The EU wants to order the jungle of micropagues

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Virtual currencies are the order of the day in some of the most popular games of the moment. Absolutely pointers such as’Marvel Rivals‘,’Overwatch 2‘ either ‘Fortnite‘They base their success and strong penetration capacity on their gratuity, but this is only simulated: its lucrative business is in microtransactions, which is a topic whose toxicity It has been arguing for a whilesince the loot boxes They became a symbol of everything pernicious that the system has. Now, the European Union has taken letters in the matter with a prohibition that could change the video game panorama in the continent. Boarded atmosphere. Just a couple of months ago, in mid -January, the developers of one of the gruel most popular in the market, ‘Genshin Impact‘, had to face a Fine of twenty million dollars and the prohibition of allowing kids under 16 to make purchases without paternal content. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the game deibestly pointed to minors with its payment system by loot boxeswithout revealing how much money you had to spend to get to the desired objective: get rare playable characters. Cognosphere accessed to harden your age control system and paternal consent. What does the law say. New EU research He has focused on a Swedish game entitled ‘Star Stable online‘, and that undertook practices that are defined in the report as “especially harmful to children”, which has led to generate a search for “greater protection” for European consumers. To achieve this, they are established Seven key principles that must be followed from now on: The price indication must be clear and transparent. Practices that hide the cost of digital contents and services should be avoided. Practices that force consumers to buy unwanted and virtual currency within the game should be avoided. Consumers should receive clear and complete pre -contractual information. The right of withdrawal of consumers must be respected. The contractual conditions must be fair and written in a simple and clear language. The design and gameplay of games must respect the different vulnerabilities of consumers. The most important change will be given in what is a prohibition of one of the key characteristics of virtual currencies: these may continue to exist, but the correspondence with real world currency should be clearly seen. That is, virtual currencies become a cosmetic issue of the game, not a way to hide the authentic price of items. And all this will be mandatory? No: it is a mere orientative guide published by the European Union, but not adjust to what it recommends makes companies into a objective of possible demands, and where they will carry out: the plaintiff will receive support from the European Commission and the Cooperation Network for Consumer Protection. That is, companies should take note, since Europe “can take new measures if harmful practices continue.” The fight against loot boxes. These types of measures had a precedent in the search for formulas to legislate loot boxes. Since 2019, the International Videogame Community warned of his dangers for what they had of slips camouflaged by the element of chance that is implicit in their mechanics. In fact, Spain was One of the first countries to legislate against the loot boxesannouncing in 2020 that use by minors would be controlled through the ID. In June of last year the draft law that this prohibition will implement was approved. Header | EA In Xataka | The consoles are still the stars of the video game. Real money is on mobile and microtransactions

its folk salts and thorium reactor

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China has deservedly consolidated as the country to which all the nations that bet on nuclear energy look. On the one hand, it already has The same number of nuclear reactors that France in operation: 56. only US surpasses them both with their 94 active nuclear reactors. However, ambition in this area of ​​the country led by Xi Jinping is much greater than that of France. And is that China is building 30 more reactors and plans to point another 37. However, the best asset of this Asian country is its commitment to innovation. And the reactor of Molten Sales and Torio TMSR-LF1 is a very valuable letter of presentation. This machine received the approval of the Chinese Nuclear Safety Administration in mid -June 2023 after having successfully completed the initial testing phase that started in 2021. and since then the itinerary that had set the Institute of Applied Physics of Shanghai, which is the institution responsible for its tuning. As explained by the American nuclear engineer Nick Touran In your tweetthe TMSR-LF1 reactor officially entered into operation on October 11, 2023. A few months later, on June 17, 2024, he began working at full power. And on October 8 of last year the technicians who operate it detected protacinium-233 (PA-233), a radioactive isotope intermediate derived from the transformation of the thorium into Uranium-233 as part of the fuel cycle of the thorium. The TMSR-LF1 reactor marks the way to the countries that are committed to nuclear energy This nuclear reactor is in the Minqin industrial complex of the province of Gansu, in northern China. It has a power of 2 thermal megawatts (MWT), and, although it will not be the first Fourth Generation Nuclear Reactor In activity, and not the first one that Torio will use as fuel, it will be the first of molten salts that will use this chemical element. However, the ambition of this Asian country does not end here; It is already planning to build a molten salts and more capacity sales reactor for 2030. China is not the only country that bets on this technology. USA, France or India are some of those who have also invested in research programs that pursue the development of nuclear reactors capable of Generate electricity from the thorium. India’s in particular is interesting because it aims to demonstrate the viability of fuel cycles based on thorium in the context of its advanced heavy water reactor project. This technology is still far from being adopted in a generalized way, but its advantages closely link it to the future of nuclear energy. The thorium has in its favor that it is as easy to extract as uranium, but it has the inconvenience that it is not directly physable Nuclear forum It estimates that our planet brings together approximately 12 million tons of thorium, so this chemical element is three times more abundant in the earth’s cortex than Uranium used as fuel in the current nuclear centrals. The largest deposits reside in China, Brazil, Canada, Australia, USA, Greenland, Russia, Norway, South Africa and Venezuela, although prospects reflect that the country that Torio has is precisely one of the ones that is investing most in the development of reactors capable of using it: India. Another point in your favor is that it is as easy to extract as uranium, but it has the inconvenience that it is not directly physable. It is necessary to introduce it into a reactor that manufactures uranium from Torio, and what it produces is not uranium-235, it is uranium-233, But the important thing is that it is fisible. Once this uranium has occurred, it can be introduced into a conventional reactor like those we have in Spain, which could not work with Torio, but with a derivative of that element. In addition, experts say that molten salts nuclear reactors are safer than reactors installed in the nuclear power plants that are currently in operation. Two of the reasons are that they use as a refrigerant lithium fluoride and beryllium at a very low pressure, and the fuel remains dissolved in the form of salt, so it is very unlikely that an accident could trigger the fusion of the reactor’s core. Another quality of these reactors that are worth not overlooking is that their architecture allows them to be installed underground, which, again, increases their safety. But this is not all. Another peculiar and positive feature of these reactors is that they allow to recharge the fuel while remaining in operation. China is investing in the development of this technology as a means to build fourth -generation nuclear power plants in the most remote and arid regions of the country And, in addition, the fact that they do not need water to maintain the refrigerated nucleus allows them to be installed in regions in which water is scarce, or, simply, in areas where there is no river and are not close to the sea. This is one of the reasons why, precisely, China is investing in the development of this technology as a means to build fourth generation nuclear centrals in the most remote and arid regions in the country. It is also worth not overlooking that the radioactive waste they generate has a much shorter semi -grid period than that of the residues of the reactors that use uranium, which logically facilitates their management. And, in addition, molten salts reactors use less fuel because thorium efficiency is much higher than uranium. Virtually all fuel is involved in nuclear fission, so its use, in theory, is maximum. In Xataka | The largest nuclear power plant in the planet is a beast with seven reactors. Is ready to return after Fukushima

Argentina says “no” for the sale of the telephone subsidiary to Clarín. Telefónica Spain says “It’s not my problem”

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Javier Milei’s government He has “preventive” suspended the sale of Telefónica Argentina to Telecom (controlled by the Clarín and Fintech group), alleging risks of monopolistic concentration. However, Telefónica has already charged 1,245 million dollars (about 1,190 million euros) and considers the closed and irrevocable operation. The problem is not in your hands now, but in that of your buyers. Why is it important. The operation represents a strategic divestment for Telefónica, which seeks to reduce its exposure in Latin America to focus on their priority markets: Spain, Brazil, Germany and the United Kingdom. Argentina meant only 3% of group’s revenues and generated negative operational results (-199 million euros in 2023). Between the lines. The blockade has a strong political component: Milei maintains an open confrontation with the Clarín Groupowner of 40% of Telecom Argentina and owner of the newspaper of greater circulation in the country and several influential media. The Argentine president has even fixed in his X account A message accusing Clarín of “hosting the government with lies.” The contrast. Milei’s position is contradictory with his ultraliberal ideology. In February, During a speech in Washington, he said that “monopolies are not bad, unless they are armed by the State.” Now it uses precisely antitrust arguments to block an operation between private companies. Yes, but. Argentine legislation, unlike the Spanish or European, contemplates only one EX POST CONTROL of business operations. This means that conditions or restrictions can only be imposed on the buyer, not the seller, and only after closing the transaction. In figures. According to the Argentine government, the merger would create a telecommunications giant that it would concentrate: 61% of the mobile phone market. 69% of fixed telephony. Up to 80% of the residential Internet service in some areas. And now what. Telefónica goes out with the clean jacket of this Barrizal. If the Argentine authorities confirm the dominant position, the only one affected would be Telecom Argentina, which could be forced to sell assets at lower prices than they would put in normal conditions. The objective, reduce its market share. The operation is part of Telefónica’s strategy to disinvest in Latin America, where business They represent 13% of Ebitda with lower margins (19.4% compared to 32.1% of the group). This operation seems clearly advantageous for Telefónica, which can now reinvest the funds achieved in businesses with the greatest growth potential, such as Telefónica Tech or as its position in the United Kingdom. EITHER keep reducing your debt. Outstanding image | Casa RosadaTelefónica In Xataka | 100 years after his birth, Telefónica faces the greatest existential dilemma in its history: what wants to be older

In the era of hybrid work there is a new unicorn of business management: the Barcelona factorial startup

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In 2020 and in full pandemic a technological startup of Barcelona called Factorial He lived his particular turning point. The company had an attractive and versatile online platform for human resources management, and the confinement gave a unique opportunity to make potential clients known: it offered its platform for free until confinement passed, and that made many known and realized how well that platform could work while the teleworking became strength. His CEO, Jordi Romero, explained So how many of the new clients who registered in factorial maintained their management in local files or at most “in a dropbox folderbut nothing more. “In April the firm achieved an investment of 16 million dollars of CRV, but that was a stressful round. Just before the pandemic came the company had” an agreement between knights (with CRV), so to speak, “Romero commented,” but the money had to be transferred yet. “ The decision to offer its platform for free was a success, and many companies verified the benefits of that comfortable online management that allowed everything very well organized and accessible in a simple way. At that time that round was the largest that was seen in Spain, and it happened at a time when the labor market was in a certainly strange situation. Factorial took advantage of something that no other company in the sector had previously taken advantage of: His platform was perfect for companies that or did not have HR professionals for being too small, or that if they had them were overcome by the workload or by having to make those tasks with others of management. The factorial solution precisely solved the problem, and that marked a before and after for her and her clients. New and important investment rounds After that round starring CRV, 18 months later factorial became one of the protagonists of the Spanish technological sector. In September 2021 the general investment firm Catalyst bet 80 million dollars for her and confirmed her remarkable projection. This bet was a success: the factorial growth has made it one of the most promising technological startups in our country. A year later, factorial lifted another 120 million dollars in a round with the majority participation of Atomico, but also of GIC, Tiger Global, CRV, K-Found and Creandum. That made it a de facto “unicorn”: its valuation was already 1,000 million dollars, twice what was a year earlier with the previous round. The company, which then had 7,000 clients in Europe and in Latin America – where those first years had its great focus— has not stopped growing And he has had a especially notable 2024. His number of customers is now 13,000 SMEs, and has just given another great news: General Catalyst, which as we said already invested 80 million dollars in it, has expanded that investment at $ 120 million, so that the total bet It becomes 200 million dollars. It is striking that this extension of the investment is carried out without diluting the capital of its shareholders. Jordi Romero, CEO of Factorial (on the left in the image with Bernat Farrero, another of the co -founders) explained how that is “something uncommon in hypercrection companies that, in addition, are financially sustainable.” Pau Ramón, the third co -founder and exco from the company, abandonment Factorial in 2023 for personal reasons. The funds, as those responsible for Factorial point out, will go to the expansion of the firm in Germany – where it is growing especially fast – France and Italy. Not only that: they will allow this firm to give the final impulse in a transition in which they have been working for years: to go from being a human resources software to a large business management platform. SANNED ACCOUNTS AND OWN RISK CAPITAL FUND They hope to reach about 20,000 clients before the end of the year, Romero said In the countryand its forecast is to exceed 100 million dollars of recurring income this year. As indicated in that article, 2024 has been the first year in which the company has grown up without consuming its own resourcessomething especially important to consolidate the profitability of the company. Bernat Farrero, Pau Ramón (now outside the company) and Jordi Romero, co -founders of the company. Source: Factorial. The firm had at the end of 2024 with 90 million dollars of cash reserves, something striking because it shows the financial solidity of a company that is capable of growing without practically boxing of cash. The investment round seemed almost unnecessary, but according to Romero that allows factorial to “continue its expansion without compromising its financial stability or diluting the capital of its shareholders,” as we mentioned earlier. The company has no immediate plans to go over – “We are not in a hurry,” Romero explains – and does not seem interested in inorganic growth inking or buying other companies. What they do, explained those responsible In araIt is to bill 1,000 million euros in five years. And although the exit to the parquet is for now an unknown, what those entrepreneurs have done has been, as they pointed out In the avant -garde, Create a risk capital fund of 15 million euros with which they want to finance emerging companies. It’s called Itnig Capital, and He has already invested One million euros in nine Spanish companies. The “Startup factory” of Factorial seems to have started with good foot, and is helping that new firms created by former factorial employees take their first steps, as pointed out expanding A few months ago. Growing, but with comparatively low wages During all this factorial time it has evolved. Its creators began working on a human resources platform to manage both employees and various administrative tasks, but in recent times they have become a “Comprehensive Business Management Platform“That allows the management of projects, training and control of expenses. Romero, Farrero and Ramón shared the same frustration when creating factorial: that in many companies there was little technology that helped to climb … Read more

Blackstone wants to buy it for 5.5 billion euros

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The greatest business operation of what we have been in Spain is going unnoticed between more striking headlines and more names Sexiesbut its magnitude is extraordinary: two giants of risk capital want to buy the company that manages your waste for a sidereal price. The latest. Blackstone and EQT have signed an exclusivity agreement to negotiate Urbaser for approximately 5.5 billion euros, debt included, as progressing The economist. The consortium will now make a Due Diligence Four -week confirmatory to close the final fringes. Why is it important. This assessment makes Urbaser, a waste management company that was born as an ACS subsidiary, a more valuable asset than airlines such as China Airlines or Easyjet, and even that Indra, the Spanish Technological Giant of Defense. Incidentally, demonstrates the growing interest of global funds in the Spanish environmental sector. Between the lines. The Platinum Equity Fund, current owner –Urser is of Spanish origin but of US capital – will triple its investment in just three years. Urbaser bought the Chinese Chinese group Tianying (Cnty) in 2021 for 3,500 million, which in turn I had acquired it from ACS for only 1,114 million in 2016. The money trail. Platinum already has extracted a considerable value of Urbaser: He charged a dividend of 300 million euros in previous exercises. I had prepared another extraordinary dividend of 1,000 million if the sale failed. He sold four subsidiaries for approximately 1,000 million (United Kingdom, Nordic countries, water and operations business in Portugal). In figures. Urbaser is a growing giant: Ebitda of 2024: 560 million euros (without Argentina) Ebitda forecast by 2025: 600 million (without Argentina) The Argentine subsidiary, excluded from the operation, provides additional 90 million. What is happening. Blackstone continues with its strategy to buy Spain for fascicles. The American giant already has a large number of strategic assets in our country, from homes and hotels to logistics centers. This operation fits its global commitment to critical infrastructures and essential public services. And now what? If the operation is completed, it will be the largest of the year in Spain and one of the largest in Europe. The Argentine subsidiary will be sold separately, according to Expansionwhile the new owners must manage an important debt after the acquisition. In Xataka | Playtomic has just lifted one of the largest investment rounds this year in Spain with a peculiar hook: paddle Outstanding image | Urbaser

The US has drawn its polygraph. The person who leaked that Elon Musk has the secret plan of a war with China is sought

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The story began Last Thursday. Apparently, the Pentagon had organized an informative meeting for Elon Musk. So far, all more or less “normal” The government role who has obtained the richest man in the world since Trump was re -elected. The problem was the task of the apparent meeting, According to the New York Times: Put Musk aware of the Military Secret Plan that has in the United States before a possible war war with China. The schism has been such that Pentagon itself seeks at this time to the culprit. Presidential denial. After the Times articlePresident Donald Trump did not take long in reject publicly The possibility that Musk has access to secret military plans related to a potential conflict with China. As we said, according to the newspaper, Musk would have been scheduled to receive a high -level informative session in the Pentagon on US military strategies against Chinawhat aroused concern due to their extensive commercial links With that country. Trump denied the existence of this session and said that, although Musk is significantly helping the government, identifying “waste, fraud and abuse,” It would not be appropriate Sharing high sensitivity information, emphasizing that, in his opinion, Musk himself would not want to put himself in that position. The visit and multiple interpretations. Musk, CEO of Spacex and Tesla, in addition to part -time government advisor, visited the pentagon the day after the exclusive Times, on Friday, March 22, and said A private meeting Of more than an hour with the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and with the Vice Chief of the Joint General Staff, Admiral Christopher W. Gray. Originally, according to two officials cited by the TimesMusk was going to be received in “The Tank”, a high security conference room within the building, to discuss defense strategies in case of a confrontation with China. It was also mentioned that the meeting would include Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, head of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. However, this last session seems that It was finally canceled After the publication of the article. Musk finally met at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, not in the “Safe Sala”, which could have limited access to classified material. Postures and ambiguity. During an event in the Oval office in which Trump and Hegseth announced a new defense contract for the new Air Force hunting, Both denied The version of Times, describing it as “a false story.” Hegseth insisted that the visit It was informal and revolved around government efficiency issues. Trump claimed to have learned of the alleged classified session Through the newspaper And he declared that he had called his chief of Cabinet and Hegseth to confirm the veracity of the information, who discarded it as absurd. Despite this, Trump took the opportunity to underline that, due to Musk’s businesses in China, It would be reckless Share sensitive military plans, marking one of the clearest limits so far regarding the relationship between the tycoon and the administration. Lack of clarity. I counted in Another later article The Times there are areas Gray at the meeting. Neither Musk nor Hegseth answered questions from the press at the end of it. When questioned by a reporter of the Times about the content of the meeting, Hegseth replied Dry: “Why would I tell you?”, Before retiring without clarifications. A senior defense official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said Musk attended to provide, and not receive, an informative session focused on industrial policy and sharing experiences linked to their companies. Trump, meanwhile, He reaffirmed this version Subsequently, stating that the visit was related to Musk’s efforts to reduce the size of the government and improve the efficiency of public spending. Tension after controversy. Be that as it may, the United States Department of Defense has started formal investigationwhich includes the use of polygraph tests, to identify those responsible for internal leaks after the accusations arising around Musk’s recent visit to Pentagon. The decision was promoted after Musk itself publicly demandedthrough Your social network Xthe prosecution of Pentagon officials that would be disseminating “maliciously false information” about their relationship with the military institution. Criminal implications. Before the magnitude of the scandal, Joe Kasper, Hegseth Cabinet Chief, announced the immediate start of research to identify unauthorized leaks of information on national security. In a memorandum issued on March 21, Kasper indicated that the investigation will collect A complete record of unauthorized disseminations within the Department of Defense and will issue recommendations to improve confidentiality protocols. Who are responsible will be referred to criminal authorities corresponding for prosecution. This investigative offensive, which includes interrogations with lies detector, represents an unprecedented response within the American defense apparatus and reflects the level of concern generated by filtration. Tesla and China. The truth is that the controversy that has emerged is much less trivial, and has to do with the Musk’s delicate balance Between the two powers. Tesla, Musk’s automotive company, has been one of The big beneficiaries of Chinese policies in favor of electric vehicles. His factory in Shanghai is the biggest and company productive, and represents approximately 37% of its global sales. To fully operate in the country, Tesla has received incentivesregulatory approvals and privileged access to the market, including authorizations to display autonomous driving technology. Starlink and China. In parallel, Spacex and its Starlink satellite system, essential for the operations of the Department of Defense, place Musk in a dual position: as a key supplier for the national security of the United States and as an entrepreneur with strong interests in a rival power. Dissonance becomes even more evident for the past comments of Musk himself, who Taiwan has described as “an integral part of China” and has proposed a reintegration model similar to Hong Kong’s, ideas that have been Well received in Beijing But harshly criticized by Taipei and by US officials. Concern in Congress. Had the weekend The Washington Post That both Republican and Democratic legislators have expressed concerns about how the Chinese Communist … Read more

Protein shake glycine

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The automobile industry has taken the path of electrification. Sean electric, hybrids of any type or microhíbridoseveryone has something in common: larger or smaller, they set up a battery. And that carries a long -term problem: what will happen to that battery when Finish the car’s life cycle. The answer should be recycling, but current methods emit large amounts of waste and do not allow all lithium and other battery components to recover. However, Chinese researchers believe they have found the key to recover 99.99% of the lithium of batteries. And the secret ingredient is something that is in the protein smoothies that we consume to gain muscle mass: glycine. Need. Our dependence on lithium batteries It’s worrying. Numerous devices have them as a source of energy, but in the case of electric vehicles, obviously the necessary amount is much higher. It is what has caused global production to quadruplica between 2010 and 2022. And that 2022 already said that We were going to need more lithium of which, probably, have the planet. Ok, then we recycle. The problem is that … well, there are not few problems. Recycle a battery (this applies to anyone, but intensifies with the huge batteries of cars) is that it takes a long time to perform the process. You have to download it completely before you can handle them safely and, once done that, there are two consolidated methods: Hydrometallurgy: By acids, metals dissolve in a process known as leaching. We can obtain both lithium and nickel/cobalt and it is estimated that 99% of them are suitable for new batteries. Pyometallurgy: By ovens at 1,500 degrees Celsius, the components are melted and cobalt, nickel and copper are separated, on the one hand, and the rest of the components (aluminum, lithium and manganese) on the other. To recover lithium, after pyrometallurgy you have to do a hydrometallurgy process. The inconveniences are clear: in the case of hydrometallurgy, the use of acids is very polluting and liquid waste must be managed. In addition, it takes a long time to break down and separate the elements. In that of pyrometallurgy, although the process is faster, large amounts of CO2 occur that are emitted to the atmosphere and consume a lot of energy. Glycina. It is necessary to find more sustainable alternatives, and that is where glycine comes into play. Researchers from the South Central University of Changsha, the University of Guizhou and the National Center for Advanced Materials Engineering of Advanced Energy Storage have found a way of recycling less pollutingly 99.9% of the battery materials. In his studyexpose how glycinawhich is a non -essential amino acid found in proteins, can achieve an efficient recovery of 99.99% of lithium, 96.86% of nickel, 92.35% of copper and 90.59% of the manganese of batteries. Turbohydrometallurgy. Researchers detail that the key is to create an atmosphere of soft leaching. Changing ‘hard’ acids that are commonly used in battery recycling for neutral pH solutions with glycine allows the materials of the old battery to decompose and subsequently recover the elements that interest in the face of their recycling in new equipment. As they point from Motorpasionby contacting the batteries used with an iron salt solution, sodium oxalate and liquid glycine, an iron layer is formed on them that plays the anode paper, while the battery material that is recycled works as a cathode. This chemical provides a process that breaks down the battery structure, facilitating the independent dissolution of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. In addition, the team ensures that it is a quick process: just 15 minutes. Recycle vs mining. From the study they affirm that it is a cheaper process, more energy efficient and with less emissions than the traditional methods of hydrometallurgy that use acid or ammonia, but of course, it is something that has been tested in the laboratory and that would have to be seen in a real scenario. What is clear is that recycling seems the key to advancing in that automotive electrification without resorting to an increase in the Exploitation of lithium mines. A few weeks ago, researchers at Stanford University published a study in which they compared the benefits of lithium -ion batteries recycling in the face of the extraction of new materials. In summary: It is emitted between 58% and 81% less greenhouse gases. It is used between 72% and 88% less water. It is used between 77 and 89% less energy. Less soot and sulfur is also emitted. We are in it. These results are the result of a method patented by university researchers. It is like pyrometallurgy, but selectively, so the temperature is lower and emissions, therefore, they are also. Whether with the Standford method or with that of glycine devised by Chinese researchers, the world is in that race for the recycling of electric vehicle batteries. Princeton University are investigating the low temperature plasma to replace the traditional methods of pyrometallurgy; There are already companies that have BMW or Mercedes contracts with the objective of recycling car batteries and also methods that use the microwave radiation To separate the components: up to 87% of the lithium of a battery in 15 minutes. It is evident that, just as there is a career for electrification, it is also actively investigated how to reuse batteries that no longer serve for new cars, but that can be used in the manufacture of others. At least while we wait those of solid state… Images | Tennen-Gas In Xataka | The US has found lithium to solve the problem of the electric car “for decades.” It is worse news of what it seems

We thought we were 8,000 million people throughout the planet. Until some researchers began to make numbers

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In November 2022, the UN celebrated that we were already 8,000 million humans on earth. They are estimates, of course, but beyond the figure, the really interesting thing is that in 2023 We do not reach the replacement rate and that humanity will reach its peak at the end of the century to, irremediably, Start falling. But … to what extent can we trust those accounts? It is something that takes time on the table, and now a study It arrives to add more spicy when we affirmed that we have been making it counting. So much that we have left several hundred million people along the way. Can we trust the numbers? “Calculating the number of people on the planet is an inaccurate science.” That was the comment of demographer Jakub Bijak a BBC In the middle of last year, just when the Study of world population perspectives. Something scientific is something exact, but the researcher also commented that the only thing that can be sure when predicting population figures is of the lack of certainty. That, eye, does not mean that demographers get the figures out of nowhere. “It is something difficult based on our experience, knowledge and each piece of information we have,” said Toshiko Kanera, an expert in demographic forecasts. The demographers drink from the data and trends of each country since 1950, but … what if it had not been well told? We are missing millions. In a new study published in Natureresearchers from the University of Aalto in Finland show how the data sets that demographers manage to “deep and systematic” the population figures worldwide. The serious thing is that we would be talking about hundreds of millions more people living on earth. Example of the tools that demographers use in their analysis. Each corresponds to a different bias The rural areas. Josias Láng-Rritter is one of the investigators in charge of the study and points to the accounts made in a specific segment: that of the rural population. “For the first time, our study provides evidence that a significant proportion of the rural population could be absent in the data sets of the global population,” he says. As we say, we don’t talk about a few million, but thousands of millions. “Depending on the data set used, rural populations have been underestimated between 53% and 84% in the period studied. The results are notable, since these data sets have been used in thousands of studies and have widely supported decision making, but their precision has not been systematically evaluated,” says the researcher. The map shows the location of the 307 rural areas analyzed in the study. It was found that the populations reported in the graph were underestimated between 53% and 84% | University of Aalto Biases. Attempts to review these data are not new, but previous investigations have focused on specific countries or urban areas. The researchers at the University of Aalto have wanted to take a more global photo when comparing the five most used population data sets worldwide. They have used maps that divide the planet into high resolution grids and have taken as a very concrete reference: the resettlement figures of more than 300 rural dams projects in 35 countries. Why this dam bias? Because When a dam is builtthe population that lives in the area that will be flooded is relocated and precise resettlement data is usually had. When comparing this population data from 1975 to 2010, the researchers found that the 2010 maps were more precise, but still omitted between 32% and 77% of the rural population. Between 2015 and 2020 the data sets were updated, but the demographers continue to consider that the underestimation of the rural population continues to exist and is a problem that persists in all regions of the world. Consequences. And we are talking about a problem whose resolution is complex. According to researchers, no matter how much the data is reviewed, it is a structural problem. Governments do not have the resources to collect precise data in these rural regions, there is a huge discrepancy between the real population and the one reported in the population maps that are used to carry out demographic studies and that influences decision making. Average percentage of rural population estimated down (red and orange) and overestimated (blue) | University of Aalto And it is important. Current estimates place 43% of 8,200 million World inhabitants in rural areas -And 3,526 million people- and if we take into account that it is a percentage that has underestimated between 53% and 84%, we are not talking about little population, precisely. And it is essential to know exactly how many we are for a simple reason: the redistribution of resources. No data. The lack of precise demographic records can affect political decision making. Ritter sets the example of social decisions. “In many countries, there may not be enough available data at the national level, so they depend on the global population maps to support their decisions: do we need an asphalted road or a hospital? How much medicine is needed in a specific area? How many people could be affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods?” Making quick accounts, in the best scenario – the 53% deviation in the rural population – we would talk about 1,869 million people who would not have counted. In the worst case, in the 84% not registered, we would talk about 2,962 million people. In Nature’s study, they put an example Paraguay, which in the 2012 census may have left out a quarter of the population. Reviewing the methods. In the analysis of the team, there are countries that come out better than others. They put Finland as an example of reliable data, even in rural regions, because they began bringing digital records of the population 30 years ago. However, in countries in which this conscientious digital registry has taken longer to be implemented due to crisis of any kind, … Read more

Emirates has fallen in love with shows with drones. It already moves millions of dollars and aims to have no rival in the sky

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More than a decade ago It was held next to the Danube Riverin Austria, the first show of drones of which you have registration. It was during a local music festival, with Few flying devices But with a huge technical deployment. Since then, this type of exhibitions has not stopped evolving. Today, drones have become an increasingly popular alternative to fireworks. The United States and China have taken the lead with mass shows, but the United Arab Emirates want to take the proposal a step further. And are willing to strive to achieve it. Emirates wants to lead the future of shows in heaven Talking about Arab Emirates is talking about a country accustomed to megaprojects. From the Burj Khalifa to the artificial island Palm Jumeirahgoing through The future tower with the highest watch in the worldtheir ambitions do not know limits. Behind this deployment there is a clear strategy: diversify the economy and reduce oil dependence. One of the last steps in that direction is to turn Abu Dhabi into a cultural and technological pole. Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed al Nahyan has opted for an unpublished show: The largest exhibition of drones in the world. The objective is to launch more than 10,000 illuminated drones, coordinated in real time to form three -dimensional images. The challenge is not less. Until now, few have managed to operate such a number of drones simultaneously. The record is held by Shenzhenin China, With 10,197 devices in 2024in a sample that beat two Guinness records. The United States has also advanced, With exhibitions of up to 5,000 drones in Texas. Although Abu Dhabi has not yet confirmed the date of the ambitious event, it is known that it will be in charge of Nova Sky Stories (a Colorado firm) with Analog, a Emiratí company specialized in mixed reality and physical intelligence. Arab Emirates was a pioneer in adopting this technology, and the shows began to gain popularity in 2020. Today they are a usual part of great conferences and festivals. According to Rest of Worldan average show in the region costs some $ 112,000 and implies around 400 drones, well above what a traditional fireworks show costs, which is around $ 13,000 and $ 41,000. The global market is also taking off. In 2023 it was valued at 338.9 Millions of dollarswith the Middle East representing 41 million. And, from what we have seen, there is still a generous margin of growth. The AI ​​is already changing the way these shows are designed. Skyvertise, one of the most active companies in Emirates, explains that algorithms allow reducing manual labor time to Automize much of visual planning. The future of air entertainment is changing, and the Emirates want to be in charge. Images | Cyberdrone Drone Show In Xataka | Emirates financed a study to know if it can cause rain in the desert with solar farms. The answer is yes

We knew that smell and memory are closely related. And that unlocks an advantage: detect the Alzheimer’s

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Alzheimer’s disease may be difficult to detect. The symptoms of this disorder usually become evident only after the progress of this dementia, which is a huge problem. And, in the absence of a definitive cure, our ability to stop the impact of the disease depends largely on early detection. Smell. One of the clues we have when detecting Alzheimer’s in its early stages is through smell. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Chicago analyzed the impact of the disease on our sensory capacity and detected that there is a rapid loss of smell when making us greater could predict with some accuracy The advent of Alzheimer’s disease. Smell of Magdalena. The relationship between memory and smell is very narrow. We know that the evocative capacity of smells It did not go unnoticedbut in recent decades science He has been confirmed This unique connection. The reason for this close relationship can be anatomical. The olfactory bulb is the region of the brain that processes in the first instance the smells and then send the signal to other areas of the brain. This signal crosses key areas of the limbic system, areas linked to emotions and memory. “The olfactory signals reach the limbic system very quickly,” Explain to The Harvard Gazette Venkatesh Murthy, head of the university’s cell and molecular biology department. 515 participants. The study of the University of Chicago had 515 participants, advanced adults, registered in the memory and aging project of the Rush University. These participants were examined annually, exams that test their cognitive abilities to detect signs of dementia. These tests also studied their ability to identify odors, in addition to other health -related parameters. More than memory loss. The team thus found a new link between smell and memory: a rapid loss of olfactory capacity prior to any cognitive loss could predict the arrival of various symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s. These symptoms included a lower volume of gray matter in the areas of the brain linked to smell and memory, cognitive loss and a greater risk of dementia. They also found a relationship between this olfactory loss and the presence of the APOE-E4 gene, a genetic variant considered risk factor in the advent of Alzheimer’s. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Alzheimers & Dementia. “This study provides another clue on how a rapid loss of the meaning of smell is a very good indicator of what will end structurally in specific regions of the brain,” ” explained in a press release Jayant M. Pinto, co -author of the study. Get ahead of the disease. Alzheimer’s is an incurable disease for now, but there are different treatments that allow us to delay the development of its symptoms. For that, we must get ahead of the disease as much as we can. Something difficult in a disorder that only shows its consequences once the disease is advanced. “If we could identify their 40, 50 or 60 people with greater risk, we could potentially have enough information to aim them in clinical trials and develop better medications,” also added in a press release Rachel Pacyna, work caoautora. Own initiative. The fact that the change in our smell is rapid and before the arrival of cognitive deterioration opens an important window, putting the patient itself in warning. And it is that most of the ways we have to detect the appearance of dementia is through external evaluations, for example when family members detect memory problems or In language. The loss of smell is something that, in principle, It can be striking to the patient himself and put it on guard or encourage him to seek medical advice. When the smell of the Magdalena stops bringing us memories, perhaps what we are playing is not only the evocation of a memory. In Xataka | We have a new “theory of all” to understand Alzheimer’s. Your key is in small granules Image | Cottonbro Studio

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