beers

The United Kingdom has a laser capable of shooting down drones flying at 650 km/h. And each shot is the same as two beers.

by

For some time now, armies have pursued an idea: weapons that fire energy instead of projectiles. Already in the Cold War was experienced with systems capable of concentrating heat at a distance, although technical limitations relegated them to tests and prototypes for years. Today, with advances in electrical generation and beam control, that ambition has begun to emerge from the laboratory, although it still entailed challenges that for a long time seemed impossible to solve. The UK seems to have solved the most important one. From the laboratory to real combat. He DragonFire program marks a turning point in the evolution of directed energy weapons, and it does so by going from technological demonstrator to embedded operating system. The United Kingdom has decided to accelerate its deployment until 2027integrating it into Type 45 destroyers and becoming the first European country from NATO in deploying a functional naval laser. There is no doubt, the movement is not only technological, but also doctrinal, because it implies changing the way in which air defense at sea is conceived, integrating new layers that do not depend on traditional ammunition. Two beers for the price of a shot. The key element of DragonFire is not only its accuracy, but rather its economy. Each shot costs just about 10 pounds (just over 11 euros) in electricity, just a couple of “pints” in a pub compared to the hundreds of thousands that a conventional interceptor missile can cost, which completely alters the balance between attack and defense. we had seen it in Ukraine and now in Iran. In a scenario where cheap drones are launched by the dozens or hundreds, responding with expensive missiles had become unsustainable, while a laser allows the pace to be maintained. without depleting critical resources. This difference makes the laser an especially attractive tool in modern conflicts where saturation is more important than sophistication. Extreme precision and new capabilities. The system has proven capable of hitting targets the size of a coin a kilometer away, maintaining the beam on moving targets until causing structural failure. More: its architecture combines multiple fiber lasers in a single high-quality beam, guided by electro-optical sensors and continuous tracking systems. Furthermore, its sustained firing capability eliminates one of the main limitations of conventional weapons: need to rechargeallowing you to take on multiple threats consecutively in a matter of seconds. The response to swarms. The rise of cheap drones and swarm attacks has put in check to traditional defense systems, designed to intercept more limited and higher value threats. DragonFire positions itself as the direct response to that change, offering an effective solution against small, fast and numerous targets without compromising missile arsenals intended for strategic threats. In this context, the laser does not replace existing systems, but rather complements themreinforcing short-range defense and freeing up resources for more complex scenarios. From sea to air and land. Beyond its naval deployment, the program aims for broader integration in ground and aerial platformswhich infers a structural change in modern weaponry. Let us think that the possibility of standardizing this type of technology in vehicles, ships or even combat fighters opens the door to a new generation of systems where energy progressively replaces to physical ammunition. Analysts recalled by Army Recognition that although there are still limitations (such as the need for line of sight, electrical power and thermal management), the advancement of DragonFire indicates that that concept before fantastic of “infinite ammunition” has ceased to be a theoretical idea and has become an operational reality in development. Image | UK Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Spain has built a laser that shields the backbone of its Navy: the A400M is now ready for combat In Xataka | China has achieved something hard to believe: reducing the production of laser weapons and parts for electric cars to one second

We have found pfas in more than twenty beers

by

We usually refer to them as the “eternal chemicals” or by the acronym, which refer to their technical name: perfluoroalquilated substances and polyfluoroalquiladas. These compounds have become one of the greatest global environmental concerns, but we also suspect that our health is also threatened by them. The problem is that, in addition to “eternal”, we are discovering that these chemicals are almost ubiquitous. In beer. A study conducted in the United States He has found That 95% of the beers analyzed contained traces of pfas, the dreaded “eternal chemicals.” The most likely origin of pollution would be in the water used in the elaboration of this fermented drink. PFAS Perfluoroalquilated and polyfluoroalized substances are a group of synthetic compounds (we have created about 4,700 compounds of this type) that stand out for the little that interact with the chemicals of their surroundings, something that is produced by the union between fluorine and carbon atoms. This makes them Very useful compounds In the industry and manufacturing of objects, from nonstick pans to containers and hygiene products. In this advantage is your curse: by decomposing with great difficulty, these compounds tend to accumulate in nature and in our body. When they finally decompose, they can give rise to the appearance of harmful compounds such as trifluoroacetic acid. Set the beer. In its study, the team modified the analysis system used by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) American to study the levels of PFAS in drinking water. They used this modified tool to analyze the presence of compounds in 23 beers. They chose beers produced both in areas with documented cases of water pollution, as well as well -known national and international beers whose elaboration unknown water sources were used. The team not only found that 95% of the sample contained these chemicals, also observed a correlation between water pollution in the beer production environment and the presence of pollutants in the final product, at least among the beers made locally. The study was published In an article In the magazine ACS Environmental Science & Technology. A permeable problem. The study shows, The responsible team stands outhow pollution in a source (water in this case) can be extended to a variety of products. This highlights the need to raise awareness of different sectors about the need to limit exposure to this type of compounds. “As an occasional beer drinking room, I wondered if the pfas in aquifers were making their way to our pints,” explained in a press release Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, who led the study. “I hope these findings inspire water and policy treatment strategies that help reduce the probability of (find) pfas when throwing beer in the future.” The wine does not get rid. If someone thinks that the solution is to go to the wine, we have bad news. A few months ago the environmental association European bread (PHASE Action Network Europe) He alerted too of the presence of these substances in the wine of the continent, including one of the wines produced in Spain. In Xataka | A company has developed a new system to get rid of “eternal chemicals.” The trick: bubbles Image | Elevate

Germany was the country of beers, sausages and the punctuality of their trains. The latter is ending

by

We live on myths and stories that many times do not fit reality. For example, Germany has long touched together with an external perception where its citizens They are very workerseven more than the rest of Europe (although the data Say something else). Also that they are the nation of sausages, beer and legendary punctuality of their trains. And either. The collapse of a myth. Yes, for decades, Germany cultivated the image of a country where rail punctuality was as part of national identity as beer or sausages. Today that image It cracks: Only 56% of long -distance trains arrive within the official margin of six minutes, a remarkable fall compared to 85% of the nineties. The situation has become so serious that Switzerland He has vetoed The passage of German trains beyond Basel, fed up with the delays that affect their own network. Cases like that of a damaged train near Vienna that left 400 passengers trapped For six hours in a tunnelor the closure For nine months From the Berlin-Hamburg line for repairs, they reflect The collapse of a system punished for three decades of infinance. Between wear and frustration. The railway company acknowledges that 80% of the delays are due to An obsolete infrastructureprone to failures and overloaded, which forces drastic solutions and a expensive modernization. For passengers, experience has become everyday calvary: endless waiting, crowded trains and lost connections that alter both professional and personal life. Travelers such as banker Michael Prieggen or retired Gerald Vogel summarizes it In the Washington Post Non -Rodeos: reliability is already the exception, and the network is in a state of “disaster.” In stations such as wuppertal or bonn, delays accumulate and complaints become a indignation choir that expresses a crisis of trust in one of the symbols of German efficiency. Investment promises. Solutions? Given this scenario, the government has allocated record figures: 25,000 million dollars in 2025 and more than 116,000 million until 2029, with part of the funds from A historical package Investment in infrastructure and climate that is a change of course in German fiscal discipline. Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has described punctual levels as “unacceptable” and has promised substantial improvements to reach 75-80% of specific trains in 2027. However, experts and user associations They warn that the hole created for thirty years of abandonment will not be solved in a few years and that the network still requires greater injections of capital and structural reforms. National identity. Plus: The German rail crisis is not just a mobility problem. As we said, it touches sensitive fibers of the national identity. In a country where precision and reliability are considered collective virtues, see how the rail system collapses or even It compares With other nations, it results deeply humiliating. That the Swiss (referents in rail efficiency) distrust of German trains is an even greater symbolic blow. If you want, the debate transcends the technical and reflects a broader anxiety about Germany’s ability to maintain the prestige of its economic and social model. Delays and breakdowns, repeated daily, not only hinder trips, but They erode trust in the nation that was once synonymous with mechanical punctuality. Europe Heat. It is the last of the legs to analyze. The current state of Deutsche Bahn It is both an operational crisis as a more than possible mirror of LEuropean dilemmas: infrastructure that age, insufficient investment and a growing tension between national expectations and economic realities. It’s not just that the old continent is not prepared for a war Due to its waysis that Germany, once of rail modernityhas become an ad for navigators. The nation is trapped between the memory of its past perfection and the urgency of reconstructing a system that has stopped complying with the Germanic Puntalidad ideal. In that gap, not only the credibility of a company is played, but part of the country’s own identity, with Europe at the bottom of the frame. Image | Raimond Spekking In Xataka | The myth says that Germans work more than the Spaniards. The data tell a different thing In Xataka | Germany has tried the four -day week and is clear about its verdict: 73% of companies will not return to five

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.