Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The new strategy against Alzheimer’s is not to attack, but to ‘reprogram’ the brain to clean itself

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Alzheimer’s can be resemble a great fortress with a large number of defenses that makes it very difficult for us. One of its most formidable defenses is blood brain barriera biological wall that protects the brain from harmful substances, but, ironically, also prevents the entry of most drugs. In Alzheimer’s patients, this barrier not only blocks help, but also becomes an accomplice to the disease. But we have already found a way to access and attack this pathology. The investigation. A team of scientists has been able to develop a radically new strategy to treat Alzheimer’s. Instead of trying to force entry into the brain, they have created smart nanocapsules that “reprogram” the barrier itself to do its job again: actively cleaning up toxic waste. Something that they have already tested in mice, and they have given spectacular results: a reduction of almost 45% of the amyloid load in just two hours and a cognitive recovery that was maintained for six months. The problem. In order to understand this advance, we must know exactly how ‘access’ to our brain works. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) ​​functions as an incredibly strict customs checkpoint. Like any border, it must have an entry and exit gate and in this case it is the LRP1 receiver. In the case of a healthy brain, LRP1 will be responsible for capturing beta-amyloid proteins and transporting them out of the brain for elimination. But in the case of a brain that is already old, and more markedly in Alzheimer’s, the amount of these LRP1 receptors is reduced, causing beta-amyloid to end up accumulating in our neurons, causing this disease to begin to show signs of presence. The discovery. In this case, the research team discovered that the fate of the LRP1 receptor depends on how it interacts with the molecules that bind to it. This is where the concept of “greedy,” or total bonding strength, comes into play. Very strong union. If a molecule clings too tightly to LRP1 (as beta-amyloid aggregates do in Alzheimer’s), the receptor activates an emergency pathway that sends it directly to be destroyed in the cellular “dumping ground” that is the lysosomes. This makes the problem even worse, as it eliminates the few exit doors left in the brain to take out the ‘garbage’. Moderate union. Or average greed. If the binding is “just right,” the receptor activates a non-destructive express transport pathway (the PACSIN2 pathway). This pathway creates a kind of tubular tunnel that transports cargo through the barrier quickly and safely, preserving the LRP1 receptor so it can continue working. In fact, this pathway even promotes the expression of more LRP1 receptors, which is what interests us most in this situation. The result. Based on this principle, the researchers designed nanocapsules called “polymersomes” (A₄₀-POs). They are tiny spheres decorated with a very specific number of “keys” (angiopep-2 ligands) on their surface. The number of these keys was calculated to achieve that perfect “medium greed”, with the aim of achieving the result similar to that of a moderate union. Results. When they administered these nanocapsules to model mice with advanced Alzheimer’s, the effects were surprising. A massive brain cleanse was achieved in just two hours, causing beta-amyloid protein levels in the mice’s brains to be reduced by 45%. In order to confirm that the protein was not just moving from place to place, its blood levels were measured. The result was an 8-fold increase, which shows that the blood-brain barrier was expelling the ‘waste’. The tests. In order to see the result in practice, behavioral tests such as the Morris water maze were carried out. Here treated Alzheimer’s mice showed significant improvement in spatial learning and memory. In this case, their performance became comparable to healthy mice without the disease. Most strikingly, these cognitive benefits persisted for up to six months after a single course of treatment, suggesting a long-term restorative effect. More than a drug. This work represents a paradigm shift. Most therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s treat the blood-brain barrier as an obstacle to overcome. This new approach treats it as a dysfunctional biological system that can be repaired by adding more exit doors for the organism to maintain this homeostasis. By using these nanocapsules with the “perfect keychain”, not only is the existing beta-amyloid removed, but the brain’s natural cleaning mechanism is reactivated. The treatment was able to restore levels of LRP1 and the beneficial transport pathway (PACSIN2) while reducing the destructive pathway. In essence, nanocapsules are not the drug itself, but a tool to reprogram the biology of the brain so that it heals itself. Although the results have been obtained in mouse models and the path to human trials is long and complex, this research opens a completely new and hopeful therapeutic avenue. The idea of ​​”repairing the barrier instead of just breaking it down” could be the key not only to Alzheimer’s, but also to other neurodegenerative diseases where transport and brain clearance play a key role. Images | Bhautik Patel In Xataka | We have a new “theory of everything” to understand Alzheimer’s. Its key is in some small granules

From Europe its “welfare state” was envied. But it is increasingly difficult to pay, and France is the best example

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Europa presumed for decades of having found the perfect formula to combine economic prosperity with social justice: hospitals open to all, affordable universities and worthy retirements after a work life. That pact between generations, envied on the other side of the Atlantic, became the identity mark of the continent. And yet They begin to become visible. And one of its banners wobbles: France. A price too high. I told this week The Washington Post. Europe lives a historical crossroads: the social model that guaranteed universal health, accessible education and decent retirements begins to show cracks that can no longer be hidden. France It is the epicenter of that tension. There, the runaled public debt, political paralysis and succession of Fallen prime ministers In just fifteen months they show deep wear. The State Spend more than any other country rich in social protection, but that expense seems unsustainable in a context of low growth and growing polarization. The recent resignation From Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, unable to agre as inalienable. Model under generational pressure. There are more, since, in France, new generations feel that they inherit a system that they cannot sustain. He Post counted Cases of young people such as Anastasia Blay, who depend on intermittent subsidies to survive, convinced that they should not load with the mistakes of the past or give up a decent life. In front of them, retirees like Christine Boucau-Podorski They defend The pensions achieved after decades of hard work and are willing to limited sacrifices, but not losing acquired rights. This struggle between young and old reflects the intergenerational shock that crosses To all of Europe: Who pays the invoice, what benefits should be preserved and to what extent intergenerational solidarity can continue to be the base of the European social contract. Germany and France Wobm up. Fragility is not limited to France. Germany, the other great Historical support of the European Union, faces industrial recessiondeterioration of infrastructure and a government that admits since “the current system is unassumable.” Political tensions are intense, with the social democratic opposition refusing to accept drastic cuts and the extreme right by capitalizing citizen discomfort. Meanwhile, the Ultras games grow On both sides of the rhine fed by social disenchantment and the feeling of stagnation. The paradox is that Italy or Spainonce considered weak links, they exhibit today greater stability macroeconomic than European locomotives. The center, formerly balancing, has become the area of ​​greatest uncertainty, which weakens the European project at a time of growing external threats. The southern paradox. It is quite striking that countries historically seen as fragile, such as Spain and Italy, today appear (either They seem) as relatively more stable. Italy, after decades of political instability, lives its strongest period with a controversial government that has even achieved An improvement of the credit rating. Spain, meanwhile, has reduced by half unemployment in the last decade and maintains growth above the European average, despite spend less on well -being than France or Germany. This roles investment shows to what extent the clichés of the southern Europe have been exceeded: the Mediterranean nations, previously accused of fiscal laxity, seem to have learned to navigate austerity, while “the rich north” It sinks in its own budgetary rigidity. The perfect storm. The challenge is aggravated by external factors that multiply internal pressures. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine pushes to increase the defense expensejust when public coffers They are already exhausted. China Compete fiercely With European industry, from electric cars to nuclear energy, eroding the international position of German and French manufactures. And the United States, far from offering security, Add uncertainty with a president who changes position in a matter of days and threatens tariffs to his own allies. Europe must decide If prioritize shield Your welfare state, to reorient resources towards military security or find a balance that does not sacrifice either global competitiveness or social cohesion. The great unknown. Experts Like Andreas Eisl They argue that the dilemma is first of all politician: it is not if Europe can maintain its social model, but to what extent it wants to do it and what sacrifices is willing to assume. Attempts to apply cuts, such as 44,000 million euros proposed in the budget that demolished Prime Minister François Bayrou, have caused A massive rejection on the street and fed polarization. However, mathematics is relentless: with a aging populationa Birth in Declive and one Increasing resistance To immigration, the fiscal base narrows while the needs increase. Europe may not be on the verge of a Greek collapse, or it does not seem, but the sustainability of its “way of life” indicates that it has ceased to be An unquestionable dogma. And that is, perhaps, the true battle of the future: if the old continent manages to reinvent his social contract without dynamiting him in the process. Image | Pexels, Martin Greslou In Xataka | Spain has a big problem with the generational relief of the labor market: 3.5 million young workers are missing In Xataka | Birth in Poland is a disaster and hotels have had an idea: money for those who conceive in a stay

the five best board games to play with someone in October

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Although we often focus on the cell phones, watches, headphones and other devices When Amazon launches its campaigns, there are also many offers on other topics further away from technology. That is why today we wanted to bring together a series of board games to encourage entertainment during the month of Octoberespecially in the run-up to Halloween. Of course, all games are on sale at the Prime Deal Party. Zombie Burrito by 20.49 eurosa game in which players throw themselves into burritos. Marvel Zombies by 84.69 eurosa game that brings together some of Marvel’s most memorable characters, whether or not they have become zombies. Nightmare before Christmas by 28.89 eurosa game in which we can embody our favorite character from the movie. Zombie Kittens by 14.99 eurosa zombie version of the iconic card game. Alien: the fate of Nostromo by 34.99 eurosa cooperative game in which we must survive the stalking of the xenomorph. Zombie Burrito There are games that offer a more active proposal when it comes to facing other players and here Throw Throw Burrito has a lot to say. Your version Zombie burritowhich on Amazon has a price of 20.49 eurosvaries in mechanics, but always with the goal in mind of using the burritos to compete against other players. The objective is to form teams, collect cards in each round and If it’s time for battle… let’s throw the donkey. This version is completely themed, so we can find variations in its cards with respect to the original game. There are antidote cards, survivor cards, zombie cards and, of course, battle cards. The idea is to form teams between zombies and survivors. It is a game for three to six players in which the fun lies in the card that allows the donkey to be used. They are made of foam and are very soft, but I recommend that you clear the table and, above all, that don’t play next to a television. For what may happen. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Marvel Zombies After the first season of ‘What would happen if…?‘ on Disney+, a game arrived that adapted both one of its episodes and the comics themselves. ‘Marvel Zombies‘ is a series that has just been released, so it is a good time to delve into the board game which now has a price of 84.69 eurosespecially during the month of October and especially on Halloween. Marvel Zombies It is a game that is based on Zombicide and its objective is not exactly to kill zombies, but to kill humans. In this version we have to face both SHIELD and the superheroes who are still human. Yes, we really are the zombies. The more missions and objectives we complete, the more points we will receive. But the more points we have, the more they will try to hunt us down. It is a game for one to six players and some of Marvel’s most iconic characters appear. There are also many expansions, which gives more dynamism to each game if we decide to opt for them. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Nightmare before Christmas Whether it’s Halloween or Christmas, it’s always good to see ‘Nightmare before Christmas‘. The film directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton has its own board game and now has a price on Amazon of 28.89 euros. It is a game with games for two to six players in which we must take charge of our favorite character. Each of them has their own deck of cards and the goal is to get all the party tokens we can. Nightmare before Christmas The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Zombie Kittens Exploding Kittens It has so many editions that it is difficult to keep track of them. And how could it be otherwise, it also has a zombie version for 14.99 euros. Zombie Kittens It leads us to play games in which if we get the Exploding Kitten card, we die, but we don’t lose. We can rise from the dead with the Zombie Kitten card to take revenge. The last player left alive wins, but it is not easy at all. It includes many action cards, games can be played with two to five players and can be enjoyed with or without other expansions. Exploding Kittens | Zombie Kittens | Card Game for Cat and Explosion Lovers| From 7 Years | From 2 to 5 Players | 15 Minutes per Game | Spanish The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Alien: the fate of Nostromo Alien is such a long-running saga that it is not surprising that it has its own board game. Under the name of Alien: the fate of the Nostromothis game that has a price of 34.99 euros takes us on a tour of the iconic ship of ‘Alien, the eighth passenger‘, the first film released in 1979. It is a cooperative strategy game in which we must solve missions, collect objects and make tools to survive while avoiding the xenomorph. Each game can be played by one to five players. Alien: the fate of Nostromo 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 | Exploding Kittens, CMON, Mixlore, Ravensburger In Xataka | The 41 Best Board Games: From ‘Catan’ to ‘Gloomhaven’ In Xataka | These are the board games that are never missing in my suitcase when I go on vacation with my partner

Google launches its AI mode in Spain and with it, a new way of searching on the web: this is how you can activate it

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Google has begun to roll out its AI Mode in Spain, an update that transforms the traditional way of searching for information on the Internet. Once we have access to this mode, we can make all types of queries through natural language and the search engine will offer us complex and elaborate answers on any topic through its AI. The operation is similar to the summaries that Google already offers when we make a query, only this mode transfers that entire experience to your search engine. We tell you all the details. What exactly is AI Mode. This is the most advanced search experience Google has launched to date, powered by its Gemini models. Just like explains the company in its press release, appears as a new button on the results page and in the apps for Android and iOS. Unlike traditional search that displays a list of links, AI Mode generates direct and detailed answers to queries, although for now it remains optional, as the user must press the button to activate it. To test it, you can use this linkalthough you may not have it enabled yet and may have to wait a while. Why the way you search changes. According to Google, this tool is designed for exploratory questions without a single, direct answer. In the United States, where it was launched in March (and by then we were able to try it), Google claims that users ask questions two or three times longer than in conventional searches. The company gives the example of doing the following search: “I want to understand the different methods of brewing coffee. Make a table comparing the differences in flavor, ease of use, and equipment needed.” Once the answer is obtained, we can continue the conversation, such as: “What is the ideal grain thickness for each method?” In this way, the system maintains the context of the conversation and allows you to delve deeper as you go. The operation is very similar to what many AI models already offer, such as ChatGPT internet search or dedicated AI search engines like Perplexity. This is the answer to all those tools of a Google that refuses to lose the leadership of what it was known for. How it works inside. As the company claims, AI Mode uses a query decomposition technique: it divides the question into several subtopics and launches multiple simultaneous searches on the web. This, according to Google, allows you to access more specialized and relevant content than with a traditional search. The results are presented with small buttons at the end of each paragraph that link to the web pages used to generate the answer. In our tests a few months ago we were already able explore in detail the operation of this system, a search mode that was inevitable to see given the proliferation of more and more tools with generative AI technology. The results were quite promising and the system offered a great level of richness in its responses. AI Mode is an instant way to get complex answers while the system crawls the entire web to deliver them to you. Multimodality as an advantage. One of the notable features is that it supports different input formats: text, voice and images. Users can, for example, take a photo of a menu with their mobile phone and ask about anything, or use the microphone for voice queries. This versatility is typical of models such as Geminisince from its dedicated app we can also opt for this type of responses through all types of inputs. The real novelty here is that the experience that Gemini gives us is transferred to Google’s main website, something that represents how committed the company is to offering AI experiences to its users. The global deployment. The launch includes 36 new languages, including Spanish, and nearly 50 new countries and territories, reaching more than 200 in total. Its arrival in Europe is especially significant, since Regulation around AI is much stricter than in the United States. The good news is that the service is free and will be progressively activated for all Spanish users in the coming days. An inevitable debate. This launch is not without controversy. Some media outlets in countries where it is already available have reported traffic drops of between 20% and 60%. The falls too have been important even with the arrival of Google’s AI summaries. And if the AI ​​directly answers the user’s question, why visit the original website? Obviously, from Xataka we will tell you that nothing has more value than what is processed, thought and written by a human. However, Google argues that clicks from AI Mode are of higher quality because “users then spend more time on the pages they visit”, although the truth is that it is not a very hopeful answer for media that depend on a certain volume of visits to generate income. The company has also not yet proposed financial compensation for the pages it uses as a source of its responses. What’s coming now? Google assures that it will continue improving the system, recognizing that “we will not always get it right” as it is an AI product in its initial phase. Now we just need to know the reaction of the global public and know if this really is the definitive way to search on the web. We will also be aware of the impact this has on traffic, which has already left its mark since its initial test in March. In Xataka | OpenAI is the King Midas of the stock market: everything it touches skyrockets

Social networks began to die in 2022 and nobody realized. The new nightmare is that they resurge

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Social networks were wonderful until they stopped being. Very soon they became not only a problem almost addictionbut also of health. Anxiety levels shot And they were made frequent the Sexting cases either Bullying Through these platforms. The funny thing is that while all that happened and we thought that its use was increasingly worrying, something happened. People began to stop using them (both). Social networks had their peak in 2022. An ambitious study conducted By Financial Times He recently revealed the current state of social networks. More than 250,000 adults in more than 50 countries talked about their online habits, and in that data it is clear that the apogee of social networks occurred in 2022. Since then there has been a turning point. Especially for a specific sector of the population. Young people get tired of Facebook. Among the different demographic sectors, there is an especially striking one: young people between 16 and 24 are the ones who are most clearly reducing the time they spend on these platforms. At the end of 2024 they passed average two hours and 20 minutes a day in them, 10% less than what happened in 2022. It is the population segment that is more quickly falling, although the change is clear in the rest of the ages. Other parallel studies, such as Made in Sweden Between 2022 and 2024, he pointed to Clear falls too especially among the youngest. The time we spent on social networks did not stop increasing until 2022. Then the trend changed. Source: Financial Times. The era “zero posts” arrives. Social networks were a day to tell our lives, but From a while to this part the trend is another: “zero posts”. Users publish much less than before, instead of that user community that shared their reflections, the normal thing is now to find an endless commercial showcase. According to recent studies, a third of Spanish Internet users have abandoned some social network in the last year. Robotic consumption. The study data published in FT confirms that phenomenon. According to their conclusions, less and fewer people use social networks to maintain contact with their friends, and that kind of use experience has been decreasing since 2014. instead of what has been seen is that the users of these platforms go to them with the explicit intention of filling holes of time that are empty. Or what is the same: when they get bored consume content, but they don’t share it. Use ceases to be reflective and interactive to be passive, more “robotic”, ironically. The shitting of social networks. The writer Cory Doctorow The term coined long ago “Enshittification“ (“shit”) to talk about how platforms become worse for users. At present, social networks have little social and are dedicated to trying to maximize the time that users are trapped in them. Algorithms have taken control And they immerse us in an echo chamber from which it is difficult to leave. The “Ai Slop” arrives. Before the decline – at least, in time of use – of social networks, the option seems clear: take advantage of the content generated by AI. All to a greater or lesser extent have begun to integrate it progressively, but two new wedges are now added to traditional social networks: Meta Vibes y Openai Sora They are absolutely focused on content generated by AI. It is another era in which interaction and social participation fade and Doomscrolling He seizes more than ever from the user experience. The “AI Slop”the “junk content” generated by AI, begins to flood that experience. And it seems that tactic works. The study, however, gives a worrying fact: the time that Americans spend social networks are growing. It is the only region where it does, because in Europe and Asia-Pacific that consumption is falling slightly from the 2022 peaks. It remains to be seen if those new social networks They end up compensating that fall of the time that users spend on “traditional” social networks. Image | Pexels In Xataka | The exhausted society: how “existential tiredness” has become the great industry of the West

La 1 only had to win the morning battle. It has achieved it as with everything else: by politicizing its content

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Follow the rising rhythm of RTVE. The only part of the day that remained to be conquered, with two giants of morning news at the helm such as Ana Rosa Quintana on Telecinco and Susanna Griso on Antena 3, it was in the mornings. And after a series of changes in search of an identity, finally ‘Mañaneros 360’ has found success, with a share which doubles what it had a few months ago. And along the way, he has angered the government’s political rivals. The figures. The historical audience record was achieved by ‘Mañaneros’ on Monday October 6 with a 16.9% share (also preceded by another success on the network’s mornings, Silvia Intxaurrondo and the debate on ‘La Hora de la 1’, which this season is exceeding 20% ​​on several days). Both programs are experiencing the best moment of their respective histories (‘La Hora’… is five years old, and ‘Mañaneros’ is two years old), but it is not an isolated phenomenon on public television. In general, the mornings increase in audience: ‘The Ana Rosa Program’, for example, also the season is starting very well with figures that are helping to boost Telecinco’s totals. Hesitant starts. Until reaching this point, ‘Mañaneros 360’ has undergone some changes. It started in September 2023 simply called ‘Mañaneros’ (another one was previously proposed, ‘Bienvenidos’), and with Jaime Cantizano at the helm, after more veteran options such as Jordi González, Isabel Gemio and Gemma Nierga were discarded. Cantizano accepted an assignment very inspired by the morning magazines on North American television, which sought to distance himself from the competition of Quintana and Nierga. The result was a hodgepodge of sections that mixed health, events and heart, without a fixed order to surprise the viewer every day. The casual tone was cultivated, significantly, with a heart section that already mattered to collaborators of ‘Sálvame’ such as Terelu Campos, Lydia Lozano, Chelo García Cortés and Alba Carrillo. The result was discreet, with an average of 8.2%, but improving, as reported by ‘El País’ in a chronicle of the history of the programthe figures of its predecessor, ‘Speaking clearly’, which had been closer to 7%. New changes. Cantizano ended up quitting his job because he couldn’t stand the stress: Monday to Friday on television, and Saturdays and Sundays on Onda Cero. He was replaced by Adela González, who had experience in live programs like ‘Sálvame’, and with her came an even more relaxed tone thanks to the experience of the presenter, and which increased the audience. The following change did not come from within, but from outside the program: Sergio Calderonwhich would take to port very notable changes in the RTVE grideliminated the social chronicle part (which led to a series of not very well received dismissals, as the aforementioned article comments) and introduced a political chronicle part, commanded by Javier Ruiz. Enter Javier Ruiz. Ruiz, who in addition to presenting and directs the program, has given the program a definitive boost in audiences, focusing almost its entire duration on current politics and turning it to the left. Whether the openly progressive positioning of the program is debatable or not (the eternal discussion of the politicization of public television), it is clear that this is what is providing audiences. And many of the most apolitical sections ended up migrating towards the evening ‘Sálvame’ project, ‘The TV family‘, which ended up shipwrecked. Chainsaw or flamethrower. This is how VOX said that it would enter RTVE when it had the support of the voters, in the mouth of his deputy Manuel Mariscal. He made reference to the leftist speech of Marc Giró, Jesús Cintora, and also Javier Ruiz. Without a doubt, (literally) incendiary words for a change in programming that is bothering conservative sectors (there was also the root of the Mariló Montero’s loud anger on David Broncano’s program). But, somehow, it is getting more audiences than ever. In Xataka | Thirty years later, there is still an unbeatable television format in Spain: desktop soap operas

Behind this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine there is a whole lesson in scientific policy for Spain and it does not seem that we are going to learn it

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The Nobel Prizes arrive and, like every year, the media they are filled with reports on why Spain resists the great scientific awards of the contemporary world. And it is not a lie: the last Spaniard to win one in science, Severo Ochoa, did so 66 years ago. Being a relatively important country internationally, it is a real problem. What we did not suspect is that the Karolisnka Institute was going to make it so clear how ‘real’ this problem is. A little highlighted detail. At this point in the week, the history of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine It has been counted as active and passive; But there is a detail that is worth dwelling on. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Shimon Sakaguchi discovered a subset of T lymphocytes that did not attack anyone or anything. They were a kind of “riot police” of the immune system: they suppressed the activity of other T lymphocytes. The discovery was momentous, but what came next was an enormous silence. Silence? But they just gave him the Nobel Prize! They just gave it to him now, but it was not a bed of roses. Sakaguchi’s idea made sense, but no one was quite clear why that was happening. And, in fact, many people were vehemently against his theses. It took almost a decade for two different teams to reach the same conclusion: the Japanese researcher was right and the key to everything. the problem was in the FOXP3 gene. It seems like a minor issue, but “this double discovery, the cellular discovery of Sakaguchi and the genetic discovery of Brunkow and Ramsdell, has completely changed the paradigm of immunology and has opened two great therapeutic avenues with immense potential.” The relevant question in Spain. This is all very well, but the really relevant question for our country is why in 2020, when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded CRISPR, it did not follow the same logic. Because yes, there are big differences between one discovery and the other: while the former rewarded the technological tool, this one has rewarded the discovery of the fundamental scientific bases. But it is not lost on anyone that the narrative of the award is not just an explanation: it is a framework that justifies inclusions and exclusions. The “forgetfulness” of the 2020 Nobel Prize. Francis Mojica himself he explained to us that “when we discovered CRISPR, I said to myself: “this is going to be crazy in biology” and then absolutely nothing happened.” In fact, that “nothing” lasted for many years. Years in which CRISPR seemed like a scientific curiosity without much importance and working on the subject, as Mojica did, was seen as an eccentricity. And finally, when the award came, it focused on “the development of a gene editing method (CRISPR-Cas9)” and was awarded to the two researchers who discovered that we could use the mechanism to our advantage; but no one remembered the person who discovered this mechanism. And it would be naive not to ask ourselves why. Even if we cannot know what really happened (the prize selection process has been hidden for 50 years), it is a good time to compare the abysmal differences between the research policy of Spain and that of Japan. While in the country of the rising sun, it has been investing in “scientific diplomacy” since the 90s; while Spain has made some isolated effort, yes; but insufficient. This is not about creating intricate conspiracy theories. It is clear that we will not be able to say what would have happened if Francis Mojica were Japanese, but we can ask ourselves what extra-scientific factors intervene in this type of awards and what Spain is doing to value its contribution to current contemporary science. That is, not only what resources are dedicated to research; but what is Spain’s ‘soft-power’, what resources does it put to make our researchers visible, to spread favorable stories or to amplify the work of our teams. The answer to all this, I’m afraid, is “too little.” Image | Ryan Faulkner | Daniel Prado In Xataka | A Nobel with 30 years of history: the discovery of the “peacekeeping gene” that controls our defenses is the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine

The BOE confirms that in 2026 workers’ payrolls will be cut by up to 95 euros for a good reason: pensions

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As of January 1, 2026, millions of workers in Spain you will see how your payroll It drops a little compared to December 2025. The reason, an increase in one of the withholdings that are applied to the payrolls of all workers aimed at guaranteeing the viability of the benefits of future pensioners. This adjustment, provided for in the Royal Decree-Law 2/2023 It can reach up to 95 euros per year for those with high salaries, although for the majority of workers it will barely exceed 43 euros per year. What is the MEI? Just like explain from BBVA, the MEI, or Intergenerational Equity Mechanism, is a withholding that is applied to working people on their payrolls and that serves to reinforce the Social Security Reserve Fund (popularly known as the “pension piggy bank”). As with other withholdings and contributions, part of the MEI falls on the company and another part on the worker. The objective of this retention is to compensate for the effects of demographic aging of the workforce and ensure that today’s younger generations, with a smaller population than Baby Boomers and Generation the full weight of pensions of the next 25 years. How is it calculated? This withholding is calculated as a percentage of the total salary base for which each person contributes and it is expected that this percentage will increase annually until 2029 and then stabilize. In 2026, this percentage will go from 0.80% of the salary base to 0.9%. Of this amount, the worker will assume 0.15% in 2026, and the company will pay 0.75% (to complete the total 0.90% planned for this year). Year Company Worker Total 2023 0.50% 0.10% 0.60% 2024 0.58% 0.12% 0.70% 2025 0.67% 0.13% 0.80% 2026 0.75% 0.15% 0.90% 2027 0.83% 0.17% 1.00% 2028 0.92% 0.18% 1.10% 2029 to 2050 1.00% 0.20% 1.20% And how much money does that mean? As the final amount depends on the contribution base of each worker, the MEI does not retain a fixed amount for everyone. By 2026, the maximum contribution base will be 63,180 euros per year. Therefore, for those who have a gross salary of 5,265 euros per month (in 12 payments), about 94.77 euros per year will be deducted from that maximum base. That is, about 7.89 euros per month. According to consolidated data from the ‘Salary Structure Survey’ of 2023, the most common gross salary in Spain is around 15,574 euros per year. This means that for workers with a gross monthly salary of 1,297 euros (in 12 payments), the 0.15% that is withheld from each employee as MEI would mean 1.94 euros on each payroll, adding up to a total of 23.34 euros per year. How much will it increase each year? The change in the MEI withholding will be applied automatically and has been increasing since its implementation in 2023, the year in which a withholding of 0.10% for workers and 0.50% for companies began to be applied, with a total of 0.60% on the contribution base. The objective is to reach 1.20% in 2029, divided into 1% retention for the company and 0.20% for workers. Once this objective is reached, withholdings will be frozen at that percentage until 2050. Pay more without receiving more. Unlike other withholdings that are applied to payrolls, the MEI percentage does not generate additional rights on the amount of the retirement pension, as would happen if the contribution base is increasedFor example. That is to say, this withholding does not have a direct effect on the pension, but rather is intended to make the pension system more solvent and viable for a longer time even if there is more retirees than active contributors. According to data of the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security, in 2023 the Intergenerational Equity Mechanism contributed 3,437 million euros to the Social Security Reserve Fund, while in 2024 it was 3,799 million. The record increase in the number of Social Security contributors registered in 2025 means that the forecasts for contributions to the pension fund for this concept will increase to 4,623 million euros, leaving a total balance in this fund close to 14,000 million euros. In Xataka | Working beyond 67 years: Germany has broken its pension system and it is an advance for Europe Image | Unsplash (wjpzlvr), Pexels (Dany Kurniawan)

Four acronym explain why Tesla has not launched its electric car of 25,000 euros: NSLC

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“If they throw a 25,000 euros electric car They would be lined. ” It is usual to read this phrase when talking about the Tesla range. But there is a very simple reason that prevents Tesla from making this movement so obvious: they can’t. They can’t because accounts don’t come out. Because he is the victim of his own production process that, until now, had been so successful. And it can’t because you reduce the electric car forces you to jump into batteries … or worsen the user experience. In summary: NSLC. (N)either. That is the answer that those who expected a cheap Tesla electric car have expected. The launch of the versions Standard It is the confirmation that the company needs to reduce its product to give a boost to sales. Until now, they have based their growth in a very simple formula for the client: nobody gives more autonomy for less money. Simple, simple and Very effective if we take into account your recharge network. However, little by little the rivals begin to eat ground. Europeans and South Koreans (hello, KIA EV3) They have begun to offer cars of a very similar price. Yes, smaller, but that is not so much problem in Europe where the client does not appreciate (sometimes he does not want) so much cars 4.70 meters onwards. Rivals that, in addition, are taking very interesting cars at a similar price, compliant on a day -to -day basis Although your buyer assumes certain shortcomings if you have to go on a trip (Hello, Renault 5). (S)Alen. Yes, many Tesla Model and Tesla factories come out, also the Model 3. And, at some point, they will hit an impulse with these versions Standard cheaper (a perfect car for fleets or taxi drivers, for example). But, for now, what does not come out is the TAn expected (and promised) car of 25,000 euros. Tesla has made design its own success formula but He has also built his own jail. The automobile industry lives with cars with life cycles between six and eight years old. To four or five years, an aesthetic renewal is usually the commercial impulse necessary to sell the car. Elon Musk raised to make his car The Campbell can of cars. Simple and stylized designs that do not tire too much over the years and that allow a Gigapress that generates an innumerable amount of copies At a frantic pace. The system is the cost economy taken to the extreme. The initial investment is very high but its speed allows you to generate income to A very low unit cost pressing to amortize investment in the shortest possible time. The problem is that each change triggers the cost of the car. Any small variation in the huge piece is a headache. That prevents changes in the hard points of the car. The chassis must remain almost intact and launch a new product to the market forces huge investments in new machines. When the system is engaged it is perfect but greased is a task that requires a lot of money. (L)ace. Batteries The batteries remain the main cost of the electric car car. Although the raw material has been cheaper, Toyota and his 1: 6: 9: 90 rule Explain well why they trust hybrids more than electric. With the same economic effort for an electric battery, they get 90 electric hybrids and 6 plug -in hybrids. Tesla has been working for a long time to reduce batteries, He trusted a lot in the new 4680 batteries of cylindrical cells. But the results make it clear that You can’t get enough to reduce them enough As to sell it in a small car. Or do not get sufficient energy density To, in the same size, offer a satisfactory user experience. Right now, who buys an electric car of 25,000 euros knows that he cannot aspire to a battery greater than 50 kWh. That implies that he will not be able to travel 300 kilometers with a single load and that attempts against that intrinsic value that Tesla has to give more kilometers for less money. (C)Evenas. The results. The company is seeing how the rivals eat land. In China they are happening to them above with most ambitious proposals in software. And in Europe, the other major electric car market, Europeans (With Volkswagen at the head) They are planted by Battle in Sales. Elon Musk’s explicit support to the extreme right In Germany it has not been seen with the best eyes in the local market and/or Franceanother of the company’s great shores in our continent. It is very easy to say that Tesla could launch a cheaper electric car and sweep in the market. Yes, it is evident. But it is also evident that this statement ignores that the company has been looking for a way to simplify the car with even bigger parts of its gigapress (And he has not succeeded). It also overlooks that it has not been able to reduce the car batteries that take a huge pinch of the final cost of the car. And it ignores that Tesla would need larger or completely new facilities to assemble these vehicles. To feed these potential purchases you have to have the necessary infrastructure to be able to build those cars. And although now it looks like a giant, Tesla is still a young company that has four models in the wallet and delivered 1.81 million cars in 2023its best year. That Until 2021 did not give a positive result without adding the aid of emission loans. Because Raise a car brand from scratch It is very complicated. As it is to grow with new products. NSLC. All these data only exemplify the biggest stumbling block with which Tesla is to launch a new car. That long -awaited car of 25,000 euros: No. They leave. The. Accounts Photo | Tesla In Xataka | Tesla said he could manufacture 20 million cars … Read more

The one with autonomous cars

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While in some cities in the United States and China it is no longer so weird to meet Robotaxis without driverin Europe we remain stuck in a tangle of regulations that slow the development of autonomous driving. However, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has already given the alarmadmitting that “autonomous cars are already a reality in the United States and China. The same should be true here in Europe.” And the strategy in the EU seems to be very in the line that with AI: “Safety First” (first security). The background problem. Europe maintains technological capacity and large manufacturers, but its regulatory fragmentation is leaving it out of play. Each country has its own rules to test and homologate autonomous vehicles, which complicates large -scale deployment. Meanwhile, states such as Arizona or California in the US, and cities like Beijing or Shenzhen in China, They have been testing robotaxis for years in its streets without bureaucratic obstacles. China and the US have the front. In China, more than 60% of cars sold this year include level 2 autonomous driving technology, often standard even in basic models. Companies like Weride, Pony AI or Apollo Go have the support of the Chinese State and They are expanding aggressively. In the United States, Waymo, owned by Alphabet, already has License to test in New Yorkwhile Tesla He already did evidence Also in Austin last June when transporting passengers in their cars. In fact, Musk’s company would give the tycoon A bonus of one billion dollars If, among other objectives, it manages to put a million robotaxis in circulation. Europe tries to react. Volkswagen He has presented his id. Buzz Ad through Moia, its mobility subsidiary, with plans to display autonomous vehicles in Europe and the USA From 2026. Von der Leyen has proposed Create a network of European cities to pilot cars without a driver, with 60 Italian mayors already interested. However, analysts warn that mass adoption will not arrive before 2030-2040. The road is long and the delay, evident. China accelerates. Blocked in the US market for national security reasons, Chinese autonomous driving companies are accelerating their arrival in Europe. Qcraft has announced a headquarters in GermanyMomenta is associated with Uber to test in Munich, and Deeproute.AI negotiates with European and Chinese manufacturers to install a data center on the continent. “Europe is the only market to which they can come,” assures You, founder of the consultant but Auto Insights. This generates alarm among some European competitors, which demands subsidies and greater regulation to level competition. Delay in Europe. The EU has established strict barriers in data protection and artificial intelligencewhich forces other foreign companies to adapt their systems, but does not prevent their entry. Some European executives, such as Alex Kendall from Wayve, They advocate for an open market that accelerates development. Others, such as Jim Hutchinson from Fusion Processing, They ask greater regulatory intervention. There is a substantive issue, and it is the control of the data that are processed in vehicles, very valuable sensitive information for companies that seek to capitalize on it. What is coming. The European Commission works to harmonize regulations to facilitate the evidence and deployment of advanced systems, but for now only countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom They allow tests beyond level 2 basic. Autonomous driving is one of the segments in which a large investment is expected by specialized companies, and everything indicates that Europe will continue to opt for strict regulation. Cover image | Baidu In Xataka | The European Union will impose a new CO2 tax in 2027. And that means one thing: more expensive gasoline

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