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OpenAI has stated in a press release that the internal version of its Astra AI model has found solutions to ten research problems in mathematics and computing, in areas such as geometry, group theory, operator algebras, quantum complexity, cryptography and combinatorics, amongst others. According to the company, the total number of tokens — basic units of information — required to solve these problems would cost around $2,000. OpenAI expresses “deep respect and understanding” for those concerned about the impact of AI on these disciplines, including the signatories of the Leiden Declaration on AI and Mathematics; and states that the attribution of results must honestly reflect how each one was obtained, whilst encouraging the mathematical community to review them. The company is publishing these results openly in a paper, accompanied by the model’s account of its reasoning process.

Pupils who set up a social media account in early adolescence appear to perform less well in subsequent standardised tests, according to a study published today in Nature Human Behaviour and based on a sample of 5,227 Italian pupils. The study is observational, so it does not allow for a causal link to be established between social media use and academic performance. Furthermore, it was carried out using questionnaires in which students had to recall and report on their use of these services when they were younger.

There are just a few days to go until 12 August, when we’ll be able to enjoy the first of the three eclipses we’ll see in Spain. This is a total solar eclipse — the Moon will completely cover the Sun’s disc — something not seen on the Iberian Peninsula since 1912. Experts from different regions of Spain with extensive experience in observing eclipses offer their recommendations. Choosing the right viewing spot, using approved eclipse glasses, coping with the heat and respecting the natural environment are key to observing the eclipse safely and enjoying the experience.

Currently, only 48 per cent of newborns are exclusively breastfed, according to the WHO. A narrative review published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine analyses three clinical practices during the first 48–72 hours after birth that may negatively affect the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding in healthy newborns: the perception that the volume of colostrum in breast milk is insufficient, restrictions on the use of dummies in maternity wards, and the early introduction of electric breast pumps.

Numerous sources, including the new dietary guidelines from the United States, recommend increasing protein intake. Now, a review of more than 350 studies —primarily in laboratory animals— carried out by two researchers suggests, on the contrary, that consuming less protein could have greater health benefits. According to the authors, “it is clear that protein provides benefits for muscle growth and the response to exercise in active people, but, given that most people are relatively sedentary, it is likely that many consume more protein than they actually need, which is likely to have negative health consequences”. The study is published in Cell Press Blue, a journal of the Cell group.

A study led by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) shows that, between 2013 and 2018, on days when fires were recorded, there was an increase in A&E admissions for respiratory problems in nine Spanish provinces. At a briefing organised by SMC Spain, Cristina Linares and Julio Díaz, the study’s authors and researchers at the ISCIII, explained the implications of the research and called for a surveillance plan, alongside the monitoring of these harmful particles and compounds, in the face of increasingly severe wildfires.

Human-induced climate change has made the ‘extreme’ weather conditions that fuelled the recent wildfires at least twice as likely in France and 20 times as likely in Spain, according to a new analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA). The team analysed historical weather observations and used the Daily Severity Index (DSR), which incorporates heat, drought and wind conditions and reflects the difficulty of extinguishing a fire. The researchers examined the seven-day period with the highest DSR in south-western France and central Spain, where the fires occurred, and compared it with simulations of a pre-industrial climate. According to the study, under current climate conditions, events of this intensity are projected to occur once every 20 years in south-western France and once every six years in central Spain.

In some areas of Spain and France, the intensity of weather conditions that favour wildfires — heat, drought and wind — increased by up to 50 per cent between 2016 and 2025, compared with the period between 1981 and 2010. This is one of the conclusions of a study carried out by a team including Spanish researchers, which analysed national records of forest fires in southern Europe – Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece – alongside meteorological and climatic data from 1981 to 2025. The data, published in Scientific Reports, show that the number of days with conditions conducive to fires also increased in some areas of these countries. However, the annual number of fires over the last decade was 40 per cent lower than in the 1981–2010 period in all countries – a decline which, according to the authors, is consistent with a reduction in fires caused by humans, driven by stricter regulations.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a serious genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, including of the heart. There is currently no cure, and it mainly affects boys and young men. A cell therapy called Deramiocel could slow down muscle weakness in children and young people with advanced-stage DMD, according to a phase III clinical trial published in The Lancet, the first of its kind. The study involved 106 children and young people aged between 10 and 22 with advanced DMD. According to the results, after one year, participants who received the drug lost mobility in their arms 54 per cent more slowly than those in the placebo group, although this did not result in a clear difference in the heart’s ability to pump blood.

The fire in Ávila, which merged with the one in the south-western mountains of Madrid last Saturday and spread to the province of Toledo, remains unstabilised, although it is under control in some areas. Wind gusts of up to 30 km/h will complicate fire-fighting efforts on Monday, according to the Madrid 112 Safety and Emergency Agency. The fire in Ávila is now the largest in Spain’s recent history. Meanwhile, the fire that broke out on Saturday in La Vall d’Uixó (Castellón), which has spread into the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, has not yet been stabilised either. In total, around 100,000 people have been evacuated or are under lockdown across all the fire fronts.