building

If when you think of a farm you visualize a red building with white corners, it’s the Swedes’ fault.

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5040-Y80R. That is the approximate designation according to the Natural Color System chart for color ‘red falu‘. It is a registered trademark and It goes beyond being a simple color: implies that a very specific pigment comes into play in its production that gives it that reddish tone and has transcended to the point of being part of the identity of an entire country thanks to its properties. That country is Sweden, and it all started as a waste product from a copper mine. By-product. Dalarna is a region located in the heart of Sweden, and it is home to the Falun Great Copper Mountain. The Vikings They were already exploiting this mine in 850, but the history of color dates back to the 16th century. It was then that they discovered that one of the mining byproducts could be turned into a useful pigment. Leaf From the production of copper they obtained what they called Falu rödfärgor “red mulch,” and was basically a unique mixture of over 20 different minerals. The reddish color was thanks to iron oxide, silica, zinc and copper itself. They started to mix it up with water, but also with other elements such as oils, tar or rye flour, and they discovered that they could obtain a paint with very interesting properties. better than paint. This red mulch mixed with the appropriate ingredients not only gave color to the wood, primary raw material in Sweden for both ships and infrastructure, but also acted especially well as a material protector. It was like an insulating layer, a shield that protected against the elementsprolonging its useful life, making repairs less frequent and, in addition, it was cheaper than importing wood treatments from other countries. The industry soon exploded. HE esteem that, by mid-1760, production was about 25 tons, but by 1930, that annual production exceeded 2,000 tons. Status. Now, it wasn’t cheap. Everyone wanted to paint their house that copper red color, but it turns out that it was a luxury reserved for the highest classes. When the pigment was discovered, and perhaps motivated only by its color, King John III ordered paint the ceilings of his palace with ‘falu red’, imitating the copper of the ceilings of other European palaces. Since then, those with the most power who could get hold of the pigment began to paint their houses. However, as production began to scale and gain traction, the product became cheaper and more people were able to access it, painting, if not all of their houses, the façade that faced the roads (which was what everyone passing by could see). Swedish edges of the 19th century contributed to popularize the image of the red houses of Sweden, immortalizing the idea of ​​rural life in red houses with white corners. One of Carl Larsson’s works The color of a nation. The color 5040-Y80R became the symbol of Sweden to the point that migrants who sought better luck in North America after the dissolution of the norwegian swedish union In 1905 they began to build their farms using this color. The image that many of us have of the red farm was created there. And it became so important to Swedish popular culture that there is a saying that symbolizes that simple life and harmonious in contact with the earth: den röda stugan och potatislandet (the red house and the potato garden). Today, the ‘Falu rödfärg’ is not as vital as it was years ago if we talk about production. The same has descended a lot because there is greater competition and synthetic products for paint the facadesbut it is still an example of “banal nationalism”, a symbol that exists without the need for flags and anthems, since its mere presence evokes belonging. Images| Xauxa Håkan Svensson, FrDr, HCa, Wigulf~commonswiki In Xataka | The world’s technology industry practically depends on a single road: the one that leads to the Spruce Prine mine

Building data centers in space was the new hot business. Elon Musk just broke it with a tweet

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The debate over the feasibility of building gigantic data centers in orbit had been heating up for months. It is Silicon Valley’s new big idea to solve the insatiable energy appetite of artificial intelligence. Until, as usual, Elon Musk has entered the conversation with the subtlety of a hammer. Elon Musk has joined the chat. After weeks of debate about the feasibility of building servers in space, Eric Berger, editor of Ars Technica, argued that will end up being a more plausible option when the technology exists to assemble satellites in orbit autonomously. It was the moment chosen by Elon Musk to enter the conversation. “It will be enough to scale the Starlink V3 satellites, which have high-speed laser links,” wrote the CEO of SpaceX. “SpaceX is going to do it,” he said. A phrase that has probably fallen like a blow on startups that are taking advantage of the momentum of AI to go out in search of financing. Why the hell do we want servers in space? The idea of ​​moving computing to Earth orbit responds to a very real crisis: AI is an energy monster, and Demand for data centers continues to grow. Given this panorama, space offers two advantages that are impossible on Earth: Almost unlimited energy: In a sun-synchronous orbit, solar panels receive sunlight almost continuously (more than 95% of the time). Free Cooling: Land-based data centers consume millions of liters of fresh water to cool. With a large enough radiator, the gap can be “an infinite heatsink at -270°C.” The heat would be radiated into the vacuum without wasting a single drop of water. The new titans of space AI. Musk is not the first to see the business. In fact, he arrives at a party where the first contracts are already being distributed. Jeff Bezos predicted during the Italian Tech Week that we will see “giant training clusters” of AI in orbit in the next 10 or 20 years. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, bought rocket company Relativity Space precisely for this purpose. And Nvidia, the undisputed king of AI hardware, has actively backed startup Starcloud, which plans to launch the first NVIDIA H100 GPU into space this November, with the goal of eventually building a monster 5-gigawatt orbital data center. Why Musk would win. The vision of Bezos, Schmidt and Starcloud faces two colossal obstacles: the cost of launch and the construction of the servers themselves. Calculations for a 1 GW data center would require more than 150 launches with current technology. And Starcloud’s plan for a 4 kilometer wide array is a logistical nightmare. Elon Musk has Starship, the giant rocket on which all of his competitors’ business models depend to be profitable. And you don’t need build a new orbital data center. Just adapt and scale the one you already have. 10,000 satellites and counting. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation no longer competes against satellite internet, goes for terrestrial fiber. Musk’s company has already launched 10,000 satellites and is preparing the deployment of the new V3 satellites, designed for Starship with high-speed laser links. According to SpaceX itself, each Starship launch will add 60 terabits per second of capacity to a network that is already, in practice, a global computing and data mesh. While Starcloud needs to hire a rocket and assemble 4km-wide solar and cooling panels, Musk simply needs Starship to finish development to continue launching satellites. In Xataka | Starlink stopped competing with satellite Internet companies a long time ago: now it is going for something much bigger

that building nuclear power plants becomes increasingly cheaper

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While Western countries debated for or against nuclear energy, with the construction of new plants weighed down by decades of delays and cost overruns, China has not only continued building: He has done it against the trend of the sector. For the first time in more than 50 years, a country has made building nuclear reactors increasingly cheaper, faster and scalable. The difference is overwhelming. The only two reactors built in the United States this century (at the Vogtle plant in Georgia) took 11 years to complete and cost a whopping $35 billion, equivalent to about $15 per watt of capacity. According to a analysis published in NatureChina is building its new nuclear power plants for just $2 a watt. It is not an anomaly, but a trend. Construction costs in the United States have increased tenfold since the 1960s, and in France they have almost doubled. In China they halved during the 2000s and have remained stable since then. The big question is how they have achieved it, and whether the rest of the world can imitate them. The Chinese nuclear recipe. Building a nuclear power plant remains one of the most complex engineering projects on the planet. If China has managed to do this in an increasingly efficient way, it is thanks to a mix of standardization and unwavering state support. The three state nuclear giants receive low-interest loans, which greatly reduces the cost of financing. Unlike the West, where each project has been a new experiment with unique designs, China has often focused on building a handful of models, scaling its nuclear capability rapidly. But these are just the last steps of the recipe. To get here, Beijing had to invest in mastering each link in the supply chain. Made in China. As detailed in a extensive New York Times reportthe country has developed a robust national industry capable of forging everything from reactor vessels to the most critical components of each nuclear power plant. Components made in China, such as cargo pumps or ring cranes, cost half as much as their imported equivalents. A perfect example is the American-designed AP1000 reactor. Both the United States and China faced enormous challenges building this model. But as problems led to delays and skyrocketing costs that nearly buried the American industry, China paused, studied every flaw, and ended up developing an improved, nationalized version of the reactor: the CAP1000. It is now building nine reactors of this model within just five years, and at a drastically lower cost. The winning strategy. “China demonstrates that the construction and operation costs of nuclear power do not have to increase unabated,” explains Dan Kammenprofessor at Johns Hopkins University. Breaking the curse of cost overruns requires “more than technology: it requires an intelligent and strategic approach,” says Kammen. The result of this approach is that China is on track to overtake the United States as the largest nuclear power in the world in 2030. Today it has almost as many reactors under construction as the rest of the world combined. It is not a simple bet, but a State policy that does not end at its borders. China has already put two Hualong One reactors into operation in Pakistan, and has plans to continue expanding throughout Asia, Africa and South America. Waiting for the SMR. While China perfects the construction of large already proven reactors, Western countries follow a radically different path: betting on innovation through the private sector. Dozens of startups are working on a new generation of small modular reactors (SMR), theoretically cheaper and faster to build. Tech giants like Google, Amazon and Microsoft They have invested billions in them to power their energy-hungry data centers. The problem is not only that This technological advance will take years to maturebut China does not live apart from it. The country is already taking giant steps in future technologies, such as fourth-generation gas-cooled reactors or research into thorium reactors. And he could repeat the same strategies that have worked with traditional reactors. Image | CNNC In Xataka | China has turned the energy sector upside down: the first fusion-proof nuclear power plant is already a success

It’s not that Apple is going to broadcast F1. He is building the “iTunes of sports”

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Apple has closed the rights to Formula 1 in the United States for five years and 750 million dollars. But looking only at the price is missing the pattern: it is building a vertical sports platform where it controls broadcasting, statistics, context and extra content. An ecosystem. The inventory. In less than three years, Apple has accumulated: Exclusive MLS Rights worldwide ($2.5 billion until 2033). F1 rights in the United StatesApple is accumulating broadcasting rights, launching its own apps and structuring a closed ecosystem against the traditional broadcast model from 2026 (150 million annually). AppleSportsfree app launched in February 2024 with real-time statistics. Sports integration in Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music and Fitness+. The model. Unlike MLS, where matches require a separate subscription, F1 will be included on Apple TV ($12.99 per month in the United States). The playoffs of the MLS have also become free for subscribers. Apple is keeping it simple: one payment, sports content included. F1 TV Premium, the competition’s own service that costs $16.99 per month, will be included at no extra cost for those who already pay for Apple TV. Between the lines. Apple is not seeking immediate profitability with sports rights. Seeks to anchor users to the ecosystem. Each broadcast supports Apple’s association with sport and can be an opportunity to sell more subscriptions to Fitness+ (there is F1 content that will be integrated there) or Apple One, or more Apple Watches ultimately. The strategy is the same as with Apple Music, TV+ (now ‘AppleTV‘) or iCloud: the content is the hook, the ecosystem is the business. Telefónica, DAZN and traditional broadcast companies now have to compete against those who can afford to lose money on rights because they earn elsewhere. The same thing that happened to Netflix when Amazon or Apple itself entered its business. He timing. The F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt and produced by Apple, has raised $629 million and has become the highest-grossing sports film in history. Apple has been working with F1 for three years. The rights agreement is not coincidental: it is the next phase of an already consolidated relationship. F1 has grown exponentially in the United States thanks to ‘Drive to Survive‘ from Netflix. Apple has detected the exact moment to enter: when the public is built but before the market becomes saturated. With Brad Pitt’s movie, Apple launched a huge marketing campaign disguised as a movie and validated its own products as suitable for the film industry. Yes, but. This model only works with great financial muscle. ESPN paid 85 million annually for F1. Apple has doubled the figure without blinking. Netflix has not shown great interest in live sports. Amazon bought the rights to the NFL and Ligue 1 at the time, but has not gone further. Apple is creating something different: a layer that wraps sports in its technology. The Apple Sports app does not currently include any of streamingbut it is a hub that will be able to direct traffic to Apple TV. The threat. If it works, Apple can bid for European rights: Premier, Champions, LaLiga… They have money, technology, brand and 2 billion active devices. The problem for traditional TVs is not just that Apple enters their market. It’s that you can afford not to make money from it for years while you build your platform. In Xataka | The new Apple M5 is a potentially monstrous chip, but the surprise is where it makes the real leap: in the execution of AI models Featured image | Apple

OpenAI is building the biggest house of cards in history. Its “circular financing” aggravates the threat of the AI ​​bubble

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Yesterday OpenAI and Broadcom announced a collaboration agreement that will see both companies design and deploy 10 GW of custom AI chips over the course of four years. It’s a new episode of that unusual strategy that OpenAI has carried out and which is summarized in an increasingly disturbing concept: that of circular financing. Multimillion-dollar agreements. In recent weeks we have seen how OpenAI has reached new agreements worth billions of dollars with large companies in the semiconductor sector. Thus, we have: Circular financing. All these advertisements respond to a unique circular financing strategy in which chip companies (the suppliers) not only sell their products to an AI startup (customer), but also invest capital in that startup, which in turn uses that capital to buy more products from its investor. In reality, the supplier “does not invest” as such, because that money ends up going back into purchases of its products and services. It is in fact something similar to what OpenAI did with Microsoft when the latter invested $13 billion in it. Rather than investing them, it allowed him to use a kind of subscription for that amount to use his cloud, Azure, and its computing resources. It’s a win-win for some and for others. OpenAI wins. These agreements allow OpenAI to have guaranteed access to computing, something you need like eating. The startup spends billions a year and still not profitablebut thanks to this strategy he obtains a massive flow of capital. In the case of Broadcom, it also manages to collaborate in the design of customized chips for minimize future dependence on other partners (such as NVIDIA or AMD) and thus enjoy a lower total cost of ownership in the long term. And by signing with three different semiconductor suppliers, it encourages competition and improves its bargaining power. Bright. Suppliers win. The circular strategy also benefits NVIDIA, AMD and Broadcom. All of them gain a customer with almost unlimited demand, and can register immediate income from the sale of chips while the cost of the investment is amortized over time. NVIDIA also manages to maintain its dominant position, while AMD and Broadcom manage to expand in this market. If there are also actions involved, all of them are revalued and participating in each other is another element of interest in these financial operations. They reinforce and grow larger among themselves, and while they weaken all the others. A gigantic house of cards. But compared to that strategy, reality. And the reality is that this circular flow of capital is creating artificial demand in which the supplier pays itself. The systemic risk is enormous: if OpenAI fails or AI growth slows, the domino effect can significantly affect these vendors and their investors. We are facing a huge (and fragile) house of cards that, if it collapses, will have equally enormous consequences. The AI ​​bubbleif it really exists, continues to grow and grow. Total uncertainty. There is also absolute uncertainty about the promise of AI: will we really use it as much as these companies think we will? Will OpenAI be able to deliver on its promise and turn a profit in 2030? It is impossible to know. Finally, another problem: these circular agreements make these companies larger, but they make the entry of new competitors in both markets increasingly complicated. There are winners, but also losers. While all this is happening and the shares of these companies are skyrocketing, the reality is that there are also losers. The retail investor is blind to these events—and suspicions about cases of insider trading They are inevitable. And of course when talking about competition we are not talking about new competitors, but also current ones. Anthropic or Perplexity, with already established businesses, now finds it more difficult to compete. Google, Microsoft or Meta have plenty of infrastructure and economic resources, but they are still seeing how OpenAI is getting bigger and bigger without being able to prevent it. If successful, OpenAI may end up being above all of them, because it seeks the same thing that every company seeks even if it does not admit it: become a monopoly. Image | Xataka with Freepik – Gemini In Xataka | You thought you had an amazing connection on Tinder, but you were actually chatting with ChatGPT

China is building more electric cars than you can sell and that announces something dramatic: a manufacturers bleeding

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For years, China has cooked its assault on the electric car. As in other sectors, the country has put a cooked pot and has been done with all the ingredients. Little by little, it has been heating the water, browning the sauce and, with everything ready, the fire has risen. The time has come to get the dishes. And it doesn’t matter if someone stays along the way. A huge market. China is the largest electric car market. Not only that, by volume, it is the country in which more cars are bought if we add all kinds of technologies. His market is gigantic. To the point that In it, 23.5 million cars were sold In 2024. To get an idea, in the United States 16 million cars were sold and around 12 million cars. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing According to data from Carnewschinasales were slightly lower (22.9 million) but the International Energy Agency (IEA, for its acronym in English) and the specialized medium in the Chinese market agree that the barrier of more than 11 million vehicles of new energy sold (category in which plug -in and electric hybrids are included) was broken). Over low heat. Until last year, European manufacturers had been leaders in the Chinese market. Little by little, local manufacturers have gained ground … until Byd rolled Volkswagen. Among new energy vehicles, more than 60% of sales They are electric cars. And there, Chinese manufacturers have passed over Westerners. They have achieved it with a determined policy. European manufacturers were offered land and labor at balance prices. Of course, they had to associate with local manufacturers. These manufacturers have learned from the West and, in addition, They have received subsidies from the Chinese governmenteither with the creation of state companies (or partial participation in them), almost free land and facilities and soft loans. And, at the same time, the State has been taking strategic positions. China controls the supply chain of semiconductors But also the production of Rare earth and of batteries. All this has caused that the cost of producing in China for the Chinese market is much cheaper for its local producers, which has resulted in a better product at a better price than foreign competitors. Fearless. Once the State has been done with the ingredients and has put the cooker, it has not been afraid to climb the fire with the intention that their marks will eat the western ones in the country. The purchase subsidies have been focused on maintaining a constant sales yield of electric cars and new energy, where China has managed to get ahead. At the same time, a wave of nationalism well aimed from the State (for the interests of its manufacturers) has moved the purchase interests of consumers. They already see Western brands as a thing of the past. Companies that previously positioned themselves as a luxury product today are obsolete in a market that bets on a type of car without barriers. A car that is the object of mobility but is also karaoke or interactive center where to take a while surrounded by screens. Overcapacy. Or overproduction, so that we all understand each other. According to data from the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, In 2024 there were 31,282 million vehicles and 31,436 million were sold. Keep in mind that much of that production, obviously, was sent outside the borders. In fact, already in 2023 The country beat Japan as the largest car exporter in the world. The problem is that the formula has begun to give symptoms of exhaustion in this 2025. O, as little, of a certain stagnation. Last August, Byd confirmed that he had to redirect your sales prospects. The company I planned to produce 5.5 million of vehicles but its new objective is on the border of the 5 million. With 80% of its sales in China, which by the brake begins to give an idea of ​​the difficulty finding the market to absorb all the cars that are producing. An unexpected war. That difficulty in putting cars in the market has been the manufacturer himself in his meats. They explain in Reuters That in the Chinese city of Chengdu it is easy to find cars with discounts of 50%. Some of them, the Audi that are manufactured in collaboration with FAW, are sold with up to 60% discount. That war is dilapidating the margin of benefits of brands such as byd that have more muscle than rivals to lower prices and reduce stock. Because that is another of the obvious symptoms that point to a slowdown in the Chinese market. A few months ago, The concessionaires themselves asked that manufacturers stop sending cars because they were having problems selling them despite the attractive discount. In fact, The State itself has brought together manufacturers To deal with the topic of kilometers 0, which add up as a sale but then are forgotten in stores in the absence of a buyer. A private market. When China lived its previous price war, we already commented that it was a fire test for some companies. The problem of this wild competition is that manufacturers enter a downward price wheel where cars are ended up without taking out enough benefit to it. So, Tesla and Byd They were the ones that had the entire muscle to destroy the rivals. But, in addition, two peculiarities in the Chinese market must be taken into account. The first is that the launch rhythm is very high. That makes the companies themselves leave the cars they have launched just a few months or a year ago with their own innovations. This is the case of byd And the announcement that His eye of God would reach all his cars From now on. The client observes that the models and prices are renewed with each launch. Conclusion: delays the purchase, the stock accumulates and the cars are outdated. But, in addition, manufacturers … Read more

Russia is building a nuclear weapon capable of destroying all satellites in orbit

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In 1962, the world looked on the edge of the nuclear abyss when the United States discovered the installation of Soviet missiles in Cubaa few kilometers from its coasts. The tension derived from that geopolitical pulse symbolized the fragility of the strategic balance and the ease with which a technological advance or risky play could precipitate the planet towards a total confrontation. Today, more than sixty years later, United States evokes That historical episode when warning about a similar threat, although transferred to space. A new crisis. The announcement that Russia would be developing a Orbital nuclear weapon Able to disable the totality of the satellites in land low orbit has turned on alarms in Washington, with direct comparisons to That crisis of the missiles of Cuba that we commented. According to the declassified data For the US Congress, this system would combine an initial physical attack that would generate a reaction in orbital destruction chain with a nuclear pulse destined to fry the electronics of all affected satellites. The result. It would be, in his opinion, devastating: With the collapse of GPS, communications, intelligence and early missile alert systems, all critical elements for global safety and economy. The United States argues that the weapon, not yet operational, could be unusable for orbit for a whole yeargenerating an unprecedented strategic vacuum in which both Washington and its allies would be exposed to conventional or even nuclear threats without the coverage of their space constellations. The role of satellites. Today orbit More than 12,000 satellites that fulfill vital functions for modern life: from television and navigation services to international military and economic architecture. In fact, the war in Ukraine has already demonstrated its vulnerability when the Russian attack against Viasat In 2022 he left tens of thousands of users without service in much of Europe. More recently, the kidnapping of a satellite signal to issue the Victory Day Parade In Ukraine he showed how cyberspace and outer space are intertwined as new battlefields. The experts They warn that it is enough to exploit outdated software or insecure communication links to disable key satellites, which makes space a Achilles heel of Western democracies. The new space race. We have gone counting. The announcement of the possible Russian weapon coincides with the resurgence of the Spatial competition for the domain of the extraterrestrial resources. The moon has become The centerpiece Of this rivalry: its wealth In Helio-3fuel potential for future nuclear fusion reactors, has triggered plans to establish permanent bases. NASA advertisement the installation of a small nuclear reactor as an initial step to consolidate presence before they do so Russia or Chinathat they already project their own lunar plants. The control of strategic areas of the lunar surface is perceived as a determinant to define the next global hegemony in energy and technology, in a context where the growing demand for energy for artificial intelligence accelerates competition. China between half. While Russia is silent about the alleged antisatellite weapon, China has reacted denouncing Washington for “militarizing space” and accusing it to expand military alliances that convert spatial domain into a war zone. Beijing insists that he opposes an arms race outside the earth, although in parallel promotes projects of space mining and Bases on the Moon that place it on the same competitive board as the United States and Russia. Chinese rhetoric is presented as a guarantor of the international order against a United States accused of exacerbating tension, although the simultaneous development of Technological capabilities of Great reach It reveals a broader power game. Washington’s response. Created In 2019the US space force has assumed the task of protecting national interests in orbit, from communications constellations to military intelligence and navigation satellites. Its fleet includes The X-37ban unmanned ferry that executes prolonged secret missions In orbit and symbolizes Washington’s will to dominate this area. Although small compared to branches such as the army or the navy, the space force It expands and the pentagon Plan to consolidate Soon its headquarters. For US military controls, safe access to space is already a vital interest in national security. The perspective of Russia deploying a space nuclear weapon raises the challenge to a Unpublished scale: The possible paralysis of world satellite infrastructure, with military, economic and psychological consequences comparable to a strategic nuclear attack. A turning point. Be that as it may, the ghost of a “missile crisis in space” reflects that the competition is no longer limited to land, sea and air, not even to cyberspace, but reaches the orbital and lunar domain as new power scenarios. If the United States is right and Russia is allowed to advance with An antisatellite weaponthe global strategic balance could be altered radically, inaugurating an era in which the great powers dispute not only territories, but also access to the infrastructure that sustains modern life. The urgency, both for some and for others, seems clear: or firm limits are established in the military use of space, or the risk that the next great international crisis explodes hundreds of kilometers above our heads will be increasingly real. Image | Steve Jurvetson In Xataka | Bombard the poles with nuclear weapons or build a giant magnet: the most reposted ideas to terraft Mars In Xataka | China has just taken another step in the technological and spatial conquest: an orbital computing network designed for AI

All new construction buildings are becoming the same building

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It doesn’t matter that you live in Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Grenade, Malaga either Vigoto name just a handful of cities. If you take a walk through the majority of municipalities in Spain, it is more than likely to meet the same picture: white and black residential buildings. The chromatic sobriety taken to the extreme seems to send among the blocks of New construction. Even in rehabilitations in which the facades are formed. It might seem a simple fashion issue, but – without discarding that factor – reality is a lot more complex and rich in nuances. So … why so many black and white buildings? The trend is already Some time Besting, but it has spread to such an extent and with such force that today all cities can be found in (almost). Populous cities of the size of Madrid either Valencia. And others with less population, such as A Coruña, Cáceres either Grenade. If new construction promotions are reviewed, it seems that almost all have come out of the same Architecture study. Black and White Mandate. As in his day he did the caravista brick. It is not necessary to leave home and travel the cities of the country to check it. Arrives with a look at the catalog of promoters such as Aedas Homes, Neinor Homes, Celere, Metrovacesa either Real estate habitat. There are exceptions, of course; But if we had to identify a trend in its portfolios and infographics is precisely that: the recurring use of whites, blacks and gray tones. Tax, tastes … and much more Made of tastes and fashions? It is an explanation. In 2023 the newspaper Herald He wondered Why in the neighborhoods of Zaragoza with a significant number of new buildings seemed to be repeated again and again the same picture: facades that combine white, black and dark gray. To clear the unknown he consulted with Grupo Lobe, behind one of the new buildings in the Aragonese capital that had opted for that combination: black, white and, where appropriate, an anthracite gray. And while the firm pointed to several factors, one of them is pure aesthetic. “There is another issue that we consider that it is the taste of the people. We are clear that attracts black and white, or very dark gray,” Álvaro Van Horenbeke saidarchitect of the firm. “For other more unique projects, other tones are used, but in general this combination is easier for it not to become timeless.” Other voices in the sector talk about the desire to “Generate dualities”a commitment to white linked to Modern movement or the simple taste for black and dark gray, such as anthracite or RAL 7016. That the commitment to black and white has spread so strongly does not respond to a simple issue of fashion or the search for an aesthetic as “timeless” possible. Black and white are not any chromatic options, as Van Horenbeke himself recognized. Aesthetic values apart, both are key in a strictly practical aspect: their behavior to reflect either absorb sunlight, which in turn influences temperature. The use of white can be so strategic that there are university researchers dedicated to Find the variety more “pure” possible – the whiter white – to improve its ability to reflect and use it in paintings capable of cooling surfaces that permeate below environmental values. Moreover, there are still the curl there are scientists who They have theorized On the advantages that it would have for the planet covering 2% of the land surface of “ultrabranco”. The architect Pedro Torrijos points another key to understanding the enormous popularity of black and white, which extends even to the reforms: the search for a more effective thermal insulation. The disseminator also remembers the great popularity of the SateThermal insulation systems on the outside that basically They consist in the installation of a thermal insulation on the outer walls of a building to improve thermal performance. By way of finishing Revoco or plates coatings with ceramics or stone can be used. It does not condition black and white, but that is a bet that has gained popularity against more risky ones. “The promoters are conservative.” There is an old adage that says ‘if something works … Why change it?’ That is another of the possible explanationseven simpler: if black and white buildings work in the market, why risk doing something that generates rejection? From the collective Madrid projects They remember that in the sector there are large companies that bet on formulas and studies that are already known to them. “There are few promoters who do a lot of work. They do it a bit in series,” they ironize. Chromatic sobriety is also associated with minimalism, although Madrid projects recognizes that repeating a recurrent formula as happened in its day with bricks causes a risk: “saturation.” “If you want to make a new image you can do it with brick and shapes, but it is normal to go to a more technological material. On the other hand, in Spain everything that has color sounds to social housing,” They pointed Three years ago since the Hisplelyt firm To the opinion of A Coruña. “In the end, 99% of the promotions look for something quiet, so they are sure that it will sell well. They only ask us for color and give some vidilla when we make students residences.” To better understand the phenomenon, Madrid projects slides another even more striking concept: “Buildings cream cake”. The expression helps to understand the success that works in black and white have achieved. The idea is to lift simple buildings to which a layer is then added to “generate a certain volume feeling”, as is the case in pastry with the cream. “To give a more chic touch, these slabs are given,” they say from the collective before aiming their advantages for example to “hide” small windows or other details. “It’s a beautiful finish,” they abound. The idea connects with another concept: that of “marketing architecture”. “These … Read more

China is building the largest telescope in the world. The question is why he is doing it in secret

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In the select club of first level astronomical observatories, all projects They are advertised to hype and saucer decades in advance. China instead is building a gigantic telescope of 14 and a half meters on the Tibetan plateau without having officially announced it. US suspicions. An article of Wall Street Journal He has raised the hare. A telescope of that size would not only rival the most powerful observatories in the West, but, if it was terminated in time, it would temporarily become the largest terrestrial optical telescope in the world. The question that, according to the Journal, resonates in Harvard’s halls and NASA is not whether they are building it, but why they do it stealthily. The clues that arrive from China. Robert Kirshner, Emerrito Professor of Harvard and leader of the thirty -meter telescope, The American project that Spain now wantsit has been one of the main detectives in this plot. The clues, although discreet, are overwhelming: In January, the state company Nanjing Astronomical Instruments published on social networks that it had gained a tender of 22 million dollars to build the dome of a telescope with a mirror of 14.5 meters In April, some students who visited a scientific institute mentioned in another publication that the researchers had shown them the configuration of the mirrors for a telescope of that same size An outstanding Chinese astronomer declared state media that one of its objectives was to finish “the 14.5 meter telescope” before its retirement Beijing has adopted a low profile. The anomalous thing about this case is that Chinese institutions also do not celebrate their technological sovereignty with the usual triumphalism in this type of project. China, which does not hesitate to celebrate other space milestones, here has opted for a low profile. A clear trace of tenders. Technical documents are scattered, but paint a clear image of an advanced development project. The main test is the tender of its most visible component: the dome. A public announcement of the Chinese Academy of Sciences He was looking for offers for the “Project to Acquisition of the Dome of the Optical/Infrared Telescope of 14.5 m”, with a deadline set for November 2024. On the other hand, a memorandum of China National Astronomical Observatory It justifies the purchase of infrared detectors, describing the project as “a great astronomical telescope to achieve the top of science and technology.” In parallel, published job offers For “the general purpose of the general major caliber in construction in our country.” I even looked for personnel for the system engineering file managementan unequivocal sign that the design phase had given way to the construction. Why not announce it then? Matt Mountain, president of the Aura organization, which manages the Observatorios Hubble and James Webb for NASA, raises two hypotheses. The first is military: A telescope capable of obtaining crisp images of a galaxy to millions of light years can also observe with an unprecedented resolution The spy satellites of other nations in space. The domain of heaven is not only scientific, but also strategic, as We have been seeing in the Earth’s orbit For years. The second hypothesis is a long -term play for technological leadership. Mountain describes it brilliantly: “Astronomy is the entrance drug for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” Investing in inspiring projects such as a giant telescope is the best way to encourage a whole generation of young people to study Stem races, ensuring that China can overcome the United States in the coming decades. The biggest telescope for a while. To understand the magnitude of this project, you have to put it in context. The Hubble space telescope mirror measures 2.4 meters; The Webb, 6.5 meters. The four largest optical telescopes on Earth are around 10 meters in diameter. If China completes its 14.5 meter telescope soon, it would dwarf all existing observatories until the new generation They will see the light. Precisely these days the thirty -meter telescope (TMT) has been on everyone’s mouth (TMT) that the United States was going to build in Hawaii. After becoming one of the victims of Trump’s science cuts, the Government of Spain has offered 400 million euros To be built on the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands. Although its final location is yet to be decided. Image | Universidad de Pekín In Xataka | For the first time we have pointed to heaven with a 3,200 megapixel camera. In just 10 hours he has done several years

Mark Zuckerberg is building mansions in Hawaii as if there were no tomorrow. No one knows what

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Mark Zuckerberg is putting target legs with his Galactic signings For his Superintelligence team, and also Hawaii, where he has been buying land and building buildings more than a decade. So much later, what is pursued there is still an unknown, especially in terms of details as a mysterious and giant underground bunker. Zuck continues to buy and build to expand his complex megalomaniac. In 2023, We knew the existence From Kolau Ranch, a new mansion that Mark Zuckerberg was building surrounded by luxuries. The figures left no doubt about the magnitude of the project: a minimum of 270 million dollars (counting only the value of the land and the main work) and 500 hectares. According to a new investigation of WiredAt the beginning of the year there has been a new purchase of land totaling almost 400 hectares. In total, today the property of the CEO amounts to approximately 930 hectares. The expense? More than 300 million dollars. Because. It is the great mystery, nobody knows what plans exactly in mind. An old project employee summed up well the secretism that surrounds the constructions of the Meta CEO project: “It is the fight club. We do not talk about the fight club.” Behind this difficulty in obtaining information, even in the field, are strict confidentiality agreements signed by the workers. They have sworn silence and expose themselves to lose their jobs if they talk to the press. What is building exactly. The first part of the plan, in which there was an investment of at least 270 million, included two huge mansions with dizzy figures: 500 hectares, an underground shelter of 460 m2 and a dozen buildings with at least 30 rooms and 30 bathrooms. Now Zuckerberg is building three large more austere buildings (so to speak), more functional and far from opulence. According to the information that Wired has been able to access, each one has 16 rooms and, in common, share a space of 120 square meters. The global size of the buildings range from 700 to 1,000 square meters. The confirmed. Brandi Hoffine Barr, representative of Zuckerberg in Hawaii, has confirmed to Wired that the new buildings will be used as guest housing: family, friends and staff. Not only are they 10 times larger than the middle house of the archipelago: two of them will cost between 3.5 and 4 million dollars. One of the most enigmatic parts of the megalomaniac project of the Meta CEO is its underground bunker. Regarding this, what he said is that it is not a bunker For the end of the worldbut “A small shelter, A basement“ It has encountered a funeral problem. While Zuckerberg has been put in founding mode To recruit the major Galactic team of artificial intelligence (AI) and assemble Data centers in tentsKauai’s properties, in Hawaii, have not brought him very good news, according to Wired. Zuckerberg’s property is on a cemetery where Julian Ako’s ancestors, a local resident. And a local fight. After negotiations, Ako has made access to the land to register the tombs of his great -grandparents, because he knew that his great grandmother and her brother are buried there. The local community fears that if more remains appear, it is not notified due to the confidentiality agreements signed by the workers. According to Ako, if they discover more bones and communicate it, construction workers put their jobs into play. The problem is not new, because in its first purchases, in 2014, Zuckerberg had to deal with the rights that the premises had on their property. Despite this, for now, nothing slows Zuck. Representative Brandi Hoffine Barr acknowledged knowing the idiosyncrasy of the land in 2015, and states that they fenced and maintained the fossal part. Millionaire’s trend buying in Hawaii. Mark Zuckerberg or is the only billionaire who with his investments aggravates the problem: Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey either Marc BenioffCEO of Salesforce, have also disbursed huge amounts of money for giving parts of the islands. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, who recently has unseat Zuck as a richer man, Buy Lanai Island almost completely. The consequence? The locals had to leave. With a huge consequence in the state. Although Zuckerberg is resorting to philanthropia and financing non -profit organizations, his investment is contributing to a problem of the islands and global: extremely expensive housing and away from the financial possibilities of local citizens. Prices is triggered from the pandemic, when many rich and Teleworking They moved to the paradisiacal environment. Influence in other billionaires. The publication of the Zuckerberg plan and his giant bunker has influenced In the rich bunkers market. Al Corbi, founder of Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments (SAFE), told that the request for information on the construction of these elements increased considerably when Zuckerberg’s plans were made public. According to Corbi, recently bunkers “have grown a lot in size and stature”, pointing to details such as equipment to keep a family for a week. The question is whether they will have a Pendrive with Ia. Outstanding image | Braden Jarvis in Unspash, Goal In Xataka | Larry Page wants to get lost on an island, but it is not decided which. So you bought five

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