• A Norwegian man needed a hobby. His new metal detector found a showy 1,500-year-old gold necklace
• Eagle-eyed hiker spots Bronze Age rock paintings in Norway
• Norwegian family discovers Bronze Age rock paintings on a hike

• Interview: Thomas Reinholdt - Transcendental Meditation 'changed everything'
• New study sheds light on 'peak experiences' in world-class performers
• Norwegian researcher publishes study on peak experiences in top performers

• 200 reindeer died on an Arctic Island -- and researchers think climate change is to blame
• Norway: Bacteria flourishing in warmer fjord waters is infecting swimmers and seafood
• Warmest May since 1900 to cost Norwegians $2.34 billion more for power this year

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

A Norwegian man needed a hobby. His new metal detector found a showy 1,500-year-old gold necklace
14 September 2023 - At first, the Norwegian man thought his metal detector reacted to chocolate money buried in the soil. It turned out to be nine pendants, three rings, and 10 gold pearls someone might have worn as showy jewelry 1,500 years ago. The rare find was made this summer by 51-year-old Erlend Bore on the southern island of Rennesoey, near the city of Stavanger. (more)

Eagle-eyed hiker spots Bronze Age rock paintings in Norway
23 July 2023 - For most, finding a millenia-old artifact in the wild is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for Tormod Fjeld, who recently uncovered Bronze Age paintings in southeastern Norway, it was just another addition to a staggering collection of finds. He and two friends have brought hundreds of carvings to light in their free time. But Fjeld was with his family when he made his latest discovery. (more)

Norwegian family discovers Bronze Age rock paintings on a hike
23 July 2023 - For one Norwegian dad, a family hike turned into a thrilling discovery. As announced by the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), an unassuming rock found outside of Oslo is actually covered in ancient Bronze Age rock paintings featuring rowers and standing figures. This pigment has survived thousands of years, and it expands researchers' knowledge of the range of such prehistoric art. (more)

E-bus deal puts Oslo on track for zero-emissions public transport goal
29 October 2022 - Oslo is on course to become the first capital city in the world with an all-electric public transport system, targeting that goal for the end of 2023 as part of its aim to become the world's first wholly emissions-free city by 2030. (more)

Electric cars hit 65 percent of Norway sales
3 January 2022 - Electric cars made up nearly two thirds of Norway's new sales in 2021, with Tesla the top selling automobile brand overall, as the country pursues its goal of becoming the first to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars. Oil-producing Norway has encouraged the switch to zero emission cars by exempting battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on internal combustion engines (ICE). (more)

Norway closes down its last Arctic coal mine and transforms land into giant national park
30 June 2021 - Norway is dismantling their last Arctic coal mine piece by piece and turning the area it sits in into a national park twice the size of Grand Teton in Wyoming [United States]. (more)

The Scandinavian way to zero-carbon construction
22 June 2021 - Cities like Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen are working to clean up one of the world's most high-emission industries. Quiet, clean, and green are not words you would typically use to describe a construction site. But the site at Olav Vs gate, one of the busiest streets in the heart of Norway's capital city, Oslo, was special. In a first of its kind in the world, all the machinery used on site -- excavators, diggers, and loaders -- were electric. (more)

Norway hikes cash for rainforests, seeking corporate help to slow losses
25 November 2020 - Norway is doubling the price it guarantees developing nations to keep their tropical forests standing, in a step to slow catastrophic losses and encourage big companies to invest far more in nature to combat climate change. Norway is the top donor for safeguarding rainforests, ahead of nations including Germany and Britain, and has spent up to 3 billion crowns ($330 million) a year since 2008. (more)

Norway funds satellite map of world's tropical forests
22 October 2020 - A unique satellite dataset on the world's tropical forests is now available for all to see and use. It's a high-resolution image map covering 64 countries that will be updated monthly. Anyone who wants to understand how trees are being managed will be able to download the necessary information for analysis -- for free. (more)

Electric cars grab 44 percent market share in Norway in January
3 February 2020 - Electric cars accounted for a 44.3 percent share of Norway's new car sales in January, rising year on year . . . data from the Norwegian Road Federation showed on Monday [3 February]. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Interview: Thomas Reinholdt - Transcendental Meditation 'changed everything'
26 August 2015 - Struggling with his studies at university, Thomas Reinholdt set out to find a cure for his short attention span. Once he learned Transcendental Meditation, his focus and efficiency greatly increased, he breezed through law school and embarked on a successful career in finance. Today, he is teaching the TM technique to his peers in the finance industry in Norway. Teaching Transcendental Meditation, he said, 'makes it possible for me to realize myself at the same time as I help others transform their lives toward greater success and happiness. This win-win situation is very fulfilling.' (more)

New study sheds light on 'peak experiences' in world-class performers
5 September 2012 - A Norwegian researcher has published a new study on peak experiences among world-class performers in management, sports, classical music, and other professions, which found that during optimal performance they spontaneously experienced 'higher states of consciousness'. They also displayed unique brain wave characteristics. Brain research expert and co-author Dr Fred Travis commented that such peak experiences might be able to be cultivated over time through regular Transcendental Meditation practice. (more)

Norwegian researcher publishes study on peak experiences in top performers
29 June 2012 - Dr Harald Harung, of the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in Norway, has published a paper on peak experiences in world-class performers, finding that during optimal performance they spontaneously experience the four higher states of consciousness described in Maharishi Vedic Science. Published in April in the Journal of Human Values, the paper reviews research on peak experiences, including four quantitative studies Dr Harung has coauthored on world-class performers in management, sports, classical music, and a variety of professions. (more)

Integrated brain functioning as the basis of success in any field
13 February 2012 - Studies show that the Transcendental Meditation Technique develops integrated brain functioning. More integrated brain functioning has been correlated with success in world-class athletes and top-level managers. (more)

Encouraging findings in Norwegian study on fibromyalgia and Maharishi Ayurveda
22 December 2011 - A new study is coming out on the use of Maharishi Ayurveda health care in the treatment of fibromyalgia, a condition of widespread chronic pain. This 24-month study is the second to be published on this topic by Dr Lars Rasmussen, who has worked in Maharishi Ayurveda in Norway for 20 years. In an earlier, six-month study of a group of women, published in 2009, symptoms like working ability, pain, tiredness, stiffness, and anxiety significantly improved. Five of the participants, including all four who learned the Transcendental Meditation Technique, had almost no symptoms by the end of the study. (more)

New meditators, new website, new courses in Norway
22 December 2011 - New meditators, new courses, newly translated knowledge materials, and a new collaboration with other Nordic countries to train peace-creating experts in the region--recent news from Norway featured many practical advancements offered by the Transcendental Meditation Programme in the country. (more)

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's visit to Norway
25 November 2010 - The Global Country of World Peace in Norway last month celebrated the 50th anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's first visit to the country. The historic celebrations became widely known through newspaper, magazine, and television media coverage, inspiring many people to learn the Transcendental Meditation Technique and creating a great wave of interest and enthusiasm for the programme throughout the nation. (more)

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Transcendental Meditation in Norway: Creating invincible peace and progress
18 November 2010 - The 50th anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's first visit to Norway inspired tremendous interest in Transcendental Meditation and focus on creating invincible peace and progress in the nation. (more)

Norway: Filmmaker David Lynch promotes research on value of Transcendental Consciousness
18 November 2010 - During his recent visit to Norway, filmmaker Dr David Lynch spoke about the value of transcendental consciousness, experienced through the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

Norway: Tour of filmmaker David Lynch creates great wave of interest in Transcendental Meditation
18 November 2010 - The number of people learning the Transcendental Meditation Programme in Norway tripled last month following the visit of filmmaker Dr David Lynch. (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

200 reindeer died on an Arctic Island -- and researchers think climate change is to blame
29 July 2019 - More than 200 reindeer have been found dead this summer in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard -- and climate change appears to be the killer, researchers say. The reindeer likely starved to death after being unable to find food to graze on, according to scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), a federal scientific research agency that monitors the wild reindeer population. (more)

Norway: Bacteria flourishing in warmer fjord waters is infecting swimmers and seafood
7 August 2018 - The southern Nordic fjords are heating up as Europe boils, and bacteria there are flourishing, infecting swimmers and seafood, including oysters that can take months until they are safe to eat again, Norway's food safety authority said. The warm waters in southern Norway and Sweden have accelerated the reproduction of the vibrio bacteria, a species that can cause vibriosis ... (more)

Warmest May since 1900 to cost Norwegians $2.34 billion more for power this year
10 July 2018 - Norwegians enjoyed the warmest May this year since records began in 1900, but as rainfall has been unusually low, the treat will cost them about 2 billion euros ($2.34 billion) in higher power bills, Norway's energy regulator told Reuters. The warmth was accompanied by 40 percent lower than normal rainfall this spring ... (more)

Screen time linked to weaker bones in teen boys
25 June 2015 - Teenaged boys who spend too many hours in front of the computer or television without participating in enough weight-bearing exercise could develop weaker bones as they age, a small Norwegian study suggests. Childhood and the teen years are critical periods for growing bones and establishing a bone density level that can affect osteoporosis risk much later in life. 'I think you can never say too often what the authors were saying,' said Dr. Laura Bachrach, a pediatric endocrinologist at Stanford University Medical School in California. (more)

Screen time may damage teens' sleep
3 February 2015 - A new study is the latest to link blue-light emitting devices, like laptops, phones, and game consoles, to shorter sleep in adolescents. Using any device in the hour before bed was associated with a 13 to 52 per cent increase in the likelihood of needing more than 60 minutes to fall asleep, the researchers found. More than four daytime hours of screen time was associated with a similar increase in risk of 'sleep latency', or taking a long time to fall asleep. Screen time was also linked to an increased risk of a sleep deficit of at least two hours, meaning the kids said they needed two more hours of sleep than they were actually getting. (more)

Norway: Kids who use snus before age 16 more likely to become smokers
17 February 2014 - Norwegians who started using snus before age 16 were more likely to become cigarette smokers than those who started using snus later in life, according to a new study. In Norway, snus has become a smoking cessation aid and most older snus users are former smokers. But snus is also becoming increasingly popular among young Norwegian adults, many of whom have not smoked cigarettes. And although research is divided, the current thinking is that snus use reduces the likelihood of taking up smoking. Lucy Popova, from the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, told Reuters Health the new study was interesting. 'Earlier initiation of snus basically makes it a gateway to tobacco use, to cigarette use in the future,' she said. (more)

Too much Tylenol in pregnancy could affect development
22 November 2013 - Expectant mothers often take Tylenol, with the active ingredient acetaminophen, to deal with back pain, headaches or mild fevers during pregnancy. But frequent use may be linked to poorer language skills and behaviour problems among their children, according to a new study. As the most popular over-the-counter drug in the US, Tylenol has been extensively studied in relation to premature birth and miscarriage, with no connections found. But its maker Johnson & Johnson periodically comes under fire for the drug's small therapeutic index -- that is, the difference between an effective dose and a dangerous dose is quite small. So interest in investigating the drug persists. The new study is the first to look at young children whose mothers took Tylenol while pregnant. 'Our findings suggest that (acetaminophen) might not be as harmless as we think,' Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen said. Close to four per cent of women took Tylenol for at least 28 days total during pregnancy. Their children seemed to have poorer motor skills than kids whose mothers had taken the drug fewer times or not at all. Tylenol-exposed kids also tended to start walking later, have poorer communication and language skills and more behaviour problems. (more)

Al-Qaida trains Norwegian to attack
25 June 2012 - A Norwegian man has received terrorist training from al-Qaida's offshoot in Yemen and is awaiting orders to carry out an attack on the West, officials from three European security agencies told The Associated Press on Monday. Western intelligence officials have long feared such a scenario -- a convert to Islam who is trained in terrorist methods and can blend in easily in Europe and the United States, travelling without visa restrictions. European security services, including in Norway, have warned in recent years of homegrown, radicalized Muslims travelling to terror training camps in conflict zones. Many of the known cases involve young men with family roots in Muslim countries. But the latest case involves a man in his 30s with no immigrant background, the officials said. After converting to Islam in 2008, he quickly became radicalized and traveled to Yemen to receive terror training, one of the officials said. The man spent 'some months' in Yemen and is still believed to be there. (more)

Norway killer tells judge 'two more cells' exist
25 July 2011 - Anders Behring Breivik told a Norwegian judge on Monday his bombing and shooting rampage that killed scores aimed to save Europe from a Muslim takeover, and said that 'two more cells' existed in his organisation. Breivik's remarks at the closed-door custody hearing were relayed by the judge, Kim Heger, at a news conference. The killer has previously said he acted alone and police had earlier said they were trying to confirm this. But after Breivik's claim about other cells, police attorney Christian Hatlo said 'we cannot completely rule out' the possibility that others were involved in Friday's attacks. After the hearing, Heger said he had ordered Breivik detained in solitary confinement for eight weeks, with no letters, newspapers, or visits, except from a lawyer. (more)

Norway suspect wanted European anti-Muslim crusade
24 July 2011 - The man blamed for attacks on Norway's government headquarters and an island retreat for young people that left at least 93 dead said he was motivated by a desire to bring about a revolution in Norwegian society, his lawyer said Sunday. A manifesto he published online -- which police are poring over and said was posted the day of the attack -- ranted against Muslim immigration to Europe and vowed revenge on 'indigenous Europeans,' whom he accused of betraying their heritage. It added that they would be punished for their 'treasonous acts.' Police and his lawyer have said that Breivik confessed to the twin attacks, but denied criminal responsibility for a day that shook peaceful Norway to its core and was the deadliest ever in peacetime. Breivik has been charged with terrorism and will be arraigned on Monday. (more)