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Discovered the toughest material in the natural world while researching spiders

"It's a great misconception that spiders are dangerous or troublesome at all. They get rid of all kinds of pests for us," says Ingi Agnarsson, lecturer in zoology at the University of Iceland. Ingi has around 30 years of experience researching these eight-legged creatures all over the world and has discovered a huge number of new species. He also researches spider silk and discovered the toughest and most elastic material in the natural world – the silk of the Darwin's bark spider, which he and his colleague named in honour of Charles Darwin 150 years after the publication of his famous work On the Origin of Species.

What are the causes of decreasing fertility rates in Iceland?

30/01/2023 - 08:20

Young women in Iceland experience anxiety in parenthood, and do not see how they are to live up to the ever increasing demands made on women in a society characterised by materialism, individualism and the imminent threat of climate change. At the same time, there is greater understanding in the community than before that people might choose to reject parenthood, even though women still experience hostile reactions due to such decisions. These are some of the findings in an extensive project conducted by an interdisciplinary group of academics at the University of Iceland. They seek to understand the causes for the reducing fertility rates in Iceland, and whether there is something in Icelandic policy making and parenting culture that contributes to this.

Research into the experiences of immigrants in Iceland during the pandemic

22/12/2022 - 08:15

"There is very little research on immigrants as a group here in Iceland. We decided to look into how they felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, since there is already a lot of data about how Icelanders felt during the pandemic and their attitudes toward the public health restrictions and vaccinations," says Katrín Lea Elenudóttir, political science student. This study, which received support from the Student Innovation Fund, was completed last summer and looked at the experiences of immigrants in Iceland during the pandemic. Katrín worked under the supervision of Hulda Þórisdóttir, senior lecturer at the University of Iceland Faculty of Political Science. 

Doctoral defence in Biology - Pauline Anne Charlotte Bergsten

12. September 2022 - 10:00 to 13:00

Aðalbygging

The Aula

Ph.D. student: Pauline Anne Charlotte Bergsten

Dissertation title: Exploration of the Microbial Communities within the Basaltic Subsurface of the Volcanic Island Surtsey in Iceland

Opponents: 
Dr. Steffen L. Jørgensen, Associate Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway
Dr. Oddur Þ. Vilhelmsson, Professor at the University of Akureyri

Advisor: Dr.Viggó Þór Marteinsson, Professor at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition , University of Iceland and Research Group Leader at Matís

Doctoral committee: Dr. Pauline Vannier, Project Manager at Matís  
Dr. Snædís H. Björnsdóttir, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences ,University of Iceland

Chair of Ceremony: Dr. Snæbjörn Pálsson, Professor and Head of the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland

SYMPOSIUM: The Problem of Existence, Delirium and Revolutionary Love

12. September 2022 - 16:00 to 18:30

Time and Place: 12. september 2022 kl. 16:00 – 18:30 í Háskólanum í Reykjavík, stofa M209. The symposium is in English.

The Department of Business Administration at Reykjavík University and The Institute of Philosophy at the University of Iceland invite you to a symposium engaging with the ideas of the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995). The influence of Deleuze's ideas can be felt across the humanities, social sciences and arts, including literature, film, feminism, architecture, organization studies and entrepreneurship.

At the symposium, two internationally renowned scholars, Prof. Ian Buchanan and Assoc. Prof. Janae Sholtz, engage with selected concepts from Deleuze and his collaborator, Félix Guattari (1930–1992), in the context of affect theory and feminism.

Find additional information about the content of lectures and the two researchers below.     

Additional information

Topics of lectures

Education is the cornerstone of freedom and prosperity

27/06/2022 - 14:35

"Education is not only a powerful tool it is also the cornerstone of freedom and prosperity. I hope that you, dear graduates, will use the powers of your education and the knowledge it has brought you for good; contributing to prosperity and peace wherever your endeavours may take you in years to come."

So said Jón Atli Benediktsson, rector of the University of Iceland on Saturday at the graduation of 2,594 candidates from both undergraduate- and graduate studies.  Students graduated from all five University schools. 
Jón Atli said that even though Icelanders are an independent nation all the world's nations form one humanity. "No nation stands alone, we have to work together as one."  

Looking for lifestyle factors that influence healthy ageing

31/03/2022 - 09:37

Life expectancy in Iceland has been gradually rising in recent decades as society progresses in other areas. Data from Statistics Iceland show that on average, both men and women in Iceland can expect to live to over 80 years old, which is among the highest life expectancies in Europe. Furthermore, a child born today is more likely to see their 100th birthday than not. The ageing population has prompted scientists to start looking at various issues to do with rising numbers of elderly people in our society, including the impact on the social system and the healthcare system and ways to ensure that as many people as possible are able to grow old with dignity. 

Shedding new light on how organisms respond to each other in Icelandic ecosystems

20/04/2022 - 11:03

A team of scientists from a large number of different institutions that study Icelandic ecology are now involved in an extensive collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), aiming to shed new light on how organisms, from the smallest to the largest, respond to each other and to environmental changes. A pilot project planned for this summer will focus on coastal ecosystems in Iceland.The project is called TREC and is part of the EMBL's programme for the next five-year cycle, "Molecules to Ecosystems".  The research theme is planetary biology and the aim is to harness the latest technology and methods in molecular biology to learn more about the status of individual ecosystems and the health of our planet. 

Academy for Woman Entrepreneurs – prizes awarded for best business plans

10/05/2022 - 13:46

Projects related to sustainable use of materials, transportation, sustainable farming, support for artists, green consumerism, and an online initiative to prevent violence were selected as the best ideas in the AWE programme, which is organised by the University of Iceland in partnership with the American Embassy in Iceland. The programme formally ended on 6 May and the winners were awarded prize money totalling ISK 2.2 million. 

Discovered the toughest material in the natural world while researching spiders

01/06/2022 - 08:51

"It's a great misconception that spiders are dangerous or troublesome at all. They get rid of all kinds of pests for us," says Ingi Agnarsson, lecturer in zoology at the University of Iceland. Ingi has around 30 years of experience researching these eight-legged creatures all over the world and has discovered a huge number of new species. He also researches spider silk and discovered the toughest and most elastic material in the natural world – the silk of the Darwin's bark spider, which he and his colleague named in honour of Charles Darwin 150 years after the publication of his famous work On the Origin of Species.

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