Month: July 2026

A group of astronauts without medical training has taken the world’s first X-ray in orbit: it is a brutal advance

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For more than sixty years, astronauts have only had one tool to diagnose possible injuries in orbit: the ultrasound machine. Now, for the first time, a crew has managed to take diagnostic X-rays of their own bodies while orbiting Earth, a milestone that completely changes what will be possible on future missions to the Moon and Mars. We tell you all the details. Why it is important. Until now, if an astronaut suffered a fracture or internal injury in space, ultrasound was the only option available, a technology that requires a lot of prior training and depends on a physical medium to transmit sound waves. The problem is that as the duration and distance of space missions increase, so does the risk of serious medical problems occurring. For this reason, having X-rays in space would allow, for example, to confirm a fracture in a matter of minutes, something that until now was not possible, according to explained to ScienceAlert Dr. Sheyna Gifford, aerospace medicine researcher at the Mayo Clinic and promoter of the project. In detail. The experiment was carried out during Fram2a private SpaceX mission that in March 2025 took four first-time astronauts to circle the Earth above the poles for three and a half days aboard a Crew Dragon capsule. None of them were medical personnel, since They received only four hours of training before takeoff to learn how to operate a portable, commercial X-ray machine, about the size of a beach cooler. Before leaving they took x-rays of a hand, forearm, chest, abdomen and pelvis for reference. In orbit they repeated those same images, and also added another of a smart watch. The test was a success. Back on Earth, three independent radiologists compared the images taken in orbit with those before the flight, according to the study. published in Radiology magazine. The verdict was positive, because although the x-rays captured in Earth’s gravity had somewhat higher quality, those taken in space were perfectly valid for diagnosing injuries such as fractures. The images of hands and arms, which are easier to keep still, came out better than those of the chest, abdomen or pelvis, areas where it was more difficult to achieve a good body position. The device also survived the trip with only superficial damage to its exterior after landing, and the entire crew agreed that it was easy to use despite the little training received. And now what. The next step, according to Giffordinvolves further reducing the size of this equipment and making it more resistant for future missions, since although it may be compact in itself on Earth, as long as the technology can be miniaturized in space missions, the better. Portable X-rays would not only be used to diagnose astronauts. And they could also be used to check hidden damage in space suits, electronics or damaged satellites, and even be installed in future vehicles that explore the lunar surface. The researcher herself also aims to bring this technology to rural areas far from large hospitals, where an autonomous and low-cost system could improve access to rapid diagnoses. Images | Radiology In Xataka | Julia de Marines, astrobiologist: “Any planet that has developed intelligence should have noosignatures, a physical history of cognitive activity”

The wasp that hunts bees to feed its young is already present throughout Andalusia, and it is not the only one

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Andalusia, land of (invasive) wasps. As if the fearsome asian wasp (vespa velutina) and the bicolor hornet (Vespa bicolor), the eastern hornet joins the triad (Vespa orientalis) as the CSIC explains and it has done so in record time: it did not take even six to colonize the eight provinces of the community since its first detection in Algeciras and has already been seen in the Valencia area and on the central plateau. He is reddish, with a yellow face and has a voracious hunger for bees. The question is not whether the eastern hornet is here to stay, but how far it can go. Habemus new wasp. This invasive wasp native to South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa has been colonizing southern Europe for the last few decades. The first sighting of the eastern hornet dates back to 2018 in Algeciras and since then has settled in urban and agricultural areas throughout Andalusia, although the provinces of Cádiz, Málaga, Seville and Córdoba are the most affected. The Junta de Andalucía estimates the growth in records between 2023 and 2024 at 30% and it does not seem that it will stop there: an analysis with data from 2024 counted 695 sightings of the species in Spain as a whole. As explains the researcher at the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC Jairo Robla“they are resistant and very competitive species, capable of dealing with everything” and the success of their expansion lies in their great capacity to adapt to new ecosystems. The habits ofthe eastern hornet. In Córdoba there is a surveillance program that documents the annual biological cycle of the species: appearance of founding queens in mid-March, first workers in June and end of the cycle around November, with nests usually installed in holes in human buildings. From there the colony grows until summer and autumn, which is when there are more wasps. In November the colony almost entirely dies. This is an omnivorous and opportunistic species: first the queen feeds on plant sources such as flowers or molasses and also hunts other insects such as flies, bees, birds or butterflies, to provide protein for her larvae. Hives are a real feast: an easy way to feed your young. How to distinguish it from the European wasp. The simplest way is the color: the eastern hornet has a reddish-copper body with two wide yellow stripes on the abdomen, each with two black dots. On the face, a characteristic yellow spot. It measures between 25 and 35 millimeters. The European hornet (Vespa crabro), the only native species of the genus in Spain, is somewhat larger (queens reach 4 centimeters), has a brown thorax and a yellow abdomen with black stripes more marked than that of the eastern one. Another way to differentiate them is where they nest: while the European hornet usually settles in trees, slopes or natural cavities, the eastern one has a predilection for urban environments, nesting in gaps in facades, blind boxes, roofs or walls, as documented by the IAS-CSIC monitoring in Córdoba. In case of doubt, the IAS-CSIC research team recommends not intervening and contacting the competent municipal services. Early detection of founding queens is essential: eliminating them at this stage prevents the formation of large colonies. In detail. The map of the expansion prepared by Robla’s team shows a progressive advance from the initial focus in Cádiz towards the interior and south of Andalusia, with Córdoba as one of the provinces where new detections have been recorded in recent years. By the end of 2024, the eastern hornet was already established in all provinces, with doubts only about its definitive establishment in Granada. To prepare them, they use photos and videos that people upload to platforms such as Observation.org or iNaturalist and subsequent validation by the research team, which allows them to cover a much broader territory. Map A shows the spread of the oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis). The colors indicate the year of registration: until 2021 (black), 2022 (blue), 2023 (green) and 2024 (red). Why is it important. That oriental hornets feed on honey bees and other pollinators is a real ecological and economic problem, as warns Robla for Canal Sur: When the density of hornets is high, damage to hives and the biodiversity of nearby areas can be serious. Selective predation on pollinators can have a cascading effect on agriculture, since crop pollination is reduced, and on beekeeping, a relevant economic sector in Andalusia. In Xataka | From pest in Southern Spain to “super food” for fish: we already know what to do with 60,000 tons of invasive Asian algae In Xataka | The Ebro is filling with brown prawns, an invasive species that we are going to find more and more on our plates. Cover | Gideon Pisanty and Buzzworthy invasions: new data on alien Vespa (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) hornets in southern Spain

Your body has been regulating temperature on its own for thousands of years. Until the air conditioning arrived and told him “calm down, I’ll take care of it” (it doesn’t turn out well)

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Air conditioning is our best friend in summer. However, just as we are not attached 24/7 to our best friends, We shouldn’t do it with the air conditioning either.. With your friend it is not good because you would run out of gossip to tell him, but with air conditioning the problem is that it can be dangerous for your health. And for your pocket, logically. Thermoregulator, what for? As explained in an article by Meteoredone of the biggest problems with overusing air conditioning is that our natural thermoregulation system becomes a little lazy. Human beings are homeothermic animals. This means that we remain at a stable temperature, around 36.5ºC, regardless of whether it is 0ºC or 42ºC outside. To do this, we have mechanisms such as sweating in the heat or shivering in the cold. However, we usually make these adaptations with natural temperature fluctuations. If we spend the day at 19ºC air conditioning, when we go outside, our body will have a harder time adapting as it normally would. It is something that also seen during sleep. Thanks to circadian rhythms, our body temperature drops little by little during the night to help us fall asleep. However, if we lower it artificially and suddenly, it will be much more difficult for us to rest. dry mucous membranes. Air conditioning not only lowers the temperature. It also dries out the air. And if the air dries out, so do our mucous membranes. We have all noticed that dry nose and throat feeling when we spend a lot of time with the air conditioning. In fact, it is especially noticeable at night. The big problem with this is that one of our protective barriers against the entry of respiratory pathogens is precisely the humidity of the mucous membranes, which allows the movement of structures, called cilia, that keep viruses and bacteria at bay. The cold does not cause colds, it is a widespread myth. Viruses are what cause colds, so if there is none in the environment we will not get sick. However, if the cold of the air conditioning has dried out our mucous membranes and there is a virus lurking around, it will be much more difficult for us to defend ourselves. Muscle pain. When we spend a lot of time under air conditioning, our muscles cool down and tend to shrink to better generate and retain heat, so it is common for us to hurt. No more than 12 ºC difference. Logically, air conditioning is necessary. However, we should neither abuse it nor put it too cold. As explained to EFE Health Dr. Sandra Dorado, coordinator of the area of ​​Respiratory Diseases of Occupational and Environmental Origin (EROM) of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), more than 12 ºC of difference when moving from one room to another is already considered unhealthy. We must try not to exceed this difference and, if possible, acclimatize before going out suddenly. Furthermore, it is important clean air conditioning filters regularly. This will prevent asthma problems and respiratory infections from breathing poor quality air. That being said, keep using the air conditioning, just like you would hang out with your best friend. But allow time without seeing each other for gossip to arise between you, and when you are together, treat it well. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | These days I’m having a hard time falling asleep because of the heat. But put this device on and sleep soundly

We’ve been using sunscreen for thousands of years, even though we didn’t know we needed it at first.

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Nowadays We are quite aware of the importance of sunscreen. In the past they were not so clear about it, but they used it anyway. Normally, substances were used to lighten the skin or prevent it from darkening, since dark skin was associated with the lower classes of society. The upper classes did not want to appear from the lower classes and some people from the lower classes did not want to be noticed, so all kinds of concoctions were devised aimed at maintaining their whitish complexion. Over time, and with all the knowledge we have today, some scientists have dedicated themselves to analyzing those formulas and the truth is that, although some were anything but healthy, others were safe and even effective. Does that mean we should use them today? Logically not. We have much better studied options. But for the times in which they were developed, some were not bad at all. When it was worth it with the melanin itself. The first humans they lived in Africaso their skin was prepared to be intensely exposed to solar radiation, thanks to very high levels of melanin. Over time, as he Homo sapiens It was distributed to other parts of the world, so much melanin was no longer necessary, so the skin became lighter. The problem is that less solar radiation does not mean any, so little by little people found themselves having to look for a replacement for the melanin they had lost. They didn’t know why they needed it, but they were looking for it. The Egyptians and their cosmetics manufacturing skills. In ancient Egypt, cosmetics played a very important role. Makeup and creams and oils were used to moisturize the skin, improve physical appearance or as a status symbol. Even some cosmetic products had religious and ritual purposes. For all this, it is not strange that among the Egyptians there were great formulators. Many of their mixtures were useless, but some did have interesting and understandable applications with the science we know today. In this last drawer is found sunscreen based on jasmine, rice and lupine (the plant from which lupins are obtained). The goal of this mixture was to keep the skin as white as possible. They did not know that solar radiation can be harmful. However, they were protecting themselves from them, since today we know that rice bran absorbs ultraviolet light, jasmine helps repair DNA, and lupine lightens the skin. They weren’t just protecting themselves. They also repaired any damage that may have already occurred and kept the skin clearer. From the Greeks to the Romans. The Greeks used olive oil to protect yourself from the sun and, above all, to care for your skin after exposure. Although they were not aware of the magnitude of the problem, they did see that the skin was suffering from sun exposure, so they made their own aftersun. Today we know that olive oil has an SPF of 8. Too low, but better than later options and certainly better than not wearing anything at all. As for the Romans, They were among the first to use zinc oxide to prevent their skin from darkening. This substance is still used today as a physical filter in many sunscreens, so they aimed their shot very well. They were also used in India and China. Beware of lead. In Japan, white skin was a clear symbol of status and female beauty. For this reason, women smeared themselves with lead powder. It was also used by European women in the 16th and 17th centuries, usually mixed with water and vinegar, in a mixture known as venetian ceruse. In both cases, it was used because, being a thick, white powder, it gave them a mask effect that imitated the appearance of a very white complexion. Therefore, there was no protection at all. On the contrary, since lead It is highly toxic. The first sunscreens. In 1801, the chemist Johan Wilhem Ritter discovered UV radiation, although its harmful effects on the skin were not known until 1820, when a doctor named Sir Everard Home determined that these radiations, coming from the Sun, are harmful and that the skin itself defends itself through pigmentation. As a result of this last discovery, an attempt was made to make sunscreen with tannins, such as those of red grapes. However, the dark effect it left on the skin was not very well received. Over time, different options were tested, including zinc oxide from the Romans. Nowadays we know much better about the effects of the sun and sunscreen. In the end, many of these formulas from ancient civilizations were not so wrong. Nowadays we know the effects of this and other physical filters, as well as chemical ones, which do not create a barrier on the skin, but rather absorb radiation. All of them, deep down, are the result of thousands of years of curiosity and research. Because it’s true that the first humans to make sunscreen weren’t even making it for the right reason. But the fact is that, for whatever reason, they did it. We have instinctively protected ourselves forever. That a tanned footballer Don’t make us go back to the past. Images | Magnificent In Xataka | Science warns of the dangerous success of anti-suncream hoaxes on TikTok: “Despite being a minority, this content is influential”

This is the new Garmin CIRQA, a screenless activity bracelet that does not require a subscription

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Without screen: Garmin has already made its new CIRQA official. This activity bracelet arrives to compete directly with Whoop and Google’s FitBit Air in a sector that is increasingly gaining momentum. Its proposal plays with a very interesting advantage compared to its rivals and can now be purchased in Spain: it costs 199.99 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A bracelet without a screen that has no subscription These devices have the clear objective of helping us measure our health or our workouts, but without the need to have a screen that can distract us with notifications. In this way, as with the proposals from Google or Whoop, we will always have to consult the information on our mobile phone. With more or less differences compared to its rivals, subscription is once again the way to fit this CIRQA among its rivals. In that sense, This new bracelet is closer to Google’s Fitbit Air: You can buy it without a mandatory subscription and use a lot of functions, but if you want everything it offers, then you have to check out with Garmin Connect+ subscription. On the other hand, without any subscription, we have other bracelets like the Polar Loop. And what is Garmin CIRQA for? As we say, it is an activity bracelet that can help us measure many parameters. There we can enter the heart rate, something that is constantly measured (in fact, notifies us if it measures an irregular frequency). In addition, also respiratory rate, stress, sleep, hydration, feminine health and even skin temperature, among many other things. To all of the above we must add that it can also help us control our workouts using GPS (it depends on the mobile connection for this). It has up to 10 days of autonomy and is available in two different sizes and four colors. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: garmin cirqa ✅ THE BEST Ideal if you want to avoid distractions: It is an ideal device if you want something to help you measure your health or your workouts that is discreet and does not have a screen. Measures a lot of parameters: From women’s health to heart rate or sleep. This bracelet can be an ally if you want to control your daily life. Up to 10 days of autonomy: The brand promises that its battery is capable of lasting up to 10 days without a charge. ❌ THE WORST Subscription if you want all its functions: It is true that subscription is not mandatory as it is with the Whoop bracelet, but it is necessary if you want all its functions. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for an activity bracelet without a screen and you already have other Garmin devices at home. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Do you prefer a cheaper option or one that does not have any type of subscription, not even optional. You may also be interested WHOOP One – 12 Month Subscription, Health and Fitness Wearable 5.0 – 24/7 Activity Tracking with VO2 Max, Sleep Tracking, Personalized Training, Menstrual Cycle Information The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Fitbit Air – Activity Bracelet with physical activity, heart rate and sleep monitoring – Personalized AI-based advice – up to 7 days of battery life – Obsidian The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Garmin In Xataka | Best activity bracelets. Which one to buy and most recommended models from 25 euros In Xataka | Best smartwatch in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models

they know the exact day of his death

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The image you see above these lines is the Basilica of Santa Eulalia in Mérida and, next to it, the early Christian crypt that it houses inside. Next to her they have just found a funeral tombstone. It is not strange: the surroundings of churches have always been places of cemetery. The strange thing is something else: we know that it is a 10-year-old Christian girl, whose name was Pascentia, and who died on May 18. Knowing the exact day of a death today, or even a century ago, is normal. That there is evidence of this for more than 1,500 years, no. The discovery. In an urgent archaeological excavation prior to some renovation works that are going to be carried out in a private home on the Rambla de Santa Eulalia, approximately 30 – 40 meters from the basilica, the research team has found that tombstone of the girl and between seven and eight burials of adults. The tombstone in question is made of marble and is practically complete, which allows us to know the exact day of the girl’s death, called Pascentia: “15th day between the calends of June”, the equivalent of May 18 in the Roman calendar. The year has not yet been determined precisely, but it points to 509 or 519 AD. c. Why it is important. Gilberto Sánchez, archaeologist of the Consortium of the Monumental City of Mérida, explains that the tombstone is a true rarity because it combines several peculiarities: the first, the magnificent state of conservation of the tombstone. Then, let it be that of a girl, since similar tombstones had already appeared in the area, but belonging to bishops and illustrious people, not a minor. Finally, because it shows that in the 6th century there were still Christian burials in that area of ​​Mérida. Context. The archaeological excavation has also allowed us to reconstruct how the place has changed over time. Thus, remains of a Roman road with its sewer have appeared under that funerary area, which was later abandoned to build a Christian necropolis on it. Later, this enclave became a humble neighborhood of Islamic Mérida in the 8th-9th centuries, with a mixed population of Muslims and Mozarabic Christians. In detail. The tombstone has ornamental motifs such as a laurel wreath, two doves facing each other and what appears to be a chrismon, symbols of Christianity. It also includes expressions such as “famula Dei” (“servant of God”) and “requiescat in pace” (“rest in peace”). According to the archeology team, Pascentia probably belonged to a noble family, as denoted by the mere fact of her burial there, the design and materials of the tombstone, and the fact that it was made by a specialized workshop. Yes, but. In the absence of knowing the exact year of her death and more details about her identity, after the discovery of this girl buried in the surroundings of the Basilica of Santa Eulalia in Mérida, it is inevitable to relate her to another famous Mérida girl from ancient times: Santa Eulalia, the one after whom the Basilica is named. However, as the research archaeologists have explained, there is no relationship between the two: the martyr lived two centuries earlier, in Roman times, while Pascentia is from the Visigoth period. In Xataka | They thought they were fishing for Roman scrap metal, but some fishermen from Benicarló found the largest batch of medieval helmets in Spain In Xataka | We have unraveled one of the greatest mysteries of archeology in Spain: the Roman “step” of Elda Cover | Ángel M. Felicísimo and Juanje 2712

two plants in Portugal and Scotland are about to change that

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While there are renewable energies such as solar or wind that are accelerating decarbonization, there are others that remain a melon to be opened, such as wave drive. The potential of waves is enormous, as you well know. island countries like Japan and places known for how brave their coast is like Galicia. It is true that some installation already exists, such as Mutriku’sbut its size and performance is rather discreet. To take wave power to another level, you need technology reliable enough to create a large plant and someone external to attest to it. There is the fence comes down to two places and one company: Portugal and Scotland, both from the Swedish company CorPower Ocean. The invention. CorPower Ocean’s C4 power converter measures nine meters in diameter, 18 meters in height and about 100 tons in mass. Since 2023, it has been installed and operational in the testing phase four kilometers off the coast of Aguçadoura, in the north of Portugal, at a depth of 45 meters. The device has achieved a historic milestone for wave energy: its C4 has received the first prototype certificate from Det Norske Veritas, the world reference entity in offshore energy. What does this mean? In short: that the technology meets the requirements of resistance, reliability and safety. In addition to reviewing and approving the conceptual development, detailed engineering, structural resistance and fatigue analysis, manufacturing, assembly, dry testing, installation, the most striking thing is that they have approved its performance in storms with waves of up to 18.5 meters. Why it is important. Because wave energy has been the unfinished business of renewables for more than half a century, far behind in performance (and obviously, also in exploitation of others such as wind or solar). That an independent certifying entity has given the go-ahead means that the technology is ready to make the leap to commercial production in terms of performance and safety, which opens the door to materializing projects once the necessary investment arrives. Here is the crux of the matter: if the technology is reliable, it is easier to convince financial and investment entities that it is worth betting on it. Context. Since the first prototypes will be patented in 1981 by engineers Laithwaite and Salter, other states such as Japan, Spain and Italy They have tried it without much success: wave power is still stuck in the experimental phase without making the commercial leap. Among the problems they have to deal with is the unpredictability of the waves: there may be some, but they are variable in height, pace and direction. On the other hand, the harsh marine environment also does not help in the design and maintenance of the devices. In detail. Certification is not the final stage, but rather the beginning of its commercial implementation: CorPower is already preparing its first two commercial parks, in Portugal and Scotland, with the stated objective of placing wave energy as the third major renewable source next to wind and solar. If everything goes according to plan, they will come into operation between 2027 and 2029. At that time, wave energy will finally be able to contribute its grain of sand to the electrical grid. And the Swedish company does not stop there: its next C5 is already pending certification. Yes, but. What has been certified is a prototype, not a device already manufactured in series, which is the next necessary step to produce on a large scale. And older plants such as Mutriku in Gipuzkoa (in operation since 2011), demonstrate This energy produces much less electricity than expected compared to wind or solar (its efficiency is 11%), so it remains to be known if these new parks will meet expectations. In Xataka | Twelve years of work, three winters at sea and a 42-meter buoy: this is the Basque project that wants to convert waves into cheap electricity Xataka | For years, wave energy was the ugly duckling of renewables. AI and data centers have taken a turn More information and cover | CorPower Ocean

up to 3,000 euros fine depending on noise and installation

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When I bought my apartment a few months ago, one of the first ideas that came to mind was to move the washing machine to the patio to save space, concentrate the washing and hanging of clothes in a single point outside the house and while we’re at it, avoid the noise. Having to pull the water intake there and ask the community for permission was enough to dissuade me. However, it is still an idea that is on my mind in the medium term because of the advantages it brings if you do it well. If not, you can finish paying up to 3,000 euros in violations and other associated costs. The risk of having a washing machine on the balcony. Let’s get one thing straight: putting a washing machine on the balcony, terrace or patio is not a risk nor does it have to be a problem. But there are two potentially dangerous factors: the noise or vibration of the appliance and how it is installed. Because connecting a washing machine on a private balcony that has an existing outlet is not the same as occupying a common patio, modifying a downspout or fixing the pipes to the façade. And as an example, a button: when some owners They turned a community patio into their personal laundry room and justice forced them to remove the elements they had left there and return the patio to its initial state. Why you can be fined. The legal basis for noise is twofold: state and municipal. The Law 37/2003 Noise defines noise pollution including noise and vibrations and the Royal Decree 1367/2007 The developer also applies the acoustic quality objectives of the homes to vibrations as well. From here on, each town council sets its own limits and schedules. An example: the Ordinance for Protection against Acoustic and Thermal Pollution of Madrid of 2011 provides for fines of up to 3,000 euros for very serious violations if you exceed the nighttime limits by more than 7 dBA or the daytime or evening limits by more than 10 dBA. Regarding the installation, article 7.1 of Horizontal Property Law establishes that the “The owner of each apartment or premises may modify the architectural elements, facilities or services of the former when it does not undermine or alter the security of the building, its general structure, its external configuration or state, or harm the rights of another owner, and must previously report such works to whoever represents the community.“ Who can act against you. The community and the city council, two different and non-exclusive paths. He article 7.2 of the Horizontal Property Law stipulates that the presidency of the community, on its own initiative or that of any of the owners or occupants, will require anyone who carries out the activities prohibited by this section to immediately cease them, under warning of initiating appropriate legal actions. In that case, the judge can force you to dismantle the installation, pay the repair and the court costs. And it reserves one of the most severe mechanisms: depriving the use of the home for up to three years, depending on the severity of the infraction and the damage caused to the community. The city council, for its part, acts through administrative means with a regulated procedure: Law 39/2015 requires that all sanctioning procedures be initiated ex officio and that the initiation agreement be notified to the affected person, identifying the facts, their possible classification, the sanction that could correspond and the right to formulate allegations, with a hearing process of between ten and fifteen days to allege and present documents (article 82). Just because a neighbor reports you does not automatically make you fined: a noise measurement, opening of a file are necessary first and you have the opportunity to defend yourself before the sanction is final. How to do things right. Before installing anything, review the community bylaws and check if there is already a water intake and drainage. If there is, it is enough to communicate it to the presidency or the administrator. If there is not one, you will have to request express authorization from the board to connect to the community downspout. It is a permission, not a notice. To avoid disappointment, leave the installation in the hands of a qualified professional, minimizing the risk of leaks. Next, control the noise: check your town council’s ordinance (limits and hours vary greatly between municipalities) and install the washing machine on an anti-vibration base to reduce transmitted noise. Keep evidence of all the steps you follow, from communication to the community to the installer’s invoice, because in case of problems or complaints this documentation protects you from an inspection. What to do if it’s your turn. If you receive a warning, the first thing is to identify the origin: is it a noise problem with the city council or an installation conflict with the community? Prepare the evidence that you can provide and be careful because the technical sheet of the washing machine is not very useful: that a washing machine emits 70 dB when spinning is not a relevant fact in itself, it depends on the time and the municipality. If the problem is noise, the city council will carry out an inspection; If a notification of a sanctioning file arrives, stick to the indicated deadline and provide documentation and allegations within that process. In Xataka | Fed up with the lack of maintenance, a resident of Mataró started planting trees on his own. Result: more than 1,700 euros fine In Xataka | In Murcia they have decided that there is something that no one should ever do on their balcony under penalty of a €1,500 fine: hang clothes Cover | Alpha Perspective and Magnificent

“Do not increase the power at home. Turning it up and not taking advantage of it is wasting money”

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In the first six months of 2026, 63,201 electric cars have been purchased in Spain, according to ANFAC data. Its market share is already close to 10% and in June it exceeded one more point. The growth compared to 2025 is 36.69%. If we add plug-in hybrids to this data, 21.79% of the cars purchased in our country have a zero-emissions label. To understand what we need if we want to buy one of these cars and the cases that revolve around installing a plug, we have spoken with Antonio José Pérez, CEO and co-founder of My Car Charger. a boom. “Since 2023 we have no truce. Since the beginning of Moves II Planspecifically. When you set up the business you have to be knocking on all the doors and sowing the seed, insisting a lot when sending a budget; but now there is no time, the clients come to you. Since 2023 we are not in Christmas, nor in summer, nor anything. This doesn’t let up. Last year I was only able to take a week’s vacation in June,” explains Antonio José Pérez about the boom that the plug-in car is experiencing in our country. Also, they explain to us, “we offered training to salespeople because they know about the car, they have the information on the specifications, but when a client asks them: ‘Well, where do I charge this? Can I take advantage of my solar panel installation to charge the car?’, well, they didn’t know. The aids. From Mi Car Charger they explain that one of the reasons why the electric car seems to be taking off is the aid. Antonio José explains that the MOVES II Plan was a before and after. Later the third edition of the same project arrived and today the Auto+ Plan. “Waiting for it, many people are waiting for it. It was said that it was going to be in May, after the end of July… at the moment, nothing“, they remind us. And it was promised that the Auto+ Plan would be ready in January 2026 and that the aid discount would be applied at the time of purchase. At the moment it is announced but not active and it has been said that it will be retroactive to January 1. This implies that there are companies advancing aid with interest-free loans but It is money that the client has to return because, supposedly, at some point that help will come in. Of course, they are aid for the purchase of cars and this time a subsidy for the installation of the charger is not contemplated. “I always say that the aid has little help if you have to pay 100% at the beginning, receive it over time and, to make matters worse, pay it on income the following year. In the end, what was going to be 70% ends up being much less,” the company complains. And how much does it cost? The installation of a charger for an electric car varies greatly depending on whether we live in an individual house or store the car in a community garage. And the fact is that in a house it is very easy to reach the electrical network and pull the cable to where the charger is most convenient, not so in a garage where the square will be more or less far from the meter panel. “In a single-family home it usually takes about 3 or 4 hours of work. The charger has a more or less fixed price, but what varies is the meter of wiring, the labor and the amount of material. It usually ranges between 1,200 and 1,500 euros with VAT,” explains Antonio José Pérez. The difference with a community garage is “the hours of work and the meter of cable,” he emphasizes. And being more or less close to the meter panel varies a lot in the final bill. “We connect from there and we have to see the path to the garage.” The neighbors. “You have to see if the line passes over a neighbor’s square. If you have to drill a hole there, you have to ask for permission to work in their square for that time because logically there can’t be any cars,” they tell us from Mi Car Charger. That can be a problem. “Normally nothing happens, although in Seville we had the case of a neighbor who was an opponent of the electric car and did not want to see one near his square. We looked for an alternative on the route. We had to go around more and pull more meters of cable, which makes the installation more expensive because you always look for the shortest path, but in the end it was done,” he explains to us. Can I refuse to have them work on my garage space? The point is that in a community garage, the owner of the electric car You just have to inform the community of owners of the works but it cannot deny you the right to mount the charger. But a parking space, its space, is private. “We have even been presented with the Civil Guard in some installation. There is a figure that is the right of way. If your garage space falls in the way of the common services, such as the meter room, you are obliged to allow work to be done in your garage space. Although luckily we have never had to use that figure,” Antonio José Pérez explains to us. Essential. “What I recommend, and it almost comes from the factory, is that it has dynamic charging. It is what is called the ‘power balancer’. If you have 4 kW contracted, the system distributes those 4 kW between the consumption of the house and the charger. If less is consumed in the house, the more power the charger has. It is an intelligent load. And finally, another essential: “support is paramount. We have been testing many … Read more

A Galician helped make the metric system used throughout the world. Spain left him lying

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Today we measure a room in meters, weigh coffee in grams and calculate distance in kilometers. And we assume that things work like stars fall. For centuries, each kingdom and sometimes each guild used its own unit of measurement. The cubit of Castile was not like the cubit of Aragon. The Galician vara had nothing to do with the Castilian vara. Commerce was chaos and we better not talk about science. Someone had to put order. And among those who did it, there was a Galician farmer from Lalín who, according to what they say, had a sublime head. His name was Pedro Xosé Rodríguez González. History remembers him as the “Mathematician Rodríguez”, or the Mathematician of Bermés, after the parish of Lalín where he was born on October 25, 1770. He was the seventh child of a family of farmers from Pontevedra. Without money, without contacts, with the options that destiny reserved for the children of the Galician land of the 18th century: the countryside, emigration or the Church. How does a peasant child come to redefine the way of measuring the world? Studious and without a cassock. His uncle, a well-read ecclesiastic, paid for his studies at the College of Humanities of Monforte de Lemos. From there he went to Santiago de Compostela at the age of 17, receiving a scholarship from the Colegio de los Jerónimos. There he studied grammar, Latin, philosophy, theology, subjects that opened doors to the priesthood. But the young man preferred math, studying self-taught, because the cassock did not fit among his concerns. In 1798 he was already a substitute professor of sublime mathematics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Santiago. “Sublime“because it was literally the name of the degree: in the 18th and 19th centuries, the subjects of differential and integral calculus were grouped under this curious seal. In two years he won the chair by competitive examination. The court that examined him sent the following words to King Charles IV: “Rodríguez is one of those geniuses who from rare to rare forms the providence for sublime knowledge.” What a letter of introduction, great praise and confirmation that not even the Spanish Academy knew very well what to do with Galician. What does a genius do in Spain in 1803. Well, ask for permission to go to Paris and continue learning. Rodríguez asked for it, got it and arrived in the French capital at the age of 33. There he entered the circle of the best scientists in Europe. He studied astronomy and mathematics under the tutelage of Jean-Baptiste Biot (we owe him knowledge about the polarization of light, meteorites, magnetic fields, etc.). He established a relationship with Pierre-Simon Laplace, who would end up becoming president of the Academy. That network was decisive. In 1806, the Spanish government appointed him commissioner in an international expedition led by François Aragó and Biot himself. The mission was to extend the measurement of the Paris meridian arc, already drawn between Dunkirk and Barcelona, ​​to the island of Formentera. The reason was deeper: that measurement would be the basis for establishing the exact length of the meter. The ten millionth part of the quadrant of the meridian passing through Paris. A measure taken from nature, not from any king’s span, by the way. The Mediterranean is getting complicated. Now comes the part about the war, the espionage and an episode that seems straight out of an adventure novel. The team was going well, it formed geodesic triangle number 17, with vertices at the peaks of Camp Vell in Ibiza, La Mola in Formentera and La Mola del Esclop in Mallorca. It was the first time that a large geodesic triangle was measured over the sea. But in 1808, with Napoleon’s troops on the peninsula and the war of independence underway, scientists launching light signals from mountain peaks became immediate suspects. Aragó, who was French, stayed in Mallorca to close the last triangle. The islanders said he was a spy. A Spanish member of the expedition ran to tell him. Aragó disguised himself as a peasant, went down the mountain and was about to capture him. He ended up detained in the Bellver castle, in the cell that Jovellanos occupied days before. Rodríguez maneuvered to help him out. The episode cost months of lost work. At least, measurement data was saved. Is the Earth round or not? Neither round nor quite. In 1809, Rodríguez traveled to England on a government assignment: to examine British scientific establishments. What he did there was correct one of the most prestigious geographers of his time. Lieutenant Colonel William Mudge claimed, with his calculations of the Greenwich meridian, that the Earth was flattened at the Equator. Isaac Newton had said it the other way around decades before: flattening is at the poles. Rodríguez took Mudge’s observations, recalculated them with Delambre’s method and found a latitude error at the Arbury Hill station, Northamptonshire. Mudge’s error was demonstrable and Newton was right. On June 4, 1812, the communication was presented to the Royal Society of London under the title ‘Observations on the measurement of three degrees of the meridian’. His friend José de Mendoza y Ríos, a Spanish sailor and member of the institution, read it. It is probably Rodríguez’s most important individual contribution to science: empirically demonstrating, and with greater accuracy than any other mathematician, the true shape of the Earth. From there he went to Göttingen to study crystallography under the supervision of the mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner. There he met another star of the time: Carl Friedrich Gauss. In Paris, in 1817, the father of modern crystallography, René Haüy, gave him a collection of 1,024 crystallographic models carved in wood. That collection is today in the Natural History Museum of the University of Santiago de Compostela. And it’s amazing. A grave without a name. And we come to an ending that should make us ashamed. Tsar Alexander I offered him the direction of the Saint Petersburg Astronomical … Read more

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