Month: May 2026

Although there are scientists saying the opposite, it is time to recognize it: continents do not exist

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For a couple of years and from time to time, a very specific type of article has gone viral: one that repeats that there is a group of researchers from the University of Derby has found a new (micro)continent in Davis Strait. That is, between Greenland and North America. And yes, it sounds a little Martian. How could we have lost an entire continent in the 1,143 kilometers that that strait measures? It has its explanation What the hell is a continent? The most intuitive answer is “a large area of ​​land surrounded by water”; But the truth is that it only works in theory and, when we tackle the problem, everything gets complicated. Therefore, if the question is “how many continents are there in the world?”, the only logical answer is this: “it depends.” What do you mean “it depends”? The reasons behind many of the divisions we handle are “purely historical and cultural.” In fact, as Miguel García explains“the educational systems of different countries establish different continental divisions”: In Anglo-Saxon countries, it is most common to say that there are seven continents (Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Antarctica and Oceania); On the other hand, in Romance language countries, the most common answer is that there are six continents (uniting the Americas into one); Six continents are also explained in the countries of the ex-Soviet orbit (although they keep America separate and what they unite is Europe and Asia). There are more options, of course. For example, we could unite Asia, Africa and Europe on a single continent and, together with America, Australia and Antarctica, there would be four. By proxy, we could even remove Antarctica because, well, without its snow cover it would become an archipelago (whose largest island would be smaller than Australia). It’s time to admit that continents do not exist. They are social constructs, like municipalities or provinces. Hence, as García explainsFrom a geological point of view, it can be concluded that continents do not constitute a scientific concept. In any case, we can talk about tectonic plates (and, although defining their number is also a hassle, we would not talk about less than 15). So what are the Derby researchers talking about? Now it’s time to get into the matter: what researchers have used is something elsethe thickness of the Earth’s crust. In general, there are two types of Earth’s crust: continental (about 35 kilometers thick) and oceanic (between 8 and 10). Of what they have realized is that as the tectonic plates between Canada and Greenland have shifted, the Earth’s crust has been reconfigured. The result has been a protocontinental (i.e. extremely thick) crust on what should be an oceanic crust. And what is all this for? It must be admitted that, once we get the matter down, everything seems more boring. However, the finding is very interesting: we actually don’t know very well how tectonic dynamics work. We have very developed ideas and models, yes; But when it comes down to it, there are more questions than answers. Being able to study in detail the formation of a protomicrocontinent is a unique opportunity to understand phenomena such as the one that is dividing Africa in two. And we have already seen that, unlike what we tend to believe, this has a real impact on daily life of millions of people. Image | Kate Ter Haar In Xataka | A huge crack has opened in Kenya’s Rift Valley and it seems it’s just the beginning This article was originally published in 2025. We have updated its content.

The oil reserves of the main powers, in a graph that summarizes how well China is doing

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Since the Strait of Hormuz was closed On February 28, after the offensive by the United States and Israel, the world as we know it hangs by a thread: going to a gas station to refuel, catching a flight or simply filling the refrigerator are mundane actions at risk, although at the moment what we have noticed the most is that prices go up and flight cancellations. The threat of running out of oil is getting closer. Oil is not just energy: having oil means having more time in the face of an energy crisis. The question is: how many days can an economy function without a single new barrel entering its borders? Well, it depends on two factors: how much you have stored and how you manage it. A few days ago the United States Energy Information Administration answered that question in the form of graphic for some of the world’s major powers. The result is uncomfortable and summarizes very well that China has done its homework. The EIA analysis shows oil inventories in December 2025, that is, just before the game began. We insist: it is not just the barrels that remain, it is a map that reveals who has room to hold out. That the Strait of Hormuz is closed It doesn’t affect everyone the same.. In March 2026, the United States and other IEA members they agreed a coordinated emergency release of reserves after the closure because approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes through that redoubt of a few kilometers. But the exposure to the shock is totally asymmetrical: while Europe and East Asia import massively from the Persian Gulf, the United States has record domestic production (13.6 million barrels per day) that drastically reduces your dependency. Although China appears at the top as the outstanding leader, paradoxically it is the most exposed in volume, but also the best prepared in reserves: it has room to withstand months of supply cuts. On the other side of the coin is Europe, the most vulnerable to this situation: its reserves are noticeably smaller and its own production is residual. Which countries are most and least prepared for the closure of Hormuz Inventory of crude oil reserves in some specific countries. EIA. December 2025 During 2025, China accumulated an average of 1.1 million barrels per day, reaching almost 1.4 billion barrels. To put it on scale, it is more than triple what the United States stores in its strategic oil reserve (1,397 compared to 413). And it has done so quietly: China does not publish official data on its inventories, so the EIA estimates them by crossing imports, exports and data from third parties such as Vortexa, Kpler and Kayrros. As collects Reuterssince 2024, Chinese national companies add emergency oil to commercial reserves following government instructions. In short: they have a second strategic layer, logistics deliberately designed to endure in situations of blockade, sanctions or conflicts. China has made good use of cheap sanctioned Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil to fill its deposits at bargain prices, according to a report from the US Congressional Committee. Estimated crude oil inventories of China and the United States in December 2025. EIA Although the United States strategic reserve has capacity for 714 million barrels, at the end of last year it barely had just over 400, its lowest level in decades, after large sales in 2022 and 2023. The explanation is that the United States used its reserve to mitigate inflation after the war in Ukraine and has not yet recovered. That is to say, America’s room for maneuver has been reduced and with reserves at 58% and the Strait of Hormuz closed, it is at its lowest levels since the early 1980s, when the SPR was still in the process of filling. If there is a phrase to define the situation of the old continent, it is that Europe is hanging by a thread. OECD Europe held just 179 million barrels in government inventories as of December 2025, a structurally weak figure for a bloc that imports more than 97% of the oil it consumes. That Europe is dependent on oil is not a surprise, but with the closure of Hormuz the need to change this reality is urgent. He underlying problem in Europe is fragmentation: each member state manages its own reserves under the minimum framework of 90 days of demand required by the IEA, but without a common European strategic reserve. So in the face of a severe crisis, the response comes disseminated and not unified. Japan takes bronze, with 263 million barrels accumulated in government reserves. However, what is most striking is its legal architecture: the Petroleum Storage Law Japan forces private industry to maintain 70 days of demand (about 220 million additional barrels) over the government’s 90 days. A public and private double layer system that makes Japan the most robust system per capita. Finally, Japan participates in the international joint storage system: the EIA excludes from its calculation the international joint storage inventories that Japan maintains outside its borders. That is to say, the real figure of Japanese access to crude oil in an emergency scenario is higher than what the graph says. In Xataka | After gasification plants and renewables, Spain has another energy lifeline for Europe: oil refineries In Xataka | The world’s rare earth reserves, laid out in this graph showing the brutal dominance of a single country Cover | EIA

features, price and technical sheet

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March 2023. It has been more than three years since Volkswagen will show us the ID for the first time. 2all. That car has finally been called ID.Polo. It is a subtlety without much importance that perfectly summarizes the path that the company has taken in recent years and what steps the electric car has been taking. Be that as it may, we already know all the technical and mechanical details and the price of a car that It will be manufactured in Martorell. Volkswagen ID technical sheet. Pole VOLKSWAGEN ID. Pole Body type Five-seater urban Measurements and weight 4,053 mm long, 1,816 mm wide and 1,530 mm high. Wheelbase of 2,600 mm. 1,576 kg weight. Trunk 441 liters. Maximum power 155 kW (211 hp) WLTP consumption 13.5 kWh/100 km and 449 km of autonomy. DGT environmental distinctive Zero emissions. Driving aids (ADAS) Mandatory by the European Union. Adaptive cruise control with parking assistant. Others 10-inch screen for the instrument panel and 13-inch screen for the infotainment. Possibility of including matrix lights, 480-watt Harman Kardon premium sound system with ten speakers, including a central one and subwoofer, and seats with electric adjustments and a massage function. electric hybrid No. Plug-in hybrid No. Electric Yeah. Version with LFP battery of 37 kWh net (autonomy to be confirmed) with powers of 85 kW (116 HP) and 99 kW (135 HP). Version with NCM battery of 52 kWh (449 km of autonomy) and 155 kW (211 HP of power) Price and release Now available in its 52 kWh battery version. Without aid: from 35,070 euros With discounts and aid: from 24,330 euros “Typically Volkswagen” When Volkswagen presented the ID. 2all said it was a car “typically Volkswagen”. By this they meant that it was a car that should fit into most families. That “2all” didn’t leave much room for doubt either. Those days we thought that the electric car was going to advance faster than what we have seen since. The “cheap” electric car has a problem. Right now, its batteries are short and its main obstacle is its autonomy on the road. With a Volkswagen Polo you traveled anywhere with more or less discomfort in terms of space. The ID. 2all It promised those same inconveniences but, in addition, added another that many clients do not seem to be willing to assume: lengthen travel times. In the three years that have passed since then, the brands have verified that the customer has certain reluctance to make the leap to this technology if they do not have a guaranteed autonomy large enough to Do not turn trips into a small ordealno matter how few they are per year. And they have also discovered that they do not want something disruptive, that they do not care if the car is electric if it maintains the essences that we already knew. Volkswagen has remained firm in its commitment to offer an electric car for less than 25,000 euros but it has changed some decisions that were not liked. The most obvious, the name. The car will eventually be called Volkswagen ID. Polo, writing a new page in the history of the model. The second thing is the physical buttons, which the German company is returning to its models after poor usability decisions and certainly erratic functioning on its touch surfaces. The most urban Volkswagen Polo in history Current technical limitations, until higher energy density batteries arrive and their popularity lowers manufacturing prices, forces this Volkswagen ID. Polo is the most urban version of its history. And the small electric from the Germans arrives with a size of 4,053 mm long, 1,816 mm wide and 1,530 mm high. Measurements more than solvent for the city that, with a wheelbase of 2,600 mm, promise a lot of interior space. The point is that your starting battery to get below 25,000 euros is very short, barely 37 kWh net which will be combined with powers of 85 kW (116 HP) and 99 kW (135 HP). With that size, the car will be limited to the urban environment and the periphery. With a highway consumption of 20 kWh/100 km, these versions of the ID. Polo would not reach 200 kilometers of real autonomy. Above, a 155 kW (211 HP) version can be ordered and 52 kWh NCM battery which approves a maximum of 449 kilometers but anticipates a real road autonomy of 250 kilometers if consumption is 20 kWh/100 km on the road. Without proving it, going below that figure would be extraordinary news for those looking for a car with a minimum cost to their pocket on a day-to-day basis and who does not sacrifice the ability to go out on weekends without the trip taking forever. As long as, of course, the trip is less than 350 kilometers. Volkswagen promises fast charges from 10 to 80% of battery capacity in “approximately 24 minutes.” Inside, the car comes with a Digital Cockpit that is built on a 10-inch screen to serve as an instrument panel. The infotainment is mounted on a 13-inch central screen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This screen is accompanied by a lower button panel and touch controls on the steering wheel. A decision that is marked by the latest controversies caused for the jump to “everything touch” and that we have tried to correct here. At the moment, the car only arrives with its most powerful version and larger battery, but the brand announces that in summer we will see its most basic versions. These will already have an adaptive cruise function, LED headlights with automatic high-low beam activation and a multifunction steering wheel. In its higher versions, keyless opening and starting, rear view cameras with parking aids, inductive charging for the mobile phone or voice control of the infotainment system can be added. In the top-of-the-range versions, matrix headlights, IQ.LIGHT LED Matrix headlights, can be added, and as an option, a 480-watt Harman Kardon premium sound system with ten speakers, … Read more

let humanoid robots work

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An airport can seem like a highly automated machine: screens, boarding gates, belts, controls and processes that advance almost without us realizing it. But it is enough to look a little beyond the passenger journey to find another reality: planes that must be prepared, luggage that must be moved, merchandise that must be loaded and operations that continue to depend on human hands. What we have seen now in Japan starts precisely from that less visible area of ​​the trip, where automating is not as simple as it seems. The test. According to the statement published by Japan AirlinesJAL Ground Service, the group company in charge of ground handling operations at large national airports, and GMO AI & Robotics will begin a demonstration with humanoid robots at Haneda airport in May of this year. The plan includes phased verifications until 2028 and the companies present it as the first demonstration of its kind in Japan. A key point. The commitment is not only to automate a task, but to test machines capable of moving in an environment already designed for people. The airline explains that ground operations are carried out in limited spaces around the planes and with support equipment of very different shapes, something that makes the use of fixed automated installations or single-function robots difficult. The advantage of the humanoid robot, according to the companies, is that it can adapt better without requiring major modifications to airport facilities or aircraft. What robots will do. The first phase does not aim to replace all ground operations at once, but rather to measure very limited use cases. So to begin with, the robots will be deployed in tasks of loading and unloading freight containers. Other possible uses are also contemplated within the project, from baggage and cargo handling to cabin cleaning and the operation of ground handling equipment. The key is in that nuance: these are scenarios that we want to test, not capacities already implemented on a large scale. The bottleneck is on land. We are not facing an isolated test because an airport wants to exhibit technology, but rather a tentative response to a very specific problem. Japan Airlines links the project to a lack of ground handling personnel, a pressure it attributes to the growth of inbound tourism and the decline in the working-age population. Furthermore, these tasks are not just repetitive: the company remembers that they require qualified personnel, involve safety requirements and can involve a considerable physical burden. Testing doesn’t solve everything. The design of the project itself invites you to read it with caution. As we say, the demonstration will advance in phases: first, operations at the airport will be observed, mapped and analyzed to identify where the robots can act safely, and then repeated verifications will be carried out that simulate real environments. The ultimate goal is to build a more sustainable operation through less dependence on manual labor and a reduction in physical workload, but not completely eliminate the human role. Images | Japan Airlines In Xataka | Anthropic is one step away from being worth as much as Samsung. And what the market is buying is not Claude

We know that all things are in crisis due to the closure of Hormuz, but the aluminum thing is truly worrying

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The world economy has come face to face with a scenario that no one wanted to foresee. The global aluminum market is facing what analysts and experts already classify as a “black swan” event. The Third Gulf War has caused a drastic closure in shipping routes, triggering a supply crisis of historic proportions. An unprecedented crisis. “The magnitude of the supply crisis that we are seeing in the aluminum market is probably the largest single supply crisis that a base metals market has suffered in the post-2000 era,” Nick Snowdon, head of metals and mining research at the trading firm Mercuria, summarized it forcefully. in statements collected by the agency Reuters. And the numbers support the alarm: the Persian Gulf region has a smelting capacity of 7 million metric tons annually. That is, almost 9% of this year’s global supply is at the epicenter of a war conflict. A logistical bottleneck. The implications of this blockage go far beyond financial speculation, as aluminum is the backbone of vital industries such as transportation, construction and packaging. Natalie Scott-Gray, Senior Metals Demand Analyst in StoneXfocuses on logistical asphyxiation. According to the expert, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz does not have an easy solution, since “there are no other maritime routes that have a similar capacity.” This disruption, Scott-Gray explains, has the potential to eliminate up to 50% of the Middle East’s aluminum supply, equivalent to a direct 5% hit to global production. In Europe, the impact has already jumped from offices to factories. According to the specialized portal Miningconsumers in the construction and transportation sector are being squeezed. In Rotterdam, the physical premium (the extra cost paid above the market price to ensure delivery) for aluminum extrusion ingots has more than doubled since the start of the war, rising from $530 to $1,100 per metric ton. And the perfect storm arrives. The market has reacted with panic. According to data from Reutersfear of shortages triggered prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) to a four-year high, reaching $3,672 per ton in mid-April. Since the start of hostilities, the reference price has risen by 14%, how it complements Financial Times. What follows this crisis is an imminent structural deficit. Mercuria estimates that the market will face a minimum deficit of 2 million tons by the end of the year, an alarming figure if we consider that visible global inventories are barely around one and a half million tons. The West is particularly vulnerable. The United States imported almost 22% of its aluminum from the Middle East last year, while Europe relied on the region for 18.5% of its imports. Safety nets are failing: Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) has been forced to declare status of “force majeure” in several European contracts after suffering an Iranian attack on its foundry in the United Arab Emirates. Simultaneously, Kubal, the only Swedish foundry (owned by the Russian Rusal), has mysteriously stopped its deliveries in Europefurther straining short-term availability. The “kings” of chaos. This aluminum shock does not occur in a vacuum; It is the symptom of a greater illness. Daniel Yergin, vice president of S&P Global, warned in Bloomberg that we are facing “the biggest energy disruption we have ever seen.” The impact transcends oil, affecting natural gas, fertilizers and metals. Aluminum production is extremely energy intensive, so rising fuel prices are driving up the costs of foundries around the world. However, in a troubled river, fishermen gain. While manufacturers suffer, the giants of commodity trading are making a move. He Financial Times reveals that the Swiss firm Mercuria has begun aggressive expansion, investing more than $3 billion in base metals. In a strategic shift, they have gone from simply financing shipments to purchasing real assets, acquiring 25% of an aluminum smelter in Indonesia. “We have both the appetite and the capacity to do more,” he assured the British newspaper Kostas Bintashead of metals at Mercuria, confirming that the company is firmly committed to this metal in the midst of the chaos. The clock is ticking. The current crisis has mutated, In the words of Yergin to Bloombergin a clash between two blockades: American economic pressure versus Tehran’s ability to “wage war on the world economy”. The paradox is that this energy and logistics bottleneck will end up accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and will force countries to redesign their energy security. But in the short term, reality is stubborn. As the analysis concludes ReutersMiddle Eastern aluminum simply cannot be replaced overnight. China, the world’s largest producer, has a strict legal annual production limit of 45 million tonnes, and neither the United States nor Europe have enough idle capacity they can turn on to salvage the situation. The “black swan” has landed, and the global industry will have to learn to survive in a scenario where aluminum, once abundant, has become a treasure caught in the crossfire. Image | Magnificent Xataka | Iran has pulled out a “trick” to sell to China while avoiding the US: turning the ocean into its secret gas station

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