Welcome Magazine

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IBO
MAGAZINEINTERNATIONAL BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD 2015 AARHUS, DENMARK

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IBO magazine 2015
Editorial team
Kristine Bilgrav-Nielsen
Christian Haaber Rasch
Jacob Krag Linde
Hiva Ahmadi
Ida Højlund
Layout
Ida Højlund
The International Biology Olympiad 2015
http://ibo2015.org
IBO2015@au.dk
Aarhus University
Helsingforsgade 14, building 5346
(Hopper), room 032-034
DK-8200 Aarhus N
Denmark
Print
Scandinavian Book
Typography:
AU Passata
Cambria
Zapfino
Drawings: Stig Spangbo
Cover: Stig Spangsbo
Photos: Colourbox, Visit Aarhus
INFORMATION – PEOPLE AND PLACES
PEOPLE
Annika Büchert Lindberg, (Project) Organizer (+45) 6020 2756
Kristine Bilgrav-Nielsen, Head of Communication, (+45) 2199 8711
Nanna Teisner Nielsen, Head of Guides, no.
Anne Klange (spell check), Chief Jury Helper, no.
PLACES
Helnan Marselis Hotel (students and guides):
Strandvejen 25, 8000 Aarhus C, (+45) 8614 4411
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel (jury and observers)
Margrethepladsen 1, 8000 Aarhus C
(+45) 8612 8665
Musikhuset (venue for ceremonies):
Thomas Jensens Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus
(+45) 8940 9000
no., address
Centralværkstedet (venue for ‘Gala Dinner and Farewell Party’):
Værkmestergade 9, 8000 Aarhus C
(+45) 8620 8800
Medical advice and assistance:
Fredens Torv 3B, 8000 Aarhus C,
(+45) 8730 9030
Taxa: 8948 4848
EMERGENCY: 112

D
THIS MANY DANES...
... OWN A BIKE
... OWN A CAR
... PLAY SOCCER
NATIONAL DISH
FRIED PORK STRIPS SERVED WITH POTATOES,
PARSLEY GRAVY AND PICKLED RED BEETS
[STEGT FLÆSK MED PERSILLESOVS]
MOST USED NAMES
ANNE
PETER
1/3
OF THE AARHUS CITIZENS
ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 25

THE CAPITAL IS CALLED
COPENHAGEN
64
PCT. OF DANISH
LAND IS CULTIVATED
– THE CITY OF SMILES
181
DAYS OF RAIN
PR. YEAR
2 HOURS, 53 MIN.
IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT
OF TIME A DANE
SPENDS ON WATCHING
TV PR. DAY
DENMARK HAS
DENMARK HAS 78
INHABITATED ISLANDS,
THIS IS THE 8TH
LARGEST
BORNHOLM
WINDMILLS
5.269
....HAS BEEN APPOINTED
BY THE EUROPEAN UNION TO BE THE
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF
CULTURE
IN 2017
... WAS DECLARED A CITY IN
1441
BUT THE ESTIMATED FOUNDATION DATES BACK TO
THE 8TH
CENTURY
... HAS
327.000
CITIZENS, 91 KM2
AND IS THEREBY THE SECOND
LARGEST CITY IN DENMARK
48
PCT.
TAKE THE
BIKE TO WORK
IN AARHUS. AND
MANY OF THEM HAVE
GOOD LEGS, SINCE THE
HEIGHT DIFFERENCE FROM THE CITY
CENTER TO THE HABOR IS AS HIGH AS
ALMOST
100 M

8
“The IBO is probably the
greatest opportunity
of your life”

9
“To me, attending the IBO was mind-blowing,” says
Antonina, “when would you ever – at that age – be
able to meet someone from South America, or Asia
and ask them what their life is like? Plus, if it wasn’t
for the IBO I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
We meet Antonina in her office at the University
of Copenhagen, where she studies Biochemistry.
In 2010 she attended the IBO in South Korea as
a competitor for her home country Bulgaria – an
experience that would become a turning point in
her life.
At the competition she made new friends from
around the world and like many others she even-
tually ended up dating one of them – a fellow IBO
competitor from Denmark. Visiting him in Den-
mark was the first time she travelled abroad alone.
“Of course I had visited foreign countries before
but only on holidays, so for the first time I experi-
enced actual life in a different place. I was in Den-
mark for more than a month and met a lot of Danes
and saw how they lived. I thought it was absolutely
amazing and decided that I wanted to live there.”
Eventually Antonina’s relationship with her Danish
boyfriend ended, but her love affair with Den-
mark didn’t. She wanted to study abroad after she
finished her Bachelor’s degree in Bulgaria and
Denmark was still at the top of her list.
“I considered going to the UK but studying there
was very expensive. I didn’t think it was worth the
money considering that the education in Denmark
is free and often better than what you get in British
universities,” Antonina recalls.
THE HAPPIEST COUNTRY ON EARTH
After a year of studying Biochemistry in Denmark
Antonina still hasn’t regretted her decision.
“When I first moved here it just blew my mind.
FOR ANTONINA FROM BULGARIA, THE IBO
OPENED A LOT OF DOORS AND CHANGED HER
LIFE FOR THE BETTER EVENTUALLY LEADING HER
TO DENMARK.
BY HIVA AHMADI
ANTONINA KARAKOSTOVA
· Born in Sliven, Bulgaria
· Participated in IBO 2010 in
Changwon, South Korea
· Completed a bachelors degree
in Molecular Biology in Bulgaria.
· Moved to Denmark in 2014 to
study Biochemistry at the Universi-
ty of Copenhagen
· Is now working on her master’s
thesis that will elucidate the deg-
radation pathway of a specific
protein that is part of the exocyto-
sis process in yeast.

10
Everything is well organized, people are always
friendly and chilled out. Even Copenhagen, the
capital city, is so peaceful, clean and safe. You could
walk around half naked in the middle of the street
at 4am with money glued to your face and nothing
bad will happen to you. It’s just a good place to
live,” Antonina says.
The academic culture too is very different from
what she was used to in Bulgaria.
“One of the things that I really like about Denmark
is that there is no authority gap between professors
and students. You call your professor by his first
name and view him as an equal who just wants to
help you learn. Even as a friend,” Antonina says.
“It still feels strange for me, but Danish professors
will actually feel uncomfortable if you use their full
name or official titles.”
I you are planning to study abroad one day, An-
tonina urges you to seriously consider Denmark.
Especially if you are European, since EU citizens
have free access to Danish universities.
“Here you have so much freedom to choose what
you want to specialize in, and almost any field of
research is possible. Professors encourage you to
take your education in your own hands and make
your own decisions. That makes the students here
very motivated because they are not driven by obli-
gation but by their own interest and ambition.”
Even though Antonina strongly recommends Den-
mark as a place to study, she does admit that there
are a few small downsides to the country. Despite
their friendliness, she says, the Danes can be rather
shy towards strangers.
“The hardest thing about living in Denmark is
breaking through the social barriers. Danish peo-
ple can seem reserved and closed off at first and
mostly talk to people they already know – especial-
ly in winter. It will take time before a Dane really
lets you into their life, but once they do they are
extremely friendly,” says Antonina.
According to Antonina, if you want to become
friends with a Dane, the best approach is to give
them cake and beer. For some reason, she says,
Danes are obsessed with cake so learning how to
bake would be a valuable investment if you want to
live here.
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR IBO EXPERIENCE
Today, five years after she attended the IBO, An-
tonina still regards it as one of the most important
events in her life.
“It was really amazing. You get to see another coun-
try in a way that most people don’t. I would en-
courage the IBO competitors to take as much from
that experience as possible. Try to learn about the
country, participate in all the activities and make
sure to talk to the guides, because they can tell you
much more than any book,” she says.
Apart from the competition itself, Antonina empha-
sizes the importance of socializing with the other
competitors. Not only because friendships are
valuable in themselves. And not only because it’s
fun to meet different people and learn about their
countries. But also because they will be your future
colleagues.
“Professionally it is extremely valuable to have
good connections early on,” says Antonina. “The
IBO competitors are some of the best minds of the
world and the jury members can tell you about
their universities. It’s the greatest networking op-
portunity you are ever going to get.”
Both professionally and personally, the friends she
made at the IBO have made a crucial impact on
Antonina’s life.
“In the long run these connections can become
very important to you, so I encourage you to stay
in touch. Unless you win a medal, then your test re-
sults won’t matter that much in the future. But the
fact that you qualified to the IBO and made those
connections will definitely matter.”
But all of that aside, Antonina’s most important
piece of advice to (you?) / (the competitors) is this:
“Don’t forget to enjoy it all. You are never going to
experience it again.”

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ANTONINA’S ADVICE
· Take in as much as possible from the experience
· Open up, talk to people, socialize!
· Don’t try to study at the very last moment. It won’t help much anyway.
· Try to relax when you do the tests. Being too nervous will ruin your performance.
· Remember that qualifying to the IBO is a huge accomplishment. You already won.
· Participating in the IBO is a unique privilege. Enjoy it!
· After the event: Keep in touch!

DANISH HISTORY
in five minutes
DENMARK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD,
AND IT’S EUROPE’S OLDEST MONARCHY, DATING BACK TO
KING GORM THE OLD (935 AD). THE DANISH HISTORY IS
LONG AND COMPLEX, SO TO SAVE YOU SOME TIME, HERE’S A
JIFFY INTRODUCTION TO SOME OF THE MAJOR EVENTS.
12.500 BC
Hunters settled
down in today’s
Denmark after
freezing for millen-
nia during the last
Ice Age.
1.700 BC
Bronze is the hottest
trend. People spend
their spare time build-
ing huge mounds (a
tomb inside a man-
made hill), 85.000 to be
exact, many of which
still stand today all over
Denmark.
750
Aarhus is founded
as one of the oldest
cities in the country.
793
A peaceful monas-
tery at Lindisfarne in
Northeast England
is plundered by
Danish Vikings,
and the Viking Age
begins.
965
King Harald Bluetooth
introduces the Danes
to Christianity and
later gets a wireless
technology named
after him.
1015
England comes under
Danish rule, and
the Danes enforce
“Danegæld”, a profita-
ble business based on
protection money.
1219
The Danish national
flag, the Danne-
brog, falls – accord-
ing to legend – from
the sky during the
conquest of Estonia.
1536
The Reformation
changes the Danish
church from Catholic
to Protestant, and the
king replaces the Pope
in Rome with himself as
head of the church.
3.900 BC
People realize that
agriculture is a
great idea.

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1660
King Frederik 3. en-
forces absolutism
as form of gov-
ernment. The king
has now absolute
power and control
over Denmark.
1807
The Danish capi-
tal Copenhagen
is bombed to
pieces by the
English navy.
1849
Absolutism is
replaced by
democracy when
the Constitutional
Act of Denmark is
signed on June 5.
1940
World War II
comes to Den-
mark when the
German army
occupies the
country on April
9.
1973
Denmark becomes a member
of the European Economic
Community, the precursor to
the European Union.
1992
The Danish national
team in football wins
the European Cham-
pionship, which
leads to decades of
bragging about it at
every opportunity.
1864
Denmark’s most
crushing historical
defeat takes place in
Southern Jutland and
the country looses its
German duchies. The de-
feat is in 2014 turned into
an extremely expensive, but
rather mediocre drama series
on Danish national television.

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THE DAY I ARRIVED IN DANMARK I was like: ”wow,
the roads are so big here!” And it was really beauti-
ful; all flat and green. Then I came to Aarhus, and I
thought it was such a beautiful city. Cozy, nice and
small. Then I realized they don’t speak Norwegian,
so I had to switch over to English.
In Denmark there are bicycles everywhere! Every-
one are biking. Even business people are bringing
their kids to kindergarten on bike. And then they’re
biking to work – in suits! I think that’s a really good
thing, it helps save the environment. Denmark is
WHAT IS IT LIKE
LIVING IN DENMARK?
REBECCA, 22, NORWAY
MAJOR IN ECONOMICS AND
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
IN DK 3 YEARS
BY JACOB KRAG LINDE
going pretty green, they have some goals that are
hard to achieve, but I think they’re getting there. So
it’s getting greener and greener, and I like that. Oh,
and in Denmark they love rugbrød with leverpostej.
It’s eaten for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.
The Danish people are friendly and open – especial-
ly when they’re drunk. They’re crazy at drinking.
They have all these songs you sing when you drink.
It’s really funny. They have a different relation to al-
cohol than Norwegians. You can drink when you’re
16, and your parents are open about it. Norway is

15
more strict. But regardless from alcohol, I still think
Danish people are really open and friendly, but
sometimes it’s hard to get to them. It can be quite
difficult to talk about things if they’re not drinking.
When Danes are drunk, they’re always open and
friendly, but what happens the next day then? It’s
kind of awkward. But that’s just in the beginning –
once you’re past that, there’s no problem. Danish
people may be a bit closed, but over time you can
crack them open.
REATH KAWANG NYAK,
25, SOUTH SUDAN
THE DAY I ARRIVED IN DANMARK IS unforgetta-
ble! I saw snow for the first time.
As a young African growing up in a refugee camp,
I’d never seen anything like it. I saw the white thing
outside coming from the sky, and I was like ”what
is this?” It looked really nice, I was curious, and I
wanted to try, so I went outside with nothing on
my feet; no socks no shoes. So I put my feet in the
snow, and since that day I’ve never taken off my
socks. Seriously. I sleep with socks on all season,
it’s true, ask my girlfriend. Too cold! I cannot forget
that.
In Denmark, you can’t pay later. In Sudan, you can
buy something in the shop and pay later. In Den-
mark, not even one cent! Maybe because Danes are
so organized. The Danish have to know a schedule
ahead before they do something. Things are being
taken seriously here. Where I come from, we just
do things when time allows us. For me, it’s some-
thing new. Danish people are planning ahead 15
months, in Sudan we’re just talking about what will
happen in 15 minutes!
The Danish people are more private. We cannot
take it in a negative way, but my experience is that’s
just who they are. It’s not because you are black or
whatever, they just don’t like to be among people
they don’t know. For instance, in the bus they find
the one-man-seat instead of the double-seat, be-
cause they don’t want any other person to come sit
next to them. In Africa it’s opposite. You sit together
so you can talk. It’s kind of weird, but I realized
that’s just the way it is, and there’s nothing wrong
with it. The Danes are actually quite friendly; you
just have to get to a certain point to be friends with
them. But it’s up to the newcomers to fight for it.
My advice for people going to Denmark is don’t
give up if the Danes won’t talk to you. You will meet
obstacles, and you will be wondering: “what did
I do wrong?” As a newcomer you need to push it.
Realize that you have nothing to loose, but a lot to
gain. So push it, don’t give up! Just follow the flow
and tradition, it makes it easier. Be crazy like them,
do crazy things and wonder why you did it later!
MAJOR IN CHRISTIANITY, CULTURE
AND COMMUNICATION
IN DK 14 YEARS
My advice for people going to Denmark is learn
some Danish words, for instance ”rød grød med
fløde”, or actually just anything. They will be happy
to see that you’re making an effort. And maybe just
try to learn something about the Danish culture
before going there, such as their biking habits –
there are rules when you’re biking! I didn’t know
that before I came. It was really hard the first two
weeks. And then, I guess, just be open—minded.
Be crazy like them, do crazy things and
wonder why you did it later!
Reath
“

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THE DAY I ARRIVED IN DANMARK was a cold, grey
and rainy Sunday. I had a horrible cold and was
kind of sad, because everything was really quite de-
pressing and the stores weren’t even open. Finally, I
found a 7/11 but everything was so expensive. But!
– the next day, everything changed to the better.
The people were so kind, it was sunny and nothing
was grey anymore!
In Denmark, studying is great! I love all the cours-
es I took. And I particularly like the dynamics
and relationship between the professors and the
students. You can ask for help, and you’ll get it. The
professor title doesn’t mean they won’t level with
you and explain stuff. Another thing I appreciate is
the fact that you have completely set your tradi-
tions. For instance the popular ‘Christmas dinners’.
The traditions say you should eat this dish for
Christmas, and that dish for Easter. It seems you
have set all your traditions figured out.
The Danish people are very helpful. I met a girl
who wanted to learn Spanish, and since I wanted
to learn Danish, we struck up a language exchange
friendship. She’s helped me a lot in understanding
Danish society and culture. For instance, it’s very
well-structured here compared to Mexico. I love
how the bus comes at a specific time. It’s so organ-
ized! And recently I saw two crazy drunk guys, it
looked like they were going to cross the road, even
though the red light was on – but then they stopped
and waited for the green light. A lot of beer and
snaps is being consumed here, but the rules are still
respected.
My advice for people going to Denmark is learn a
few Danish words. It opens up people. It’s the first
step towards having a conversation – and it makes
people smile! Don’t be afraid to ask for help, just
really make an effort to get in a conversation. The
Danes aren’t the best to start the conversation, but
they’re always very nice to talk to once the conver-
sation is taking place.
ANDREA PÁRAMO,
28, MEXICO
MASTER DEGREE IN ECONOMICS
AND MANAGEMENT
IN DK 2 YEARS

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MARIUS JUAN ALBA, 28, ROMANIA
MAJOR IN WEB DEVELOPMENT
IN DK 2,5 YEARS
THE DAY I ARRIVED IN DANMARk we had some
trouble finding the right bus at the airport. But a
lady helped us, talked to some people and located
our bus. I was like: “okay, they’re really open-mind-
ed!” We went on the bus and had to get off at a
specific address, and a girl helped us get there. It
was really great.
In Denmark, everyone’s always complaining about
the weather, but I always say: ”well you’re not living
in a tent here”. If you come here, you’re going to
stay somewhere warm. I didn’t come to Denmark
for the weather; I came here to make myself a fu-
ture. And to be honest, the weather here is just per-
fect. Back in Romania it’s sometimes 45 degrees,
and in winter sometimes minus 20. Here, it’s more
pleasant. And I also noticed how everything here
is so categorized. Really, you can choose whatever
you want. Do you want to drink and party – there’s
a place for that. Do you want to go shop – there a
shopping centers. Do you want to relax – go to the
beach! – The water’s fine, the beaches aren’t dirty.
There are a lot of options for Danes. They’re not
obligated to do anything they don’t like. They’re
free to do whatever they like and no one’s going to
judge.
The Danish people are less stressed out. They’re
good at focusing. Even bosses at work understand
that you need free time in between hard work.
That’s really good. They also understand when you
have problems, and I think this has affected me. A
lot of people from back home told me that I seem
less stressed now. Simply because of the people
here. They’re just more polite, have a better educa-
tion and it seems everybody’s minding their own
business nicely.
My advice for people going to Denmark is work
hard! If you’re sure you want to come here, it might
be hard work, but Danish people really appreciate
when you’re making an effort. And you have to be
open-minded and respectful. As long as you’re po-
lite and mind your own business, it’s fine. I mean,
you have to give respect to earn respect. It’s like
that everywhere. It’s easy, logical. <<

18
BEING ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY CULTIVATED
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD DOESN’T LEAVE
MUCH ROOM FOR NATURE. IN FACT SOME OF
DENMARK’S ECOSYSTEMS HAVE BEEN SO INFLU-
ENCED BY HUMANS IN THE PAST THAT THEY CAN
NO LONGER LIVE WITHOUT US.
By Hiva Ahmadi
In recent years, the environmental conservation
movement is gaining ground, aiming to halt envi-
ronmental destruction such as deforestation.
But in Denmark’s case it’s a few centuries too late
for nature conservation as most natural habitats
were destroyed generations ago and converted
to intensive agriculture. If we really want to give
Danish ecosystems a chance we have to switch out
NATURE & WCULTURE
intertwined

19
conservation for restoration.
“If we left nature alone, we would simply lose much
of it,” says biologist, Henriette Lang Sørensen from
Vejle Municipality. “Since we are such a culturally
influenced landscape, many of our ecosystems are
dependent on pasturing, burning and other human
interference. Even our forests are heavily manipu-
lated.”
One of the important but endangered Danish
habitats are the wet meadows along the country’s
streams and ponds. Danish meadows aren’t strictly
“natural” in the sense that they can only survive
under human influence, but they are an important
biotope nonetheless.
Before human presence most Danish wetlands
were kept open and unforested by wild grazing
animals. In the bronze age, the wild animals went
extinct and the wet grassland meadows were
preserved and expanded by grazing cattle and low
intensity agriculture, Henriette Lang Sørensen
explains.
“If we want to preserve this unique habitat and the
diverse species that live there today, we have to
maintain a land use similar to what farmers have
done for centuries,” she says.
SAVING THE MEADOWS
But that is easier said than done. In an age of large
scale industrialized farming, having a few animals
grazing each meadow just doesn’t turn a profit. So
during the last decades most wetlands have either
been left to overgrow or artificially drained and
used for crops.
This is why new methods have now entered the
scene in a last effort to save the wet meadows from
extinction. Biologist Henriette Lang Sørensen man-
ages a program, where the municipalities create
wet meadows by reversing the draining or cutting
down vegetation and then invite local cattle farm-
ers to use the meadows as pastureland to preserve
them.
On Wednesday she will show the IBO contestants
around a wet meadow near Vejle that is maintained
by cattle farmer Michael Kjerkegaard. whose cows
graze 13 meadows in the Vejle area. But the new
ideas go farther than that. Since maintaining many
small meadows doesn’t make financial sense to
farmers, they have adopted a clever system.
Local families volunteer to join a so-called ‘cattle
herder’s guild’ and look after the cattle for their
own enjoyment.
“A typical guild consists of 20 to 30 families that
share a small herd of cattle, and each family then
takes care of the herd for one week of the year,”
says cattle farmer Michael Kjerkegaard. “I still own
all the cattle and have the responsibility, so if the
families have any questions or problems they just
call me. Once a year the whole guild assembles
to work in the meadow together and then have a
barbecue.”
The concept has achieved tremendous growth in
recent years and countless cattle herder’s guilds
now exist in the countryside and even in the out-
skirts of Aarhus and other cities, allowing meadows
to flourish once again. But as Michael Kjerkegaard
says, preserving an ecosystem is wonderful but his
biggest motivation is something else.
NATURE AND PROFIT GO HAND IN HAND
“I’m doing this because I am a businessman and
it gives me a source of income. At the same time
I think it’s valuable to give local people some
amazing experiences. For myself too, it’s pure joy
working in beautiful meadows instead of an indus-
trialized cattle farm,” says Michael Kjerkegaard.
As the IBO contestants will se on Wednesday,
rethinking agriculture, is crucial to preserve our
ecosystems. But it’s a smart move for everyone else
as well, says cattle farmer Michael Kjerkegaard.
“Why should we abandon the meadowlands and
have farmers struggle to make ends meet, when
there are families right next door, who can help us
for free and benefit from it themselves? This is not
just a romantic environmental project – it’s also the
most intelligent way to run a business here.” <<
If we want to preserve this unique habitat and the
diverse species that live there today, we have to
maintain a land use similar to what farmers have
done for centuries.
Henriette Lang Sørensen, Vejle Municipality.
“

20
DON’T SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON BOTTLED WATER
WHEN YOU’RE IN DENMARK. SIMPLY FIND THE NEAREST COLD TAP
AND TURN IT ON. THE TAP WATER IS CLEAN, HEALTHY AND FREE,
THOUGH IT POSSIBLY WENT THROUGH A DINOSAUR’S BLADDER.
JUST DRINK IT!BY CHRISTIAN HAABER RASCH

21
DANISH TAP WATER IS UNIQUE. Every single drop
comes from deep under ground where it has been
purified for generations by nature’s own cleaning
processes. Then we simply pump it up and drink it.
No additives.
The water in our taps is not only clean; it’s also
extremely healthy. In fact, your life depends on it.
Of the six nutrients - carbohydrates, protein, fat,
vitamins, minerals, and water - water is by far the
most important for your body.
More than 70 percent of your body weight is water,
and you can’t survive more than a few days without
it. So find the nearest cold tap, turn it on - and just
drink it!
A JAR OF PICKLED HERRING
Danish tap water is “made” when rain soaks into
the ground and gets naturally purified, filtered
and supplied with salts and limestone. The Danish
underground works as an enormous sieve, made
out of soft soil on top of soft limestone, which turns
regular rainwater into the cool refreshment you’ll
find in every tap throughout the country.
So don’t spend your hard earned money on bottled
water when you’re in Denmark. It can easily coast
you 20 kr. (3 USD). For that money you can buy
an entrance ticket to the Occupation Museum in
downtown Aarhus or a delicious jar of Danish pick-
led herring in Føtex. If that’s not reason enough, the
unnecessary use of plastic bottles is a menace to
our Earth’s already ailing ecosystem.
2500 public waterworks around the country keeps
Denmark hydrated, and on its way to the taps, the
groundwater is mechanically aerated and filtered,
which gives it the charismatic fresh taste. Restric-
tions by the European Union ensure that there’s
maximum 0,1 microgram pesticides pr. liter. That’s
the lowest concentration possible to measure.
THROUGH A DINOSAUR’S BLADDER
Earth is a closed system. The water that exists
today is the same water that existed billions of
years ago, and our planet will never get more water.
It moves in a never-ending cycle of evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff and
subsurface flow. During 100 years, a water mole-
cule spends 98 years in the sea, 20 months in solid
form, about 2 weeks in rivers and lakes, and less
than a week in the atmosphere.
Water on Earth is simply used again and again.
The tasty tap water you drink today possibly went
through a Tyrannosaurus Rex’s bladder in the
upper Cretaceous Period 68 million years ago, or
at least went through several living creatures on its
long and strenuous journey to your mouth.
WATER KEEPS YOU YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL
An average human drinks 75.000 liters of water
in a lifetime. That’s the equivalent of two outdoor
swimming pools. But more than 1/6 of the world’s
population is without access to clean water.
Water is the starting point for all of the body’s
functions. That’s why doctors and nutritionists rec-
ommend that you drink 8 glass of water (2 liters)
a day. But there’s a big chance you don’t drink that
much. Therefore, you are chronically dehydrated,
which means your body is not the well-greased
machinery it ought to be. This can cause fatigue,
headache, dizziness, a weakened immune system
and even an increased risk of suffering diseases
and allergies. Your circuit, metabolism and
digestion need a steady flow of liquid, and a good
water balance protects joints and bones, transports
nutrients, backwashes toxins and regulates body
temperature. In short, water keeps you young and
beautiful.
WATER UNDER PRESSURE
73 percent of Earth’s surface is covered with water,
but only 3 percent is freshwater and therefore
drinkable. In fact, only a sparse 0,03 percent of all
water on Earth is accessible for us to drink. The
rest is too difficult to get our hands on. On top of
that, global warming has affected the world’s fresh-
water reserves in a negative way, due to rising sea
levels and changes in the seasonal patterns.
Despite the many great features of Danish tap
water, the groundwater is also under pressure
these years. This is mainly because big cities and
big farms use a lot of water. A lot! Furthermore,
some waterworks have been forced to close due of
contamination from nitrates and pesticides spread
by farming.
So remember to enjoy the clean, healthy and free
tap water while you are in Denmark. The future of
drinking water is uncertain, but we have to strive
to ensure that our descendants some 68 million
years from now can take a big, refreshing gulp of
the same water that we pass through our bladders
today. <<

24
THE PAST
becomes alive
At first sight, it looks like a giant grassy hill. In fact,
it is a giant grassy hill. On top of it, people relax in
the sun, eat their picnic or enjoy the view of the
forest, the sea and the beautiful landscape south
of Aarhus. But underneath the long, green slope
hides Moesgaard Museum its 161.458 square feet
of dramatic and state-of-the-art archaeological and
ethnographical exhibitions.
Moesgaard Museum has been awarded two Miche-
lin stars in the Michelin tourist attraction’s guide
– it’s simply a world-class attraction. Not just
because of the groundbreaking architectural design
or the beautiful natural surroundings, but because
the museum’s visitors get the opportunity to take
a spectacular journey into the intriguing and often
violent prehistory of Aarhus, Denmark and the
surrounding world.
THE PAST BECOMES ALIVE
Prehistory has a feel of dusty books, nerdy archae-
ologists and boring lectures, but at Moesgaard
Museum, nothing could be more wrong. The past
becomes alive through dramatized settings, anima-
tions, sounds and lights. The archeological exhi-
bitions are packed with cutting-edge technology,
huge reconstructions and new ways of displaying
artifacts.
In an eerie bog setting, you can witness offerings
and meet the world’s best-preserved bog body, the
BY CHRISTIAN HAABER RASCH
JOIN AN ARMY OF CHINESE TERRACOTTA WOR-
RIERS, GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH
A GANG OF PREHISTORIC HUMAN SPECIES,
EMBARK ON A JOURNEY WITH THE VIKINGS OR
WITNESS A DANISH HUMAN SACRIFICE. MOES-
GAARD MUSEUM IS EVERYTHING BUT BORING.

25
2300 year-old Grauballe Man, who was a victim
of human sacrifice. The Grauballe Man is extraor-
dinary well preserved, due to the very special
conditions in the bog, and he still has nails and hair.
In fact, when he was found south of Aarhus in 1952,
the locals thought he was a missing drunk from the
area called Red Kristian, because the body looked
so new. Among the exhibitions’ finds from all over
the world are also the best-preserved people from
the Bronze Age. They were buried in oak coffins
in Borum Eshøj near Aarhus and still wear their
clothes.
To pump up the adrenalin, you can take part in a
brutally realistic battle between digitalized Dan-
ish Iron Age armies or embark on a journey for
thousands of miles with the adventurous Vikings of
Aarhus.
A CHINESE ARMY
Moesgaard Museum also holds temporary exhibi-
tions. One of these is ‘The First Emperor – China’s
Terracotta Army’, which shows a unique selection
of emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s warriors, govern-
ment officials and animals. Terracotta is a clay-
based ceramic.
The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, was
until a few decades ago a purely mythical figure.
But when farmers in 1974 found the emperor’s
army of 7000 life-size terracotta figures, while
digging for a well, it was absolutely sensational.
At one stroke, the myth was outshined by the true
story – a story about a man who, with unprece-
dented brutality, united the Chinese empire and
began the construction of the Great Wall more than
2000 years ago – approximately at the same time
the unlucky Grauballe Man ended up in a bog near
Aarhus. >>

28
The exhibition also shows more than 120 objects
from the emperor’s tomb and from other Chinese
dynasties. All objects have been selected specifical-
ly for the exhibition at Moesgaard from ten differ-
ent museums in China, and several objects have
never been displayed outside China before. So you
are in for a real treat.
UP CLOSE WITH YOUR ANCESTORS
A gang of seven different human species greets you
on the staircase in the foyer of Moesgaard Museum.
The anatomically accurate reconstructions can be
experienced face-to-face or through interactive
binoculars. The stairway of human evolution is not
only a key element of the museum’s architecture,
it’s also a great way to get to know your hominid
ancestors up close and personal, even though they
might not look that familiar to you. The lifelike hu-
man species are reconstructed from archaeological
finds of bones from around the world.
Moesgaard Museum also holds ethnographic exhi-
bitions and student exhibitions. Everything is based
on the newest scientific research and technology,
and the museum collaborates closely with Aarhus
University. Several departments are located in the
nearby Moesgaard Manor.
The new museum was designed by Henning Larsen
Architects and opened in 2014. The impressive
hill-like building is meant to resemble an archae-
ological excavation, which gradually exposes the
layers of history in the same way the museum does.
But come see for yourself. Moesgaard Museum is
everything but boring. <<

29
A FEW HINTS
FOR CULTURAL NIGHT...

30
WALKING DOWN A PEDESTRIAN STREET in a Dan-
ish town, you will come across something rarely
seen outside of Scandinavia: Strollers with babies
left alone in the street while their parents chat in
cafés out of sight.
This, according to Gert Tinggaard, professor, Ph.D.
in Political Science at Aarhus University, is a tes-
tament to the fact, that Denmark has the world’s
highest level of social trust. Professor Tinggaard
has studied the levels of trust around the world,
and explains that in Denmark, no one thinks that
leaving a baby alone in the street could somehow
be dangerous.
Another example of social trust, says Professor
Tinggaard, is unattended roadside stalls. All over
the Danish countryside you see signs advertising
strawberries, potatoes and other items. Next to the
signs, farmers have placed stalls full of goods as
well as an open box of money.
“The customers are then supposed to put money in
the box and take what they paid for. Such a system
can only exist in a society where the farmer can
trust that no one will steal the money,” says Gert
Tinggaard.
TRUST PAYS BOTH IN SMILES AND CASH
Social trust not only makes us happy – it can make
us wealthier too, says professor Tinggaard.
“Trust works like the lubricant of society. High lev-
els of trust saves hassle and makes life simpler.
Low-trust societies on the other hand, require lots
of controlling measures in order to function. That
IN TRUST WE TRUST
BY HIVA AHMADI
SCANDINAVIA IS BOTH PEACEFUL AND WEALTHY
AND DENMARK IS OFTEN RATED THE HAPPIEST
COUNTRY ON EARTH. WHAT IS THE SECRET BE-
HIND THE SUCCESS? ONE PROFESSOR THINKS
THE ANSWER IS TRUST.
means people have to live with inconveniences like
filling out forms and verifying everything,” says
professor Tinggaard.
This is especially an issue in the field of business
where lots of time and money is spent by middle
managers controlling their employees. In high-trust
countries like Denmark, managers can leave their
employees alone, trusting that they will do what
is expected of them, saving money and creating a
positive work environment.
“Scandinavian businessmen trust each other to be
honest and to stand by their word,” professor Ting-
gaard says. “This saves both the hassle and the cost
of formal paperwork and lawyers fees that some-
times stand in the way of business deals.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
DENM
ARK
NO
RW
AY
SW
EDEN
FINLAND
THE
NETHERLANDS
NEW
ZEALAND
CANADA
AUSTRALIA
INDO
NESIA
IC
ELAND
TOP 10 – SOCIAL TRUST
SOURCE: INGLEHART ET AL. (2004); SOCAP (2005)

31
THE STRAIGHT ROAD TO TRUST
Achieving this level of trust is difficult, but once in
place certain mechanisms work to maintain it, says
Gert Tinggaard.
“Studies show that each time we enter a trust-
based agreement, oxytocin – a hormone associated
with happiness, intimacy and love – is released in
our brains. So humans have a built in reward for
choosing cooperation over confrontation.”
For countries struggling with trust issues, the best
solution is to focus strongly on fighting corruption.
“Trust and corruption in society are closely relat-
ed,“ Gert Tinggaard says. “When corruption goes
up, trust goes down – and if corruption goes down,
then trust begins to rise. (When citizens and lead-
ership work together against corruption, change
can happen quickly.”)
In fact, fighting corruption is exactly how Denmark
built the trust it enjoys today.
“As early as 1660 the Danish King imposed very
strict laws against corruption and at the same time
began educating and hiring talented commoners as
officials instead of corrupt noblemen. A strong cul-
ture of anti-corruption developed among officials
and people’s trust in the system soon began rising,”
says Gert Tinggaard.
With a stable base of fairness in government, social
trust in society has grown steadily ever since. To-
day Denmark not only has the highest trust but also
the lowest corruption rate in the world, proving
that there is a clear path for other countries trying
to achieve the same. <<

36
Danish design
LEGO
Initially designing wooden toys, this family-owned busi-
ness really took off when they started manufacturing their
world-reknown bricks in plastic in 1958.

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