Month: July 2026

We thought that growing up defined the genus ‘Homo’ from its beginnings. Massive analysis proves we were wrong

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For decades, paleoanthropology has tried to decipher at what exact moment in our family tree we took the big “growth spurt” in our height to go from being relatively small people to the heights we see today in our environment. The classical anatomical belief held that the appearance of our genus was accompanied by a drastic and immediate increase in body size, but little by little We are learning more exact details. A new study recently published point out that the evolution of our body mass was not a sudden jump that defined all the first humans equally at the same moment, but rather a much more complex and gradual process than we thought. What we believed. Traditionally, several evolutionary models suggested that the origin of the genus Homo marked an abrupt anatomical boundary. It was assumed that the first humans quickly developed bodies much larger than those of the australopithecines, thus justifying new locomotor and energetic adaptations for the new ‘functions’ that we would acquire on a daily basis. To test these competing hypotheses, the research team has not simply compared fossil estimates in isolation, but has used advanced statistical tools on a data set composed of 386 specimens spanning 21 different taxa. This methodological rigor allows us not only to compare raw sizes, but also to take into account phylogenetic non-independence, size variation within the same species and the margins of uncertainty inherent to the fossil record itself. When did we take the growth spurt? The results of the analysis are statistically conclusive and rewrite the previous consensus, since, contrary to the classic hypotheses, the researchers found very weak support for the idea that the increase in size was a defining and transversal characteristic of the entire genus. Homo. Instead, the data show strong evidence that the marked increase in body mass occurred exclusively in species of Homo later, explicitly excluding the Homo habilis. That is, the first representatives of our genus continued to maintain a relatively modest size and the true biological leap that led us to scale our body proportions occurred later in the evolutionary lineage. It wasn’t that simple. As New Scientist points out, understanding body size is essential to understanding our past. However, for scientific rigor, the article of PNAS It stands as the essential primary source compared to more generalist readings, since, while there are voices that tend to look for immediate “cause and effect” narratives, the strict biological data of this study demonstrate that human evolution rarely works with changes that occur overnight all at once. That is why this work eliminates the “noise” of previous speculation by integrating multiple variables into a single analytical framework, and the result is that it was selective pressures and millions of years that modeled the physiology and size of the modern human being. In Xataka | The first “social network” in history is 57,000 years old, it was made up of hunters and gatherers and served to avoid extinction

It has been frozen for 30 years at 8,500 meters. Now a mission wants to finally solve who was the most famous corpse on Everest

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If you like mountains and have ever gone (or fantasize about going) to Everest, surely the name of Green Boots sounds familiar: it is a reminder that climbing the highest mountain in the world is still a risky activity. The body of this mountaineer who died in the middle of the ascent was mummified at the entrance to a cave that you have to pass through when you climb the main ascent route from the Tibetan side. 30 years after his death, The Guardian echoes a leaked document where the rescue operation and repatriation of Green Boots to India is collected. In the rescue process it would also correct a mistake that has lasted three decades: the identity of the corpse would be cleared once and for all. The tragic story of Green Boots. “Green Boots” is the nickname of the mountaineer found in 1996 under a rocky outcropping at 8,500 meters above sea level, just 350 meters from the summit on the northeast route that ascends from the Tibetan side. The nickname has little originality: he was wearing boots of the same brand and model Koflach Arctis Expe phosphor green in color. His boots (and his body) were exposed and since it is in a transit area, it has become a macabre reference point to inform the base when they reach that position. Who really is Green Boots?. As for his identity, for almost 30 years it was assumed without official confirmation that It was Tsewang Paljoran Indian mountaineer who died in a severe snow storm known as the 1996 Everest disasterwhich killed 12 people. That tragedy inspired the book Into Thin Air. However, as reported by The Guardian, the document from the Indian rescue authorities identifies the body as Dorje Morupan Indian guard member of a Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition who died in that same tragedy. The document ensures that this identification “has been confirmed through a prior verification process within the framework of a prior technical evaluation”, although without detailing what it consisted of. The recovery mission. The rescue bidding document asks companies to bid for the mission, which must have at least six Sherpas who have previous climbing experience. In addition, they must provide evidence of the mission and transport the body to Delhi before October. As explains Alan Arnettean American mountaineer and well-known blogger about Everest, lowering it is going to be “an arduous task” and estimates the operation at about $150,000. The monsoon rains also work against it. According to Sherpa Tshiring Jangbu details to The Guardianfounder of Everest Sherpa Expedition and with experience in this type of operations, with only a third of the oxygen available compared to that at sea level, activity above 8000 meters requires enormous effort and decision making can become more difficult. And that’s not to mention the load: a frozen body with mountain equipment can weigh up to 200 kilos. In addition, limbs frozen at angles impossible for descent sometimes mean they have to resort to amputation. A cemetery called Everest. Precisely because of the difficulty, danger and cost of the rescue operation, approximately 200 bodies still remain there on the slopes of Everest. As New Zealander Guy Cotter, who coordinated a similar rescue operation with his company Adventure Consultants in 1997, explains: “For families, recovering a body from the mountain gives them comfort, as long as it does not put other people at undue risk.” And according to their experience, there have been cases of recovery of bodies in which more people have died. Aware of the risk of their hobby, there are experienced climbers who wish that, if they die while climbing, their remains remain on the mountain, but are moved out of sight. Of course, families do not always think alike. In Xataka | Climbing Everest in person costs 50,000 euros. Uploading it in 4K from the sofa at home is now free In Xataka | There is something worse than Everest turning into a mountain literally full of shit: scam rescues Cover | Pavel Novak and Gemini with Koflach Arctis Expe

Science already knows why mosquitoes attack you and not the one next door

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With the arrival of summer, in addition to the heat, the hated mosquitoes also appear and do not hesitate to bite us during the day or night and leave us with a welt as a souvenir. But this also generates a lot of uncertainty in many homes, since of two people who sleep in the same room, the next morning, one is riddled with bites and the other is intact. What was thought. For decades, popular culture has attributed this phenomenon to having “sweet blood” or a certain blood group. However, science has left the guesswork behind to offer a much more precise answer by boiling it all down to the chemistry of our skin. The real magnet. The research that has marked a before and after in this field It was published in 2022 in the prestigious magazine Cell. In this article, after meticulously analyzing human skin odor, they discovered that people who are most attractive to species such as mosquitoes Aedes aegypti produce levels significantly higher carboxylic acids in the emanations of his skin. The most revealing thing about this finding is not only the identification of the chemical compound, but its persistence, since the study demonstrated that this chemical difference remains stable over the years. That is, our olfactory signature is constant and, if you are a magnet for mosquitoes today, it is very likely that your skin will continue to emit these same signals in the future. He is quite faithful. This biological mechanism is tremendously sophisticated, since, far from choosing their victims at random, mosquitoes are perfectly adapted to track down these compounds. A study published in 2023 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reinforced This is evidenced by analyzing the olfactory receptors of these insects, confirming that they are specifically designed to detect human carboxylic acids. Faced with this, deep-rooted myths such as blood group lose strength and although there is literature on the matter, current scientific evidence shows that it is a much more variable and noticeably less determining factor than our skin odor profile. There are more factors. As important as our body odor is, the attraction of mosquitoes does not depend on a single switch. As detailed a 2024 scientific review, The sting process is multifactorial and requires a precise combination of signals. Precisely, before smelling the acids on our skin, mosquitoes need to know that we are there. To do this, the carbon dioxide that we exhale when breathing and our body temperature act as the first long and medium distance location radar. Later, when the mosquitoes are already in our environment, the carboxylic acids in the skin come into play. There is more. Complementary variables related to the state of the host that wants to bite are added to this biological equation. For example, pregnancy has been identified as a context in which some people may be more attractive to mosquitoes, acting as an additional factor that adds to the individual’s basal chemistry. Image | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases In Xataka | Google is going to release 64 million mosquitoes with a curious mission: to eliminate mosquitoes

“The cause of the sigh we make when we are sick is in the amygdala”

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Sometimes words are not needed, just look carefully. Someone receives a call, listens to it carefully, remains silent for a second and lets out a long sigh. Nothing more is needed: we know that something has happened, that there is bad news. It is a language older than words, the body screaming in its universal language. That language, for the neuroscientific communicator Nazareth Castellanos, is inscribed in our brain. The thing is, it’s easy to misunderstand. How the amygdala ‘hypertrophies’ (and the stories we tell about it). Castellanos has a very interesting conference that has been circulating on the internet for weeks. As the story of how the brain is “deflated,” the amygdala “deflated,” and “reset” has circulated, it has gained popularity and lost accuracy. It is true that sighing is inscribed in our socio-emotional system, but the explanation is a little more complex. What triggers the sigh? To answer this question we have to go to a tiny circuit within the brain stem. In 2016, the team of Li, Krasnow and Feldman mapped in mice and discovered that there are about 200 neurons that make two very specific peptides that are behind sighs. The two peptides (neuromedin B and gastrin-releasing peptide) have a lot to do with the pre-Bötzinger complex, what some call the pacemaker of respiration. But, in general, we are talking about something very basic: if they appear, they sigh; If you block the receptors, the sighing stops. And the amygdala? So what does the amygdala have to do with all this? The amygdala is part of the human ’emotional processor’. That’s the thing. In 2015, Dlouhy and Richerson, from the University of Iowa, found that electrically stimulate the amygdala could cause apnea and a drop in oxygen… without the patients realizing it. They didn’t notice the choking, or anything strange. Although we don’t have the exact biological mechanism (and we don’t know if it has anything to do with sighing), it is true that the amygdala plays a role in breathing control. And that the story is plausible. In fact, Castellanos, in an interviewused the precise term: he spoke of an amygdala that ‘increases its activity’, of an ‘apnea induced by the amygdala’. It is, as I say, more than plausible. Is a “sigh” “our body telling us we’re fed up”? That’s one way of looking at it, of course. But in reality the sigh is an element of ‘high neuroscience’ that we do not understand very well. We only know that what activates it is something that has been in our brain for a long time. That’s why it’s universal, that’s why we don’t need words. Image | Bhautik Patel In Xataka | Some philosophers boast of having found the “lost law” of evolution. It is much more complex

Faced with the dilemma of whether long or short vacations are better to disconnect, science has a very clear answer.

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Spain is not only divided into ‘with and sincebollists‘. If we talk about vacations, there is another dilemma that confronts people and even causes tensions between co-workers: Is it better to enjoy a long break, an impasse of several weeks that allows us to forget about the stress of the office and (hopefully) take a trip to some distant destination, or is it preferable to dose the 30 calendar days of rest that corresponds to us by law to take small getaways? If you ask your colleagues, you will probably find supporters of one or the other, but things change when you consult the experts. They are clear about it. “Long vacation or short vacation?” The question is not ours. It was launched a few days ago by doctor Antelm Pujol in a tweet which already has hundreds of thousands of views and has been shared more than 600 times, which demonstrates, among other things, that the topic generates interest. And it’s quite understandable. As a general rule, those of us who work in Spain have at least 30 calendar days (or 22 working days) of vacation, a limited time that we must manage correctly if we want to get the most out of it. So, what is best to disconnect? Should we take three weeks at a time to go to Cancun or Thailand or should we take several five-day getaways? Click on the image to go to the tweet. A matter of taste, right? More or less. Factors such as family balance, the budget managed by each person or personal tastes come into play in the decision: there are people who love to get away from their office for weeks and others who feel the house collapse after four days of vacation. However, if what we are looking for are scientific answers, things change. A quick Google search arrives to find research and experts who agree on which of the two options is more ‘intelligent’ or, at least, offers a better strategy to obtain the greatest possible rest. What option is that? Do not enjoy all the days of rest at once, but segment them over several months. “Taking more frequent vacations could be a better strategy to maintain well-being,” Pujol shares in his tweet. He doesn’t talk just to talk. In the same post he quotes an academic study published in 2012 in Journal of Happiness Studies in which three psychologists from the Radboud University (Netherlands) examine what impact vacations have on employees’ health and well-being. It is interesting because they focus on aspects such as the duration of trips, the quality of sleep or the organization of activities. And what did they discover? After interviewing a group of workers who went on a trip for an average of 23 days, the experts analyzed how their sense of well-being evolved. And one of the aspects they paid the most attention to was the length of the vacation. Were people happier the more time they spent offline? Did the feeling of relaxation and happiness ‘hit the ceiling’ at any point? Is a long vacation always a better vacation? The answer is no. The health and well-being of study participants increased during the first eight days of vacation, a trend that became especially pronounced between the fourth and eighth days of vacation. From there the evolution was not so clear or positive. “In summary, health and well-being levels improved rapidly over the holiday and peaked on the eighth day,” synthesize psychologists from Radboud University. Did you find out anything else? Yes. They also discovered that throughout the first week of returning to work “levels of health and well-being decreased and resembled baseline levels prior to vacation.” In short, the relaxing effect of the vacation fades after seven days. It may sound demoralizing, but it is an important nuance if what we are looking for is a strategy to get the most out of our 30 days of vacation. If relaxation reaches its peak on the eighth day and its effect on our mental health is lost shortly after returning to the office, isn’t it better to divide them into short breaks? What do the experts say? “Short, frequent vacations have a more positive impact than long, infrequent vacations. The bottom line is that you don’t need a whole month to see significant benefits because longer vacations don’t improve well-being more and they don’t make the benefits last longer,” explains to Men’s Health Marcos Vázquez, disseminator. “Taking seven to ten days off more frequently seems to increase well-being the most.” Does it only matter how much? Not at all. The how also matters (and a lot). It’s not just about whether the vacation lasts more or fewer days. If what we want is to disconnect, relax and increase our sense of mental well-being, we must take other important issues into account. For example, hours of sleep. The Dutch psychologists found that, on average, the subjects in their study slept 7.4 hours at night while on vacation, almost an hour more than what they normally did when they worked (6.7 hours). It is a fundamental detail because the experts confirmed an evident relationship between the duration and quality of sleep and the levels of well-being and health recorded by tourists. Is it the only study on the subject? No. The effects of vacation length they have analyzed them other experts such as Rui Cui, from the Shichuan Universityin China. In 2023 he published other paper in Tourism Review in which he notes an effect similar to that seen by his Dutch colleagues. “The regenerative effects were systematically greater in the group that traveled than in the group that did not. Furthermore, an inverted ‘U’-shaped relationship was observed between the duration of the trip and the regenerative effect of the vacation,” comment the Chinese expert. “A moderate duration had more intense regenerative effects than a duration that was too long or too short.” And before the holidays? In reality, it is … Read more

that the lion of the Metro remained silent

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Before every Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, a lion has been roaring for a century. Only once did he remain silent, and this silence was persecuted by a director who wanted to be respectful of the Child Jesus. It was in ‘Ben-Hur’, in 1959: the lion, instead of roaring as was his custom, appeared still, looking at the camera. It was the first time in the production company’s sound history that it adopted this timid behavior. Teasing the lion. Wyler did not want his biblical epic, which begins with the Three Wise Men visiting the Baby Jesus, to have as a prelude the roar of a circus animal. The director He then explained to the press that he did not want “the Christmas atmosphere to be disturbed”, and that he convinced Metro to replace the roar with a shot of the still lion that already existed in the studio archive, thus avoiding re-recording anything. Wyler came to regret that the anecdote made more headlines than the film itself, something that at the time seemed almost like a provocation against an untouchable symbol. The importance of ‘Ben-Hur’. ‘Ben-Hur’ was not just any production for MGM. The studio invested around $15 million in filming, the highest amount ever allocated to a film, at a time when the company was going through serious financial difficulties. The gamble worked: the film grossed nearly $37 million in the United States alone and $80 million worldwide during its initial release, enough to sustain the studio for another decade. At the 1960 Oscars it won eleven statuettes out of twelve nominations, a record that still stands 66 years later and that only ‘Titanic’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ have managed to equal, although not surpass. Lots of lions, actually. Behind “the lion of the Metro” there is, in reality, a succession of different animals: there are eight that have embodied Leo since 1924, some of which came to visit towns in the United States on a promotional tour. The current one, active since 1957 (although obviously its performer died long ago), is the only one that has formally held the name “Leo”, even though the studio has applied that label to all its predecessors equally. The first, Slats, didn’t even roar: he just looked at the camera, because the cinema was still silent. Jackie, his successor, was the first to make sound thanks to a gramophone record, and survived two train accidents and one plane accident that left him stranded for several days in Arizona. That is to say, when Wyler arrived, it was not sacrilege to touch the logo with small adjustments. The logo: it is played. Leo’s roar has been frequently interrupted, although almost never for the same reverent reason that Wyler applied. In ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ the lion reproduces Johnny Weissmuller’s characteristic cry. In the final version of ‘The Pink Panther’, the roar is interrupted by an animated Clouseau. In 2025’s ‘Merv’ the lion is replaced by a barking dog, and in the recent ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ Cringer, the franchise’s talking tiger, takes his place. However, none of these interventions have the symbolic weight of what happened in 2025 with ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at the Las Vegas Spherewhere the Cowardly Lion played by Bert Lahr occupies the logo circle instead of Leo. In Xataka | “Leave her alone, she’s perfect”: Tom Hanks refuses to participate in the remake of this classic Hollywood film

Aragon’s plan to rejuvenate the Pyrenees

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Summer arrives and the ski resorts close, but that doesn’t mean they will be abandoned until the snow returns. In fact, it is the ideal time to regenerate the mountain after months of the bustle of skiers and machinery with a shock treatment to fix the soil with hoses of water, seeds and plant fiber, a recipe with which the Aragonese Pyrenees reinvents itself every summer to be ready when the cold returns. To the rich hydroseeding. Hydroseeding is a technique for restoring slopes and degraded surfaces that uses seeds, plant fiber, water and fertilizer and is applied under pressure to maximize adhesion and promote germination in steep places. In the Aragonese Pyrenees, stations such as Formigal-Panticosa, these works are carried out between the months of May and June and then in September, months of good weather where periods of high humidity are concentrated. As explains Juanjo Pesdirector of the station: “By the time winter arrives, the seeds have already germinated. If it is delayed too long and the cold begins, they can freeze inside the ground.” Why is it important. Because in addition to being beautiful, the vegetation cover is essential: it stabilizes the soil, reduces erosion caused by melting ice and torrential rains and also favors the recovery of use as a ski resort (where compactors frequently pass by). There is studies that confirm that revegetation through hydroseeding manages to control erosion and that native species take hold in the soil compared to those lands where it is not applied. Context. In the standard hydroseeding method, generic commercial seed mixtures used to be used, but now it has been imposed to use native seeds and it has its reason: A study in the French Pyrenees indicates that traditional seeds, although they help stop erosion, are not always adapted to the harsh conditions of the high mountains. Hence Formigal works with a botanical conservatory to obtain local seeds. In detail. The mixture formula for this type of hydroseeding It includes a binder that works as a kind of glue that retains the seeds even on steep slopes. Historically, commercial species are the most convenient, because they are cheaper and grow quickly, but in complicated scenarios such as in the Pyrenees, native species are more interesting because they can withstand that climate better. Once planted, the vegetation takes about two years to develop. Yes, but. Hydroseeding is a consolidated and convenient technique, but its results are neither immediate nor uniform. In fact, A study conducted in northern Europe found that the positive effect of hydroseeding on vegetation cover formation was relatively small and short-lived, with no significant differences in species richness between hydroseeding and conventional seeding, suggesting that it greatly depends on local soil and climate conditions. In Xataka | There is a corner of Spain where global warming is wreaking havoc: the Pyrenees are becoming “Mediterraneanized” In Xataka | Aragon’s ‘cure’ for the abandoned Pyrenees: growing medicinal herbs Cover | Maria Cassagne and Jose Noguera

Five daily tasks where the differences between a high-end processor and a more humble one are very noticeable

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It is very common to hear phrases like “to surf the Internet and watch four videos, any 200 euro cell phone will do.” It is partly true, but there is a difference between choosing a high end processor (as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or an Apple A19 Pro) and a low-mid range one (like a Dimension 7000 or a Snapdragon 4 or 6). Apple iPhone 17 Pro 256GB with A19 Pro chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The differences are not only measured in seconds, but in the quality of experience. It is true that it is not that the humblest processor cannot do the tasks; It’s how he makes them. Do you want to discover five everyday situations in which the difference between having one processor or another can be abysmal? I show them to you below. Real multitasking and app refreshes Have you ever been writing an email, gone out for a second to copy some information from WhatsAppand when you return the email has been closed and you have to load it again? This is what is known as the multitasking management. In the high range: The processor manages RAM and duty cycles so you can jump between 10 open apps and they’re all right where you left them. In practice, switching between apps feels immediate and seamless. In the mid-low range: The system “kills” apps in the background to save resources. It’s a small one-second lag every time you change apps and it can end up being a frustration on a day-to-day basis. Low battery consumption 5G or WiFi 6 At the high end, the SoC is extremely fast and does the task in an instant and returns to sleep immediately. Furthermore, their 5G modems are much more modern and efficient, which makes they heat up less when you use data outdoors. In a more humble range mobile, the processor has to work harder and for longer to do the same. That usually translates into more heat and a higher battery consumption. Keyboard and system accuracy and speed Although it may seem silly to you, the keyboard is one of the mobile elements that we use the most on a daily basis. High-end processors have a minimum touch response latency. This means that the letters appear on the screen at the exact moment your fingers touch the glass. Plus, AI text prediction is instant and learns from you in real time without slowing down the system. On mobile phones with lower-end processors, there is a very slight delay (which is known as input lag). On some slow phones, when typing very quickly, there may be small pauses or jumps in the keyboard response. Although it is a difference of milliseconds, your brain notices it and it becomes more tiring to your eyes and mind. Photo processing Nowadays, it could be said that in mobile cameras, the software weighs a lot, but the optics, the sensor and the processing continue to be decisive. If you take a photo in night mode or a portrait with blurthe mobile processor is what makes the difference in results. On phones with high-end SoC, when you take the photo, you can instantly see it processed in the gallery, with the HDR applied and noise removed. On the other hand, on a mobile phone with a more humble SoC, you will see a charging or “processing” icon for a couple of seconds. Furthermore, in these phones, the processing is usually less sophisticated and the result may show more noise or less detail in shadows, since the chip does not have the power to “understand” the image as quickly. Using generative AI and video editing We are in 2026 and the AI It is already in almost (if not all) places: from deleting objects from a photo to summarizing an audio or translating a live call. In many high-end mobile phones, these tasks can run locally with the help of the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) because not all AI functions are always processed locally. In some mobile phones with a less powerful chip, certain functions are supported in the cloud. This translates to if you don’t have good coveragethe function will not work or will be desperately slow. With all this, you are surely wondering if Whether or not it is worth the investment in a mobile phone with a powerful processor and high-end. If you are looking for a device that will last you three or four years, the high-end SoC ensures that the smartphone does not become slow with software updates. Keep in mind that the power of a mobile phone is not just for playing; It’s that kind of gear that makes technology invisible and that the device simply responds to your wishes without you having to wait for it. Some mobile phones with high-end processors XIAOMI 17 Ultra – 16+512GB Smartphone, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Apple iPhone 17 Pro 256GB with A19 Pro chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Mobile phones with more humble processors that may interest you realme 16 Pro 5G Smartphone, 8GB+256GB The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XIAOMI REDMI 15 – 8+256GB Smartphone, Snapdragon 685 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 | Yúbal Fernández (Xataka), Ricardo Aguilar (Xataka), Álex Alcolea (Xataka) and Xiaomi In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

“Recording an eclipse with your cell phone is a mistake, we are going to miss the show”

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Solar eclipses have gone through many phases throughout history. First they became objects of worship or spreaders of panic, depending on the civilization we are talking about. Later, once their origin was better understood, they became a very specific but extremely useful tool for astronomers, as it was the only way they could study the solar corona. Nowadays, no one (or almost no one) fears eclipses and scientists have tools that can replace them when studying the corona. However, they have not stopped being special. Now we have entered a new phase. A stage in which society enjoys them Instead of fearing them, scientists witness from the outside how the love of heaven that one day led them to choose their profession arises in other people. I have talked about this and much more with David Galadiastronomer, professor at the University of Córdoba and member of the Scientific and Advisory Commission of the Trio of Eclipses. The end of an era For a long time, solar eclipses have been used to study qualities of the Sun or Moon that are not normally measurable or visible. A solar eclipse was even used to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. However, possibly those that stand out the most are the studies on the solar crown. That is, the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere. It is composed mostly of plasma, an ionized gas, whose atoms have gained or lost electrons, acquiring an electrical charge. This moving gas is what makes up the solar winds. It is also in the corona that coronal mass ejections are formed, which serve as the origin of geomagnetic storms. For all this, studying the solar corona is essential for scientists. However, there is a problem. The center of the Sun is so bright and it has such a dim glow that normally cannot be seen with conventional observation instruments. There is only one exception: a total solar eclipse. When the Moon completely covers the Sun, its brightness can no longer hide the solar corona from us and it suddenly appears in the sky. For decades, scientists had a few minutes with each eclipse to study it. Nowadays, fortunately, it is no longer necessary, since there are coronagraphsinstruments that have the ability to artificially “eclipse” both the Sun and other stars, revealing what we normally cannot see. However, there are still a few qualities that can only be studied in eclipses. “Coronographs cover not only the solar disk, but must also cover, due to unavoidable design needs, the chromosphere and the lowest part of the solar corona,” explains Galadí. “However, these regions can be observed well during a total solar eclipse.” On the other hand, “the coronagraph removes light from the solar photosphere, but does not reduce the brightness of the overall sky, so the outermost and faintest parts of the corona are also lost using these instruments.” Therefore, today we know the Sun and the Moon much better. The theory of general relativity continues to be constantly tested with new discoveries in the field of astronomy. And yes, you can study the solar corona without having to see a solar eclipse. However, these instruments prevent us from seeing it with the same clarity that we see it when the Moon completely eclipses the Sun. “Here we have the only two residues of heliophysics for which eclipses are still useful: the study of the link between the solar photosphere and the middle corona through the chromosphere and the lower corona, and to analyze the outermost coronal regions”. Now, in the future solar eclipses will not be necessary even for that; Well, there are already two missions underway aimed at solving the problem. “The observation of the external corona from space, with coronagraphs on artificial satellites, such as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) of the European Space Agency in collaboration with NASA, avoids all the disadvantages due to the Earth’s atmosphere and its brightness,” says the astronomer from the University of Córdoba. “In addition, we have great technological innovations such as those of the mission Proba-3 (also from ESA), which are already allowing us to study the chromosphere and the lower corona from space, precisely by creating artificial eclipses.” Does all this mean that scientists will no longer have anything to study during a solar eclipse? Perhaps for astronomers there will come a time when they can focus only on looking at the sky and enjoying themselves. For other scientistssuch as those specialized in animal behavioralthough some studies had already been published previously, the real party begins now. “In animal ethology it is interesting study behavior when a sudden night occurs, uncoupled from other circadian rhythms,” says Galadí. “The behaviors of species when ‘turning off’ the Sun suddenly can only be due to the change in ambient light and temperature, but not to other external or internal factors.” The solar eclipse is now for society This August 12, 2026, there will be thousands or even millions of people who will travel or look for the best places near their homes to view the solar eclipse. These astronomical phenomena have become milestones that transcend far beyond science. It is time for society to enjoy them. David Galadí is clear about it: “Total solar eclipses are no longer science, or have almost ceased to be science, but they continue to constitute great natural spectacles with enormous potential to surprise people.” This can occur at many levels. “They have power as a source of artistic inspiration, tourist resourcean inexhaustible source of didactic or informative applications, and the ability to awaken vocations.” In fact, the latter is something in which he himself sees himself reflected. “Great astronomical events mark people, I myself am a product of the astronomical fever of Halley’s comet in the eighties.” In Spain we have a great opportunity, because It is not a single eclipse. Next year we will have another total solar eclipse and in 2028 an annular eclipse, which will provide new opportunities to enjoy them … Read more

the best Google Play titles that you can install on Windows

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We bring you a collection with top 38 best Android games to play on PC taking advantage of the fact that Google Play also allows you to install them on Windows. Not all Android games can be played on Windows, but from those that are compatible we have selected the most notable ones. Because sometimes a small screen is not worth it, and some titles are better enjoyed on a good monitor. Additionally, sometimes being able to use the keyboard and mouse can also be more effective. But as we always say at Xataka Basics, this is just our choice. Therefore, we invite you to tell us in the comments what you think are the best Android games that can be installed on PC, so that the rest of the readers can benefit from the knowledge of our xatakeros. Best 38 Android Games for PC Amaze GO! Arrow Puzzle: If you like maze-solving style puzzles, here you have dozens of levels without time, to get you thinking and keep your mind busy. Link: Google Play. Asphalt 9: Legends: One of the most popular racing games created for mobile, and one of the most popular sagas for these devices. An arcade racing game with dynamic environments and car customization. Link: Google Play. Blackmoor 2: Action Platformer: An arcade platform game with combat that includes cooperative multiplayer. You have a story mode full of dungeons, turns and doors, and your own custom dungeon generator. Link: Google Play. Block Blast!: If you like Tetris, this is a fun clone full of levels and totally free. Link: Google Play. Boxes: Lost Fragments: A leisurely puzzle game in which you are a thief who has to unlock treasure boxes full of puzzles. Link: Google Play. Cats are Cute: Cat Town: A simple and minimalist game, an idle simulator where you have to build a town full of cats and you can relax and see their lives. Link: Google Play. Chess.com: One of the most popular online chess platforms in the world. If you are not convinced by the web version, here is the mobile version with several puzzles, tutorials, lessons and, how could it be otherwise, online games with its base of millions of users. Link: Google Play. Clash of Clans: One of the great mobile strategy games. You will have to build your village, train troops and face other players in clan wars. Link: Google Play. Clash Royale: One of the great titles of collectible cards and strategic battles in real time. The only problem here is that many users complain about the excessive pay to win. Link: Google Play. Cookie Run: Kingdom: An action game with role-playing touches starring cookies. You can train your characters, there will be events, and you have several game modes. Link: Google Play. Cop Duty Police Car Simulator: A kind of reverse GTA, in which you are a police officer who has to circulate around the city chasing criminals. Link: Google Play. Creatures of the Deep: Fishing: A fishing game in which you have to navigate, look for the best spots, investigate, and catch fish for mysterious monsters of the depths. Link: Google Play. Drive Mad: Physics Racing: A fun physics-based driving game where usually the biggest obstacle is your overconfidence. Each level has a new type of vehicle, and is guaranteed to have laughs. Link: Google Play. Legendary Terminator: An RPG in which you have to save the world by exterminating all types of creatures, leveling up and advancing. Link: Google Play. Fallout Shelter: The excellent nuclear shelter management game, with all the inhabitants. You’ll have to pair them up, recruit or hatch new ones, or set them out to explore the wasteland in search of resources and rewards. Link: Google Play. Free Fire MAX: A game designed to offer you a Battle Royale experience on mobile. 50 competitors and one survivor. Link: Google Play. Fruit Ninja 2: Fruit Ninja was one of the first great viral games for mobile, and its second part takes it further. Fruits are thrown at you and you have to break them all in the air before they fall, it’s that simple. Link: Google Play. Genshin Impact: One of the most important and popular online RPGs in recent years. Its graphics are quite demanding, but by playing on a big screen you can benefit from the extra power of your computer. Link: Google Play. Geometry Dash SubZero: One of those titles that puts you to the test. An action platformer in which you have to jump and overcome levels full of obstacles. Link: Google Play. Granny: Grandma has locked you in her house and you have to try to escape without making a sound. A horror and survival game for the most daring. Link: Google Play. Homescapes: Help butler Austin restore warmth and design to his family’s mansion by completing levels with all kinds of puzzles. Link: Google Play. Infinity Loop: Calm and Relax: Another relaxing game and puzzles full of logic where you can spend time exercising your brain. Link: Google Play. Jetpack Joyride: A true classic for mobile phones, an infinite race title in which you have to fly with your jetpack to go as far as possible. Link: Google Play. Level Devil – NOT A Troll Game: If you are one of those people who like to have a hard time and be tortured by a game, this title interests you. Run, jump and reach the door of each level in which each jump or each corner can be the last. Because the maps move and seem to be trolling you. Link: Google Play. Mahjong Blast: A solitaire Mahjong game created for those looking for relaxing board games. Link: Google Play. Melon Sandbox: A game to unleash your creativity with experiments based on doll physics. Without limits and without rules. Link: Google Play. NTE: Neverness to Everness: An open world supernatural RPG with a good story, impressive graphics and a lot of fun. Link: Google Play. Pixel … Read more

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