Birds disappearing in North America
After examining decades of data, a new study has found that the bird population in North America has fallen by 29 per cent since 1970. In nearly 50 years, over 3 billion individual birds have disappeared. Birds contribute to dispersal of seeds and hunt insects, thus sustaining vegetation and greenery. The study comes in the face of increasing evidence that the ongoing sixth great mass extinction is human-fueled. More on The Atlantic.
Impossibly massive neutron star spotted
Astronomers have discovered the densest neutron star ever to have existed, 4,600 light years from earth. The star is so dense that it is considered impossible to exist. The star MSP J0740+6620 is 2.14 times the mass of our sun, but is less than 20km in diameter. That makes it almost as dense as a black hole, which exhibits completely different physical properties. More on Gizmodo.
Researchers find flaws in widespread oncology trials
A new research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that many new cancer drug approvals in Europe could be based on flawed research methods and a bias in data due to lack of rigour in clinical testing. The study looked at 54 studies for new oncology drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2014 and 2016, and found that almost half of them were at a risk of bias. More on The Pharma Letter.
Climate strikes across the globe in protest of inaction
Ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit, millions of students, professionals and people from all walks came together Friday to call for immediate action against climate change. The strikes took place all across the globe, including India. They were primarily led by young people and teenagers, who will be facing the worst consequences of climate inaction on the global leaders. More on Al Jazeera.