Society, Politics & Law

Church and state

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…

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…

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…

“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…

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…

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)…

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…

Crisis volunteering

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…

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 …

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,…

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…

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…

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.

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…

A partner’s death hits harder when finances are unstable

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 noticeabl…

Fermentation makes ocean greens more palatable

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…

Sibling roles change when a parent dies

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…

Most of us miss out on financial opportunities

Passivity in financial choices is not due to specific personality traits – but depends on the context. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from CEBI and Danmarks Nationalbank in a new study.

Why protests can bring people together across political divides

How can people with diametrically opposed views suddenly stand shoulder to shoulder in protest? Researchers from Copenhagen, Oslo and Mainz have investigated this question. The starting point is the COVID protests, whic…

Plants use engineering principles to push through hard soil

An international research team led by the University of Copenhagen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Nottingham has discovered how plant roots penetrate compacted soil by deploying a well-known…