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The biggest Chinese chips is about to start production at 5 Nm. Your plan is to have the 3 Nm in 2026

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TO SMIC (Semiconductor manufacturing international corp), The largest Chinese semiconductor manufacturer has cost it more than two years to refine its most advanced integration technology what is necessary to produce integrated 5 Nm circuits. And he has not just traveled this path. Huawei has traveled it from the hand of Huawei. Dr. Kim, an expert in chips manufacturing who has worked in Samsung and currently investigating TSMC in the US, He maintains that SMIC It is about to start the production of 5 Nm chips. It is perfectly credible because, as we have just seen, we know with certainty that this company has been Working in this technology. And, in addition, Dr. Kim is a reliable source. However, this expert has pointed out something crucial that we should not overlook: the performance per wafer that SMIC has currently achieved in its 5 Nm nodes is less than 30%. When semiconductor manufacturers produce a chip wafer, some of those nuclei do not work properly. It is normal. And when they launch a new lithographic node, their performance by wafer usually has a wide margin, but little by little, as engineers refine their integration processes, this parameter improves. A mature lithography can deliver to integrated circuit manufacturers a very high performance, but an incipient technology usually moves in the orbit of 50% performance, so only half of the chips produced work correctly. SMIC 3 and 5 nm chips are possible thanks to the SAQP technique The problem is that for an integration technology to be profitable from an economic point of view, its performance by wafer has to be At least 70%. And, as we have just seen, Dr. Kim argues that the SMIC 5 NM node is below 30%. It is objectively a very poor performance, but we know what this low figure explains: the technique used by this manufacturer to produce these semiconductors. It is known as Multiple patterningand SMIC has used it for more than a year and a half to make 7 NM chips for Huawei and other customers. The 5 Nm chips that SMIC will manufacture for Huawei are possible thanks to a technology known as SAQP This strategy consists in transferring the pattern to the wafer in several passes with the purpose of increasing the resolution of the lithographic process. It works, but is responsible for wafer performance is clearly improvable. However, in all probability the integrated 5 Nm circuits that presumably SMIC will manufacture soon for Huawei are possible Thanks to a technology known as SAQP (Self-alledhed Quadruple Patterning), which is nothing more than a Multiple patterning more aggressive and sophisticated than the one used to manufacture the soc Kirin 9000s of 7 nm and other chips. A report published two days ago by the Taiwanese media Economic Daily News ensures that SMIC will start the manufacture of 3 Nm semiconductors equipped with GAA transistors (Gate-alall-around) For Huawei in 2026. However, this is not all. This article also maintains that this last company has already completed laboratory tests that pursue the manufacture of integrated circuits using carbon nanotubes. Huawei’s plan presumably is to give this innovation to SMIC to adapt it to large -scale production. The enormous effort that Huawei, SMIC and other Chinese companies involved in the design and manufacture of semiconductors are the result of their inability to access the equipment of extreme ultraviolet photolithography (UVE) produced by the Dutch company Asml Because of US sanctions. With these SMIC machines could make 3 and 5 nm chips delivering a performance by wafer similar to that they have achieved TSMC or Samsung. However, the need to produce these integrated circuits using deep ultraviolet equipment (UVP) of ASML, which are less sophisticated, forces them to resort to the SAQP technique. It works, as we have seen, but these companies lose a lot of competitiveness due to the poor performance by wafer and the high cost that this technology entails. More information | Economic Daily News In Xataka | The US has declared the total war on Huawei: he does not want him to sell his chips for the most advanced outside of China

Satellite images have revealed what happened to one of Russia’s biggest arsenals. Now we understand Moscow’s silence

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On April 22 the satellites began to point out A point on the planeta change only perceptible through the images from space offered a first track of what was happening about 60 kilometers from Moscow. Despite the weather conditions of that day and the low resolution of the optical data captured by the Sentinel-2 satellite From the European Space Agency, the damages were clearly visible. An explosion had “burst” the 51st arsenal of the main missile and artillery direction of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Total devastation of Arsenal. Visual confirmation was reinforced by radar images Synthetic opening (SAR) capable of penetrating clouds and smoke, which showed significant structural alterations in the complex nucleus. The comparison between images Taken on April 14 and 23, it indicated that at least 30 buildings destined to storage of ammunition had been completely destroyed. Explosions, evacuations and blackouts. The day after the explosion, the secondary detonations They still continuedunderlining the magnitude of the stored material. The strength of the outbreak forced Evacuate eight nearby townswhile 37 settlements were left without gas supply. The most remote evacuated town was 4.5 kilometers from Arsenal. NASA fire monitoring system data also confirmed the existence of multiple igneous foci Within the perimeter, coinciding with the analysis of the intelligence expert (OSINT) MT Anderson, who used additional filters to detect heat points and Confirm destruction Massive infrastructure. A strategic arsenal. Then the magnitude of what happened began to be known. He 51st Arsenal Grau It was not simply a deposit of ammunition. As one of the Eight main arsenals that still operated in the European part of Russia, its function was key both in the distribution and in the logistics maintenance of the Moscow weapons. Three of those eight arsenals had already been destroyed for 2024, which turned this loss into a considerable strategic blow for the Kremlin military supply chain. Arsenal was designed to house Up to 264,000 tons of explosive material. Among the remains found after the explosion were identified 107 mm rockets for Multiple type 63 rocket Chinese manufacturing, many of which were recorded spread around local residents, suggesting that part of the material was stored outpatient and had recently been delivered. The catastrophe, or the attacknot only compromised Russian logistics operability in the Ukrainian conflict, but raised (once again) serious doubts about the security of its own arsenal in times of war. Images of the British report with the before and after the explosions A self -inflicted blow. Now, and after A study Of all the images and confidential information of the intelligence of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, it has been confirmed that the cause of the incident was not “external”, but a combination of bad practices in the management of armament and a negligent storage management by Russia. British research, in fact, is reinforced by the declaration of the Russian Defense Ministry itself, which, in silence from the incident without offering more data, there were attributed the disaster to the “violation of security requirements” in the manipulation of explosive materials. For the United Kingdom, the event is not an isolated case, but the reflection of a prolonged and documented trend of “Russian ineptitude in the treatment of its own ammunition”, although that yes, in this case it represents the greatest loss of self -inflicted arsenal since the beginning of the large -scale war in Ukraine. Strategic installation We already said it before. The affected deposit was a key installation for the war supply of the Kremlin on the Ukrainian front and, according to figures from the Ukrainian authorities cited by the United Kingdomhosted around hundreds of thousands of tons of ammunition, including ballistic missiles, projectiles thrown from air and anti -aircraft systems. Satellite images verified by the insider medium They also revealed that more than a square kilometer of the complex was affected by the detonations, which suggests that massive and prolonged destruction, with multiple fires and a chain of secondary explosions that, According to disseminated videos In social networks, they even reached nearby civil areas. Error pattern. In addition, it is not the first time that the arsenal of the 51st Grau suffers incidents of this type. Insider told That in June 2022, Russian state media reported a spontaneous explosion during loading and unloading operations that cost four people. The pattern is consistent with British complaint: A continuous chain of operational errors and insufficient security measures that make critical facilities into vulnerable points within the Russian military apparatus. The lack of technical discipline and effective prevention protocols has not only generated large material losses, but also has compromised the safety of populated areas in times of war. Consequences. If you want also, the incident gives wings to the rhetoric of the West. The impact of this catastrophe transcends the material. The destruction of one of the main deposits of Russian ammunition not only weakens the immediate logistics capabilities of Moscow in its offensive against Ukraine, but also reinforces an idea increasingly sustained Among the “alidos”: that of a corroded military power for structural failures, operational improvisation and a dangerous carefree for the most basic security standards. Seen thus, in full prolonged war and with its supply lines under pressure, losing tens of thousands of tons of armament due to internal negligence constitutes a defeat with several readings. Image | Maxar In Xataka | Russia launched its fearsome nuclear missile Satan II last week, the “Invincible Weapon” of Putin. It was regular In Xataka | The US has detected an object in space with strange behavior. The source that released it has also located: Russia

This Mercedes Class G costs the same as a Dacia Duster. Its price is precisely its biggest problem

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163,756.71 euros. That is the price that the configurator of the Mercedes class g When we enter to select all the details of our next great electric offset. It is, of course, the departure price. For example, if you want to add the comfort package, with systems as revolutionary as the opening of keyless doors or wireless recharge of the mobile phone for the front seats you can already add another 2,000 euros of extra. With four small details it is easy to go above 180,000 euros. A prohibitive price for most mortals and, of course, is far from the other Mercedes Class G Electric that you can find in the market. Yes, one for which just over 20,000 euros have been paid. One that, of course, is not an electric class G but imitates it with great detail. Too bad it is a golf cart And not a car, right? A $ 24,000 golf cart Because this Mercedes Class G can be bought at the price of a Dacia Duster, it is to anticipate that who has been done with him has enough money to buy a Mercedes class g of truth. The information is brought in The Drive who assure that a client has paid $ 24,000 for this golf cart converted to Mercedes G Class in Miniature, sold by Mecum auctionsspecialized in the auction of all types of special vehicles. On their website they explain that the supposed SUV is, in reality, a quadricycle (they call it golf cart) with a 10 kWh battery to cover up to 80 miles (about 120 kilometers). With a power of 15 kW (20 hp), the car is limited to 35 mph (56 km/h). That is, it is little more than in Europe we consider a light quadricycle. In the United States that Golf carts have become fashionable To do small daily errands. As with the Citroën Ami or the Fiat TopolinoThey are cars that cannot circulate on a highway or highway but are allowed to go to secondary roads and are widely used by older people who do not want to go far from home. That has promoted curious modifications such as this supposed electricity class G Class that perfectly mimics the body of the German car. Inside, the differences are more evident but has four disc brakes, assisted direction and rear camera to facilitate maneuvers. In addition, it carries a complete multimedia environment that with a screen for each passenger in the rear seats. In front of the information is distributed in A couple of twin screens which are integrated into the same frame. Of course, although disguised, with the images we can appreciate that what will be up to this Pseudo Mercedes Mercedes Electric Class will be the sum of many hard plastics. This imitation gives an idea that the grid market is dominated by purely practical models but that there is also a place for those who seek in them something of a fashion accessory. The pamper that Fiat has put to the tooline design It is a good example but also the irruption of Microlinoa reinterpretation of the BMW isetta that It is sold for 19,500 euros If we talk about the light quadricycle (it does not exceed 45 km/h) or 22,990 euros for the heavy grid. Photo | Mecum auctions In Xataka | The new fiat topolino is neither a Fiat nor is a car. It is something much better: extremely profitable

Its biggest machine manufacturer

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The income of the Chinese company Naura Technology Group is increasing in the middle of The tariff war Between the US and China in which many other countries have been involved. A spokesman for this company has confirmed that Naura’s income and benefits They have shot during the first quarter of 2025, and provides that this trend continue for at least this year despite global instability. This company is one of the producers of the teams involved in the manufacture of largest integrated circuits in China. In March 2024 he embarked on preliminary investigation that pursued to develop new exclusively Chinese integration technologies. We have hardly any information about the result of this project, but if we stick to the current economic performance of Naura it seems reasonable to conclude that it has achieved its purpose. Naura is one of China’s essential pieces on the road to self -sufficient During the last three years this company has not stopped growing. And its current performance indicates that US tariffs are not going to immutan it. It makes sense. As we have just seen, your business is held on the production of equipment to make chips, and its main market is China. However, if we only say that we are doing well, we would be very short. And it is that Naura, whose headquarters are in Beijing, has confirmed Just a few hours ago that its income during the first quarter of this year has increased 51% compared to the same period of 2024. and its benefits have increased by 53%. Naura has attributed its success to the technological innovations that it has achieved during the development of its new engraving and deposition teams In any case, the really important thing is the reason why your income is increasing with such a high rhythm. We do not need to elucidate to find out; Naura herself has attributed its success to the technological innovations that it has achieved during the development of Its new engraving and deposition equipment. These machines are not the devices responsible for transferring the geometric pattern that contains the design of the chips to silicon wafers, which is what ASML photolithography equipment does, but, even so, these processes are also crucial during the production of semiconductors. The Chinese market is so large that many companies in the country led by Xi Jinping do not need to go abroad to obtain a very high economic performance, especially if their business is supported by a strategic sector. Naura’s actions 0.4% have fallen a few hours ago Due to global instability, but it is probably a mirage. Your medium -term future, like that of Chinese lithography equipment manufacturers Sicarrier and Amec (Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China), is promising. More information | SCMP In Xataka | The comeback in the chips industry for which China fights has an epicenter of 13.8 billion: Shanghai

Media Spain has gone crazy with the question of whether olives fattening or not. But its biggest problem is not calories

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“Do olives fattening?” In recent days, this question has run like gunpowder online and should not surprise us. It is one of those things that becomes viral from time to time: it is a typical case of very common product at the gastronomic level, but deeply unknown at the nutritional level. Let’s see what the science of olives and the rest of the pickles say. An urban myth. As the nutritionist Pablo Ojeda pointed out a few days ago, the idea that “the olives fattening” is close to the urban myth. And not only because, in short, food does not fattening or thinning for themselves (that is something that has to do with the general caloric deficit and not a specific product). It is an urban myth because it arises from a truth: that, According to the Spanish Food Composition Database92% of the energy provided by an olive It is fat. It is the nutrient that they contribute most with a lot of distance on carbohydrates or proteins. And that (even if that fat is “good”) destroys the nutritional profile of any product. However, if we look at other parameters we will see that, for example, the caloric density of these products is not very high. That is, you have to eat many olives so that that contribution is really noticed. Is the same thing with the rest of the pickles? In fact, olives are surely the most caloric pickles. In general, these types of products have very few calories. Classic pepinillos have about 12 calories per 100 grams, onions about 30. In comparison, it is true that olives have a greater caloric contribution: 120 green and up to 289 blacks. The real problem is salt. Because seen that, it may seem that pipinillos are a nutritional jewel. And, although they do not have many calories, what is certain is that they are very uploaded. To get an idea, WHO advises that salt consumption Do not exceed 5 grams a day. Well, only pipinillos are 2.3 grams per 100. In a context in which salt consumption does not cease to rise (promoted, above all, by the ultra -processed), care must be taken because it is a very important risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. And the probiotics? Here is some confusion because, although it is one of the fashion themes, still We know very little about the microbiota of our digestive system. On the one hand, yes: there are traditional products that are fermented in brine and, indeed, these They can have microorganisms to help us with the microbiota (although either much). However, “pickles” comes to mean ‘conserving in vinegar’ and in that environment it is difficult for interesting probiotics to remain. Most of what is sold in the market, in fact, has none. Beyond, this is, we must remember that the evidence that sustains probiotics is still scarce. It is not worth obsessing with them because, in most times, Its impact on health is zero. What matters As we often rememberIt is wanting to eat better. Everything else is literature. Image | Marius Haakestad In Xataka | In Belgium the authorities have asked their citizens not to eat the Christmas tree. And they have good reasons

The price of coffee lives one of the biggest climbs in its history. The UN thinks that the worst has not yet happened

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They are not easy times. That is the summary when we have some Eggs in full price escalationthe triggered cocoa Due to illegal gold mining And a coffee that has achieved historical values. In the case of coffee we have been anticipating the storm for months, with a product that was Marking maximums in the stock market and with brands absorbing the coup until have stopped doing it. And, in the middle of that uncertain panorama on the price of coffee, the United Nations arrives to tell us that the worst has not yet been. What about coffee? A set of factors, actually. To the difficulties of transporting raw coffee, aggravated by the increase in freight due to conflicts such as the Red Sea, these last crops are added. Vietnam and Brazil are two great coffee producers worldwidebut the climatic phenomena known as the boy and the girl have affected coffee spots -coffee plants. Both phenomena affected similar forms to countries so remote, causing the same in both: higher temperatures and droughts in some producing areas, as well as an alteration of the rainy season that fall torrentially in a short period of time. As a result, the harvest is poorer and quality can also be seen injured. Maximums. That the two largest coffee producers reduce their production is something that affects the rest of the industry. On the one hand, Arabica coffee is the most coveted among specialty coffee producers and is usually more expensive, with Astronomical examples such as Geisha Café. On the other, although the robust is usually cheaper, specialty coffee is already being created with this variety and something more important: it is the basis of something as consumed as instant coffee. As a result, in the New York ICE bag, the Arabica increase 70% in 2024 and an additional 25% in the first months of this 2025. In the case of the robust, the record is got On January 31 with $ 5,840 per ton in the London Stock Exchange, with increases of up to 6% in a single day. Prices also increase for producers and exporters. As we read in Reutersall the main territories experienced increases in 2024 compared to the levels of 2023. And not small: Ethiopia 17.8%. Kenya 12.3%. Brazil 13.6%. Colombia 11.7%. Indonesia 15.9%. Vietnam 5.8%. Bit with delay. The problem is that the price does not rise for producers, toaster and exporters while for the customer. For example, prices achieved In the bag a few days ago they are those of the cargo that will be delivered in May of this year, and it will be from there when the ‘domestic’ price will continue to increase. And it will not be the last climb. In his last report About the state of coffee, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization -Fao- estimates that coffee prices increased 3.8% in December 2024 in Europe at a retail level, 6.6% in the United States. The dynamic is that a 1% increase in international coffee prices cause an increase of 0.24% at a retail level after 19 months, with 80% of the accumulated impact transmitted in the following 11 months. In the case of the United States, this 1% increase in the international price translates into an increase in the retail price of 0.20% after 13 months. In the case of the US, 80% of the accumulated impact is transmitted in eight months. “Inelastic”. This word is interesting, but it is simple to understand: it is the one that defines goods that do not have substitutes and that, therefore, no matter how the price increases, consumers will continue to buy them. Well, in its report, FAO ensures that “given the inelastic nature of coffee demand, it is unlikely that consumption decreases significantly in both markets” -American and European. That is, as there are no alternatives to coffee, no matter how much prices upload us, consumers will continue to acquire this product. Nor is there anything to intervene because, as FAO herself concludes, coffee consumption represents less than 1% of the annual household spending. From the US National Coffee Association they do not share this, affirming that “the great price increase eaten the liquidity of the customers. They do not have all the money to buy what they need” and ensure that they have sold 30% less of the production when, at this point, they would no longer have reservations. It all depends on three countries. Until now, we have talked about the increase in coffee price for wholesalers, but if we are going to the price that consumers pay, FAO estimates that, in December 2024, a coffee was 6.6% more expensive than in December 2023 in the United States. In the case of the European Union, the increase was 3.75%. Therefore, and taking into account that delayed coup of the price increase in coffee, it seems that the worst is yet to come. From FAO they see this as an opportunity for greater research in technology, research and development of the coffee sector and, above all, to increase the climate resilience of coffee. Although there are many coffee, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil producers are the authentic monsters of the great market, but climate change is leaving us two lessons. One is the one that is causing the scarcity and increase of current prices: more unpredictable climatic events on dates that unravel coffee cultivation, therefore affecting crops. On the other hand, it is also an opportunity. We are already seeing that there are those who insist on growing coffee outside Coffee beltwith coffee trees growing wildly in Sicily and Plantations in Andalusia or Catalonia They are testing the viability of growing coffee in such unavailable conditions. Final of the tunnel in sight? What is clear is that the world is thirst for coffee and, with a China increasingly passionate For this drink, it is urgent to have a much more stable stage. In Reuters We read that there are also those who take the … Read more

This Seoul bridge seems ordinary, but stars one of South Korea’s biggest problems: suicides

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South Korea is a country that advances by leaps and bounds in technological question. It is home to some of the most important companies in the world -Samsung or Hyundai- and He is fighting To become one of the referents in the chips segment. Seoul, its capital, is a look at what could be the future of cities hypertecnologicalbut after that image of modernity, an increasingly silent pandemic is hidden: that of suicide. And no place better reflects this crisis than the Mapo bridge in Seoul, nicknamed ‘The Suicides Bridge’. Alarming figures. Suicide is a taboo issue in many societies that sometimes have not paid attention to avoid the tragic outcome. It is not something that Pille so far. In 2020, in Spain it committed suicide One person every two and a half and a half. Each country Try to deal with your way With this situation, but the case of South Korea is bleak. Do not go to the archives to see the evolution of suicides in the Asian country: In 2021, 13,352 people committed suicide. In 2022, approximately 13,000 were given. In 2023, the figure rose to 13,770. In the first six months of 2024, 6,375 people committed suicide, assuming a increase of more than 10% compared to the same period of the previous year. He total It was 14,439 dead. Cocktail. They are figures distant to the maximum of 2013, when 14,427 occurred, but in 2020, the country had the highest rate among OECD countries with 24.1 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. It is more than double the average. The reason is that there is a social and cultural cocktail that pushes thousands of people to end their lives. There is one very high social pressure and competitiveness for being the best in studies and work life. If you do not achieve it, economic problems occur, but although that ‘success’ is achieved, there is a high level of stress and low social awareness about mental illnesses. Also idealized and impossible beauty canons for much of the population. And it is not something that cares only to suicide, since the scarce birth that is taking the country to an unsustainable situation is also the gross of those social pressures. THE MAPO BRIDGE Effect called. The most affected group is the one between ages of 10 to 39 and is the major Cause of death among South Koreans between 10 and 39 years. Between 40 and 56% of deaths in these age groups is due to suicide. These brutal pressures even affect celebrities of the country, so much that studies have already been carried out that relate the increase in suicides with the moment in which one of these celebrities ends with his life. As if there were an effect called or idealization of the act, three of the eleven cases of suicides between celebrities resulted in an increase in the rate among the population, leading people to use the same methods as said celebrity. In recent years, there have been numerous cases among young Astros of K-Pop, cinema and television, very exposed to criticism in a country where there is a very strict moral standard that these celebrities must meet. The notice says: “Line Life. Methods. They have gone changing These last years. At the beginning of the century, most used pesticides to get intoxicated. This poisoning remains one of the most used methods, but now it is through burning YoTan: Carbon cylinders that produce poisoning by carbon monoxide aspiration. The hanging has also become common (with examples such as’Sulli‘That they expose that effect called), but throwing themselves to train tracks or from bridges is also a method. THE MAPO BRIDGE. And all this leads us to the Seoul bridge. We have talked about Many bridges in Xataka And Mapo’s is, structurally, a normal bridge, almost ordinary. It does not stand out for design, certainly, but it has become the sad secondary protagonist of dozens of suicides in recent decades. It is not the only one from which the South Koreans throw themselves to end their lives, but one of the most used due to the current of the river has very difficult the rescue work very difficult. So much is the impact of the bridge on the statistics of the country that began to call colloquially as ‘The Suicides Bridge’. From the city, this was wanted to combat the structure as ‘bridge of life’ as part of a Samsung Life Insurance initiative. But it was not a simple name change. Measures. The company placed photos of happy families, among other measures to deter suicides, such as movement sensors that activated light posters with mood phrases, but they were considered a failure In 2015 and that was when the focus was changed to prevent suicide instead of deter. Thus, a series of active and passive measures were installed to stop the high rate of vacuum throwing, such as phones from which to request help every few meters (it has a length of about 1,300 meters), mirrors so that those who plan to jump see their face, cameras, high barriers and rollers that make it difficult to get to the edge. The fences are high and in the last upper section there is a roller We can see the roller, as well as the mirrors Social strategies. It is, in short, a series of actions to make jumping more difficult, but beyond this (which is still a patch), in recent years the country has taken the mental health of citizens more seriously. For example, strategies to prevent suicide thanks to greater media coverage than public awareness, as well as training campaigns and notions of suicide prevention for teachers and social workers. Also reviews focused on adolescents and another series of infrastructure measures to strengthen security on bridges and train tracks. Despite the efforts to reduce the incidence of suicide, the Mapo bridge remains a symbol of this crisis, with 846 people jumping From the bridge between 2014 and 2018, … Read more

The biggest problem of Perovskita’s solar panels was its durability. China has just resolved it

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The University of Beijing has just presented the most forceful advance of Perovskita cells in terms of durability, so far the greatest weak point of technology that promises to conquer solar panels. The news. A team of researchers has designed a Perovskita cell with a 24%efficiency, similar to that of the best silicon solar panels, than maintains 99% of its performance after 1,100 hours of operation at extreme temperatures. The context. Perovskita cells are The most promising technology to generate solar energy at low cost. Perovskitas have a crystalline structure that absorbs sunlight in a very efficient waybut unlike silicon cells, they can be manufactured through simple processes, with cheaper materials, and in flexible films. There are already commercial solar panels of Perovskita and have begun to be installed on a large scale, especially in complicated lands of Chinabut their least stability and durability prevents them from competing with silicon in other facilities, even when they are manufactured in tandem with the semiconductor to improve their performance. The problem. One of the key components of Perovskita cells, the formamidinium and lead iodide (FAPBI₃), is difficult to stabilize at room temperature and tend to degrade when it is exposed to sunlight for long periods. Which, for a solar panel, is … inopportune. FAPBI₃ degradation causes Perovskita solar cells to lose efficiency rapidly (they convert less amount of light into electricity) and are not viable to compete with silicon panels, which last 30 years. The solution. To overcome this obstacle, a laboratory from the University of Beijing has invented A new “intercalation-decalation” technique of iodinewhich consists of inserting iodine atoms into the structure of the FAPBI₃ to help better organize its components, and then eliminate the excess iodine during the heating process. The key is to facilitate the formation of lead and iodine blocks, whose atoms are joined by sharing corners in the structure of Perovskita. By favoring this configuration, the mobility of the ions is reduced that, otherwise, would contribute to the degradation of the material over time. Iodine acts as a stabilizer that improves the internal cohesion of the cell. The results. This method allowed researchers to obtain a high quality Perovskita movie, without waste that may compromise their performance. The cells that developed have an energy conversion efficiency of 24%: almost a quarter of the solar energy that affects them is transformed into electricity. But the most important thing is that they maintained 99% of their initial performance after operating for more than 1,100 hours at about 85 ° C, which is a very encouraging indicative of its durability and potential long -term use. As for lead. Lead concerns its toxicity, but today it is an essential component in the Perovskita formula: it contributes significantly to its ability to absorb light and turn it into electricity, so that commercially viable cells contain lead. However, solutions are also being investigated To eliminate it. Goodbye to defects. In addition to the one at hand, other laboratories are explored complementary solutions to eliminate defects, such as the integration of molybdenum disulfide layers (MOS₂) In the structure of the cells, which act as physical and chemical barriers, blocking the migration of those defective ions that can deteriorate performance. Both the technique of iodine and that of the MOS₂ point to the same: achieve a pure and stable perovskita that can work optimally and lasting. And convert the “great promise” of solar panels into a commercial reality. Image | Huansun In Xataka | In 2009, Perovskita’s solar panels wasted 97% of energy. Now they are ready to conquer the industry

His biggest problem has not been money, but balance

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Passing a vacation aboard a cruise is a tourist option increasingly demanded even for travelers high purchasing power. However, Mario Salcedo, a millionaire who made a fortune in finance, decided 25 years ago to turn his day to day on a vacation. Since then, he has been linking cruise trips making these colossi of the sea In your home. However, that life of luxuries aboard some of the biggest recreation ships has taken its toll: it has lost “its earth legs” and is no longer able to walk in a straight line when it arrives in the port. Live on vacation. The Millionaire of Cuban origin told In 2019 a The New York Times that he was never interested in forming a family, so his life on the mainland was only to work and work. So one day he decided to leave his apartment behind in Miami and cruise. The experience impacted him so much that since then he has been linking one cruise with another and now his house has several covers, swimming pools, dance tracks and some fleeting neighbors with which he socializes whenever he can. After being a regular between the passage of the Royal Caribbean companythe crew already knows him as Super Mario. “I have no vacation. People come here to spend a vacation. I don’t, I’m here to live my life,” explains the millionaire. Life on board. The Millionaire Investor uses a reserved table on one of the covers of the cruise in which it can be read on a handwritten sign “Super Mario’s office”. Obviously They do not refer to the Nintendo characterif not to the place from which the millionaire sits every day for a few hours before his laptop to telework. In this way, the more than 1,154 cruises that he has completed in his life on the high seas has been paid. The Millionaire claims to dedicate between $ 70,000 and $ 100,000 a year for their trips. The millionaire counted in An interview For Condé Nast magazine, who reserved an inner cabin without a balcony, because “I do nothing in my cabin but shower, dress and sleep,” he explained. The rest of the day could be found in his “office”, socializing with other travelers or dancing in one of the ship’s dance rooms. To avoid having to constantly changing cabin, Salcedo plans it with 150 reservations in advance, linking a journey with another. The worst of living in a cruise is to get to port. Everything would indicate that the greatest cost of living in a cruise is money. However, for “Super Mario” the greatest sacrifice is to go down to the ground. After more than 25 years rocked by the swing of the waves in the best cruises, the millionaire has developed a rare disease called Landing disease. This is a rare disorder that affects the vestibular system of the ear that affects the balance giving a constant sensation of movement even when it is stable and motionless on the mainland. It is popularly known as “earth legs.” Usually, this is a disorder that remains as much for a couple of days, but when your life transcurns on the high seas, and you only pass a total of fifteen days a year on land, the disease becomes chronic. “I have lost my land legs. I swing so much that I cannot walk in a straight line. I am so used to being in ships that I feel more comfortable than on land,” I said in his interview. It does not usually go down to land. It is unquestionable that Mario Salcedo is found aboard a cruise as a fish in the water, so, the few times that he goes down to the ground to take a plane that takes him to his next cruise, when they dock in Miami to verify that Everything is still in order in your apartment or when you have to make efforts with the bank or medical visits. Luckily, except for his problem with balance when Pisa Tierra Firme, the Millionaire Sexagenarian enjoys good health. A key factor for “Super Mario” to follow your adventure on the high seas, given that shipping companies prohibit That a person who needs constant medical care rises on board. In Xataka | Amsterdam has tired of excess tourists. And he has found a solution: fight cruises Image | Royal Caribbean

Japan’s biggest enemy has left a $90 billion bill in the nation’s pocket: climate change

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Few things are more accurate in understanding a problem that affects everyone than appeal to the stomach. In March of last year, Japan woke up to news that made more than one person raise their eyebrows. Wasabi was experiencing a “bittersweet” moment (curry rice tooin fact). The reasons stemmed, first of all, from international demand due to the success of the nation’s cuisine. However, there is not enough wasabi on the planet to satisfy everyone, and part of the blame lay with a usual suspect that threatens many of the planet’s crops: climate change. The last bill of the nation is an announcement to sailors. The economic catastrophe of climate change. Japan, a country with a long history of natural disasters, faces an unprecedented increase in the costs derived from climate change. Despite its recognized expertise in risk management and disaster resilience, the country continues to suffer some of the highest economic losses on the planet. To give us an idea, according to a report from the International Chamber of Commercebetween 2014 and 2023, Japan accumulated Climate-related losses totaling a whopping $90.8 billiona figure only surpassed by the United States, China and India, nations considerably larger in population and territory. Not only that. The projected future costs are even more alarming. An analysis conducted last December estimates that if current global climate policies continue, Japan will face damages worth a total of 952 trillion yen (about $6 trillion) until 2050a figure that far exceeds the nominal value of its current economy, estimated at 591.9 billion yenaccording to the Cabinet Office. The problem of not being able to stop it. As we said, Japan’s disaster history is extensive, with devastating events like the Noto earthquake in 2023, Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 either the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March 2011. In this regard, recent warnings about a possible megaquake in the Nankai Trench have further highlighted the constant threat facing the country. In fact, the nation ranks sixth in the Disaster Risk Index of the telecommunications company Intersec, which evaluated the economic and human losses of almost 160 countries between 2000 and 2024. The country registered total economic losses of 2.35 billion dollars and 543 fatalities and/or injuriesadjusted to its population of 124 million. Image of the 2011 Tsunami The “urban” layout, another problem. Furthermore, the pattern that we see in all natural disasters such as those that occurred in l is repeated.The Los Angeles fireseither DANA in Valencia: Inhabited areas in disaster-prone areas. In the case of Japan, the combination of its extensive coastline, the high concentration of assets in densely populated urban areas and the scarcity of natural resources make it a highly vulnerable enclave to large-scale disasters. Despite these risks, Japan has managed to mitigate the loss of life by advanced risk management strategiesas early warning systemsresilient infrastructure and emergency response plans. However, the economic costs continue to increase exponentially. The price of inaction: it is urgent to take action. They told in Japan Times A week ago, the impact of climate change is also increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the country, such as floods, typhoons and forest fires. In this regard, a study by the International Chamber of Commerce analyzed almost 4,000 extreme events that occurred between 2014 and 2023, concluding that Global economic losses amounted to 2 trillion dollars. Japan was among the most affected countries, with economic costs higher than those of Germany (although below those of India). The impact in Japan. Economic losses resulting from natural disasters amounted to 320 billion dollars worldwide last yearof which only 140 billion were insuredaccording to the report from the insurer Munich Re. This figure represents the fifth largest loss since 1980 and is significantly higher than the averages of recent decades. In Japanese terms, it is expected that Climate change will reduce the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by almost 10% annually if more ambitious policies are not adopted to mitigate its effects. In fact, an economic model from the Asian Investors Group on Climate Change estimates that Total economic losses until 2050 will reach 970 trillion yenwhich is equivalent to the loss of hundreds of thousands of yen per Japanese household annually. By then, projections indicate that Japan will be more affected than the United States and Europe. Initiatives and adaptation. It is possibly the big question facing Japan and the entire planet, what can we do to mitigate disasters or adapt? In that sense and despite the gloomy perspectives of the studies, the Times emphasized that Japan has the potential to lead the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through development of innovative technologiessuch as advanced batteries and offshore wind energy. According to a recent report, if the country adopts a net-zero emissions scenario by 2050, the economy could benefit from a boost of 13.6 trillion yen annuallyplus savings of 40 trillion yen per year compared to current climate policies. In addition, Japan has also taken a leading role in funding international initiatives to help vulnerable countries. For example, has contributed $10 million to the United Nations Loss and Damage Fundaimed at mitigating the impact of climate change in developing nations. Insurance and the Japanese pocket. It is the last leg of that global enemy, one that directly affects the nation’s pocketbook. Japanese households are already experiencing the impact of climate change through increased insurance premiums. In October 2024, the country’s four main insurers increased fire insurance rates by an average of 10%marking the fourth increase since 2019. Furthermore, Japan’s General Insurance Tariff Organization has explicitly linked these increases to the increasing risk of disasters induced by climate change. Additionally, and according to climate campaign group Insure Our Future, climate change-related disasters accounted for more than $600 billion in insured losses between 2002 and 2022. Data and more data, figures and more figures, which only highlight the urgency of more effective climate action to avoid or mitigate greater economic and social impacts of a common enemy. Image | 岩手県宮古市, … Read more

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