All news

The brain

2024.02.22

Newly discovered brain cells play a key role in right and left turns

Researchers have discovered a network of neurons in the brain of mice that help them make right and left turns. In the future, the discovery may be used in treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

Weight loss treatment

2024.02.20

With regular exercise, medical weight loss treatment does not have to be permanent

For nearly a year, we have been debating weight loss drugs like Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda and similar products and what happens when people stop taking them. Are they able to maintain weight loss? A new Danish study…

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…

INCLUSION

2024.02.13

Hearing loss: New film shows ways to a good school and working life

A new film from the Good Social Spaces and Places research project shows that it is possible to overcome some of the social challenges that people with hearing loss face at school or at work.

CLIMATE CRISIS

2024.02.09

Easy solutions are rarely the answer to society's climate challenges

It can sometimes seem like we're making problems unnecessarily complicated when we, as a society, need to solve the big sustainability challenges. But there are no simple solutions to solving 'wicked problems'.

Economy

2024.02.08

Why you keep your electricity company - even though you can save money by switching

Most people keep their electricity supplier, even though it's fast and easy to switch to a cheaper competitor. Now an economist has unravelled what's holding people back – and what could ensure cheaper electricity…

Week Sex

2024.02.07

Week Sex: 6 myths about sexual health

Is herpes always contagious or only during outbreaks? Does the pill cause long-term infertility issues? And was female ‘hysteria’ really treated with orgasms by doctors in the past? Every year, there is an entire week…

Labour

2024.02.05

Globally, women in labour are overtreated. The consequences are dire

Too many women receive oxytocin augmentation and undergo cesarean sections, exposing both women and children to unnecessary risks, a new analysis concludes. The prevalence of overtreatment is shocking, say the…

Wetlands

2024.02.02

Tags Methane CO2 climate mitigation Geography Climate Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management wetlands Facult

Peat bogs store twice as much CO2 as all of the world's forests combined. A new research center at the University of Copenhagen will map Earth’s wetlands and provide important knowledge about the greenhouse gas budgets…

bones

2024.02.01

45,000-year-old bones shed light on modern humans’ arrival to Northwestern Europe

Based on bones determined to be from Homo sapiens, modern humans, an international research team discovered that modern humans reached Northwestern Europe earlier than we thought, and in a much colder environment.

Dissemination

2024.02.01

Sociological research plays key role in conflict management campaign

A new campaign aims to prevent conflicts between passengers, bus drivers and ticket inspectors in public transport. The campaign draws on the latest research - and with the researcher in a rare key role.

Climate

2024.01.31

New study reports that Greenland is a methane sink rather than a source

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have concluded that the methane uptake in dry landscapes exceeds methane emissions from wet areas across the ice-free part of Greenland. The results of the new study contribut…

plants

2024.01.30

Asparagus and orchids are more similar than you think

How is a beech leaf constructed? What determines the appearance of an asparagus? A new 'encyclopaedia’ created by researchers at the University of Copenhagen helps us learn more about the building blocks of plants. The…

GRANT

2024.01.25

EU to support psychedelic therapy for patients with progressive incurable disease

A new research project is investigating whether the psychedelic drug psilocybin can be used for the psychological treatment of people with incurable illness. Now the EU will support the project with €6.5 million.

Rain water

2024.01.24

Innovative stormwater solution unveiled to tackle record rainfall in Denmark

Denmark faced unprecedented rainfall in 2023, breaking historical records and posing ongoing challenges with stormwater and flooding of streets and basements. Rather than resorting to expanding CO2-intensive concrete…

ANCESTRY

2024.01.17

Can DNA revelations change your views on race?

Does it influence people's views on race when they learn about their own DNA roots? Not much, according to a new research project from the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen.

Privacy

2024.01.16

Computer scientists makes noisy data: Can improve treatments in health care

University of Copenhagen researchers have developed software able to disguise sensitive data such as those used for Machine Learning in health care applications. The method protects privacy while making datasets…

Computer science

2024.01.11

New study pinpoints the weaknesses in AI

ChatGPT and other solutions built on Machine Learning are surging. But even the most successful algorithms have limitations. As the first in the world researchers from University of Copenhagen has proven mathematically…

biotech

2024.01.10

Breakthrough: Weight loss drug from highly toxic plant can now be produced in yeast

A traditional Chinese medicinal plant has huge potential as a weight loss drug. However, due to the plant’s notorious toxicity, no one has yet succeeded in exploiting it effectively. Researchers from the University of…

DNA

2024.01.10

Discoveries gleaned from human ancient DNA

Four research articles in Nature follow the genetic traces and geographical origins of human diseases far back in time. The analyses provide detailed pictures of prehistoric human diversity and migration, while proposin…

Mental health

2023.12.22

AI can spot suicidal tendencies among young people

An increasing number of young people are attempting suicide. While old methods of assessing risk factors have limited effect, artificial intelligence can help spot the most important warning signs. This is according to …

Metabolism

2023.12.19

When we get older and overweight, we develop metabolic diseases. Now we know why

Obesity and aging increase the risk of diabetes and fatty liver. Scientists have figured out what goes on inside cells and what might help stop these problems.

Chemistry

2023.12.18

Researchers invent "methane cleaner": Could become a permanent fixture in cattle and pig barns

In a spectacular new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have used light and chlorine to eradicate low-concentration methane from air. The result gets us closer to being able to remove greenhouse gases…

Research Centre

2023.12.18

New initiative puts Danish vaccine science on the global map

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation are joining forces on a new research initiative within vaccines and immunity. The goal is to develop new vaccine…

Investments

2023.12.14

Student creates green investment tool

A student at University of Copenhagen has developed a method for optimizing profit relative to risk while also including sustainability and social responsibility concerns. The tool is relevant to both professional and…

Precision Medicine

2023.12.13

Don’t expect cost savings from Precision Medicine

While genetic information may lead to better treatments, promises of cost savings are unfounded. Instead, a large additional bill is more likely, according to University of Copenhagen researchers.

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.

Niels Bohr Institute

2023.12.01

Familiar figure new head of physicists

Professor Joachim Mathiesen will take up his position as the new head of the Niels Bohr Institute from 1 December 2023. He will be responsible for leading a department in rapid national and international development.

artificial intelligence

2023.12.01

Researchers have taught an algorithm to 'taste'

Incorporating human tastes into artificial intelligence makes it easier for wine buyers thirsting for the right wine. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Pioneer Centre for AI have shown that AI can accurately…

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…