A new study provides evidence of the explosive growth of private club and travel teams in youth sports over the past 60 years. Researchers found that kids who were born in the 1990s were about three times as likely to participate in private club and travel sports as those who were born in the 1950s. Findings were based on adults’ retrospective reports of their experiences while growing up.

A study involving the University of Seville reveals the first Neanderthal footprints of adults, children and birds in southern Portugal, a discovery that suggests route planning, possible hunting behaviour and coexistence with other species.

Only 1 in 3 pupils meet the in-school activity target but this varies greatly across schools.

Artificial intelligence in all its facets is the focus of this year’s Annual Assembly of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, which takes place in Halle (Saale) today, Thursday 25 September, and tomorrow, Friday 26 September. The event brings together renowned experts from various disciplines to discuss current developments in AI research, their possible uses, and what this means for society. To open the event, Dr Lydia Hüskens, Deputy Minister President and Minister for Infrastructure and Digital Affairs of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, and Dr Rolf-Dieter Jungk, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), will give welcome addresses. All the Annual Assembly lectures will also be livestreamed.

A new Dartmouth study finds that cat owners donate slightly more than dog owners, and also donate more often and more diversely. However, people without pets donate the most. The findings are published in the journal Anthrozoӧs.