Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae on Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian monitieteinen julkaisusarja. Sarjan ensimmäinen numero näki päivänvalon marraskuussa 2022. Jatkossa lehti ilmestyy journal.fi-alustalla avoimena verkkojulkaisuna kaksi kertaa vuodessa. Julkaisu edistää tieteidenvälistä vuoropuhelua ja välittää tietoa ajankohtaisista tieteellisistä kysymyksistä ja uusista haasteista. Sarja suuntautuu laajalle yleisölle: Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian jäsenistön, heidän ulkomaisten kollegoidensa ja eri alojen tutkijoiden ohella kohderyhmänä ovat kaikki tieteestä ja tutkimuksesta kiinnostuneet. Annales on vertaisarvoitu, monitieteinen ja monikielinen. Sarja valottaa tieteen ja sen tekemisen luonnetta maailman ymmärtämisessä. ISSN-tunnukset: ISSN 2953-9048 (print) ISSN 2954-1050 (online)
Keskimääräinen inflaatio rahapolitiikan välineenä
Vuonna 2008 alkaneen finanssikriisin aikana keskuspankit joutuivat laskemaan korot suunnilleen nollaan. Yhdysvallat otti käyttöön keskimääräisen inflaatiotavoitteen (AIT) syyskuussa 2020. AIT- järjestelmään sisältyy eräitä avoimia kysymyksiä: (1) Miten pitkä on ohjauskoron aikaikkuna taaksepäin? (2) Onko keskiarvo aritmeettinen, geometrinen tai muulla tavalla painotettu? (3) Muu informaatio: ainoastaan pitemmän aikavälin 2 % tavoite on AIT-järjestelmässä tiedossa. AIT-järjestelmästä ei ole alkuvaiheessa dataa, mutta teoreettisten mallien simuloinneilla voidaan tutkia AIT:n toimivuutta. Keskeinen kysymys on inflaatio-odotusten muodostuminen, jota mallinnetaan adaptiivisena oppimisprosessina. Simuloinnit osoittavat, että oppimisprosessi saattaa joskus olla epästabiili. Tämä riippuu mallien rakenneparametreista. AIT saattaa olla huonompi kuin perinteinen inflaatiotavoite. Average Inflation Targeting as Tool of Monetary Policy In the 1990s many countries adopted inflation targeting as the framework for monetary policy. In this framework, the policy interest rate is adjusted in response to changes in the rate of inflation and aggregate output relative to their targets. Using economic theory, the paper reviews the main features of interest rate policies. After a long period of basically zero interest rates, the U.S. Federal Reserve adopted average inflation targeting. The very limited amount of information available on the policy is a potential source of macroeconomic instability. The average inflation targeting policy has very recently been abandoned.
Copyright (c) 2026 Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Constitutive Role of Communication in a Science-Based Organisation
Science communication scholarship has often emphasised dissemination, dialogue, and public engagement. This article examines how communication is framed as part of the institutional architecture of a science-based organisation. Using the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters as a theory-informed case, it analyses formal, strategic, and public-facing documents through scholarship on the communicative constitution of organisations, strategic communication, neutral reputation, and science–policy boundary work. The analysis identifies four interrelated functions of communication: constituting institutional identity, aligning mission and practice, sustaining credible independence, and mediating between science and decision-making. The article analyses institutional self-descriptions rather than organisational performance.
Ajankohtaista avaruudesta 3: Avaruuden globaali hallinta sääntöpohjaisuuden jälkeisessä järjestyksessä
This article examines the global governance of outer space in the context of weakening rules and international institutions. We analyze the tension between liberal and realist governance ideologies shaping space regulation and address the shift from a multilateral cooperation towards multipolar great-power competition and private-sector self-regulation. Alongside geopolitical rivalry, militarization of space infrastructure and weaponized interdependence, we highlight the related geoeconomic turn and the broader political economy of outer space. We conclude by discussing space diplomacy as a venue for informal negotiations, and a renewed perception of space as a global commons, as well as the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship in strengthening the democratic dimensions of space governance.
sääntöpohjainen kansainvälinen järjestys
Ajankohtaista avaruudesta 2: Uuden avaruuden oikeutta
From a legal perspective, space law and governance is undergoing a significant transformation as relevant concepts, actors, regulatory approaches, and practices evolve and require rethinking in the "New Space" era. The proliferation of commercial actors, speed of technological innovation, business development and data-driven activities have introduced new opportunities and challenges, reshaping the legal landscape and understanding of normativity. This shift highlights the growing interplay between international, European, and national laws as well as public and private forms of normativity in defining rights, responsibilities, and governance structures for outer space.
Näkökulmia vieraskielisen puheen sujuvuuden tutkimukseen
Second language (L2) speech fluency is an essential component of oral proficiency and a key goal for language learners. In the past 30 years, research on L2 speech fluency has increased considerably, and recent meta-analyses of L2 speech fluency research attest to the vitality of the field. While L2 speech fluency has traditionally been associated with individual learners and has been analyzed based on audio speech samples, in this article, I present two current, alternative approaches to L2 speech fluency research: fluency in L2 interaction and speaker profiles.
Ajankohtaista avaruudesta 1: Auringon ja teknologian muovaama Maan lähiavaruus
Technological advancements have led to the New Space Age characterized by the cost-efficient and rapid production of satellites as well as increasingly accessible launch capabilities. As a result, near-Earth space has become a focal point for a wide range of national and private actors. This development is reshaping society and introducing global challenges, including space debris and emerging legal and democratic concerns. This article introduces near-Earth space as a physical environment governed by space weather phenomena and outlines how it is studied scientifically. It also provides an overview of the current state of the space sector.
Ruoan valinta ja torjuminen ruokaturvaa rajaamassa: tutkimusesimerkkejä Etelä-Afrikasta
Food choice and rejection marking the boundaries of food security: Research examples from South Africa Examples of consumer research from South Africa highlight the role of individual dispositions and choices in food security. Food choice, driven by perceptions, attitudes, traits and cultural priorities, sets limits on dietary alternatives. Indigenous crops, although notable alternatives for crops less sustainable in the African context, may suffer from underrating. Food neophobia, reluctance to accept unfamiliar foods, limits the range of foods deemed edible by consumers. Foods evoking extreme emotional responses, such as disgust, lead to complete rejection among some, although fully acceptable among others. Consumer research helps understand the boundaries and flexibilities of this small yet essential aspect of food security.
ruoanvalinta, ruokamieltymykset, ruoan torjuminen, uutuudenpelko, inho, Afrikka
Economic Degrowth and the Collapse of Institutional Order: Theory and Propositions
Integrating insights from new institutional economics and studies on the collapse of past empires, we sketch a process model that links economic degrowth to the collapse of institutional orders. Our thought experiment starts from emphasizing the importance of institutions and enforcement mechanisms in maintaining a sufficient level of economic activity to sustain public costs. We flip this established logic and elucidate the negative role of economic degrowth in the weakening of the public sector’s ability to enforce institutional rules. Internal and external shocks further shake the stability of the institutional order and, at some point, individuals’ belief in institutional rules and norms weakens, resulting in system-wide collapse of the institutional order. We use historical literature on the collapse of Roman Empire as an “experimental prototype” (Meyer, Gaba, & Colwell, 2005: 471) to inspire and illustrate our thought experiment.
AASF:n toinen numero tarjoaa mielenkiintoisen kokoelman kirjoituksia eri tieteenaloilta. Monessa artikkelissa tarkastellaan tieteellisen tiedon kehitystä eri aikaskaaloilla ja sitä, miten tutkimustiedon ja yhteiskunnan kehityslinjat ovat kietoutuneet toisiinsa.
Copyright (c) 2023 Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Acid sulfate soils: A challenge for environmental sustainability
Acid sulfate (AS) soils contain sulfidic compounds formed in anaerobic conditions. In aerobic conditions, they will oxidize to sulfuric acid, which commonly lowers the pH to 3 – 4. These soils cover approximately 10,000 km2 in Finland, mainly on the western coast, and over 170,000 km2 globally. Acidity and the metals dissolved from the soil matrix and leached out of the soil are serious threats to aquatic biota. Initially, AS soils were regarded as an exclusively agricultural problem, but since the 1970s nearly all studies of AS soils have been environmentally motivated. Awareness of these soils has also risen in forestry, peat mining, and in engineering projects. Liming and water management are the key methods toward the sustainable use of these soils.
Preventing Spontaneous Preterm Birth: Insights from Genomics
Mortality and morbidity due to infants being born preterm remains one of the greatest health burdens facing society. Many factors influence the risk for spontaneous preterm birth, both genetic and environmental. To date, generally effective interventions to prevent preterm birth have not been identified. In this paper, we discuss the impact of preterm birth and the challenges that have limited insights so far. New advances in genomics, systems biology, and population/personalized medicine show promise in overcoming previous barriers and leading to new insights and preventive treatments.
It is a fact that we change our minds many times during our lives. However, changing our minds can potentially call our cognitive processes into question. How do we know if the change is for the better? In the worst case, our fickleness calls into question our own ability to evaluate the foundations of our worldviews. However, it is not justified to claim that worldviews have no truth value. Although comparing worldviews is difficult, it is still natural to assume that there can be a meaningful public debate about their foundations. However, this requires a public and open communal process that broadly manifests intellectual virtues and tolerance as it is common for humans to disagree about many things, which may even appear obvious to some.
Analytical chemistry is an interdisciplinary field of science related to many practical applications, such as clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and industrial process analysis. Over the last 50 years, chemical analytics has evolved from centralized laboratory measurements towards on-line and distributed analysis, including wearable chemical sensors for personal health monitoring. In this article I wish to reflect upon these developments in analytical chemistry, illustrated by examples from my own research. The text provides a glimpse of analytical chemistry from my personal perspective.
Religious institutions and faith communities should recognize and acknowledge the nature of sacred texts as constantly changing and renewing resources, and societies should recognize and acknowledge human ways of committing to sacred texts and their claims. We call for an understanding of the processes by which certain texts became and become to be distinguished as special or sacred and of the consequences of such commitments. This article explores Jewish/Judean manuscript culture at the turn of the era when ideas of sacred texts started to be formed; this offers possibilities of reflection of modern processes. Sacred texts are not only conceptualized as divine speech or divinely inspired writings. Our investigation offers three areas of study needed to analyse the functioning of sacred texts in the past and the present: the material mediation of texts, the role of the community and its ritual life, and changes in content and interpretation.
Muistijälkien kirjoittaminen aivojen kovalevylle unen aikana takkuilee Alzheimerin taudissa
”Why do we need to sleep?” is still a question with no unambiguous answer. New findings from brain research suggest that one important function of sleep is to enable the transfer of temporary memories from deep brain structures to long-term storage in the cerebral cortex. This article describes from step to step how this process is thought to occur at the level of a single neuron and neural networks. The transfer of episodic memories from the hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe to the cerebral cortex explains a well-known paradox: an elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease can remember even small details of decade-old events but fails to remember what happened only a few hours ago. Transfer of the memory engram particularly during sleep and typical sleep fragmentation at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease can at least partly account for the poor memory of recent events. A better understanding of the underlying factors and mechanisms can help us develop new treatments to strengthen the weak parts in this chain of events and thereby enhance remembering of new events.
Oikeusvaltio ja oikeusvarmuus Euroopan unionissa
In this article the EU concepts of rule of law and legal certainty are studied from the perspective of legal theory and EU law. The rule of law and legal certainty are both underlying principles of Western societies. They are neither defined in any paragraph of national laws nor in international treaties. Both are principles, which comprise various more precise principles from the perspective of their scope of application. The rule of law is both normative and legal cultural principle, which illustrates the legal system of an active civil society in the European context. Legal certainty, in turn, relates especially to the demand of predictability in legal decision-making, which is one of the elements of the rule of law as well. Both the rule of law and the principle of legal certainty have formal and substantive meaning, which can be illustrated by referring to the Article 2 TEU according to which the rule of law requires liberal democracy and the protection of human rights.
Femtometreistä valovuosiin: neutronitähdet eksoottisen aineen laboratoriona
The Standard Model of particle physics describes the basic properties and interactions of all known elementary particles at an astonishingly good level, and predictions derived from it have time and again been experimentally verified. One of its parts, namely the theory of the strong nuclear interaction, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), has however proven to be computationally extremely demanding. In particular, the properties of matter described by QCD are at the moment still largely unknown in the limit of high baryon density. Very recently, the study of dense QCD matter has taken important steps forward owing largely to new observational data originating from a distant but very effective laboratory: neutron stars. The cores of these extremely compact stars contain the densest form of matter in our present-day Universe, and the properties of this matter are reflected on the measurable macroscopic properties of the stars themselves. In this review article, I will introduce this active field of research, placing particular emphasis on recent efforts to discover an entirely new phase of matter - cold and dense quark matter - inside the cores of the most massive neutron stars.
Pääsihteeriltä: Monitieteistä tutkimusta näkyväksi
Uudesti syntynyt ”Tiedeakatemian Annaali”, kuten ensimmäistä vuoden 1908 sarjaa kutsuttiin, toteuttaa tiedeakatemioiden perustehtävää: mielenkiintoisten, korkeatasoisten tutkimusten esittelyä. Annales on vertaisarvoitu, monitieteinen ja monikielinen. Se tullaan julkaisemaan pääosin niin sanottuna näköispainoksena verkossa, aluksi kaksi numeroa vuodessa. Julkaisu tulee saamaan rinnalleen digitaalisen, julkaisutavaltaan ja sisällöltään monimuotoisen, työnimellä AASF+ kulkevan version. AASF+ mahdollistaa perinteistä julkaisurytmiä nopeamman sisällön julkaisemisen esimerkiksi keskusteluina tai blogina. Se myös laajentaa lehden lukijakuntaa. Ajankohtainen tiede- ja tutkimusorientoitunut reagointi maailman tapahtumiin tullee osaksi AASF+ -sisältöjä. Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae on osa Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian pyrkimyksiä rakentaa yhteisöllisyyttä, tukea monitieteisyyttä ja edistää tieteen vaikuttavuutta. Annales on vahva panoksemme Suomessa harjoitettavan tieteen näkyväksi tekemiseen ja yhteiskunnalliseen keskusteluun.
Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae (AASF) on Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian julkaisusarja, jonka pitkä historia ulottuu Tiedeakatemian perustamiseen saakka. Tiedeakatemian yleisten tavoitteiden mukaisesti se haluaa edistää tieteidenvälistä vuoropuhelua ja välittää valistuneelle lukijakunnalle tietoa ajankohtaisista tieteellisen tutkimuksen kysymyksistä ja uusista haasteista. AASF:n myötä Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian julkaisutoiminta palaa juurilleen ja ottaa samalla tähän aikaan sopivan muodon: se on monitieteinen, verkossa ilmestyvä aikakauslehti. AASF:n ensimmäiseen numeroon on koottu artikkeleita vuosina 2020 ja 2021 hyväksytyiltä uusilta Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian jäseniltä. Näitä riittää seuraavaankin numeroon, mutta myös aiemmin valitut jäsenet, tänä vuonna valitut ja muut eturivin tutkijat voivat tarjota julkaisuun tekstejä, joissa he kertovat oman tutkimusalansa ajankohtaisista aiheista ja omista kiinnostuksen kohteistaan.
The Social Brain Hypothesis Thirty Years On: Some Philosophical Pitfalls of Deconstructing Dunbar’s Number
The social brain hypothesis was proposed 30 years ago as an explanation for the fact that primates have much larger brains than all other animals. The claim was that primates live in unusually complex societies, and hence need a large ‘computer’ to manage the relationships involved. The core evidence subsequently provided in support of this claim was a simple statistical relationship between the social group size characteristic of a species and the size of its brain, with humans fitting into this pattern. However, testing evolutionary hypotheses raises some challenging philosophical and statistical issues that are often overlooked, and great care is needed to ensure that we test the hypothesis we think we are testing. Here, I examine some of these challenges and illustrate the traps they can create for the unwary.
Legal maxims written in Latin are a constant in European and American legal cultures, where they have great authority due to perceived antiquity and origins in Roman law. However, sometimes these maxims are actually fairly recent, neologisms that only purport to be ancient. The purpose of this article is to explore one such maxim, pacta sunt servanda, agreements have to be upheld, and the cultural, political and legal connotations and contemporary significances that the phrase has. Through the convoluted history of the maxim pacta sunt servanda, the article explores the role of tradition and history in the making and legimitizing rules.
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture: novel materials for adapting to changing environmental conditions
Many present crop plants are in danger of failing due to extreme conditions induced by climate change. This along with a rapidly growing world population threatens global food security. In this paper, I provide an overview of different plant genetic resources, of possibilities to broaden their base by including crop wild relative species and other underutilized sources, and of conservation and characterization needs and tools. The increased environmental variability implies that we will need access to an even wider range of plant genetic resources than used today for breeding new crop varieties, which contain useful traits, such as pest and disease resistances and ability to withstand drought or extreme temperatures.
In recent years, there has been lively discussion in Finland on why the country does not have more young and fast-growing companies. These debates usually lack historical perspective. Entrepreneurship has always existed in Finland. Yet, the operational environment, values, gender roles and social structures have had an impact throughout history on who is willing and able to establish a company. These factors also influence the ability and willingness of new companies to grow. History can provide us with insights into why the Finnish economy has certain weaknesses, for example a lack of economic and social diversity and a shortage of old and successful middle-sized companies as well as younger high-growth companies. The most successful startup period in Finland was 1850–1914. Many of the companies founded during that time grew quite large. Since then, it has been more difficult for the country to replicate this early success.
Quantum-Chemical Approach to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Paramagnetic Systems
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a central method for investigating the microscopic structure and dynamics of molecules and materials, with numerous applications in science, technology, and medicine. Computational modelling is indispensable in NMR research due to the indirect nature of NMR information and the rich physical phenomenology behind its observables. While NMR is conventionally used to study diamagnetic systems, paramagnetic NMR (pNMR) of electronically open-shell systems is rapidly gaining importance. This inaugural article concerns the methodology and application of computational molecular science to the observables pNMR, including current challenges and outlook for the future.
Miten edustuksellinen demokratiamme on muuttumassa? Digitaalisen käsitehistorian näkökulma
Recent concerns about representative democracy being in crisis should be related to longer-term histories of ‘representation’ and ‘democracy’. Conceptual history analyses diachronic change and synchronic contestability of such key terms. Digital history can help understand evolvement in tensions over popular representation and representatives' changing perceptions on their parliamentary role. N-gram analyses and visualizations of relative word frequencies reveal long-term patterns and justify selections for qualitative analysis. Contextualising close reading shows how representative democracy has been increasingly complemented with participatory and direct democracy in the UK parliament, for instance, since the 2000s. These observations lead to questions on parallel developments in other European countries.
Strukturerade katalysatorer och reaktorelement – revolution i kemisk teknologi
Konventionella katalysatorer är fortfarande dominerande i den kemiska, farmaceutiska och livsmedelsindustrin, men strukturella katalysatorer har stora fördelar, eftersom de minimerar mass- och värmeöverföringsmotståndet, vilket resulterar i processintensifiering, i mindre och effektivare anläggningar. Fasta skum och 3D-printade katalysatorer representerar den nyaste utvecklingen av katalysatorstrukturer. Fasta skum har en oregelbunden struktur, som kan styras via prepareringssprocessen av skummet. Med 3D-printade katalysatorer öppnas ett nytt perspektiv: strukturen kan designas a priori på forskarens dator och den önskade strukturen kan printas ut med dagens teknologi; endast fantasin sätter ett tak på oss. Metoden kallas även additiv tillverkning. I denna artikel visar vi hur dessa fascinerade strukturer kan åstadkommas i laboratoriet och illustrerar deras framgång i kemiska processer.
Paikkatiedot ja paikannus digitalisaation avaimina
Paikkatiedon ja tarkan paikantamisen rooli digitalisaation kehityksessä on kasvanut voimakkaasti. Tämä kehitys haastaa julkisen sektorin mukauttamaan paikkatietostrategiaansa varmistaakseen paikkatietojen tarkkuuden, ajantasaisuuden ja jakamisen sekä paikannuksen vastaamaan uusiin tarpeisiin, jotka johtuvat esimerkiksi älyliikenteen ja muiden sijaintiin perustuvien palveluiden kehityksestä, metsätalouden ja maatalouden digitalisaatiosta sekä globaalista finassitaloudesta. Lisäksi digitaaliset kaksoset, jotka mallintavat reaalimaailman prosesseja, kuten ilmastoa tai valtameriä, tarvitsevat reaaliaikaista tarkkaa paikkatietoa. Näitä uusia sovelluksia tehtäessä on tärkeää ymmärtää, kuinka voimme jakaa paikkatietoa tehokkaasti ja mitä vaatimuksia tämä asettaa paikkatietoa kuvaavalle metatiedolle.
Bioeconomy and Its Role in a Just Transition to Ethical Sustainability
Policymakers in Finland and in the European Union have suggested that bioeconomy could be a major factor in a just transition to sustainability. By sustainability they have meant, in the spirit of the Brundtland Commission, uninterrupted material growth; and by justice, compensations for old industries, subsidies for new innovations, and a trickle-down effect that transforms economic profits into social benefits and environmental protection. Ethical sustainability, in contrast, would mean the equal consideration of industrial, social, and ecological dimensions. Justice in the transition from a detrimental fossil economy to a better arrangement would be achieved by bans and regulations, including ones aimed at restricting harmful bioeconomic activities.
Onko suomen kielen sanasto poikkeuksellisen omaperäistä?
Lauri Hakulinen kirjoittaa tunnetussa oppikirjassaan Suomen kielen rakenne ja kehitys, että suomen kielen sanasto on etymologiselta koostumukseltaan poikkeuksellisen omaperäistä. Vain viidesosa tai vähemmän on osoitettavissa lainaksi muista kielistä. Koska luonnollisen kielen sanasto on avoin systeemi, sitä voi analysoida vain otostutkimuksen perusteella. Jos tutkimuksen kohteeksi otetaan keskeisimpään sanastoon sisältyvät sanavartalot, saadaan tulokseksi, että vartaloista noin puolet on lainoja. Vastaavanlaisia tuloksia on saatu myös sukukielistä. Näin ollen ei ole mitään syytä pitää suomen kielen sanastoa etymologiselta rakenteeltaan mitenkään poikkeuksellisena.
Copyright (c) 2025 Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Hyvinvointivaltio - kansallinen projekti?
The welfare state is talked about much more in today’s Finland than when it was built. It is described as a national achievement threatened either by globalization and neoliberalism or by an ageing population and government indebtedness. In fact, even in the Nordic countries, the welfare states were not born as the result of clear-cut national project plans, but as the combined result of conflicting interests and knowledge-based planning. Institutions of national compromise and solidarity emerged in societies that were highly dependent on exports and world markets and vulnerable to global economic cycles and crises, and in a world of struggling societal systems. Global economic competition and threats to security and living conditions have made it topical to problematize the democratic nationalism inherent in the Nordic-type welfare state.