Category Archives: Research

Estonians Don’t Get Enough Vitamin D

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Villu Päärt

Even at the end of the summer season, one third of Estonians have too little vitamin D in their bodies. According to the doctoral thesis which Mart Kull defended at the University of Tartu’s Faculty of Medicine, this is most severe during the winter, when 73% of the Estonian population has less vitamin D than required and 8% suffers from complete vitamin deficiency. Continue reading →

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Why Do Women Outlive Men?

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Peeter Hõrak

Estonian women outlive men by 11 years – but why? Sociologists and demographers point to self-destructive behaviours in men, as well as their greater risk of contracting heart disease, but they overlook the underlying causes of these woes. Peeter Hõrak, Professor in Physiological Ecology of Animals at the University of Tartu, puts this phenomenon in the context of the theory of sexual selection. Continue reading →

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Study Proves The Genetic Continuity of Jews

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Siim Sepp

The study, published recently in Nature, analyzes the relationship between different Jewish communities, their possible common origins, and genetic relationship with differing peoples in whose midst one or another Jewish community has lived, often more than a thousand years. Continue reading →

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Katyń at Cambridge

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Maria Mälksoo

The transnational research project entitled “Memory at War: Cultural Dynamics in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine” seeks to understand the controversies of modern memory in the former Soviet space. Maria Mälksoo, a Senior Researcher at UT Institute of Government and Politics, writes about Katyń, the topic of the project’s inaugural workshop in Cambridge. Continue reading →

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How to Detect GHB in Your Drink

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Villu Päärt

GHB is a “club drug” used at nightclubs and parties. It is often used to facilitate sexual assault as it induces memory loss, which makes it difficult for the victim to recall what happened. Unfortunately, detecting GHB isn’t easy, since the fluid is colorless and odorless, and its slightly salty taste may remain unnoticed when mixed with other drinks. Continue reading →

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The Viking Age Experiment

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Inga Külmoja

Inspired by a visit to Denmark, Viire Pajuste decided to set up an archeological experiment for her master’s project at UT. Since early July, Viire and a team of fellow students and friends have been building (and are pretty close to finishing) a Viking-Age dwelling house in South-Estonia. In February, the bravest will inhabit the house for an Iron-Age-style week. Continue reading →

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