Month: August 2025

The AI does not stop stealing internet content to improve. And the Internet has swollen the noses

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That Reddit blocks the action to the Archive Internet is a tragedy. And also a way of stopping a voracious and implacable The price to be paid for having ia It is the looting of all the internet content. In Reddit they know it well, and they have just taken an extreme measure against those indiscriminate robberies: it is not that Block access to their contents to the ‘scrapers’ of the companies of AI directly. Now they also block them if these companies try to access with rodeos. The injured party? Internet Archive. What happened. Reddit, who has always been very proactive when protecting “their” contents (which, by the way, have been generated by users voluntarily and free), has realized something: they were stealing them. But not directly, but through previous versions stored in that gigantic digital hemeroteca library called Internet Archive. Wayback Machine without access. Wayback Machine is the “Machine in Time” of the Internet Archive, and allows access to old versions of any website. But to avoid more content theft, Reddit has banned this platform to index the vast majority of Reddit content. Only the Reddit.com home page can be indexed. Reddit’s argument. Tim Rathschmidt, spokesman for Reddit, explained In The Verge That although Internet Archive is a service aimed at the open web, they had discovered “cases in which artificial intelligence companies violate the platform policies, including ours, and extract data from Wayback Machine.” In addition, he pointed out the following: “Until they are able to defend their site and comply with the policies of the platform (for example, respect the privacy of users, in relation to the elimination of deleted content), we are limiting part of their access to Reddit data to protect Reddit users.” If you want our contents, pay. That message from the spokesman is reasonable, but as little is incomplete. Especially since Reddit has persecuted that kind of looting of AI companies. He has tried to block those who did it with technical means, and the goal both before and now was the same: that companies pay for their contents. It is something that has achieved with the agreements that have reached since this type of processes began. The first thing he did was close his APIa disaster for all the Internet. Then he ended up reaching a Google agreement, which pays 60 million dollars a year In order to have access to those contents. And the same ended up with OpenAiwith which he sealed a pact whose economic details have not been unveiled but that gives access to Reddit’s contents to the models that enhance chatgpt. My content is mine (more or less). Social platforms have been nourishing the content of users for years. Until now the business model focused on advertising, but the arrival of AI has allowed us to have an interesting alternative model: that the companies of AI pay for being able to access those contents. Users barely win, Reddit and social networks do. Contents affirming that they are his – as Reddit, which in June He sued Anthropic– But that actually created the users of these platforms, who without realizing have become slaves of these social networks: they do not stop producing content that others consume, and do so without charging a euro. These platforms are intermediaries that provide the necessary infrastructure for this content to be available for free, but there are hardly any consideration for creators. Only a few can make a living on YouTube, Tiktok or Instagram for example. In Reddit exist Some metallic remuneration for the “taxpayers” who create the most for the platform. Cloudflare and content locks. Content companies are beginning to act in a similar way, and in the last two years we have seen how some editorial groups –Including haste– They reach agreements with AI companies so that they can use their contents. You Shall Not Pass! However, there are companies that go further. We have as clear example to Cloudflare, which has created a system so that companies that use their services can block the “Crawlers of AI” that try to steal their contents. If you are a cloudflare customer, you can activate that block, thus avoiding the problem or at least putting it Much more difficult to the AI companies that try to train their models with your data. Media and platforms such as The Associated Press, Fortune, Time or Stack Overflow are some of the companies that are already using said system. Quid Pro quo. This cat and mouse game is especially striking for the entire content creation segment, because IA companies use All shortcuts that can to capture (and steal) That data, Have or not copyright. What Reddit raises is a model in which creators compensate for the AI to take that data. Or more than creators, platforms that serve as their meeting and showcase. Media groups and audiovisual content producers have an interesting opportunity here Before the potential traffic collapse caused by solutions like Google AI Overviews. In Xataka | The “digital decomposition”: how 38% of the websites that existed in 2013 have disappeared from the Internet

Europe is preparing for a large -scale war

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That the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 activated all alerts in the rest of Europe is beyond doubt. First there was a warm way “Rearme”then they began to appear Ideas from the past and the first initiatives (special mention to the Automobile industry) where it was perceived that something was brewing. Then it was confirmed that it would start on the roadswith Italy giving the exit gun with An impossible architecture For war propaganda. However, nothing like satellites to betray the real state of things. Unprecedented reindustrialization. I told it in exclusive the Financial Times. The European arms industry has entered an accelerated expansion phase, multiplying by three the usual growth rate in peacetime and adding more than 7 million square meters In new facilities. A analysis From the medium based on radar data from Sentinel-1 satellites of the European Space Agency, which covered 150 facilities of 37 companies, reveals that a third of the locations dedicated to ammunition and missiles shows clear signs of extension or construction. It is a generational change that is displacing the production model “just in time” towards an industrial base capable of sustaining a foot of prolonged warwith deep implications for the defensive capacity of the continent and the sustainability of the supply to Ukraine. The role of the ASAP program. Much of this expansion is linked to European program Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), endowed with 500 million euros To solve bottlenecks in the manufacture of ammunition and missiles. Of the 88 sites associated with ASAP, 20 show substantial extensionsincluding new factories and roads, while 14 record minor improvements such as parking. The plants dedicated to projectiles (especially 155 mm artillery) concentrate the bulk of the works, reflecting their strategic priority. Thanks to these investments, the annual ammunition production capacity in Europe will go from 300,000 units before the war about 2 million At the end of this year, with companies Like Rheinmetall increasing its production of 155 mm projectiles of 70,000 in 2022 to 1.1 million planned by 2027. Outstanding expansions. In Várpalota, Hungary, Rheinmetall and the state -owned N7 Holding They have opened A 30 mm ammunition plant for the combat vehicle KF41 LYNXwhich in the future will manufacture artillery projectiles, ammunition for Leopard 2 and Panther, and will have its own explosive plant. In Germany, MBDA expands its headquarters in Schrobesen with support of 10 million euros from the ASAP and a NATO contract for 5.6 billion dollars to produce up to 1,000 missiles Patriot Gem-T in European land. Norway has opened a Kongsberg plant, financed with 62 million dollarswhile Bae Systems invests More than 150 million of pounds in the United Kingdom, including multiplication for 16 of its 155 mm projectile production capacity in its Glascoed plant, Wales. Economic impact. Although potential production increases, industrial and governmental responsible They warn that the real volume will still be below the installed capacity, and that certain areas remain vulnerable. Experts like Fabian Hoffmann They point out thatTo sustain deterrence against Russia, NATO must reinforce its ability to long -range missileswhose manufacturing is limited by the low production of miniature reaction engines and explosive loads. These elements, together with aerial defense systems and drones, appear as possible objectives of a new European program of 1.5 billion euros that would replicate The ASAP model and would encourage joint purchase. The delicate balance. The current growth is result both European funds and national orders, reflecting a political convergence around the need to increase industrial mass. However, this impulse faces the budget pressure from which We have already spokentogether with the complexity of supply chains and global technological competition. In Baiba Braže wordsLastonia Foreign Minister, it is a “very positive and necessary” advance, but whose effectiveness will depend on the industry being ready to respond to The growing demand of NATO and that public resources are used effectively. If you want also, the challenge for Europe does not seem only to increase productive capacity, but to maintain it In the long termguaranteeing that the effort to rearma that is promoted so much is not diluted if the political or economic context changes. Image | Rawpixel In Xataka | Europe has realized that the rearme must begin on the roads: a Russian invasion would unleash a fatal congestion In Xataka | If Europe rearma we will find a problem that will affect us all: cars and trains

The agreement with the US seemed to pave the way to Nvidia in China. Now is the Asian giant who begins to close the door

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The agreement with Washington had allowed Nvidia sell again Your H20 chip In China. It was a door that opened after months of restrictions. Now, the Chinese authorities have begun to close it slowly: According to Financial Timesand Reutersthey have summoned Alibaba, Bytedance, Tencent and other companies to explain why they buy H20 instead of using local processors. The gesture is not symbolic, several of them are rethinking their orders, and the new scrutiny comes while Beijing encourages a prioritize domestic alternatives. Nvidia developed the H20 in direct response to the export limitations that the United States imposed at the end of 2023. For a time it was its star product for Chinese clients, until this year it was again blocked by a new Washington decision. In July 2025, the veto rose after an agreement with the Trump administration for Nvidia would transfer 15% of the income of some advanced chip sales in Chinaaccording to Reuters. That turn reopened the door, but also unleashed criticism in the United States for its supposed impact on China’s capabilities. A historical agreement that now faces resistance Authorities such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Mits, people aware of the situation, and the administration of the cyberspace of China, CAC, according to Reuters, have held meetings with companies such as Alibaba, Bytedance, Tencent and Baidu. They have asked them Why don’t they turn to national alternatives and have expressed their disapproval for the use of H20 in government or security areas. They have also raised doubts about the information that Nvidia asks to send to Washington for review. As a result, several companies have begun to reconsider their orders, according to Financial Times, although Reuters points out that it was not ordered to stop shopping. Concerns are not limited to preference for local chips. The Internet regulator asked NVIDIA to clarify whether H20 could involve risks for Chinese user data, including the possibility of “backdoors.” In this sense, Beijing has expressed concern for functions such as remote shutdown or location tracking. Nvidia, as we have seen before, He denies these capacities and argues that H20 is not a military product or for government infrastructure. According to Financial Times, Huawei, Cambricon and other Chinese manufacturers have increased their presence in the market since the H20 was subject to restrictions. Beijing has reinforced the message of technological self -sufficiency and encourage large platforms to opt for local suppliers. Now, it is no secret that the lack of access to advanced manufacturing equipment, Like the latest generation lithography, it is still an obstacle. Despite this, the demand for national chips grows thanks to political support and the need to reduce external dependence. But not everything plays in favor of the local giant Huawei. Great Chinese technology, such as Tencent, Alibaba or Bytedance, continue to prefer Nvidia GPUs For its greatest performance and, above all, by CUDA, the parallel programming platform of NVIDIA that allows the most of its GPU for artificial intelligence and other complex calculations. Replacing it with alternatives such as Cann implies overcoming technical and compatibility barriers. Li Guojie, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, warns that China needs its own tools that exceed Cuda to achieve self -sufficiency. The great Chinese technology, such as Tencent, Alibaba or Bytedance, continue to prefer Nvidia GPUs. Bernstein, collect ftestimates that the market share of Nvidia in China will go from 66% in 2024 to 55% this year. In parallel, Trump has suggested that he could authorize a Limited version of Blackwell -based processorsthe most advanced of the company. In any case, Nvidia generated 17,000 million dollars in sales in China in its last year13% of its total income. In this environment, each regulatory decision weighs as much as the technological road map itself. What in July was presented as an advance for Nvidia has become an uncertain scenario. Beijing’s pressure, added to the impulse to national manufacturers, redefines the company’s possibilities in a market that was strategic for years. According to the aforementioned means, the outcome will mark not only the future of Nvidia in China, but also the way in which both powers manage artificial intelligence when politics, security and trade intersect. Images | Nvidia In Xataka | China’s first avant -garde lithography machine is not the biggest US problem. They will be the other two that are on their way In Xataka | China is an essential market for Nvidia. Little by little it is becoming something else: a nightmare

Leapmotor follows by the steps of Byd and already has a superbar to send 2,500 electric cars to Europe

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The Great Tianjin is about to leave August 19 Shanghai towards Europe Loaded with 2,500 electric cars from Leapmotor. At first glance, it might seem one more shipment. But this trip marks something deeper: Leapmotor is part of the group of Chinese manufacturers that no longer depend only on traditional international logistics. It is a trip that takes place within the framework of the Leapmotor International agreement with the Grimaldi shipping company, that since 2022 assures you Fixed capacity for monthly transport of thousands of vehicles from Asia to Europe. That means that you do not need to compete for space in foreign ships: its transport is insured and planned months in advance. The young manufacturer who wants to become global. Leapmotor is a Chinese manufacturer of electric cars founded in 2015 in Hangzhou. Until recently he had a low profile out of his country, but that has changed. In the first seven months of 2025 has sold more than 270,000 units149 % more than the previous year. And he is not alone: behind is Stellantis, The world’s largest automobile group in the world. Both companies created Leapmotor International in 2023a joint venture based in Amsterdam in which Stellantis has 51% of control. The objective: distribute Leapmotor’s models outside China, starting with Europe. The Great Tianjin is not owned by Leapmotor. Grimaldi, one of the largest shipping companies on the continent, has commissioned seven new PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) to reinforce that route. They are Ro-Rro ships specifically designed to transport vehicles on wheels-from cars to trucks-that enter and leave ramps and are stored in garage covers. The big tianjin is the first in the series, built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), with Ammonia-Ready notation and capacity around 9,000 cars per trip. The leading model of this shipment. The leading model of this first shipment is Leapmotor B10, a compact electric SUV built on the new Leap3.5 platform and is available with two battery options: one with up to 361 km of autonomy and another that reaches 434 km. It offers fast charge and 17 advanced driving assistance systems. Byd marked the path that Leapmotor now follows. In January 2024, he threw his first megabuque, Explorer No.1with capacity for 7,000 vehicles, and premiered by sending thousands of electric to Europe. Since then, its fleet has grown with new portacoches, including the Shenzhen Bydthe largest in the world in its category, capable of transporting 9,200 cars per trip. The strategy is evident: reduce costs, accelerate deliveries and have total control over exports. Not only byd and Leapmotor. SAIC, owner of MG, The Anji Ansheng has already thrown outwith capacity for 9,500 vehicles, and the Anji Soundness, which covers routes to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Its objective is to operate with 22 ocean ships by 2026. Geely, Chery and Nio too They have shown interest in commissioning their own portacoches or in charting exclusive routes, consolidating a trend in which Chinese brands increasingly control their maritime logistics. For Chinese electric car manufacturers, ensuring their own ships or filled routes is a strategic goal rather than a luxury. With this they seek: Reduce transport costs. Dodge bottlenecks in very busy ports and routes. Cut the delivery times to dealers and clients. Guarantee a stable export flow even at times of greater demand. In a market as competitive as the European, speed and logistics predictability can make the difference between selling and staying out. Images | Stellantis In Xataka | There are those who believe that being rich is a sufficient requirement to have a Ferrari. The most important thing is something else: Ferrari fell well

The best maps and tools not to miss the arrival of the Perseidas

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The Arrival of Perseidasthe rain of more iconic stars of the summer. This year The bad news It has to do with light pollution, since the proximity of the last full moon (last 8) and the peak of The Perseids (Today, day 12), it will make it difficult to find these flashes in heaven. Escape light. To avoid natural light pollution we will have to wait, but avoiding artificial pollution is also in our hand. Only we have to know how and, above all, where. Orient in the field. But navigating such a broad territory can be complicated. According to data From the National Institute of Statistics of 2022, of the 8,131 municipalities in Spain, 4,986 have less than 1,000 inhabitants. In them there are about 3% of the population. We have various resources at our disposal to choose the ideal place to see the Perseidas, one close to our city or that is close to our summer destination. We may have an already planned trip and want to make a brief getaway from a provincial capital to a town of clear skies and free of light pollution. Maps At our disposal there are several tools that can help us guide us and look for destinations of clear skies. For example, The mapslike him developed a few years ago by the Complutense University of Madrid and the CBAS (International Research Center of Big Data For Sustainable Development Goals); or what puts at our disposal The application LIGHT POLLUTION MAP – Dark Sky. There is another map that we should not forget: the time map. If we want to look for the best place to see the stars, fleet or not, we will need a clear sky. The forecasts From the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) they can be of great help in this. Astrotourism In a time when Astrotourism has become a new (and thriving) economic sector for the “emptied Spain”, we also have at our disposal the resources that this sector gives us to guide and choose our destination. Today we can resort to specialized tourist certificates in this subsector that unites interest in space with tourism, especially rural tourism. One of the organizations dedicated to creating certificates of this type is the Starlight Foundation. This foundation has its origin in the I Starlight International Conference, a meeting promoted by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) dedicated to “study -from different perspectives -, the need to protect the night sky on our planet and find paths for its enjoyment for society”, Explain the Foundation itself. The Starlight Foundation would emerge in 2009, two years later, with objectives such as protecting the night sky, making cultural dissemination of astronomy, promoting this form of tourism, and promoting intelligent lighting and energy saving, details the foundation itself. Some examples. Through the website of the Foundation we can find numerous examples of environments with some of the certification modalities offered by this organization. An example of this type of certification is that of People or city citywith which they count Three populations in Spain: Hellín, Navarra; Fuente-Tójar, Córdoba and Navas del Marqués, in Ávila. Another important certification is that of Starlight tourist destinations“Visitable places, which enjoy very good qualities for the contemplation of starry skies” and protected from light pollution. This certification has assigned to very diverse placeslike Chantadam Galicia; the Monteibérico Region-Almansa Corridor, Castilla-La Mancha; the Costa da Morte, Galicia; or the Serranía de Cuenca, in Castilla-La Mancha. The list continues, but the modalities do not end there: the Foundation also has a list of “Starlight reserves“, Star Parks,”Starlight places”, Houses and rural hotels, Starlight pathsand even Starlignt camps. A booming business. The appearance of this type of responds to The growing importance of a booming economic sector. This is the intersection between astronomy and tourism, Astrotourism, a business in vogue but not within the reach of all corners of Spain: the heavens free of light pollution are an essential quality. Fortunately, that is something that is not missing, neither in peninsular Spain or in places like Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. The rural areas of the Plateau and the various Motañosa mountain ranges that run through the country offer a unique opportunity, for tourists and also for those who live in some of the most forgotten regions of the country. In Xataka | We are accustomed to seeing the Perseids looking up. So they look from space, looking down Image | Mr. Tickle / Ralan-Map EU, Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel

France promised them happy with the Grand Nuclear Power Plant. Until the jellyfish swarms arrived

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In France, jellyfish have knocked out one of the country’s largest nuclear centrals. Yes, the same jellyfish you are on the beach. Although it sounds delusional, the company Électricité e France (EDF) has acknowledged that an incident with these jelly and transparent celentéreos has forced to pause four of the production units of The Gravian Plantlocated north of the country. The most surprising thing is that it is not something exceptional. What happened? The news has been given by EDF itself, which in A statement Posted yesterday explains that the Gravelines Nuclear Power He has seen how four of his six production units went out for a peculiar motive: jellyfish. The first three units (2, 3 and 4) were automatically disconnected on Sunday night following security protocols to protect the reactor. The fourth (unit 6) also automatically went out on Monday. What happened exactly? EDF is quite clear In this regard. The stops are explained by “the massive and unpredictable presence” of jellyfish in the drums of the pumping stations, located in the non -nuclear part of the plant. What happened is best understood by remembering that gravoras, a of the largest centrals From France, it is refrigerated with the help of a channel connected to the North Sea. The plant has water pumping stations that allow it to refrigerate the reactors. The jellyfish were located precisely in filters that are responsible for aspiring sea water to control its temperature. The four units that went out automatically (2, 3, 4 and 6) are also added to production units 1 and 5, which already They were disabled For maintenance work. Was there any danger? EDF too It is clear At that point. He assures that at no time there was danger and that what happened did not affect the safety of the facilities or meant any risk for the template or the environment. “The plant equipment has mobilized and perform the necessary diagnoses and interventions to restart the production units safely,” guarantees. At first He pointed out that the affected units could be operational again on Thursday, but Reuters slides That the schedule may not be fulfilled: the idea was to restart the four units today, but in principle it will only one. The rest will resume the activity little by little, progressively, until Friday. What jellyfish were they? The operator has not clarified it, but the Reuters agency holds that is about Pulmo rhizostomaalso known as Aguamala. Its presence in Gravelines could be explained by two factors: first the temperature of the sea, higher this summer, which favors jellyfish flowers and that these remain longer in the North Sea; Second, the force of the currents, which would have pushed the banks towards the channel and the central. Is it the first time that happens? No. It is not usual, but neither was it out of the ordinary. Gravelines already lived something similar In the early 90s and there are other plants distributed throughout the world that have encountered similar problems. Swiss Info appointment Specifically, US facilities, Scotland, Sweden and Japan, which would also have suffered them last decade. Its proliferation is explained by water warming and The overfishingwhich has punished tuna banks. In this case, jellyfish have affected a relevant plant for France, equipped with six units that produce 900 megawatts of energy each, near 5.4 Gigawatts in total. The idea is that from 2040 shelter two EPR2 reactors. Images | Joel Filipe (UNSPLASH), EDF and Wikipedia In Xataka | SMR reactors were supposed to save nuclear energy. The first of the West for now is far from it

We have been listening for years that “a glass of wine a day is good for health.” Science is clear that

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Many times we have heard that “a glass of wine a day is good for our health.” We have also heard that “the Recommended alcohol amount It is zero”Who is right in this debate? The debates about the benefits and prejudices of a food are not exclusive to fermented drinks such as wine or beer. The relationship between eggs and cholesterol is a classic example but we can also find apparent contradictions regarding the consumption of coffeehe rice or the potatoes. Human health has many dimensions and our nutrition is very varied (even the poorest diets involve the consumption of a wide range of compounds present in the ingredients of the product or in their additions). Studying in detail The effect of each product is difficult precisely for this reason. That is why science often advances slowly, with the succession of seemingly contradictory studies that are actually simply refining the aim. However, the accumulation of these experiments is granting us a better idea of what happens in our body when we consume alcohol, even when this consumption is restricted to “a glass or two” wine. To better understand the debate, we can start asking us, what is good for wine? The idea that wine can be beneficial to our health is mainly based on polyphenolsnon -nutritious substances but with antioxidant capacity. These compounds present in grapes of which the wine is fermented, they can be beneficial to our health. The problem here is that There are non -alcoholic alternatives where these compounds are also present, such as must or grape itself. In part due to these compounds, it is usually attributed to wine Potential benefits About our cardiovascular health. Experts believe that this improvement could be due to the fact that these compounds favor the reduction of blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. Still there is some discrepancy in this regard among the different studies. A drink with risks Cancer is One of the main risks that are associated with excessive alcohol consumption. AND There are several types of cancer which have been associated with this consumption: in addition to the liver, alcohol consumption has been linked to oral cavity cancer, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colorectal and, in the case of women, with breast cancer. “The response to whether the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is clearly established is that there is sufficient evidence,” said Marina Pollán, director of the National Epidemiology Center, in statements collected by Science Media Center (SMC) Spain. The risk, of course, “is proportional to the amount of alcohol ingested, being lower for moderate consumption.” But beyond cancer, excessive alcohol consumption has been conventionally linked to the appearance of the Hepatic cirrhosis (which can also lead to cancer). This disease It arises with the formation of “scars” in our liver, and can also be caused by hepatitis. While we link moderate consumption of wine to an improvement in heart health, alcohol consumption can have an opposite effect. This has also been related to the appearance of alcoholic myocardiopathy, arrhythmias and other heart problems. It should not forget the relationship between alcohol consumption and mental health problems such as addiction itself, being able to exacerbate existing problems. Various studies made in recent decades They have pointed out Alcohol as psychoactive substance More harmful In social terms. One of the most outlined studies in this field was carried out in the United Kingdom and Posted in 2010. Posted in The Lancetits results indicated that this was not so much to the damage it generated in the individual (in this sense it was overcome by heroin, the crackand methamphetamine), but for its social cost. However, these risks are generally manifested after consumptions that we consider “excessive”, in contrast to “moderate” consumption that is often promoted. The problem is that, beyond social conventions or recommendations perhaps without excessive scientific foundation, we do not know if there is such a thing as moderate consumption. According to the Monograph Alcohol 2021. Consumption and consequencesof the Spanish Observatory of Drugs and Addictions, this border does not exist, or in the words of the text itself: “There is no level of risk consumption free of risk.” That is why the health authorities speak not of “moderate” consumption but “low risk” consumption. The risk is never zerobut it is possible to keep it low. And how much is considered “low”? According to the report limits of low alcohol risk consumption, this would be two standard drink units (UBE) in men and one in the case of women. These “standard” measures are equivalent to 10 g of alcohol or, in terms of wine, approximately a 100 ml glass. It is not the same to ensure that moderate alcohol consumption is compatible with a healthy life than to say that this moderate consumption is beneficial to health. Nor is it the same to say that wine can generate a specific benefit in our well -being with ensuring that this possible benefit can be greater than the risks involved in this or other alcoholic beverages. As we pointed out at the beginning, alcoholic beverages (like any other food) contain a myriad of compounds, some harmful, other beneficial for their operation. The general consensus is that the damages of compounds such as alcohol are superior to the benefits that others such as polyphenols can provide. In short, a glass of wine a day can hardly kill us, but We must be aware of the risks They are associated with her. As always, a balanced diet and an active life can always help us reduce our risk of suffering certain diseases, perhaps even helping us to compensate for these small excesses that we can incur. In Xataka | The forbidden dish of Italy: a cheese so extreme in its preparation that the European Union had to put limits In Xataka | The industry has determined to coin the “healthy ultraprocesses.” Science is clear about what is behind Image | Helena Lopes *An earlier version of this article was published … Read more

Eclipse fever has filled Soria and Teruel one year after producing

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It is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Shortly after half past eight in the afternoon, the sunset light becomes strange, as a metal, the air suddenly cools and the birds are silent. From a hill of Burgos or a rock of Soria, thousands of people observe how the moon has completely covered the sun. Exactly one year is left to total solar eclipse that will obscure Spain for the first time in more than a century. World capital of astronomical tourism. The Eclipse of 2026 will mark the opening act of an unrepeatable cosmic carambola in several generations: the “Iberian trio”, a sequence of three solar eclipses (two totals and one annular) that They will cross the country in 2026, 2027 and 2028turning Spain, for three consecutive years, in the world capital of astronomy. The countdown for the first eclipse, which will bless the north of the country, has begun, and what is at stake goes beyond two minutes of shade. Emptied Spain, where hotels and light pollution is scarce equallyprepares to fill itself as never before. In Airbnb alone, searches have increased by 830%. “Especially in rural destinations such as Teruel and Ariza (in Aragon), Guadalajara (in Castilla-La Mancha), Reus (in Catalonia), sample of Los Olmos (in the Valencian Community) or Valldessa (in the Balearic Islands),” an Airbnb spokeswoman told Xataka. Eclipses hunters have already reserved. In Calatañazor, a small medieval Soriana villa that looks from the heights La Vega del Río Milanos, are “up to the eclipse”. The Casa del Cura told Xataka that the entire inn has been reserved for months by American and French clients. “They get to everything first.” Similar responses are repeated in much of the province, where the phase of the entire eclipse will last 1 minute and 42 seconds. “The first reservations are received last summer, two years in advance,” the Rural Hotel Pinares de Soria, in Molinos de Duero, told Xataka. Eclipses hunters choose Spain because alternatives are not so encouraging in clouds (Siberia, Greenland and Iceland). And the most early stay with the peoples of the Iberian for their low light pollution. Few rooms, triggered prices. With much less beds than coastal municipalities, the occupation in the villages of emptied Spain has shot, but also prices. Although it does not allow to reserve so in advance, the Castilla thermal Hotel in the Burgo de Osma has already been able to estimate its rates: the night in a double room for eclipse day will be around 500 euros, twice its current price. “The Solar Eclipse of 2026 is a unique opportunity that places the Spanish rural communities in the center of the world map,” summarizes Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, director of Airbnb in Spain. Meanwhile, in hotel Spain. While Airbnb has enormous penetration in the rental of rural houses and apartments in small villages, Booking.com still has its main strength in the hotel offer, concentrated mostly in cities. Unlike Airbnb, Booking has seen more growth in provincial capitals than in rural areas. Especially in Santiago de Compostela (+85%), A Coruña (+67%), Bilbao (+45%) and Zaragoza (+39%), according to the statements sent to Xataka by the platform. Luxury eclipse. The entire eclipse band will enter the Peninsula along the Asturian coast and will leave by Castellón, passing, minutes before sunset, on the island of Mallorca. These coastal areas have emerged as “Premium” options to enjoy the astronomical phenomenon. Despite the Counterreloj career with sunsetMallorca has become the luxury option with 6,000 -euro tourist packages of 6,000 euros per person and suites at 1,700 euros the night that are already reserved. Hotels on the coast of La Tramuntana, such as the Port de Sóller, They have already sold 65% of the accommodation For those dates. Everyone wants their piece of cake. And public machinery is already underway. Asturias will enjoy the maximum duration of the eclipse in national territory (1 minute and 48 seconds in Oviedo). The Principality has announced the elaboration of a map of insurance points to avoid agglomerations, ocular health campaigns and an international conference with NASA experts to position the region as a reference in the space industry. Under the motto “Burgos Te Eclipsa”, the Diputación de Burgos has also presented today A 12 -month program of activities and a website. The web recommends six strategic observation zones in different regions (Merindades, Bureba, Demand, Arlanza and Ribera del Duero), remembering that King Alfonso XIII has already chosen the province to see the total eclipse of 1905. A stress test. Despite the good economic prospects, the eclipse of August 12, 2026 will not be a stress test for the country, especially in areas that are not prepared for the influx of so many tourists. The Government has created an interministerial commission To face possible challenges, such as road traffic and infrastructure overload such as water, light or mobile connection in rural areas. Not only the Sorian hoteliers of villages of 40 inhabitants are overwhelmed with so much called by the eclipse. The countdown for a historical eclipse has begun in much of the country. Image | Henar boats (Unspash) In Xataka | A third of Spain will be completely dark for one or two minutes. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

The poisonous species that reach the coast are the canary in the mine

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A few days ago We asked ourselves If the stabilization of the Mediterranean temperature responded to a long -term trend or if it was rather a transitory event, a brief cooling capable of tempering the waters of a sea that is more than one degree above its average for these dates of the year. The latest data remind us that we are facing a long -term problem. Seas tropicalizing. The seas of our environment, such as the Mediterranean or the Cantabrian, are immersed In a process that some already call “Tropicalization”This process refers to a series of changes in marine ecosystems derived from the increase in water temperature in subtropical principles. Starting from the beginning. The planet’s seas are gaining temperature. They do it little by little and irregularlybut some estimates talk about a 0.27 ° Celsius increase By decade on average. According to data C3S (Copernicus Climate Change Service), the month of July was one of the warmest of those that are recorded in regards to the surface temperature of the seas, at 0.12º to beat the record. This increase in temperatures has effects of a very diverse nature. It can affect, for example, marine currents, Arctic ice, or even at the temperature of the atmosphere and air circulation. And in addition, it can also affect marine ecosystems. Visible change. Changes in currents, ice or atmosphere can be difficult to perceive for the human eye, but some of the changes in marine ecosystems, not so much. There is much that occurs under the surface of the sea, but some of these changes have their reflection on our coasts, and that is what we are seeing now, the arrival of new species to our coasts, both sea invertebrates and fish, some of these species, dangerous. It is the example of two of the species we have heard about this summer, the Portuguese caravel (Physalia Physalis) and The blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus). The Portuguese caravel belongs to the same edge as the jellyfish and can, due to their appearance, be confused with one. However, the effect of its poison goes beyond the efficient effect that jellyfish often causes. Portuguese caravel is part of the blue dragon diet, a mollusk with the ability to “recycle” the poison of its victims and use it as a defense mechanism. Another example of poisonous species that threaten to approach our coasts is The lionfish (Pterois Volitans). It is considered that the path of entry of this fish could be as an ornamental species for aquariumbut there are also those who warn of their possible expansion through the Mediterranean, via the Suez Canal, from the Red Sea. Risk, not only for bathers. The fact that these are poisonous species that can involve serious risks for bathers affected by their toxins, the risk associated with marine tropicalization goes beyond the bites of these animals. Species such as blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), have begun to expand through areas of the Mediterranean, putting local ecosystems in check with its voracity and the absence of natural predators. Algae also does not miss the opportunity to expand their habitat in our waters. The best example of this is Asian algae (Rugulopterix Okamurae), an increasingly present species on our coasts, whose impact reaches disparate coastal strips, From Galicia to Tarifa. The Mediterranean, again burning. We pointed at the beginning that, after a brief impas in which the sea It was close to thermal stabilizationthe Mediterranean temperature has firing again. Although the thermal anomaly of 2.26º has not yet been reached that We saw almost two months agothis anomaly has passed in just four days (from August 7 to 11) from 0.54º to 1.16º, According to data of socib (Coastal observation and prediction system of the Balearic Islands). The “rebound” has been greater in the Western Mediterranean, where in mid -June the thermal anomaly was around 2.65, before stabilizing up to 0.29º. The new increase places the anomaly in 1.27º, almost a degree of increase in days. In Xataka | “The Mediterranean already has only three stations”: the European Observatory of the drought confirms that winter is dying Image | LPT2000 / Tao Taylor

Living near a mountain in Spain is already a risk

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Summer is rest time, beach, ice cream, hopefully some trip to a friendlier place of climate and dirt days with friends. If we talk about populations near forests or tree masses, it is also synonymous with something else: anguish. Galicia lived in a hot October 2017when the flames arrived in inhabited areas and forced the neighbors to leave home with Water cubesand three songs have just remembered, in Madrid. Although there the landscape is different, the fire has originated in a Low mountain area Without urbanizing. Actually it is something that has penetrated throughout Spain: in summer, living near the mountain or hills with vegetation has become a risk factor. Earrings of three songs. Three songs, a city of 53,000 neighbors From the Community of Madrid, he lives moments of anguish. And rightly. Yesterday, minutes before eight in the afternoon, a fire was declared that with the passing of the hours it has gone Calcinating hectaresforced to evacuate to the neighbors of several urbanizations and even left a deceasedan employee of the equestrian Soto de Viñuelas to which the flames supposedly surrounded them while trying to save the horses. The emergency services were able to rescue him and transfer him by helicopter to La Paz hospital, but there they could not do anything to save his life. Died a few hours. It was 50 years old and had burns in 98% of the body. Do we know anything else? Yes. Carlos Novillo, Minister of Environment, He explained that the fire has had “an explosive characteristic” that relates to “a storm that dries” accompanied by strong wind gusts. In fact, he assures that bursts have overcome 70 kilometers per hour. The origin of the flames would be in the known as Third phase of three songs, a low mountain area. The flames have forced evacuating several urbanizationsincluding that of Soto de Viñuelas, and host more than a hundred people in sports center. In its updated information service the Community of Madrid states that the flames have affected around 1,000 hectaresespecially pastures, thickets and trees, in addition to four homes of the Soto de Viñuelas urbanization. The fire too He has reached The King´s College campus, one of the most recognized British schools in Spain and that houses internal students. Beyond Madrid. Although the virulence of the three songs has focused the attention of much of the country and its smoke It has been visible From several points of the capital, the truth is that it is not the only asset in Spain. Throughout the last days the flames have hit with greater or lesser force Galicia, Castilla y León, Andalusia either Cataloniaforcing to confine or evacuate thousands of people and razing thousands of hectares. The fire even It has affected to the natural place of the medulla, in the region of El Bierzo, ruining centenary chestnuts. Summer comes … And the fire. The fires of recent days remember a sad reality to Spain: summer, especially the driest months and with higher temperatures, usually bring more than vacation. With them also the fires. Only between January and September of last year were registered near 4,900 fires forestry. And while the vast majority (approximately 71%) were small -range conatos, in total they razed 43,600 hectares. 64 fires also had consequences for the population and 39 were accompanied by evacuations that affected 4,300 people. There were also five deaths. They may seem high figures, but the forest surface razed by the flames represented only 50% of the average of the last decade. This year at the beginning of August the affected surface exceeded 39,100 hamore than in 2024, although below the average of the decade. The hectares consumed these days in several regions of the country must now be added to that figure. Live around the field. Not all regions of Spain suffer the scourge of fires with equal intensity. Civio has elaborated A map distributing the more than 6200.00 forest fires registered between 1968 and 2017 and burned at least one hectares and it can be seen how the problem is especially serious in Galicia, the Cantabrian arch and certain areas of Extremadura. The plane reflects a reality that usually hit the most affected points in summer: living in certain pointsnext to wooded areas, it has become a source of anguish. The case of Galicia. Galicia left a good example in October 2017when the fires ravaged important population nuclei and even charged Several victims. One of the iconic images left by that episode was that of neighbors leaving home with Water buckets or forming Human chains To suffocate the flames. What happened then was especially tragic, but not an isolated case. In Chandrexa de Queixa, Ourense, A fire Declared last Friday, he has approached the homes so much that he has forced to evict neighbors. Something similar has happened in The Bierzoin Cádiz due to A fire originated in the Sierra de la Plata or at points of Tarragona and Lleida In Julywhen local authorities decided to order confinements to protect people from the flames. Proximity and something else. The problem is not just living near the mountains. Fire risk depends on more than factors such as high temperatures, low levels of humidity or wind. The pressure on ecosystems, insufficient forest management, the abandonment of traditional uses of the mountain, depopulation or accumulation of vegetation in forests also influence. “The increase in forest surface does not translate into the increase in healthy, stable and diverse forests. The cultivated and grazing areas in the past are today covered by thickets, young pioneer or monoespecific rods that, without adequate management, are condemned to burn ” warns Miguel Castillo, of the Forest Fire Laboratory of the University of Chile. Images | Elentir (Flickr), 112 Community of Madrid (X) and José Manuel Gacía (Flickr) In Xataka | In the middle of the fire, there is something that Spanish firefighters are very aware: the 30-30 rule

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