Nissan has been giving a second life to its car batteries for years. In Melilla they use them as an anti-blackout system

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Nissan has once again focused its attention on one of its most unique Spanish projects. And it is that in a recent press releasethe company recovered the case of Melilla as an example of how it is promoting the “second life” of its electric car batteries. The installation It has been operating in the city for several years now.but the project remains one of Nissan’s central arguments to defend that a battery that is no longer useful to power a car still has a lot to contribute to the electrical grid. What exactly is it about? The project is called Second Life and was born from an alliance between Nissan, the energy group Enel (through its Spanish subsidiary Endesa) and the Italian company Loccioni, specialized in measurement and control systems. The idea is to take advantage of Nissan LEAF batteries that have finished their time in the car to set up a stationary energy storage system. According to advertisement When the company itself made the project public, the installation combines 48 used LEAF batteries with 30 new ones, for a total of 78 units. Why Melilla and not another city. Melilla is an unusual case within the electrical system in Spain, since it is isolated, is not connected to the national distribution network and depends entirely on a single thermal power plant operated by Endesa. In other words, if that plant falls, the entire city is left without electricity. And precisely that point makes the city the ideal setting to test backup systems like Nissan’s. How it works in practice. The battery pack acts as an emergency generator. It has a power of 4 MW and a capacity of up to 1.7 MWh of stored energy. If the plant is disconnected, the system can inject electricity into the Melilla grid for about 15 minutes. It may not seem like much, but it is the margin that is considered sufficient to reactivate the plant and restore the supply without the population noticing a prolonged outage. Come on, it serves as a cushion to avoid blackouts and keep the network stable (although it is not shockproof. such problematic blackouts like April 2025). An interesting technical detail. The system does not disassemble the batteries cell by cell. According to explains The company, when each pack is removed from a vehicle, is placed directly into the storage system just as it was mounted in the car. It is a way to reuse the assembly without a complex dismantling process, something that makes reuse cheaper and simpler. Strategy. The brand frames Second Life within its concept of the “4Rs”: reuse, remanufacture, resell and recycle. It is a circular economy logic, since a battery that loses performance in a car still retains a good part of its capacity, sufficient for uses where it is not required as much, such as fixed energy storage. Soufiane Elkhomri, Director of Nissan Energy Services for the AMIEO region, counted Furthermore, the collaboration with Enel allowed them to create “a model for the second life of a battery, which can be applied to many other use cases.” A first step. Melilla is just one piece in a broader commitment than Nissan replicate in other placessuch as the LEAF batteries that support the Fiumicino airport in Rome or some of its facilities in Japan. The idea is interesting, especially in terms of reusing a component as critical as a car battery. It remains to be seen, in any case, to what extent this type of solution becomes widespread as millions of electric vehicle batteries reach the end of their first life in the coming years. Cover image | Christelle Hayek and Giovanni Della Checa In Xataka | A ‘shitty plan’ to save the countryside: Europe turns to manure to tackle the fertilizer crisis

to the south pole of the Moon

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The moon is an old acquaintance in human space exploration, but there are still parts to discover and step on. Having a permanent space base on the moon will simplify this exploration, but first NASA will have to check a list of requirements and needs among which stands out taking a tour of the south pole of the moon. After all, it is the place with the most votes to settle. But before humanity arrives, a fleet of drones will have to do the dirty work: the mission moonfall. cfour drones and a destination never explored. The Moonfall mission is scheduled for 2028, at which time four robotic drones will fly over and land at the South Pole of the Moon for the first time in history with the aim of identifying safe landing zones for future astronauts of the Artemis program. Each drone will weigh about 250 kg, measure 1.2 high and 2.1 in diameter. Inside they house an imaging system to map the terrain, a neutron spectrometer to detect water below the surface, a radiation spectrometer and a laser retroreflector so that ground control can locate them precisely. Although they will operate for a full lunar day (up to 14 Earth days), their instruments will continue to function several months later, enduring the -130 °C of the cold lunar night. Why is it important. Because the lunar south pole has elements that make it the ideal place to set up the human base. Thus, it concentrates craters that are permanently in shadow where has been confirmed the presence of water ice, the basis for obtaining drinking water, oxygen and fuel for future missions. Without these resources, they would have to be supplied from Earth, which would make human presence on the moon unfeasible in terms of cost. The problem is that that area has never been mapped with enough precision to plan safe landings, something that Moonfall’s drones want to change. Context. Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon, something that has not happened since Apollo 17 in 1972, and establish a stable human presence there. With Artemis III In its roadmap for mid-2027, NASA is working in parallel on other projects, including this Moonfall, an essential mission for its final objective: its terrain and resource data will be critical data to decide where to build that base. Currently, the US NASA and 66 other states have signed the Artemis Agreementsa high-level framework of principles for the exploration and development of the lunar surface during this century, but it is more of a statement of intent than something binding. China is going on its own and in fact has its own lunar program with the lunar South Pole also between eyebrows. In short: the lunar South Pole has become the new object of desire of the space race insofar as it has first-level geopolitical implications. In detail. The company Firefly Aerospace It is the one chosen to build the ship that will take the drones there. The Texas company is an old acquaintance for NASA: its Blue Ghost lander became the first commercial vehicle to successfully reach the lunar surface in March 2025, delivering 10 NASA scientific instruments and capturing images of a solar eclipse from the surface. Elytra, as the ship is called, will undertake a 45-day journey from the Earth to the Moon, where it will enter orbit and brake so that the four drones land at a distance of about 50 kilometers above the South Pole. Once deployed, each drone will land autonomously in different areas to maximize coverage over the territory. Yes, but. The drones that will explore the moon will face enormous challenges. To begin with, they need rocket propulsion to rise, since there is no atmosphere on the moon and conventional rotors are useless. This translates into skyrocketing fuel consumption, so they are limited in terms of flights. Additionally, those shadowy craters are inhospitable areas where there is no light, so solar panels are not an option. From a legal point of view, the Artemis Agreements offer a framework, but they do not have the force of an international treaty in the event of conflicts or third parties outside of it, such as China itself. In Xataka | NASA’s lunar base begins here and now: an investment of hundreds of millions and a date on the horizon In Xataka | We knew there was water on the Moon, but not why some craters were empty. Finally we have the answer Cover | POT with Gemini

If the question is what is the worst job in history, the answer is in 18th century England: the “sin eaters”

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Have you had a sinful life, full of vices and excesses, but you don’t want that to condemn you to eternal fire? No problem. You just have to make sure that, once you die, your family hires a ‘sin-eater’, a freelance that a small feast will be given on your coffin on the day of your funeral. A term will take with it all the faults you committed in life, no matter how serious or reprehensible they may have been. The ‘sin-eater’ charged for his services, of course, but… How much would you (or your family) pay for eternal life? It sounds strange, but the job of sin-eater It existed centuries ago in some regions of Great Britain. In fact, the newspaper archive allows follow his trail until the 19th. Sin Eaters? Exact. And it’s not a metaphor. Natalie Zarrelli, from Atlas Obscura, calls him “worst freelance job ever” and you’re probably right. The no eater (‘comesins’ or sin-eaters) were just what the word indicates: people who fed on the faults of other people who had died suddenly, without time to expire their guilt. They did not do it out of hobby or because they followed an elaborate (and dismal) medieval diet based on sacrilege, but because that was their job. He no eater He arrived at the wakes, participated in a ritual to free the deceased from his sins, and then left silently with a few coins in his pocket. Where did it exist? There is not much information about them, although references can be found in works such as ‘Brand’s Faiths and Folklore’ either ‘Hill and Valley’an essay published by Catherine Sinclair in the 19th century. In recent years, media articles such as Atlas Obscurathe platform specialized in religion Aleteia or (more recently) the magazine National Geographic. The writer and teacher Megan Campisi He also researched it for his novel The Sin Eater. Thanks to them we can obtain some glimpses of this ancient craft, which took shape centuries ago in Great Britain. And when did they exist? The ‘sin eaters’ worked mainly in certain regions of England, Scotland or Wales and their trade continued with ups and downs since at least the 17th century (some they go back even furtherassociating it with a heritage from the Middle Ages) until the end of the 19th century. In fact there is some reference to a no eater who died already at the beginning of the 20th century and his grave can still be visited today. His figure was based on a mixture of superstitions, paganism and Christianity, all against the backdrop of the religious changes that England experienced starting in the 16th century. In fact there is who slides that its role may have arisen in an attempt to recover popular traditions after the Anglican Reformation. What exactly were they doing? The ‘sin-eaters’ were the central figure of a relatively simple ritual that sought to erase the guilt of the deceased. The family of the deceased placed a piece of bread and a bowl of beer or milk on the chest of the corpse and then called the no eaterwho only had to do one thing: sit before the corpse and eat and drink the food that was supposed to have absorbed the sins of the deceased. A simple gesture with which they made other people’s stains their own. How did they do it? “He would sit facing the door. They would give him a fourpence piece, which he would put in his pocket; a crust of bread, which he would eat; and a bowl full of beer, which he would drink in one gulp. After this, rising from his stool, he would pronounce, with a serene gesture: ‘the peace and rest of the departed soul’, for which he would pawn his own soul.” relates a work published in the 19th century. After the mediation of the ‘sin-eater’, the deceased was supposed to be free of reproaches that could condemn him to hell. Of course, the opposite happened to him: those faults of others ended up weighing on his spiritual record. Was it bad business? It is assumed that the majority of the sin-eaters were humble people, with few resources, for whom a new day of hunger represented a much worse prospect than a supposed eternity of damnation in the flames. Although they only received a few coins in exchange for their work, the job was quite painful. And not only for religious reasons. Some versions They maintain that, by ‘devouring’ the sins of others, the no eater went on to become an outcastsomeone who blurred his soul. Was it that serious? Yes. A ‘sin-eater’ who is not very religious, atheist or even ‘infidel’ might not care too much about participating in the ritual in exchange for a couple of coins, a loaf of bread and a bowl of beer, but he knew that his work would entail an extra sacrifice: the “manifest contempt” from his neighbors, for whom he became a kind of pest, someone to avoid. The families requested his services, invited him to their homes, paid for his service and sometimes the no eater He even listened to the confessions of mourning relatives, but once the ritual was over, no one wanted to have him around. What was its origin? Difficult to specify. In her article, Natalie Zarelli remember that some theories relate the figure of the no eater with pagan traditions, others connect it with the medieval custom of nobles paying the poor to pray for their dead and the salvation of their souls. In a way, the ‘sin eaters’ are also related to other deep-rooted traditionssuch as the belief that living relatives can intercede for their dead, the figure of purgatory or the symbolic value of food. When did they disappear? In the 19th century, when Sinclair wrote his book, ‘sin-eaters’ were already on the decline in England, but that does not mean that they had disappeared. His trail can be followed until … Read more

In 1871 a farmer abandoned five cows to their fate on a remote island. Against all odds, they colonized the island

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A Frenchman goes and releases five cows on a small island where Christ lost his lighter. It sounds like a joke, but it’s true: it happened in 1871, the Frenchman was a farmer on the island of Réunion and the destination island is called Amsterdam, it is only 55 square kilometers and is in the southern Indian Ocean. What happened next will surprise you because, well, it also left the scientific community in awe, as demonstrated by the quintet’s different studies. Introducing an exotic species into new habitats is a box of surprises that usually ends up regular: ask the crabs that were native when the American crab arrived, the fish that were in the Ebro before the catfish or the mythical Pitiusas lizard, which has found in the invasive snakes that you may encounter swimming a new and ferocious predator in the waters of the Balearic Islands. But hey, there are only five cows and the island is very small, right? Well yes: biology maintains that for a foreign population to establish itself successfully it is necessary that there be a sufficient number of initial individuals to guarantee genetic diversity and avoid extinction due to inbreeding. But there are also exceptions: genetic invasion paradoxwhere tiny populations manage to prosper in a surprising way. This is the case of our beef quintet. Once upon a time there were five cows abandoned to their fate.. In reality, the farmer came to the island with other people with the idea of ​​staying, but in the end it didn’t work out and five cows is not the lightest carry-on luggage in the world, so they stayed there. The subantarctic conditions were harsh and genetically there was a bottleneck, but the animals not only survived but reproduced successfully and happily. In fact, the population grew exponentially over the decades, reaching historical peaks of up to 2,000 individuals: yes, Amsterdam Island became the island of cows and is also one of the few cases recorded worldwide of completely feral cows. Why is it important. Because it challenges one of the central principles of conservation biology: the minimum viable population sizewhich establishes that below a threshold a population has a high probability of becoming extinct due to genetic drift, inbreeding and accumulation of mutations (the figure depends on the species and the model, but classical models point to hundreds or even thousands of individuals). Understanding these processes provides theoretical tools to better manage invasive species and the conservation of genetic reservoirs. That five cows founded a viable population for more than a century is, in that context, an anomaly that science could not ignore. In addition, it offers a valuable perspective on the speed at which evolutionary and behavioral changes can occur in a mammal when the bond of domestication is broken. Context. Amsterdam Island is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. We are talking about an isolated island ecosystem where there were neither large predators nor other large competing herbivores, so what is a bit of cold and wind. This initial condition made it possible for livestock to spread, although in the long run overpopulation ended up causing serious damage to the native flora and threatening endemic birds. Under the microscope, the samples analyzed revealed that there was a mixed ancestry: a combination of mainly European bullfighting cattle, but also Indian Ocean zebu. After analyzing the climate, they found that the conditions were not too different from other known scenarios in old Europe, such as Brittany, so the cows were not starting from scratch: your preadaptation to the climate cushioned the impact to the new habitat. What really happened. Some initial research they pointed to the fact that the cattle suffered from accelerated “island dwarfism” to adapt to the scarcity of resources, although genomic analyzes ruled it out: if these island cows were small it was simply due to direct inheritance from their ancestors, the also relatively small zebus of Madagascar and Jersey breed. The real change occurred in his behavior: the study identified that the genes that evolved the fastest were related to the nervous system, which the authors interpret as the genomic signature of feralization: the ability to organize in herds, reactivate alert responses and survive without human intervention. Yes, but. What this quintet of cows achieved was a feat of survival, but at what price: the genetic analysis showed a moderate reduction in their genetic diversity and a slight accumulation of potentially harmful variants, something to be expected after such a severe bottleneck, although without reaching the critical levels associated with populations at risk of extinction. Furthermore, the story had a sad and controversial ending: considering the damage they caused to the island’s environment, the authorities decided to sacrifice all the cows in 2010 and this unique experiment and its extraordinary and particular genetic lineage came to an end. In Xataka | In 1788 the English took five cows to Australia. Unknowingly, they activated a “time bomb” that exploded 200 years later In Xataka | That time the Australian army took out the tanks against the emus… And lost Cover | Copernicus Sentinel 2021 via Wikimedia and Iga Palacz

“My AMOS-6 scar started itching when I saw the New Glenn video”

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September 1, 2016. SpaceX is available to launch one of its Falcon 9 rockets, loaded with the AMOS-6 satellite. It was not a new procedure, but something went wrong and the rocket exploded on the launch pad, causing great damage to it. May 28, 2026. Blue Origin begins a static firing test of its New Glenn rocket, but it is not completed. The rocket explodesdestroying the launch pad in its wake. The similarity between both events shows us that catastrophic explosions occur even in the most million-dollar companies. But it also helps us make calculations about what the future of Jeff Bezos’ company could be. The leaders of this have assured that New Glenn will take flight before this year ends. However, comparisons with the SpaceX event show us that this is an overly optimistic calculation. Former SpaceX engineers say. In Ars Technica They have interviewed several former SpaceX engineers who were active when the 2016 incident occurred. When asked about the work that remains for Blue Origin, they all agree on the same thing. Repairing a launch pad is very complicated and, at best, could take about 12 months to do. More likely, they could extend up to 18 months. Without a launch platform you cannot launch a rocket, so doing so before the end of this year does not seem very likely. The case of SpaceX. “My AMOS-6 scar started itching when I saw the New Glenn video.” With that phrase, Hans Koenigsmann, who was then vice president of construction and flight reliability at SpaceX, expressed the great similarity between that event and what happened to Blue Origin. In 2016 he led the investigation into the causes that led to the explosion. Therefore, you know very well that this is a slow process. They spent weeks searching for pieces of the rocket in the wetlands near Cape Canaveral. They also searched for fragments of the launch pad. They even used drones and underwater robots to find as many of these pieces as possible. With all that, they were not able to access the launch pad for reconstruction until 4 months had passed. They were fortunate that they had another platform at Vandenberg Air Force Base. They just had to adapt it a little, but it was ready in 5 months. However, Blue Origin does not have alternatives. He has to rebuild the launch pad that has already been destroyed. The complexity of launch platforms. Former SpaceX engineers insist that launch pads are complex facilities. They have tall and resistant steel-based launching towers. They also include foundations heavily reinforced with concrete and trenches excavated under the platform to direct and evacuate the gases and flames generated during the launch so that a fire does not break out. In addition, there is a complex electrical system and pipes that flow from propellants to cooling liquids, through purge gases, water for deluge systems and much more. These pipes, in fact, are the most complicated to fix, according to former Space X engineer Trip Harriss. Repairing all of this takes a long time, which also begins to count once it has been determined what happened during the incident. The role of NASA. In his statements to Ars TechnicaKoenigsmann has urged Blue Origin to be transparent with NASA at all times. It is not for less. The US space agency is playing a lot with what happened. The two companies that will bear the burden of the moon landing during the Artemis missions will be SpaceX and Blue Origin. The latter’s lander, Blue Moon, is advancing at a good pace. However, without a rocket New Glenn cannot be carried to its destination. For this reason, NASA has asked Jeff Bezos’ company for explanations from the first moment. However, also have assured that they will support and help the company in everything that is necessary and that, for the moment, They are not looking for alternatives. They are confident that New Glenn will arrive on time. The positive part. For John Muratore, the former NASA engineer who was going to direct the launch of the Falcon 9 in 2016, everything that has happened to Blue Origin also has a positive side. They took advantage of their own incident to redesign their launch pad and introduce improvements that have served them well in subsequent releases. Therefore, Blue Origin must have hope. But also try to be more consistent with the dates. Experts do not seem to agree that it is feasible to launch in 2026. In any case, the rare company, private or public, actually launches when planned. Optimism can help them. Image | Blue Origin/SpaceX In Xataka | Texas has a new city. Until a few days ago, it was only the SpaceX base in Boca Chica

Carrefour is selling off a 55-inch QLED TV this weekend, ideal for small living rooms. Thus, it costs less than 250 euros

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He is approaching soccer world cup and it is one of those perfect occasions to renew the television, especially if we want to make the leap to larger diagonals compared to what we have been using. In this sense, 55 inches are a good gateway to large TVs but, still, relatively contained. Mainly, if we compare with the models larger than 65 inches that are increasingly common. And for a key reason: in those 55 inches we find very good prices. Daewoo 55DM75QV + coupon 51.89 euros The price could vary. We earn commission from these links This Daewoo Discount for a limited time at Carrefour is a good example of this: from its RRP of 399 euros it drops to 299 euros. But taking advantage of the campaign Save VAT Available in the store until June 8, we also get a coupon for 51.89 euros to redeem for other purchases, between June 11 and 24. If we take both discounts into account, we get a final price of something less than 250 euros which seem very good for brand new television. With an all-terrain Ultra HD QLED panel at 60 Hz: ideal for movies, sports, series and video games If we have a relatively small living room where televisions of 65 inches or more have no place, but we come from 50 inches or less and we want to take that little step towards larger diagonals, The 55 of this Daewoo are very balanced. A perfect television to enjoy the Soccer World Cup which is about to drop, in addition to all kinds of content through Prime Video, HBO, YouTube, Netflix, Movistar Plus or SkyShowtime, among other platforms. The latter also has a discount promotion active for a limited time very interesting. Also It is a good television to play if we settle for its 60 Hz. Although current consoles such as Xbox Series X either PS5 Pro They reach 120 FPS in some compatible games and we would not be able to take full advantage of it, the truth is that if we are not playing competitive titles, those 60 Hz are very enjoyable. For the rest, we are looking at a television with a great quality-price ratio with its current discount, with a 4K QLED panel Although it does not reach the contrast level of an OLED, it is more than acceptable for normal daily use in 2026. Even more so, due to the difference in cost between those OLEDs and QLEDs, which is considerable. All this, with the option of financing the amount without interest in up to 12 months, a very differential addition for many buyers. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer 55DM75QV ✅ THE BEST Its price, which is already good enough with the discount, but which improves even more with the VAT coupon that we get Your panel, balanced and all-terrain that fulfills in a multitude of scenarios: series and movies, sports and even video games ❌ THE WORST Far from the image quality of high-end TVs with OLED panels and refresh rates of 120 Hz or more One diagonal (55 inches) which can become short in a short time, once we get used to it 💡 BUY IT IF… You were just looking for a new cheap TV to watch the World Cup or any other content ⛔ DO NOT BUY IT IF… you have room for greater diagonals. In that case, going for 65 inches or more is a safe bet for the future. Some televisions of other sizes (and great prices) that may interest you The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 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 | Purchase addiction, Daewoo In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

a delirium with surprise for the Guinness book

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In 1990, the Guinness Book went to Malaga to register a church Catholic never seen before. What was really unusual was not only its size, but its location: it was hidden inside a castle built by a retired doctor who had decided to dedicate years of his life to a very particular historical obsession. A castle born of an obsession. In 1987, when most people think about enjoying their retirement, the doctor Stephen Martin Martin He decided to embark on a much more unlikely undertaking. After decades practicing as a gynecologist and surgeon in the United States, he returned to Spain convinced that the figure of Christopher Columbus had not received the recognition he deserved and resolved lift with your own hands a monument that corrected that absence. What started as a personal idea on a plot of land in Benalmádena ended up becoming one of the strangest and most surprising constructions on the Costa del Sol: a contemporary castle that seems to have emerged from another era and that defies any attempt at architectural classification. Seven years, three men and no machines. The magnitude of the project is even more surprising when you know how it was built. Between 1987 and 1994Martín worked accompanied only by the bricklayers Juan Blanco and Domingo Núñez, building the set practically by hand and following techniques inspired by the Late Middle Ages. Without large equipment or financing institutional, the three men transformed stone, brick, cement and wood into a construction of about 1,500 square meters and more than thirty meters high. The project ended up consuming a large part of the financial resources of its creator, who continued ahead despite the skepticism of those who considered him an eccentric or a dreamer incapable of completing such an undertaking. An encyclopedia of history. Although it is popularly known as a castle, the monument is actually a gigantic story in stone dedicated to the voyages of Columbus and Spain at the end of the 15th century. Each corner contains symbols, characters, historical references and architectural elements designed to teach history visually. The set mix influences neo-Gothic, neo-Romanesque, neo-Mudejar and neo-Byzantine, becoming a species from architectural manual outdoors. Among towers, staircases, stained glass windows and sculptures there are allusions to the Catholic Monarchs, the navigators of the Columbian expedition, the House of Castile and the House of Aragon, as well as numerous episodes related to the discovery of America. The three cultures and the dream that was not fulfilled. One of the most unique aspects of the monument is its intention to represent the three great religious traditions who lived together in Spain at the time: Christians, Muslims and Jews. This cultural mix is ​​reflected in many details decorative decorations distributed throughout the construction. However, the most unexpected element is a chinese pagoda that emerges between the medieval towers. Its presence responds to a very specific idea: remember that Columbus never set out in search of a new continent, but rather a route to Asia. The castle not only honors what really happened, but also what the navigator thought he was doing when he began his journey. The stone caravels are the greatest tribute to Columbus. The monument is full of physical references to the trip of 1492. The silhouettes of the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María appear integrated into the structure itself, emerging between towers and walls as if they were sailing on an ocean of stone. La Niña occupies a prominent position under the La Rábida arch, La Pinta is integrated into the main façade and Santa María appears separate from the main complex as a reminder of its shipwreck. All this contributes to turning the complex into the greatest monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus of the world, a work conceived not as a historical reproduction, but as an artistic and symbolic interpretation of one of the most influential expeditions in history. Access to the tiny church The impossible church. However, the biggest surprise of the complex is not in its towers or its historical references. Hidden within the castle walls is the Chapel of Saint Elizabeth of Hungarya space of just 1.96 square meters that is often cited as the smallest Catholic church in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. The contrast is fascinating: a gigantic monument dedicated to one of the great stories of Western history houses inside a temple so small that it is barely possible to stay in it. to a single person. Some chronicles even they claim that during certain ceremonies the priest was the only occupant inside while the rest of the participants remained outside. Symbol more than building. The tiny chapel was never designed to house large congregations. Its importance lies in the meaning it concentrates in a minimum space. Consecrated by the prior of the Monastery of La Rábida and dedicated to a saint associated with charity and helping those in need, it represents a radically different vision of religious monumentality. In front of the great cathedrals and basilicas, this small enclosure demonstrates that symbolism and architectural emotion they do not depend necessarily the size. Its irregular floor plan, the religious figures preserved inside and some pieces made by Esteban Martín himself reinforce its character as a hidden gem within an already extraordinary work. The legacy of madness. Martín dreamed of the monument becoming a research center dedicated to Columbus and even imagined that one day it could house the remains of the navigator. None of these projects came to fruition, and the creator he abandoned the works in 1994disappointed by the little attention his work had received during the celebrations of the fifth centenary of the discovery of America. However, time ended up granting him the recognition he sought. Today the Colomares Castle It is one of the most unique buildings in Spain, an architectural fantasy built by a doctor and two bricklayers that combines history, art, symbolism and personal obsession. And perhaps the best proof of this is that, … Read more

These potatoes could only be bought in prison. They were so good that they ended up generating a black market outside of prison

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There is a food product in the United States that for decades could only be purchased if you were in prison or knew someone who was. And no, it wasn’t any illegal substance or a domestic missile launcher. It was a bag of chips. Especially good, yes. Prison potatoes. The Whole Shabang are potatoes whose flavor combines salt, vinegar and barbecue sauce (in the style of all-dressed chips popular in Canada, where they are manufactured), and which Keefe Group manufactured for years to sell exclusively in American prisons. Keefe Group is a company specialized in supplying the prison population that has existed since 1975, when it began selling instant coffee in a Florida prison. When the inmates came out and wanted to continue savoring The Whole Shabang, they discovered that they did not exist outside the prison. The potatoes began as a flavor within the Moon Lodge line, a brand that Keefe produced for prison commissaries. Commissary world. Within the walls, the product became something that went beyond the mere appetizer. The commissary is the space in prisons where inmates can freely spend the funds they have in their accounts. Potatoes were so popular that some inmates began to develop recipes made from the available products, with proper nouns like “chi chi” (improvised soup with ramen and potato). Cult. After its first appearance, for yearsformer inmates scoured the internet looking for them, posting requests on the Keefe Group Facebook page and organizing groups asking for them to be put up for sale. Except for occasional auctions on eBay, getting a bag was almost impossible without going to prison or visiting someone. In 2012, Keefe publicly acknowledged that he had a cult product on his hands, but he has not yet made it available for sale to the general public. Four more years later, the accumulated pressure finally made them give in and they began selling The Whole Shabang online. The price in online stores (at the moment it is not found in regular grocery stores), $18.99, is far from what it costs in prison, where the bags are much cheaper. The question is… do they taste the same in freedom, where competition abounds in the snack market and you don’t have the feeling of privilege at having found something genuinely tasty within the walls of prison? The prison business. The prison market in the United States moves about $1.6 billion a year, concentrated in three large operators: Keefe, Trinity and Aramark. Keefe It doesn’t just sell snacks.but also provides electronics, clothing, as well as hygiene products, telecommunications and software for penitentiary centers throughout the country. And it has experienced some controversies in its history: prisons receive commissions from suppliersso whoever wins a contract to distribute in a prison is not necessarily the one who offers better prices to the inmates, but rather the one who pays the most to the prison establishment. To Keefe, specifically, has been accused to take advantage of the fact that prisoners have nowhere to buy cheaper and the products experience a consequent inflation. The other luxury product. The Whole Shabang phenomenon raises a curious question: why does something produced for a captive market end up fascinating those who have the possibility of accessing any product in the world? Well, just like luxury: an object accessible to very few acquires symbolic value that goes beyond its real properties. In prisons, the mechanism is the same but taken to the extreme, and removing all the glamour. In fact, inside the prisons, The Whole Shabang functioned as a bargaining chip, as an alternative currency. Long live the fries. In Xataka | The María Islands: the “Alcatraz” of Mexico where the most dangerous criminals in the country ended up

In 2023 we detect an absolutely anomalous explosion at the edge of the Universe. Now we know what happened

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In 2023, the Zwicky Transient Facility, an astronomical consortium led by Caltech, detected a curious signal on the outskirts of a dwarf galaxy 1.3 billion light years away. At first everything seemed to indicate that it was the result of a type II supernova explosion. It’s always interesting to spot one, but it’s not unusual. However, as soon as they tried to classify it a little better, they realized that it had many qualities that did not fit within the definition of this phenomenon. Investigating, they discovered that, in reality, the signal corresponds to one of the rarest explosions that occur in the Universe: a pairwise instability supernova. A special supernova. Pairwise instability supernovae are supernova explosions that occur when the original star is very massive and is in an environment with low metallicity. Furthermore, there is another big difference. After a typical supernova explosion, either a neutron star or a black hole usually forms. In this case, however, it can be said that the stars completely self-destruct, without leaving any remnants. It is a very rare phenomenon, very difficult to detect. However, the authors of the study that has just been published hope, with what they have learned from this finding, to locate other similar events based on the data obtained with the Vera Rubin Observatory. The brightness curve that didn’t add up. Normally, when a normal supernova explosion occurs, the brightness curve is plateau-shaped. On the other hand, in this event, named SN 2023vbw, after an initial cooling, a constant increase in brightness was observed until reaching a very bright peak around 190 days. Then, until day 230, the brightness began to decrease and finally stabilized on a plateau. Other data that did not add up. The total irradiation energy of this phenomenon was 3× 1050 Ergs, a figure that is more than 10 times higher than that of a type II supernova. Furthermore, during ascent, the explosion stabilized at a nearly constant temperature while its outer shell continued to expand. For this to occur there must be a large and continuous internal heating source, which does not happen with a type II supernova. On the other hand, as the supernova faded, the emissions that were detected had nothing to do with those normal for a conventional supernova. Finally, the kinetic energy was 60 to 130 times greater than the maximum energy that an ordinary supernova can produce. Two very different supernovae. Normally, a very massive star is subject to two very powerful forces. On the one hand, that of gravity, which compresses it inward. On the other hand, that of radiation, which pushes outwards. Both forces remain in balance. However, when the star runs out of fuel to stay “on,” the radiation pressure decreases, so gravity pushes strongly inward. As a result, the star collapses, leading to a supernova explosion. Behind it a black hole or a neutron star can form. If the star is very massive and is also located in an environment with low metallicity, the process is slightly different. To begin with, such high temperatures are reached in its core that enough energy is generated for the photons to transform into an electron-positron pair. This phenomenon eliminates the pressure exerted by radiation much more suddenly, so that the force exerted by gravity, which is immense, causes the collapse of the star and, later, a very violent explosion. So violent that everything is destroyed, there is no remnant left. The location of SN 2023vbw (magenta circle) on the outskirts of its dwarf host galaxy (green circle). The role of metallicity. The low metallicity of the environment helps because metals normally absorb the radiation coming out of the star, favoring the expulsion of matter outward. If there are few metals, less matter will be extracted from the star and the greater its mass. A blue supergiant in an environment with very low metallicity. The light curves that were detected seem to correspond to a blue supergiant as a starting point. This very massive star, which can be caused by the merger of two stars in a binary system, can give rise to a type II supernova. However, we have already seen that the characteristics do not add up. However, the scientists who analyzed the results found the clue they were missing. That the explosion had occurred in an environment with very low metallicity. It corresponded approximately to a tenth of that of the Sun. It is the missing ingredient for a pairwise instability supernova to occur. A very rare phenomenon. This phenomenon is one of the rarest explosions that occur in the Universe. There are many very massive stars, but in general they are in very metal-rich environments, so a pairwise instability supernova cannot occur. Therefore, this discovery is very exciting. Although it may soon become more common. And not only because of the Vera Rubin Observatory that we have already mentioned. It is also expected that the brand new Nancy Grace Roman from NASA can detect more phenomena of this type when you start doing your work. Until then, detecting stars self-destructing in this way will remain even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. Image | Supernova remnant on cover. Credit: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/G.Cassam-Chenaï, J.Hughes et al.; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/GBT/VLA/Dyer, Maddalena & Cornwell; Optical: Middlebury College/F.Winkler, NOAO/AURA/NSF/CTIO Schmidt & DSS | Hiramatsu et al. In Xataka | Caltech has published the “strongest evidence yet” that an unknown planet exists in the solar system

Barcelona wants to say goodbye to traditional asphalt and thinks it knows how: with olives

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Neither transport nor heating: there is something in cities that generates an enormous amount of carbon dioxide and that usually goes unnoticed. Cities as a whole are responsible for between 67% and 72% of global CO₂ emissions in 2020, according to the IPCCand within them there is a culprit that almost no one points out: the asphalt. Manufacturing traditional asphalt is a process that uses a lot of energy and requires petroleum derivatives (bitumen), aggregates and calcareous filler, a combo with a high carbon footprint. Barcelona has decided attack the problem replacing these materials with agricultural waste that normally goes to the trash. For example, the olive pit. Asphalt made of olives. It is called Biochar and allows reduce 75% of the final carbon dioxide emissions associated with the manufacture of asphalt. As? Using charcoal obtained from olive pits and pine remains to replace the calcareous filler of the conventional asphalt mixture. In addition, initial tests have recorded improvements against water, fewer cracks and better response to temperature changes. Biochar is not something new, in fact it has been used for soils for decades, but its application for urban pavements is. Developed by the company Carboliva together with ELSAN, AMSA and the UPC, it is the winning solution of the urban challenge “The street section of the 21st century”, promoted by Barcelona City Council together with BIT Habitat and the Barcelona Provincial Council. The other selected proposal is RePavimenta and it goes another way: it uses recycled construction components in the aggregates, promising to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the process by half. Biochar, made from olive pits and pine remains. Carboliva Why is it important. Because the construction and infrastructure sector represents approximately 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to IPCC data. On the other hand, the budget allocation for urban pavement maintenance is one of the largest precisely due to its deterioration, so reducing emissions by 75% implies a gesture with an enormous impact and even more so doing it with a material that on paper withstands use better. That one of the raw materials is the olive makes it more relevant, since the Spanish state is a world power: Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, with more than 1.42 million tons in the 24/25 campaign, according to the International Olive Council. This means that there is a huge amount of olive pits available. That is, the waste of one becomes raw material for the other: a kind of symbiosis in a circular economy. Context. Global warming on the one hand (which has a special impact in the cities and their asphalt) and European regulatory pressure are accelerating municipalities to reconsider their construction materials. The European Directive on Energy Efficiency in Buildings and the Construction Products Regulation that the EU is updating require environmental product declarations, which penalizes materials with a high carbon footprint and rewards alternatives such as biochar. In the call there were six proposals that had to present new solutions on the market and it is not the first time: already in 2022 Barcelona launched a call to renew the traditional Barcelona panot. How are they going to do it?. The deadlines for R&D&i and prototypes will be open until September of this year. Afterwards, pilot tests will begin in real works in Barcelona with the help of BIMSA and there will be a subsequent 12-month follow-up to check resistance, duration and possibility of extension. The winning projects will receive 90,000 euros, which according to Barcelona City Council covers around 80% of the total cost of design, testing and monitoring. The first streets with this asphalt will begin to be installed in 2027. Yes, but. The results in the laboratory are tremendously promising, but tests are one thing and reality in real conditions is another, with the dynamic load of traffic, urban pollutants, the climate or clearly improvable maintenance. In fact, already there are studies on the use of biochar in bituminous mixtures that show different results depending on variables depending on the typethe pyrolysis temperature or the substitution percentage. A relevant question if substitution materializes is what the biochar supply chain will look like at scale in terms of quantities and costs. The European Environment Agency warns that innovations based on biowaste face logistical challenges due to geographical dispersion and limited supplies. In Xataka | Spanish roads have a problem in 2026: repairing a kilometer of asphalt is more expensive than ever In Xataka | We invented asphalt for a simple reason: at the beginning of the 20th century, European roads were a dust hell. Cover | Logan Armstrong and John Cameron

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