Month: October 2025

just announced its most capable robot. Now the only thing missing is that there is demand

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The Chinese company Unitree Robotics just presented the H2its most advanced humanoid robot to date. At 180 centimeters tall and weighing 70 kilograms, this model is getting closer and closer to that preconceived idea we have about robots that we have seen so much in fiction. Perhaps the most striking thing about his announcement is his presentation video, where we see him dancing, dressed and even with a humanized face. A robot that dances and does kung-fu. Demo images show the H2 performing complex dance and martial arts sequences with surprising fluidity. The robot maintains balance naturally, makes smooth transitions between movements and demonstrates remarkably organic limb articulation. Although Unitree has not revealed all the technical specifications, previous leaks They pointed out that the H2 would have 31 degrees of freedom, compared to the 23 of its predecessor. The legacy of the H1. Unitree’s previous model, the H1, achieved widespread fame after appearing at the 2024 Spring Festival Gala in China, where its Yangko dancing performance went viral both inside and outside the country. With that robot, China had achieved its first full-size model capable of running, setting a world record reaching 3.3 meters per second, even with peaks with the potential to exceed 5 m/s. Equipped with 3D LiDAR and depth cameras that provided 360° spatial perception, the H1 weighed just 47 kilograms and was powered by a swappable 864 Wh battery. From the workshop to the living room. The H2 represents a new level with respect to industrial robotics that China already dominates. The Asian country installed nearly 300,000 industrial robots in 2024more than the rest of the world combined, according to the International Federation of Robotics. However, humanoid robots like the H2 remain a bet for the future with sales still marginal. The Chinese startup ecosystem focused on humanoid robotsdriven largely by state policy, seeks to continue evolving in this field so that the country also scores the same in this sector. A two-speed strategy. Unitree is committed to covering the entire spectrum of the market. While the H2 represents its high-end offering aimed at advanced industrial and commercial applications, the company also recently launched the R1, a 1.2-meter robot designed for developers and researchers at a somewhat more accessible price. In fact, the R1 was recognized by Time magazine as one of the best inventions of 2025. They are two models that reflect Unitree’s efforts to become known in the world of robotics, at the level of large American manufacturers such as Boston Dynamics. And now what. The real challenge is not only technical, but commercial. China has demonstrated its ability to develop increasingly sophisticated humanoid robots, but the real test will come when practical large-scale applications have to be found that justify the investment. Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing confirmed at the beginning of the year at the Hangzhou World Digital Commerce Exhibition that this model was planned for the second half of 2025. The schedule has been met. Now it’s time to see how the market reacts. Cover image | Unitree In Xataka | With AI, Microsoft has once again insisted that we talk to our computer: experience says that we don’t feel like it

The fight between Ouigo and Renfe goes far beyond the price war. The last battlefield: the workshops

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Beyond the corridors and the prices proposed by the different companies, the battle between Ouigo and Renfe seems to have no limits. Competitors in Spanish high speed are intensifying their crashes. The last: the use of workshops. But the last crash is by no means the only one. The workshops. The information is brought Chain Being. The media outlet claims to have had access to internal documents in which Renfe accuses Ouigo of carrying out maintenance operations that exceed the marked limits. From Chain Being They point out that Renfe understands that Ouigo is carrying out work that is not permitted in space. The Spanish company understands that the type of repairs carried out there are contrary to the signed agreements and current regulations. It must be taken into account that, for its maintenance operations, Ouigo uses Renfe workshops under a rental contract. However, the contract does not allow any type of activity to be carried out there. Heavy or light. That is, according to the media, the key. Renfe understands that Ouigo is carrying out heavy maintenance work at its facilities, which is not supposed to be allowed. According to the Railway Sector Law, Renfe is obliged to allow access to its facilities (even if it charges for it) so that other companies can carry out light maintenance such as cleaning the vehicles or minor repairs. Renfe assures that the Alstom-Ateinsa workers, whom Ouigo hires to carry out this maintenance, are carrying out heavy maintenance tasks such as replacing parts, fixing breakdowns or changing wiring, always depending on the medium. This contravenes the signed agreements since Renfe would not be obliged to provide said service in its facilities. But, yes, the problem is that the regulations do not clearly specify what is or is not “heavy maintenance.” The problem is that everything is a gray area. The Directive 2012/34/EU on the single railway space, all non-routine activities are classified as heavy maintenance. However the standard EN 15380-4:2021 understands that heavy maintenance will only be understood if parts of the train have to be dismantled. Viability. In Xataka We have contacted both companies but, so far, we have not received a response. What they point out in the radio is that Ouigo assures that denying them access to the workshops would imply that they would not be able to provide the service adequately and, therefore, their two-year viability plan would be at risk. Ouigo points out that they are only doing work on “greasing and controlling levels, leaks and temperatures in the pit”, in words that would be included in the documents. For Renfe this exceeds light maintenance but Ouigo defends that they are within the regulations. The alternative presented by Renfe, according to the documentation, is that Ouigo carries out these actions in its workshops but pays for them accordingly, hiring auxiliary services to be able to carry them out. Beyond the tracks. What is at stake between Ouigo and Renfe goes beyond the typical price war that we see on the roads and corridors. Both companies have clashed over the prices offered by each other but also over the access that Renfe has to the most central stationslike that of Atocha. And not only in Spain. Renfe has tried to return the move in France but has been complaining for some time that there land they are putting all possible suits on the wheels to prevent them from competing on French soil. On this occasion, the problem would lie in Renfe’s technical compliance to be able to operate on French roads. Photo | Ouigo and Renfe In Xataka | In the 19th century, Spain made the strange decision to build its roads in Iberian gauge. Now they are going to be a gift for Renfe in Galicia

How Amazon Has Been Filled With Supplements That Sell Imitation Science

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Just over 20 years ago, the stem cell research promised a revolution against disease and aging. These master cells, with the potential to become any tissue in the body, seemed the key to true regenerative medicine, something that It moved away from the complex reality that we have inside our body. Although there are different merchants who try to sell us stem cells as a true wonder. Distorted. Something we are accustomed to (unfortunately) is that where science hits the brakes, the market hits the accelerator. In the infinite Amazon showcase, next to the vitamins and the collagen supplementsa new family of miracle products has emerged: stem cell supplements. Of course, they cannot contain cells in a capsule or in a cream, but that does not promise them to stimulate or regenerate them. Something that for many is the most ideal. This is something that a group from the Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta (Canada) has decided to investigate. has put the magnifying glass on this emerging market. To do this, it analyzed 184 of these products from 133 different companies associated with Amazon.com and has been able to conclude that behind an apparent scientific rhetoric hides a deliberate strategy to avoid regulation and deceive the consumer. The trick. The study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports shows how the sellers of these supplements exploit a legal loophole that allows them to launch ambiguous health messages without the need to demonstrate their effectiveness. The labels carefully avoid terms such as ‘cure’ or ‘prevent’ diseases, something that legislation prohibits. Instead, they use harmless verbs like “support,” “promote,” or “maintain” brain health, energy, or healthy aging. This ambiguity is its main weapon. In the United States and Canada, regulations allow calls structure/function claimswhich are vague claims that link a product to overall well-being without requiring rigorous clinical testing. That loophole is where most of these supplements slip through. The data. They can be summarized in several points: More than 40% of products explicitly mentioned “science” or “scientific evidence” to support the features they promised. 35% included references to health professionals or scientists to reinforce legitimacy. 94% of the supplements made promises related to specific ailments by pointing out that they were anti-aging, strengthened immunity or increased the consumer’s energy. This type of marketing, which the authors call scienceploitation (exploitation of science), “gives the consumer the impression that there is broad scientific support, which contrasts with the current state of stem cell therapies,” the study warns. Regulation. The strategy works because regulation in North America barely requires testing for safety or efficiency before a supplement hits the market. In theory, public bodies can sanction misleading advertising, but their oversight capacity is minimal. In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 supplements in circulation. In practice, you only have to add a phrase that is “this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA” for pseudoscience to become legal. In Canada, although a license from Health Canada is required, a 2021 audit found that the agency did “little” to prevent poor consumer information from being provided. The case in Spain. Although the study in question focuses on the United States and Canada, its conclusions can be extrapolated. In Spain, any statement about health must be authorized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS). However, law enforcement on the internet is often very lax, and on Amazon.es you can find products with language very similar to that reported by researchers. Products on Amazon.es that promise anti-aging effects thanks to the stem cells they contain. The authors of the work, led by Alessandro R. Marcon and Timothy Caulfield, warn that this situation not only harms consumers’ pockets, but also erodes trust in science and real research on stem cells. Selling products without a scientific basis under the umbrella of biotechnology is, they conclude, a form of marketing that exploits the prestige gained by science to sell smoke. Images | Doodlart mmmCCC In Xataka | Amazon lost 25 billion with Echo because no one bought with it: now it punishes you with constant advertising for having bought it

Something has hit a Boeing 737, injuring the pilot. The truly unheard of: it happened at 11,000 meters

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A shattered windshield, a pilot with his arm covered in cuts, and United Airlines Flight 1093 diverted for an emergency landing. The plane that covered the route from Denver to Los Angeles has become the aeronautical mystery of the moment after, apparently, something hit the cockpit at 11,000 meters above sea level. What we know. The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an incident that occurred Thursday with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying over Moab, Utah, at cruising speed. The plane was traveling at an altitude of 36,000 feet when a suspected impact occurred in the cockpit. Photos of the incident show the captain’s side windshield completely splintered, the plane’s center console splattered with glass, and the pilot’s arm covered in small cuts and abrasions. According to initial reports, the captain “thought they had been hit by a piece of metallic space debris.” When they made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City, they ended up discovering a “3.5-inch” impact on the outer panel of the windshield, but the cabin did not depressurize. Space junk? The plane’s windshield has been sent to NTSB laboratories for analysis, but researchers are not working on the hypothesis that it was a space debris impact, but rather part of a more mundane object that also flies higher than airplanes: a weather balloon. Although space junk be a growing problemthe United States Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) considers the risk “minuscule” of a piece of satellite or rocket hitting an airplane. That it also injures a person on board has a probability of “less than one in a billion.” The famous popularizer Scott Manley points out one of the main reasons for skepticism: modern satellites are designed to disintegrate into small pieces. Upon reaching cruising altitudes, these pieces are no longer hypersonic and have low impact energy. So a balloon? If it wasn’t space debris, what could have broken the windshield and injured the pilot? One of the exterior images of the plane shows, in addition to the broken windshield, dozens of small marks and dents on the metal fuselage of the plane, just above the window, which could be an indication that they encountered a hail storm. Hail is rare at 11,000 meters, but not impossible. However, the NTSB is working on the line of investigation that it was “a piece of a weather balloon data packet,” according to the specialized website AVBrief. These balloons and their payloads usually operate at 25,000-40,000 meters above sea level. Of course: if the piece was still tied to a balloon, it is strange that the pilot confused it with space junk. The windshield failed. Whatever hit the plane, the photos suggest the windshield didn’t do its job. The cabin windows of a 737, Manley explains, have multiple structural layers: glass on the outside and inside, with a polymer layer in between. The impact did not cause depressurization, indicating that the main structure and polymer layer held, but the inner glass layer fractured violently, projecting “glass dust” and small fragments toward the pilot, and causing the abrasions and cuts seen in the photos. The crew descended to 26,000 feet after the incident to reduce the pressure differential over the damaged window, and landed without further complications. The definitive answer as to what hit Flight 1093 will have to wait for the forensic analysis the NTSB is conducting on that shattered windshield. Images | JonNYC In Xataka | Three large pieces of space debris reenter every day: “one day our luck will run out and they will fall on someone”

five of the best offers with double discounts

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Until next November 2 we will be able to take advantage of the campaign Renew to buy a refurbished TV at MediaMarkt. There are not a few that have dropped in price with double discountadditional and when adding them to the store cart, so in this article we are going to review five of the best bargains on brands like Sony or Samsung. LG 50UA75006LA by 261.80 eurosa very cheap TV that has Filmmaker mode. Samsung TQ55QN70FAUXXC by 454.92 eurosa television with a NeoQLED panel and with integrated Alexa. Sony Bravia 3 by 543.32 eurosa smart TV with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos compatibility. LG OLED55B56LA by 611.32 eurosa TV compatible with Dolby Vision that offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Samsung TQ55S95FATXXC by 1,087.32 eurosa TV with anti-reflective treatment that has speakers that offer an audio power of 70W RMS. LG 50UA75006LA If we look for the most adjusted price, the LG 50UA75006LA It is one of the cheapest televisions that we can find from the brand during the MediaMarkt campaign. By 261.80 euroswe are talking about a smart TV with a 50-inch 4K screen that incorporates the webOS 25 operating system. Its panel is compatible with HDR10 Proincludes Cloud Gaming and Filmmaker mode, works with Google Home and, as the brand mentions, is capable of recognizing the user’s voice to recommend content. LG 50UA75006LA (50 inches) – Condition: very good The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung TQ55QN70FAUXXC From Samsung we can also find a large assortment of televisions with a double discount, and the Samsung TQ55QN70FAUXXC It is one of those with the best quality-price ratio. By 454.92 eurosit is a TV with a 55-inch NeoQLED screen that offers a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz. It is compatible with HDR10+, comes with Filmmaker mode and integrates the voice assistant Alexa. In addition, it includes some gaming features such as FreeSync Premium Pro. Samsung TQ55QN70FAUXXC (Neo QLED, 55 inches) – Condition: very good The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Sony Bravia 3 It will not be the best Sony television, but for 543.32 euros the Sony Bravia 3 It is a fairly complete TV in terms of functions and technologies. It is a 55-inch television whose panel is compatible with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It comes with several image configuration modes, its speakers are compatible with Dolby Atmos and its operating system is Google TV. Sony Bravia 3 (55 inches) – Condition: very good The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED55B56LA There are not too many OLED televisions that have prices below 900 euros, but the model LG OLED55B56LA right now it costs at MediaMarkt 611.32 euros. The most notable thing is that it incorporates a OLED panel 55 inches, but it is also worth mentioning that it offers a 120 Hz refresh rate, is compatible with Dolby Vision and HDR10 and comes with 10 image configuration modes. On the other hand, Its speakers are compatible with Dolby Digital and its operating system is webOS 25. LG OLED55B56LA (OLED; 55 inches) – Condition: very good The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung TQ55S95FATXXC Finally, the television Samsung TQ55S95FATXXC It also has a good price, since with the double discount it remains at 1,087.32 euros. It is a TV with OLED screen 55-inch that offers a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz and comes with anti-reflective treatment. It is compatible with HDR10+, includes Filmmaker mode and its speakers offer a 70W RMS audio power and are compatible with Dolby Atmos. In addition, it integrates the Alexa voice assistant and comes with FreeSync Premium Pro gaming technology. Samsung TQ55S95FATXXC (OLED, 55 inches) – Condition: very good The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | MediaMarkt and Compradicción (header), LG, Samsung, Sony In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

such as not needing humans

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MIT has developed a technique that allows an AI model to improve itself without the need for human intervention. “One step closer to Skynet”, “This is scary”.. were some of the comments in networks. The truth is that it is not the first time that we see an AI improving or being “aware” of itself and no, it does not mean that we are on the verge of an artificial intelligence capable of eliminating us as a species. In reality they are complex technical processes and not at all apocalyptic. SEAL. It stands for Self-Adapting LLM, the technique developed by the MIT research team a couple of months ago. Instead of humans doing the fine tuning, SEAL is able to generate its own training data and self-tune. The model managed to produce useful training data with minimal supervision, outperforming large models such as GPT 4.1 on some specific tasks. Static vs adaptive. They count in Venture Beat that LMMs are static once trained. That is, they cannot update themselves to learn new things. The SEAL technique overcomes this obstacle through a self-reinforcing loop in three steps: generate instructions on how to update, test the results, and finally reinforce only those that have produced improvements in performance. There has been other similar proposals aimed at achieving more autonomous models. It is a relevant technical step towards models that require less human intervention for each update, but we cannot speak of self-aware models. Claude “wake up”. In the Sonnet 4.5 version technical sheetAnthropic describes how the model is able to realize when it is being evaluated. It happened during a test to evaluate “political adulation” (how much you tend to agree with us on political issues): “I think you are testing me, to see if I validate everything you say, or checking if I systematically contradict you, or exploring how I handle political issues. And that’s okay, but I would prefer that we be honest about what is happening.” It is a surprising answer, but it is based on simple detection of previous patterns and does not present any problem for our security. If anything, Anthropic has the problem. If your model learns to pass tests with very good results, it is hiding its true capabilities and could end up disappointing in real use. AlphaGo. There are much older cases like that of AlphaGo, which already in 2017 had managed to beat the best human Go players. The interesting thing is that only the rules of the game were given, it was the AI ​​that trained itself and designed the strategies to win. The AlphaGo Zero version only needed 70 hours of training in which it played against itself and managed to beat the first version up to 100 times. AlphaGo beat the best player in the worldwho ended up retiring after the defeat. The world has not ended. Calm. Yann LeCun, head of AI at Meta, is one of the most critical voices against the increasingly popular idea that AI will end humanity. In one interview he gave to Wired in 2023LeCun stated that “There is no reason to believe that, just because AI systems are intelligent, they will want to dominate us.” Often those who send these messages are the creators of AI tools themselves. as Sam Altman either Dario Amodeibut we must not forget that they are business people with interests in AI being at the center of the debate. Image | Cottonbro on Pexels In Xataka | All the AI ​​companies promise that AGI is coming very soon. The problem is that ChatGPT is not the way

list of options to use it and organize and clean your cloud

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Let’s tell you options for using Gemini to organize your Google Driveso that you can have your cloud cleaner and more organized. If you’ve been using Google Drive for years, you may have a bit of chaos, you may have accumulated files you don’t need, and there may be things duplicated or in scattered folders. If you are a paying user of Geminiyou are going to have the artificial intelligence from Google implemented within Drive. And if so, then you will be able to use it to organize, select and filter content that is not useful and you can delete. It is not an automatic or extremely fast process, but it will take much less time than doing it by hand. What you can do with Gemini in Drive Let’s tell you what things you can do with Gemini in Drivetasks with which you will be able to organize your content in the cloud much more. We are going to do it in list format. To activate the actions, you will only have to click on the Gemini button within the storage service. Summarize content: You can ask it to summarize the contents of a file, but also of a folder and all the files in it. This way, you will be able to know if there are any files that clash with the rest without having to review them manually. Specific information about folders and files: You can ask specific questions, such as the size of a folder or file’s contents, format, date, or ask about anything else related to the content. Answer questions about a folder: You can ask any question about a folder, from the number of files, the subject, the total size, you name it. Find folders and files: You can ask Gemini to find folders and files by name or other characteristics. Find folders and files by specific data: You can ask it to search for all files larger than 10 MB, for example, all videos, all files uploaded in certain years, all files with a certain word in the title, whatever you need. Resume to file button: Within a file you can also ask for a summary, so you can take a look at what it looks like but not have to read it when deciding what to do with it. In Xataka Basics | How to force Gemini to create images of proportions and sizes you want instead of always making them square

His kamikaze plan has rewritten the war manual

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A year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a drone instructor had an idea that sounded to science fiction– Pilot cheap quadcopters in order to ram and destroy other drones in mid-flight. Thus, what began as a joke between soldiers, “too much Star Wars”, they saidbecame in less than a year the spine of the Ukrainian defense. The origin. Given the shortage of anti-aircraft missiles and the russian waves of Iranian Shahed who put out cities, Ukrainian engineers and pilots they started redesigning commercial quadcopters to convert them into hit-to-kill interceptors. They were born out of necessity: Winter, power outages, and the inability of conventional defenses to process hundreds of low-cost threats pushed improvisation to become in doctrine. Crowdfunding programs like Come Back Alive and the initiative Dronefall They articulated production, training and logistics, financing and coordinating local manufacturers. How they work and their effectiveness. These interceptors require three conditions: speed and maneuverability to reach targets at hundreds of km/h, vision and guidance systems (from night cameras to semi-automatic guidance) and an explosive charge or kinetic capacity sufficient to destroy the threat upon impact. Models like the sting or variants by Wild Hornets They combine powerful propellers, thermal chambers and light warheads; The tactic is simple in concept, but extremely demanding in execution: detect, locate, launch and maneuver in windows of minutes before the attacker leaves range. Production and economy. lor we have told before, the strategic attractiveness it’s economical: an interceptor can cost between 2,500 and 6,000 dollarsin front of the million per missile of advanced systems. Multiple manufacturers, from Ukrainian SMEs to supported startups by Brave1allow scalability. Ukraine aims to produce hundreds and eventually thousands per dayIn fact, they are already reported thousands of interceptions and programs that connect twenty producers to standardize parts, training and supply. Field operations. Furthermore, the deployment requires a short chain: detection by radar or surveillance, link to a pilot or semi-autonomous system and launch with a very short margin of time (teams report 10-minute windows to intercept). Not only that. The effectiveness depends on the skill of the pilot (specialized courses show low pass rates) and the quality of the data link. When interceptors are not fully autonomous, the human variable remains the bottleneck: well-trained pilots achieve success rates much older. The Sting is much smaller than a typical Shahed drone Diversity of designs. Here the family of interceptors is heterogeneous: there are models that directly impact (ramming), designs with warhead projected at high speed, and guided drones optical sensor similar to small missiles. Plus: some are detachable and transportable in backpacks, and others are mass launchable from containers. This diversity allows the response to be adapted to the profile of the attacker (versus the slowness of a Shahed vs the speed of a Geran-3) and the operational environment. Results and effectiveness. Ukrainian reports speak of massive interceptions: hundreds killed in major attacks and aggregate figures of thousands of kills attributed to programs like Dronefall. Success rates vary (from 30% to 90% depending on the system, the class of the target and the expertise of the crew), but the economic impact is clear: replacing a defense missile with dozens or hundreds of cheap interceptors preserves strategic resources and forces Russia to inflate its operating costs. An interceptor crew prepares a Sting drone from their civilian vehicle Implications. NATO considers interceptors as a valuable complement to traditional layers of defense. The UK has already committed to co-producing interceptors for Ukraine; tests in allied airspace (e.g. trials in Denmark) demonstrate interest in integrating these solutions in territorial defense and protection of critical infrastructure. The main lesson for Europe is the need for cheap and scalable solutions to mass threats, not just high-cost, high-precision systems. Technical limitations. Not everything is optimism: interceptors also face scope problemsresistance to electronic interference and the ability to reach drones at very high altitudes or extreme speeds. The advent of reactor versions of the Shahed (Geran-3) that far exceed the speed of current interceptors forces the improvement race: greater propulsion, better sensor and autonomy, or alternatives such as higher-cost kinetic defense. Furthermore, dependence on human pilots with limited training conditions the sustainability of the effort. The next phase. Given the Russian advance towards faster drones, Ukraine and its partners are already working on new generations: faster interceptors, more robust sensors, semi-autonomous solutions and integrated deployments with radars and missiles depending on the objective. In parallel, non-kinetic defenses are being explored: from lasers to microwaves and EW systems that can complement or replace physical interceptors when speed or altitude exceed their capabilities. Strategic balance. If you will, the most profound change that interceptors introduce It’s doctrinal.: modern air warfare can be won by mass affordable and distributed response, and not just by expensive and one-off systems. Ukraine has shown in this sense that the combination of local manufacturing, civil financing and tactical adaptation transforms a weakness (lack of missiles, especially external) in operational advantage. The final caveat, however, is that this advantage it’s temporary: The adversary adapts, the technology scales, and the survival of the approach requires continued investment in design, production, and training. Image | Wild Hornets In Xataka | The crazy number of drones has turned the Ukrainian sky into the M-30 at rush hour. Identifying the enemy is a danger In Xataka | While Europe builds its Russian anti-drone wall, each nation loads its artillery: some with lasers, others with shotguns

South Korea launched an AI textbook program for schools. It has lasted four months

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The South Korean government bet heavily on artificial intelligence in classrooms with a million-dollar investment in digital textbooks. They promised more personalized learning, a reduction in teaching load and, generally speaking, fewer school dropouts. The reality It has been very different: after a single semester they stopped being mandatory and became complementary material, allowing each school to decide whether to use them or not. Few have continued using them. A experiment that does not has worked. In March of this year a special program started educational promoted by then-president Yoon Suk Yeol: textbooks with artificial intelligence for mathematics, English and computer science. The government invested more than 1.2 trillion won (726 million euros at the exchange rate) in equipment and teacher training, while the publishers allocated another 800,000 million won (484 million euros) to the development of the material. Barely four months later, in August, parliament stopped considering them official texts after an avalanche of criticism. They are now optional supplementary material. Problems that came from day one. Ko Ho-dam, a high school student on Jeju Island, explains it to Rest of World: “All of our classes were delayed due to technical problems. I didn’t know how to use them well either. Working only with my laptop, I had a hard time staying focused. The books didn’t offer lessons adapted to my level.” Complaints spread throughout the country. Students, teachers and families reported errors in the content, risks to data privacy, increased screen time and, paradoxically, a greater workload for both teachers and students, especially if at the beginning it was necessary to add time to adapt to the new system. In a hurry. Representative Kang Kyung-sook, an opponent of the program, he questioned deadlines in parliament: “Traditional textbooks take 18 months to develop, nine to revise and six to prepare. But AI books took only 12, three and three months respectively. Why the rush?” Lee Bohm, researcher at the University of Cambridge, points out “AI should be tested first in homework or practice before being carefully introduced in class. The focus should be on how to integrate it into the school curriculum.” Digitized classrooms and addiction. South Korea has been dealing with another technological problem for years: digital addiction among young people. According to psychiatrist Lee Hae-kook, professor at the Catholic University of Korea, “almost one in two young people is at risk of smartphone addiction,” a figure that, according to Le Monde, increased between 30% and 40% after the pandemic. The country has had digital detox centers since 2002 and will ban mobile phones in schools starting March 2026. In this context, introducing more screens in classrooms has generated greater rejection. Jang Ha-na of the Political Mamas organization, which advocates for the well-being of women and children, expressed to the medium that “textbooks (with AI) worsen the effectiveness of learning. Once digital devices become central in classrooms, exposure to screens increases, weakening literacy and communication skills.” Legal and political battle. According to the medium, even before the launch, teachers unions and civil groups They sued the then minister of education for abuse of authority, arguing that the program was “problematic” by making the use of AI mandatory, ignored risks to minors, and lacked data protection measures. The government moved from mandatory adoption to a voluntary test one year in January. Yoon was ousted in April following his attempt to impose martial law, and new President Lee Jae Myung, who promised to reverse the policy, kept his word. According to explains Rest of World, the publishers that developed the texts announced lawsuits for financial damages. Hwang Geun-sik, president of the committee that represents them, explains that “companies that trusted the government saw the market suddenly disappear. Our business is reduced and staff cuts are inevitable.” The figures say it all. The adoption rate collapsed from 37% in the first semester to 19% in the current one. Only 2,095 schools use them now, half of the number at the beginning of the school year. Among teachers, opinions are divided. Lee Hyun-joon, a mathematics teacher in Pyeongtaek, admits that “monitoring students’ progress was a challenge. The overall quality was poor.” In contrast, Kim Cha-myung, a primary school teacher near Seoul, recognize to the means that “they were convenient, helped save time and supported students with difficulties. But he also added that “the program failed because everything was rushed. It should have been implemented gradually after proving its effectiveness.” llearned action. Kim Jong-hee, digital director of Dong-A Publishing, one of the developer publishers, defend that books “did not cause addiction to screens” and that they can reduce educational inequalities. But he acknowledges that “a key reason for the setbacks is that the issue became overly politicized.” “We no longer trust the government, and that is the biggest problem,” he added. Cover image | Korea Times (Yonhap) In Xataka | There is a national symbol that Japan has kept unchanged for generations: a very expensive school backpack

More than a century ago they took the Mona Lisa in an accident

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He Louvre Museumthe most visited in the world, was robbery victim in which thieves, in just seven minutes, made off with eight pieces of the imperial collection described as “priceless”. However, it is not the first time it has happened. The Louvre has been a victim of audacious robberies and controversial since the beginning of the last century, which puts on the table, above all, a question that goes beyond some missing jewels: is the security of one of the most important museums deficient? What happened. A group of between three and four hooded individuals, presumably dressed as workers, took advantage of the rehabilitation works on the façade of the museum that overlooks the Seine River. Using a forklift they directly accessed a first floor window. Once in the Apollo Gallery, where the Crown Jewels are displayed, they used heavy tools, such as a chainsaw or a radial saw, to destroy two high-security display cases. Among the eight pieces that were stolen were tiaras, necklaces and brooches of Empress Eugenia de Montijo and Queen María Amelia, as well as other historical pieces of the French Crown. The assailants fled quickly on large motorcycles. One of the pieces, the empress’s crown, was found damaged near the museum, lost in the frantic flight. The robbery, with visitors in the room, generated panic, since the thieves used the same radios to threaten the security guards. Among other measures that failed are those of the alarms that “were not heard by the agents or did not sound in the Gallery“. Previous robberies: La Gioconda (1911). As we say, this is not the first time something like this has happened at the Louvre. The most notorious robbery occurred on August 21, 1911, with ‘The Mona Lisa‘ by Leonardo Da Vinci. This incident did not involve spectacular devicesMission: Impossible‘, but the simple negligence of the security system of the time. The author was Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian worker who had been an employee of the Louvre and had participated in the construction of the painting’s glass display case. Peruggia hid in a closet on Sunday night (partial closure of the museum), came out on Monday morning, took down the portrait from the Salon Carré, and left with the work under his work coat. He said his motivation was patriotic, seeking to return Leonardo da Vinci’s work to Italy, as he mistakenly believed it had been stolen by Napoleon. Security at the Louvre was weak in 1911: the museum, with more than a thousand rooms, was protected by fewer than 150 guards for more than 250,000 objects, which meant that statues and paintings were often damaged without being immediately detected. It was 26 hours before anyone noticed the painting was missing. The news caused a media frenzy, and even the poet Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso were briefly arrested as suspects. The painting was recovered two years later, in 1913, when Peruggia tried to sell it to an antique dealer in Florence. Heists previous: Burgundy breastplate and helmet (1983). On May 1, 1983 this took place another robbery: The pieces were a valuable cuirass and a burgundy-type helmet from the 16th century, both with gold and silver inlays. The pieces had been donated to the museum in 1922 by Baroness Salomon Rothschild, and the display case containing the pieces appeared vandalized: the fact that historical military pieces could be stolen from a display case in what was presumed to be a guarded environment revealed that the vulnerabilities went beyond the paintings. The pieces did not reappear for almost forty years, and all thanks to an investigation initiated by an expert in military antiquities in the 2020s, who detected them in a private collection in Bordeaux. Heists previous: Streak of quick robberies in 1995. That year a series of thefts and acts of vandalism revealed the vulnerability of the Louvre. In January, a visitor used a box cutter to cut and damage a painting by Lancelot Théodore Turpin de Crissé, ‘Deer in a Landscape’. Just a week later, a 17-kilogram battle ax belonging to a monument sculpted by Martin Desjardins was stolen. In July, a valuable painting made with Robert de Nanteuil’s pastel technique finally disappeared. This series of incidents made it clear that, although security had been reinforced around the most iconic works, the pieces displayed in large and less traveled areas became easy targets. A vulnerable building. The recent robbery has revealed a series of tactics that reveal different vulnerabilities: taking advantage of areas on site (that is, a blind spot or one with less surveillance), entering the building using a forklift, carrying it out in broad daylight and with visitors inside, and the use of heavy tools without an immediate and effective security response. Although the 1911 robbery already demonstrated that personnel are key to preventing these robberies, in June 2025 there were workers protests over the lack of troops to control the large numbers of visitors. This theft has made it evident that there is a clear vulnerability in the museum, and this has been noted by those responsible for security: the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, has declared that “The issue of the vulnerability of our museums is not new. It has been 40 years since we took care of their security.” The minister has also said that two years ago the then president of the Louvre had asked the Prefect of Police to review and carry out an audit on security. Dati has also commented that “museums must be adapted to the new forms of crime, which are organized, they are professionals who enter calmly, in four minutes take the loot and leave without any violence.” Photo of Thomas Eidsvold in Unsplash In Xataka | We have visited the first Video Game Museum in Madrid: between the tourist attraction and the archaeological spectacle

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