All news

CUNEIFORM

2026.04.15

4,000-year-old clay tablets inscribed with magical spells… and beer tabs

Around 5,200 years ago, people from ancient cultures in Iraq and Syria began carving characters onto clay tablets. This new system of communication gradually made it possible to develop advanced urban societies with…

Church and state

2026.04.13

Faith-based initiatives increase religiosity and conservatism in the United States

When states introduce legislation in favor of religious organizations, citizens begin to attend church more often, and their attitudes toward issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights become more conservative. This is…

Mental health

2026.04.10

Danish soldiers to receive mental training: New programme aims to strengthen both mental health and readiness

A new research-based programme is designed to equip Danish soldiers to cope with stress – both during missions and in everyday life. The programme will be rolled out in 2026 as a fixed part of basic training and will…

Extremism

2026.04.10

The two faces of extremism: Why some people support intergroup violence

People’s tendency to support violence against other groups is not driven by a single mindset: two fundamental motivations and different personality traits are key determinants of violence. This is revealed by a new…

Public health

2026.04.09

“Wake-up call” from leading sleep scientists: Night-time warming threatens the sleep of billions

Hotter nighttime temperatures disrupt our sleep to an alarming degree and the impacts appear to be accelerating, scientists warn. An international group of scientists is calling for the first global taskforce to help…

Waste water

2026.04.09

Fish on antidepressants: Researchers develop new weapon against toxic substances in wastewater

Toxic chemicals from pharmaceuticals such as antidepressants pass through wastewater treatment systems every day and enter the aquatic environment. For the first time, a new research project from the University of…

reading

2026.03.24

Boys ditch books when schools close – girls keep reading

When holidays or pandemics shut down schools, gender differences in children’s reading habits widen; boys stop reading, while girls continue, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. The researchers…

VIRUS

2026.03.19

Bird Flu Risk to Danish Cattle – New Tool Can Warn Farmers Before Infection Spreads

Bird flu can infect both cows and humans. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a tool that can predict where and when the risk of infection is highest.

DNA

2026.03.18

Past intensive whaling threatens the future of bowhead whales

Commercial whaling has left the bowhead whale vulnerable for many generations to come.

Research

2026.03.18

Study: Students struggle to identify problematic grey-zones in academic practice

Students across education levels have a blind spot for identifying situations that might bring their academic integrity into questionable territory, study finds.

AI

2026.03.17

AI was supposed to ease doctors’ workload – instead they spend hours correcting errors

AI‑powered clinical documentation was meant to streamline work at Danish hospitals. But in practice, doctors are spending valuable hours correcting mistakes, training algorithms, and handling administrative tasks that…

Theology

2026.03.10

UCPH researcher publishes an alternative to the classic children’s Bible

The Bible contains far more exciting, brutal, and meaningful stories than those most children - and adults - know from traditional children’s Bibles. In collaboration with his wife, Associate Professor Frederik Poulsen…

Psychology

2026.03.10

Dark personality levels relate to people’s job interests and chosen careers

People with high scores on the so-called Dark Factor of Personality have significantly less interest in social and creative jobs. This is shown by new research from the Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS)…

WOMEN'S HEALTH

2026.03.05

University of Copenhagen launches major knowledge hub for women in menopause

Many women lack knowledge about menopause, which has long been an under‑prioritized topic. A new knowledge hub from the University of Copenhagen aim to help women gain an overview and understand this phase of life.

Nightlife

2026.03.04

Young people fear drugging in nightlife – but almost never report it

Young people – especially women – increasingly fear being drugged, and the phenomenon is more widespread and complex than previously assumed. This is shown in a new report from the Criminological Observatory at the…

2026.03.02

Children with poor oral health more often develop cardiovascular disease as adults

Cavities and severe gum disease in childhood are linked to a significantly higher incidence of heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease in adulthood, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen.

Animals

2026.02.23

How horses whinny: Whistling while singing

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…

Climate

2026.02.17

New knowledge about Northern Europe's radiator: Volcanic eruptions in the past may have pushed ocean current towards collapse

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…

Archaeology

2026.02.12

New study maps where wheat, barley and rye grew before the first farmers found them

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…

Crisis volunteering

2026.02.12

When Crisis Strikes, Denmark’s Volunteers Step Forward

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…

psychology

2026.02.09

Pregnancy changes women’s responses to infants

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 …

2026.01.30

Different mechanisms are responsible for underconfidence

As humans, we can underestimate ourselves, even when we perform just as well as others. Women and people with anxiety in particular are known to doubt their own choices – and this is due to two different mechanisms,…

Law

2026.01.29

Danish municipalities and foreign policy – what can and can't they do?

As a rule, municipalities can't say much about foreign policy. But there are exceptions to that rule. A new research article from the Faculty of Law looks at where the line is drawn for municipalities when it comes to…

Wetlands

2026.01.29

Wetlands do not need to be flooded to provide the greatest climate benefit

Contrary to expectations, wetlands do not need to be completely flooded to provide the greatest climate benefit. Instead, the water table should be below the soil surface and remain stable, according to a new study from…

DECISIONS

2026.01.29

New research in mice sheds light on how the brain understands what is important – and what isn’t

New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that the brain in mice works in separate channels at the same time, when they respond to emotionally significant stimuli.

Politics

2026.01.21

Banal but brutal: Career anxiety is a driving force behind authoritarianism

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…

Astrophysics

2026.01.14

Copenhagen researchers make the front page of Nature: Solving the mystery of the universe's ‘little red dots’

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…

astronomy

2026.01.08

How Many Ghost Particles All the Milky Way’s Stars Send Towards Earth

Every second, a thousand billion 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…

Law

2026.01.07

US wants to take over Greenland: Why this is a diplomatic extreme

The American president's demand for control over Greenland violates international law, international agreements and the constitution. This is the conclusion of a new study from the Faculty of Law.

counterfeiting

2026.01.06

Danish chemist's invention could make counterfeiting a thing of the past

Every year, companies lose billions of kroner when goods are copied or illegally resold. But a new digital and legally binding fingerprint developed at the University of Copenhagen makes products impossible to…