Study trip went to hi-tech particle accelerator

Ever dreamt of possessing the power of a superhero, like the X-ray vision of a Superman?

Six PhD students from the Life Science and Science faculties have just been given these superhuman powers, albeit for a short period of time and under laboratory conditions, in Grenoble, France, as they checked out the power of advanced X-ray physics at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).

Among these students was Tine Straasø, a PhD student at the Niels Bohr Institute, who sent us a photo story from her trip.

Crystals, blood cells and molecules

See pictures of plant fascination day at uni

The International Fascination of Plants Day gave visitors unprecedented access to the many collections and projects in the University's gardens and greenhouses in Frederiksberg.

Visitors were able to participate in guided tours of the outside gardens and themed talks by University staff.

Open hours in the greenhouses, information booths and a plant sale rounded out the experience. Check out our photos from the plant collection, and highlights of the day in our gallery.

Chloe.deanna.williams@adm.ku.dk

Tests reveal give-and-take behaviour

People start out being generous. But then they slowly turn into egoists as the game goes along.

This was certainly one of the outcomes of a series of economic experiments that have just been carried out at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In the experiments, student volunteers were paid small cash incentives in what are called ‘public good’ games, explains assistant professor Toke Fosgaard of the Institute of Food Resource and Economics (FOI).

»It tests, in controlled conditions, the social dilemma of being egoistic or social in cooperation situations«.

Myself, or the group, what will I choose?

The instructions are simple: Do not speak with your fellows, sit in front of your assigned computer, and follow the instructions shown on your screen.

I am with a bunch of randomly selected students from different backgrounds in the Laboratory of Experimental Economics at CSS. It seems we are mainly international students attracted by the economic reward.

Photo story: Out on the farm

Top scientist Haja Kadarmideen had taken the University Post and two PhD students from his own department along to the University of Copenhagen’s experimental farm in Tåstrup. The staff out there welcomed our spontaneous visit and gave us a tour of the animals and stables.

»These are the F1s and these are the F2s,« explained one of them, as he pointed to the pigs, before launching into a technical explanation that the University Post did not, quite, grasp.

Follow the photo story here.

Research farm, hospital

Australian scientist gets DKK 19m for obesity work

In the midst of economic gloom and hard times for science funding, one scientist has stood out and apparently found the winning formula.

India-born Australian Haja Kadarmideen of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences has only been in Copenhagen for one year, but he has already hauled in a solid lump of cash for three different genomics and systems biology projects.

Scientists hunt for elusive obesity genes

In Hermann Melville’s 19th century novel, the main character sails the world’s oceans to hunt down one particular, enigmatic, whale named Moby Dick.

In one way, India-born Australian scientist Haja Kadarmideen’s take on genetics is a bit like this.

»The genome is so long. Finding the right gene for a disease is like finding a fish in the ocean. Often you know a little bit about where in the ocean the fish are, but often not,« he explains to the University Post.

Gene variation is the clue

Laser physics to detect explosives, brain impulses

DARPA, a research agency at the US Department of Defence, has just assigned a DKK 9 million grant to the Center for Quantum Optics (Quantop) at the Niels Bohr Institute.

The grant has been assigned to make prototypes that can measure extremely small magnetic fields, forces and electric signals.

Such devices could be used to detect explosives and measure brain or heart impulses.

Quantum mechanics is weird

Top physicist to go beyond the Big Bang Wednesday

Most cosmologists believe that our Universe started its formation process some 13.7 billion years ago, when the Big Bang occurred. According to this standard cosmology, the Universe expanded extremely fast right after the initial explosion. This explains why the composition of the Universe is so uniform.

Together with Professor Gurzadyan, Sir Roger Penrose proposes another possible explanation, currently debated by the scientific community.

His model will be presented Wednesday 23 February, 13.15 at the University of Copenhagen.

Never-ending cycle