bag

In 2024 an asteroid loaded with precious metals psó touching us. The goal is now to hunt the next one with a giant bag

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A year ago, astronomers saw how an asteroid entered the orbit of our planet and accompanied us for almost two months. This “mini-luna” baptized as 2024 PT5 was a warning sign for an industry that never ends up detachment: space mining. The passage of the rock full of rare metals lit the fuse of a new race to not let the next one. The new objective of space mining. The idea that asteroids are floating treasures is not new. According to NASA’s calculationsthe metals contained in the asteroid belt could be equivalent to 100 million dollars for each person on Earth. The problem has always been the same: the prohibitive cost of reaching them. But this type of “mini-lunas” like 2024 PT5, that we are able to detect with current technologythe rules of the game change when approaching us, becoming much more affordable objectives. The Plan: Not Atrices, capture. Landing in an asteroid is a logistics nightmare. They turn at high speed, do not have a significant seriousness that maintains an anchored ship and are covered with a powder that would stuck any machinery. Therefore, the new strategy is not to perch on them, but to capture them in full flight. This is where concepts that seem taken from a science fiction film come into play. Companies like the Tethers Unlimited disappeared They worked on satellite designs capable of launching a gigantic network to catch an asteroid and tow it to a stable orbit. The company failed, but its idea prevails: stop the rotation of asteroids to process them. NASA to hunt asteroids. One of the companies that leads this race was founded by a veteran of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of La NASA, Joel Sercel. The plan of Transaster It is a three -phase technological deployment: Detect: its Sutter telescope system has been designed to find small, dark and fast objects, such as asteroids close to the earth that until now went unnoticed. Capture: His proposal is called Capture Bag, and is a kind of giant inflatable bag designed to completely wrap the asteroid. Process: Once trapped, they would use a technology called optical mining. It consists of using concentrated sunlight with a kind of magnifying glass on an industrial scale to heat the asteroid. This allows you to extract water (in the form of ice) and separate precious metals such as platinum, cobalt or nickel. Precious metals … and precious water. Although metals are the fat prize, the most valuable short -term resource is water. As Joel Serce explains In an interview for Caltechwater is the “oil” of the solar system. It can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen to create rocket fuel. Extract water from an asteroid and store it in orbit would create the first “space gas stations”. Being quantifies it: 100 tons of water extracted from an asteroid the size of a house, enough to fill a pool, they would have an approximate value of 1,000 million dollars in space. Simply because of the cost that would mean throwing so much water from the earth. To move these loads, Transastra is developing a fleet of tugs called worker bee whose engines can use that water as propellant. Waiting for the next mini-luna. The passage of 2024 PT5 was a lost opportunity. “If we had had our systems in operation, we could have gone for it,” he confessed to being. The industry was not ready, but the starting gun has already sounded. The next time a cosmic treasure approaches the earth, there may be giant networks or bags waiting for it. The 21st century gold fever does not look underground, but towards the stars. Image | NASA, JPL In Xataka | The Earth has lost its miniluna, but posed for a photo before leaving (and promised to return soon)

Someone forgot a bag of cheetos in the largest cave chamber in the US. The problem is chaos to the ecosystem that comes after

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That humans can generate The biggest chaos in ecosystems that surround us I think it is out of any doubt. However, already a difference from other animals, no matter how large the error is, We are able to repeat it In a short time. Therefore, what happened in one of the most fascinating areas in the United States is a good example. Even if it is A simple check of Cheetos. The importance of Carlsbad’s caverns. Located in the state of New Mexico, it is about A set of more than 119 underground cavesof great geological and ecological importance. Formed by the acid water action that dissolved the limestone over millions of years, these caverns stand out for their vast network of passages and cameras, including the famous “great room”, one of the largest underground cameras in the world. These unique geological formations include impressive stalactites, stalagmites and columns, hence it is of great scientific interest to study the processes of training of caves and the geological history of the southwest of the United States. However, this enclave named World Heritage by UNESCO has also become a must of mass tourism. A bag. As The National Parks Service explained in an article (NPS), what happened should make all future tourists think after a distracted visitor left a bag of Cheetos in the depths of the Carlsbad caverns. Apparently, the snack dropped into the historic great room, the largest cave chamber by volume in North America, the same one that can only be accessed by walking around an hour underground. A pump to the ecosystem. Once there, the bag can rot in the wells of the wet cave. In other words, those small “cheese” snacks stranded in the cave can make a small expansive wave through the local ecosystem. “The processed corn, softened by the moisture of the cave, formed the perfect environment to house microbial life and fungi. The crickets, mites, spiders and flies of the cave are soon organized in a temporary food network, dispersing the nutrients to the cave and the surrounding formations. The mold extends to the nearby surfaces, gives fruit, dies and smells bad. Count the NPS In a publication. A much bigger problem. In the same article it is denounced that “at the scale of the human perspective, a spilled snack bag may seem trivial, but for the life of the cave the world can change,” they emphasize. “Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go. Let’s all leave the world in a better place than we find,” adds the center. Apparently, the rangers had to perform an arduous follow -up task to carefully eliminate any rest of the garbage and mold from the surface of the cave, hoping to avoid any lasting impact on the cave. Garbage and natural environments. One of the great scourges of The National Parks of the United States It has to do with what visitors “bring” and leave when they leave. That garbage throws chilling numbers: more than 300 million people visit the national parks every year, generating almost 70 million tons of garbage. And of all enclaves, the caves take the worst part. The reason? They are more vulnerable because they are isolated from the outside world and house a rich variety of highly adapted, endemic and sensitive organisms. If a new seasoning is added to the equation, call cheetos or similar ones, the result can radically alter the balance of biodiversity. The example of the Lascaux cave. Possibly, it is the most famous case and the clearest example of how we are capable of alter an environment of this type. Discovered in France in 1940, they immediately became famous for their cave paintings dating from 17,000 years ago, one of the best samples of prehistoric art. However, after opening to the public in 1948, mass visits began to negatively affect the delicate microclimate of the cave. Apparently carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors, along with moisture and changes in temperature, began to cause visible damage to paintings, such as the appearance of fungi and algae on the walls. These changes put at risk the conservation of paintings, some of the most important in humanity. Closed forever. Faced with this deterioration, in 1963 the French authorities made the decision of Close the Lascaux cave to the public To protect the paintings. Since then, only a very limited number of scientists and conservation experts have had access to it. In fact, to allow the public to continue appreciating the art of Lascaux, a replica known as Lascaux II was created, which reproduces the main cameras and paintings of the original cave. This measure, protecting the historical value of the caves with steel doors and security cameras, has allowed to preserve the artistic heritage of Lascaux while maintaining its educational and cultural value. Maybe we should do the same with all caves with historical value. Although before it should be reviewed that no one has left a snack. A version of this article is PUblicó in 2024 Image | Ken LundCarlsbad Caverns National Park In Xataka | We have been recycling the garbage we produce. Experts say it has not served at all In Xataka | In the US, a woman used an AirTag to check if recycling served something there. It turned out that it did not work

We have a big problem with plastic. This caterpillar can help us devouring a bag in 24 hours

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The global plastic crisis, a problem that It takes centuries to degradeI could find an unexpected ally in the world of insects. A team of scientists He has revealed how the caterpillars of the wax worm (Galleria Mellonella) are able to devour and metabolize polyethylene, The most common plastic in the worldat an amazing speed. However, they have a deadly cost for them. A decomposition that is not perfect. The investigation, presented at the Annual Conference of the Experimental Biology Societyreveals that these caterpillars, nicknamed “plastivorous”, not only chew the plastic, but that they decompose metabolically and make it an body fat in a matter of days. The most shocking data: some 2,000 caterpillars can end a standard polyethylene bag in just 24 hours. The problem of the plastic diet. Polyethylene is the plastic that we find in purchase bags, containers and endless daily use products. His chemical resistance makes it incredibly durable and, therefore, A persistent contaminant. The finding that a living being can decompose it naturally opens a Revolutionary door for waste management. However, the solution is not as simple as let out millions of caterpillars in landfills. Dr. Bryan Cassone, professor at the University of Brandon (Canada) and project leader, explains the great inconvenience: an exclusive plastic diet is deadly for worms. “They do not survive more than a few days with a plastic diet and lose a considerable mass,” says Cassone. It is as if a human swells with fat. The process is similar to that of a human consuming excess fat: The caterpillars turn the plastic into lipids that accumulate in their adipose tissue, but without the necessary nutrients to survive. It is not the first time that this possibility is explored. Given the seriousness of this problem, science does not cease in its attempt to find a solution to disintegrate the plastic we generate. Thus, in 2022 a group of Australian researchers They verified the ability of the ‘super worms’ to devour polystyrene thanks to an enzyme they had in their metabolism. But these same wax worms, object of this study, also They were already protagonists of an investigation where the capacity they had to decompose the plastic was proven. This study has taken a step further to perfectly understand its processing system and the repercussions it can have. Towards a sustainable solution: supplements and bioengineering. Although the fact that the accumulation of fat is an obstacle to research, scientists have turned this fascinating biological process into a viable solution already a large scale for pollution and for this they point to two main roads: create a mixed diet and replicate the process in the laboratory. Create a mixed diet. Scientists are experiencing with “co-supplement”, such as sugars and other stimulants, to mix with polyethylene. The goal is to formulate a feed that not only keeps the caterpillars alive, but to optimize their ability to degrade plastic, creating a circular economy system where waste becomes food. Replicate the process in the laboratory. The second way is even more ambitious. It consists of thoroughly studying biological mechanisms and intestinal microbiome of caterpillars to identify enzymes and bacteria responsible for the decomposition of plastic. If they get it, they could replicate this process of “biodegradation” in an artificial way and industrial scale, without the need to raise insects. And right now there are a lot of daily products that have been generated thanks to the use of bacteria, fungi or enzymes. In this way, the fact of extrapolating this process to the industry can be the most intelligent to control the management of plastics. From garbage to the plate. As if solving one of the biggest environmental problems were not enough, this research could have a positive and unexpected economic impact. The massive breeding of wax worms would generate a huge amount of insect biomass. According to Dr. Cassone, these worms could become a very nutritious food source for aquaculture. In this way, a waste as problematic as plastic could be revalued to enter a new value chain, contributing to the food industry. Images | Murat i̇di̇kut Tanvi Sharma In Xataka | Our problem with microplastics is so huge that they already appear even in human testicles

The Spanish bank seemed bored for the bag, but its last five years is superior to Apple and Microsoft

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Sabadell has risen more than 1,000% in the stock market in the last five years. Santander, 370%. Caixabank, 359%. BBVA, 492% Meanwhile, Apple – during most of this time, the most valuable company in the world – has grown 82% in the same period. Microsoft, 120%. The Nvidia of records1,267%. Why is it important. The Spanish bank has gone from being the ugly duckling of the stock market to star in one of the largest revaluation of the European market. This turn breaks the dominant story on a supposedly mature, boring and more narrow margins sector. The transformation has been silent but brutal. With the world of investment looking towards AI and technological ones, Spanish banks have multiplied their stock market capitalization without making too much noise. The context. It is true that the reference of five years has coincides with the minimums of the pandemic, when the IBEX 35 touched the 6,100 points in March 2020. But even taking references prior to Covid, the climbs remain spectacular. The interest rates They have been the final catalyst. After more than a decade with negative types that suffocated the bank margins, the turn of the ECB has returned the profitability to the traditional business: to capture cheap deposits and lend expensive. To contextualize: S&P 500 has risen 84% in the same period. The Nasdaq, 116%. Gold, 78%. Yes, but. This stock market explosion has gone quite unnoticed by the general public. The dominant narrative remains the one that speaks of traditional banking as a mature sector with Fintech and Neobancos competitive pressure. The reality is that traditional Spanish banks have generated returns that exceed many of the most celebrated technology. And now what. It remains to know if this rally still has a tour or if it has already touched the roof. With interest rates stabilizing and the Spanish economy showing some deceleration, it is possible that the best has already happened. But the banking sector has demonstrated something along the way: the boring can be very profitable. In Xataka | Revolution is not just a threat to traditional banks. Now it is also for Teleoperators Outstanding image | Joel Filipe

The great fortunes are bleeding with the collapse of the bag. Warren Buffett has hit his old recipe again

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Financial markets are living A moment of maximum turbulence causing the value of the actions in all markets in the world to collapse from its opening. According to Bloombergsince Thursday, the 500 greatest fortunes in the world already They have lost more than 536,000 million dollarswhile its companies record falls valued by more than 5.4 billion dollars, As he pointed out Reuters. However, meanwhile chaos and justifying the nickname of “Oracle of Omaha”, Warren Buffett seems to have anticipated the collapse taking the appropriate measures to minimize losses. Buffett is the only one whose fortune is not written in red numbers. The devil knows more by old … When Warren Buffett began to get rid of his positions in Some of the main technological ones They were shot in the stock market, many thought that the veteran investor had lost their heads. They continued without understanding anything when the veteran investor accumulated the more than 325,000 million dollars that he obtained from their sales, and He preferred to pay taxes for them to invest again. Today, those who laughed, don’t laugh so much. As stock indices such as S&P 500 are minced– With a collapse of 17% since its February peak, and the Nasdaq falling more than 20% – Buffett’s decision to bet on liquidity and low -risk assets demonstrates its ability to Read the market with enviable precision. His movement has not only allowed him to protect the capital of Berkshire Hathaway, but also increase your own fortune In a context where the vast majority of Milmillonarios is registering losses in the assessment of their assets. As a good veteran In this investmentBuffett’s recipe for these moments of uncertainty is not very different from the one that applied in previous stock market crises: “There is simply no way of knowing how much actions can fall in a short period. However, when important falls occur, they offer extraordinary opportunities for those who are not limited by debts.” In a Opinion article for The New York Times In 2008, the millionaire gave another track about How to anticipate and act before moments like the one we are living: “A simple rule dictates my way of buying: being afraid when others are greedy and being greedy when others are afraid.” After capitalizing a good part of his actions, Warren Buffett now You have the portfolio to overflow with cash and ready to take advantage of generalized falls to buy the best bargains. Therefore, now all eyes are put in the next Buffett movements. The big fortunes lose, but buffett resists The main fortunes record losses so far this year except Warren Buffett. Source: Bloomberg The impact that the announcement of The commercial war that has begun USA has especially hit The technological magnateslike Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, whose fortunes have been reduced in 130,000 million and 45.200 million Of dollars, respectively, in what we have been in 2025. Larry Ellison, meanwhile, has left 42.1 billion dollars after the last falls and Mark Zuckerberg has lost 28.8 billion so far from 2025. Faced with this scenario, Warren Buffett’s fortune has remained out of generalized losses. Berkshire Hathaway class B actions even They have risen 7.7% this yeardespite suffering a slight correction in the last week, the result of the widespread fall of international bags. But it keeps its green counter so far this year. While others suffer the impact of the international exhibition of their portfolios and the fall of technological ones, Buffett did the homework in 2024diversified their investments to focus on sectors less exposed to imports and with a strong presence in the United States, such as insurance, energy and transport. Buffett not only withdrew a good part of the money from Berkshire Hathaway investors, but also chose to invest that liquidity in short -term treasure bonds, whose profitability has recently increased, thus raffling the collapse of the markets. In his Annual letter to shareholders February, Buffett explained that these bonds offer a “predictable gain” and one effective volatility protection of the market. This approach allowed him to avoid the generalized losses that have affected investors exposed to sectors such as technology, where Apple – one of the old jewels of their portfolio – dropped 28% since its peak, due to their high dependence on China. “Berkshire’s shareholders may be sure that we will always display a substantial part of their money in shares,” he said in his letter, although he adds that, as always, his goal is Companies with good foundations. In Xataka | In January, a group of millionaires supported the US president: they have already lost 209,000 million dollars in their mandate In Xataka | In 2000 Amazon fell 80% in the stock market. Bezos’ response leaves a clear lesson: we must not trust the markets Image | Unspash (Maxim Hopman), Flickr (Fortune Live Media)

The last two days of the bag have been worse than 99.6% of every day since 1929. It is as chungo as it sounds

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There was omens that placed today as another “black Monday.” The original occurred on October 28, 1929 and was one of the days More devastating In the history of Wall Street when the Dow Jones index collapsed 12.8% in a single day, losing billions of dollars in market value. The consequences then lasted decades. In the end it will not be so much, But “almost”. In fact, the last days will be recorded as one of the worst of the history of financial markets. An unprecedented collapse. In a surprising turn for Wall Street, the recent wave of tariffs promoted by President Donald Trump has triggered one of the most severe stock market collapses in recent history, making more than thunder from 5 billion dollars in share value in just two days and dragging Global markets. Nasdaq 100 entered GUBBER TERRITORYthe Commodities They collapsed and investors in corporate bonds ran to buy Insurance against defaults. The magnitude of the impact, fueled by rates up to 50% imposed on dozens of countries, even exceeded the worst forecasts, and marked the breakdown for a financial ecosystem that for decades was one of the main beneficiaries of presidential power in the United States. Trump, strategic chaos and indifference. Bloomberg had that, far from showing concern, Trump seems to be hugged the turbulence Stock as a necessary price to correct the imbalances of global trade. In private and public, he insists on standing firm, and has begun to focus his attention on assets such as 10 -year Treasury bonds and oil pricescelebrating their falls without recognizing that they could precess a recession. The markets and the breakdown. After weeks of speculation about whether the tariff threats were not real, investors finally accepted the Scenario severity. More than twenty previous ads had been nothing, but the 11% collapse In two days he forced Wall Street to react. Besent, who allegedly had to moderate Trump, has been harshly criticized for not preventing such a disaster. Although some still expect the president to reconsider if the pain persists (today has said that it will not turn back), the fall of the Asian bags (with collapses up to 7.9%) and the Activated firewall In Japan they reflect that increasingly global destabilization. Some historical data in context: the day was worse than 99.6% of business days since 1929. It was also the worst of all time (more than 24,000 days) and the 35 worse day since 1945 Almost black Monday. As we said, the stock market has continued this morning, and although the worst omen were not fulfilled, the situation is equally disastrous. After confirming Trump that It will not go back In its aggressive commercial policy, defended as “necessary medicine”, the main world indices recorded dramatic collapses: The S&P 500 fell 2.8 % (The worst performance three days for the index since October 1987, or the Eleventh of all timebeing the tenth and twelfth during the great depression), the Nasdaq 3.1 %, and the Hang Kong Hang Sang index sank 13 %, its worst day of the century. In EuropeStoxx 600 lost 5.3 % and the German Dax briefly exceeded 10 % drop in opening. Goldman Sachs raised the probability of recession in the United States at 45 %citing the abrupt hardening of financial conditions after tariffs to many of the key commercial partners. Tariffs imposed by the United States “Victoria” by Trump. Despite the warnings, Trump has celebrated in networks that tariffs “will bring tens of billions to the country” and described the situation as “something beautiful to contemplate.” The Financial Times counted that the fear of a self -inflicted recession grows even between figures related to the president: the investor Bill Ackman warned of an “economic nuclear winter” and Stanley Druckenmiller He criticized any rate above 10 %. On the other sidewalk, the secretary of the Treasury, Scott Besent, minimized stock tremors such as “short -term reactions” and reaffirmed that the White House You will keep your course. The immediate reality, however, is that systemic collapse of actions, Commodities and coins that threatens to unleash a global recession caused from Washington. Memories of the past. References to Black Monday, 1929 and others collapses Historical have not been long in coming. During that decade, millions of Americans invested in the stock market, many buying actions on credit with margins of just 10%, which amplified panic when prices began to fall. As a direct consequence, between 1929 and 1932, the market lost about 89% of its valueunemployment in the United States exceeded 25%, more than 9,000 banks broke, and the country’s GDP was reduced in almost 30%. That stock market crisis not only plunged the United States into The great depressionbut it had economic and social repercussions worldwide, altering the global economic order throughout the 1930s. Comparisons. We are not in the same box, of course, but The data They are equally worrisome. Let’s think that the last two days of stock market are worse than 99.6% of the days of the stock exchange since 1929. Perhaps, many analysts agree that the current stock market situation caused by the Trump tariff offensive and the intensification of the trade war can be compared, in terms of volatility, loss of investment confidence and systemic risk, with the 2008 global financial crisisalthough with fundamental differences in its causes and nature. As in 2008, markets have experienced abrupt collapses: those More than 5 billion dollars who vanished from the value of US actions In just two daysand the Nasdaq 100 entered the bassist territory, which reflects a collapse of the feeling of similar or very similar to panic lived after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. A deliberate crisis. Also, as then, corporate bond markets are showing voltage signals. However, while in 2008 the epicenter was the collapse of the financial system and the mortgage market, the current stock market has a clearly political component: it originates from unilateral commercial policy decisions, which introduce uncertainty about the economic direction of the country. For … Read more

constancy, notes and a bag of books

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Bill Gates, in addition to being known for being one of the most influential technological magnates of the last four decades, so it is because they are An avid reader. Researchers at the University of Emory de Atlanta They demonstrated that reading is a habit that exercises the ability to concentrate and cognitive development. Microsoft’s founder has shared Some of his tricks to begin to adopt this healthy habit and read the 50 books that Gates read on each year. In addition to being an excellent way to acquire knowledgeread also contributes to Reduce stress levels by up to 68%. 1- Take notes on the margins Gates considers that take notes while reading It is essential to ensure a deep understanding of the material. As explained by the millionaire, this is especially relevant when it comes to non -fiction books. This habit helps you concentrate already connect the new information with previous knowledge. Gates explained that, when he disagrees with the content he is reading, he spends a lot of time writing his ideas on the margins. “He is actually frustrating and I think: ‘Oh, please, say something I agree with to end this book’” joked the millionaire. Gates recognizes that taking notes on the margins of the books can slow down his reading, but allows him brain related to Memory and learning concepts. 2- Do not start anything you are not going to end Bill Gates has a strict rule: a book does not start unless you are sure to finish it. This approach helps you maintain the Commitment to your reading and avoid leaving half books. However, this rule sometimes raises dilemmas when choosing what books read. For example, he mentions his indecision about whether to start or not ‘The infinite joke’ by David Foster Wallace. Gates was interested in the author after watching the movie “The End of the Tour“In which the interview of a reporter from Rolling Stone magazine is told to the author of the book, just after the publication of that book. Although the film loved it, the extension of the book (about 1,200 pages) and its complexity They made him doubt if he could fulfill his rule to finish it. “If the book had two hundred or three hundred pages I would not hesitate. But it is quite long and complicated and I don’t want to make any exception, “said the technological tycoon. 3- On paper or ebooks, but always with you Despite being the founder of one of the world’s main technology companies, Gates admitted that prefer paper books About electronic. This preference for Gates became known in the Docuserie “Bill Gates: Under the magnifying glass“From Netflix, in which his assistant prepared a bag carries full of books that accompanies him everywhere and on his trips. Reading is an excellent way to kill the time while you fly, you rest from work or relax your way to the way home. Gates describes this preference as “bulky and outdated”, but feels comfortable with a paper book in the hands than with An electronic bookalthough he admits that over time probably It will make the change. 4- Book an hour a day to read The practice and constancy are the keys to consolidate habits so, reserve an hour a day In your calendar to read, it helps to integrate that habit by dedicating uninterrupted time. Gates says that this advice is especially useful when you have a especially long book or a complicated theme. While it is true that establishing Short reading sessions Of five or ten minutes it is effective to start in the habit of reading, the millionaire argues that it is not effective for complex books, since it is lost time remembering the context. Therefore, Gates Book more than an hour every night To read. This daily habit allows you to constantly advance in your reading rate. In Xataka | The productivity books that have helped me the most: the recommendations of the Xataka editors Image | Gates Notes

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