Research published in PNAS has analysed the conservation status of 5,400 terrestrial vertebrate genera, comprising 34,600 species, between the years 1500 and 2022. The authors found that 73 genera have become extinct since 1500. Birds suffered the greatest losses, with 44 extinct genera, followed by mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The results reveal that the extinction rate was 35 times higher during this period than the average extinction rate over the previous million years. According to the researchers, the genera lost in the last five centuries would have taken 18,000 years to become extinct without human impact.

A study conducted with nearly 58,000 boys and girls revealed that increased television or DVD screen time starting from 12 months of age had a negative impact on later development, as reported by JAMA Pediatrics.

Most research has studied marine heatwaves at the sea surface. Now, a study published in Nature Climate Change analyses the effects of these phenomena at depths of up to 2,000 metres. The research, based on data from waves occurring between 1993 and 2019, shows that these waves tend to be more intense between 50 and 200 metres, and that their duration increases up to twice as much with depth compared to the surface, which has an impact on the marine fauna living in that area.

France has temporarily halted the sale of the iPhone 12 phone because it does not comply with European radiation regulations. In a press release, French regulator ANFR (the National Frequency Agency) has asked Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market from 12 September 2023, after its tests showed that the device exceeded EU limits for a measure known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The SAR measure looks at the levels of electromagnetic radiation that could be received by the body if the phone were held in the hand or trouser pocket, and should be below 4W/kg. The ANFR says the test measured the SAR at 5.74 W/kg.

Research carried out with almost 300 participants from the United Kingdom and Malta revealed that they had more positive emotions, a willingness to help and less prejudice towards Ukrainian asylum seekers compared to Syrian or Somali refugees. According to the author, whose study is published in PLOS ONE, this is explained because “the perceived threat and negative emotions led to greater prejudice, which in turn led to a lower predisposition toward help.”

A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding noncancerous cells, which can awaken dormant cancer cells and promote cancer growth, according to a study published today in the journal PLOS Biology.

One of the world's most invasive species is Solenopsis invicta, an ant native to South America with a painful sting. In an article published in Current Biology, experts confirm the first official sighting of this species in Europe: 88 nests spread over five hectares near Syracuse in Sicily, Italy. The ants could soon spread across the continent, causing serious environmental, health and economic problems. The study is led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) of the CSIC and the UPF.

At around midnight (local time), a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake southwest of Marrakech, one of Morocco's main cities, shook the region, leaving hundreds dead and missing amidst completely devastated buildings and constructions.

Scientists have successfully developed pig embryos whose kidneys contain 50-60% human cells. Gestation was terminated at 25-28 days, and the organ structure was normal. According to the press release accompanying the article, "this is the first time that a solid humanised organ has been grown inside another species, although previous studies have used similar methods to generate human tissues". The results are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. 

Since 1990, the incidence and deaths from early-onset cancers in teenagers and young adults have substantially increased worldwide. These are the main findings of a study published today in the BMJ Oncology journal.