News about Science

Unresolved jar mystery becomes a 2,000-year natural experiment

More than 2,000 years ago, massive stone jars were carved from bedrock and placed on a highland plateau in northern Laos.

Myggetal.dk relaunched with a new design and updated vector-surveillance data

The University of Copenhagen’s Vector Group has relaunched Myggetal.dk, the public platform presenting results from the Danish surveillance of mosquitoes, biting midges and ticks. The redesigned website makes it easier…

Narwhals help researchers uncover unique data from the deepest East Greenland fjords

For the first time, researchers have used data from narwhals to document how Atlantic water reaches deep into fjords along Greenland’s east coast.

New deputy prorector and DKK 110 million are to prepare the University for a new reality

Artificial intelligence is causing changes to research, education and working life at a pace few had imagined. Now the University of Copenhagen launches a major initiative that is to help the University and Danish…

Many workplaces resist plant-based lunches despite substantial climate benefits

Are organisations ready for plant-based food at work? A new study from the University of Copenhagen explores this question and shows that only a small proportion of workplaces in Denmark exhibit readiness for this chang…

Amin Doostmohammadi to lead new 75M DKK center on the Physics of Living Tissue

Active Matter is one of the most promising avenues in Biological Physics today. Amin Doostmahammadi's new center will tackle one of biology's most fundamental questions: How do individual cells coordinate their actions…

The online life of a stem cell

Ask a scientist what a stem cell is, and you will get a biological answer. Ask the internet, and you will get something else entirely. Learn more about the online life of stem cells.

Inaugural lecture of Professor Carsten Kirkeby

On 14 August 2026, Carsten Kirkeby gave his inaugural lecture for his professorship in ecological disease modelling. Afterwards, a reception was held in the garden of the veterinary school, where colleagues from near an…

Researchers create a Little Big Bang: Bowling-pin-shaped nuclei shed new light on the Universe’s first moments

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in recreating the primordial matter that filled the Universe shortly after the Big Bang – by smashing much smaller atomic nuclei together than previously…

Tracking the Next Generation of Crop Protection

Explainer by PhD fellow Sebastian Pedersen Landtved, AAU.

Can Danish companies be held liable for future climate-related damage?

In her Master’s Thesis, Frida explores an unresolved question of climate liability in Danish law.

How listening can help us respond to a planet in crisis

What does it mean to listen to a planet in crisis? Scholars, scientists and artists are using sound to study biodiversity and the climate crisis, challenging us to consider how we listen to, and with, the living world.

Breakthrough in unusual galaxy may help unravel the mystery of dark matter

For the first time, researchers have discovered a globular cluster stellar stream in a galaxy beyond the Milky Way – specifically in an ultra-diffuse galaxy.

Keeping the Lab Alive: The hidden work behind reliable insect bioassays

Explainer by PhD fellow Martina Nardelli.

AI Safety Newsletter #78: Internal Models Escape OpenAI and Anthropic

Is Law ready to deal with runaway AI agents? In the latest issue of the Newsletter from The Center for AI Safety, is a short analysis covering the recent events of AI agents who escaped their sandbox environment.

Writing manuscript and theses with AI – Navigating grey zones in good research practice

Workshop for PhD students, postdocs and supervisors Time and date: Wednesday 2 December 2026, 14:30-16:30. Registration: Please register no later than 17 November 2026. Venue: Panum, Blegdamsvej 3B, Maersk Tower, 1.s…

K-theory Prize 2026 to Robert Burklund

Robert Burklund wins a 2026 K-theory Prize for groundbreaking contributions to algebraic K-theory, chromatic homotopy theory, and higher algebra.

DNA vacuum reveals local wildlife in Danish nature

Researchers have developed a DNA vacuum that can suck genetic traces from animals out of the air and reveal which animals live in an area. In two new studies, the researchers collect air samples in three natural areas i…

We no longer just talk about black holes, we listen to them

For the first time in history, an international team of researchers has brought together both theory and observations of black hole vibrations in a huge, comprehensive review on the field. One of the researchers behind…

Marcelo Barraza-Alfaro joins NBIA as MSCA Fellow

Marcelo earned his PhD in July 2022 from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, followed by a three-year postdoctoral associate position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Marcelo will join the…

Two new grants will support clinical translation of cell therapies for dementia and kidney disease

Grants for Little and Kirkeby Group will support clinical translation of cell therapies for dementia and kidney disease.

New study pinpoints Europe’s most critical wetlands for climate action

Europe must restore at least 30% of degraded wetlands within the next four years, but where should efforts be prioritised? Researchers from the University of Copenhagen now offer an answer with the first detailed map of…

A milestone reached for Parkinson’s research with STEM-PD trial

A milestone reached for Parkinson’s research with STEM-PD trial for which Kirkeby led the preclinical development.

Asbjørn Risom, PhD student

PhD fellow Asbjørn Risom, 1 May 2026 – 30 April 2029, supervised by Professor Niels Richard Hansen, with Markus Jochum from the Niels Bohr Institute serving as co-supervisor.