Month: April 2026

The more we calculate the size of the Universe, the less sense it all makes

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We have known for a long time that the Universe is expanding. However, the speed at which it does so is a headache. Depending on which method is used to measure it, a different result is obtained. Now a much more precise way to measure it has finally been found, but it doesn’t really unravel much of the mess. It messes it up even more. An overlay of techniques. Through a superposition of different techniques, an international team of scientists has made the most precise calculation so far of the expansion speed of the Universe: 73.5 ± 0.81 kilometers per second per megaparsec. The figure coincides quite well with those that have been calculated in the past using data from the nearby Universe. However, it is quite far from what is calculated when data from the dawn of the Universe is used. This indicates that there is something in the physics of that furthest point in the cosmos that we have no idea about. Far from being solved, the mystery has become more complicated. A balloon that inflates. When we talk about the Universe expanding, we refer to the fact that galaxies are increasingly distant from each other. But not because the galaxies themselves move, but because the space between them widens. We can see it as a balloon on which a series of dots are painted. As the balloon inflates, the dots appear farther away, even though they have not moved from their place. Hubble voltage. Traditionally, the expansion rate of the Universe is calculated in two ways. Or by measuring the distances between stars and galaxies in the nearby Universe, or by measuring the cosmic microwave background. This is the electromagnetic radiation that remained as remnant of the Big Bang. That is, the oldest light that we can find in the Universe, since it was formed in the explosion with which it was formed. Therefore, the data is not taken from the nearby Universe, but from the most distant and ancient one, the one approaching the Big Bang. The figure obtained with both types of calculations should be the same. However, with the nearby Universe a speed of 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec is obtained, while with the most distant Universe a speed of 67 kilometers per second per megaparsec is calculated. This incoherence is known as Hubble tension. and indicates that, possibly, the Universe is expanding faster and faster. That’s why the closest one expands the fastest. This graph represents the tension that exists between measurements of the expansion rate of the late and nearby Universe, versus what would be expected based on measurements of the early Universe, specifically the cosmic microwave background. It could be a mistake. One of the hypotheses that seek to explain the Hubble tension is that, in reality, there is some error when measuring the expansion speed in the nearby Universe. There are many methods to calculate the distance between stars and galaxies and there could be an error. Therefore, an international team of scientists has decided to use a superposition of techniques to make a more precise calculation. Different types of stars. This method consists of simultaneously analyzing a large amount of data obtained from ground and space telescopes. These focus primarily on the brightness of Cepheid stars, red giants, supernovae, and galaxies of known brightness. The three types of stars mentioned are characterized by having a characteristic brightness, which is used to map the Universe and, therefore, also to calculate distances. With this superposition of techniques, the figure of 73.5 ± 0.81 kilometers per second per megaparsec was obtained. There is no mistake. When one of the superposition methods was eliminated, the alteration in the expansion rate of the Universe was minimal. The figure was practically the same. This indicates that the number has been measured perfectly. There is no mistake. So if the Hubble strain is not due to error, why does it occur? The mystery continues. After obtaining these results, the Hubble tension remains the prelude to a mystery. However, it is true that there are some hypotheses. For example, it is believed that the different figures in the distant and near Universe They may be due to the intervention of dark matter. There’s a lot we don’t know about her, so maybe it could explain what’s going on. On the other hand, there is the hypothesis that the Earth is in a place with spatial characteristics. It would be an area where there is relatively little matter, comparable to an air bubble in a cake. As explained in 2023 by one of the scientists who support this hypothesis, Indranil Banik“the density of matter is greater around the bubble, so gravitational forces emanate from this surrounding matter, attracting the galaxies in the bubble toward the edges of the cavity.” “That’s why they’re moving away from us faster than you would really expect.” Now we will have to solve that part of the mystery. At least we know that there is no error in the calculations and that the Hubble tension is a reality. Image | CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA/J. Pollard In Xataka | Refuting Einstein is one of the great challenges of physics. We couldn’t even achieve it by changing the scale.

We thought that quenching hunger with Ozempic was the definitive remedy against obesity. Until we look at the muscle

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The revolution of drugs as they are OzempicWegovy or Mounjaro have undoubtedly marked a before and after in the approach to obesity, which previously went under the knife when measures focused on lifestyle changes failed. A priori, we are sold the idea of ​​having a very pronounced weight loss, but the reality is that many patients are falling into protein malnutrition and losing a large amount of muscle mass. We are getting more data. We do not know the drugs completely when they begin to be marketed, but as patients use them, they emerge. new side effects or situations that pharmaceutical companies had not initially imagined. Here a revealing new studywhich will be presented at the European Obesity Congress, has put figures on these effects of malnutrition that accompany successful treatments. And all this indicates that the strategy followed with Ozempic must be changed so that doctors can give precise indications of the nutritional strategy that must be followed during the treatment period to avoid serious health problems. Not having an appetite is bad. A priori, those who take Ozempic want to have less desire to eat, and for it to practically be a task that becomes an obligation in order to survive. But the problem is that people end up having too little hunger, as a new scientific study has shown. analyzed over 5,700 days of nutritional data of 332 overweight adults between July 2025 and 2026. What was seen. Of all of these, the 116 users who were taking drugs like Ozempic consumed drastically fewer calories than the control group, something that was quite expected, but the most important thing was the protein intake that plummeted when the drugs were taken. Specifically, medicated patients consumed an average of 53.8 grams of protein per day, and adjusted to their body weight, this amounts to just 0.6 g/kg/day. To put it in perspective, 88% of these patients fell well below the official recommendation of consuming 0.8 g/kg/day of protein, and far from optimal levels for preserving muscle during weight loss. The reason. Lack of hunger literally makes people skip meals, basically because they do not have that physiological need to put anything in their mouth. Here the study could see that patients taking Ozempic or similar skipped 40.4% of dinners, 31.3% of breakfasts and 30.5% of lunches. In this way, by reducing eating to a few moments of the day, it is almost impossible to achieve the around 25 grams of protein per meal that the body needs to synthesize new muscle and maintain the structure it has. It has consequences. In medicine, the fact of losing muscle mass is what is called sarcopenia and until now it was mainly associated with people who were not physically active, such as the elderly or those who were bedridden. Here scientific reviews suggest that between 25% and 40% of all the weight lost by users taking Ozempic is muscle. And in a very important proportion with respect to fat loss, making it so that almost for every two kilos of fat lost, one is muscle. In older adults or patients with type 2 diabetes, the situation is even more serious, since high doses of semaglutide accelerate sarcopenia, reducing vital metrics for longevity and quality of life, such as grip strength or walking speed. In addition, severe calorie restriction brings with it deficiencies of micronutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B12 or iron. How to avoid it. Here, medical guidelines increasingly point to a personalized approach in which a highly nutritious diet is established to prevent the patient from having a macronutrient deficiency while losing weight. This is why it is already being recommended that during weight loss it is recommended to increase protein consumption from 1 to 1.6 grams of protein per kg of weight, prioritizing a minimum of 20-30 grams at each meal. In addition, a ban should be established on skipping meals, with eating times having to be very measured, even a little, but at different times throughout the day to avoid prolonged fasting. Maintain muscle. This should be the primary objective and that is why, along with a diet rich in protein, strength exercise with weights, bands or even calisthenics should be encouraged. In this way, the body has the signal to maintain the amount of muscle despite the fact that there is a loss of fat due to the medication. And here the objective is to lose weight, but without having to remove the bricks that are literally building our body, since if we manage to lose weight, but are left without muscle mass, the quality of life is not going to be the best. Images | Haberdoedas Anastase Maragos In Xataka | Ozempic’s “great rebound”, in figures: science reveals that the weight returns four times faster than with a diet

Apparently, the oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid

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Here’s a question for note: What do Tarantino, Hemingway, Tom Jones, Pérez Galdós, Charlton Heston and Nancy Reagan have in common? The answer is that all those celebrities enjoyed (or that’s what tradition says) of the stews served in one of the most special restaurants on the entire planet: Botin Housea food establishment famous for its barbecues located in the historic center of Madrid, five minutes from the Plaza Mayor. If the business is famous beyond the capital or Spain, however, it is not because of its vast list of illustrious clients, nor even for its baked suckling pig or lamb. What stands out is its age. The restaurant owners come back Its origins date back to 1725, which would make it the oldest in the world. This is how it appears certainly in the Guinness of records. The oldest? That’s how it is. The world is very big and above all it has many, many restaurants (in Spain close to 90,000), but if we ask the authors of the Guinness book no doubt Which is the oldest of all: Botín, a restaurant that traces its origins back to the beginning of the 18th century. This is how its owners defend it, they need that the business was founded in 1725, and so it is recognized the most famous record guide on the planet, the Guinness World Records. In fact, the place generates so much interest that in 2025, coinciding with its 300th anniversary, it starred in chronicles in media such as Smithsonian Magazine, The Times either Financial Timeswhose reporters took the opportunity to try their famous baked suckling pig and order a bottle of Rioja. And what is its story? The Guinness Book assures that the restaurant was set up in the 18th century by a French chef, Jean Botin, and his wife, originally from Asturias. Other versions they need that it was Jean’s nephew, Cándido Remis, who started the business (hence why he is known as ‘Botín’s Nephew’). What all versions agree on is that the origins of the business date back to 1725 and that the building it occupies, on Cuchilleros Street, is even earlier and can be dated to late 16th century. Another surprising fact is that, despite its astonishing longevity, the restaurant has only passed through the hands of two families: first that of its founder, then, already in the 1930s, that of the González family, who have run the restaurant since before the Civil War. How is it possible? The big question. No matter how good a restaurant is, no matter how much effort its owners put into it, or how appetizing their food is, it usually ends up declining over time. Changes in tastes, changes in cities, crises, pandemics, wars, generational changes… there are many rocks on which a family business like Casa Botín can run aground. If there is something exceptional about her, beyond her piglets, it is her great resilience and ability to adapt to changes. The authors of the Guinness Book themselves remember Until the 18th century, the inn could not sell meat or food. He only cooked the food that the guests brought. “There is a legend that it was feared that if taverns served meals, men would never return home to their wives,” remember in Smithsonian Magazine Floriana Gennari, anthropologist. Over time, towards the 19th century, the business began to be called a ‘restaurant’, emulating the culinary fashions of France and opting for a more select approach. “In fact they made cakes and sweets before focusing on pork and local meat,” duck Gennari. Is it really the oldest? Its owners so they claim. And this has been recognized by the Guiness World Record and international media that present it as such, including National Geographic, Forbes, cnn or Forbes, which included it in 2012 your selection of “10 classic restaurants to visit”. Now, the popular establishment on Cuchilleros Street is not the only one to claim that title. Without leaving the Community of Madrid we found another business, the Casa Pedro tavern, which hold that its origins can be traced back even further in time, to 1702. Even the international press has been echoed of the struggle between both establishments to be able to hang in their living room the certificate that distinguishes them as the oldest restaurant. Outside of Spain there are also businesses that they assure have a centuries-old history behind them, some even greater than Botín’s. And what are they? There are those who say that in Salzburg there is a place, the St. Peter Stifskulinariumwhich was founded in the 9th century. In Regensburg (Germany) there is another that dates back its history to the 12th century, the same century in which the museum supposedly opened its doors. Ma Yu Chingin Henan, China. In Japan we also find some restaurant which ensures that its history is well before that of Botín. Probably what few can compare with Botín (besides his suckling pig) is his history, rich in legends. It is said that Goya came to work at the premises washing dishes, Galdós organized gatherings there and the fire in his oven has never gone out, not even during the pandemic. Enough to have captivated figures like Hemingway, who mentions the restaurant in his work ‘Fiesta’. Images | Wikipedia 1 and 2 In Xataka | In Vigo the hoteliers have decided that it is enough to occupy tables to just have a coffee. Solution: minimum consumption

comply with Brussels and save your accounts

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It is the first electric manufactured entirely in Spainbut the arrival of the Cupra Raval goes beyond a product launch: it is the key piece for the firm to balance its accounts with Brussels, with Volkswagen and, ultimately, with the market. Why it matters. Cupra closed 2025 with an operating profit of just one million euros and negative margins of 0.6%, according to they count from The Economist. The main culprit was the 250 million in tariffs that the European Union imposed on the Cupra Tavascan because it is made in China. Added to this are the million-dollar investments committed to the Martorell plant. For this reason, the Raval is not just a new car: it is the rescue plan. Commitments. The Volkswagen Group has allocated around 10,000 million euros to the manufacture of a new family of electric vehicles in Spain, of which 3,000 million go directly to the Martorell plant. There the Cupra Raval and the Volkswagen ID. Polein addition to other Skoda and Audi models based on the same platform. The factory, with capacity for 300,000 units of this electric family per year, will operate at “maximum load”, according to Markus Haupt himselfCEO of Seat and Cupra, during the presentation of the model. Sales target. Haupt has put a figure on success: 40,000 units of the Raval in 2026. These sales should contribute to electrified vehicles represent 25% of the brand’s totala necessary threshold to comply with the CO2 emissions regulation required by the European Union. Without this percentage, Cupra is exposed to fines that would further aggravate an already tight financial situation. The goal of Volkswagen. The group demands Seat and Cupra an operating margin of 6% on sales for 2030. It is an optimistic figure, because if we review its history, the company has never reached it in its entire history. In fact, its best data is from 2024with a margin of 3.7%. To get there, the company has launched an efficiency plan that includes the elimination of 30% of senior management positions, although Haupt has pointed out which does not foresee any further staff adjustments beyond those already agreed upon. What stands out about the car. The Raval is presented with four versions in Spain. The entry level, simply called Raval, starts at 26,000 euros before aid, with a range of about 300 km, although for this we will have to wait until September. One step above we have the Dynamic version, with 210 HP and a 54 kWh battery, which reaches 444 km of autonomy and has a starting price of 32,065 euros. Then we have Dynamic Plus and the VZ Extreme, the latter with 226 HP and 384 km of autonomy, which starts at 40,265 euros. Dimensions, a sales argument. At 4.04 meters long and with a 442-litre trunk, the Raval surpasses its direct rivals such as the Renault 5which measures 3.92 meters and offers 277 liters of cargo. And here Cupra is not only looking to compete on price or autonomy, it is also betting everything on offering the cabin and capacity of a higher segment car within the body of an urban car. Rivals who set the bar. Vehicles such as the Renault 5, the KIA EV3 or the BYD Dolphin Surf They feature some of the best-selling B-segment electric cars in Spain. In terms of price and autonomy, it has difficult rivals to beat, so it makes perfect sense that Cupra also wanted to add the practicality factor as a differentiating element. We will have to wait to find out how Cupra fares after this decision. China. Haupt has acknowledged that Chinese manufacturers are on the company’s radar, although has defended that the Raval represents, in his own words, “a very strong response” to them. On the other hand, from Volkswagen, its CEO Oliver Blume has gone further with its motto “made in Europe for Europe”. Blume does not intend to resort to protectionism with his words, but he has clarified that Chinese manufacturers be required to produce on the continent instead of limiting themselves to exporting. The CEO reiterated also during the launch that the commitment to Spain and this model is “one of the largest investments” in the history of the group. We’ll see how the play goes. Cover image | CUPRA In Xataka | “We have no chance”: after visiting a Chinese factory, the CEO of Honda loudly admitted the noise of the industry

too much ambition for so little time

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Artemis II has been successfully completedbut this has practically been the beginning of the Artemis missions. NASA’s goal is for a manned spacecraft to land on the Moon and, in the future, to build a lunar base for future expeditions. But for that it will be necessary to take another step in the development of space exploration technologies. Aware that it can’t do everything alone, NASA already has the support of private agencies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, but that can create complicated tensions. Apollo vs Artemis. When humans first landed on the Moon aboard Apollo 11, they had a ship made up of two modules: a landing module and a command module. Once in lunar orbit, both modules were separated, so that one remained rotating around the Moon and the other carried out the lunar landing. Both had to be manned. Therefore, in all the missions in which the moon landing was achieved, there was an astronaut who did not set foot on the Moon. In the case of Artemis, the goal is for the entire crew to land on the moon. They will travel in the Orion capsule, as they have done in Artemis II and, once in lunar orbit, they will pass to the lander, which will already be there. SpaceX vs Blue Origin. Taking the above into account, it is clear that NASA’s next big step will be the construction of the lander. Orion has already more than proven that it works perfectly. In order to reach the planned dates on time, NASA asked for help from the two largest private space exploration companies: Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. In principle, the initial contract was received by SpaceXfor the construction of a lander called the Human Starship Landing System (HLS). However, there are some delays in production that have led NASA to consider canceling the contract and giving priority to Blue Origin’s proposals. That, logically, has generated many tensions between both companies. Step by step for a moon landing. According to NASA’s schedule, the manned moon landing should occur in 2028. By the time Orion reaches lunar orbit, the lander should already be theredocked to the Lunar Gateway, the Lunar Station to be built through the collaboration of the American, European, Canadian and Japanese space agencies. During the time it remains docked until the arrival of Orion, the HLS will have to receive fuel several times, directly in orbit. When Orion arrives, it will also dock with the Lunar Gateway, so astronauts can transition from the ship to the lander. Everything will be ready for the moon landing. Many steps and very little time. Although the manned moon landing is planned for the end of 2028, before refueling in orbit should be tested and, above all, carry out a complete uncrewed moon landing. It is important to check that it is safe before taking astronauts to the lunar surface. The first steps should be carried out in 2027. But both the Lunar Gateway and the HLS have experienced delays. A way could be found to directly dock the HLS with the Orion spacecraft. In fact, Some tests have already been carried out on Earth successfully.. However, the delays that SpaceX is experiencing make it very difficult to meet the dates. China on the heels. Although there are those who say that NASA has already won the lunar race against China, in reality the winner will be whoever takes its astronauts to the lunar surface first. NASA has taken its people to the orbit of our satellite, but China is working at a good pace. Its goal is to land on the moon in 2030. In principle, NASA would go faster, but delays could truncate its plans. Maybe we should give up racing. In reality, it is more than proven that the greatest space successes are those that come from collaboration. All you have to do is see that, although it has not received the publicity it deserves, Europe has played a key role in the success of Artemis II. The effort to turn lunar missions into a race between China and NASA may obscure the true objective. Demonstrate that humanity, wherever it comes from, is capable of taking that great leap that Neil Armstrong was already talking about in 1969. The best way to jump will always be as a team. Images | NASA (edited) In Xataka | We knew there was water on the Moon, but not why some craters were empty. Finally we have the answer

A fan secretly recorded 10,000 concerts over 40 years with a dictaphone. Internet Archive is digitizing everything

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For four decades, Chicago club owners would see a guy with deep pockets walk in and turn a blind eye. Aadam Jacobs didn’t sell anything or bother: he simply recorded. Every week, several concerts. Every year, hundreds of tapes. Forty years later, that absurd and methodical habit is one of the most valuable and unique sound files of rock history. Who is it. Jacobs, who is now 59 years old, began recording concerts in 1984 with a dictaphone-style device that his grandmother lent him. He was 17 years old and was already recording songs from the radio when he realized he could do the same live, simply hiding a recorder in a pocket when entering the room. Jacobs does not consider himself an obsessive archivist, but simply a music fan. His reasoning was simple: if he went to several concerts a week anyway, why not document them? More and better. Over time the equipment improved: from the Sony cassette it went to DAT (digital audio tape) and from there to solid state digital recorders, although in the first years he admits that he used quite mediocre material because I didn’t have money for anything else. At first, the venue owners tried to stop him from recording, but over time he became a regular figure on the Chicago music scene and many began to let him in for free. A profile of him in the ‘Chicago Reader’ in 2004 he described it as one of the city’s cultural institutions. What’s in the boxes. What has happened with the Aadam Jacobs Collection, which is the name that has ended up being given to all of their recordings, is especially valuable to fans of indie and punk rock from the 1980s and early 2000s, when the scene hit the big time. mainstream thanks to nirvanazo. The catalog includes early performances by REM, The Cure, Pixies, The Replacements, Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth and Björk. There are also rarities, like a 1988 concert by rap pioneers Boogie Down Productions, or a 1990 performance by cult group Phish. The star: Nirvana. Nirvana’s recording from 1989, when the group was completely unknown, may be the most interesting of all, taken two and a half years before the release of ‘Nevermind’. But there are also hundreds of performances by smaller groups that have no other sound documentation of their career. Engineers reviewing the recordings acknowledge some surprise at the good quality of many of the recordings, especially given that Jacobs was not using professional equipment. How it started. After appearing in a 2023 documentary, the Internet Archive contacted Jacobs to propose preserving the collection in its live music collection (Live Music Archive), since analog tapes have a limited lifespan. Gradual demagnetization, fungus and mechanical deterioration of coil mechanisms mean that the risks of loss increase with each passing year. Internet Archive volunteer Brian Emerick travels to Jacobs’ house once a month and picks up 10 to 20 boxes, each containing 50 to 100 tapes. He transfers the analog recordings to digital files, which he then sends to other volunteers for mixing and mastering. Emerick estimates that it has digitized approximately 5,500 performances since the end of 2024, and that the project will still take several years to complete. An exception. Jacobs’ tapes have survived through a mix of personal obsession and luck, which has ended up leading them to a repository where they will remain for posterity. He smartphone has democratized concert recording, to the point where it is practically impossible for a live show not to have its corresponding digitalization. But democratizing is not preserving: most of that material ends up buried in forgotten backups or online platforms that change their terms of service frequently. Jacobs was methodical despite his amateur status, and that is what has saved this true musical treasure. In Xataka | The first chorus decides everything: streaming is making today’s songs much simpler

In Spain we love to have dinner at ten at night. To our biological clock and our heart, not so much

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Eating dinner at 9 or 10 at night is something that is quite normal for Spaniards, but seen by foreigners, it is something that shocks them quite a bit as it is so different from the customs of other countries. And although our normality is to eat at three in the afternoon and dinner at ten at nightthe reality is that our biological clock is not designed to digest large amounts of food when the sun has already set. Time matters. Although in recent years we have been obsessed with looking at the ingredients of what we eat or the amount of calories it contains, the reality is that science gives more and more importance to consumption. This is where chrononutrition comes from, an emerging discipline that studies the relationship between circadian cycles and our diet, and that little by little is seeing that eating late dinners has a direct impact on our metabolic health. our quality of sleep and our risk cardiovascular. The biological clock. Our body works like an orchestra perfectly synchronized by circadian rhythmsand leaving them has serious consequences. We see it, for example, with the famous jet lagthe time change or even when we go to bed at a time that is not ours. The result is that the body has to recover again and has important effects, such as great fatigue. In the case of eating at odd hours, especially at dinner, we are desynchronizing the peripheral clocks that the cells of organs as important as the pancreas or liver have. And this results in a drastic worsening of glucose tolerance and also insulin secretion. Its effect. And it has consequences, since when we eat dinner close to our biological bedtime, that is, when the sun is setting, the body reduces the consumption of nocturnal fats and there is also a large release of cortisol, which is the stress hormone, and the release of melatonin, which is essential for falling asleep, is delayed. This is something that became clear in a 2025 meta-analysis, where it is detailed that eating after nine at night worsens the rhythms of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which not only has a metabolic impact, but also an emotional one, increasing the risk of depression. The Spanish case. If we focus precisely on our country, we have as a reference the study led by the ISGlobal institute that analyzed to 100,000 participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Here it was concluded that dining after 9 pm is associated with a greater cardiovascular risk, especially impacting the risk of cerebrovascular disease in women. In the case of weight. If you want to lose weight, dinner time also has a lot of influence, as noted in a study by researcher Marta Garaulet that showed that people who eat later at midday lose less weight than those who eat early, even when they consume the same calories and expend the same amount of energy and sleep the same amount. Added to this are studies in Catalan adults that associate the delay of the first meal of the day with a higher BMIwhile extending overnight fasting is related to a lower BMI. Beyond the scale. Although we may keep in mind the impact on digestion, the reality is that studies suggest that having late meal times is related to poorer quality of sleep. This was seen in the United States, where science pointed out that in middle-aged women it has been proven that bringing dinner time closer to bedtime prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, therefore shortening the effective duration of rest. And as we already know, having poor quality sleep generates many other problems, such as a worse cardiometabolic profile, which generates a true vicious circle. Its nuances. Logically, having a late dinner alone does not explain the state of health of the Spanish population, since the context has a lot of influence. This is where the traditional Spanish Mediterranean diet comes in, which makes dinners later meals, but also much lighter, leaving the main energy weight for the midday meal. That is why you should keep in mind that a late, copious and ultra-processed dinner followed by a trip straight to bed is not the same as a light dinner accompanied by some physical activity before going to sleep. Even so, science suggests that, if the objective is to reduce metabolic risk, improve carbohydrate metabolism and lose weight, the winning strategy involves advance dinner time and maintain a longer overnight fasting window. Images | Eiliev Aceron Shane In Xataka | Healthy obesity does not exist: why “being fat but fit” is nothing more than a myth

We have been looking for decades to reduce diesel pollution. The answer was in the water

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In slow progress, but with increasing momentum, new energy vehicles continue to gain ground in Europe. However, the vehicle fleet It is still plagued by diesel enginesespecially because beyond passenger cars, they continue to dominate freight transportation, agriculture and industry. Because? Well, because at the end of the day they are robust, efficient and very reliable. But they are also one of the main sources of air pollution. However, there are numerous projects and studies that seek to make diesel a much less polluting fuel. In this regard, a team of researchers from Nigeria has given it a twist to an already known technology that, well applied, can change that equation without having to redesign the engine. What is WiDE technology. Its acronym in English stands for Water-in-Diesel Emulsion, or water-diesel emulsion. The idea is to mix small amounts of water with the diesel using substances called surfactants, which act as stabilizers and keep the mixture homogeneous for up to 60 days. The result is a fuel that, on the outside, barely differs from conventional diesel but that behaves very differently inside the engine. How it works inside the cylinder. When this mixture burns in the combustion chamber, the water droplets vaporize instantly and violently. This phenomenon is called “microexplosion” and has a direct and positive effect: it atomizes the fuel into much finer particles, which improves the mixture with the air. More efficient combustion at lower peak temperatures directly translates into fewer nitrogen oxides (NOx) and less soot. Numbers. The study, carried out by researchers from the Federal University of Technology of Owerri (Nigeria) and published at Carbon Research, analyzed the results of this solution in studies around the world. After this, they detected that engines that operate with WiDE can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 67% and suspended particles by up to 68% compared to conventional diesel. In addition, several experiments also pointed to an improvement in the thermal efficiency of the engine. Because matters. Current emissions control systems, such as particulate filters or SCR catalysts, work, but add cost and mechanical complexity. WiDE, on the other hand, acts directly on combustion and does not require modifying the engine. According to the main researcher of the study, Dr Chukwuemeka Fortunatus Nnadozie, is “a practical and cost-effective way to clean diesel engines” that opens “an immediate path to lower emissions in both developing and developed countries.” The key: surfactants. It’s not all about mixing water and diesel. The stability of the emulsion depends largely on the type and amount of surfactant used. The investigation concludes that formulations that combine several surfactants offer the best results, both in fuel stability and combustion quality. On the other hand, if this component is chosen incorrectly it can compromise both the performance and security of the system. What remains to be resolved. The authors themselves acknowledge that the technology needs more research before mass adoption. Optimal surfactant formulations remain to be defined and the long-term effect on internal engine components needs to be evaluated. The study’s co-author, Professor Emeka Emmanuel Oguzie, point which, “with proper formulation and testing, could become an important part of sustainable transport and industrial systems.” An intermediate solution. WiDE is not proposed as a substitute for electrification or renewable energies, but as an intermediate solution. The authors describe it as a bridge between the current use of diesel and a cleaner energy model, and point out that it could combine with biodiesel and other emissions control systems to enhance their effects. In Xataka | With gasoline at 2 euros per liter in France, something is happening in Guipúzcoa: French people crossing the border with jerrycans

China has shown that the good and cheap electric car exists. So Citröen has had to get its act together

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China is doing very well with the cheap electric car. And if not, tell them BYD Dolphin Surfa 100% electric vehicle that the company finances at just over 3% for 125 euros per month. Without financing it costs 19,990 euros which, after aid, can become 11,780 euros. Saving exceptions like Dacia Springwhich compete in a much lower league, Western manufacturers have no choice but to respond. And Citröen has been the first to do so. 11,700 euros. Citroen has been lowering the price of its ë-C3 for more than a yeara car that was launched on the market for more than 20,000 euros and that, since its launch, has been reduced by almost half. Now, after aid, the Citröen C3 costs 11,700 euros, with an eight-year warranty. What it offers. With a price practically identical to the Dolphin Surf, an almost identical autonomy (220 km under the WLTP cycle), and a technology relatively similar to that of the Chinese alternative, we are finally talking about a price at which the company can be competitive. What China offers. Both vehicles, in their most economical version, have LFP batteries. The main difference is in the charging system: 65 kW for the BYD and 30 kW for the Citröen. The key, however, is not in the specs: it is that BYD has been offering a competitive price since its arrival in Spain, which has catapulted it into the top 3 of the best-selling electric cars in the country. Beyond Tesla. There is no electric car that sells more than the Model 3 in Spain. This is to be expected, given the reliability, range and price of the vehicle. Just below Tesla, we have the BYD Dolphin Surf, which has sold more than 1,332 units so far this year (compared to 2,489 for the Model 3 and 2,023 for the Model Y). Taking into account that they play in completely different leagues, the BYD case is a resounding success. A purely urban car that sells practically twice as much as its direct rivals. The electric C3 has 634 units sold, placing it in the top 9. The ranking points to something very clear: the price is the main purchasing factor for the Spanish electric companyand Western manufacturers will have to tighten their grip if they want to compete with China. In Xataka | The electric cars with the most autonomy that can be bought in 2026

names, bank details and more, compromised

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Basic-Fit is one of those names that are repeated over and over again when we visit different European cities. Their gyms are everywhere and their backpacks have become almost a recognizable element in the urban landscape. Precisely for this reason, what has just come to light is not a minor incident: the largest gym chain in Europe has suffered a security breach which has exposed information of around a million clients. The question is inevitable: what exactly happened? According to a statement sent to Xatakathe attackers managed to breach the system responsible for recording members’ visits to the gyms. We are not facing just any system, but rather one of the pieces that are part of the daily lives of millions of users. The company maintains that the intrusion was detected automatically by its monitoring systems and that it was blocked within a few minutes. The geographical scope of the incident is clear: six of the 12 countries where the company operates have been affected by the intrusion. We are talking about Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. In the case of the latter, the number of affected is around 200,000 customers, and there are no details on the rest of the territories. If you’re wondering why only half of the countries have been affected, Reuters has the answer: the rest operate under a franchise model with different computer systems. It is a key point to understand why the scope could be more limited than it initially appears, although it is still significant. The company has launched an investigation with external cybersecurity experts. Thanks to this, we are beginning to outline what type of information may have been compromised. According to the statement, the exposed data includes: Membership Information Name and address Email address Phone number Birthdate Bank details (partial leak; only some users’ IBANs were exposed) Basic-Fit insists that no identification numbers or passwords have been leaked, nor has it detected that the data is circulating publicly. When he talks about the latter, everything indicates that he is referring to environments such as dark webwhere this type of information usually ends up for sale and where personal data becomes a more commoditys. Just because there is no trace now does not necessarily mean that it cannot appear later. The risk, in any case, is real. With access to this type of data, a malicious actor can launch phishing much more credible or even more precisely targeted attacks. Therefore, beyond the specific scope of the breach, the recommendation is clear: it is advisable to exercise extreme caution with any email or communication we receive in the coming days, and always verify that they come from legitimate sources. Basic-Fit, being a listed company and operating under European rules, has notified the data protection authorities about the incident. At the same time, is notifying customers who have been affected. Images | Basic-Fit | freepik In Xataka | How often should we change ALL our passwords according to three cybersecurity experts

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