University of Valencia

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics to Francis Halzen, the driving force behind the idea of using ice at the South Pole to detect particularly elusive particles known as neutrinos. According to the Academy, his “decisive contributions” have been fundamental to the development of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory: a cubic kilometer of ice equipped with light sensors that allows the scientific community to detect neutrinos originating from extremely high-energy processes in the distant universe, laying the groundwork for an entirely new field of astronomy. 

A meta-analysis has examined the relationship between four environmental exposures – air, noise, light and water pollution – and the risk of death by suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts. The research shows an association between these three events and exposure to various air pollutants. Specifically, the study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, links these three events to short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and long-term exposure to PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. The research encompassed 45 studies, 29 of which were included in the meta-analysis and 16 in a systematic review. In the review, the authors found possible associations between suicide and other air pollutants (including sulphur dioxide and ozone) as well as noise pollution. By contrast, no significant associations were found with either light pollution or water pollution.

Summer holidays in Spanish schools are amongst the longest in Europe, and every year the debate resurfaces as to whether their length is appropriate or excessive. Do they affect the knowledge and skills acquired? Could they have an impact on well-being? Do they affect all children equally? How could the summer months be improved for children and teenagers?

A team of researchers has designed complete and functional genomes for bacteriophages — viruses that feed on bacteria — from scratch using generative artificial intelligence (AI), and has tested them against bacteria that had developed resistance to this type of virus. The study, published in the journal Science, represents a step forward towards generative systems capable of designing complete biological systems. The authors also state that it raises important questions regarding biosafety and biosecurity.

Early this morning, the Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, declared a state of emergency of national interest in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila due to the forest fires in Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo. According to Carlos Novillo, the Regional Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and the Interior of the Community of Madrid, the fires were beyond the capacity of the fire services to extinguish and posed a serious threat to the population. The Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency has reported that, although the night-time firefighting efforts have been effective, the fires have still not been contained or brought under control. More than 10,000 people remain evacuated.

Conspiracy thinking, populist attitudes and passive news consumption are the factors that most contribute to the spread of science-related hoaxes. Furthermore, if we consider the emotions that misleading content provokes in us, our inclination to share it increases whilst our inclination to verify it decreases. The topics on which people believe they receive the most false messages relate to nutrition and wellbeing, climate change, medical treatments and vaccines. Although most people believe that AI facilitates the spread of hoaxes, almost a third use it to find out about science at least once a week. These are some of the findings of the 2026 Study on Scientific Disinformation in Spain, published today by FECYT as part of the IBERIFIER Plus project.

Rising sea temperatures are promoting the spread of Vibrio vulnificus, the marine bacterium nicknamed the “carnivore,” which can cause serious infections. Last summer, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned of an increased risk during the summer months, especially in the Baltic Sea. This bacterium has also been identified along the Spanish coast, but experts explain that swimming in the Mediterranean is safe for the general public, as the bacterium thrives in waters with lower salinity. Even so, they recommend that vulnerable individuals remain vigilant and avoid swimming if they have open wounds.

According to an observational study, from which no causal relationship can be inferred, each additional hour per day of sedentary behaviour is associated with a 10% increase in the risk of death from cancer. The association depends not only on total sedentary time, but also on how it is accumulated: if that hour of inactivity is interrupted, the risk is reduced by 19%. In addition, replacing one hour of sedentary behaviour with light physical activity reduces the risk by 12%. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, included nearly 91,300 participants from the UK Biobank who were monitored for seven days using an accelerometer and followed for a median of 12.38 years.

The team led by scientist Kate Adamala of the University of Minnesota has released the news—under an embargo—to several media outlets regarding the creation of a synthetic cell capable of feeding, growing, and replicating, which they have named Spudcell. Their work, which, according to Science News, was rejected by the journal Cell, is published on the team’s website, pending peer review.

An international team has analyzed data collected between 1990 and 2024 from nearly one million people in seven countries regarding their body mass index, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. The results indicate that, in adults over 40, these levels have been converging, becoming quite similar overall in obese and non-obese individuals, possibly due to the widespread use of treatments. Despite these findings, the authors note that there are other risks associated with obesity not included in the study, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer, among others. The work is published in The Lancet.