands do not need to be completely flooded to provide the greatest climate benefit.

Astrophysics Since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) went into operation, red dots in its images have puzzled researchers around the world. Now, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have explained these enigmatic findings, revealing the most violent forces in the universe concealed in a cocoon of ionized gas.

Astronomy Every second, a trillion of the elusive ghost particles, the neutrinos, pass straight through your body. Now, astrophysicists from the University of Copenhagen have mapped how many ghost particles all the stars in the Milky Way send towards Earth, and where in the galaxy they originate. This new map could help us track down these mysterious particles and unlock knowledge about our Galaxy that has so far been out of reach.

Biodiversity Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that moss acts as a natural trap for environmental DNA. This discovery opens the door to using moss as a simple, gentle and inexpensive method of monitoring biodiversity - from birds and mammals to fungi, insects and microbes. Right now, many of us have a bit of moss sitting in our Christmas decorations at home.

AI and plants Using a new AI method, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have rediscovered 51 old pea varieties that are no longer used in agriculture but may prove promising for the production of plant-based foods. The method is a shortcut to finding new resources in the green treasure troves that gene banks' enormous seed collections represent.

Archaeology A group of scientists are studying the Cyclades, an island group in Greece's Aegean Sea, looking for signs of early human activity. They are using technology such as laser scanning and magnetometry, which may be more effective and non-invasive than traditional archeological methods. The Cyclades are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece.

Economics Passivity in financial choices is not due to specific personality traits - but depends on the context. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from CEBI and Danmarks Nationalbank in a new study. Are people who fail to adjust their pension contributions in response to policy reforms the same people who do refinance their mortgages when interest rates fall? The answer is clear: No, they are.

Contraception The contraceptive pill has been hailed as one of the most revolutionary health technologies of the 20th century - a tool that gave women control over their fertility and paved the way for education and careers.

Agriculture An international research team led by the University of Copenhagen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Nottingham has discovered how plant roots penetrate compacted soil by deploying a well-known engineering principle. The finding could have major implications for future crop development at a time when pressure on agricultural land is increasing.

Activism Disruptive protest actions are among the tools often used by climate activists. New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that these types of actions have the intended effect: they raise public awareness of climate change. However, they also carry the risk of backlash. Climate activism takes many forms, but one of the most visible is so-called disruptive protests.

New research offers a unique insight into the lives of mammoths during the last Ice Age. Scientists have taken an important step closer to understanding the mythical mammoths that roamed the Earth thousands of years ago. For the first time ever, a research team has succeeded in isolating and sequencing RNA molecules from woolly mammoths dating back to the Ice Age.

Health and work life Radiation therapy treatment for breast cancer not only improves survival rates but also generates long-term financial benefits according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. Survivors of illness and disease often suffer economic hardship such as reduced employment as they recover from treatment.

Rewilding A new nationwide survey from the University of Copenhagen shows that most Danes would like to see more large animals in the forests. Danes prefer forests with wild animals such as red deer and bison to traditional nature conservation with cattle and sheep. However, a significant minority are far from enthusiastic about nature with fences and large animals.

New research from the University of Copenhagen points to a simple yet effective method for combating misinformation on social media: make it slightly harder to share content. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X have made it incredibly easy to share content with friends and acquaintances through like and share buttons.

Schizophrenia A specific type of brain cell is abnormally active in mice exhibiting behavior reminiscent of schizophrenia, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. By dampening the activity of these cells, researchers were able to restore the animals' behavior-an insight that may pave the way for a new preventive treatment.