Mobile Tech & Gadgets

We know that the Earth has been hit by 80,000 meteorites. For some reason, most end up in Antarctica

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If we look at the global statistics of finds of meteorites on our planet We may think that they are distributed homogeneously throughout the territory, but the reality is very different. Official data indicates that of the approximately 80,000 meteorites cataloged all over the world, more than 50,000 have been found in Antarctica… And this raises a big question: does Antarctica have something special about having so many meteorites? A contradiction. Although we talk about 60% of the meteorites that have been found on Earth come from Antarcticacollision theory tells us another. Specifically, physics, which tells us that meteorites fall randomly and uniformly throughout the planet, so Antarctica does not receive more impacts than the Sahara Desert or the Pacific Ocean. So… Why do we find so many meteorites on the frozen continent? The answer lies in a perfect combination of glaciologyvisual contrast and a natural “trap” that is now, ironically, being sabotaged by climate change. The conveyor belt theory. To understand why Antarctica is the great archive of the solar system, you have to understand how ice moves. And the secret is not in how the rocks fall, but in how the ice delivers them to humanity. To do this, we must go to glaciological models and studies from programs such as ANSMET, where they point out that Antarctica It is a real meteorite conveyor belt. The process. In this way, a meteorite when it falls inside the frozen continent buried deep in the ice sheet. Once here, the natural flow of the glaciers will push the ice that stores the rock inside from the center towards the coast. At certain points, the ice encounters barriers beneath the glaciers, such as hidden mountains that slow its flow and forces the ice to return to the surface. And this is where the famous katabatic winds come into play, which are truly fierce and dry with a force capable of eroding the upper layers of the ice from solid to gas. The result. It is what scientists call the ‘Meteorite Stranding Zone’ (MSZ) or blue ice areas. It is nothing more than the part of ice that has been worn away, but has not affected the rock it stored in any way. That is why over time, meteorites that fell thousands of years ago and traveled trapped in the depths of the ice now appear on the surface as if someone had put them there. A contrast trick. Logically, finding a meteorite among a pile of red ones can be somewhat complicated in our environment. But when we talk about a black rock on a white sheet like ice, the truth is that visually it is easy to find it. That is why this contrast is the best ally that meteorite searchers have. The preservation. But beyond the fact that finding a rock the size of a walnut in the middle of the jungle is a really complicated task, it must be taken into account that humid climates degrade the meteorite quickly. Something that does not happen in Antarctica, which is technically a polar desert. The dry environment it has acts like a real freezer which preserves the samples almost intact for millions of years. This allows scientists to recover not only the rock, but pristine information about the origins of the solar system. And that is why all these factors together make it more common to find more meteorites in this location than in others, and not because there is a predilection for falling here. An invisible threat. As pointed out a study published in Nature, we have a serious problem on the table: We are losing about 5,000 meteorites a year. Intuition would tell us that if the ice melts due to climate change, more rocks would emerge. But the opposite is true due to the thermal properties of the meteorites themselves. Being dark rocks (and many of them metallic with high thermal conductivity), they absorb solar radiation much more efficiently than the surrounding ice. Even at subzero temperatures, the rock heats up enough to melt the ice just below it. This causes the meteorite to sink and create a small pool of water that refreezes them, burying the rock out of sight of researchers or satellites. Thermal models suggest that this disproportionately affects iron meteorites, which are especially valuable for understanding planetary cores, causing us to have many more chondrite or rocky meteorites. Race against time. Humanity has so far managed to recover 23,000 meteorites, giving us a large cosmic library that allows us to better understand everything around us. The problem is that the clock is ticking, and the most important part of the archive is beginning to sink, so now the most important thing is to hurry up to get the most valuable meteorites for us. Images | Kamran Abdullayev henrique setim In Xataka | In 2011, a collector bought a meteorite in Morocco. It has turned out to be direct evidence of thermal water on Mars

Five of the best offers from El Corte Inglés in technology, today January 17

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El Corte Inglés has many offers that will last a long time, especially those found within the Sales. Therefore, in this article we are going to review some of the best deals in technology that we will have available throughout the weekend. Lenovo IdeaCentre by 699 eurosan all-in-one computer that includes a monitor, keyboard, mouse and webcam. Samsung Galaxy Fit3 by 39 eurosa sports bracelet with a 40% discount. HP Victus 15 by 769 eurosa gaming laptop that incorporates an RTX 4050 graphics card. Sony WH-1000XM5 by 229 eurosBluetooth headphones with very good active noise cancellation. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 by 320 eurosan electric scooter that is ideal for moving around a town or city. Lenovo IdeaCentre If you are looking for a good equipment to study or work and you do not want to buy accessories or external components, the Lenovo IdeaCentre is on sale at El Corte Inglés for a price of 699 euros. Includes a monitor, keyboard, mouse and webcam. Among its specifications, we have a 27-inch screen, an Intel i5-13420H processor, 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of SSD and Windows 11 preinstalled. Lenovo IdeaCentre (AIO 27IRH9) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy Fit3 If this year you have decided to do more sports and are looking for a good partner with whom to measure physical activity, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has dropped to 39 euros. It is resistant to water and dust (IP68), incorporates a 1.6-inch screen, its battery offers a theoretical autonomy of up to 13 days and includes sensors of heart rate monitor, SpO2, sleep and snoring sensor and fall detection. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links HP Victus 15 If you are not convinced by the Lenovo IdeaCentre and are looking for a computer to play with, the HP Victus 15 It is on sale at El Corte Inglés for a price of 769 euros. It is a gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch screen that incorporates a Ryzen 5-8645HS processor along with 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of SSD and graphics card Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050. It does not include Windows and its anti-reflective panel offers a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Sony WH-1000XM5 One of the best offers from El Corte Inglés can be found in the Sony WH-1000XM5some very interesting Bluetooth headphones that have dropped to the 229 euros in its version with soft case. They have some of the best active noise cancellation we’ve testedits battery offers a range of up to 30 hours with ANC and they are very comfortable, even when used for hours. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 If what you want is to move around a town or city comfortably, El Corte Inglés has on offer the Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 by 320 eurosalthough MediaMarkt has it slightly cheaper, for 299 euros. It is an electric scooter that can be connected to the Xiaomi appincludes an LED screen to see the status of the scooter and offers a maximum speed of 25 km/h. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 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 | El Corte Inglés and Compradicción (header), Lenovo, Samsung, HP, Sony, Xiaomi In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros In Xataka | Which electric scooter to buy: regulations, best recommendations to get it right and five models from 279 euros

Italy’s greatest fortune was forged in scarcity to become your forbidden pleasure: Nutella

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Mayans, Olmecs and Aztecs They knew how to appreciate the value of cocoa, and that is why they used it as currency to buy goods and services long before Christopher Columbus. make those lands yours just by reaching them by boat more than 500 years ago. In fact, chocolate has become a “guilty pleasure” these days. so widespreadwe are (yes, I include myself) causing global shortages. Precisely, cocoa is the main ingredient of a product that made two brothers extremely rich in ruined post-World War II Italy: the Ferreros. From that scarcity emerged an empire with $19 billion in annual revenue and a presence in more than 170 countries. The challenge: create a chocolate bar without cocoa In the middle of World War II, Italy suffered an extreme shortage of many things, but especially cocoa, a problem that had already hit Europe during the time of Napoleon. As and as explained in The Green CompassIn 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte became involved in a geopolitical and commercial battle with his enemy the United Kingdom. This caused the volume of trade to reduce considerably, causing a shortage of overseas products. One of them was cocoa, of course. Given the shortage of the main ingredient, a master chocolatier from Turin He came up with the brilliant idea of ​​mixing the little chocolate he had left with a dough made from hazelnuts that were abundant in the area. In this way, it could offer a delicacy with a certain chocolate flavor, but using less cocoa in its production. This is how the gianduia or gianduja. Almost a century and a half later, in 1946, the brothers Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero They found themselves in the same cocoa shortage situation than his Turin colleague. If it had worked before, why wouldn’t it work a second time? Cioccolateria Ferrero in Alba The Ferrero brothers revived the old recipe for hazelnut paste with sugar and cocoa to survive, creating a spreadable bar that would lay the foundations for a product that today sweetens breakfasts and snacks around the world. ​This hazelnut paste and little cocoa saved the Cioccolateria Ferrero that Pietro ran in Alba, south of Turin and in the heart of the Piedmontese countryside. The product, in the form chocolate bar that could be rolled and spread on the bread that mothers gave to their hungry children quickly sold out in local stores. Giandidot by Ferrero Faced with unexpected success, Pietro and his brother Giovanni soon formalized their business, founding a company called Ferrero SpA and opening a small factory in Alba. While Giovanni focused on distribution, Pietro focused on overseeing the manufacturing of his flagship product. However, Pietro died in 1949 of a heart attack. His son Michele, who was 24 years old at the time, took over from his father at the head of the factory. Ferrero factory workers on a company bus Michele was not a businessman like his uncle Giovanni, nor did he have a university degree, but he did he had inherited his father’s creativityto whom affectionately They called “the scientist” and he was willing to improve the recipe for the product that was making them rich. In 1949, Michele made some changes to the formula of the gianduja to make it creamier and easier to spread. With this change, the Ferreros could differentiate themselves from other confectioners who also produced the traditional Piedmontese sweet. The “Supercrema” had just been born. According to what is collected in the book ‘Nutella World‘, the success of the Supercrema was such that the brand soon had the second largest fleet of trucks, only behind that of the army. In 1947, the company barely had a dozen distribution trucks, in 1950 they already had 154 and by 1960 there were more than 1,624 delivery trucks for their company. cocoa cream with hazelnuts. Ferrero Supercream Ad ​Birth of a star product: Nutella In 1964, a change in product labeling legislation banned the use of superlatives in brand names. That forced the Ferreros to change the name of their Supercrema. Given the success of Supercrema, the Ferreros were already thinking about the internationalization of the brand, so they used the English name of its main ingredient “Nut” and, after trying variants such as Nutsy, Nussly, Nutosa and Nutina, they finally decided to use the Latin suffix “-ella” to maintain its Italian roots. Nutella was born and its iconic glass jar with a wide mouth and flattened body. Its smooth texture and addictive flavor made it an immediate success throughout Europe, but Michele continued trying different recipes. The consolidation of Ferrero as the empire it is today occurred with the Kindergarten release in 1968, the “unexpected” Tic Tac mint candies in 1969 and Ferrero Rocher in 1982, coinciding with the opening of factories in several countries. Today, Ferrero generates $19 billion annually, maintains secret formulas and operates in 170 countries without being listed on the stock market. Ferrero established itself as world leader in hazelnut creamseven having its own World Nutella Day since 2007: February 5. Michele Ferrero died in 2015 at 89 years old, leaving a fortune estimated at more than 26.5 billion dollars which made him the richest man in Italy, but he had also continued to manage a large empire as a family business in which the relatives of his employees were hired. As and how I collected The Spanish“Hiring children of employees strengthened the bond of the community and united many of its men and women to the company throughout their working lives,” noted Salvatore Giannella, biographer of the businessman and author of ‘Michele Ferrero, share values ​​to create value’. Giovanni Ferrero, grandson of Pietro Ferrero, inherited the empire of cocoa and hazelnut cream, increasing the family heritage up to 40.8 billion dollars. In Xataka | Jeff Bezos asked his parents for their life savings to found Amazon. They only asked him one question: “What is the Internet? Image | Unsplash (Marko Blažević), Flickr (Spiegelneuronen) Ferrero

There is a Europe that is suffocating to pay for housing and another that lives in peace. And this map shows the differences

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Beyond the political ups and downs, corruption, unemployment, the war in Ukraine, or the (increasingly) convulsive scenario of international geopolitics, from time to time The CIS reminds us that there is a much more everyday problem that keeps us Spaniards up at night: access to housing. At the end of 2025 39.9% of those surveyed by the organization pointed out housing as “the main problem” facing the country. And it is normal if you take into account the mismatch between supply and demand, the pressure that carries out tourist rentals and (above all) the sharp rise in prices of recent years. Every time we talk about the residential market, however, the same question arises: beyond the exact cost of the square meter (m2), calculated by the General Council of Notaries, the executive or portals like IdealisticHow “unaffordable” is accommodation in Spain? What economic effort does it require from families? Is it more or less than what other European households must assume? Getting perspective Type of housing (in m2) available spending 40% of monthly income. ESPON, the program who is dedicated to studying cohesion of the EU, has published a series of maps that help answer these questions in a quick, direct and, above all, visual way. To prepare them, two parameters have been basically set: the prices of the real estate market for sales and rentals and the income data published by Eurostat. Everything divided by regions. By crossing them the organism has been able to carry out two calculations. The first is to estimate what type of housing (in m2) a person who allocates 40% of their income to this purpose can rent in each EU region. The second is what percentage of their rent that same tenant should dedicate if they wanted a 100 m2 house. Percentage of monthly income necessary to rent a 100 m2 home. ESPON does not stop there. He has also transferred those same questions to the buying and selling market residential. That is, what type of housing could a person willing to invest 40% of their annual income for an entire decade afford? And how many years would you have to endure that same budgetary effort if you wanted to buy a 100 m2 apartment? In both cases the maps are similar and they leave behind a series of conclusions, such as the profound differences that exist within the same country. “Regions containing and surrounding capital cities such as Paris, Berlin, Lisbon and Madrid tend to be less affordable compared to the rest of the nation. Additionally, coastal regions tend to be less affordable, which is also clearly seen in the Netherlands and Germany, Portugal, Spain and France.” Available housing (m2) investing 40% of the income for 10 years. Years necessary to buy a 100 m2 home investing 40% of the income. For example, while a Madrid resident willing to invest 40% of his annual income in housing would need between 20 and 25 years To pay for a 100 m2 house, a resident of the province of Teruel would need at most ten years of effort. In Barcelona it would need around 20-25 years while on the other side of the peninsula, in Pontevedra, between 15 and 20 years would be enough. The worst part in Spain is Malaga, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, where ESPON calculates that on average a buyer would need to invest 40% of their annual income for more than three and a half decades. A very similar effort would have to be endured by the inhabitants of the Algarve, Setúbal, part of the Paris area, Monaco, Corsica or different points spread across Eastern Europe, where ESPON itself recognizes that “quite unaffordable” areas are concentrated. If we talk about the rental market, the panorama It’s not very different. A Madrid resident who would like to rent a 100 m2 apartment would need to dedicate (on average) between 80 and 90% of their income to it. The situation is worse in coastal points, such as Barcelona, ​​Huelva, Malaga and Eastern European regions. In the provinces of Zamora or Huesca they would be enough between 30 and 40%which is closer to the debt ceiling level than recommend assuming the experts. Images | Quique Olivar (Unsplash) and ESPON In Xataka | It is not a country for Spaniards: Madrid and Catalonia are losing national population while gaining foreign population

There is a reason why Germany allows driving at 300 km/h and it is not history or politics: it is the asphalt

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If you like to step on the accelerator, you will have already seen firsthand that cornering at 100 km/h is better than at 130 km/h. I don’t need to remind you that the maximum speed allowed on state roads is 120 km/h. Although there are quite a few countries within the European Union with higher limits, Germany is the only state where there are sections without speed limit. 300 km/h without breaking a sweat. Obviously, this poses a danger to driving as cars such as a Porsche at 322 km/h. At these speeds, the risk of the car jumping or losing control is notable. But the “recipe” for manufacturing the German Autobahn has its particularities that allow it to offer enviable flatness and a road surface with high load capacity. And it can be found in the regulations and standards of the FGSV (Research Society for Highways and Transportation) and the BASt (German Federal Authority for Road Safety and Traffic). Blessed sandwich. While in Spain Flexible or semi-rigid pavement predominates with thicknesses of 40 to 60 centimeters. In Germany they use a standardized layer system called RStO 12 (Guidelines for the Standardization of Pavement Structures). That is, with a total thickness of between 70 and 90 centimeters with an antifreeze base composed of highly permeable gravel and sand so that water does not remain trapped (in case of freezing, it would generate large cracks as a result of expansion). About this, layers of gravel mixed with concrete or asphalt to provide sufficient rigidity to prevent collapse under the passage of heavy trucks. cwhen concrete and when asphalt. In the intermediate section the Germans use two materials, highlighting the concrete for those stretches of free speed and high truck traffic thanks to its rigidity and durability. In more detail: The 25 to 30 centimeter high-resistance concrete pavements longitudinally integrate plastic-coated steel bars. Thus, they allow some thermal expansion but do not allow them to move independently, causing steps. The transition between the concrete slabs is barely noticeable. Asphalt with stone matrix (S.M.A.), a combination with crushed stone and cellulose to offer extreme resistance to deformation and maximize the tire’s grip. The “superstructure” of German roads. Von Susan from Bielefeld, Deutschland – Straße, CC BY 2.0 Extreme plain for safety and by law. If you hit a speed bump at a certain speed, your car will go away. If you go 300 km/h in a sports car, the loss of aerodynamic load is such that it could be fatal. So Germany takes the plain very seriously by regulations: the maximum allowable deviation three millimeters in four meters. They achieve it with controlled pavers by global navigation and laser sensor systems. Auf wiedersehen, aquaplaning. Once the risk of steps, cracks and unevenness has been minimized, there remains another staunch enemy for speed: water on the asphalt. And they fight it in two ways. For starters, autobahns have a slope of at least 2.5% on the sides to evacuate the water as soon as possible. For concrete pavements, it is used waschbeton or washed concrete, a technique that brushes the surface to expose the aggregates, thus creating a rough, non-slip area that breaks up any water film that may form. In Xataka | Germany, Austria and Switzerland have plenty of roads. So they have started covering them with solar panels In Xataka | The Autobahn are the only roads in Europe without a speed limit. More and more Germans want to end them Cover | Wes Tindel and Nick Fewings

A macro study warns that well-being plummets if you have not had a partner at 25

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There was a time when being single at 20 was something seen as a style of independence and self-discovery. However, science has put a figure on a table that changes this concept that we could have in our minds: from the age of 25, the emotional well-being of those who have never had a relationship begins to suffer. A change of vision. It was the University of Zurich which has decided to take the step of investigating the “social clock” of the youngest in society, which has given an article published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Right now, many studies were focused on the impact of dating apps and how the flirting paradigm has changed today. But they have taken a turn to investigate 17,390 young people from Germany and the United Kingdom, tracking their lives from ages 16 to 29 with the aim of correlating their emotional life with their romantic situation. A “single” profile. One of the conclusions most striking of the research of Michael Kremer and his team are the ones who stay single the longest. Against the stereotype that being single is a purely bohemian choice, data shows clear patterns. First of all, men are more likely to remain single for a long timeThat is, they have never had a romantic relationship. But in addition, there is a direct correlation with a high academic training, since young people with higher educational levels They tend to delay their first relationship. The environment. But a great paradigm shift in recent years is undoubtedly in poor access to housing. The fact that many young people continue to live with their parents is undoubtedly a great determining factor in this love trajectory for young people. The turning point. Until age 23 or 24, there are no critical differences in life satisfaction between those who have had a partner and those who have not. However, upon crossing the 25-year threshold, the gap widens. In this case, the researchers detected that young people who have never been in a relationship show significantly higher levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms as they approach 30. According to the authors, this is because the social environment begins to put pressure implicitly, and the comparison with peers (who already establish long-term commitments) generates a feeling of exclusion. The healing power. But beyond the negative part for all those who have spent 25 years without a partner, the reality is that they have also seen that the first relationship It has incredible healing power. Especially when we talk about these long-term singles who find a partner. The transition to the first relationship brings an immediate increase in life satisfaction and a drastic drop in feelings of loneliness. Interestingly, although loneliness decreases, depressive symptoms take longer to stabilize, suggesting that the lack of previous experience leaves an emotional imprint that is not instantly erased with the first “I love you.” Social pressure. This work opens an interesting debate about mental health in the era of dating apps and job insecurity. Although society increasingly values ​​autonomy, the human brain appears to still respond to traditional social milestones. For Michael Krämer and his team, the problem is not singleness itself, but the mismatch between the desire for connection and the reality of a solitary life that extends beyond what the individual, or his or her environment, considers “normal.” And today there is above all pressure from the family that does not stop asking classic questions about when someone is going to have a partner to take them to family events. This is nothing more than a big problem for young people who see how they are arriving late to something that for many people is normal, especially if we look at the past where relationships and marriages increasingly emerged much earlier. Images | Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | Traditional couples have always aspired to live under the same roof. The LAT believes it is a huge mistake

depends on the West more than it admits

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China has managed to become the giant we know today: controls the processing of critical minerals, leads battery manufacturing and builds 74% of renewable energy of the planet. However, behind this imposing façade of self-sufficiency, the Asian giant hides an Achilles heel that its propaganda tries to silence: a critical dependence on the technology, machinery and intellectual property of the West it is trying to displace. The paradox of Chinese dominance. For decades, the West operated under a mirage. As analyst Gillian Tett explains in it Financial TimesWestern elites assumed that making things was low-margin “dirty work” that could be outsourced. While the world became obsessed with software and code, China was quietly building the physical infrastructure of the 21st century. Today, Beijing owns what investor Craig Tindale called “processing sovereignty”: controls the 98% of galliumhe 90% of rare earths and the 95% polysilicon. But this domain is incomplete and vulnerable. The recent failure of the Chinese company Defu Technology in his attempt to acquire the Luxembourg-based Circuit Foil for $204 million—blocked by the Luxembourg government—has shown that China is not self-sufficient in high-precision components. Despite its trade balance reaching a record surplus, Beijing was forced to import $1.3 billion worth of advanced copper foil last year alone, a discrete but vital input so its next-generation electric vehicles can even start. The “brain” is still foreign. The dependency is deeper than it seems. A report from Tsinghua University reveals devastating data: The Chinese wind industry still imports 60% of its rotor bearings, 70% of the transistor modules for the electrical grid and, most surprisingly, 100% of the logic modules that control the turbines in real time. Aware of this “bottleneck,” President Xi Jinping has personally pressured its manufacturers to “master key technologies.” The effort is bearing fruit—state media They report that the national production of bearings rose to 60% in record time—but the gap in high-end electronics continues to be the great handbrake. Even in cutting-edge sectors like green hydrogen, where Beijing has massive plans, a study published in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy underlines that Chinese industry is struggling to abandon its dependence on foreign-made proton exchange membranes. Beijing has the factories, but the West still has the “brains” and the fine chemistry that makes the machines work. From the “Malacca Dilemma” to resource nationalism. To understand Xi Jinping’s movement of pieces, you have to go back to 2003. Then, leader Hu Jintao coined the “Malacca Dilemma”: the fear that a hostile power would block the strait through which almost all the oil consumed by China passes. The commitment to clean energy was not only a climate issue, but a national security strategy to break that chain. However, in trying to escape dependence on oil, China has fallen into the trap of geology. Although it is the largest refiner in the world, it is poor in its own deposits of lithium, cobalt or nickel. As you have warned an extensive report on Financial TimesIndonesia or the Democratic Republic of the Congo are tightening their access rules, forcing Beijing to increase its strategic reserves amid fears that third-country resource nationalism will disrupt its supply chain. The awakening of a “disarmed” West. In Washington and Brussels they have gone from complacency to counteroffensive. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his G7 counterparts have met recently to create a “floor price” for rare earths, seeking to stifle the competitive advantage of Chinese subsidies. In Europe, the Commissioner for Industry, Stéphane Séjourné, has sent a message that has made boards of directors tremble: through the ReSourceEU program, the EU could legally bind companies to diversify their purchases to prevent Beijing from using permanent magnets as a geopolitical weapon. For its part, Donald Trump’s administration bet on recovering the control of physical matter through Venezuelan and Guyanese crude oil. However, as Gillian Tett warnsthis could be a pyrrhic victory: while the US fights for the fossil fuels of the 20th century, China continues to deploy ultra-high voltage networks to fuel its future race to Artificial Intelligence. The clash of clocks. Rebuilding this sovereignty is not just a matter of capital; It’s a matter of hands. Expert Craig Tindale postulates that the West suffers from a “human bottleneck”: after decades of deindustrialization, engineers who knew how to operate chemical plants and foundries have retired. China, through the prism of long-term planning inherited from Confucian thought, has synchronized its “industrial clock” with the political one, planning in decades what the West measures in financial quarters. The energy transition has ceased to be a humanitarian mission and has become a total battlefield. China dominates scale and execution, but the West still holds the keys to technological innovation and control of capital markets. The greatest risk is that this clash of strategies ends up slowing down the decarbonization of the planet. At the end of the day, the interdependence between China and the West is their greatest common weakness, but also the only guarantee that both sides are forced, sooner or later, to understand each other. Image | freepik Xataka | The gas market becomes unpredictable: we have tanks full and ships on the way, but the price remains an enigma

We already know what happened to the SpainSat NG II

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A space system designed to last decades, an investment of more than 2,000 million euros and two satellites designed to guarantee secure communications for the Armed Forces may be compromised by a millimeter impact tens of thousands of kilometers from Earth. That is what has happened with him SpainSat NG IIone of the two central pieces of the SpainSat NG program. After days of minimal information, there is finally an answer about his fate. We know what happened and what decision was made, although the episode still leaves relevant questions open. The sequence of events now allows us to establish a clearer time frame. SpainSat NG II took off on October 22, 2025, according to the Ministry of Defensein a mission that was presented as the culmination of the new secure communications constellation. On January 2, 2026, Indra recognized for the first time an external impact during the orbital transfer, without specifying its scope. Two weeks later, a new statement confirms that this damage will prevent completing the mission and activates the satellite relay. Non-recoverable damage. The key to the announcement is in a phrase that until now had not been pronounced so clearly. Hisdesat states thatafter reviewing the most recent technical reports from the main contractor, the SpainSat NG II will not be able to complete its mission. The statement does not go into nuances or intermediate scenarios: the damage is considered irreversible for operational purposes. This conclusion explains the immediate passage to the next movement of the program, the beginning of the process to replace the satellite, leaving behind any expectation of functional recovery. What happened on impact. Everything indicates that the SpainSat NG II was hit by a space particle of millimeter size and very little weight. In the orbital environment, that size is not irrelevant. In the evaluation carried out by Hisdesatthe impact would have occurred at high speed and in a particularly sensitive area of ​​the satellite, which would have caused damage that was impossible to correct. Even so, the satellite remains stable and in an eccentric orbit that does not interfere with other missions. Many questions on the table (and some answers). The decision to replace the satellite now opens a key question that the statement does not answer: timing. Hisdesat announces the start of the bid request process for the SpainSat NG III, but does not offer any reference on contracting, manufacturing, launch or entry into service deadlines. This absence prevents the precise measurement of the time margin until the replacement is operational. Meanwhile, the continuity of the service is supported by the SpainSat NG I, already in operation, and the satellite SpainSata solution that guarantees temporary coverage. Insurance doesn’t explain everything. The official statement is blunt on this point: the loss of SpainSat NG II will not cause “any economic damage”, since the satellite was insured against this type of incident. It is a clear statement, but not exhaustive. It is not detailed, for example, whether this coverage is limited to the value of the lost satellite or whether it includes the costs associated with its replacement, such as the new contracting process or the possible effects on program deadlines. A key project for the Spanish defense sector. The Ministry of Defense itself has stressed that more than 45% of the industrial load of the new satellites has been developed with the involvement of practically the entire national space sector. Now we have to wait to find out how the pieces will fit together, once again, so that the program continues and can meet its planned objectives. The good news is that, despite the difficulties, SpainSat NG has what it takes to move forward. Images | Airbus (1, 2) | Thales In Xataka | Starlink is on the verge of having more than 15,000 satellites in low orbit: the perfect nightmare for astronomers

The ultra-rich have turned it into their refuge

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The ultra-rich of the world they are choosing Spain like a paradise for your dream homes. High-income people are increasingly opting for properties with views of the Mediterranean Sea, away from the hustle and bustle, with a temperate climate and legal certainty for your investments. In recent years, ultra-high net worth individuals (so-called UHNWIs) Ultra High Net Worth Individuals) have put Spain in their sights, catapulting the country to fourth place globally in demand for luxury properties, as revealed the report Private Office Market Report 2026 by the real estate agency Engel & Völkers in collaboration with the consulting firm Henley & Partners. Spain: preferred destination for millionaires. Spain has slipped in in fourth place in the world in demand for luxury homes, only behind Italy, France and the United Arab Emirates. The analysis carried out by 160 international advisors reveals that prices in the premium real estate segment rose in Spain (as in Italy) driven by the mediterranean lifestyle. In contrast, destinations such as France and Canada registered moderate decreases. According to data from a study by the luxury real estate platform LuxuryEstate.com collected through the specialized portal Funds Societythe interest of millionaires from all over the world in Spain is solid. 77% of searches for luxury properties come from foreign buyers, with the ultra-rich Germans standing out with 27% of the total, above the French (17%) and Americans (5%). This translates into a record of almost 93,000 luxury homes acquired by non-residents in 2024, consolidating Spain as a safe destination for investors in luxury properties. Reasons that attract fortunes. It’s no longer just about saving money: the rich want to live (even) better. The Engel & Völkers report highlights that more than 50% of international advisors highlight an increase in preference for destinations that invite people to live. outdoor life (such as gardens or terraces accompanied by temperate climates) as the main feature for selecting luxury properties. This figure rises to 69.5% for requests in Europe and 54.8% worldwide. Jawed Barna, CEO of Engel & Völkers, sees it clearly: these properties act as “lifestyle assets.” Hans Lenz, an advisor in Mallorca, tells how “we have a growing group of clients moving here thanks to the incredible climate, security, connectivity and schools, with 19 international schools in Mallorca.” The exemption from wealth tax of up to three million euros and the absence of inheritance tax in the Balearic Islands accelerate the arrival of wealthy families to the Balearic Islands, combining remote work with the beach and golf. Classic destinations. According what was published by IdealisticMadrid, the Balearic Islands and Marbella are the most common destinations for these wealthy buyers. In Marbella, 8,708 luxury transactions were closed in 2024, an increase of 5.64% year-on-year, with 92% in foreign hands such as Mexicans and Russians. These operations seek absolute privacy, panoramic views and luxury equipment such as infinity pools. Millionaires, along with Latinos, choose a formula that mixes the business potential of the destination with relaxation. When you clear the Neighborhoods like Salamanca in Madrid or Pedralbes in Barcelona They see apartments exceeding one million euros they pass to American and Latin American millionaires. In 2026 it will go further. According to data from the Engel & Völkers study, the luxury market in Spain generated 20,550 million euros in 2025, which represents a growth of 6.2% compared to the previous year, with Chinese tourists responsible for 20% of total spending in this segment. Stuart Siegel, of Engel & Völkers Americas, predicts that the rich will continue to invest in homes designed for long-term enjoyment, prioritizing quality of life over quick profits. For his part, Daniel Hadi, CEO of the real estate agency for the Middle East, warns that the lack of exclusive villas and mansions will drive up current property prices even more. Given this luxury housing shortagebuyers will begin to look towards Branded Residences from prestigious brands such as Four Seasons or Dorchester, equipped with private spas and other luxury services managed by brands. In Xataka | The sale of a mansion for 22 million euros has revealed a new reality: Sotogrande is the new Marbella Image | Unsplash (Norbert Buduczki)

OpenAI will start placing ads on ChatGPT. We already know who this first test will reach

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For years, ChatGPT It has functioned as one of the most accessible gateways to artificial intelligence, an assistant that many people use daily without a subscription. That model, which helped popularize generative AI at a speed that is difficult to match from the end of 2022is now beginning to show its limits. Maintaining that promise of mass access has an increasing cost, and OpenAI has decided to explore an avenue that had been on the table for some time: will start testing ads in the chatbota movement that puts back on the table how the AI ​​we use every day is financed. ChatGPT is about to change. OpenAI says that ads will only be shown on the free and Go plans, while users of ProBusiness and Enterprise will be left out. The decision introduces a clear separation between plans aimed at the general public and those designed for professional or business use. As we can see, in this pilot, advertising is associated with the cheapest access levels, while higher subscriptions maintain an ad-free experience. This is what ChatGPT ads will look like Where the advertising will appear. There are also details on how advertising will be integrated into the user experience. In this first phase, ads will appear at the end of ChatGPT responses when there is a sponsored product or service related to the ongoing conversation, always separated from organic content and, as the company promises, clearly labeled. Therefore, we should be able to know why we are seeing that specific ad and we will have the option to hide it. What about conversations. Along with the announcement of this test, OpenAI wanted to establish in writing the principles that, according to the company, will guide its advertising approach. It insists that ads will not influence ChatGPT responses, which will continue to be optimized based on what is most useful to the user, and emphasizes that conversations will not be shared or sold to advertisers. It also promises control: we can disable personalization and delete data used for ads. For adult users only. Not all users or all conversations are included in this test. The firm points out that the ads will only be shown to adults who are logged in, and that both accounts in which the user indicates, or the system estimates, that he or she is under 18 years of age, as well as content linked to sensitive areas, will be excluded. Health, mental health and politics are among the topics prohibited from appearing in advertisements. Someone has to pay for AI. Generative AI has become an extremely expensive technology to operate, while, as is often the case with services with a massive free plan, converting those users into subscribers is not easy, even with cheaper paid plans. OpenAI earns revenue from subscriptions and its API for developers, and in that context testing ads fits as one of the ways the company puts on the table to expand revenue without closing access. The financial hole. The economic context is best understood by looking at the numbers published at the end of 2025. According to financial documents seen by The Wall Street JournalOpenAI assumes that it will continue to accumulate very high losses for several years before achieving significant profits towards the end of the decade. The projection for 2028 is even more demanding, with operating losses that would reach $74 billion, driven mainly by the cost of computing. The competition is getting fiercerz. Added to this financial pressure is a competitive context much more demanding than that of ChatGPT’s first months. OpenAI’s initial leadership is no longer as undisputed as in 2022 and 2023, with rivals such as Google with Gemini and Anthropic with Claude reinforcing its offer and gaining presence. Staying ahead requires constant investment, not only in research, but also in infrastructure and operational capacity. The announcement does not close the debate, it opens it. OpenAI insists that this is a limited test with no long-term commitments, but the simple fact of introducing advertising sets a precedent. It remains to be seen if this model is limited to the United States or if it ends up spreading to other markets, and how users react to this change. Ultimately, the question is broader and affects the entire industry: who pays the real cost of artificial intelligence that aspires to be in the hands of everyone. Images | OpenAI In Xataka | If we ask Spaniards how they feel about AI, the answer is simple: more productive

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