Month: January 2026

This is South Korea’s bet to enter the Western market

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There are military contracts that are won based on specifications. And there are others that play in the field of story. South Korea is betting on the latter in its offensive to place attack submarines in Canada: it not only talks about platforms, capabilities or industry, but about how to live within them. In the center of the speech appears a phrase that seeks to stay in the head of the reader and, above all, of the political decision-maker: building submarines as “five-star hotels.” Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, said this: in a message posted on Facebookintroducing Seoul’s diplomatic and industrial campaign. Industrial size offer. The proposal that South Korea is moving in Canada points to a program of around 12 diesel attack submarines whose investment is estimated at 10 billion euros. It is not only a military issue, it is also a candidacy with a strong industrial component, with a front that brings together the Government and large private actors. Names such as Hanwha, HD Hyundai and Hyundai Motor Group appear in that package, which are vying for a contract and, at the same time, a letter of introduction to Western buyers. Strategic agreement. South Korea’s interest in this contract is not explained only by the size of the project. In The Korea PostKang frames the objective as a big entry into the Western market and as a step to move towards the NATO environment, always in its formulation. That same ambition is presented as an attempt to consolidate defense partnerships with Western countries. It should be noted that South Korean and Canadian companies have already signed six cooperation agreements ranging from steel to artificial intelligence, rare earths, satellites and sensors. The recipient of that speech is not coincidental.. Canada has been suffering the wear and tear of an aging submarine fleet for years, and its replacement program is based on a specific fact: replacing some vessels that, as IE points out, were acquired in the 1990s. Therefore, what is at stake is not a simple replacement of material, but a decision that will condition the Royal Canadian Navy for decades, with enormous industrial, operational and budgetary implications. In this context, any candidate who wants to compete cannot limit himself to offering a platform, he also has to present a framework of reliability and long-term continuity. Germany also wants that contract. South Korea does not compete alone. In the race for the Canadian program the German Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) appearswhich is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated solutions in maritime defense technology. The bidding, therefore, is not reduced to choosing a submarine model, but to deciding which industrial partner best fits a long-term program. In this context, each candidate tries to gain ground not only with benefits, but also with the type of relationship it promises to build with the purchasing country and the ecosystem it trails behind. The battle for the Canadian program leaves a clear idea. The Western defense market is in full competition, and South Korea wants to play on the front line. Your proposal has been presented as more than just a product. On the other side appears a European rival with experience and a name of its own. For now, the only certainty is that there is an intense political and industrial effort to position itself. What is missing, precisely, is what decides these processes: the fine print, the guarantees and Ottawa’s final decision. Images | Royal Canadian Navy | Kang Hoon-sik In Xataka | Germany was a sleeping military giant: now it has been awakened and it is already surpassing the US in bullets produced per year

An Asturian is setting up a garage with dream supercars in Monaco: Fernando Alonso

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That a Formula 1 driver like Fernando Alonso buys a sports car is not something that should attract attention. However, when these purchases occur over time and refer to some of the most iconic classic cars or the most spectacular hypercars on the market, the result is one of the best collections of cars. Alonso has surprised everyone with his latest acquisition: a Lamborghini Sián FKP 37the Italian brand’s most extreme hybrid supercar, of which only 63 units have been manufactured in the world. This car, which costs more than 4 million euros in the current market, has the license plate number 14, a personal nod from the Asturian driver to the number he wears on his helmet. The Lamborghini supercar joins the two-time world champion’s spectacular car collection in Monaco, where he lives and can be seen behind the wheel of these jewels. Lamborghini Sian FKP 37: the newcomer Alonso has been seen on the streets of Monaco at the wheel of one of the most technological bulls that have come out of Sant’Agata Bolognese: the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Lamborghini’s limited edition hypercar combines a 6.5-liter, 785 HP naturally aspirated V12 engine with an electrical system based on supercapacitors that raises total power to 819 HP. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and exceeds 355 km/h maximum speed. There are only 63 coupes of this model, a number that is not coincidental since it pays tribute to the year 1963, when Lamborghini began manufacturing sports cars. This model began production in 2019 and its selling price was 3.3 million euros. However, its exclusivity and appeal to collectors have caused its price to skyrocket to well over 4 million euros. Tap on the image to go to the original message The Instagram account @monaco_luxurystyle captured the moment in which the Asturian pilot he got off of the exclusive Lamborghini with the 14 on its license plate on the streets of Monaco. Classic vintage Ferraris In recent months, Alonso has expanded his garage with classic cars such as the Ferrari 512 TR as the one Michael Jordan drove in the 90s, which represents his taste for the Italian classics of the firm Il Cavallino. The 512 TR was the evolution of the Ferrari Testarrosa powered by a V12 engine that delivered 428 HP of pure fun. Shortly after, was seen driving another legend through the streets of Monaco: a Ferrari F40 with its license plate F014, a beast from the 80s known for the brutality of its V8 biturbo engine that delivered 478 HP with just over 1100 kg of weight, and for being the last one that had the approval of Enzo Ferrari. There are not only Ferraris: also exclusive Mercedes-Benz and Fords The two-time champion’s garage is not only nourished by the Italian automobile industry. Among its latest additions we also find a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTRone of the most extreme and exclusive cars of the German firm, of which only 26 units exist. Again, the spotters were witnesses of Alonso’s rides behind the wheel of his supercars through Monaco. Mercedes manufactured these units with the sole objective of complying with the regulations for the FIA ​​GT Championship, which is the natural habitat of this hypercar from the late 90s. That is, contrary to what usually happens, the competition unit was first designed to participate in Le Mans, and was later adapted to circulate. The CLK GTR has a 6.9-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that delivers 600 HP with a six-speed sequential gearbox. In their day, these limited units cost between 1.5 and 2 million euros. Currently, this gem is valued at about 10 million euros. Ford GT Holman Moody Edition He Ford GT Holman Moody Edition It was another of the Asturian pilot’s whims. This limited edition is a tribute to the 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 Mk II, a version that was developed from an exclusive prototype that was auctioned a few days ago. Aston Martin: playing at home In addition to the great racing classics and classic sports cars, Alonso does not neglect the interests of his team, and it is common to see him at the controls of an Aston Martin model. The most spectacular is the Valkyrie that sports the colors of Aston Martin Racing and its distinctive 014S license plate that identifies it as the property of the driver. The Valkyrie is a brutal hypercar for the track, but which is allowed to circulate on the road, not without drawbacks. Recently the brand gave him an imposing Aston Martin DBX S in black, a powerful SUV with more than 700 HP to get around in your daily life. However, the car with which Alonso feels more comfortable It is an Aston Martin Valiant, with a 745 HP biturbo V12 engine, manual transmission and configuration customized by Alonso among the 38 units that will be manufactured of this model. In Xataka | In Dubai they don’t know what to do with so many abandoned luxury supercars: the less shiny side of getting rich Image | Aston Martin, Ferrari

Science now believes that our biological expiration date is more hereditary than we thought.

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For years, the scientific consensus and popular culture have repeated a reassuring mantra: genes they only determine 20 or 25% of life expectancy. The rest of this fell on our shoulders directly with the lifestyle, diet or even the environment we surround ourselves with. But this figure, which corresponded to old studieshas changed radically. The study. A study published this week in Science has come to shake the foundations of biogerontology. Led by molecular biologist Uri Alon of the Weizmann Institute in Israel, the research suggests that We have been massively underestimating the role of DNA. Something that they have been able to know after cleaning the data from the statistical “noise” with a very resounding conclusion behind it: the heritability of human life expectancy is around 55%. What we knew. The percentage of participation of current genetics was based on research carried out in the 90s and whose key was the definition of “dying.” The oldest studies analyzed cohorts of Danish-Swedish twins taking mortality as a whole. In this way, if one twin died of cancer at 90 and the other from a car accident at 30, the statistics interpreted that genetics had very little influence. The present. But now, Alon’s team has applied a new mathematical model to separate two concepts that used to be mixed up. One of these was extrinsic mortality, that is, deaths caused by external and random factors such as accidents, pandemics or wars. On the other hand, we have intrinsic mortality, which is true biological aging and is not due to an accident, but to the ‘wear and tear’ of the organism over time. In this way, by removing the noise of extrinsic mortality from historical data, the weight of genetics begins to skyrocket. The results. The new study, published at the end of January, is not just based on a simulation but has analyzed decades of records. On the one hand, data from twins born between 1870 and 1900 have been reanalyzed, which are the original studies where the extrinsic factor was included. By removing it, the genetic correlation again became much stronger. The team crossed their models with sibling data for 444 American centenarians confirming that extreme longevity clusters in families much more than chance or shared environment could explain. In this way, the study corrects what experts call prior estimation biases. That is, the 20-25% figures were not wrong. per sebut they included too much “bad luck.” Lifestyle matters. That the weight of genetics is much greater than we think, does not mean that we should abandon the gym and a balanced diet. And although genetics determine 55% of aging, the other almost half continues to depend on the environment and lifestyle. And this must continue to be maintained. On the other hand, this has enormous implications for personalized medicine. If the “expiration date” of our tissues is more programmed than we thought, anti-aging therapies will have to focus much more on editing or modulating that genetic load, and not just on telling us to eat more vegetables (which too). Images | LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR In Xataka | In Spain there are already 148 people over 64 years of age for every 100 young people. And that is a ticking time bomb for the economy.

collagen supplements are not delivering what they promise

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For years, we have been sold collagen as some kind of shortcut to youth. It seemed that it was enough to cast a tablespoon of coffee powder, take one capsule a day either join the latest fashion routine on networks to, supposedly, stop the clock. Creams, supplements and drinks have ended up making this protein the main protagonist of current anti-aging discourse. However, that narrative is beginning to crack. More and more scientific evidence, supported by dermatologists, agrees that collagen supplements do not work as we think. In many cases, there is not even clear evidence that they do anything. The gap between what marketing promises us and what science really says is today greater than ever. Collagen, under scientific review. The notice does not come from just any blog or from a passing criticism; It comes straight from academic dermatology. According to ScienceDailyspecialists insist that there is no conclusive evidence to support the use of these supplements to effectively combat skin aging. Dr. Farah Moustafa, dermatologist and professor at Tufts University, she is very clear about it: “Oral collagen supplements are not currently recommended to treat skin aging, although they may be considered alongside other more effective and better-studied interventions.” A good melon has opened. The debate does not center on whether or not there are favorable studies, but rather on what type of studies support these claims. As Moustafa explainsafter reviewing 23 clinical trials, a pattern that gives food for thought was detected: Studies with positive results were usually of low quality or paid for by the brands themselves. The most rigorous, independently funded studies found no real benefits from taking collagen. In other words, when the level of scientific demand is raised, the promised effect is diluted. Everything is born from a misunderstanding. Much of the success of collagen is based on an idea that seems logical but is false: “If I lose collagen, I eat it and get it back.” But the body is not a reservoir that is refilled like this. It is true that collagen is key since It represents 30% of our protein and supports skin, bones and tendons, and it is also true that over the years we make less, which brings wrinkles and sagging. The mistake is in believing that ingesting it means sending it directly to the face. At Tufts Universityremember that the digestive system It breaks everything down into small pieces (amino acids) before absorbing it. Once inside, the body distributes these pieces according to its biological priorities (such as organs or muscles), which do not always coincide with our desire to look better. There is no way to guarantee that this “material” end up in the dermis. Reformulation of the message. Seeing this biological obstacle, the message has been mutating. They no longer just sell plain collagen; Now they talk about hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, marine or even vegetable. The idea is to sell you that, if the body does not absorb the entire protein, perhaps it will make better use of these loose pieces. Even so, the data continues to be taken with a grain of salt. Although some studies find modest improvements in the hydration or elasticity of the skin, most of these works are small in size, analyze supplements that contain other added ingredients (vitamins, minerals) and do not allow the real effect of collagen to be isolated. Furthermore, even in the best case scenario, there is no control over where that newly synthesized collagen will be used. But there is an added problem. Beyond effectiveness, dermatologists warn about another less visible aspect: the safety and control of supplements. According to Dr. Moustafacollagen supplements, especially those of marine origin, can be contaminated with methylmercury. Added to this is a structural problem, supplements do not go through the same controls as medications. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, cited by ScienceDailymany of the supplements available do not have third-party verification, do not clearly detail their ingredients, and have not been previously evaluated for safety or effectiveness. However, this regulatory gap is not exclusive to collagen; we can also observe it in stem cell supplements in a strategy known as scienceploitation. So what do dermatologists really recommend? Experts do not say that you should stop taking care of yourself, but rather that you should go back to what has been proven. According to dermatologists consulted by ScienceDailythe best tricks are the usual ones: Use sunscreen daily to prevent UV damage. Regular application of topical retinoids at night. Balanced diet, rich in protein and vitamin C. Avoid tobacco and reduce sun exposure. Collagen as a cultural phenomenon. The rise of collagen cannot be understood from biology alone. This boom also responds to a increasing aesthetic pressureamplified by social networks, filters and discourses of constant self-optimization. The obsession with “staying young” does not affect everyone equally. The anti-aging industry disproportionately targets women, reinforcing the idea that aging is a flaw that must be corrected. In this context, collagen becomes not only a supplement, but a symbol of a social demand. While science advances cautiously, the market accelerates. The global skin care industry moves hundreds of billions of dollars, and constantly needs new ingredients, promises and narratives to sustain its growth. The end of a myth (or at least, an exaggerated promise). The current medical consensus does not state that collagen is useless, but rather that it is not the miracle it has been sold. It does not rejuvenate the skin on its own, it does not directly reach where it promises and, in many cases, it offers benefits that are difficult to distinguish from a good general diet. In the end, real health is less glamorous than a bottle of shiny powder: it’s about perseverance, good habits, and understanding that aging is not a mistake that can be solved with capsules. Perhaps the problem is not collagen itself, but our need to believe that youth can be bought and bottled. Image | Unsplash and freepik Xataka | The … Read more

Toyota and Subaru have another opinion

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Electrification in the automobile sector is taking with it one of the elements that has been with us practically all our lives: the manual transmission. For many people it is not a very serious problem, since an automatic car is actually more comfortable to drive. But for those who long for the sensations of a manual transmission, it marks the end of an era. Or not? Maybe is not completely lost. There are manufacturers that have been exploring the idea of ​​developing for some time. transmissions with a virtual manual shift in electric vehicles. Some of the manufacturers that have contributed the most in this direction have been firms like Toyota or Subaruwho seem unwilling to give up one of the driving experiences most valued by motoring enthusiasts (and by many other ordinary people who have driven all their lives). Is the virtual now the authentic? A few days ago, the people at CarBuzz echoed that Subaru had registered a patent in the United States for a fully simulated manual transmission system in electric cars. The design includes both an H-pattern shifter and a clutch pedal, although neither would be mechanically connected to anything. Instead, they use sensors that detect the position of each element and transmit that information to the vehicle’s computer, which adjusts the engine torque according to the selected “gear” and the pressure on the accelerator and clutch. Why is it relevant? Electric cars do without traditional transmissions because their engines deliver 100% of the torque from zero revolutions. This makes the gearboxes unnecessary from a technical point of view, but it also eliminates this element that has been with us forever and that endures as a sign of much more active control of the car. Manufacturers like Toyota and Subaru are convinced that there is a niche market willing to pay to recover that feeling, even if it is artificial. Toyota already has a working prototype. The idea is not new for the group. Toyota has been working on this concept for years and already has an operational prototype based on an electric Lexus UX 300e. According to InsideEVs, which could test it in 2023the experience ends up being surprisingly realistic. At the time, the vehicle featured simulated six-speed shifts, artificial engine sounds, and even replicated the characteristic jerk when shifting gears. In fact, from the middle they counted that the system allowed the car to “stall” if you did not press the clutch correctly and also simulated engine braking when downshifting. Best of all, the prototype allowed these types of functions to be activated and deactivated with a single switch, allowing the driver to choose between manual mode or conventional electric operation. What Subaru has come up with. Subaru’s patent goes a step further in this regard, as it incorporates a “hard start suppression device” that replicates the safety system of traditional manual cars, causing the vehicle to only start if the clutch pedal is fully depressed. Interestingly, the system is designed to activate manual mode by default every time the car is started, regardless of which mode it was left in previously. According to describe CarBuzz, this decision seems to seek to prevent the driver from forgetting which mode they left the vehicle in, although it is striking that manual mode is the default option. The connection between both brands. That Subaru patents a system practically identical to the prototype that Toyota already has running makes perfect sense, since Subaru is part of the Toyota group and collaborates closely with the brand in the development of electric vehicles, as demonstrated by the Subaru Solterra and its sister models. It is possible that the idea of ​​both manufacturers is to develop a sports model that has this type of virtual manual transmission systems. It does not mean that we see this system in all their vehicles, but in those with a more performance focus. More options on the way. Just like account CarBuzz, Hyundai and Kia have also taken the first step with eight-speed simulated transmission systems in models like the Ioniq 5N and the EV6 GT, although without a clutch pedal. On the other hand, Honda also offers eight fake “gears” in the new Prelude. However, none of those mentioned comes close to the level that Toyota or Subaru aspire to achieve with their systems. We will see if commercial models with this system finally arrive and if there is demand for them. Cover image | CHUTTERSNAP In Xataka | You can now bid on the most exclusive Ford GT prototype in history. The only handicap is that you won’t be able to drive it.

The largest clinical trial confirms that it detects more and reduces the radiologist’s burden

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With the arrival of artificial intelligence, one of the applications was undoubtedly medicinewhich could mark a authentic revolution. Although definitive proof was missing to tell us that it really had real use. And this one just arrived thanks to an article published in The Lancent which has pointed out how AI can help us detect more breast cancers and even reduces those that are much more dangerous. The screening. Unfortunately, in Spain we have in mind, because of how recent it was, the problems with screening programs in Andalusia. And despite this great controversy, this type of screening is very useful and significantly reduces the number of women who end up dying from breast cancer that was not detected in time. But now we want to go a little further with the integration of technology so that fewer tumors escape that to the human eye can escape due to their small size. Interval cancers. Without a doubt, it is the great enemy in radiodiagnosis when we refer to screening mammograms. This term refers to those tumors that are detected between one check-up and the next, and that have different reasons for their appearance. The first reason is that it is a tumor that grows very quickly (and that can be much more malignant) or that was missed in the previous control mammogram due to its small size. And this is a serious problem, since the basis of screening is to detect cancers in the earliest stages where they can respond better to more conservative treatments. The study. The MASAI trial (Mammography Screening with Artificial Intelligence) has shown that the use of AI reduces these cases drastically. And the figures are quite promising, since there was a 12% reduction in cancer rate interval in the two years after the woman was screened. In figures, it went from 1.76 cases per 1,000 women to 1.55 cases. A difference that may be very small in our eyes, but in public health and oncology it is a real success, since reducing by 12% the tumors that usually “escape” is a major clinical advance. Less work. Until now the standard method to analyze these tests focused on a double reading. This means that two radiologists reviewed each mammogram independently to ensure nothing was missed. A security method that is ideal, but that consumes an immense amount of human resources in health systems. That is why with this method a paradigm shift is proposed that is based on intelligent triage and that can be summarized in three different points: The AI ​​initially analyzes the mammogram image and assigns it a risk score from 1 to 10. In the event that it is categorized as low risk, the image is reviewed by a single radiologist to see if it agrees that the image is clean and closes the case. If the risk is high in the mammography, the image does pass the double reading system with AI marking the most suspicious areas where there may be injury. The result. With this new algorithm, the study has aimed at a 44% reduction in the reading letter for professionals, in order to make doctors now focus on the images that are much more doubtful. And no, working less did not mean working worse. On the contrary: the AI ​​arm of the study detected 29% more clinically relevant cancers without increasing the rate of false positives (the great fear of over-diagnosing healthy patients). Complement and not replace. This is something important that the study itself highlights, since they point out that AI has not arrived to fire radiologists. The MASAI method is only a “decision support”, since the AI ​​prioritizes, orders and signals, but the final clinical decision is always that of the doctor and therefore in human hands. With the publication of these final results in The Lancet, The validation cycle of one of the most important tests is closed of the decade in radiology. The next step is no longer asking whether AI works in breast cancer screening, but how long it will take for public health systems to implement it to give radiologists one more tool that allows them to be more precise and methodical. Images | National Cancer Institute In Xataka | A Spanish milestone against pancreatic cancer: we are one step closer to eradicating it but there is still a long way to go

There is a “nihilistic” penguin who decided to embrace certain death. The Internet has been obsessed with him for weeks

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If in many years some historian were to investigate how the world has started 2026, they would find one of those surprises that raise eyebrows: humanity (or at least that part of humanity that rubs shoulders on the Internet) has started the year fascinated by a “nihilistic penguin”. With Ukraine at war, Trump threatening to annex Greenland to the US (by hook or by crook) and Nicolás Maduro detained In a New York prison, half the planet is dedicated to speculating why the hell one fine day in 2007 a palmiped from Antarctica undertook a suicidal trip that would have inspired himself Friedrich Nietzsche. It sounds bizarre, but it makes sense. What the hell is that penguin doing? It sounds bizarre, but for weeks thousands of people around the world have been asking themselves that same question: What is that penguin doing? The bird in question is a Pygoscelis adeliaean ‘Adelia’ like there are thousands of them in Antarctica, but which about 19 years ago came across the German filmmaker’s cameras by pure chance Werner Herzog while recording his documentary ‘Encounters at the End of the World’. The film lasts almost 100 minutes during which Herzog shows snowy plains, seals, underwater scenes and a multitude of frozen landscapes. At one point, however, his camera captured something curious, a detail that caught the attention of some critics years ago and now it has revolutionized half of the Network. The scene shows an Adelie penguin doing something totally counterintuitive. Without us knowing very well why, the animal begins to walk with a firm step away from the rest of its flock, entering between frozen mountains. Ahead, nothingness. No company. No food. That is, death. “But, why?“ The scene is shocking. First because it seems to go against the most basic common sense. At least the human one. Second, because of the surprising determination of the penguin, who sets off on his way without hesitation and only for a brief moment seems to stop to look at everything he leaves behind him. The third reason why it has captivated half the Internet is because Herzog himself was in charge of giving it importance and highlighting its drama. “But why?” he wonders the German filmmaker in the narration that accompanies the scene. After all, he only has miles and miles and miles of barren land ahead of him that take him further and further away from the safety of his colony and food sources. “It caught our attention. It wasn’t heading to the feeding grounds at the edge of the ice or returning to the colony. Shortly afterwards we saw it heading towards the mountains, 70 kilometers away. Dr Ainslie explained that even if he captured it and brought it back to the flock, it would return to the mountains. But… Why?” fascinated account Herzog. The full question would be a little longer: Why the hell would a penguin ignore its own survival instinct? There must be a reason, right? That is exactly what the documentary filmmaker proposed at the time and it has been worrying half the world for weeks. There is who has speculated that the penguin perhaps had a problem that altered its orientation or an ailment that affected its behavior. There is even talk of possible changes at an environmental level or of a exploratory instinct unconventional. If the panorama were not disturbing in itself, add Ainslie’s disturbing observation: it does not matter that Herzog or anyone else tried to correct their course. The animal would begin its deadly journey again almost instantly. Click on the image to go to the tweet. Is this something so strange? The penguin’s attitude does. Our attempts to find an explanation that fits our way of seeing the world (often from a anthropocentric optics), No. We humans have been debating for some time whether animals have something similar to a sense of morality. For example, we ask ourselves if in episodes that seem to us cruel There is a latent intention or they are simply the result of instinct. We have even speculated on the possibility of “altruistic” behavior in fauna. It may sound strange, but these are questions that have arisen in view of specific behaviors. A crow that finds a large amount of meat and decides warn others companions to share the feast, a whale investing time and energy in protect a seal harassed by killer whales, a duck that cares for a cub of another species, even putting itself in danger. Are those animals being generous? Are they selfless or do they act motivated by an instinct that, ultimately, seeks the preservation of themselves and their species? These are issues so complex that they have even given rise to scientific studies. What does it have to do with the penguin? Well, in recent weeks, after Herzog’s video once again gained popularity on the internet, many people have seen a 100% human attitude in the palmipede. Of course, one that has little or nothing to do with altruism or cruelty. What they appreciate is pure nihilismthe doctrine that embraces “nothingness” (hence its name, ‘nihil’) and denies the pillars on which philosophers have relied for centuries: the existence of religious, political and social principles and, in general, any foundation in morality. There is no purpose. Not even life has a meaning like the one that religions have sought for centuries. And what does Herzog’s penguin do if he doesn’t embrace that very thing, nothingness? Does it not evoke, in words by journalist Adil Faouzi, “a willful desertion of the logic of life itself”? The animal recorded by Herzog seems to capture these ideas so well, to condense them in such a powerful way, that many have nicknamed it: the “nihilistic penguin”. A little far-fetched, right? Depends. We do not know what motivated that small creature to undertake a journey towards its own death and who have tried Finding an explanation points (as we said before) to a possible illness or some type … Read more

and the stock market gets restless

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SpaceX is exploring two merger scenarios: joining with Tesla or xAI, as reported Bloomberg and Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter. This above all is a warning for those who currently have investments in one of Elon Musk’s companies, although it is also a situation that can generate a business earthquake. Perhaps the biggest stock market movement in history. We are going in parts to explain everything we know so far. Two paths on the table. According to Bloomberg, SpaceX has internally discussed the viability of a merger with Tesla, pushed by some investors in the aerospace company. For its part, Reuters point that a combination with xAI is also being evaluated, which could materialize before the IPO scheduled for this year. Of course, it should be noted that none of the companies involved have publicly confirmed these conversations, and sources warn that no final decisions have been made. Movements. Last year, SpaceX agreed invest $2 billion in xAI, according to The Wall Street Journal, and this week Tesla also revealed that it had allocated the same amount to the AI ​​startup, according to account the middle. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that xAI acquired X (formerly Twitter) in 2024, in an operation that valued xAI at $80 billion and the social network at $33 billion, as Musk himself mentioned. Here we once again witness a circular economy movement among its companies, with consequences that remain to be seen. The logic. There are several legs here. On the one hand, it is worth mentioning that Musk has a thorn in his side build data centers in space to feed AI, something he has expressed on several occasions. In this way, a merger with xAI would allow SpaceX to accelerate this project, taking advantage of xAI’s computing capacity for its in-orbit facilities. In the case of a merger with Tesla, the move could serve well to leverage its ability to manufacture energy storage systems, something that could help SpaceX expedite the development of systems that use solar energy in space to power these data centers. Musk has also talked about using Starship rockets to transport optimus robots from Tesla to the Moon and Mars. The interest of investors. Regardless of the path chosen, any deal could attract considerable interest from many investors, especially infrastructure funds or Middle Eastern sovereign investors, according to they count from Bloomberg. The outlet also relies on public documents in Nevada that show that on January 21, two legal entities were formed with the expression “merger sub” in their names. The name of Bret Johnsen, SpaceX’s chief financial officer, appears in these documents. Between the lines. The operation raises some questions. If SpaceX acquires xAI, SpaceX shareholders could see their stake diluted. If Tesla buys xAI, its shareholders would effectively be financing a bailout of Musk’s other businesses. In any case, it is clear that the possible merger would raise several blisters. The numbers at stake. SpaceX reached a valuation of approximately $800 billion by the end of 2025, according to counted TechCrunch, becoming the most valuable private company in the United States. Tesla has a market capitalization of around $1.56 trillion. According to BloombergSpaceX is contemplating an IPO that could value the company at around $1.5 trillion, possibly in June, close to Musk’s birthday and with a fundraising of up to $50 billion, which would make it the largest IPO in history. Initial reaction. Tesla shares rose as much as 4.5% in after-hours trading after news the news from Bloomberg. Johnsen told employees in December that a possible IPO would help drive “a huge rate of flight” for the Starship rocket and a possible base on the Moon. Meanwhile, the media also says that Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Robinhood Markets are already positioning themselves to host the operation. Cover image | Flickr (Ministry of Communications) and SpaceX In Xataka | There is a perfect time of year to ask for a raise: January to March

lack of electrical capacity

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For decades, the major obstacles to housing construction in Spain have almost always been the same: land, permits, financing or administrative deadlines. Today, a new limit has been added to that list, less visible and much more difficult to overcome. In many parts of the country, promotions with approved planning and projects ready to start are stopped before moving a single machine. Not because of a lack of buyers or because of urban problems, but because they cannot connect to the electrical grid. Without this permit, there is no development or work possible. What seemed like a technical procedure has become an unexpected wall. And it happens more and more frequently. The grid says “no”: the collapse of electrical capacity. The data confirms that this is not a one-time problem. Spain is going through structural saturation of its electrical distribution network, which is blocking new residential developments in much of the territory. According to the electrical employers’ association Aelecin 2024 the urban sector requested around 6.7 gigawatts (GW) of access and connection to the electrical grid for new housing developments. At the end of the year, only a very small part of those applications were approved. Around 40% were directly rejected due to lack of capacity, and another significant percentage was still in process. The traffic jam was not corrected in 2025. On the contrary, according to the employeronly 12% of requests for access and connection to the electrical grid have been granted. In total, around 40 gigawatts have been requested, of which 66% could not be met due to lack of capacity, a fact that reinforces the idea that the problem is no longer temporary, but structural. The diagnosis is clear for the promoter sector. The Association of Real Estate Developers of Madrid, ASPRIMA, estimates that the capacity corresponding to the applications denied in 2024 is equivalent to approximately 350,000 homes throughout Spain that are at risk of not being able to be urbanized, at least within the planned deadlines. The situation did not improve the following year. Although the data disaggregated by sector is not yet known, as El Mundo has detailedthe rejection rate for all applications for network access – including industry, urban planning, data centers or electric mobility – has increased to 66%, compared to 49% the previous year. A problem that spreads throughout the territory. The electricity blockade especially affects large cities, where the demand for housing is higher and residential developments are concentrated. Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Seville are among the areas with the highest volume of rejected urban planning applications, as El Mundo has had access. But the problem is not limited to large urban centers. Entire provinces have critical levels of saturation. The capacity maps of the distribution network confirm this x-ray. The latest update shows that more than 88% of electrical nodes medium and low voltage networks are already saturated, which prevents the connection of new residential consumers. Why has it reached this point? The causes of the collapse are multiple and have accumulated over time. One of the main ones is the mismatch between urban planning and electrical planning. As ASPRIMA explainedresidential developments advance on paper without the network being prepared to absorb the new demand, forcing developers to assume unforeseen reinforcements or wait for network expansions that can take years. Added to this imbalance is a simultaneous increase in electricity demand coming from several fronts: industrial electrification, data centerselectric mobility, self-consumption and energy rehabilitation of the housing stock. According to Endesa datamore than 50% of connection requests are being rejected due to insufficient capacity. Regulation is another link in the traffic jam. The current system prioritizes the order of arrival (“first come, first served”), regardless of the degree of maturity of the projects. There are also long and rigid power reserves, as well as points with physically available capacity that are not used due to regulatory barriers, what is known as “idle capacity”. All of this is based on an infrastructure designed for an energy system very different from the current one. As We have pointed out in several analyzes in Xatakafor every euro invested in electricity generation, barely 40 cents are allocated to networks, when the energy transition requires just the opposite: strengthening transportation and distribution. A lot of land, little capacity to connect it. The contrast between potential and reality is striking. Spain has classified residential land with theoretical capacity for up to seven million homes, but only a minimal fraction is in a position to be developed in the short term. According to the Atlas Reanalytics report87% of potential homes lack immediate access to the electrical grid, which limits their viability even in advanced phases of urban management. The average time to transform land into housing exceeds twenty years in most provinces. In other words, the problem is not just how much land is available, but what infrastructure goes along with it. Unlocking the bottleneck. Given this scenario, ASPRIMA has prepared a report with 16 measures to unlock thousands of homes through regulatory and operational changes in the electrical infrastructure. The proposals are grouped into five large areas: network planning, optimization of existing capacity, administrative streamlining, certainty in the execution of infrastructure and review of cost distribution. From the electricity sector they agree that the problem requires an urgent response. Aelec, together with Deloitte, calls for more investment in networksmore advance and flexible planning and a stable regulatory framework that facilitates the financing of new infrastructures. It also proposes taking advantage of underused capacity in the transportation network and accelerating permits and reinforcements. An impact that goes beyond construction. The saturation of the electrical network not only affects the promotion of new housing. It also threatens electrification and improving the efficiency of the existing residential stock. Today, the residential sector concentrates the 18% of final energy consumption and continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels for air conditioning. Without a network capable of absorbing new demand, it will be difficult to deploy technologies such as … Read more

simmer like the TV of yesteryear

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“You don’t know how strong the tea bag is until you put it in water”, in ‘The Winding Road of the Right’, the last hit k-drama of Netflixa voice-over throws us, without prior warning, this poetic reflection to talk to us about the resistance of love. And all this, while the protagonist is dazed looking at her cup, in a scene as relevant to the plot as it is everyday in form. “You can’t tell how strong it is just by looking at it. The moment the hot water touches it, an intense orange flower appears. That’s when it shows its strength. The same thing happens with love, you don’t know how strong it is until you put it in boiling water,” he concludes. Yes, it has many flourishes or perhaps it is somewhat convoluted, but if you want to watch a Korean series you have to get used to this culture shock because it is the daily bread for fans of dramas or k-dramas. This narrative style, so typical and unmistakable of South Korean productions, in which the protagonists speak as if they were in a perpetual poetry contest, does not stop conquering to the public. The growing fascination with Korean culture not only extends to the global imagination thanks to the k-pop or to content creators who explore the products of the convenience store of the country. In fact, on screen, there is life beyond ‘The squid game’the zombies and the demonic monsters. Fury for contemplative series Beyond what happens to the protagonists, or the unexpectedness of a certain dramatic turn, the key to the success of these series must be found in issues of format and style. The persistent figure of the voice-over that articulates the tribulations of the protagonist, the contained emotions, hands that touch in slow motion or a connection revealed through glances are the key to the dramas and what has the audience completely hypnotized. That something becomes a phenomenon and takes the mainstream by storm (or the top of the most watched on Netflix, which amounts to the same thing) is either due to curiosity about the diametrically opposite or the similarities and empathy that arouses in us. What is striking is that, with this new version of the traditional soap operas, we achieve the union of the two factors. The landscapes, the Korean work reality, its gastronomy or traditions are, in our eyes, something foreign but the result is that the drama and love engage in a global way. It is true that cultural differences allow this to permeate the topics discussed, as demonstrated by the presence in many of them of the concept of honor, family duties or the marked cult of beauty in Korean culture. They can even highlight issues that are not so striking to foreign audiences, such as a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. However, whether under cherry blossom trees or in a charming cafe in Hongdae, family, relationship or work conflicts are universal. Korean series drink from the appearance slow visual and narrativewhere the environment reinforces the slow pace of emotional development and, at times, it seems that “nothing is happening.” Something that brings us closer to slow cinemawhere visual statements, silence, long takes or the particular use of time are the basis of the narrative structure. Of course, there is no one like the South Korean scriptwriters to use the most famous tropes and play with them until they are completely turned upside down, making us go through all kinds of emotions during each of their episodes. “Koreans are known for being very expressive and in touch with their emotions. Korean dramas reflect that, exploring the entire spectrum of emotions in their stories. They take viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions, making them laugh, cry, feel anger and everything in between.” Jung Duk-hyunpop culture critic. He slow burn persist and catch We have spoken on several occasions about success of romantic literature and, if there is a cliché that captivates readers, it is the slow burn: those stories and relationships that simmer, without rushing. The ones that have you on the edge of your seat, breathless and end up making you smile when everything falls into place and the protagonists find their “happily ever after”. Anticipation is the key and there are few clearer examples of this slow burn on screen than dramas. In the vast majority of them we have a structure of at least 17 episodes 70 minutes where we see how the protagonists travel a long and arduous path to meet each other through a variety of genres: fantasy, comedy, thriller, drama… Leñe, the last series I have seen has taken up about 14 hours of my life, and I am ashamed to admit that the protagonists have not even shaken hands. There is something for everyone: if you like literature and the publishing world, start ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ now. If you want something more political with social criticism and without losing the romantic essence, ‘Crash Landing On You’ focuses on the story of a South Korean heiress who, after suffering an accident, ends up in North Korea, where a North Korean army officer helps her hide. For fans of the mystery ‘A Suitcase’ gradually reveals the secrets of a very particular marriage agency. On the other hand, ‘Something in the Rain’ fully addresses the social and family conflicts that arise from a relationship with an age difference. And if your thing is loves that transcend the passage of years and generations, or a good fantasy drama, ‘If Life Gives You Tangerines’ or ‘Alchemy of Souls’ will catch you. Well, if we add up this whole series, I probably have too many fingers on my hands to count all the kisses there are on them. Something that attracts attention and is curious about this country, a paradigm of that style of productions where silence and pause They are the key, it is the little that reflects … Read more

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