wire - news in brief

DNA Commercial whaling has left the bowhead whale vulnerable for many generations to come. A unique collection of prehistoric bowhead whale bones, dating back 11,000 years, reveals a previously untold story of the relative impacts of humans on nature. The time series of ancient fossils show that commercial hunting of bowhead whales, which spanned 400 years and ceased less than a century ago in 1931, has left irreversible destructive traces in the species' genetics.

AI AI-powered clinical documentation was meant to streamline work at Danish hospitals.

WOMEN'S HEALTH Many women lack sufficient knowledge about menopause, which has long been an under-prioritized topic.

Nightlife Young people - especially women - increasingly fear being drugged, and the phenomenon is more widespread and complex than previously assumed.

Crisis volunteering A portion of the population is ready to take action when crisis hits and others need help. According to researchers from the Department of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen, these individuals make up a civilian emergency corps of volunteers. But they are not necessarily the same volunteers you know from traditional associations such as your local sports club.

DECISIONS New research from the University of Copenhagen, INSERM and Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research shows that the brain in mice works in separate channels at the same time, when they respond to emotionally significant stimuli. The research helps us better understand how the brain can quickly react to what is important.

Politics Career pressure - not ideology - causes military officers to protect or overthrow dictators. New research from the Department of Political Science shows that ambition and anxiety can transform 'ordinary men' into the regime's ruthless henchmen - or into those who bury the regime. Why do some people become the dictators' most brutal agents?

Jura The American president's demand for control over Greenland violates international law, international agreements and the constitution.

Counterfeiting Every year, companies lose billions of kroner when goods are copied or illegally resold.

Archaeology Archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Bergen have used AI and free digital tools to create a dynamic and educational video game about the Stone Age.

SPACE The University of Copenhagen will lead Denmark's first lunar mission. The mission aims to map the Moon's surface in unprecedented detail to make it safer to land on the Moon and construct bases in the future.

Economics Grief over the sudden death of a partner leads one in six surviving partners to experience such severe psychological distress that they begin taking sedatives or antidepressants. If the death also results in a noticeable loss of income, the share of widows and widowers using psychotropic medication is significantly higher.

Food Seaweed has long been praised as a sustainable superfood, but its characteristic 'fishy' flavor has been a barrier for many Western consumers. Now, a new study from the University of Copenhagen shows that fermentation with lactic acid bacteria may be the key to making seaweed more palatable. Eating seaweed can be extremely healthy, we often hear.

Korea Eldest sons step up financially, while eldest daughters take care of their parents. A new study from the University of Copenhagen shows how Korean siblings divide the responsibility of caring for their parents through the stages of widowhood. When a parent loses their partner, the family dynamic changes significantly.

MALARIA If we fail to curb climate change, malaria mosquitoes could significantly expand their habitats across Africa, exposing hundreds of millions of people to a higher risk of infection. An insistent buzzing at sunset followed by itchy, spotted legs. Here in Denmark, mosquitoes are mostly an annoying - but generally harmless - nuisance.

Psychology How can people with diametrically opposed views suddenly stand shoulder to shoulder in protest? Researchers from Copenhagen, Oslo and Mainz have investigated this question.

Climate A new study using satellite nightlight data reveals that more than half of the world's coastal settlements have retreated inland over the past 30 years in response to intensifying climate hazards. The study coauthored by University of Copenhagen researchers also identified regions moving towards the coast despite the risks - including Copenhagen.

Psychology A new PhD thesis provides a rare insight into living with face blindness - and how research can improve diagnosis and understanding.

Economics Most expectant mothers have a clear idea of when they will return to work, how maternity leave will be divided, and how their careers will continue.

Animals An international team of researchers have identified three new species of enchanting, pustular, tree-dwelling toads from Africa.

Women's health Menopause is a significant public health challenge for the majority of women in Denmark, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen. For the first time, researchers have conducted a nationwide survey on women's health and experiences of menopause. The researchers are surprised by the results, which highlight the need for more knowledge in this area.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM Food - in addition to sunlight - regulates our internal biological clock and its ability to adapt to the seasons, according to new research in mice. According to researchers, it could have health benefits to eat more seasonal and locally produced food. Our blood pressure rises in the morning, our brain releases sleep hormones before bedtime, and our body temperature drops during sleep.

Inequality Although wealth inequality is rising across Europe, taxes on wealth, inheritance, and capital gains have been weakened or abolished in many countries.

Climate policy Researchers have asked over 400 international experts which climate policies work best.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE By developing a new AI model, researchers prove able to forecast diseases decades before they occur, according to a new study involving scientists from the University of Copenhagen. The research holds particular promise for patients suffering from multiple chronic conditions.

Astrophysics Gravitational waves shake the very fabric of the universe when black holes collide. Today we measure these events and use them to understand the cosmos. Now University of Copenhagen researchers and their international collaborators have published a treasure trove of new gravitational waves that may challenge our fundamental understanding of black holes, gravity, and the universe itself.

Bacteria Two forgotten bottles in a basement in Frederiksberg containing bacterial cultures from the 1890s have provided researchers at the University of Copenhagen with unique insight into Denmark's butter production history.

Public health Children from less-advantaged socio-economic circumstances have a significantly increased risk of developing asthma. Smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding are two of the major contributing factors to these inequalities This is stated by a new European study led by the University of Copenhagen.

Conspiracy theories and incitement to harassment and violence abound on mainstream social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

PARTICLE PHYSICS Physicists from the University of Copenhagen have begun using the gigantic magnetic fields of galaxy clusters to observe distant black holes in their search for an elusive particle that has stumped scientists for decades. It is a story of extremes that are hard to fathom. The heaviest structures in the universe, clusters of galaxies, are a quadrillion times more massive than the Sun.

Climate change By the year 2100, reindeer populations in parts of the Arctic could decline by up to 80 percent.

Mysterious animals The Greenland shark - the world's longest-living vertebrate - is most often associated with cold Arctic waters. However, a new international study led by researchers from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the University of Copenhagen shows that Skagerrak probably serves as a nursery area for young Greenland sharks.

Zoonotic diseases The infectious and multi-resistant cattle disease Salmonella Dublin can be fatal to both humans and animals and causes significant losses for farmers.

Insects Botanists from the University of Copenhagen and the UK set out to find the best flower combinations for bees and hoverflies.

Digital habits What lies behind our dissatisfaction with our screen use - and why does the dissatisfaction rarely lead to action? A new Danish study sheds light on this.

Protein research Designed proteins are anticipated to have groundbreaking impact on a range of issues from treating disease to tackling environmental problems.

Technology Danish primary schools have become dependent on Google technologies. This threatens privacy, democracy, and educational autonomy, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen.

CLIMATE Climate change poses a serious threat to the habitats of the bowhead whale, which may shrink by up to 75 percent by the end of the century, a new projection from the University of Copenhagen shows.