Recommendable!
Showing posts with label Scandinavia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scandinavia. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
How Sweden built one of Europe’s hottest startup ecosystems
Recommendable!
"Sweden is perhaps one of the world’s hottest tech hubs right now. It has long been home to Spotify and Klarna, but this latest wave of companies — from legal AI startup Legora to vibe-coding tool company Lovable — has left everyone wondering what’s going on in one of the world’s happiest countries. ...
This year, the startup ecosystem has raised $2.8 billion in funding, according to Dealroom, and is projected to hit at least $5 billion.
Last year, the ecosystem raised $3.2 billion.
Nothing has quite matched the $8.5 billion raised in 2021 — a reflection of the hot venture market that later cooled and is now, per the data, starting to heat back up again. Other big emerging names from the ecosystem include Neko Health and autonomous freight company Einride. ...
the latest wave of startups in Stockholm is benefiting from the first generation of entrepreneurs, who are providing resources and mentorship to the latest generation — or, in some cases, becoming repeat founders themselves (Spotify founder Daniel Ek, for instance, is also the founder of Neko Health). ..."
What is not Lovable about Sophia Bendz (Source), a general partner at Cherry Ventures based in Stockholm. Just kidding!
Monday, August 10, 2026
How European countries implement gender equality in their militaries, e.g. Denmark
Recommendable!
Yes, gender equality means e.g. conscription for women!
However, soon robots will do the fighting! Lucky women!
Sunday, August 09, 2026
Das nächste Atommüll Endlager könnten wir noch schneller bauen in Finnland
Gute Nachrichten!
Wann wird die Bananenrepublik D endlich wieder Kernkraftwerke bauen statt existierende, in Betrieb befindliche abzuschalten und abzureissen!
Monday, August 03, 2026
How Norway Electrified its Economy
Recommendable, but this video has some serious flaws.
Norway uses hydropower unlike most other countries in the world. It is a fossil fuel producer and exporter, therefor superrich and so on. It uses heavily heat pumps, which may work in countries with low population density and small population (less than 6 million).
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Why the Hard Right is Surging in Norway
Seems to be a common trend in various European countries!
Offshore natural gas drilling is expanding again in Norway. Good news!
Friday, July 17, 2026
Nokia’s 14 Years of Mobile-Phone Supremacy Ended in an Afternoon
Recommendable! A chronicle of fast moving technological change!
What about Motorola?
"In 2005, Nokia sold its billionth mobile phone, a budget-friendly device that went to a customer in Nigeria. By then, the company, based in Espoo, Finland, was making one of every three cellphones globally.
But just nine years later, the mobile-device maker offloaded its entire handset division to Microsoft for pennies on the dollar, compared to what it had been worth at its peak. ...
On 9 January 2007, at the Macworld conference in San Francisco, Steve Jobs made a characteristically bold claim. “Today, Apple is reinventing the phone,” he said, soon pulling one of the first iPhones out of his pocket. ...
multitouch [screen] technology ..
And yet it took Nokia years to develop a phone that used multitouch. “Remember, Nokia is based in Finland,” he says. “It’s very cold in Finland. They wear gloves for six months of the year, including the executives. They didn’t think a device like that would work.” ...
That similar product ended up being the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, known as the Tube, released in 2008. “The idea was to focus on streaming videos and television,” Partanen says. “So we made a phone with a similar form factor to the iPhone [that was] optimized for streaming content.” But the 5800 was “delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed,” he says. “It didn’t materialize in the way it was planned. It was released as a watered-down version.” ...
The 1200 kept the 1100’s dust-proofing, flashlight, and long-lasting battery, and added features aimed squarely at the developing world. ...
In September 2008, the first Android phone went on sale—the HTC Dream, which was also sold as the T-Mobile G1. ...
Released in 2009, the Nokia 5230 attempted to be a low-priced, touchscreen (though not multitouch) competitor to both the iPhone and Android. It sold an impressive 150 million units, doing especially well in developing countries.
But the 5230 didn’t have Wi-Fi—one of the biggest complaints at the time. In the developing world, Wi-Fi connections were still rare, so the lack of Wi-Fi made some sense. ..."
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Sweden Introduces Tough New Deportation Rules for imMigrants
Good news! Will other Western countries follow?
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
President Trump in Turkey: Greenland 'should be controlled' by U.S.
President Trump can be very persistent! Is Greenland an obsession of him? Or what is the strategic value of Greenland to the US? I am afraid the value is high.
I bet President Trump and Denmark can work out something regarding Greenland! The Danes are reasonable people! Perhaps, an outright purchase of the island is not possible!
I suppose since the Vikings discovered Greenland around 9th century, this island has been part of Denmark.
To all the global warming/climate change hoax purveyors: Why was Greenland called greenland by the Vikings? Hint: Medieval warming period, Greenland was much less ice covered.
Saturday, June 06, 2026
Surprisingly intelligent bumble bees
Amazing stuff!
"In a new study bumble bees solved a completely novel object-manipulation task. What makes this behaviour especially remarkable is that the bees had never been trained. The findings challenge the long-standing assumption that spontaneous problem-solving is restricted to humans and other large-brained vertebrates.
More than 100 years ago, psychologist Wolfgang Köhler famously showed that chimpanzees could solve novel problems by suddenly combining objects in new ways, such as stacking boxes to reach an out-of-reach banana. These experiments became some of the earliest and most influential demonstrations of insight and spontaneous problem-solving in animals.
Now, researchers from the University of Oulu, the University of Helsinki, and the University of Turku report strikingly similar problem-solving abilities in bumble bees. ..."
From the editor's summary and abstract:
"Editor’s summary
Recent research has revealed that bumble bees are much more cognitively advanced than previously thought: They play with balls, count, recognize faces, and even feel rhythm. However, it has not been shown that they could achieve one of the highest peaks of cognitive performance: the ability to spontaneously solve a problem. Bhambore et al. tested this ability by providing bees with a ball that could be used as a tool to reach an otherwise unreachable flower reward. Bees that had been allowed to play with a ball and experience the flower spontaneously learned to move the ball to access the flower when they were present together.
Abstract
Problem-solving using novel solutions without explicit training is often considered a hallmark of cognitive flexibility. We investigated whether bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) could solve a novel object manipulation task spontaneously.
Bees trained to associate a blue ring (“flower”) on the floor with a reward successfully moved a ball underneath a flower relocated to the ceiling to reach the flower. In control experiments in which the flower was out of sight when ball movement began and remained hidden during transport, bees still succeeded in the task. These results suggest that these were goal-directed actions rather than reinforcement-based associations driven by perceptual feedback. Our findings provide evidence that bumble bees can exhibit spontaneous problem-solving, challenging the notion that such advanced cognitive abilities are exclusive to large-brained vertebrates."
Bumble bees show spontaneous problem-solving in study published in Science (original news release)
Spontaneous problem-solving in bumble bees (no public access)
A bumble bee standing on a ball beneath the artificial flower containing reward, illustrating the experimental solution.
Friday, June 05, 2026
Brazil plans to buy 20 more Swedish Gripen fighter aircraft
Good news for Sweden and the European defense industry!
"Brazilian Defense Minister José Múcio Monteiro Filho announced today that he wants to buy an additional 20 Gripen E jets, which would bring Brazil’s fleet to 56 fighters.
The announcement came during a press conference today, wrapping up the minister’s four-day visit to Sweden. ...
After Saab beat out the Boeing F/A-18 and Dassault Rafale in 2014, Brazil ordered a total of 36 Gripen fighters: 28 single-seat Gripen E models and eight two-seat Gripen F variants. Eleven aircraft have been delivered to date. ..."
Saab Gripen
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Surprising Capitalist Makeover Is Under Way in Sweden
Recommendable! To quote Ronald Reagan: "Government is not the solution to our problem government is the problem"
"Sweden, long treated as a model of democratic socialism, has spent the past three decades moving toward freer markets. Following a period of economic stagnation and a financial crisis in the early 1990s, the country cut taxes, restrained public spending, opened parts of education and healthcare to private providers, and generally liberalized the economy. ..."
"“For decades, Sweden was shorthand for the brand of high-tax, high-spend government that managed people’s lives from cradle to grave through state-run hospitals, schools and care homes.
No longer. With little fanfare, this Nordic country of 11 million has embraced capitalism.
Today, nearly half of primary healthcare clinics are privately owned, many by private-equity firms. One in three public high schools is privately run, up from 20% in 2011. School operators are listed on the stock exchange.
Sweden’s experience has lessons—good and bad—for other rich countries ...
The capitalist makeover has allowed Sweden to do what few industrialized countries have managed in recent years: shrink the size of the state. That has enabled the government to sharply lower taxes and, economists say, sparked a surge in entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Its total public social spending bill—which includes healthcare, education and all welfare payments—has fallen to 24% of gross domestic product, similar to the U.S. and well below the over 30% for nations like France and Italy.
Sweden’s economy is expected to grow by around 2% a year through 2030, roughly the same pace as the U.S. and double the growth rates of France and Germany, according to an April forecast by the International Monetary Fund.”"
The World’s Most Surprising Capitalist Makeover Is Under Way in Sweden "The shake-up of cradle-to-grave care is lowering government spending, spurring innovation and stirring fears about those left behind"
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Norway Approves Driverless bus to operate on regular public routes without a safety driver
Good news!
"“The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has granted authorization to transport operators Vy and Kolumbus to operate an autonomous bus on regular public routes without a safety driver.
The deployment involves the Karsan e-ATAK platform equipped with autonomous driving software supplied by ADASTEC and supported by the xFlow fleet management system developed by Applied Autonomy, according to a press note by Applied Autonomy.
The milestone represents a transition from supervised autonomous operations to fully driverless service within a controlled public transport environment. The vehicle is integrated into Stavanger’s public transport network since 2024, following deployment’s kickoff in 2022. ..."
Thursday, April 16, 2026
New laser method gives insight into radioactive atomic nuclei size and shape of Actinides
Amazing stuff!
"... They have developed a new analysis method using a pulsed laser, based on an Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO). This laser technology can achieve wavelengths and colours that conventional laser systems struggle to produce with sufficient intensity and wavelength precision.
The laser pulses are directed at the atoms, revealing small changes in energy in the wavelengths that are absorbed. ...
The results of the study can be used to refine theoretical models of atoms and atomic nuclei, making it easier to identify new possible elements and isotopes in future experiments. ..."
New laser method gives insight into radioactive atomic nuclei (original news release) "By directing pulses of laser light at atoms, researchers can study how radioactive elements decay in a matter of seconds. The method is described in a new thesis from the University of Gothenburg, which shows that the atomic nuclei of the elements neptunium and fermium are shaped like rugby balls."
Optical Parametric Oscillators for Spectroscopy of Actinides (thesis, open access)
Shapes of an atomic nucleus. The nucleus is always prolate-shaped for fermium-255, but it can vary, for the same element, depending on how many neutrons the nucleus has.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Langzeitstudie: Medizinische Transition senkt psychische Belastung bei Jugendlichen nicht
Es gibt wohl wenig Zweifel, das die medizinische Geschlechtsumwandlung von Kindern oder Jugendlichen oftmals nicht viel mehr ist als quackery!
Gender dysphoria ist eine höchst obskure medizinische Diagnose, die an Aberglaube grenzt.
Wenn Erwachsene ihr Geschlecht ändern wollen, dann ist denen freigestellt. Dann ist das eher nur eine Frage wer zahlt für die Geschlechtsumwandlung, die Krankenkasse oder der Erwachsene aus eigener Kasse.
"... Nun kommt ausgerechnet aus Finnland eine große Langzeitstudie, die den Kern dieser Erzählung frontal trifft. Die medizinische Transition von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen unter 23 Jahren senkt den Bedarf an fachpsychiatrischer Versorgung nicht. In einem beträchtlichen Teil der Fälle steigt die psychiatrische Belastung sogar deutlich an.
Die im Magazin Acta Paediatrica veröffentlichte Untersuchung erfasste 2.083 Personen, die sich in Finnland vor dem 23. Lebensjahr zwischen 1996 und 2019 an spezialisierte Gender-Dienste wandten. Dazu kamen 16.643 Kontrollpersonen aus der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Die Nachbeobachtung lag im Median bei fast fünf Jahren, einzelne Fälle wurden über ein Vierteljahrhundert verfolgt. Das ist keine kleine Aktivistenstichprobe und kein gefühliger Erlebnisaufsatz, sondern ein großer Datensatz mit Registerdaten und langer Laufzeit.
Das Ergebnis ist verheerend für die politische Betriebsreligion der „geschlechtsbejahenden“ Medizin. Unter jenen, die eine medizinische Geschlechtsangleichung erhielten, also 38 Prozent der Kohorte, stieg der Anteil mit Bedarf an fachpsychiatrischer Behandlung stark an. Bei biologisch männlichen Jugendlichen, die eine feminisierende Behandlung suchten, sprang der Anteil von 9,8 Prozent vor der Überweisung auf 60,7 Prozent mindestens zwei Jahre danach. Bei biologisch weiblichen Jugendlichen, die eine Transition zum männlichen Geschlecht vornahmen, stieg er von 21,6 auf 54,5 Prozent. ..."
Adolescents who underwent medical gender reassignment had markedly increased psychiatric morbidity during follow-up
More evidence that medical procedures for transgender children and teenagers are often quackery.
Gender dysphoria is one of the most absurd medical diagnosis out there especially when applied to large number of adolescents.
When genital mutilation is involved then these doctors could be criminally liable!
From the abstract:
"Aim
To examine the prevalence of severe psychiatric morbidity among gender-referred adolescents, focusing on gender differences and outcomes related to medical gender reassignment.
Methods
Finnish nationwide cohort of all under-23-year-old gender-referred individuals between 1996 and 2019 (n = 2 083) and 16 643 matched controls. Cross-tabulations with X2 statistics and Cox regression were used to analyse the data.
Results
Gender-referred adolescents showed significantly higher psychiatric morbidity than controls both before (45.7% vs. 15.0%) and ≥ 2 years after referral (61.7% vs. 14.6%). Those referred after 2010 had greater psychiatric needs than earlier cohorts, both before (47.9% vs. 15.3%) and ≥ 2 years after (61.3% vs. 14.2%) referral.
Among adolescents who underwent medical gender reassignment, psychiatric morbidity increased markedly during follow-up—rising from 9.8% to 60.7% in feminising gender reassignment and from 21.6% to 54.5% in masculinising gender reassignment. After adjusting for prior psychiatric treatment, all gender-referred adolescents had similarly elevated risks of psychiatric morbidity, with hazard ratios approximately three times higher than female controls and five times higher than male controls.
Conclusion
Severe psychiatric morbidity is common among gender-referred adolescents and appears to be more prevalent in those referred after the recent surge in referrals. Psychiatric needs do not subside after medical gender reassignment.
Summary
- Gender-referred adolescents show high psychiatric morbidity, yet gender differences and mental health trajectories after medical gender reassignment remain poorly understood.
- These adolescents had markedly higher psychiatric morbidity than controls before and after referral, with treatment needs often persisting and even intensifying after medical interventions—on some, they might even have a negative impact.
- Findings emphasise the need for thorough psychiatric assessment and ongoing treatment throughout medical gender reassignment.
"
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Small Modular Reactor Nuclear Power: Decarbonizing Commercial Shipping
Good news! From navy to commercial shipping!
"... To overcome this, the consortium behind the NuProShip II project is looking at how to fit Gen IV small modular nuclear reactors to heavy commercial vessels. The project’s demonstrator concept is based on a 120-m (394-ft) Vard 3 offshore subsea construction vessel, designed by Fincantieri subsidiary Vard. ..."
NuProShip II – Pioneering the future of sustainable Marine Propulsion with Nuclear reactors "... VARD ... presents results of the research and innovation project NuProShip II. NuProShip II marks a significant milestone in the development of sustainable marine technology, exploring the integration of small 4th generation nuclear reactors into specialized offshore vessels."
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Thursday, February 12, 2026
“I think of you, I love you”: 1,000-year-old Viking love messages hidden in Swedish stones
Who knew the fearsome Viking warriors were romantic! What a Valentines Day story!
"... Rune grey stones with sharp carved lines might look plain at first. Nothing emotional on the surface. As reported by BBC, one famous Viking-era message, found on a textile tool near Gothenburg, reportedly reads: “Do you think of me, I think of you, do you love me, I love you.” It sounds almost like a modern text message between partners.Runes were carved on wood, bone, tools, and cloth. But stone lasted the longest. Many were memorial stones, placed near roads or meeting places so travellers would see them. ..."
Credits: The Flyover
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