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Topics: Lifestyle, Fashion, Leisure

A new study from Uppsala University shows that 41 per cent of adult Swedes believe in some form of paranormal phenomenon. Illustration by Lotta Ilona Häyrynen.

Four out of ten Swedes believe in supernatural phenomena

Belief in phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, the Great Lake monster and fortune tellers is common in all social groups in Sweden. A new study from Uppsala University shows that 41 per cent of adult Swedes believe in some form of paranormal phenomenon, and among women this figure is as high as 52 per cent. However, men are in the majority among those who believe in UFOs.

New book highlights impact of streamed reading

More and more readers are opting to stream audiobooks , preferably in the crime fiction or romance genres. For many, it has become a way to fall asleep at night. "We can see this by the fact that many users start listening late at night – sleep sessions that end exactly after 30 minutes or three hours. They’ve simply fallen asleep," notes literary scholar Karl Berglund.

Labrador retriever with atopic dermatitis. Photo: Kerstin Bergvall

Atopic dermatitis in dogs linked to certain parts of the genome

Using new gene mapping methods, researchers have found connections between atopic dermatitis in dogs and several regions of the genome. Some genes identified coincide with genes linked to similar problems in humans. The filaggrin gene region, for example, which is regarded as the most powerful risk factor for atopic eczema in humans, has now also been linked to this disease in Labrador retrievers.

Finery for fashionable ladies

When the first descriptions of knitting and crochet were published in Swedish, in the mid-19th century, such handiwork was described as the finest of all feminine handicrafts, for the benefit and pleasure alike of the trend-conscious, middle- and upper-class woman. Within a few decades, the patterns had moved into fashion journals. A new thesis examines how these changes affected handicrafts.

Children’s unique urban health challenges timely topic at Uppsala Health Summit 2019

Densification of cities causes less space for spontaneous play leading to negative effects on children’s health. Even though the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has been ratified by most countries, the child perspective is often missing in the planning process. The high-level international meeting Uppsala Health Summit is focusing on urban planning from a child health perspective.

A Swedish style?

Why has the neoclassical Gustavian style become so prominent in the Swedish self-image? A new dissertation from Uppsala University shows how researchers in art history, along with museums, commercial enterprises and the monarchy, have contributed to preserving and conveying the Gustavian style.

One in five residents overuses electricity at neighbours’ expense

Household electricity use falls by more than 30% when residents are obliged to pay for their own personal consumption. This is shown in a new study by researchers at Uppsala University’s and the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS).

Archeologists at the vanguard of environmental research

The history of people and landscapes, whether natural or cultural, is fundamentally connected. Answering key historical questions about this relation will allow us to approach our most important environmental issues in novel ways. Today in the open access journal PLOS ONE archeologists present a list of 50 priority issues for historical ecology.

Male of Rufous-headed Robin in the Sichuan provins in China. Photo: Pete Morris

Studies of one of the world’s rarest birds, the Rufous-headed Robin

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden have put together all known information about the endangered Rufous-headed Robin. Very few observations have been made since it was first discovered in 1905. The researchers suggest that its distribution might be larger than previously thought.

Childhood obesity on the agenda as experts gather in Uppsala

At Uppsala Health Summit on childhood obesity, which starts today on World Obesity Day, experts from health organisations, the academic community, the business sector and non-governmental organisations meet to discuss how we can work together to combat the ongoing obesity epidemic.

Childhood obesity in focus at 2016 Uppsala Health Summit

In just a few decades, the number of overweight and obese adults and children in the world has reached alarming levels, not least in low-income countries. This year, Uppsala Health Summit is taking place in conjunction with World Obesity Day: 11-12 October 2016. International experts on child obesity will gather to discuss countermeasures with industry, policy makers and society.

A horse of a different colour: genetics of camouflage and the Dun pattern

A horse of a different colour: genetics of camouflage and the Dun pattern

Most horses today are treasured for their ability to run, work, or be ridden, but have lost their wild-type camouflage: pale hair with zebra-like dark stripes and markings known as the Dun pattern. Now an international team of scientists has discovered what causes the Dun pattern and why it is lost in most horses.

Researchers show that genetic background regulates tumour differences

Researchers from Uppsala University, Sweden, and the Broad Institute, USA, have identified both similarities and differences between a single tumour type in multiple dogs breeds; a finding they believe parallels the situation in the cancer of human patients.

New research reveals how wild rabbits were genetically transformed into tame rabbits

New research reveals how wild rabbits were genetically transformed into tame rabbits

The genetic changes that transformed wild animals into domesticated forms have long been a mystery. An international team of scientists has now made a breakthrough by showing that many genes controlling the development of the brain and the nervous system were particularly important for rabbit domestication. The study is published today in Science and gives answers to many genetic questions.

Press invitation: Uppsala Health Summit seeking smart solutions in ageing society

Get set for 3-4 June: Uppsala University and seven other Swedish actors, has invited politicians, opinion-makers and experts from healthcare, academia and companies to an unconditional and open dialogue on the ways forward in an ageing society. The goal of the Uppsala Health Summit is to move from knowledge to action.

Punk – a subculture that creates its own conditions

Punk as a subculture does not emerge as a revolt against injustices but is rather created and defined from the inside, regardless of what the world looks like. This is established in a new dissertation from Uppsala University that investigates Swedish and Indonesian punks’ view of themselves and society.

A single gene has a major impact on gaits in horses and in mice

A single gene has a major impact on gaits in horses and in mice

Researchers have discovered a mutation in a single gene in horses that is critical for the ability to perform ambling gaits, for pacing and that has a major effect on performance in harness racing. The study, which is published in Nature today, is a breakthrough for our understanding of spinal cord neuronal circuitry and its control of locomotion in vertebrates.

Active lifestyle in elderly keeps their brains running

New research from Uppsala University, Sweden, suggests that an active lifestyle in late life protects grey matter and cognitive functions in humans. The findings are now published in the scientific journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Uppsala University - quality, knowledge, and creativity since 1477

Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest university in Sweden. With more than 50,000 students and 7,500 employees in Uppsala and Visby, we are a broad university with research in social sciences, humanities, technology, natural sciences, medicine and pharmacology. Our mission is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to society on a long-term basis. Uppsala University is regularly ranked among the world’s top universities.

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