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Tech News in Brief: Second Dane in space as well?

Ben Hamilton
May 5th, 2017


This article is more than 7 years old.

In other news, potato chip sales are booming, and so is the drone industry

Andreas Mogensen (left) together with his captain, Sergey Volkov, at the unveiling of a Yuri Gagarin statue in Copenhagen last year (photo: Hasse Ferrold)

Johann-Dietrich Woerner, the secretary-general of the European Space Agency, has indicated that Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen will probably get the chance to return to space. Speaking after meeting the education and research minister, Søren Pind, in Copenhagen yesterday, Woerner told media that “all astronauts should have at least two flights, and Andreas did the perfect job the first time”. Mogensen, 40, became the first Dane in space when he spent eight days at the International Space Station in September 2015.

In love with Danish potato chips
The Brits call them crisps, the Americans chips, and now the Danes are embracing them as their new cash cow. Companies like KMC are reporting a surge in sales thanks to an increasing demand from the Asian middle-classes in countries like China and India. Additionally, more health-conscious Americans are opting for the Danish chips because they are plant-based and free of gluten and GMO.

Danish drone industry prospects soar
Plans have been announced for an 867 sq km airspace over Beldringe in Funen, the location of the HC Andersen Airport, which has been earmarked for flying and testing drones. The University of Southern Denmark believes the governmental approval will accelerate the growth of the sector, which could soon emerge as Denmark’s fastest growing industry and create between 15 and 20,000 jobs. According to Odense mayor Peter Rahbæk Juel, there has already been a great deal of interest from foreign companies interested in using the airspace.

Unis rank highly for innovation
Two Danish universities – University of Copenhagen (KU) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) – are the highest ranked Nordic establishments on the Reuters Top 100: Europe’s Most Innovative Universities. The pair finished 13th and 14th respectively in Europe. Topping the list for the second year running was Belgium’s KU Leuven, followed by British pair Imperial College London and Cambridge University.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”