All news

Climate economics

Survey: Strong consensus among experts for higher CO2 prices

Almost all academic experts recommend higher carbon prices as a way to limit global warming, the first comprehensive global survey on carbon pricing concludes.

How new bird species arise

Much of a centuries-old debate over where and how new bird species form has now been resolved. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have provided evidence that birds in mountainous areas – where the vast majority…

History of Earth

Giant impact crater in Greenland occurred a few million years after dinosaurs went extinct

Danish and Swedish researchers have dated the enormous Hiawatha impact crater, a 31 km-wide asteroid crater buried under a kilometer of Greenlandic ice. The dating ends speculation that the asteroid impacted after the…

Black Hole Billiards in the Centers of Galaxies

Researchers provide the first plausible explanation to why one of the most massive black hole pairs observed to date by gravitational waves also seemed to merge on a non-circular orbit. Their suggested solution, now…

The climate researchers

Green political scientist: Non-state actors are now driving the green transition

The climate scientists: Portrait of political scientist Michele Betsill and her research in the non-state actors' influence on green agendas.

Nordic diet lowers cholesterol and blood sugar – even if you don't lose weight

A healthy Nordic diet can prevent a range of diseases. Until now, the health benefits attributed to a Nordic diet by researchers primarily focused on weight loss. But in a new study, University of Copenhagen researchers…

The invasion of Ukraine: Sanctions how do they work

what exactly is the purpose of economic sanctions, now that the threat of them could not prevent the war? We have asked Jens Ladefoged Mortensen, associate professor at the Department of Political Science.

Pig grunts reveal their emotions

We can now decode pigs’ emotions. Using thousands of acoustic recordings gathered throughout the lives of pigs, from their births to deaths, an international team of researchers is the first in the world to translate pi…

The Brain Prize

The world's most prestigious brain award goes to a researcher from UCPH

Ole Kiehn – one of Denmark's leading brain researchers – is today awarded The Brain Prize for his ground-breaking mapping of the neural networks in the brain and spinal cord that activate and control our movements.

Children of the low-educated are at risk of early death. Now we may know why

In a new study conducted at the University of Copenhagen, data on more than 1.2 million Danish children show a connection between parents’ level of education and children’s risk of dying too early. A main reason is…

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.

TECHNOLOGY & CLIMATE

Neural networks behind social media can consume an infinite amount of energy

Artificial neural networks are deployed intensively by social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to recommend content that matches user preferences. The process is energy intensive and generates heavy carbon…

Plants use the pungency of sandwich and sushi condiments to defend themselves

For the first time, new research from the University of Copenhagen proves how plants defend themselves against herbivores. Spicy flavours that we know from delis and sushi bars are part of the explanation.

Robot technology

New robot helps dairy workers make Havarti and Danbo

The world's very first cheese robot is on the move and helping a Danish dairy with the quality control of its cheeses. According to the University of Copenhagen researcher behind the invention, the robot can save dairy…

290 million new city dwellers benefit China's climate balance

Contrary to popular belief, China’s massive emigration from rural areas to cities has been shown to have a positive effect on China's carbon stocks. Urbanization can even play a role in attaining climate neutrality. Thi…

Insect wingbeats will help quantify biodiversity

Insect populations are plummeting worldwide, with major consequences for our ecosystems and without us quite knowing why. A new AI method from the University of Copenhagen is set to help monitor and catalogue insect…

Well-functioning fat may be the key to fewer old-age ailments

Fat tissue plays an important role in human health. However, our fat tissue loses function as we age, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer and other ailments. High levels of lifelong exercise seem to…

How to choose the right programme of study

Are you interested in pursuing an education in the sciences, or in the humanities? Do you feel like commuting to the university every morning, and do you prefer group work or individual assignments? Here, UCPH researche…

Treatment for Parkinson’s could now get even better

New study could help clinicians to focus Deep Brain Stimulation to the right therapeutic spot and hopefully could improve treatment of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease.

Impatient and risk-tolerant people more often become criminals

A new study published in the prestigious journal PNAS confirms the assumption that risk-tolerant, impatient and self-centered people are more likely to commit crimes than risk averse, patient and altruistic people are. …

Pharmaceutical residues in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have the feared effect

Pharmaceutical residues and chemicals from personal care products in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have a detectable toxic effect on nematodes living in agricultural fields, according to 14-year-long experiment…

Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of chemicals

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found several hundred different chemical substances in tap water stored in reusable plastic bottles. Several of these substances are potentially harmful to human health.…

Onboarding students in new educational projects

On 1 December, UCPH invited incoming and outgoing 4EU+ students to a Christmas reception in one of the University’s old historical buildings to meet with fellow students and exchange experiences from their respective…

Student mobility triples within 4EU+ university alliance

4EU+ was established in response to the European Commission's call to strengthen university collaboration across borders. In 2019, 4EU+ was selected by the European Commission as a pilot in the new Erasmus+ action…

Hard work – great results

In this edition of our international newsletter, we focus on 4EU+ - the European University Alliance of which UCPH is a member. Just a few years ago, the Alliance, as it looks today, did not exist. Today, it keeps us…

Researchers make non-alcoholic beer taste like regular beer

Finally, researchers have found a way to brew non-alcoholic beer that tastes just like regular beer. Even more, the method is far more sustainable than the existing brewing techniques. “It’s a game changer for…

Researchers gain a unique view of the inner life of cells

The ever-changing shape of the interior of cells limits our understanding to whatever snapshot we’re looking at under the microscope. Now, a new computer model developed at the University of Copenhagen is allowing…

New research shows how babies’ behavior is influenced by those around them

Young infants’ search for potential hidden objects is influenced by how many objects another person believes to be hidden, according to a new study.

Rescue for failed construction project

Minister for Higher Education and Science Jesper Petersen promises that the University of Copenhagen will not be left alone with the extra costs for the delayed and ill-famed Niels Bohr building.

X-rays will make plant diets of the future more tasty

X-rays can be used to examine the tiniest parts of food and provide us with fresh knowledge about what makes yogurt feel soft and what it takes for chocolate to have just the right snap. According to researchers at the…