Sonning Prize 2024.04.11 After stroke: Marina Abramović to receive the Sonning Prize In 2023, the award of the Sonning Prize was cancelled at the last minute as the recipient, Marina Abramović, was rushed to hospital. Now, she will visit the University of Copenhagen to receive the prize.
archaeology 2024.02.19 Birds have been adapting to human activity for millennia Roughly 14,500 to 10,500 years ago, in the transition from the last glacial period, Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic peoples harvesting vegetation from the wetlands of eastern Jordan created a habitat for birds that would…
New report 2023.12.08 Young people find cocaine use increasingly common in party settings Cocaine use is becoming normalised in parts of party culture, according to a new study of Roskilde festival attendees.
BILDUNG 2023.11.30 Professor: Working with Big Bang and ecosystems should make youth tremble Science has an entirely overlooked educational capacity – to help young people forming their identity. Therefore, science deserves more than the ancillary role that it plays today. Middle and high school teachers should…
attention economy 2023.10.25 Your phone gives your mind what it likes the most: endless possibilities for novelty It is not vast amounts of online information that makes it difficult for you to stay focused. It is rather the easily accessible possibilities for novelty and action built into digital technology that your mind cannot…
mindfulness 2023.08.17 Philosopher: Mindfulness rests on dubious philosophical foundations Mindfulness is one of the most widespread forms of therapy for people suffering from stress, and many report that they benefit greatly from it. However, the philosophical assumptions on which mindfulness is based are…
Integration 2023.06.27 Paradox: Well-integrated immigrants report more discrimination Immigrants and their descendants are more likely to report experiences of discrimination if they are well-educated and socially well-integrated. A new international meta-study confirms the so-called integration paradox.
New vice-dean 2023.06.22 Universities must stand out as unique physical meeting places Education will be disrupted over the next ten years, placing great demands on university degree programmes, says Professor Andreas de Neergaard, who, from 1 September 2023, is the new Associate Dean for Education at…
Names 2023.06.22 New vice-dean at University of Copenhagen SCIENCE Professor Jesper Wengel is a high-profile researcher, inventor and business owner. From 1 September 2023, he will also be the new Vice-Dean for Innovation and External Relations at SCIENCE – the University of…
Mesopotamia 2023.05.18 The earliest recorded kiss occurred in Mesopotamia 4,500 years ago Written sources from Mesopotamia suggest that kissing in relation to sex was practiced by the peoples of the ancient Middle East 4,500 years ago. The sources have been analysed by researchers from the University of…
decolonisation 2023.05.04 Britishness has been on the decline since the colonies began to leave the Empire When a number of British colonies demanded independence after World War 2, they kick-started the decolonisation process, which has since emptied the concept of 'Britishness' of meaning. Even Great Britain is falling…
Religion 2023.04.17 Religion blocks freedom and democracy across the globe A new major study documents that religiously motivated legislation has taken place in all types of societies and religions – to the detriment of democratic rights.
ERC grant 2023.03.30 Major EU grant for research on the role of women intellectuals during the Enlightenment The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Associate Professor Sabrina Ebbersmeyer an Advanced Grant of € 2.4 million for the WHENCE research project, which will examine the contribution of women intellectuals to…
VOLOUNTEERING 2023.02.23 The Ukrainian refugee crisis led to mass mobilisation of volunteers on Facebook Within days and weeks, the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in a surge in Facebook support groups in response to the war and following humanitarian crisis.
Repression 2023.01.25 Modern arms technologies help autocratic rulers stay in power Autocrats and dictators quickly acquire new arms technologies from abroad and often use them against their own citizens. Now a study shows that the spread of military technologies inhibits democratic reform.
The Sonning Prize 2023.01.18 Conceptual performance artist is awarded the Sonning Prize Body and gaze are the focal points of the Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, who is also known as ‘the godmother of performance art’. She is known for using herself and her body and for actively involving the…
Food culture 2022.12.08 The wealthier we become, the fewer homemade meals we eat The wealthier we are, the less time we spend cooking and washing up. This is demonstrated by a global megatrend, now investigated by a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. The trend applies to Danes as well, who…
Misinformation 2022.10.05 Healthy democracies are threatened by false information, but not everyone is keen on a cure Our democracy relies upon the choices of an informed electorate. But today, it is threatened by mis- and disinformation. More and better fact-checking is needed according to the University of Copenhagen’s Isabelle…
Religion 2022.09.13 Millions of farmers put their faith in God when making decisions A widespread belief among millions of smallholder farmers in one of the world’s poorest countries is that God determines their yields. This is shown by a study that has examined the correlation between religiosity and…
Centre of Excellence 2022.06.07 New research centre will investigate if mental illness is universal Is the human psyche the same across cultures? And do people experience mental disorders in the same way no matter what language they speak? These are some of the fundamental questions that the new Centre for Culture and…
CULTURAL PREFERENCE 2022.05.24 Wagner or Adele? Genes play a significant role in shaping our cultural tastes Our genetic composition not only affects our sex, height, and other physical characteristics. New research shows that genes also influence our cultural preferences and habits.
ideology 2022.03.21 The war is the logical consequence of Putin's ideological struggle with the West If you have followed what Vladimir Putin has said and written about the West and Russia these past years, the invasion of Ukraine should not come as a surprise. What is surprising is how poorly it seems to have been…
THE INVASION IN UKRAINE 2022.03.18 In Russia, the media picture has been turned upside down What is the purpose of the Russian media's pink portrayal of Putin's military conduct?
archaeology 2022.03.11 Reseachers confirm Plymouth shipwreck could be 400-year-old colonial "Sparrow-Hawk" The remains of a shipwreck in Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, thought to be a 400-year-old colonial vessel, have now undergone extensive scientific analyses.
SOCIAL MEDIA 2022.03.02 People spreading misinformation are ridiculed rather than met with facts People who spread misinformation on Twitter are more often met with ridicule than with fact-based arguments, new study shows.