Month: September 2025

The war between China and the United States has uncovered a technological “mercenary”: Oracle

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While giants like Microsoft, Google or Meta The headlines monopolize Regarding the AI ​​and the rest of its technologies, Oracle has been silently positioned as the perfect intermediary in the technological pulse between Washington and Beijing. After The acquisition of Sun Microsystems In 2010 to be in charge of Java, a key piece for the operation of multiple technologies in our electronic devices, Oracle’s power was increasing. Now his record It expands thanks to the AI already its involvement in Tiktok’s agreement. THE BUSINESS OF NOT CHOOSE BANDO. Oracle has built its strategy in being the neutral provider that does not directly compete with its biggest customers. While Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure can generate friction because of their direct competition, Oracle offers infrastructure without the threat of removing the business being present. This position allows you to work with both Openai and any rival, becoming the “mercenary” that everyone needs and nobody fears. His role in the rescue of Tiktok. The White House has confirmed that Oracle will be key in the agreement to maintain operational Tiktok in the United States. The company will be in charge of security of the American version of the application, managing the data of the users from centers located in American territory. Bytedance will retain 20% of the property, but Oracle will control the critical infrastructure that reassures legislators concerned with national security. More power, less prominence. While the big technological struggle to capture the attention of the final consumer, Oracle has chosen to remain in the shadow. His Cloud infrastructure business It does not have the glamor of social networks or AI attendees, but it has become essential. And the numbers accompany, because the company He has triggered his income Futures 359%, reaching 455,000 million dollars of capitalization thanks to contracts such as Openai worth 300,000 million to materialize the famous’PROJECT STARGATE‘. The perfect intermediary strategy. Oracle has maintained a position of neutrality in recent years, which has allowed him to benefit from geopolitical tensions without taking part publicly. When the United States needs a Chinese alternative to technological infrastructure, Oracle is there. When the companies of AI They need computational capacity Without depending on direct competitors, Oracle is also available. A network of contacts has been worked from which he has taken a lot of profit. The risks of success. This strategy is not exempt from dangers. The growing dependence of great contracts such as Openai turns Oracle into vulnerable to single -client. In addition, fulfilling such ambitious commitments will require significant indebtedness and an unprecedented infrastructure expansion. Its debt ratio on equity of 427% already overcomes that of competitors such as Microsoft, which is 32.7%, according to data of S&P Global Market Intelligence. Cover image | Oracle In Xataka | Great door or nursing: “circular financing” between Nvidia and OpenAi can be the genius of the century … or the collapse

Five Mediamarkt offers in technology with discounts up to 47%

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Today is the last day the campaign will be available Outside operation out —Salvo that Mediamarkt decides to extend its duration – so in this article we will review the better offers of this campaign and loose offers They are also quite interesting. PlayStation 5 Slim Digital by 394 eurosa preciazo for the console in its version without record reader. Mac Mini M4 by 849 eurosone of the devices with the best quality-price ratio of Apple in its 512 GB configuration. Samsung Odyssey G9 by 849 euros By adding it to the cart, a spectacular 49 -inch gaming monitor. Realme Note 70t by 99 eurosa very economical mobile with 256 GB and 6,000 mAh battery. Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic by 449 eurosa beautiful smartwatch that includes rotating bezel. PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Once again, the PlayStation 5 It has dropped price in some stores. If what you are looking for is a most adjusted price, the best offer is found in the PlayStation 5 Slim Digitalwhose price in Mediamarkt is from 394 euros (20%discount). Does not include record reader – although in the same store it costs 79.99 eurosin case you want to buy it later – it has 1 TB of SSD and comes with a dualsense command. The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Mac Mini M4 He Mac Mini M4 He has fallen price in Mediamarkt again, although this time he has done it in its 512 GB configuration instead of 256 GB. By 849 euros (12%discount), we talk about a Very compact computer, with M4 chip which offers excellent performance and does not make any noise, even in the middle of summer. Mac Mini M4 (16 GB, 512 GB) The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Samsung Odyssey G9 If traditional monitors are small and look for a huge screen, Mediamarkt is offer the Samsung Odyssey G9. If added to the cart, an additional discount appears that leaves it for 849 euros (47%discount), not bad to be a 49 -inch curved monitor with OLED panel240 Hz soda rate and DQHD resolution. In addition, it incorporates a height adjustable base, something that is always appreciated. Samsung Odyssey G9 (49 inches) The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Realme Note 70t That a mobile is cheap does not mean that you have to do without some characteristics, and the Realme Note 70t It is the perfect example. It is a smartphone that in Mediamarkt costs 99 euros (17%discount), but stands out for its resistance to military level impacts, because it incorporates a slot for a microSD card, because it has 256 GB of internal storage and because its battery is 6,000 mAh. The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic He Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic It is beautiful, especially in white. Although it was launched not too long ago, it is already on offer in Mediamarkt by 449 euros (15%discount) in its 46 mm Bluetooth version, but if we want the configuration, the figure amounts to the 499 euros (13%discount). The Samsung watch stands out both for its design and construction and for its rotary bezelfor its performance, by the screen and, of course, for its Wearos operating system. Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Mediamarkt and Buyardción (header), PlayStation, Apple, Samsung, Realme In Xataka | The best mobiles (2025), we have tried them and here are their analysis In Xataka | The best smartwatch (2025): their analysis and videos are here

The amount of nuclear energy generated by each country in the world, exposed in this graphic developer

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The use of nuclear power It is still one of the most controversial issues in the energy debate. It is worldwide due to economic, social factors and concern for something very concrete: Waste management. It seemed like him Huge deployment of renewables would end the debate, but the truth is that there are countries that follow depending greatly on nuclear energy. And this graph reflects it clearly: Three blocks. The graph is the work of Visual Capitalist with data of the ‘Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy’ and the estimate is that nuclear plants generated 2,818 THW of electricity in 2024. Approximately 10% of the electricity generated worldwide during the world during the last year, but beyond the total, which allows us to see is that there are three very even and perfectly identifiable blocks. On the one hand, that of the United States and Canada. Here Canada has ‘little’ to say, and also its centrals generated 3.6% less than the previous year, but The United States is still a giant. It generated 823 TWH that, put in context, represents about 30% of all global nuclear energy. It has 94 operational reactors and that huge amount of electricity accounted for 18% of the national total. In the Asian block we have China standing out With 451 TWH produced, 3.4% more than the previous year, South Korea with 189 TWH and both Japan and India contributing, but with lower productions. And in the European bloc, France and Russia stand out above all, which among them have a much more similar production. The interesting thing here is to see the speed at which the world in a nuclear question moves. Promoting nuclear. Because we have already seen that, although the US generated more electricity with the nuclear, it was a small percentage. If we look at the European block, we have that there are those who grow 4% (Sweden) and who decreases 4% (Spain), But we have a France that increased the production of its centrals by 12.2%. With 57 operational reactors, if there is a country that depends on nuclear energy, that is France. HE esteem that 67% of its electricity comes from nuclear. Countries such as Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary or Bulgaria also depend largely on nuclear energy. In the case of Spain20% of their energy comes from these centrals. But if we look at the Asian block, the thing changes. China impulse Its nuclear generation These last monthsbut Japan did it in 9.3% and India, who wants to consolidate as a new technological core worldwide, generated 13.3% more. In the Middle East highlights United Arab Emirates that, whose four reactors generated 22% of their electricity. Old reactors. In total, I know esteem That there are 416 operational plants worldwide (France has the same as China, a fact that reflects the importance for the neighboring country) and a problem is that most are quite old reactors. Around two thirds of them are over 30 years old and, although the estimated life is usually between 30 and 40 years old, it is easy to prolong it more time with modifications and extensions. New reactors. There are also about 70 reactors Under construction. They are distributed, but most are concentrated in Asia, especially in the two countries that are leading that world nuclear expansion: China and India. New reactors use refrigerants that can operate with more energy safety and efficiency, also generate less waste and have an estimated useful life of more than 50 years thanks to modular designs. As we say, China is one of the countries that is best betting on this energy (despite the impulse that is also giving to renewables), and within its new plants, the fourth generation reactors stand out, like the one used by molten salts or thorium. They are not the only ones, as the US, France and India are also investing in research programs to develop reactors that generate electricity from the thorium (three times more abundant than uranium) Data centers. The truth is that, although sources like RENVOABLE EXPOSEDit seems that We are far from folding both fossil fuels and to nuclear energy. Much of the fault is very demanding data centers in energy terms that even need Punctual gas supply or even coal in demands of demand peaks. In fact, some of the main technological ones such as Amazon, Google or Microsoft announced Plans to create or reactivate nuclear centrals to satisfy the energy need for your data centers for artificial intelligence. And all this while we look at a future in which the norm should be the SMR reactors… And the nuclear fusion still is on the horizon. In Xataka | Europe and Japan are working side by the greatest technical advance of humanity: the nuclear fusion reactor

How Turin’s beast reached 212 km/h in 1913

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The beginning of the 20th century were wonderful for engineering and mechanics lovers. Taking the first steps in this temporal field, the Wright brothers became famous with the First airplane in history. In 1908, the Ford Model T entered the production chain, Despite disbelief Henry Ford’s own lawyer. And shortly after, Fiat would break the barrier of the 200 km/h.While in Spain the registered cars arrived with dropper, Fiat had ambitious plans for their cars. Since the automotive began to take off, speed records and the first car races had become an obsession and a way of demonstrating the latest technological advances. They were a perfect sign of what each manufacturer was able to do. It is considered that First career in history covered the distance between Paris and Rouen. 127 kilometers that should decide who was the best in “The carriage race without horses”. It was July 22, 1894 and that day the Steam cars. Despite this, in The avant -garde They rescue a previous case dated in 1887 but that is not considered competition because, at the time of truth, only a vehicle was presented in the exit line. And in search of new challenges, Fiat launched the race to become the manufacturer with the fastest car in the world. And he succeeded in December 1913 when he reached 212.87 km/h of peak speed. A record that, however, has remained in the digital file and on paper because it never received the official “fastest car in the world” title. Fiat S76, Turin’s beast that ran out of crown On horseback between the nineteenth and twentieth century, in 1899 the Italian Fabbrica Automobili Torino. Fiat grows during the first years of life with the production of cars but quickly diversifies their business entering the railroad market and heavy transport, with their own trucks. But in the brand they were aware of the importance it had break milestones. With the automotive in embryonic state, getting new records or winning the victory in the few races that then existed were a tremendous opportunity to make known. Therefore, in 1910 they decided to create a monstrous car for which there were no insurmountable challenges. And they did it in the only way they knew: a gigantic engine. Fiat’s idea was to create a car that was all gross power. His engine was four -cylinder but his displacement was 28.4 liters. To get a better idea, A modern sport that exceeds eight liters of displacement is already something totally exceptional. The engine was able to generate up to 290 horsepower at 1900 rpm, had three spark plugs per cylinder and was cooked by water. The problem is that its weight was fired at almost 1,700 kg in what was a rarity for the time. Of course, if we get one, we can drive it without the need to acquire the B+ card that arises in Brussels. However, you have to contextualize it in your time. Barney Oldfieldaboard a Blitzen Benz He had achieved 212 km/h. If a four -cylinder and 21.5 -liter engine had worked for him, the answer should be to get an even larger engine. The way to follow was clear and Fiat stepped on with two Fiat S67 units, which is considered to be Turin’s beast. In The Old Motor They collect fragments of Fiat Book by Michael Sedgwickwhere the brand’s story is told and where they explain that Fiat S76 was “one of the most scary creations emanating from any factory.” Sedgwick explains that, After trying it in TurinThey found that the car had potential. There he reached 185 km/h in second march. It was time to launch for the record. The car was transferred to the Brooklands track(England) for Pietro Bordino to try to achieve what no one had reached until then. However, Bordino feared for his life and refused to take the car beyond the 90 mph (145 km/h). Next to the sea, in Saltburn Sands, Fiat again achieved speeds of 185 km/h. However, not the author explains that they did not find the right place, because there was not enough distance for the Fiat S76 to display its entire potential. Discarded Italy and England, Ostend, in Belgium, and Arthur Duray, as a pilot, were the chosen protagonists. It was about reaching the Germans. And there they got it, where they marked a peak speed of 212.87 km/h. However, the organized race was round trip and a fault prevented Fiat S76 from covering the route in the maximum allowed time. Turin’s beast had an informal record. Unfortunately, World War I passed over the Fiat S76, which had to be dismantled. Despite this, little by little a unit has been recovered and, completely restored, In 2019 it was dropped by Goodwood where he covered the entire circuit of the climb to one of the most famous hills in the motor world. The video puts the hair on end. In the images you can see how the body is twisted with engine violence. It is impressive to see the flares that come out on the sides of the vehicle. Sedgwick assured that Turin’s beast was going through the city “shooting flames in the faces of innocent pedestrians and deafening them. “We do not doubt it. Photos | Goodwood and Matthew Lamb In Xataka | The Mercedes T80, the car mounted on the engine of a hunt with which Hitler wanted to reach 750 km/h

The longest railway tunnel in the world

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China is the name that comes to mind to Talk about megaconstructions. The country has faced some of the more complex works of these last years and has pharaonic projects such as the New largest dam in the world or the more complicated tunnel. In this matter, Europe is not far behind with two projects that want to be the longest tunnels in the world in different fields are fields: that of the Greater tunnel submerged, with 120 kilometersand the longest rail tunnel in the world: Brennero base. A 2006 project that finally gives results. Brennero’s base tunnel. We are talking about a work that has been dilated a lot, with several changes in estimated plans and dates of completion. Construction officially began in 2007but the excavations did not start until 2015. It is part of the European Scandinavia-Mediterranean (or Scan-Med) and will have the Munich-Verona axis. The objective is to facilitate communication between countries by saving an imposing natural obstacle: Alps. This is something important in order to improve Commercial and passenger network in Europe because trains are becoming the tool for depend less on the plane in full way to decarbonization And, in addition to allowing a faster connection between Germany and Italy, much of the Alpine merchandise traffic from the road to the railroad will be transferred. The idea is less traffic jams on roads, less CO₂ emissions and, obviously, a Acceleration in logistics between northern and southern Europe. Colossal. The characteristics From the tunnel, they impose. In total, it will have a length of 64 kilometers, which will make it, according to its drivers, into the longest railway tunnel in the world when it enters into operation. The main section between the Italian city of Fortezza and the Austrian Innsbruck will have about 55 kilometers in length and will be composed of two parallel tunnels with a single route each. They will be connected every 333 meters by service tunnels to allow rapid evacuation in case of failure and something unique is that it will be a “flat” tunnel, with almost the entire journey to about 794 meters above sea level. This is necessary to allow operating the trains with lower consumptionsince in some current paths through the Alpine region there are trains that need several locomotives due to the inclination of the road. Beyond transportation. The idea is that it allows the passage of merchandise trains of up to 3,000 tons and passenger trains that can circulate at high speed (250 km/h compared to the current 50 km/h average due to the demands of the land), but since they are piercing the mountain, they will take advantage of something else. A dozen meters under the main galleries, there will be another five -meter diameter tunnel and others almost 56 kilometers long. Will be what is known as a Exploratory Tunnela channel that will allow geological research in that mountainous area, in addition to facilitating a drainage of groundwater. State and next steps. At first, the bridge was going to be ready by 2025, but the estimates were changing. The Alps is a complex area Due to the presence of failures and groundwater, which has forced both excavation methods and solutions to pass under rivers and the isarco. Administrative delays have also played a role in this story because Austria and Italy are building their respective sides of the tunnel. And the Covid-19 pandemic forced the work. All this raised the initially planned budget of 6,000 million euros to almost 8.4 billion, but recently we have witnessed a green outbreak. Using excavators like ‘Flavia‘That they allow digging while the tunnel has, on September 18 the Italian and Austrian tunneladoras They found themselvesachieving the underground connection between the two countries. It was a milestone, but there is still work to do to cover the tunnels, display rail infrastructure and add both technical equipment and ventilation and signaling systems. Piercing the Alps. The view is set in 2032, when it is estimated that the works will end and the tunnel can be exploited to move goods and passengers. Now, although colossal, it is not the only project that is currently under development in the Alpine region. Interestingly, several compete for being the longest railway tunnel in the world. The other great exponent of this corridor is that of Mont Cenis That, with 57.5 kilometers, Lyon will join with Turin. There is also the San Gardardo base with 57.1 kilometers (It will link the Swiss towns of Erstfeld and Bodio in Italy) and more ‘modest’ projects such as those of Koralm (32 km), Semmering (27 km), Ceneri (14.5 km) and Lötschberg (34.6 km). Of course, the objective is the same: to facilitate transalpine transport to reduce CO₂ emissions and speed up the movement of both travelers and merchandise. We will see if, now, construction deadlines are fulfilled. Images | BBT-SE In Xataka | Japan created an artificial peninsula to make an airport. You will soon have an submarine airport

In full birth crisis, Japan faces an extra challenge in 2026: a superstition

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Japan is a country with several calendars. The Western, or Gregorian, is common in the Asian country, which also has its own calendar, based on the “Eras”, the reign periods of its emperors. But in the culture of the country there is still the embers of another calendar, the one based on the traditional Chinese calendar. In 2026 we can verify to what extent this embers is still alive in the Japanese archipelago. To understand why we have to go a complete cycle behind, the year 1966. That year Japan experienced A significant phenomenon: a Fall marked in birthan abrupt contrast with the historical series. If in 1965 around 1.82 million children were born, in 1966 the figure was 1.36 million, 25% less, according to Explain Japan Times. The births were immediately recovered: in 1967 they rolled 1.94 million. The collapse in birth can also be seen in the Japanese health ministry data. As explained by the international agency, the fertility rate went from 2.14 in 1965 to 1.58 in 1966, to “bounce” up to 2.23 the following year. The data was not the result of a statistical anomaly or a disaster, neither natural nor created by the human being. We can see this reflected in an increase in induced abortions in the country, which was recorded A study Posted in 1974 in the magazine Annals of Human Biology. It was the fault of a superstition. The year 1966 corresponded (approximately) to the year of the horse of fire in the cycle on which the traditional Chinese calendar is based. The calendar based on the sexagesimal cycle used in some Asian countries relates each of the 60 years of its cycle with one of Twelve animals (which includes the rat, the tiger, the dragon and also the horse), and one of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). And what is special for the year Hinoeuma? According to Japanese superstition, women born during the Fire horse year They will kill their husbands or, according to translations, will be at least the cause of the death of their spouses. This would have taken many couples of childbearing age to avoid pregnancy (or even interrupt), at a time when, as Emi Suzuki and Haruna Kashiwase explain in An article For him Data Blog of the World Bank, there was no possibility of a selective abortion depending on sex. Another important detail mentioned in its article is that the phenomenon occurred more marked in rural Japan and not so much in the urban context, which reflects the greatest follow -up that this type of superstitions used to have in the rural world. 60 years of change 60 years is a long time and Japanese society is no longer the one. Will something be repeated again similar in 2026? There are two reasons why it can be suspected that, if the fall in birth rate occurs, this will be of a minor magnitude of experienced in 66. The first reason is in the slightest weight that today has the superstitious in society. Japan lived an abrupt transition series between the end of the EDO era and the present. One of the most vertiginous progress is the one that led a country ravaged by war to become a worldwide technological innovation pole. 1966 It can be seen as a year of transition in this context, 2026 not so much. In any case, the peculiar relationship between Japanese tradition and modernity is often difficult to understand from the western point of view, so it is not convenient to venture into this direction. However, there is another fact that takes us away from that year 1966: 1.15. We said at the beginning that between 1965 and 1966 the Japanese fertility rate went from 2.1 to 1.6. The fall associated with the year Hinoeuma It was punctual and was reversed the following year, but if we looked at the set of the Historical data we see that it is a small detour in a curve with A marked trend: Japan He runs out of birth progressively. According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Health cited by Suzuki and Kashiwasethe Japanese fertility rate was descending throughout the second half of the twentieth century, first quickly and then slower. In 1989 the birth rate would be located again in 1.58 and has not been recovered or expected to do so. It was known as he “shock of 1.57 “ When the rate fell below the year Hinoeuma. Today the rate It is already 1.15. A few years before, in 1987, Japan celebrated a kind of “Fiesta de Quintos”, a celebration in honor of the generation that had turned 20 in the previous months, those born in Hinoeuma. The newspaper The New York Times It echoed of that celebration and superstition that had diminished the generation held that year. Then it seemed clear that the “fifths” of 86 would be the smallest promotion in history, but they would only be for a short time. In Xataka | While the population of Japan sinks irremediably, Tokyo grows. There is an explanation: Ikkyoku Shūchū Image | Evgeny Tchebotarev

A ghost fleet has mapped the entire submarine structure of the EU. The question is what Moscow will do with that information

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In January 2025 United Kingdom He raised his voice At the international level. The British Secretary of Defense, John Healy, explained that a nuclear submarine and two ships from Royal Navy had sighted a spy ship in the waters of the nation, and that it was the second time in just three months. The message did not stay there. The United Kingdom gave a name and a nation behind the incursion: Yantar and Russia. Now it has been discovered that the ship has been doing much more than that. The resurgence of a war. In recent months, NATO’s attention has moved to a less visible but increasingly critical front: the European seabed. The protagonist of this new concern is, again, The Yantara Russian spy ship that, disguised as a civil ship, toured during almost 100 days The waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean with an accurate objective: map and monitor the submarine cables on Europe and North America for their digital communications, their financial transactions, their energy and even their most sensitive military systems. We know all this Thanks to the Financial Timesthat after an investigation based on interviews with NATO naval officers and former members of the Russian north fleet, as well as in radar images of the European Space Agency, he has confirmed that the Yantar came to be located on critical cables in the sea of ​​Ireland and in front of Norway, on the strategic route to Svalbard. The role of Gugi. The Yantar operates under the orbit of the GLAVNOYE UPRAVLENIE GLUBOKOVODNIKH ISSLEDOVII (GUGI), the director of Deep Water Research created in the Cold War and known in the West as Military Unit 40056. Based on Olenya Guba, in the Kola Peninsula, this force is located on the border between the Russian Navy and military intelligence (Gru), dedicated less to science than to espionage. Gugi has about 50 platforms (From minisubmarines capable of reaching 6,000 meters deep to nodriza ships such as Yantar), designed to place sensors, manipulate or sabotage cables and, if necessary, destroy strategic infrastructure in a conflict scenario. Despite the blows suffered (such as the submarine fire Losharik in 2019 or the death of its historic boss by Covid), the organization has continued to receive resources Even in full war of Ukraine, which has allowed to commission new spy units. The Yantar The threat in the gray zone. The reactivation of Yantar’s missions Since the end of 2023 Indicates that Moscow has abandoned the initial caution he showed after invading Ukraine. Analysts like Sidharth Kaoushal (Rusi) They point that Russia has measured NATO’s red lines and is now more willing to take risks. The plans detected in the sea of ​​Ireland, where several cables converge that connect the United Kingdom and Ireland, fit into the Russian logic to act in The so -called “Gray Zone”: Operations of covert sabotage that do not equals an open military attack but can destabilize entire societies. In fact, Western Officers They warn That Moscow could, the case, cut energy or communications to force governments to the negotiation, or even alter the temporal signals that travel through the cables, with devastating effects in sectors such as high frequency financial trade. European vulnerability. The United Kingdom obtains the 99% of its communications Digital of submarine cables and three quarters of its gas through underwater pipelines. Ireland, which does not belong to NATO, is a particularly exposed point: cutting its connections would be to isolate it from the continent without directly attacking an allied member. He parliamentary report British of September 19 warned that the country “could not guarantee an attack or recover in an acceptable period,” also criticizing the fragmentation of responsibilities between ministries. In Denmark, the case of explosions of Nord Stream in 2022 evidenced the same bureaucratic dispersion. Although London has assigned the Royal Navy the mission of Protect these infrastructureexperts point out that the lack of anti -submarine frigates and patrol dependence limit the real response capacity. The Atlantic Bastion project. To close that gap, NATO and especially the United Kingdom they consider the creation of “Atlantic Bastion”: A defensive ring of sensors, submarine drones and acoustic stations in the seabed that reinforces the control of the Greenland-Islandia-Rio-Reinian corridor. Although the plan still lacks concrete financing, its need is increasingly evident. In parallel, surveillance ships such as The British proteus They rehearse with autonomous vehicles capable of documenting the activities of the Yantar and other GGI units, with the idea of ​​exhibiting public evidence and generating deterrence. Admiral Gwyn Jenkins, head of the Royal Navy, He warned This month that Gugi, after a period of relative stillness, “is returning.” Silent war. The activity From Yantar It is not an isolated case: between autumn of 2023 and November 2024, eleven Russian ships (military and supposedly civil) held a almost constant presence in British and Irish waters. Allied intelligence services suspect that Moscow already prepares sabotage scenarios against cables as a pressure measure on the countries that arm Ukraine. While until now these operations have been maintained under the threshold of the open confrontation, the possibility of Russia “turning off” the United Kingdom or Aisle Ireland is not a crazy hypothesis. As summarized Excapitan David Fields, former British naval aggregate in Moscow: “Russian military doctrine consists of hitting first, strong and where it hurts most, to prevent the enemy from even getting rid of war.” On that silent board, the Yantar has become the key piece of a underwater chess that threatens to redefine the limits of European security. Image | Defense ImageryAndrey Luzik In Xataka | A British nuclear submarine has discovered a Russian ship in front of its submarine cables. The second time in three months In Xataka | Research on submarine cables cut in the Baltic has taken a turn: it was not Russia, it was inexperience

The man who crossed Africa from coast to coast for the first time in a 4×4

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In 1884, The diverse African continent It was distributed among the European powers as if it were a cake. The Berlin Conference regulated the colonization of Africa and established which country stayed with each portion. Germany stayed with a good piece of the continent and, although it lost everything after the World War Ithere is something that no one can snatch them: having been the first to demonstrate the reliability of the first cars “4×4”. The feat? Simple: Crossing Africa from coast to coast on a trip of about 10,000 kilometers through unknown territories for the car. The adventure begins. The protagonist of this story is called Paul Graetz. He was a German officer who, between 1902 and 1904, served as a lieutenant in German Eastern Africa. After a brief return to his homeland, 1907 returned to Africa with a goal: to find a route between what was German and Africa Africa of the Southwest German (which is currently Tanzania and Namibia) to establish a motorized connection. A direct route between the two territories (each in a different coast) would allow a better economic development and, therefore, a benefit for those German regions. Thus, he got to work to devise a route that was from Dar-Es-Salam (Tanzania) to Swakopmund (Namibia). It would not be easy, since it would be necessary to cross mountains, deserts, jungles, savannas and rivers in an unexplored territory for the car. All this, obviously, without having roads or roads. Basically, he would make his way. The problem was, evidently, the car itself. The car. It was the first challenge of the trip because, if it would be something complicated for the best 4×4 current, for a great -grandfather of 1907, imagine. That is why he did not use a conventional car, but one made “custom”. Graetz began to contact several companies and-heard air-it was the Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau who accepted the challenge. They only existed from 1905 to 1910 and subsequently became part of Benz & Cie (which, in turn, became Daimler-Benz Agbetter known as Mercedes-Benz), and what they did was to modify one of their numerous models for the conditions it would find in Africa. Chassis made to measure with an elevation of 35 centimeters on the standard of the time to circulate through complicated territories. The elevation was achieved with wooden blocks. A four -cylinder engine and a power of 35 hp. Two gas tanks for long marches: one 250 liters in the rear and another forward with another 125/145 liters. “Mortital” and reinforced body to transport heavy loads. Wooden wheels, eye, with a diameter of 1,120 mm and a width of 120 mm. The wood for certain components may seem a barrabasada, but it was the technology of the time. It had a large storage capacity due to size, the interior could be transformed into a bedroom (with mosquito net and everything) and had oil lamps to drive in the dark. Issues. We cannot say that Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau did not give Gracez a good ‘car’, but the problems would soon appear. The expedition (basically, Graetz) departed on August 10, 1907. The tests for the car had been done in Germany, so both the driver and the vehicle would enter ‘Terra Incognita’. The rain was a problem and forced to improvise a metal reinforcement (the first wheels with chain), remained stuck in dunes, gasoline evaporated and even had to wear the car by boat during a section of Lake Tanganika. The worst was mechanics. The one of Graetz the only one in colonial Germany and a rare Avis in thousands of kilometers around the engine so, when the engine had a breakdown, he was forced to wait three months for the spare parts to arrive. In addition, there were no mechanics, so they learned on the march to repair it. It is believed that it has a C15 “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”As it may be, about 630 days later and With about 10,000 kilometers on the counterthe German explorer and his car managed to reach Swakopmund. It was on May 1, 1909 and Kaisewr Guillermo II himself congratulated him with a telegram that was not too effusive. “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”, which becomes a “good job, Graetz.” In that congratulation I should have included the hundreds of collaborators that the explorer had during his journey, but we already know how these things are going. History. The feat was followed by the press and was seen as an example of the industrial and power advances of the new engines and vehicles against nature. Currently, that first 4×4, that deeply modified vehicle that allowed an adventurer to cross Africa from coast to coast more than a century ago, is a piece of a museum and a reminder that, perhaps, was the first Road Trip of history. The bug of exploration was still within Graetz and only one year later, in 1911, he launched A second expedition with the aim of traveling the Bangweulusee river from Mozambique to the Atlantic in a motor boat of more than eight meters. On this occasion, he took a filmmaker with him that he captured some images, but after an attack of a buffalo, the filmmaker died and Graetz was seriously injured. The images were considered ‘Lost Media’ for almost a century, but in 2007 they were found in the basement of the Gracez’s own house, and part are the ones you can see just about this paragraph. It is clear that explorer is born, it is not done, and since everything has to be capitalized, There are tours to emulate the route of the German explorer. Images | Mercedes-Benz, Paul Graetz In Xatala | The US needed to confuse the Nazis in World War II. So it deployed airplanes and lie tanks

While the world desperately seeks rare earth, China has an overwhelming advantage: it’s called Wem

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It seems clear that it has begun A race On the planet: the search for Rare earths and the essential critical minerals for many of the sectors that mark the geopolitical agenda. The problem for 99.9% of nations is the same: when they seem to have reached a deposit there are already A Chinese flag. What is not usually explained so much is how Beijing does. The miliar origin. Deep in the mountains of center of China extends A monumental installation that transforms both the landscape and the global competition for strategic resources. It is a gigantic antenna of 500 kilowatts, with lines that are deployed over 80 and 120 kilometers, originally conceived to maintain communication with underwater underwater. This electromagnetic colossus, whose extension exceeds in five times the New York surfacehas been converted into a decisive instrument for the exploration of critical minerals, projecting signals capable of penetrating kilometers in the earth’s crust and revealing deposits that previously remained out of human reach. What began as a military project has become a Scientific and Technological Weapon which gives Beijing a remarkable advantage in the race for the resources that will define the future of energy and industry. Electromagnetic exploration. A study of the China Geological Survey (CGS), published in the Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration magazine, has detailed how the country has managed to monopolize Electromagnetic systems of ultra-high power. All platforms that exceed 100 kW are in Chinese territory, while the most powerful tool in the United States barely reaches 30 kW. The difference is not trivial: this technological leap has allowed Chinese geologists to discover in recent years sites of historical magnitude, such as the Greater gold deposit of the world, reserves Lithium ultra-extends and uranium veins in depths Never achieved. The research led by Chen Hui and his team affirms That these innovations consolidate China’s world position in electromagnetic exploration theory and technology, placing it far ahead of any western competitor. The challenge. As the superficial deposits of copper, lithium, cobalt and rare earths are exhausted, the exploration has moved to what geologists call The “Second Mineral Space”: An underground strip that extends between 500 and 2,000 meters deep. In this environment, the signs issued by mineral bodies are extremely weak and are usually buried under the cultural noise generated by electricity lines, urban infrastructure and extractive operations. The Chinese response has been to redefine the scale of prospecting: multiply the transmission power by above 100 kWflooding the subsoil with signs capable of crossing interference and reaching depths of up to 3,000 meters with unprecedented clarity. Advances in the subsoil cartography. The jump is not limited to power. While conventional techniques relied on two -dimensional models not suitable for complex structures, Chinese systems use Sensors distributed networks and multidirectional field sources that allow a real three -dimensional image of the subsoil. In the Jiama copper mine, in the Tibet, a controlled audio-magnetothelúrica tensorial study (CSAMT) reached unpublished resolutions at more than 3,000 meters, subsequently confirmed with drilling nuclei. These results They far exceeded to the Magnetotheluric of Natural Source, usually ineffective in saturated noise environments. The methods. One of the most prominent advances is the Electromagnetic method wide field, developed by Professor He Jishan, which allows you to obtain reliable data even in the so -called “nearby field zone”, where the records were not very useful. At the same time, the time-frequency electromagnetic systems are expanding the available information by measuring not only the resistance of the materials, but also its polarization and permeabilityessential parameters to distinguish between different types of deposits. The Wem project. And so we reach the clearest symbol of this ambition: The Wem project (Wireless Electromagnetic Method), whose colossal structure crosses China’s heart with two antenna lines arranged almost at right angles. This system, which began as a naval communication tool, has become the First electromagnetic transmitter of continental scale used in the prospecting of resources. In a national test carried out in 2023its signs were detected from Tibet to Interior Mongolia and Guangdong, more than 2,000 kilometers away. In the area of ​​Xiong’an there were magnetic fields up to seven times higher than the natural background noise, an unequivocal demonstration of the system’s capacity to impose itself on the most complex interference. Strategic advantage. In other words, with these Beijing technologies It is placed at the head of the struggle for the essential mineral resources for the energy transition and the green technologies: lithium for batteries, cobalt for high resistance alloys and rare earths essential in modern electronics. In contrast, most Western countries lack comparable systems and, except Russia, almost none use ultra-high power instruments in terrestrial prospecting. Even the most powerful teams manufactured in the West have been designed at China, which underlines the existing technological dependence. A new geopolitical board. China’s ability to identify deep deposits quickly Not only is it a scientific advantage, but also strategic. Control over technology and data places Beijing in a position to mark the rhythm of the discovery of resources in the coming decades. If you want, in a context where the energy transition redefines the global value chains, who controls access to lithium, cobalt and rare earth will control much of the industrial future. With the deployment of Giant antennas and electromagnetic systems Of unpublished power, China is making it clear that it does not intend to participate in the race: its goal is to win it. Image | Ilo Asia-Pacific, Herry Lawford, Terence Wright In Xataka | The great covered in the War of Critical Minerals is Tungsten. The US needs it and 83% have it China In Xataka | In 1978 Chinese engineers visited two key US companies. On his return an empire began: the rare earths

Its technology is that of the botijo

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Three of the ten hottest days of the last 75 years in Spain We suffer this summer. August was Extremely warm and The Mediterranean is a “pressure pot”. These conditions They involve greater use of air conditioningbut it is not a restricted phenomenon to Spain: the number of heat days also increases in other countries. Urgent changes in the materials with which we buildand a couple of Swedish designers have taken a brick capable of lowering the temperature around them. It is called Bloc, and the best of all is that it uses the same technology as a botijo. 3D printed terracotta. Luc Schweizer and Andrin Stocker are members of the Higher School of the Arts of Zurich –ZHDK– They had an idea: convert certain points of the cities into “cold” places. Do in public space is complex because depending on the air-conditioning It is not a very viable option, and trees cannot do all the work either. They occurred to them something better: combine in a terracotta brick both a wind tunnel and a water tank. The promise is that the temperature of the space can lower around it by about nine degrees, and the most amazing thing is that it can achieve it with a combination of solar energy and Evaporation cooling. Botijo ​​technology. All this botijo ​​looks like a joke, But it is not. This clay gadget It has a very simple operation To keep the water fresh inside: it is filtered through the pores of the walls of the botijo ​​and, by contrast to the exterior, evaporates. Evaporate water takes part in the thermal energy of water, so the remaining liquid is maintained at a fresher temperature. As They affirm Those responsible, “is a low technology modular cooling system that uses evaporation cooling to reduce air temperature.” The operation is identical to that of the botijo, thanks to the fact that porous ceramic bricks absorb the water and it evaporates abroad, but with a nuance: they have added a fan. This fan drives the air through the wind tunnel that form the bricks and the cooler air goes abroad, cooling the most immediate space to the structure. To make it more sustainable, structures have Solar panels which are the ones that feed the fan. Modular. Within each brick there is a small water tank, which the equipment estimates that it would have to be filled with both rainwater collection naturally by the ‘device’ design and with water from municipal services. It would be the largest stumbling block, because otherwise, they claim that it is totally modular and the structures can grow freely both in height and in width. Apart from A kind of umbrellas With banks around them, they can be used to create refrigerated marques or cooler bus stops. Next steps. Before launching the bells on the fly, as is usually the case in these cases, it is a mere project. Both are already creating a 1: 1 scale prototype to test it in a real urban environment and evaluate long -term performance, but see applications like this in the streets around the world will not be immediate. They also comment that, apart from their outdoor use, other applications can be explored, such as integrate them into the facade of a building to cool large interior spaces such as exhibition rooms. Is not so unique. As a curiosity, in India they are already testing something very similar: clay flutes with this same technology They are able to lower the temperature of exterior and interior spaces between six and fifteen degrees, but that have the same problem: or have water … or do not work. Bloc, specifically, needs about 50 liters of water in hot days. Apart from whether or not these innovations end up applying, it is interesting to see How millenary technology is the touchstone for current problems. And how we keep looking again and again at the materials and to the bricks of the past. Images | ZHDK In Xataka | We have centuries using terracotta bricks. Now this company has reinvented them to achieve more efficient houses

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