usatoday24

the incredible history of the largest castle in the world

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

Europe is full of castles, but there are castles and castles and the one of the Teutonic Order in Malbork plays in another league: more than just a building, it is actually a superb Gothic brick complex built in the 13th century. In fact, It is the largest castle in the world on surface. To get the idea, it is four times that of Windsor. Furthermore, it is UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork stands imposingly on the southeastern bank of the Nogat River in northern Poland, and as interesting as its impressive construction and size is its history. Beyond being a witness to Central European history, this building was built by the Teutonic Knights, a militarized German Catholic religious order of crusaders that served to Christianize the entire Baltic coast for centuries. Among other things. A masterpiece of architecture. The intro has served to whet our appetite, but the Ordensburg Marienburg complex is architecturally a marvel: it comes with a huge palace, a monastery, three different castles and hundreds of auxiliary buildings. In essence, they are three castles separated by moats and towers, three castles in one. The castle began to be built around 1274 and reached its maximum splendor in 1406, that is, it took just over 130 years. The complex that had to expand to provide shelter to 3,000 brothers of the Order, thus becoming the largest fortified Gothic building in Europe. For its construction they were needed 30 million bricks. It was impressive inside and out: inside there were amazing innovations for the time, such as hot air central heating and an advanced sewage system. Its large halls have ribbed vaults that are authentic masterpieces of engineering secular gothic Entrance. Diego Delso Why was it built?. The construction of the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork goes hand in hand with the history and future of said militarized religious organization. And at that time, the Teutonic Order was looking for a new Headquarters after its withdrawal from the Holy Land. After a time in Venice, in 1309 Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen transfer the seat of the Italian city at Malbork, in newly conquered Prussia. The main objective was to reinforce control over the area after the repression of the Great Prussian Revolt of 1274. Thus, that border area became the nerve center of a Monastic State that would govern much of the Baltic. In addition to its religious and military function, the castle was instrumental in establishing a monopoly on amber. thanks to your strategic location along the Nogat, allowing the Teutonic Knights to collect tolls from ships transiting the river to finance their military campaigns against the pagan peoples of Lithuania and convert the fortress into a commercial center integrated into the Hanseatic League. All this allowed them to ensure their economic power of the Teutonic State in the region. Historical context: the Baltic Crusades. Malbork reached its peak during the Baltic Crusades, a period when Germanic military orders sought the forced Christianization of the northeastern peoples of Europe. In this context, the castle not only acted as a military base: it was also its best visual propaganda. A complex of such dimensions is a financial and military ostentation to potential enemies. Come on, such an impressive architectural work shows that you have God on your side. Malbork became the most powerful manifestation of the Crusades in Eastern Europe. From 1309 it was the headquarters of the Order, a role it played until its decline at the beginning of the 15th century. This period coincides with the height of Teutonic power in the Baltic, with the fortress as the political, military and religious epicenter of a sovereign monastic state. Decline, destruction and rebirth. The Teutonic Knights were finally defeated decisively in the Battle of Grunwald on July 15, 1410 at the hands of the armies of Poland and Lithuania with the support of the Tatars. In 1457, during the Thirteen Years’ War, a Bohemian mercenary they sold the castle to King Casimir IV of Poland, becoming a Polish royal residence until 1772. However, the darkest chapter in its history dates back to 1945, on the verge of the end of World War II: the forces of the German army and the Red Army reduced more than half of the structure to rubble, as can be seen. see yourself in these photos. The landscape was so desolate that restoring it seemed like an impossible mission, but the process began in 1947 and is still continuing. Thus, with the passing of the year and the good work of specialists who have used historical documentation for a detailed restoration, they have managed, among other things, to recover the interior of Saint Mary’s church. In 1997 it was declared a World Heritage Site and since 1961 it has housed the Malbork Castle Museum. In Xataka | That Christian Friedrich von Kahlbut died in 1702 is nothing exceptional. That his corpse has not decomposed, yes In Xataka | We just discovered that a semi-legendary Nile king really existed thanks to a 17th century document found in trash Cover | Gregory

the savior of world energy

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

When the price of fossil fuel tightensthe answer is not long in coming. The Iran war caused breaking the barrier of 100 dollars per barrel WTI. It was not surprising considering that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz led to the loss of 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined products, leaving the market with a net deficit of about eight million barrels per day. The world did not sit idly by watching the price of fuel rise and the reaction was immediate: buy solar panels at industrial levels. And, in that scenario, there is a very clear winner: China. Bottleneck. When the war startedsome of the first objectives had to do with energy. Through the Strait of Hormuz It moves more than 20% of the oil consumed by the world, being a strategic element and, therefore, vulnerable. With the closure of the Ras Tanura refinery and with the collapse of the strait itself, a brutal traffic jam was caused in which hundreds of vessels They moved at the speed of a bicycle. According to Bloombergthere were more than 800 stuck boats, and an Al Jazeera investigation pointed out that, in the first 40 days of conflict, 206 million barrels disappeared from the market. With that amount, 103 supertankers would be filled. The reaction of the governments was to begin releasing millions of barrels from their emergency reserves, as well as to call on citizens to spend as little as possible. Chinese panels. This is when countries have accelerated the transformation of their electrical network. As we read in Electrekwith data from Ember, China exported 68 GW of solar energy in March alone. The graph prepared by Ember speaks for itself, but that amount is double February’s total and 49% more than the previous record, set in August 2025. It is estimated that the solar energy installed in Spain is about 42 GW by the end of 2025and being Spain one of the powers in this sensespeaks volumes about the extent to which the world has turned to Chinese solar when the fossil fuel belt was tight. It goes through neighborhoods. The largest clients have been the logical ones: those most exposed to fluctuations in fossil fuel prices. Imports from Africa increased by 176%, reaching 10 GW with Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia being the largest importers. India imported 6.6 GW, Malaysia 1.8 GW and, in total, other Asian countries added 39 GW. Panels were also purchased in Europe, Japan and Australia, but the study points out that capacity was lower due to work carried out previously, and in the Middle East things were more complicated due to trade restrictions due to the war. Trend change. Something that the study points out is that, although entire panels continue to be purchased from China, there seems to be a turning of the tables because imports of solar cells are increasing, which are subsequently assembled in the destination country. For example, of those 68 GW exported, 32 GW belong to pre-assembled panels and 36 GW to cells and wafers. One is going down, the other is going up. And something important: it also means a relief for a China whose panel companies they were dying of success. Not just the panels. And this commitment to new energy not only translates into a greater amount of solar energy exported. Batteries and electric vehicles They are also booming and it is estimated that, as a whole, they increased by 70% year-on-year and by 38% compared to February. The Spanish lifeguard. Going down the data, the global implementation of solar energy is growing and it is being seen that it is not only a way to pollute less, but also to cushion the blow of the fossil fuel price increase that can suffer turbulence due to war, geopolitical issues or by accidents. It also shows that the fact that much of the world’s oil passes through a single point is something that can strangle the market in the event of a catastrophe, explaining why countries seek this transition to renewable energies that make them more self-sufficient. Images | Jenikir In Xataka | For the first time, 100% of Spain’s energy has been covered by renewables. The question is whether we can repeat it

increasingly successful at leisure than at home

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

Spain can boast of a rich gastronomic tradition based on fish. Neither that, nor their kilometers of coastHowever, not even the millions of euros that the country’s ports move each year have prevented the fish from going through a particular journey through the desert in Spanish homes, one marked by the collapse in consumption per capita and the closure of thousands and thousands of fishmongers. Behind this phenomenon there are several keys, such as cultural and educational changes that affect the purchase or the perception that consumers have of its cost, but there is also another interesting factor: we increasingly associate fish more with leisure and less with our refrigerators. Maybe we don’t plan to cook a sea bass for lunch, but we like to go to sushi, sashimi, pokés or ceviche for dinner. A percentage: 32%. These are not good times for the fish industry. Not at least in Spain. Markets and fishmongers have been losing strength in the shopping basket at a speed that is evident in consumption data per capita at home calculated by the ministry: if in 2014 each Spaniard consumed on average 26.4 kilos of fish per year, at the end of 2025 that indicator it already marked 17.8. In short: a collapse of 32.5% in just a decade. If we extend the comparison the decline is even greater. In 2009 They were close to 30 kg. A negative trend. The latest data They don’t exactly invite optimism either. According to the latest tables from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (Mapa) on domestic consumption, in November 2025 each Spaniard ate an average of 1.48 kg, on which they spent 17.65 euros. The consumption data is more or less similar to that of 2024, but is far from the more than two kilos of 2015. In your sector report Most recently, with data from November 2025, Luis Planas’ department warned that the fish market in Spain “is losing purchasing intensity”, with a drop of almost 2% that is partially offset by the increase in prices. The most affected (by far) is the fresh merchandise business, which has fallen by 5.6%, dragging the rest of the sector along in its fall. Frozen sales actually rose by 1.5% in 2025. One figure: 5,000 businesses. The drop in fish purchases not only shows us what we eat at home, it also leaves a clear business reading. This ‘pinch’ in consumption has been accompanied by the closure of 5,000 fishmongers in Spain, such as I remembered a year ago The Newspaper. “A third of the 15,000 fishmongers that existed in 2007 have been lost, which means the closure of more than 350 traditional fishmongers per year,” corroborates Fedepesca. “In the same period the number of people employed in the sector has also gone from 26,237 to 18,396.” Although the closure of establishments coincides with changes in consumption and a lower presence of fish in the country’s refrigerators, Fedepesca recognizes that this is not the only challenge. “There is no generational change,” regrets before pointing to factors such as business hours or the lack of a firm commitment to training. In an attempt to diversify their income, some have even begun to explore new business avenues, such as pet food. Do all the fish fall? The truth is that no. And that is one of the keys that help us better understand the changes in fish consumption that Spain is experiencing. In your report ‘Fishing month by month’MAPA points out that there are species that have seen their demand increase over the last year, such as trout (27.7%), tuna (3.4%), sardines and anchovies (7.5%) and salmon (9.7%). The demand for smoked salmon and trout has also grown, by 9.1 and 38.9% respectively. The evolution of salmon stands out above all, not so much for its growth percentage as for its volume, with one of the highest per capita consumption among the species identified by MAPA. More fish (away from home). There is another indicator that is equally interesting. Fish consumption may decrease in homesbut his behavior is better outside the home. He report of Mercasa on “extradomestic consumption” of 2024 suggests that the product is improving its reception in restaurants, bars, hotels and other businesses where people can eat without cooking. Over the last few years, the organization has registered “a progressive increase in the extra-domestic consumption of fish and shellfish” that can be clearly seen in your graphicsIf in 2022 it was 145.9 million kilos, the following year it rose to 149.8 million and in 2024 it was already 155.7, the highest figure since at least 2020. Going down into more detail, the demand for seafood, squid, octopus, prawns and shrimp, salmon and fresh tuna stands out. During the start of 2025, out-of-home consumption of fish continued to increase, with a growth of 8.1% with respect to 2024. What does that tell us? We may have reduced the consumption of fish in our homes and in general we pay less attention to it when planning our meals, but its demand does not evolve the same at home as it does outside of it. In fact, the loss of fishmongers coincides with the rise of other types of businesses: establishments specializing in sushi, sashimi, poké and ceviche, dishes from foreign cuisines in which fish also plays an important role. Increasingly associated with leisure. Seen another way: fish consumption is losing strength in homes, but seems to be strengthening in others oriented towards ‘leisure’. Companies in the sector detect a problem of “perception” among consumers related to the price of fish, but the reality is that there are businesses that have been able to take advantage of it. In recent years there has been no shortage voices that they claim that the increase in the intake of salmon, one of the products that responds best, is directly related to the rise of Asian cuisine. Beyond the opening of businesses, interest in new ways of preparing fish was evident during … Read more

Promotional notifications have become pure spam. And often we cannot deactivate them without losing important

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

In August 2023 I asked Wallapop in X to stop sending absurd notifications of the type “Hello! How are you today? Have you slept like a baby?”. It is the most extreme example, due to its absurdity, that I remember of an endemic evil of our era: abuse of notifications until they become another form of spam. Almost three years later, this problem is getting worse in the app industry, not less. The bank notifies me about home insurance before relevant events. Uber Eats offers me 30% on burgers I haven’t ordered. Spotify promotes a podcast to me that I don’t listen to. The situation has a technical name, notification fatigue, and an apparent solution: deactivate them. There’s the catch. I can’t mute my bank’s promotions without also missing the notice of a suspicious charge. I can’t turn off the offers from the company that brings me dinner without being blindsided by the delivery person. Apps purposely mix transactional and advertising in the same channel, and rarely let you separate them without digging into the settings. You choose between two evils: put up with the spam or be left without the ads that matter. This did not happen with SMS because sending an SMS cost money, although they were cheaper when sending mass messages. This minimum cost forced the issuer to think if it was worth it. He push it’s free. Sending you a hundred notifications costs the same as sending you one, so saturation is in the end the rational strategy of those who cannot conceive the inconvenience. Apple expressly prohibits promotional notifications without opt-in since 2020 and Google has similar policies, but brands avoid them by disguising advertising as transactional (“your order is ready… and look at this 2×1”) or directly sending nonsense, because nobody audits anything. It is the same landscape as that of public transport: signs asking for silence, reserved seats, clear rules and no one enforcing them. They are there to make things beautiful. And while, We have normalized that the bank that holds our money sends us advertising through the most intimate channel of the mobile phone, at no cost to him and at all costs to us. We continue deactivating notifications one by one, app by app, in which they allow us to segment by type of notification even if we search, until one day we miss something that did matter. That’s the part that doesn’t appear on any conversion panel. In Xataka | There is a generation working for free as a documentarian of their own life: they are not influencers but they act as if they were. Featured image | Xataka

In 1802 someone proposed to Napoleon to unite France with England. Today the Eurotunnel invoices more than 1,000 million a year

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

“Bonjour mon ami,” said Graham Fagg. “Welcome to France”, replies Philippe Cozette. With these words an Englishman and a Frenchman greet each other. Both are operators of one of the most ambitious and spectacular infrastructures in the world. France and the United Kingdom have just been united by land. Specifically, the land lies 50 meters below the seabed. It is December 1, 1990 and the workers have found themselves in their excavation operations. Since work began in December 1987, it is the most exciting moment in the history of the Channel Tunnel. finally united The Eurotunnel is a 50.5 km excavation that since 1994 has connected buses and trains between the United Kingdom and France. The work runs for 38 kilometers under the sea and remains, to this day, the only land connection between the United Kingdom and Europe. More than 30 years after it was launched, the Channel Tunnel has a turnover of more than 1 billion euros a year. It is the magic figure that confirms why the investment has not only been profitable, but also why it is a project that has been talked about for hundreds of years. They explain in Reuters That the first time someone imagined a tunnel similar to the current one was 1751. The Frenchman Nicolas Desmarets, a French geologist, was the first to imagine the construction of a tunnel but no one bought the idea. Yes it would, they explain in MotorpassionNapoleon Bonaparte in 1802 when he gave his support to a project to dig a tunnel to the United Kingdom and launch a passage for horse-drawn carriages by the light of oil lamps. Evidently the project never went beyond paper because, in fact, throughout the 19th century projections were being made of what this step would be like to the point that, in 1866, the British engineer Henry Marc Brunel showed that the soil under water was composed of chalk (a type of limestone rock) that allowed drilling into the soil. In fact, these studies led him to create the gravity coring system, a working method that is still used today. However, it would not be until 1880 when the first steps on the ground would be taken. Progress that was initially successful but was completely suspended in 1883 when the works had already begun to enter the underwater zone. The reason given by the United Kingdom is that a tunnel could facilitate a potential invasion of the country from the continent. The argument carried so much weight that the project was frozen for almost a century. Winston Churchill advocated for it before the Second World War but no serious work was ever carried out to bring it forward. In fact, a system of hatches was proposed that, in the event of an emergency situation, would allow the tunnel to be flooded in case of fear of an invasion. This did not convince the military officials and the project remained suspended. It was not until the 1970s that the project was discussed again in much more serious terms. Along the way, all kinds of solutions had been proposed, including the possibility of creating an isthmus and that, through canals, allow ships to pass at the same time. In the end, the most logical solution was chosen: a railway tunnel between the United Kingdom and France. The agreement began to take shape in 1964 when technical studies began to make it viable. However, it would not be until 10 years later when work began. Some works that, in fact, barely lasted because the United Kingdom soon abandoned them due to the enormous cost of the project. Yet, The Eurotunnel had already started. And on January 20, 1986, François Mitterrand, on the French side, and Margaret Thatcher, for the British, announced the definitive construction of the tunnel. The decision maintained the idea of previous decades of linking both countries with trains. Trains that, at the same time, allowed the transport of vehicles such as private cars. Thus, the tunnel now allows the transit of people with the one known as Eurostar, whose passengers travel by train, and a second train that allows the transfer of vehicles. It works through a system of three tunnels. Two of them perform round trip functions and the third is designed for their maintenance. The work, which began operating in 1994, now allows the passage of people and vehicles (including trucks) and is managed by Getlink (which was previously called Group Eurotunnel), a company that has the concession of exploitation by both countries as stated in the Treaty of Canterbury. This company benefits from the concession thanks to the passage of people and vehicles but also due to the interconnection of electrical energy on both sides of it. In fact, in 2025 turnover was close to 1.6 billion euros but almost 400 million euros came from Eleclink (the electrical interconnection between both countries) and Europorte (freight transport), the other two businesses that the company has associated with the exploitation of infrastructure. Photo | opihuck and Tambo on Wikimedia In Xataka | 125 kilometers of water separate 140 million inhabitants. China is going to solve it with a mega railway tunnel

includes video game and a gift

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

MediaMarkt is one of the stores that is offering the most packs for the Nintendo Switch 2. They are not official but assembled by the store itself, which gives them a wide range of options when it comes to adding video games or other accessories. We have already seen many so far and now a new one has arrived: Nintendo Switch 2 along with ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ and a keychain by 479 euros. Nintendo Switch 2 + Super Mario Bros. Wonder + keychain The price could vary. We earn commission from these links New unofficial MediaMarkt pack The nintendo switch 2 It is a particularly interesting console for many reasons. Beyond the physical changes that we have seen with respect to the previous generation, especially in power and sizethere is something especially interesting, especially if we had the first Nintendo Switch. First of all, current generation is backward compatiblewhich means that you will be able to play most of the video games on the market. nintendo switch. In some cases you can do it with improvements by paying for them (approximately 10 euros) and in others you can have the best ones offered by the dock when playing on the television, but playing in portable mode. Obviously, it is not a console that only allows you to play video games from the last generation. Little by little it is adding exclusive titles of his generation to the catalogue. Maybe ‘Mario Kart World‘ and ‘Donkey Kong Bananza‘They are two of the most popular, but we cannot forget the curious one’Pokémon Pokopia‘ either ‘Hyrule Warriors: Age of Banishment‘. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Nintendo Switch 2 offer today ✅ THE BEST The pack: The store offers you a video game for little more than what the Nintendo Switch costs alone (difference of 30 euros). The price: In general, official and unofficial packs usually sell for approximately 500 euros, something that MediaMarkt has taken into account because theirs usually sells cheaper. ❌ THE WORST Yesno possibility of choosing the video game: The pack is not bad, but the store has offered on other occasions to choose a video game as a gift from several different options. For this same reason, it is not the best pack it has had to date. The battery: The autonomy varies greatly depending on the video game, but it usually lasts approximately three hours. 💡 BUY IT IF… You want to be able to play the Nintendo Switch 2 the moment you receive it home, especially if you want to do it with a good video game from the Super Mario saga. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are not convinced by the video game; MediaMarkt tends to renew Nintendo Switch 2 packs quite frequently, so you may be more interested in waiting for them to arrive. You may also be interested tomtoc Shoulder Bag Sling Bag Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2 Console 2025, Protective Bag Portable Travel Gaming Case with 8 Cartridge Slots, Charger and Accessories, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Controller for Switch/Switch 2 – TMR Joysticks, Swappable ABXY Buttons, Pro Back Buttons, Charging Dock, Hall Effect Triggers, for Windows, Apple, SteamOS, Android – Purple The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Alejandro Alcolea (edited), Nintendo In Xataka | The second pack of the Nintendo Switch 2 arrives with the new Pokémon: you can now reserve it in these stores In Xataka | The best accessories for your Switch: cases, carrying bags, batteries, and more

Three decades of innovation in lithium batteries and a 99% drop in price, in an illuminating graph

May 3, 2026 by usatoday24

The world has been immersed for years in two essential transitions to leave fossil fuels behind: energy and mobility. But for both to be possible, it is an essential requirement that a technology continue to improve and also drop in price: that of batteries, one of the main components of electric cars and the one responsible for storing excess energy in times of energy surpluses, for example in wind and solar energy. And in fact, this is what he has done: In the last 35 years the price of lithium batteries has plummeted 99%. In 1991, a lithium ion battery cost $9,210 per kWh (in constant 2024 dollars). In 2023, that same kilowatt-hour cost $111: we are talking about a drop of almost 99% in almost three decades. To make it tangible, Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado of Our World in Data gives an example applied to car batteries: the battery of a current standard electric car with a range of 350 to 400 kilometers today costs about $5,000. A decade ago the same component would have cost more than $20,000. In 1991, almost $600,000. There is a strategic threshold that we have surpassed recently: 100 dollars/hWh, considered historically the point of economic parity with the internal combustion vehicle, but At the end of 2025 we will already overcome the barrier reaching 84 dollars/kWh. First of all, let’s start with the presentations: the graphics are from Our World in Dataa project of the Global Change Data Lab linked to the University of Oxford. And the primary source is a data series updated by Rupert Way, built on the original work by Ziegler and Trancik and completed with data from BloombergNEF and Avicenne Energy. All data is expressed in constant 2024 dollars. The price of lithium batteries has fallen 99% in 35 years The first graph shows the evolution of the price of lithium ion cells between 1991 and 2024, in constant 2024 dollars per kWh on a logarithmic axis. The line declines continuously and sharply throughout the series of years without any signs of stabilization until ending around $50-60/kWh in 2024. Evolution of the price of lithium ion batteries: 1991 – 2024. Our World in Data The second graph combines price with global accumulated production and uses a double logarithmic scale: it starts from an installed capacity of 130 kWh in 1991 and reaches 3,510 GWh in 2023. That the line remains straight for more than three decades, in two different graphs and with data from different sources, confirms that The price drop is not a coincidence or a streak. It is a stable mathematical pattern that allows you to project where prices will go. This trend is more important than the fall itself. Every time global cumulative production doubles, battery prices have fallen by 19%. Our World in Data This second chart shows that every time global cumulative lithium-ion battery production doubled, the price fell by 19%. That is the learning rate known as Wright’s Law. The learning curve remains stable for more than thirty years, regardless of financial crises, supply problems and even a pandemic. Behind that graph is that enormous jump from the 130 kWh installed in 1991 to 3,510 GWh in 2023. That is 27 million times more capacity in three decades and each doubling along the way led to a 19% reduction in price. With the current rate of installation, these duplications occur in less and less time, which implies that the curve is not going to slow down due to inertia. These graphs do not describe the past: they are a projection of the future. A stable learning rate of 19% per capacity doubling is a planning tool: it helps the industry and its actors to reliably estimate when storage will reach cost thresholds that make the electricity grid viable with high renewable penetration. According to IRENAthe cost of solar energy fell by 90% between 2010 and 2023 following the same logic. That the threshold has fallen below $100/kWh already has consequences: the European Commission estimates that the EU will need between 200 and 600 GWh of storage by 2030 and precisely this trajectory means that Europe will get the bills for its energy transition. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the graphs show the average cell price of the different types of lithium ion batteries, which have very different profiles of cost, life cycles or energy density. That doesn’t appear on the graph. Nor that battery cost is not everythingsince it has associated costs, such as installation or replacement. Likewise, it does not touch on the structural risks of the supply chain: lithium, cobalt or nickel are geographically concentrated and vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, such as warns the International Energy Agency. And although they are becoming cheaper, their weight and volume are still a handicap for some scenarios such as aviation or heavy trucks. In Xataka | The last piece of the renewable puzzle now fits: the price of storage batteries has reached its minimum In Xataka | China dominates the world of renewable energy, but it has an Achilles heel: it depends on the West more than it admits Cover | Our World in data

We believed that the success of artificial insemination was a genetic lottery. Turns out it depended on your shopping list.

May 2, 2026 by usatoday24

When we consider having a child, the truth is that there are many factors that can intervene such as real obstaclessuch as age. This means that science is focused on looking for different variables that can be ‘altered’ to tip the balance in our favor and favor fertility. And the last one that has been known is related to the much loved Mediterranean diet. A new investigation. In a recent published study in the magazine Food & Function, A Spanish research team has come to the conclusion that it is not about eating healthily, but rather that we need a set of nutrients that the Mediterranean diet gives us, which directly modulate the ecosystem of bacteria that our body has and that prepares it for a successful pregnancy. The bacteria. On many occasions we see them as our enemies by causing very severe infections, but the reality is that they play a fundamental role within our body. In this sense, we have spoken on many occasions of the intestinal microbiota, but there are also large bacterial colonies in the vagina that protect against a large number of infectious diseases. In this sense, the research team analyzed vaginal samples from 104 women between 18 and 38 years old who had been diagnosed with primary infertility and were undergoing artificial insemination processes. What they saw here is that the success of fertility treatment depended largely on who “governed” the patients’ vaginal microbiota. The results. After crossing the samples with the patients’ diet, it was seen that those who followed a Mediterranean diet had a microbiome dominated by bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus. These microorganisms act as a protective shield and are strongly associated with a higher rate of successful pregnancies. On the contrary, a poor diet left the door open to bacteria such as Gardnerella vaginalis. This pathogen is not only linked to the annoying bacterial vaginosisbut the study directly relates it to implantation failures and failure of artificial insemination. Because? Here the Mediterranean diet stands out for the micronutrients that foods contain and that we ingest almost without realizing it when we follow this dietary pattern that is so common in our country. Here vitamins A, C, D and E, along with beta-carotene, calcium and zinc, act as protectors of the vaginal ecosystem. These elements not only nourish the patient, but selectively nourish the Lactobacillus, strengthening defenses against bacterial vaginosis and creating the perfect uterine and vaginal environment for insemination to thrive. It is becoming more and more important. Although this study details for the first time this interaction between diet, vaginal bacteria and artificial insemination, scientific literature has already been warning that the refrigerator matters a lot in fertility. But previous studies already indicated that women who followed a Mediterranean diet in the months before undergoing in vitro fertilization had success rates that were up to 68% higher. In this way, you can see that it is increasingly important to keep in mind that what you are going to eat is essential for even a new life to take shape. Images | drobotdean in Magnific jcomp In Xataka | If we want to increase human fertility, mice have something to tell us: fecal transplants

They did not need kings or nobles to build them

May 2, 2026 by usatoday24

Four thousand years ago, on the central plains of China, a community of about five hundred people built something that has taken us millennia to discover: a network of ceramic pipes. Longshan period buried under its streets. They are not the oldest pipes in human history (that honor corresponds to the Temple of Bel in Nippur and in Eshnunna in Mesopotamia), but those of China. Finding such an ancient and complete drainage network is a milestone from an architectural point of view, but the discovery goes one step further: demonstrates that preparedness for natural disasters is truly a lifelong experience. Because the pipelines at the Pingliangtai oilfield were built monsoon-proof. The discovery. The paper published in Nature Water describes the results of excavation and a geoarchaeological study of water management infrastructure, which reveal the operation and maintenance of a well-planned and regulated two-level rainwater drainage system. On the first level there were individual domestic ditches that collected water from each home and on the second a network of ceramic pipes buried under the roads and next to the walls, responsible for channeling the water outside the urban center. The operation is surprisingly modern: each segment of pipe measured between 20 and 30 centimeters in diameter and between 30 and 40 centimeters in length and were assembled together thanks to a recess at one end, so that once joined they allowed water to be transported over long distances. Why is it important. The relevance of the finding has two dimensions, the technical and the social: The Pingliangtai pipe network is the oldest and most complete urban drainage discovered to date in China, making it a reference for understanding Neolithic water engineering in East Asia. Calls into question “hydraulic despotism” theorized by Karl Wittfogel: Historically this type of infrastructure has been associated with centralized states with ruling elites capable of undertaking it, but in Pingliangtai there is no evidence of noble palaces or great social inequalities, which suggests that this sewage network was created through community cooperation. Context. The Longshan period spanned approximately 2600 to 2000 BC About 4,000 years ago, the central plains region of China suffered from an extremely variable monsoon climate: the summer monsoons could download 45 centimeters of rain per month in the region, as evidenced by geological evidence of episodes of catastrophic rains. These seasonal floods constituted a threat to permanent settlements, so in that transition period between the late Neolithic and the early Bronze Age, towns began to build defensive walls, not only against enemies, but against water. Pingliangtai was a perfectly square walled city that housed about 500 people and had protective walls and a moat around it. It is located on the plain of the Upper Huai River, in the vast plain of Huanghuaihai, precisely in that region of China. The drainage system was the technical solution to an existential problem: how to inhabit a flood-prone area without the adobe homes dissolving with each storm. With “up to date” maintenance. The dating of the pipes indicates that they are between 3,900 and 4,100 years old and the ditches showed signs of various repairs and even reconstructions, which shows that there was maintenance. The quality of the ceramic indicates advanced knowledge in clay firing, essential to guarantee the durability and impermeability of the system. And be careful, because the research team found the pipe segments in situ, assembled and structurally intact after 4,000 years, quite an achievement. Given that the slope exists, the design is coherent and the tubes still fit, the hydraulic logic is still intact. Bottom line: if water was introduced into those fragments, it would work. What the discovery reveals about the city and society. What most attracts the attention of the research team from Peking University and the Institute of Archeology at University College London is that the Pingliangtai settlement point to a horizontal and highly organized society. All the houses were uniformly small and not even the cemetery left any clues of social hierarchy, something different regarding the excavations in other nearby cities. Unlike Mesopotamia or Egypt, where these constructions were commissioned by kings, the design of the houses and the distribution of pipes suggest that decisions were made communally. Thus, water management in Pingliangtai gravitated toward shared collective interest in response to frequent environmental contingencies. Additionally, it displays a long-term prevention and maintenance mindset, as the system required constant cleaning to prevent sediment blockages. In Xataka | What we see in Petra is a city “carved in stone”: what it really hides is an amazing water system In Xataka | China has been selling its largest waterfall to tourists for years as a wonder of nature. It is actually fed with a tube Cover | Yanpeng Cao

It is the secret entrance to the safest place in the US

May 2, 2026 by usatoday24

In 1942, in the middle of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered construction under the White House a secret refuge with concrete walls and steel doors, a space designed to disappear from the surface in a matter of seconds if Washington was attacked. For decades, that place barely appeared in official documents and its existence moved between rumors and stories fragmentary. But the idea left by that project remains disturbing: in certain buildings, the most important thing is never in sight. A building that hides much more. The White House has always been an example of architecture where appearance is deceivingwith a design that hides beneath its surface a complex network of technical and security spaces developed over decades. That logic remains in the major reform proposed until now, which not only transforms its visible silhouette, but also takes advantage of the constructive opportunity to intervene in what is never seen. As has happened in other major renovations of the complex, the true scope of the project is measured more underground than in what protrudes above the grass. From ballroom to strategic infrastructure. The new projected hall, of about 90,000 square meters and capacity for a thousand people, is officially presented as a solution to lack of space for large events within the presidential complex. However, from the beginning it has been linked to a security argument, especially after recent incidents that have highlighted the limitations of external venues such as hotels. The idea is not only to concentrate events in a controlled environment, but to integrate them within a space designed from scratch with criteria advanced protection. President Trump showed a mock-up of the planned new East Wing to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on October 20, 2025. Architecture as an excuse. The key element of the project is that it is not in the room itself, but in what it allows build under it. Various official statements have described the hall as a structure that “covers” a much larger complex, designed with explosion-resistant materials, anti-drone systems and secure communications. This approach responds to a logic known in the White House itself. throughout history: take advantage of any surface work to expand or modernize underground infrastructure without excessively altering the visible historical complex. Mockup of the proposed East Wing/Ballroom of the White House (photo released by the White House on October 22, 2025) The heir to the safest bunker in the US. I remembered a few days ago time that under the demolished east wing was the Presidential Emergency Operations Centerthe historic bunker built during the Second World War and expanded in successive renovations. This space, conceived as shelter and command center in the event of a crisis, it has evolved with each generation to adapt to new threats, from nuclear war to terrorism. The current reform aims to replace it with a more advanced versionmaintaining its function as the safest point in the country in extreme situations. Vice President Dick Cheney with senior officials at the Presidential Emergency Operations Center on September 11, 2001 A complex beyond a simple refuge. The known plans describe a facility that combines multiple functions in the same underground core. Includes hardened shelters, medical facilities, biosecurity systems, and high-security communications centers capable of sustaining government operations. in critical conditions. From that perspective, more than a traditional bunker, it is an environment prepared to operate during prolonged crisesintegrating military and civil capabilities in the same protected space. Between legality, heritage and security. It is one of the great debates in the nation at the moment, because the project has generated a legal and political conflict significant in considering the extent to which a president can transform the White House without approval congressional. While preservation groups they denounce the demolition of the east wing and the impact about historical heritagethe administration defends that the work it is essential for national security. The courts have opted for an intermediate solution, partially blocking the visible construction while allowing progress on the elements considered critical for protection. The perfect moment. There is no doubt, the recent security incident in an official event it has served as argument to reinforce the urgency of the project on the part of the administration, by highlighting the vulnerabilities of external spaces. From this perspective, the new room not only responds to a logistical need, but also to a change in the way presidential security is managed. The combination event and protection in the same place is presented as a solution that avoids depending on less controlled environments. The discreet entrance to the safest place. Altogether, the controversial reform aims to redefine the White House as a dual structure where the visible fulfills a representative function and the hidden concentrates the true core of power and security. The new ballroom thus acts as the architectural piece that, if necessary, allows access, coverage and meaning to an underground infrastructure. much more ambitious. Perhaps for this reason, more than an aesthetic or functional extension, the project is understood as a discreet door towards the better protected space of the United States, a bunker anti everything where the continuity of the government is guaranteed in any imaginable scenario. Image | White House, National Archives In Xataka | After the Guggenheim fever in Bilbao, Alcorcón wanted to replicate its success with a megaproject in 2004. It ended very badly. In Xataka | The biggest disaster in sports history dates back to the Roman Empire: the tragedy of the Fidenae “VIP boxes”

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections