Month: April 2026

Fish has been in a deep crisis in Spain for years. Mercadona believes it has the formula for that to change

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He video It is from October 2024, but it could have easily been recorded yesterday, today or even tomorrow. In a piece lasting just under a minute, Jana Quiles, tiktokerrecounts his disastrous time at a fishmonger: “I just wanted a piece of fish for dinner and, because I didn’t know what to order, I ended up buying 25 euros worth of hake.” Your case is interesting because it connects with a phenomenon shared by many other young people on networks and that is reflected in the statistics from the Government: Spanish households buy less and less fish. Mercadona has taken note and has decided to step on the accelerator in a bet that it’s been a while implementing: the move from the fishmonger to the trays. What has happened? That Mercadona wants a “new fish sales model” in its stores. The chain itself announced it in a statement posted on its website, a note that, beyond its corporate tone, stands out for two things. The first, the message. The company advances its intention to complete the transformation of its sections, betting 100% on the packaged product. “We transfer all products to trays, guaranteeing quality and freshness.” The second thing that draws attention is the images. Mercadona’s statement only shows photos of fish already packaged, labeled and arranged in open refrigerators. Not a counter. Not even a stand with fresh goods and fishmongers to consult about the goods or a special cut. Nothing, in short, that can lead to experiences like the one that Jana Quiles lived in her day. @janaquiles This happens to me as a beginner 😂🐟 ♬ original sound – Jana Quiles Is it something new? In a way. Although Mercadona seems determined to complete its “reengineering” of fish, in reality the change comes from behind. Does more than a year There was already talk of the chain’s desire to find a more efficient model for the section, betting on the consumption of clean merchandise arranged on trays. The idea, how it progressed TOB.C. in January 2025: greater offer in packaging, with items ready for consumption, and much less assisted sales, moving away from the model that prevails in traditional markets. From the traditional image of customers browsing the hake, turbot and mussels displayed on ice, with the fishmonger on the other side of the counter, we move to a more functional one in which there is only the customer and the tray. Why this change? Mercadona argues who wants to “adapt” to how we consume in our homes and defends the benefits of the new model: “The key is to reduce as much as possible the time that passes from when the fish comes out of the water until you consume it.” To older claims that the trays allow it to reduce waiting times in stores, offer an “assortment adapted to real consumption” and work with merchandise “clean and ready for consumption.” In short, selling merchandise made almost to measure for a clientele that has lost the habit of buying fish and no longer has the vocabulary and the keys to ordering fresh goods. Again the case by Jana Quiles is paradigmatic. His experience with hake is not something isolated, it connects with an entire generation that has not acquired the habit of going to traditional fishmongers. That’s all? No. To these advantages are added others that Mercadona does not cite and directly affect its production costs, logistics and even the management of spaces in the store. In January the company already made it clear In any case, the change in model would not imply dispensing with employees, they would simply be assigned new roles. “The entire fishmonger’s team continues to be part of Mercadona. Their work adapts to other needs in the store.” Does it only affect fish? No. The focus may now be on fish, but it is only part of a much larger Mercadona strategy that connects with two of its main bets. One is food ready for consumption. For years, the chain has aspired to be more than just the place where you buy products to fill your refrigerator and pantry; It seeks to be directly the space in which you feed yourself. The clearest reflection of this slogan is the section “Ready to eat”but the commitment to trays of fish that are clean, cut, filleted and practically ready to put in the oven goes in that same direction. And the other bet? The ‘Store 9’the new local format that the Valencian chain wants to bet on. Your goal is optimize processes and improve efficiency, but in practice that translates into moving even further away from traditional counters and moving towards already packaged merchandise. Interaction with staff during purchases is reduced to a minimum. No chats with butchers, fishmongers or fruit sellers, like in traditional supermarkets. Speed, efficiency, and functionality prevail, which in turn leads to handling and packaging tasks being removed from public areas. Is this just about Mercadona? Not at all. Roig’s chain has managed to gain a considerable market share in Spain, close to 30% in terms of value, so their decisions affect thousands and thousands of families. However, the changes in fish consumption go further and partly connect with the Quiles video that we mentioned at the beginning of the article. We Spaniards buy less and less fish. The official data of the Government show that per capita consumption of fish (both fresh and frozen) in homes has been plummeting for years. And it doesn’t get better. He latest reportfrom November, shows interannual falls of between 4 and 5.5%. With its latest movements, Mercadona seeks to position itself in the part of the business that performs best. While Fedepesca talks about the closure of thousands of fishmongers Since 2007, there are businesses in the sector more focused on the sale of ready-to-buy merchandise, online orders and home delivery that they keep growing. Fish consumption itself is leaving homes to focus at leisure. Now Mercadona aspires to carve out … Read more

We have been debating for years whether it is better to go to the gym in the morning or in the afternoon. Physiology finally has the answer

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In the world of sports there is an eternal debate about the best time to exercise. On the one hand, there are those who defend tooth and nail that get up early to train At six in the morning it activates the metabolism for the rest of the day. On the other hand, there are those who claim that the body only performs at its maximum after leaving work late in the day. Who is right? The answer, as is often the case in exercise physiology, has different nuances, since if we turn to scientific literature, recent studies and controlled trials, we will discover that the best schedule depends on the biology, objectives and internal clock of each athlete. And something that is already known is that our biology does not function in a flat manner during the day, but is governed by circadian rhythms. Here, science already indicates that body temperature and neuromuscular performance reach their maximum peak in the afternoon, generally between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Although the key here is whether this can translate into more muscle in the long term. The concrete studies. In 2019, a group of scientists public a meta-analysis that confirmed that, indeed, baseline muscle strength is greater in the afternoon. However, for early risers, they also pointed out that, if consistency is maintained at the same schedule, the long-term gains in strength and muscle mass are similar, regardless of the schedule, because the human body ends up adapting to what is asked of it. But there is a fairly clear exception, as stated in a study published in 2016. Here, after 24 weeks follow-upit was shown that there is a greater gain in muscle mass in the legs if training is done in combination of bodybuilding and weights. The morning situation. If the goal you have set is not to lift the maximum weight possible, but rather to improve cardiovascular health or combat insulin resistance, the balance tips towards the morning, as confirmed by a study published in 2024 that analyzed patients with metabolic syndrome who performed intense aerobic exercise. Here it was seen that training in the morning achieved a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 4% compared to only 1% in the afternoon group. Additionally, the early risers group experienced a 14% improvement in insulin resistance, compared to 4% for the evening group. Furthermore, narrative reviews suggest that morning exercise helps advance sleep phases and improve the lipid profile. It depends on each person. But beyond what the population averages say, we must take into account the genetic and behavioral component of each person, and above all their chronotype. In this way, people who get up early naturally perform better in the morning, while those who perform better at night, if they are forced to train at six in the morning, the truth is that they will have greater fatigue and a worse perception of effort. The conclusion. Although science finds specific metabolic benefits in the morning and performance peaks in the afternoon, general reviews agree on an insurmountable rule of thumb: the best time to train is the one in which you can maintain long-term adherence. The hormonal peak in the afternoon is of no use if your work obligations prevent you from going to the gym regularly or it means a great sacrifice to radically change the routine you are following. Images | Drazen Zigic In Xataka | Science already knows what is the best “gasoline” to create new neurons: physical exercise

two decades later, his worst nightmare is underselling it

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Just open anyone’s closet Millennial to find them, whether worn, scribbled or with the sole on the verge of collapse. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star have been much more than a shoe: they were our—this editor includes—unconditional companion that survived all our aesthetic phasesfrom the fever skater in the style of Avril Lavigne until it becomes the essential everyday basic for going to the office. However, in recent years we have observed that this situation is no longer the case. Although fashion magazines try to convince us that they are back, we know that both the street and, now, the income statement tell a completely different story. The symbol of our “rebellious” youth is sinking. The financial free fall. The numbers don’t lie, and the market verdict is being relentless. According to a report by Bloombergthe Converse brand is currently in free fall, with its revenue heading dramatically toward its lowest level in 15 years. The magnitude of the disaster breaks down a financial drain: the brand has had three disastrous quarterswith consecutive drops in income of 27% in the first quarter, 30% in the second and a brutal collapse of 35% in the third quarter, remaining at a meager 264 million dollars due to the general weakness in all global territories. A huge contrast with its matrix. In October 2024, Elliott Hill took over as CEO of Nike and, from that moment on, the sports giant has shown signs of improvement, especially in the United States and in the wholesale market. However, Converse’s problems have intensified. In the November quarter, the Boston-based brand accounted for less than 3% of Nike’s $12.4 billion in total revenue, becoming the biggest drag on the company’s resurgence. But how could it happen? That is, how has such an iconic sneaker lost public favor in this way? (It is also true that the Millennials We are a bit egocentric. The answer lies in a mixture of immobility and lack of technical vision. Laurent Vasilescu, analyst at BNP Paribas cited by Bloombergis blunt about this: “Converse has lost ground over the years because it has not provided innovations. There was an excessive dependence on the Chuck Taylor model.” The brand rested on the laurels of its classic design. When they tried to modernize it—with the launch of the line chuck IIwhich incorporated Nike foam technology to make them more comfortable—the experiment turned out to be a resounding commercial failure. The market has changed drastically. As pointed out Seeking Alpha, Converse has come face to face with a consumer that now demands technical innovation, losing the battle to newer, performance-oriented brands such as On and Hoka. To this we must add the historical irony that Converse was not always a street shoe; In the 50s and 60s, it dominated more than 60% of the basketball market, shoeing legends and starring in the 80s. the iconic rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird with his Weapon model. Paradoxically, it was Nike itself that ended its hegemony on the fields by signing Michael Jordan. After losing its sporting throne, Converse was relegated to casual fashion, a terrain that is now also crumbling. Are we facing the end of an era? Faced with this crisis, Nike’s initial response in Oregon has been to take out the scissors. According to Bloombergthe company reduced Converse’s workforce, restructured its organization and took a severe 44% cut in marketing expenses during the fiscal second quarter. Despite this, Elliott Hill declared to Bloomberg TV in Milan: “I have heard the rumors (…) But we are committed to the Converse brand.” The rescue plan involves a desperate attempt to recover the lost glory on the trading floor. In fact, Converse has once again opted for professional basketballlaunching $130 sneakers in collaboration with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, in September. A little hope. So if the resuscitation attempt fails, it already exists a pretty clear option: Authentic Brands Group (ABG). This brand management giant, led by Jamie Salter, has a long history of buying struggling historic companies to squeeze sales through licensing and operating agreements. They already did it with Reebok (purchased from Adidas in 2022 for 2.5 billion, managing to increase their retail sales by 50%), and they also control Champion, Guess and Forever 21. According to BloombergABG has expressed a long-standing interest in acquiring Converse if Nike finally decides to hang up the “For Sale” sign. The reality of the street. There is a fascinating fracture between what the fashion industry dictates and what consumers actually buy. On the one hand, fashion headlines have been since last year announcing a “quiet return” of Converse, applauding like celebrities like Alexa Chung or Charli XCX wear the classics again high-tops in campaigns or fashion weeks. They speak of an abandonment of quiet luxury in favor of nostalgia. However, the overwhelming financial data of Bloomberg show that this supposed rebirth It’s an Instagram mirage. The generation millennialwhich massively adopted this shoe in 2008, has changed its priorities to an ergonomic model, support and comfort. The Converse look very good in the photos of street stylebut they are no longer profitable on a day-to-day basis. We have gotten older. Nike bought Converse in 2003 for $305 million, rescuing it from a painful bankruptcy filing. Today, more than two decades later, history threatens to repeat itself. Whether it achieves a sales miracle thanks to the NBA MVP or ends up being devoured by Authentic Brands Group’s mass licensing model, one thing is clear: Converse’s golden era is over. For the millennial generation, seeing their iconic sneaker fight for its survival is a relentless reminder of the passage of time. Converse will continue to exist, probably in the back of our closet or as a product of licensed nostalgia, but the incontestable symbol of our cultural dominance is fading forever. Image | PickPik Xataka | We went out for a 20-kilometer run with a bag of liquid cream in our backpack: now we have our own butter

the secret “eye” of its most advanced anti-missile system

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In modern conflicts, some military systems operate at speeds greater than Mach 5 and they are capable of distinguishing targets in mid-flight without emitting a single signal, guided only by the heat they detect hundreds of kilometers away. These technologies, designed to be invisible and virtually unrecoverable, rarely leave any trace when they fail. But when they do they are a danger from what they say. The chance find. Yes, because someone in Syria has found something completely unexpected in the desert and has uploaded a video to the networks: nothing less than one of the secret “eyes” of Washington’s most advanced anti-missile system, a key piece of the THAAD system which should rarely appear outside of highly controlled environments. The discovery, supposedly in the southwest of the country near areas where US batteries operate in Israel and Jordan, shows not only the infrared sensor but substantial parts of the interceptor in a surprisingly intact state, pointing to a failure during an interception in the midst of the regional war and turning what should have been an invisible process into a tangible, recorded event and potentially exploitable. How the THAAD “eye” works. As we said, the component found is not a simple fragment, but the system that allows the interceptor to “see” its target, an advanced infrared sensor that guides the kill vehicle call after separating from the booster rocket and freeing itself from its front cover. This system detects the heat of the missile enemy without emitting signals, which makes it resistant to electronic interference, and works together with a complex set of small propellants that adjust their trajectory with millimeter precision to achieve a direct impact at hypersonic speeds, all without the need for explosives, in a process where each microsecond and each adjustment determine success or failure. THAAD A failure that changes everything. And here comes the importance of the discovery. The fact that both the kill vehicle and its cover appeared together and relatively intact suggests that something went wrong in the sequence of interception, although it is not clear whether it was a technical problem, a loss of target or a systems failure self-destruct devices designed precisely to avoid this type of situation. In any case, what was supposed to disappear in the sky has ended up on the ground, and that detail is crucial because it breaks one of the fundamental premises of these systems: that their most sensitive technology never be exposed in sight of no one. The strategic value of the meeting. Recovering this type of technology offers any adversary a unique opportunity to analyze from within one of the most sophisticated air defense systems, if not the most, unraveling how it detects targetshow it discriminates threats and what its real limitations are, something that could translate into new countermeasures, improvements in own systems or even attempts at replication. For countries like Iran, Russia or China itself that they already observe the system’s performance in current combat, the possibility of having physical access to its components would multiply the value of that intelligence and reduce the American technological advantage. A war that leaves traces. If you will, the episode also reflects a reality that is increasingly evident in modern conflicts: the intensive use of advanced weapons increases the probability that critical pieces will end up by the wayside. in unwanted handswhether due to failures, demolitions or simple operational wear. We had already talked about the problem that Washington has with the demolition of their radars more advanced by Iran, and with THAAD being used constantly against ballistic missiles in the Middle East, it is not ruled out that scenes like this are repeated, turning each failed interception into something much more serious than a tactical error for the American side: a possible knowledge leak strategic for his enemies. Image | x, US Army In Xataka | To rescue the pilot lost in Iran, the US has told a story worthy of Spielberg. Some explosive images tell a very different story In Xataka | The US is going to end its war in the Middle East with a very uncomfortable reality: Iran had years of advantage underground

the most important boxes that should always be checked in your 2026 declaration

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Tomorrow the 2025 Income campaign begins, and we will be able to present our declaration corresponding to the last fiscal year. Facing the draft can be somewhat chaotic, and that is why we are going to tell you which boxes should always be checked in your draftbefore presenting it. This will ensure that these key elements are correct. Filing your income tax return is tedious, so many people access their draft and file it as is. But remember that the Treasury does not guarantee that everything is correct in the draft, and that It is your responsibility to review it. and make sure that the tax data are correct. If the Treasury detects that there is a mistake, you will have to pay a fine even if they were the ones who generated your draft. Income from work and economic activities If you work as an employeethat is, for a company, we will talk about work performance, and you have to make sure that everything you have earned throughout the past year appears: For that you must look at your payrolls, your payments to Social Security must appear, and correctly record all the personal income tax that has been deducted. The boxes for this are 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. If you are self-employedthat is, if you are self-employed, then you will have to indicate the money you have invoiced and the expenses you want to deduct. For example, the contributions you have paid to Social Security, purchase of stock or other expenses related to your activity. In this case, you must review it in the boxes ranging from 171 to 180. It is very important to be clear about withholdings that have been carried out on you during the past year, since they are on which the calculation of the income result depends. Check box 596 especially carefully if you work for a company, and boxes 599 and 609 if you are self-employed. Returns on movable capital This category includes the money your accounts have generated banking as well as any capital, shares you have or bonds. If you have made transactions of this type that have generated profits or losses, you must write them down in boxes 26 to 41. Meanwhile, personal income tax withholdings must be in box 597. State deductions It is very important not to forget to note in your declaration If you are entitled to any deductionhelp or compensation for having made donations, for having a rent or other things. Sometimes we approve the draft without looking at it and we may lose the right to receive more money back. These are the ones you should look at: Deductions for donations: from box 722 to 725. Deductions for renting the habitual residence: from box 715 to 720. Deductions for investment in a newly created company: from box 711 to 714. Deductions for investment in the habitual residence: from box 698 onwards. Regional deductions Each Autonomous Community also has its deductions exclusive, so it is advisable to find out about those in the province where you live. Here, each community has a specific number for this type of deductions, although they usually appear on the penultimate page of the declaration. Don’t forget to also check if you are entitled to any. Income tax return result Box 700 will tell you the result of your declaration de la Renta, so it is obviously important to know and understand it. But sometimes it is confusing, because the result is positive or negative. Here’s what each one means: positive result: You have to pay. This is the amount that you will have to pay to the Treasury in your return to regularize the last fiscal year. Negative result: It’s your turn to get paid. Last fiscal year you paid the Treasury more than you should, and therefore they will return the indicated amount of money. In Xataka Basics | Income Guide 2025: calendar, previous steps and how to prepare for the 2026 declaration

A Spanish startup is building the map of the Earth that AI needs: Xoople

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Xoople has closed a Series B round of 130 million dollars led by Nazca Capital and with the participation of MCH Private Equity, CDTI, Buenavista Equity Partners and Endeavor Catalyst. With the financing accumulated so far, 225 million dollars, the Madrid startup presents its candidacy for unicorn and becomes one of the most peculiar bets in the European space ecosystem. Why is it important. More than a round, this capital injection is the validation of a model that almost no one in the startup ecosystem has the stomach to execute: seven years building technology without going to market, without growth metrics to show to investors and with hardly any noise. Xoople has opted to be infrastructure before product, and that places it in a different category than almost any European space startup. The context. The company, founded in 2019 and based in Tres Cantos (Madrid), has developed its own constellation of satellites combined with an AI data processing platform called EarthAI. The goal is to become what its founders call the “Earth system of record” for the era of agentic AI: scientifically accurate geospatial data, ready to train models and feed autonomous workflows in enterprises. The comparison with Google Earth is superficial because what Xoople builds is data infrastructure, not visualization. In detail. He agreement signed with L3Harris Technologiesone of the largest aerospace defense contractors in the United States, is the piece that elevates the proposal. Its sensors, designed with defensive-grade technology and adapted for commercial use, promise to capture a volume of data two orders of magnitude greater than current monitoring systems. Marketing has started this year with clients in preview private between government agencies and companies of the Fortune 500. Between the lines. The investment pattern of this round says as much as the number. The CDTI has been in the capital of Xoople for some time and has it classified as a Strategic Company, the largest investment of your Innvierte program. That Nazca Capital, the most active fund in the Ibero-American ecosystem, leads the Series B together with MCH Private Equity is a sign that private capital already sees in Xoople something more than a technological promise. The milestone must also be read in terms of ecosystem: just a month ago, PLD Space closed 180 million euros of Series C. The Spanish space sector is no longer anecdotal. The big question. Xoople’s model requires its customers to rely on critical data infrastructure built by a startup. In sectors such as defense, climate management or urban infrastructure, this institutional trust threshold is a bottleneck, even more so than technology. The waiting list in preview private that the problem is being resolved. But climbing from a waiting list to long-term contracts with governments and global corporations is the leap he has yet to prove. Featured image | Javier Miranda In Xataka | We have a problem with the future of GPS: $16 billion later, it’s an absolute disaster

how to use the NASA website and app to know where you are like on Google Maps

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Let’s explain to you how to know where the capsule is Orion of the Artemis II mission, something that you will be able to do with a special website launched by NASA, or through its official website. This portal will allow you to see the exact point where the Artemis II capsule is in real time, as if it were Google Maps. The mission Artemis II has been the first to reach the Moon from orbiting around the Moon since the Apollo missions, and has even managed to reach further which is orbiting our satellite and being able to see its hidden side. The astronauts on this mission will not set foot on the Moon, that should happen with Artemis IV, but it is a vital mission to check the operation of our current technology so far from Earth. See where Artemis II is in real time To enter the website created by NASA to find out where Artemis II is in real time, you have to enter the website nasa.gov/missions/artemis-ii/arow. In it, at the bottom you will have the main data of the mission such as the time the astronauts have been away from our planet, the speed of Artemis II, and how far it is from the Earth and the Moon. On the left side you will have the Zoom controls, and you will also have three small icons to position yourself on the map. One button will be to put you on the Moon, another for Earth, and another for the mission’s Orion capsule. At all times you will be able to see the trajectory they are going to take. Besides, If you click on the icon Mission View You will access a visualization where the capsule and the views around it are represented. This way, you can rotate to find where the Moon is in relation to them. You can also access this visualization from the NASA appavailable for free both for Android as for iOS. In it, on the main page you will find the AROW tool to access these visualizations. The mobile app has an augmented reality viewer that does not have the website. When you activate it, you can point your phone towards the sky (or the ground) to know the exact point in relation to you where the Orion capsule of the Artemis II mission is located. The NASA app also has streaming in real time in case the views are not enough and you want to see what is happening through one of the agency’s official broadcasts. In Xataka | Artemis II is not just a victory for NASA: without the support of Europe it would have been impossible, literally

This is how well the Artemis astronauts eat on their trip to the Moon

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During a space mission, Everything that is loaded on the ship must be chosen very well.. The fuel depends a lot on its final weight, so it must be calculated carefully, taking into account every last drop of water. That also includes food. That’s why the crew of Artemis II carry with them a menu that was painstakingly designed weeks before launch. Now, just because precautions must be taken does not mean that astronauts do not eat well. It is important that they eat properly, with a balanced amount of nutrients and, of course, including foods that they like. In fact, to guarantee the latter, the crew itself actively intervenes in the design of the menu. Be careful with the crumbs. Food loaded aboard a spaceship must meet a series of requirements. To begin with, crumbs must be minimized, since they could float around the ship due to microgravity, potentially damaging electronic devices if they enter through its cracks. It is also important that the food is vacuum sealed and, if possible, dehydrated. Thus, food security is guaranteed during the days of the mission. In the case of Orión, it has a water dispenser, so that it can be transferred directly to the sachets in which the dehydrated foods are included just at the moment in which they are going to be consumed. Finally, it is important that they are nutritious foods, according to the requirements at each moment of the mission. Two key points. The water dispenser cannot be used during launch and landing. Therefore, meals eaten around these two key moments must be ready to eat, without the need for hydration. The all-round tortillas. Historically, astronauts have had the option of choosing at least one beloved food to take with them on their missions to space. Therefore, in 1985, Mexican astronaut Rodolfo Neri Vela He asked to bring wheat tortillas, like those used to make fajitas. Later, what began as the culinary whim of a single astronaut became one of the most in-demand foods on space missions, since it does not release crumbs, is very versatile and can be stored safely for many days. Tortillas need accompaniment. Precisely because of this custom of including tortillas on menus, over time accompaniments have been added to make their consumption more pleasant. In the case of Artemis II, for example, They carry five different types of hot sauce on board.and. Hot or cold food. Although all food on board can be eaten cold, astronauts have at their disposal a hand warmer, contained in a type of briefcase, in which they can heat the food if they wish. Again, this would not be possible during landing and launch. In that case you should eat as quickly as possible, without preparations. Each astronaut with their personal tastes. Astronauts help prepare the menu before the mission, trying different options and choosing the ones they like best. In fact, the dishes are distributed so that each person will have their own prepared in the ten days they remain on the ship. A single container contains two to three days of meals for each crew member. That includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Artemis II Menu. Some examples of foods on board Artemis II are vegetable quiche, broccoli gratin, nuts, beef brisket or macaroni and cheese, among others. As for drinks, in addition to the water that can be obtained from the dispenser, the astronauts have 43 cups of coffee, to be distributed among the entire crew, during the 10 days of the mission. You can also flavor chocolate, vanilla or strawberry drinks. Each astronaut is assigned two flavored drinks a day. It doesn’t taste the same. Without a doubt, the menu of the Artemis II astronauts seems most pleasant. Unfortunately, they will not taste it the same as they did during the tests on Earth, because It is proven that food in space tastes different. Still, I’m sure they enjoy it. As Christina Koch explained in a video for NASAeating those highly packaged foods, together with other people, in such a different place, is a kind of camping picnic with friends. In Xataka | NASA has been racking its brains for years to figure out what we will eat on the Moon. Answer: Madrid stew Image | NASA | freepik

prepares total blockade of chip manufacturing machines arriving in China

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The US has been exercising its control over advanced integrated circuit manufacturing equipment for five years now to prevent it from reaching China. It is the strategy with the one that has managed to slow downbut in no way slow down, the technological development of the country led by Xi Jinping. In 2021, it approved the first restrictions that prevented machines from extreme ultraviolet photolithography (UVE) of ASML and other advanced equipment arrive in China. From that moment on, the US Government has continued to deploy new sanctions with the purpose of increasingly limiting the access of Chinese semiconductor manufacturers to lithography and wafer processing equipment that comes not only from the US, but also from the Netherlands, Taiwan, South Korea or Japan. The US is exercising ownership of some of the patents that these machines use, and also their ability to influence the decisions made by their allies. However, the Administration led by Donald Trump still has room to tighten its siege on China. And presumably it will do so in the short term because several senators belonging to both parties (Democrats and Republicans) have proposed new legislation which seeks to impose an essentially total ban on exports of advanced chip manufacturing and wafer processing equipment to certain corporations in adversary nations. It is clear that China is in their sights. Objective: Prevent ASML’s UVP photolithography machines from reaching China State-of-the-art lithography equipment is extraordinarily complex and sophisticated. Currently, the most used by integrated circuit manufacturers to produce cutting-edge chips are deep ultraviolet (UVP) and extreme ultraviolet (UVE) machines. A priori, UVP machines are suitable for manufacturing semiconductors up to 10 nm. And with EUVs it is possible to go up to 2 nm. However, by refining the processes involved in transferring the pattern to the wafer and turning to multiple patterning It is possible to go beyond these integration technologies. The US is especially targeting SMIC, Huawei, Hua Hong Semiconductor, YMTC and CXMT This technique broadly consists of transferring the pattern to the wafer in several passes with the purpose of increasing the resolution of the lithographic process. It may have an upward impact on the cost of chips and a downward impact on production capacity, but it works. SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp), the largest Chinese semiconductor manufacturerhas resorted to multiple patterning for manufacture 7nm integrated circuits using ASML’s Twinscan NXT:2000i UVP lithography equipment. US export controls currently prevent the sale of UVP equipment to specific factories in China that may or may not appear on the US blacklist, but do not prohibit its sale to the companies that own these plants. This is precisely what the MATCH Law seeks to change (Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware) that US senators have proposed. In practice this proposal will, if successful (and it probably will), prevent ASML’s UVP machines and other advanced wafer processing equipment from reaching any facilities of major Chinese chipmakers. The US is targeting SMIC, Huawei, Hua Hong Semiconductor, YMTC and CXMT, and also their subsidiaries. He picks it up clearly. the published document by Senator Michael Baumgartner. In reality this proposal does not introduce new restrictions; what it does is change how shipping is allowed of advanced tools to prevent Chinese companies from continuing to develop sophisticated techniques, such as multiple patterningwith the purpose of producing cutting-edge chips. Be that as it may, in the medium term, China will need to have your own advanced lithography machines to be able to sustain its technological development. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | Congressman Michael Baumgartner In Xataka | We already know what the chips that will arrive until 2039 will be like. The machine that will allow them to be manufactured is close

This map shows what the Earth will be like in 250 million years. If it comes true, Spain will be very lucky

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About 200 million years ago, the last supercontinent began to break up. The division of Pangea It gave way, very little by little, to the current geological composition. But what was separated will come together again. The continents keep movingcrashing into each other, and one theory suggests that it will be within 250 million years when another supercontinent will emerge. We have named it as Pangea Ultimaand the truth is that it will not matter exactly which countries we have as neighbors. Pangea Ultima. plate tectonics It is curious because they continue to move one under the other, and that is what has led to the theory of continental drift. These movements are studied to understand the past, as well as to decipher the future, and one of those scholars is Christopher Scotese. This American geographer is the creator of the PALEOMAP Projectwhich seeks to show not only how the elements have moved these last 1,000 million years, but is also attributed the prediction of that future supercontinent. and Scotese elaborated this map: What is it that has inspired the one who opens this article: Curious neighbors. According to this, within about 50 million years North America would have rotated so much that Alaska would be at a subtropical latitude and Eurasia would also rotate, but in the opposite direction, making Britain closer to the North Pole. Africa will move closer to Europe and Arabia, both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean will disappear and, within 100 million years, the Atlantic will begin to shrink. It will be in 150 million years when the Atlantic will disappear as a result of being sucked in by the American continent, bringing America and that block composed of Eurasia and Africa much closer. And the culmination will occur within 200 million years when this new supercontinent is formed, with the Indian Ocean as a central sea and a curious neighborhood mix. According to this model, Latin America would be more or less the same, but with African neighbors to the east. Cuba would be attached to the United States, Greenland would be next to Canada (bad luck, Trump) and Spain would continue to border France and Portugal, but also with Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. England would also be close to France and Korea would be in a curious sandwich between Japan and China. It will make exactly the same. But the truth is that it doesn’t matter what your new neighbors seem to you, not because, obviously, you won’t be there to suffer them, but because humanity may have become extinct by then. Not because we sometimes put effort into it, but because the conditions will not be the most ideal for the life of mammals. In a study Published in Nature, researchers predicted that 92% of the Earth would be uninhabitable for mammals. The reason is that, in a simulation of the climate of this new supercontinent, it is estimated that the temperatures of a large part of Pangea Ultima will be more than 40ºC, but in addition the amounts of CO₂ will make the life of mammals… complicated. Due to the number of collisions between plates, there will be great volcanic activity that will increase the CO₂ emissions into the atmospherea, not only warming the planet, but also encouraging the levels of this CO₂ to double the current levels. In addition, the Sun will be 2.5% brighter at that time because its nuclear fusion rate will have increased and this is something that will also contribute to making the planet drier. Spain not so bad. It’s not a very encouraging outlook, to be honest, since plant life will also experience mass extinction, but researchers point out that conditions may not be so bad in all parts of the new world. Thus, those closest to the top of the North Pole could have cooler conditions that facilitate better adaptation to life. And Spain, Portugal, Morocco or England are in that scenario. It is also possible that we become specialists in desert environments, becoming nocturnal animals in something similar to what was seen in ‘Dune‘. Alexander Farnsworth, one of the researchers who have simulated the climate conditions of that future, also analyzed From the most serious point of view, how life makes its way in the climate of Arrakis and points to this parallelism with the Earth in 250 million years. one more. Is this what the Earth will look like in 250 million years? Namely, but there are several hypotheses formulated in recent decades that, in one way or another, point to the existence of that supercontinent. One is Novopangeawhere the Pacific will close. another is Auricawith the closure of both the Atlantic and the Pacific. And another model is Amasiawith the union between Asia and America. And it doesn’t matter the model, they are still similar to the last Pangea and, after this new supercontinent, the estimate is that the Atlantic will open again, separating the countries and beginning a new cycle of rupture. What will happen to life? Well, it will make its way, as the great Jeff Goldblum already said in ‘jurassic park‘, because mass extinctions… there have been several. Image | Coffee In Xataka | The Earth has moons that we don’t know about: exploring them is key to revealing the secrets of our solar system In Xataka | This map is a journey through time: this is how the Earth has evolved for 750 million years A version of this article was published in 2025

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