Global UNAM Weekly News NL30
MEXICO WARMING FASTER THAN THE GLOBAL AVERAGE
Francisco Estrada Porrúa, Head of UNAM’s Climate Change Research Program, has warned that the steady rise in global temperatures over the past 18 months has raised serious concerns among researchers. Scientists are now questioning whether global warming is accelerating or whether the planet’s capacity to regulate its temperature has been underestimated.
Estrada, affiliated with the University’s Institute for Environmental and Climate Change Sciences, noted that global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5°C threshold since 2023.
Nicole Tovar Dominates Open Water Competition
Nicole Tovar Brailovsky, a para-swimmer and student at the National School of Higher Studies in Juriquilla (ENES), delivered a standout performance at the 2025 Ixta Zihua Open Water event, held at El Palmar Beach in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.
The Puma athlete completed the five-kilometer open water swim in 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 49 seconds. Her time earned her three first-place finishes: overall (across both men and women), first in the women’s division, and first in the 19 to 25 age category.
Democracy and Authoritarianism: What Lies Ahead?
Miguel Armando López Leyva, coordinator of Humanities at UNAM, warned that “The world is experiencing a wave of autocratization, which makes it more urgent than ever to think democratically and encourage a serious, careful, and non-ideological study of these regimes.”
Speaking at the launch of the Latin American Journal on Democracy, López Leyva emphasized that in light of recent political developments in the region, the journal seeks to provide a platform for in-depth analysis from the Institute for Social Research (IIS) and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO).
Is There a Hidden Black Hole Behind Sagittarius A*?
Two researchers from UNAM analyzing the first image of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), have identified a third hot spot—an area with concentrated thermal energy or radiation—that may suggest the presence of a secondary black hole.
This possible second object interrupts the line of sight between Earth and Sagittarius A*, located at the center of our galaxy.
Mexican Astronomy Shines in UNAM Internacional
Recently presented, the ninth edition of UNAM Internacional explores the many facets of astronomy, tracing its journey from early foundations to cutting-edge findings.
The publication explores the pressing questions of our time and the challenges we face in the future, as noted by María Soledad Funes Argüello, Coordinator of Scientific Research at UNAM.
