PhD progress is like the weather in Norway – unpredictable

  After a long time without writing any posts, I am still here, ready for some new words. Last time I mentioned that I would say something about scientific life. I am at the same place, in the same conditions, surrounded with new scientific challenges, which currently stops me from writing my paper. I would …

Why do we need so many species?

  For decision making, it is important to understand the long-term consequences of forest loss on both the biodiversity and the human population. Some days “at the office” means more than just a computer and an R script, even to a theoretical ecologist. My doctoral project is carried out in collaboration with research groups from …

New subsea treating process will allow access to closed gas fields

Extracting oil and gas from subsea production fields is a complicated process. Today it is done from offshore platforms, but the development in the oil and gas industry is towards unmanned production units placed on the seabed. Moreover, subsea operations will allow production in deeper waters, as well as in remote areas with severe weather …

Seriously, you caught an eagle?

  When I try to explain to people what I do for my research, they seem to be more interested in how I catch and approach my subjects, than what I detect in them. However, it is pretty cool what I can tell about a bird by studying its feathers. My name is Mari Løseth …

How cyanobacteria eat iron

  Cyanobacteria (commonly known as blue-green algae) obtain energy from photosynthesis: they use sunlight as energy source to convert CO2 and water to sugar and oxygen. Therefore, they contribute a significant part to global carbon fixation. Just like humans, cyanobacteria require iron to survive. While humans can simply eat e.g. spinach, cyanobacteria need to take …

CO2 capture with less energy consumption

In order to stall the climate changes, more CO2 emitting industries must install technology for carbon capture and storage. To make this type of technology more available, I work on a way to make CO2 capture technology less energy demandig. Since the start of the industrial revolution, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has …

How many moose and deer can a modern forest hold?

As a part of my doctoral degree, I study the interaction between large herbivores like moose and deer, and the forests they live in. Moose and deer populations have increased drastically in Norway the last decades resulting in a high browsing pressure that is having an effect on forest tree regeneration. This affects the functioning …

The connection between space and Earth weather

As a part of my doctoral degree I will learn more about what happens 90 kilometers over our heads. What happens up there today will influence the weather and climate here at Earth in the weeks to come. The atmosphere is really more than just air to breath and rain and snow. It warms us …

It feels great to have access to the lab

As promised, here I am writing more about my PhD research and life in Trondheim. Finally, I have access to the lab and I have done some interesting research. I also have a better grip of what Trondheim is like. My work is focused on designing and processing thermoelectric materials (materials with free electrons or …