In 1966 a player from Argentina was sent off but there was no way to explain it to him. Since then there have been yellow and red cards

by

When two people want to understand each other but do not speak the same language, they try to do so by speaking louder, gesticulating or resorting to things they do not understand about borders. And be careful, this is assuming that in football we always want to understand the referee: it would not be the first or the last time that a player acts the Swede when faced with a warning or a substitution… if he is winning, of course. Despite the sui generis speech by Tom Cruise In the last World Cup 2026, in modern football we manage with English (however tacky) and the rules of the IFAB, made up of the four football associations of the United Kingdom and FIFA, which allows anyone to know what it means when the referee team raises the flag or a card suddenly appears. It wasn’t always like this, so imagine the pitched battles that took place. The problem. An Italian and a Chilean go and… no, it’s not a joke: at the beginning of the 60s there were episodes of great violence in football and one of the most sadly remembered matches was the match between Chile and Italy in the 1962 World Cup, so much so that it is known as the “Battle of Santiago“. At that time there were no mechanisms to put a stop to that aggressiveness in the form of fights and fouls that occurred as a result of the heat on the playing field. The World Cup that changed everything. The quarterfinal match between Argentina and England in the 1966 World Cup was a before and after. As pick up the Smithonianat one point, an Argentine player tried to communicate with the (German) referee and his vehement gestures and pleas, impossible for the referee to understand, cost him expulsion for verbal violence. The player refused to leave the field until Kenneth George Aston, a member of the FIFA Referees Committee and also responsible for the refereeing of that World Cup, intervened. In that match the referee Rudolf Kreitlein had warned the English Bobby and Jack Charlton and had expelled the Argentine Antonio Rattinbut it was so unclear in the game that those interested they found out better laterthanks to the press. In fact, so much so that the England coach, Alf Ramsey, He went to a FIFA representative to clear up any doubts. Of course, the heat resulting from the match, the ambient noise and the language barrier between players and referee made understanding each other an impossible mission. Aston came to that conclusion, and he left there determined to change it. The solution. So he set out to do something to make the referee’s decisions clearer for both players and spectators. And something came to mind that everyone knows: traffic lights. Aston counts how it came to him: “As I was driving down Kensington Street in London, the traffic light turned red and I thought: ‘Yellow’, you can still get through; ‘Red’ means stop, out of bounds.” When he got home, he told his wife Hilda about his idea, who they count He disappeared from the room to return a few minutes later with two cardboard cards that fit perfectly in his shirt pocket, thus materializing the idea. The system officially premiered at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, 107 years after the birth of football’s first governing body, and since then it has been adopted in all federations. The power of a simple cardboard. The writer Rob Walker summarizes well the effect that that simple piece of paper has: it has enormous power when a referee displays it in an almost theatrical way in the player’s face. It provokes a stadium full of whistles and exaggerated gestures from the arms of the cautioned player and his teammates. Because everyone knows what it means: the loss of possession of the ball, a free kick and even being left with one less player on the field of play. Kenneth George Aston, who died in 2001, summarized the vision of football where that gesture that he himself invented and that is still valid in each and every match has extreme importance: a dramatic work in two acts with 22 actors and a stage director, the referee, without a script and without a known ending. In Xataka | Argentina 6 – Peru 0: the story of the alleged biggest fixing of the World Cups between dictatorships and missing people In Xataka | There is something in which Uruguay is a true and overwhelming world power: generating elite footballers Cover | Jason Gulledge and Tasnim News Agency

We have been using DEET to repel mosquitoes for years. The only problem is that, done poorly, it’s their favorite food.

by

DEET is one of the ingredients most used in mosquito repellents. That makes us think that, as its name suggests, it repels these insects. He doesn’t like it. However, according to a new study published by Virginia Tech scientists, under certain circumstances, that same substance could become an attractant for mosquitoes. These circumstances, basically, are what occur when we apply repellents without reading the label. Today is a good day to start reading it. From repellent to attractant. These scientists they saw DEET generally repels mosquitoes. However, when they smell it while feeding, it can be associated with a reward. Something like what happened with Pavlov’s dog. When I heard the bell that was normally associated with mealtime, I would start to salivate. If mosquitoes smell DEET while feeding on blood, the next time they smell it they will associate it with food. And of course, they love that. A painful experiment. The experiments that were carried out for the publication of this study consisted of two phases. First, mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypty in a cage connected to two bottles, one with clean air and one with DEET. Inside the cage there was a feeder with blood, from which they could have fed in two circumstances. First, with access only to the clean air vial and then with the DEET vial open, since the second vial was opened while they were feeding. In the second phase of the experiment, one of the researchers put his two arms into the cage, one with DEET and one without, and waited to see the behavior of the mosquitoes. Those who had blood-fed only with clean air went only to the arm without DEET. However, those who ate under the influence of DEET they preferred the arm with the repellent. just a little. In reality, the repellent effect of DEET is a reality. At adequate doses, it continues to repel mosquitoes. What has been seen in this study is that it becomes an attractive when they smell it in the background while feeding. Therefore, the problem is allowing them to feed while they smell it. A person who has too little, either because they have not applied enough repellent or because they applied it a long time ago, may not adequately repel the insect. It reaches your skin and feeds on your blood, while smelling a remnant. This remnant generates the aforementioned reward effect and, then, little by little you may stop disliking it. If every time we smelled the garbage they gave us 10,000 euros, would we still find it unpleasant? The importance of reading the label. Not all mosquito repellents have the same concentration of DEET. Therefore, you do not always have to apply the same amount or reapply at the same time. It is important to read the label, because if we use too little repellent or do not reapply it when necessary, we can generate the effect that was seen in the study. It’s not entirely clear. It should be noted that all this is not safe. This was seen in laboratory experiments. For now, it cannot be known if in reality, with DEET included in commercial repellents and mosquitoes flying freely, the same will happen. Furthermore, in the experiment the mosquitoes began to smell the DEET while they were already feeding whereas in real conditions the smell would be there from the beginning. More studies will have to be done, perhaps again with painful consequences for researchers and volunteers. Meanwhile, when in doubt, remember to read the labels carefully. Oh really. Images | NIAID In Xataka | Mosquitoes attack me in summer and I tried these TikTok tricks to get rid of them

Losing weight with Ozempic is emptying the bodies. The beauty industry already knows how to fill them: with corpse fat

by

If you have ever lost weight, you have surely found yourself in this situation: the scale shows fewer kilos and your pants fit looser, but you have lost volume in unexpected (and unwanted) areas while others remain more or less the same. Spoiler: fat loss is not uniform. Whether you are on a diet or not, there is always the option of undergoing cosmetic surgery to remedy it, but of course: we are talking about a surgical intervention with all that it entails. Something has come to cover both gaps: that of avoiding surgery and those that allow you to lose weight: an injectable made from corpse fat. A “miraculous” injection with a peculiar ingredient. CNN account precisely the case of a 43-year-old lawyer from Los Angeles who had been considering breast augmentation for 20 years, but was held back by pain, recovery and the idea of ​​carrying “a strange bag” on her body. Last year he found the solution in AlloClae, which is the name of this injectable manufactured by Tiger Aesthetics. Designed for body contouring and soft tissue correction, the raw material is fat from donated corpses that, after following a treatment approved by the US Drug Agency and which, according to the manufacturer, eliminates the DNA of the deceased, is ready to be applied with an injection. Unlike classic fat grafts, in which healthcare personnel extract fat from the patient with luposuction and return it to another area, AlloClae arrives ready to use. Dead fat? Since May 2025, its manufacturer has reported more than 2,000 patients treated and on Reddit there is several threads with doubts. And be careful, the idea is not new: Renuvafrom the nonprofit MTF Biologics, has been injecting cadaver fat for more than a decade. But there is a substantial difference: size. While Renuva injects a maximum of three cubic centimeters, Alloclae reaches up to 25 cubic centimeters. Why now. Having a less invasive alternative to surgery for cosmetic touch-ups is always an incentive to carry them out, but the driving force behind this trend is GLP-1 drugs. In a society like the United States, where 11% use Ozempic-type medications to lose weight, many people face unwanted volume loss in parts of their body. According to the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Indexabout 11% of Americans currently use medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy to lose weight, and many patients lose unwanted facial or body volume. So after losing weight, these people seek to regain volume in places such as the face, chest or buttocks, says plastic surgeon Luis Macias. How it works. The procedure is applied in consultation, so there is no need to go to a hospital or general anesthesia. In just one hour it has already concluded and as Sandra accountthe instructions for the “postoperative” are “surprisingly simple.” Everything seems so simple that since January of this year it is not even necessary to be a plastic surgeon: nursing professionals and assistants can also apply it, although with certain restrictions. About legality and ethics. Before you die, you can give your consent for organ donation or to give your body to science. In the United States, the former are governed by federal law, but the body and tissues are a separate case whose legislation varies by state. That difference has already cost Tiger Aesthetics dearly: New York blocked distribution of the product, and the company has sued the state seeking at least $500,000 for lost sales, while it looks for new knitting banks in other states to continue growing. The problem is not so much legal as consent: in that form they give you does not appear explicitly if you want to donate your tissues to make Alloclae. It only allows you to check whether the donor authorizes their tissue to be used for research, commercial purposes, or without restrictions. That is to say: there are companies making money with a gesture intended as altruistic, without the donor really knowing what their body will become. In Xataka | Ozempic has radically redefined what we eat and how much we eat. And the ultra-processed ones are taking advantage of it In Xataka | We believed that with Ozempic, people who lost weight exercised more. we believed wrong Cover | Lobacheva Ina and Haberdoedas

Hadrian’s toilet reveals a new secret about the durability of Roman concrete

by

One of the best kept secrets of the Roman Empire is What was special about your concrete? so that Agrippa’s Pantheon has been there for 2,000 years (and what remains). From time to time science and archeology believe you have discovered the secret and for example, a button: this half-finished work in Pompeii left clues. We have found the umpteenth attempt to explain why concrete is no longer made like it used to be in an emperor’s toilet. The discovery. To date the explanation for the resistance of Roman concrete is in the reaction between lime and volcanic ash (a pozzolanic reaction), but a new study adds one more ingredient to the recipe: natural carbonation and the progressive formation of calcite were also important for this construction material to withstand the passage of time so well. In addition to the ingredient, the curious thing is where they took the sample from: from the concrete collector located under one of the seats of one of the common latrines in the western complex of the Canopus, in Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. From a toilet. Why is it important. Because beyond the pozzolanic reaction, what really holds concrete together over the centuries is calcite. So the formation of calcite over centuries also helps the structures of these latrines to remain standing two millennia later. Knowing this mechanism opens the doors to the design of modern cements that are more durable. Context. Before we thought that all the merit fell on the reaction between the lime and the ash and be careful, that explanation is still valid, but it is not the only one. Furthermore, previous research such as this MIT study from 2023 pointed out that the white fragments of lime present in the concrete were proof that the Romans used a “hot mix” technique, which gave this construction material the ability to self-heal when cracks appeared. In detail. From 3D images, the team rebuilt in detail the internal composition of the material and what chemical processes it underwent over the centuries. Thus, they verified that calcite was formed through a slow reaction between lime, humidity and carbon dioxide in the air (carbonation) and that mineral progressively filled cracks and pores, making the concrete denser and blocking the passage of potentially harmful substances or even water. The volcanic rock fragments also reacted with the lime in the edge area, which strengthened the bond. Yes, but. The main limitation of this study is that it is based in a single sample from an indoor environment, so the conclusions obtained cannot be directly extrapolated to other Roman concretes studied outdoors or in marine environments, where Different self-repair mechanisms have been described with salt water. We will have to wait for the results to be replicated in other samples and sites before reaching a general conclusion. In Xataka | Almost 2,000 years ago a Celtiberian soldier visited the most remote frontier of the Roman Empire. Then he returned to Soria with a souvenir In Xataka | The latest victim of mass tourism (and perhaps Game of Thrones): Hadrian’s Wall Cover | Jl FilpoC and Mineralized carbonates contribute to the millennial durability of Roman concrete. Advanced Science

It is one of the most enigmatic books in the world and it was written by a schizophrenic who never left the asylum.

by

In 1921, a Swiss psychiatrist published a book with a title that sounded like a contradiction: one of his inmates, a mentally ill patient, was an artist. And from that oxymoron an entire discipline was founded. The man in question, Adolf Wölfli, never knew it: he had been locked up in the Waldau asylum for more than two decades when he was labeled, and he would die there without knowing that André Breton would place his work among the three or four most important of the 20th century. Who was it? Wölfli was born on February 29, 1864 near Bern and died on November 6, 1930 in the aforementioned Waldau psychiatric clinic, where he entered in 1895 after being convicted of sexual assault on minors. There he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and he also remained there for thirty-five years, without ever going out on the street again. He almost always worked in a cell of just seven square meters: the result There were 1,460 drawings, 1,560 collages and some 25,000 pages of writings with all kinds of creations, from texts to invented music, and all often bound by himself. The obrón The autobiographical fantasy that started his legend, ‘Von der Wiege bis zum Graab’ (‘From the cradle to the grave’), takes up just over 3,000 of those pages and was created between 1908 and 1912. Then came the geographical and algebraic notebooks (1912-1916), the song and dance notebooks (1917-1922, about 7,000 pages) and the dance and march album notebooks (1924-1928). He even created a funeral march that he left unfinished when he died. To the heavens In that narrative he promoted himself in stages: first he was the boy Doufi, then the Knight Adolf, then the Emperor Adolf and finally, Saint Adolf II. Each drawing also incorporated its own musical notation, with a staff of six lines instead of five, which Wölfli interpreted by rolling up a sheet of paper. He did not simply improvise: he also made small pieces that he called “bread art”, expressly designed to sell to doctors and visitors. The good doctor. None of this would have come out of Waldau without Walter Morgenthaler. The doctor arrived at the hospital in 1907 and, unlike his colleagues, did not treat Wölfli’s graphic impulse as a symptom that had to be contained, but as a production that would give free rein to many aspects of his illness. In 1921 he published ‘Ein Geisteskranker als Künstler’ (‘A mentally ill person as an artist’), a monograph that took Wölfli out of clinical anonymity and turned his work into an object of interest for two very different circles of thinkers: psychiatry and the artistic avant-garde. Brute art. Jean Dubuffet discovered Wölfli’s work in 1945 and called him “the great Wölfli”, according to herself. foundation that manages his legacy. Three years later, Dubuffet and Breton founded the Compagnie de l’Art Brut, thus creating the label that would bring together artists with no academic training or intention to exhibit. In 1965, in the catalog for a surrealist exhibition in Paris, Breton described Wölfli’s work as one of the three or four most important of the century. The definitive accolade came in 1972: the Swiss curator Harald Szeemann brought his drawings and writings to the influential art exhibition Document 5 of Kassel, along with a reconstruction of his cell. There are those who compare today the whole of his work with ‘In the Realms of the Unreal’, the equally excessive manuscript by the American Henry Darger. Both Wölfli and Darger unintentionally earned a space in history: someone outside of them decided, after their death or imprisonment, that it deserved to be contemplated as an artistic work. Since then, there have been exhibitions about Wölfli, some huge, like the one in Japan in 2017, which included the collective efforts of three museums. Where is. A good part of Wölfli’s 25,000 pages are still distributed among archives and private collections, as well as in partial catalogs published since the 1970s. The foundation maintains an open inventory and continues to incorporate pieces that reappear at auctions or donations. He also continues to receive inquiries from private collectors who locate loose sheets and want to confirm their provenance within the original notebooks. With no expected closing date for this documentation work, each piece that appears forces us to rewrite, even if just a little, the map of what Wölfli managed to produce in those seven square meters. A whole world. In Xataka | Someone has discovered the biggest mystery of Rembrandt’s work: why a Muslim ended up becoming an old Dutchman

review with features, price and specifications

by

At home, I have already mentioned on occasion that I have quite a few smart speakers distributed throughout different rooms. Therefore, when they asked me if I wanted to try a classic Bluetooth speakerI didn’t doubt it. After all, I use my speakers primarily for listen to musicand this model focuses precisely on that. In this case, it is an LG speaker, specifically the xboom Rock. It is a small and compact model, ready to take anywhere during your vacation, as it is designed to resist bumps and splashes. I have not subjected it to military tests, but I have used it intensively these days to tell you what I thought. ✅ Buy it if… You want an affordable speaker that can accompany you to the pool or the beach (but without disturbing the towel-clad neighbors, eh?). You are looking for a speaker capable of withstanding bumps and splashes, and that you can also hang from your backpack or attach to your bicycle. You use Apple Music, they have integrated it very well. ❌ Don’t buy it if… You are looking for a lightweight Bluetooth speaker, because this one weighs more than usual. You want a speaker with a lot of sound power. The essentials in 30 seconds I am going to tell you in a few paragraphs what I thought of this speaker and clarify the main doubts. At first, its robust and resistant appearance draws attention. Even the cord makes it clear that it is designed to withstand intense use. The sound quality is quite high if we take into account its price and size, although we cannot demand much more from it. If you have an Apple Music account, this model may be especially interesting for you, since includes a configurable smart button which allows one-touch access to Apple Music or its own alternative such as LG Radio+. If you don’t want to complicate things, you can simply connect it via Bluetoothlike any other device, and send the music without further ado. However, to get the most out of it and take advantage of the equalizer functions or the artificial intelligence options to adjust the sound, you will have to download the corresponding application. LG xboom Rock by will.i.am | Bluetooth Speaker | Exclusive xboom Sound with Resistant and Compact Design | Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Our experience with Xboom Rock LG xboom Rock | Image: Xataka A speaker that attracts attention. When you take it out of the box, the first thing that attracts you is its youthful appearance. With rubber edges and a lanyard (which LG calls the Magic Strap), you won’t be afraid of it slipping through all your friends’ hands at summer gatherings. Accident proof. It complies with the MIL-STD-810H standard and offers resistance to impacts and splashes, so there is no fear of possible impacts or water. In my tests, it has withstood use in the pool, the shower and some falls without problems, although this robustness makes it heavier than other speakers of a similar size. The interesting thing begins when you turn it on. When you turn it on, the simple sound of turning on already denotes a certain power, considering the size. And it’s not complicated to use: you can do it simply by connecting it via Bluetooth and, if you want to get more out of it, using the LG ThinQ app. From there we can control the sound effects and access more settings. Among them, there are three that stand out: The Party Link function, which allows you to connect several speakers that, of course, must be LG and compatible with Auracast. The My function, designed to play music quickly by simply pressing the Smart button on the speaker. The FYI.AI mode, which allows you to use voice commands from the app by holding down the Smart button on the speaker. A nice sound. The first time I turned it on, I have to admit that the sound caught my attention: good bass and clear sound. Of course, don’t be willing to turn it to the maximum because it starts to sound a bit canned. For outdoors, the sound is relatively powerful, but if there is too much ambient noise you will have to increase the volume, and there you will lose quality. In this sense, being able to connect two speakers without cables is of great help. For a whole day at the beach. The manufacturer claims that it has ten hours of autonomy and it has lasted almost nine for me: more than enough for a good day of music, without worrying about having to charge it. And if you run out of battery, charging it won’t be a problem because it’s USB-C compatible. LG advertises a charging time of three hours, but I have used a 100W charger and it took much less. It will depend on the charger you use. LG xboom Rock technical sheet Lg xboom rock power 6W endurance It is IP67 certified, making it resistant to dust and brief immersion in water. Has military grade durability (MIL-STD-810H) other functions AI Sound Clear Voice EQ by App Bass Boost Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4 USB C measures 94 x 98 x 46mm Battery Charging Time 3 hours autonomy Up to 10 hours of continuous playback Price 58.99 euros LG xboom Rock by will.i.am | Bluetooth Speaker | Exclusive xboom Sound with Resistant and Compact Design | Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG xboom Rock, Xataka’s opinion After a few days of testing, I have to admit that this little speaker has convinced me. Taking into account the limitations typical of its size and price, it offers quite good bass and also stands out for the clarity of the sound but as long as you do not abuse the power: from a high volume it sounds canned and that is when its older (and more expensive) brothers make more sense. … Read more

A group of astronauts without medical training has taken the world’s first X-ray in orbit: it is a brutal advance

by

For more than sixty years, astronauts have only had one tool to diagnose possible injuries in orbit: the ultrasound machine. Now, for the first time, a crew has managed to take diagnostic X-rays of their own bodies while orbiting Earth, a milestone that completely changes what will be possible on future missions to the Moon and Mars. We tell you all the details. Why it is important. Until now, if an astronaut suffered a fracture or internal injury in space, ultrasound was the only option available, a technology that requires a lot of prior training and depends on a physical medium to transmit sound waves. The problem is that as the duration and distance of space missions increase, so does the risk of serious medical problems occurring. For this reason, having X-rays in space would allow, for example, to confirm a fracture in a matter of minutes, something that until now was not possible, according to explained to ScienceAlert Dr. Sheyna Gifford, aerospace medicine researcher at the Mayo Clinic and promoter of the project. In detail. The experiment was carried out during Fram2a private SpaceX mission that in March 2025 took four first-time astronauts to circle the Earth above the poles for three and a half days aboard a Crew Dragon capsule. None of them were medical personnel, since They received only four hours of training before takeoff to learn how to operate a portable, commercial X-ray machine, about the size of a beach cooler. Before leaving they took x-rays of a hand, forearm, chest, abdomen and pelvis for reference. In orbit they repeated those same images, and also added another of a smart watch. The test was a success. Back on Earth, three independent radiologists compared the images taken in orbit with those before the flight, according to the study. published in Radiology magazine. The verdict was positive, because although the x-rays captured in Earth’s gravity had somewhat higher quality, those taken in space were perfectly valid for diagnosing injuries such as fractures. The images of hands and arms, which are easier to keep still, came out better than those of the chest, abdomen or pelvis, areas where it was more difficult to achieve a good body position. The device also survived the trip with only superficial damage to its exterior after landing, and the entire crew agreed that it was easy to use despite the little training received. And now what. The next step, according to Giffordinvolves further reducing the size of this equipment and making it more resistant for future missions, since although it may be compact in itself on Earth, as long as the technology can be miniaturized in space missions, the better. Portable X-rays would not only be used to diagnose astronauts. And they could also be used to check hidden damage in space suits, electronics or damaged satellites, and even be installed in future vehicles that explore the lunar surface. The researcher herself also aims to bring this technology to rural areas far from large hospitals, where an autonomous and low-cost system could improve access to rapid diagnoses. Images | Radiology In Xataka | Julia de Marines, astrobiologist: “Any planet that has developed intelligence should have noosignatures, a physical history of cognitive activity”

The wasp that hunts bees to feed its young is already present throughout Andalusia, and it is not the only one

by

Andalusia, land of (invasive) wasps. As if the fearsome asian wasp (vespa velutina) and the bicolor hornet (Vespa bicolor), the eastern hornet joins the triad (Vespa orientalis) as the CSIC explains and it has done so in record time: it did not take even six to colonize the eight provinces of the community since its first detection in Algeciras and has already been seen in the Valencia area and on the central plateau. He is reddish, with a yellow face and has a voracious hunger for bees. The question is not whether the eastern hornet is here to stay, but how far it can go. Habemus new wasp. This invasive wasp native to South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa has been colonizing southern Europe for the last few decades. The first sighting of the eastern hornet dates back to 2018 in Algeciras and since then has settled in urban and agricultural areas throughout Andalusia, although the provinces of Cádiz, Málaga, Seville and Córdoba are the most affected. The Junta de Andalucía estimates the growth in records between 2023 and 2024 at 30% and it does not seem that it will stop there: an analysis with data from 2024 counted 695 sightings of the species in Spain as a whole. As explains the researcher at the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC Jairo Robla“they are resistant and very competitive species, capable of dealing with everything” and the success of their expansion lies in their great capacity to adapt to new ecosystems. The habits ofthe eastern hornet. In Córdoba there is a surveillance program that documents the annual biological cycle of the species: appearance of founding queens in mid-March, first workers in June and end of the cycle around November, with nests usually installed in holes in human buildings. From there the colony grows until summer and autumn, which is when there are more wasps. In November the colony almost entirely dies. This is an omnivorous and opportunistic species: first the queen feeds on plant sources such as flowers or molasses and also hunts other insects such as flies, bees, birds or butterflies, to provide protein for her larvae. Hives are a real feast: an easy way to feed your young. How to distinguish it from the European wasp. The simplest way is the color: the eastern hornet has a reddish-copper body with two wide yellow stripes on the abdomen, each with two black dots. On the face, a characteristic yellow spot. It measures between 25 and 35 millimeters. The European hornet (Vespa crabro), the only native species of the genus in Spain, is somewhat larger (queens reach 4 centimeters), has a brown thorax and a yellow abdomen with black stripes more marked than that of the eastern one. Another way to differentiate them is where they nest: while the European hornet usually settles in trees, slopes or natural cavities, the eastern one has a predilection for urban environments, nesting in gaps in facades, blind boxes, roofs or walls, as documented by the IAS-CSIC monitoring in Córdoba. In case of doubt, the IAS-CSIC research team recommends not intervening and contacting the competent municipal services. Early detection of founding queens is essential: eliminating them at this stage prevents the formation of large colonies. In detail. The map of the expansion prepared by Robla’s team shows a progressive advance from the initial focus in Cádiz towards the interior and south of Andalusia, with Córdoba as one of the provinces where new detections have been recorded in recent years. By the end of 2024, the eastern hornet was already established in all provinces, with doubts only about its definitive establishment in Granada. To prepare them, they use photos and videos that people upload to platforms such as Observation.org or iNaturalist and subsequent validation by the research team, which allows them to cover a much broader territory. Map A shows the spread of the oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). The colors indicate the year of registration: until 2021 (black), 2022 (blue), 2023 (green) and 2024 (red). Why is it important. That oriental hornets feed on honey bees and other pollinators is a real ecological and economic problem, as warns Robla for Canal Sur: When the density of hornets is high, damage to hives and the biodiversity of nearby areas can be serious. Selective predation on pollinators can have a cascading effect on agriculture, since crop pollination is reduced, and on beekeeping, a relevant economic sector in Andalusia. In Xataka | From pest in Southern Spain to “super food” for fish: we already know what to do with 60,000 tons of invasive Asian algae In Xataka | The Ebro is filling with brown prawns, an invasive species that we are going to find more and more on our plates. Cover | Gideon Pisanty and Buzzworthy invasions: new data on alien Vespa (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) hornets in southern Spain

Your body has been regulating temperature on its own for thousands of years. Until the air conditioning arrived and told him “calm down, I’ll take care of it” (it doesn’t turn out well)

by

Air conditioning is our best friend in summer. However, just as we are not attached 24/7 to our best friends, We shouldn’t do it with the air conditioning either.. With your friend it is not good because you would run out of gossip to tell him, but with air conditioning the problem is that it can be dangerous for your health. And for your pocket, logically. Thermoregulator, what for? As explained in an article by Meteoredone of the biggest problems with overusing air conditioning is that our natural thermoregulation system becomes a little lazy. Human beings are homeothermic animals. This means that we remain at a stable temperature, around 36.5ºC, regardless of whether it is 0ºC or 42ºC outside. To do this, we have mechanisms such as sweating in the heat or shivering in the cold. However, we usually make these adaptations with natural temperature fluctuations. If we spend the day at 19ºC air conditioning, when we go outside, our body will have a harder time adapting as it normally would. It is something that also seen during sleep. Thanks to circadian rhythms, our body temperature drops little by little during the night to help us fall asleep. However, if we lower it artificially and suddenly, it will be much more difficult for us to rest. dry mucous membranes. Air conditioning not only lowers the temperature. It also dries out the air. And if the air dries out, so do our mucous membranes. We have all noticed that dry nose and throat feeling when we spend a lot of time with the air conditioning. In fact, it is especially noticeable at night. The big problem with this is that one of our protective barriers against the entry of respiratory pathogens is precisely the humidity of the mucous membranes, which allows the movement of structures, called cilia, that keep viruses and bacteria at bay. The cold does not cause colds, it is a widespread myth. Viruses are what cause colds, so if there is none in the environment we will not get sick. However, if the cold of the air conditioning has dried out our mucous membranes and there is a virus lurking around, it will be much more difficult for us to defend ourselves. Muscle pain. When we spend a lot of time under air conditioning, our muscles cool down and tend to shrink to better generate and retain heat, so it is common for us to hurt. No more than 12 ºC difference. Logically, air conditioning is necessary. However, we should neither abuse it nor put it too cold. As explained to EFE Health Dr. Sandra Dorado, coordinator of the area of ​​Respiratory Diseases of Occupational and Environmental Origin (EROM) of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), more than 12 ºC of difference when moving from one room to another is already considered unhealthy. We must try not to exceed this difference and, if possible, acclimatize before going out suddenly. Furthermore, it is important clean air conditioning filters regularly. This will prevent asthma problems and respiratory infections from breathing poor quality air. That being said, keep using the air conditioning, just like you would hang out with your best friend. But allow time without seeing each other for gossip to arise between you, and when you are together, treat it well. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | These days I’m having a hard time falling asleep because of the heat. But put this device on and sleep soundly

We’ve been using sunscreen for thousands of years, even though we didn’t know we needed it at first.

by

Nowadays We are quite aware of the importance of sunscreen. In the past they were not so clear about it, but they used it anyway. Normally, substances were used to lighten the skin or prevent it from darkening, since dark skin was associated with the lower classes of society. The upper classes did not want to appear from the lower classes and some people from the lower classes did not want to be noticed, so all kinds of concoctions were devised aimed at maintaining their whitish complexion. Over time, and with all the knowledge we have today, some scientists have dedicated themselves to analyzing those formulas and the truth is that, although some were anything but healthy, others were safe and even effective. Does that mean we should use them today? Logically not. We have much better studied options. But for the times in which they were developed, some were not bad at all. When it was worth it with the melanin itself. The first humans they lived in Africaso their skin was prepared to be intensely exposed to solar radiation, thanks to very high levels of melanin. Over time, as he Homo sapiens It was distributed to other parts of the world, so much melanin was no longer necessary, so the skin became lighter. The problem is that less solar radiation does not mean any, so little by little people found themselves having to look for a replacement for the melanin they had lost. They didn’t know why they needed it, but they were looking for it. The Egyptians and their cosmetics manufacturing skills. In ancient Egypt, cosmetics played a very important role. Makeup and creams and oils were used to moisturize the skin, improve physical appearance or as a status symbol. Even some cosmetic products had religious and ritual purposes. For all this, it is not strange that among the Egyptians there were great formulators. Many of their mixtures were useless, but some did have interesting and understandable applications with the science we know today. In this last drawer is found sunscreen based on jasmine, rice and lupine (the plant from which lupins are obtained). The goal of this mixture was to keep the skin as white as possible. They did not know that solar radiation can be harmful. However, they were protecting themselves from them, since today we know that rice bran absorbs ultraviolet light, jasmine helps repair DNA, and lupine lightens the skin. They weren’t just protecting themselves. They also repaired any damage that may have already occurred and kept the skin clearer. From the Greeks to the Romans. The Greeks used olive oil to protect yourself from the sun and, above all, to care for your skin after exposure. Although they were not aware of the magnitude of the problem, they did see that the skin was suffering from sun exposure, so they made their own aftersun. Today we know that olive oil has an SPF of 8. Too low, but better than later options and certainly better than not wearing anything at all. As for the Romans, They were among the first to use zinc oxide to prevent their skin from darkening. This substance is still used today as a physical filter in many sunscreens, so they aimed their shot very well. They were also used in India and China. Beware of lead. In Japan, white skin was a clear symbol of status and female beauty. For this reason, women smeared themselves with lead powder. It was also used by European women in the 16th and 17th centuries, usually mixed with water and vinegar, in a mixture known as venetian ceruse. In both cases, it was used because, being a thick, white powder, it gave them a mask effect that imitated the appearance of a very white complexion. Therefore, there was no protection at all. On the contrary, since lead It is highly toxic. The first sunscreens. In 1801, the chemist Johan Wilhem Ritter discovered UV radiation, although its harmful effects on the skin were not known until 1820, when a doctor named Sir Everard Home determined that these radiations, coming from the Sun, are harmful and that the skin itself defends itself through pigmentation. As a result of this last discovery, an attempt was made to make sunscreen with tannins, such as those of red grapes. However, the dark effect it left on the skin was not very well received. Over time, different options were tested, including zinc oxide from the Romans. Nowadays we know much better about the effects of the sun and sunscreen. In the end, many of these formulas from ancient civilizations were not so wrong. Nowadays we know the effects of this and other physical filters, as well as chemical ones, which do not create a barrier on the skin, but rather absorb radiation. All of them, deep down, are the result of thousands of years of curiosity and research. Because it’s true that the first humans to make sunscreen weren’t even making it for the right reason. But the fact is that, for whatever reason, they did it. We have instinctively protected ourselves forever. That a tanned footballer Don’t make us go back to the past. Images | Magnificent In Xataka | Science warns of the dangerous success of anti-suncream hoaxes on TikTok: “Despite being a minority, this content is influential”

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.