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No one has managed to reach the mantle of the earth. China has built a ship to do it and, incidentally, extract energy

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The old aspiration of Julio Verne in ‘Journey to the center of the earth’ is still out of our reach, but the explorations under the seabed are increasingly deep. You just have to see the ship that China has just put into service. Meng Xiang. “Dream” in Chinese. A colossal ocean drilling vessel designed and built entirely In the Asian country to pierce the ocean bed descending up to a record distance of 11,000 meters. The objective: penetrate the earth’s crust and reach the mantle, a geological border that until now has only been able to study indirectly, creating new science while exploring new energy sources. A Boat. With 179.8 meters in length and 42,600 tons of displacement, the Meng Xiang is the new largest scientific research vessel in China, which, which consolidated the country’s position as a maritime superpower. Although it will focus on the South China Sea until 2035, the Meng Xiang could operate in any ocean in the world, supporting superstifones and the most extreme maritime conditions. What makes it unique. The true crown jewel is its drilling system: the world’s first hydraulic drilling tower capable of raising up to 907 tons with a double purpose: Perform oil and gas exploration perforationsand at the same time, take samples of geological nuclei for scientific research. Your ability to pierce 11 kilometers will allow you, for the first time, to obtain direct samples of this transition zone. The goal reminds the historical “Mohole Project” of the United States In the 60s, which although he laid the foundations for oceanic drilling, he never achieved his final objective. The new Chinese ship has the technology to get it. The unexplored border. Since the seismologist Croata Andrija Mohorovičić discovered it in 1909, “Moho discontinuity” It has been one of the most coveted borders by geology. It is the limit where the earthly, lighter cortex gives way to the much densest rocks of the mantle. Until now, our knowledge about this crucial layer comes from seismic data and the analysis of minerals expelled by volcanoes. China intends to kill two birds with an unprecedented scientific mission that, in turn, will expand its extractive capacity. What can find down there? In addition to oil, gas hydrates: a vast source of potential energy trapped in the seabed at great depths and low temperatures. Mastering his extraction could redefine the global energy map, in which China wants to be in the lead. Image | Xinhua In Xataka | In China there are scratching size ships sailing thousands of kilometers from the sea. All thanks to your cranes

China has built the most elegant economic power lever in modern history: rare earths

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He Rare Earth Agreement announced last night says more than what appears to be a simple commercial truce: China has the most sophisticated geopolitical weapon we have seen. One that is capable of paralyzing entire sectors of any developed economy. And with the elegance of who closes a tap. China controls the entire ecosystem of Rare earth: The Ganzhou mines. Processing plants. He know-how technical. Specialized labor. Even the only American Mountain Pass mine Send your material to China to refine it. It is the same difference between having oil and controlling the refineries of the world. China has built a monopoly on elements that are the blood of the digital economy: Without neodymium there are no wind turbines. No Disposio there are no Tesla engines. Without Terbio there are no iPhone screens. Deng Xiaoping He saw it in 1992: “Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.” Three decades later, That prophecy is a reality and a definition of the present. And the interesting thing is that West has financed its own vulnerability. For decades, US and European companies outsourced the extraction and processing of “dirty” minerals to China, celebrating the margins that gave them that specialization. That dependence has had a strategic cost. And now… The same companies that built the supply chains to maximize their efficiency now discover that they also optimized their vulnerability. And China executes in a way we could call “civilized blackmail“. It does not close the whole tap, but it does slow down the supply with bureaucracy. Ask for forms, photos of the factories, customer listings, production details. That, in addition to a bureaucratic nuisance, is also to open a window to the industrial secrets of its competitors. Industrial espionage, but institutionalized, disguised as commercial policy. You take it or leave it. When he negotiates, he does it from a position of strength. The agreement, of only six months, works as a constant reminder. Each western company now knows that its production depends on Chinese benevolence. And if a geopolitical escalation of any kind arises, the industrial blackout can be almost instantaneous. The West now discovers that economic interdependence can become a lethal weapon, because China has shown that in the technological era, who controls critical materials controls the rules. The agreement last night postpones the moment in which the West will have to decide if he is willing to pay the price (economic and strategic) to recover his mineral sovereignty. China has won this pulse and has plenty of strength to win all the following. In Xataka | China monopolizes rare earths. An enemy has come out of home: the smuggers Outstanding image | Wikimedia Commons

Before the lack of steel, the ships of World War II began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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Close your eyes and think about the main material of a ship. Quite possibly Wood is the first Let it come to mind, and it is normal: we have millennia sailing in wooden ships, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the XX and XX shipsand the Current marine monstersit is around ideas. And most likely you have not thought of another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete ships, and far from crazy, it was the most logical idea. And even used in the first and Second World War. A Frenchman. A good day from the mid -nineteenth century, a French man named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not anyone: one of reinforced concrete. There was a problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and has been since their invention the basis of the most imposing, dams and almost any construction of the last century. Well, it was Joseph-Louis that came up with the two materials. At least, I know attribute The invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy with the dates, with whom he patented the reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But well: Lambot wanted to prove his invention and built a small boat less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it in the Universal Exhibition of Paris of 1855. Enough advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace the wood. The invention liked it, but it really did not attract the attention of ship manufacturers. Some barges were created for European channels, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is the one we consider as the first reinforced concrete ship designed to navigate on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great corrosion resistance, so the marine environment does not damage the helmet, reducing maintenance (that also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread … A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build, especially freighters. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete against other materials, the world was forced to create concrete ships for a very simple reason: There was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of Steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer you could create many other things. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. World War I. The revolution came with the Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, showed that self -propelled concrete ships could be made. It was 26 meters in length and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was a potential in these ships beyond serving as charges propelled by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the aim of producing 24 concrete ships. It was a failure: those who completed themselves, did it after the war, so it had to be allocated in other things. One was the SS FAithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it remained to be used in transport work in the United States. It was thrown in 1919, it was in service until in 1921 it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaa huge reinforced concrete mole of 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day when Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up using as a oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With candles and a secondary support motor Demolish disadvantages. With the finished war, interest in the construction of concrete ships deflated. It still had advantages, because building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages, it is important to know the disadvantages (which exceed them, and by far). To match the resistance of a steel helmet, the concrete is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a major draft, the displacement of the ship is slower and more fuel is needed. That is thicker implies that there is less interior space for load, since the useful volume is reduced. That weight makes engines must be more powerful and that fuel tanks are also greater, so the investment in this part is greater. The dike to build it must also be monstrous because you cannot weld parts, such as steel, and then there is resistance to impacts. Second World War. The metal breaks, yes, but it has a greater elasticity than the concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile to impacts. A collision causes a crack in the helmet, and this on a ship that weighs so much is a conviction. That is why, after the great war, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to the loading barges, but then World War II arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one that began 20 years before and yes, concrete ships were … Read more

This bridge built by China is so high that two Eiffel tower fit under it. And they have built it in just four years

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We have been having bridges from prehistory. From that tree That someone would use to connect two sides to the majestic Roman bridges, humanity has evolved while doing the bridges he built. The more recent techniques They allow us to connect extremes that are separated by tens of kilometers, but Talk about bridges It is currently looking at China. They not only have The longest maritime bridgebut also the highest in the world. It is the Bridge of the Grand Canyon of Huajiang and the most surprising thing is not that under it two Eiffel Tower enter one over another, but that it has only taken four years to lift it. Necessary. The Gran Canyon of Huajiang is located in the province of Guizhou. It is an area that, traditionally, has been isolated from the rest of the area for a reason for weight: more than 90% of the territory is mountainous terrain that hinders communication. For centuries it did not have much importance for the rest of the empire, but China has been raising infrastructure (and also excavating) to demolish those geographical barriers. Puzzle. The objective of the government is to connect rural areas with urban centers and, in this case, you had to get the Liuzhi-Anlong highway to raffle the mountains to speed up transport times. The only way was through a bridge, and after an analysis period, in 2022 They started The construction of the great bridge. It was not going to be simple: it should not only be at a considerable height, but to have a length of almost three kilometers. And the problem was not so much to create the suspension bridge, but to raise the necessary materials. To do this, implemented Advanced technologies to raise steel beams by up to 215 tons of weight and, despite the difficulties in the field, the works have gone at a pone rhythm. To all fuse. That is what usually attracts the attention of these Chinese infrastructure that, weighing some exceptions such as half -building abandoned skyscraper For years, they are an example for the rest of the world. The works advance with speed and, if At the beginning of this year We already saw the two towers of 262 and 205 meters on both sides of the bridge, as well as the cables of 9,000 tons each, now we observe that they have already built the section that joins the ends. The length Total of the bridge is 2,890 meters and the main section, which is among the towers, has a length of 1,420 meters that positions it not only as the highest bridge in the world (it is 625 meters from the ground, reaching the end of the towers at 776 meters), but as the longest hanging section built in the mountainous area. The comparison with the height of the Eiffel Tower is interesting, but almost two Empire State Building would also enter. The technology used in construction is also interesting. For example, when the concrete pour, Guizhou Bridge Group builders devised a system of pipes that pump cold or hot water depending on the outer temperature to ensure that fresh concrete dried in the best possible conditions to avoid cracks. And, to guarantee maintenance, the cables have sensors that measure vibrations or wind intensity to offer reports on the state of the hanging section. Impact. In January of this year, it was reported that 75% of the project had been completed, but in recent months we have seen how they have advanced so much that it is practically only missing and installing the security elements. The idea is to open at some point in June this year and, once open, will allow Crossing the canyon in just a couple of minutes when before it was something for more than an hour. But beyond all this, the most impressive thing is that they have been able to build an infrastructure in a very complicated place and condense 439,000 m³ of concrete and 49,000 tons of steel in just four years. And the cost? In theory, 280 million dollars that are difficult to estimate whether they will recover by joining rural areas, but as infrastructure and demonstration of strength, the Huajiang Grand Canyon bridge is imposing. And will remove the record from the highest bridge Lege’s, also in China. Images | Xinhua (1, 2) In Xataka | With 526 meters in length, China has a new record of the longest glass bridge in the world

The great technology built their empires in a connected world. Now that world is falling apart

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The Trump tariffs They are not only an economic measure, but the visible manifestation of a phenomenon that goes much further: the potential fragmentation of the technological world in isolated and incompatible islands with each other. The technological map we knew so far is changing. The stock exchange that has evaporated almost 2 billion the value of technology – and climbing – in a few days hides points to Something more than short -term fears: The interconnected system in which the great technological ones built their empires are disintegrating. As Ben Evans says in your analysis of Stratechery“It is more difficult to overestimate the degree to which every aspect of modern life rests in global supply chains, so long and complex that no one can truly understand the effects of altering them.” The American Big Tech, whose success has been built on the premise of a world without digital bordersThey now have the nightmare of a planet that is, technologically, bursting. The American superisla dominated by Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta is surrounding increasingly turbulent waters. He will no longer be able to have cheap factories from China or Vietnam. The Chinese island, while, has a five years building its own ecosystems and standards. Huawei is a paradigmatic case. The European island, still in formation, focuses on regulation (GDPR, Dma, DSA) and tries to position themselves as “third way” with emphasis on values ​​about privacy and ethics, while maintaining critical strategic positions with manufacturers like ASML. We count it a few days ago: Huawei has not thrown five years building bridges, but cavando trenches. His Harmonyospresent in more than 1,000 million devices, does not seek to complement the global ecosystem, but replace it. Do not compete, build a parallel reality. West still thinks of market fees while Huawei builds an entire digital continent. The symptoms of this fragmentation are increasingly evident, and if nothing changes, they will go more: Nintendo delaying The early orders of the Switch 2. Vietnam negotiating the desperate to reduce tariffs. Companies drawing alternative supply chains in a hurry. They are only the superficial waves of the tsamot that is happening at the bottom of the digital ocean. We are facing The fracture of a technological model that we assumed universal. Where there were now integration there are digital walls. The economies of scale that allowed affordable smartphones and global services will give way to smaller, less efficient and possibly more expensive ecosystems. The end user will not only pay more for its devices but will have to choose which technology island belongs to. The European Union, aware of what is coming, no longer speaks only of response tariffs, but use his Anti-coercion instrument to “limit intellectual property rights” or “restrict the access of financial services to EU markets.” We talk about hardware, yes, but the war also extends to software, services and digital infrastructure. Europe could find its opportunity as a bridge between islands, taking advantage of its experience creating global standards (GSM, GDPR) that can be adopted beyond its borders. Our unique position, with relations with both the United States and China, could become integrators in a technologically fragmented world. And in this digital archipelago where Pangea was before Companies will have to decide which islands inhabiting and which ones to abandon. The divergent standards (with China we are already seeing it, They throw to their own HDMI), redundant supply chains and incompatible ecosystems will be the new normality. Innovation will no longer flow between continents, but will be confined in these technological islands, with its own rules, limitations and opportunities. Not that technological globalization is threatened, is that is being actively disassembled. The dream of a digital world without borders is coming to an end. Welcome to the technological archipelago. Outstanding image | Xataka, Wikimedia Commons In Xataka | “A zero tariff”: Before Tesla’s collapse, Elon Musk already presses for an agreement between Europe and the United States

North Korea has built a “Manhattan” of 10,000 apartments … only for the most loyal to Kim Jong-un

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We could say without fear of being wrong that North Korea has a very clear plan in an economic key for this 2025: open (A little) abroad. How much? It will depend, not only on the nation itself, but on the rest of the countries and the ability to seduction for tourists from outside. Wonsan It will be the cornerstone that will define the rest of that expansion. And the locals? For them there is also great news: a new mega district in the capital, although it will not be for everyone. Hwasong and what we don’t know. North Korea has proudly revealed its new residential district of no less than 10,000 homes in Pyongyanga work that remembers the famous New York enclave and that symbolizes both the propaganda desire of the regime and some of its internal contradictions. Located In Hwasongthe new neighborhood of imposing skyscrapers and large avenues has been presented through the state agency KCNA as a sample of the Kim Jong leader’s commitment a with the improvement of the level of urban living. The official inauguration is scheduled for April 15day that, of course, has not been chosen randomly, since the birth of Kim Il Sungfounder of the country and grandfather of the current leader. The new urbanization represents the third stage of a ambitious five -year plan announced in 2021 for Build 50,000 apartments In the capital, an objective that is inserted into a greater offensive to renew infrastructure in a country whipped by poverty, international isolation and a wobbly economy. Luxury on the outside, doubts inside. Despite the images that show modern buildings and an architecture urbanistically imposing, including two towers linked by a bridge High, reality can be far from a luxury standard. Counted in a wide CNN report That, in North Korea, life on high floors is complicated due to the frequent power cuts left by inoperative elevators. In fact, that is the reason why the floors are assigned based on age of residents: young people occupy the upper floors, while the elderly receive units at low levels. This organization illustrates how structural deficiencies camouflage under a facade of urban modernization. Although Pyongyang enjoys conditions significantly better than other areas of the country, housing in rural regions and mining cities They are still precariouswith limited access to electricity, drinking water or basic sanitation services. The new district in Hwasong The modernization plan. The Hwasong project is not an isolated case. Adds to other recent urbanizations such as Look Scientists Street and Songhwa Streetthis last home of the second highest tower in the country, completed in 2022. All efforts of the regime to show a renewed image of the nation, while they underpin the cult of the personality of Kim Jong Un. Plus: As the state press explained, the leader has been directly involved in the design and planning of the new district, repeating the classical narrative of the regime that associate each achievement with your address staff. In fact, even constructions are designed to reinforce the country’s privilege system. As? Housing are assigned by the Government to people loyal to the regime or considered strategically usefulsuch as scientists, engineers or allegates of the party. Inequality. A report From the South Korean Institute of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology, it estimated that North Korea has enough homes only for 70% to 80% of their homes. Beyond Pyongyang, the housing situation seems critical. Despite the new projects in mining and rural areas, these works depend on the forced labor of soldiers and civilians, which work in hard conditions and Without worthy remuneration. Plus: Construction in North Korea is mainly driven By the popular armywhose participation not only responds to the magnitude of the works, but also to an ideological logic: each brick becomes a piece of propaganda that reinforces the image of the State as a modernizing force. Facade of glass. Although the regime promotes the speed with which it rates skid (as the case of the 70 -story building in Ryomyong New Town whose structure was completed in just 74 days), experts have expressed concern about The quality of the materials and technical supervision. In 2014, the collapse of a building in Pyongyangwhich allegedly housed dozens of families, highlighted the risks of an accelerated construction without adequate controls. The state press attributed the disaster to An “irresponsible supervision”without providing dead figures or assuming clear responsibilities, in a country where transparency is little less than non -existent. “Military” construction. It is another of the legs on which the civil “work” is sustained. The military apparatus it’s a central role In all these developments. With More than one million soldiers In active duty and a mandatory conscription system of at least ten years since the age of 17, the state labor becomes the main engine of these works. Even after serving their service, former soldiers are usually integrated into civil paramilitary forceswhich consolidates a system in which the population remains subject to state control through military obedience structures. Urbanization, therefore, not only responds to housing needs, but also to social surveillance and containment mechanisms. Reopening and isolation. In addition to everything described, the inauguration of the Hwasong district coincides with the first steps of North Korea Towards a reopening controlled after more than five years of closing by the pandemic. We have it: although the capital has remained mostly inaccessible, in 2024 the entry of A small group of Russian tourists. Another foreign group could only visit Rasona special economic zone near the borders with China and Russia. This still shy reopening context also serves as a backdrop to show internal achievements such as the new district, whose symbolic value exceeds the direct benefit that it can represent for North Korean citizenship. Seen this way, Hwasong is not only a residential district, but an emblem of how North Korea tries Project modernityhiding Behind concrete A reality closer to scarcity, control and structural inequality. Image | KCNA In Xataka | After years with its closed … Read more

Some beavers have built a dam that had been postponed for seven years

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While in Spain we have A kind of rural thriller With the appearance of very particular animals for the country’s rivers, there are other stories that tell the importance of this family of creatures In the ecosystem around the floods and settlements of civilizations. We refer to the beavers and Your ability to build natural dams that helped moderate the force of floods. His last work has raised them. A paralyzed project. For seven years, the Government authorities of the BRDY region in the Czech Republic tried to carry out A project to build a dam on the Klabava Riverlocated about 40 kilometers southwest of Prague. Its purpose was to protect the local ecosystem, especially to a kind of crab in critical danger of extinctionpreventing sediments and acid from two nearby ponds from contaminating the river. However, the project, Approved in 2018 with more than one million dollars in financing and with all the necessary permits, it was paralyzed Due to prolonged negotiations on the use of land that had previously served as a military training field. And then the beavers arrived. Beesters to the rescue. While bureaucracy delayed construction, a group of beavers advanced to humans and, without waiting for permits or studies, built a series of dams naturally. His intervention not only solved the problem by which the authorities had planned the dam, but also expanded the wetland area to almost 20,000 square meterstwice what engineers had projected. It is not a trivial event. We are talking about a spontaneous work of creatures that saved the authorities approximately 1.2 million eurosas reported The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. Natural engineers. As we said at the beginning, beavers are known for Its extraordinary construction and landscape modification capacity. To build their dams, they begin by placing small stones in the riverbed, compacting them with mud and repeating the process to form a pond, a space that Then they expand to create a wetland. Why do the hell do this? Researchers believe that Your main motivation is security: They are excellent swimmers capable of enduring up to 15 minutes underwater, but on land they are quite clumsy and vulnerable to predators such as bears, wolves and pumas. In this way, building an aquatic habitat allows them to take refuge from any threat. And it is not the first time. Surprisingly, the case of the Czech Republic is not the first in which animals have taken the initiative in conservation projects. In California, the beavers helped Restore a flood plain to the northeastern Sacramentogenerating ecological benefits and Saving money to the authorities. And in Idaho, After the Sharps fire, the areas where there were beavers were intact and greenwhile the surroundings were devastated. In places where its introduction is prohibited, as in some areas of California, groups such as the Yurok tribe They have begun to build structures that imitate the dikes of Castores to attract them naturally and take advantage of their benefits. In Oregon, scientists discovered that Castor’s dams They leaked heavy metals and contaminants with double efficacy that an expensive stormwater treatment plant. The “but”. However, and As we have counted recently in Spaindespite their enormous contribution to the regeneration of ecosystems, the beavers are often seen as a discomfort due to the damage that causes trees and crops, as well as the possibility of flooding fields and roads. The resurgence of the beavers. Eurasian beavers were hunted almost until extinction in Europe, but they have been reintroduced in several regions, including the Czech Republic. Scientist journalist Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matterstressed that beavers have helped humanity for centuries, and that the recent history of the Czech Republic is a sign of how these animals can solve environmental problems efficiently. He had National Geographic Gerhard Schwabexpert in beales in Bavaria, who is not surprised at the effectiveness of rodents, although he doubts that the ” last January. However, it recognizes its extraordinary ability to transform the landscape and modify the flow of water. The conservation dilemma. It is possibly the last of the legs to deal with these creatures. Despite its impressive engineering capacity, the unpredictability of the beavers represents a challenge for conservation projects. In this regard, He explained to New York Times Emily FairfaxProfessor of Ecology at the University of Minnesot Its constructions cannot be planned with precision and many times they are considered an invasive species. It is possible, therefore, that this tendency to underestimate its positive impact has led to their actions to go unnoticed or directly ignored in the planning of environmental projects. That said, more and more studies and specific cases show that His role in wetland restoration is invaluable. Allowing these creatures to act freely, instead of intervening with artificial and expensive solutions, could represent a natural and sustainable alternative for the conservation of water ecosystems. Image | Timothy G. Lumley In Xataka | After missing centuries, there are people letting goals for the Tajo and other rivers in Spain. The problem is that we don’t know who

China has built such a huge laser that is seen from space

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Last year, China revealed a budding technology to which They had called Crazy Li. It was an unpublished combat laser capable of cutting metal or causing blindness on the battlefield. What has now discovered an American satellite is completely different from everything known. By size, we are facing an unusual development, so much that it is seen from space. A technological colossus. Apparently, everything indicates that China is developing in the city of Mianyang, Sichuan province, A huge laser fusion research centera technology with the potential to provide clean and unlimited energy. A project that also could also have military applications in the design and modernization of nuclear weapons, According to analysts from two independent intelligence organizations. And how have we learned? Satellite images have revealed A structure with four gigantic arms that will house laser bays directed towards an experimentation center where fusion tests will be performed using hydrogen isotopes. According to analyst Decker Evelethof the CNA Corporation, this installation is at least 50% larger than the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States, which would make it the largest nuclear fusion center in the world. The company would have been monitoring its evolution from space since in 2020 it was just “a land patch.” The project, called Laser Fusion Major Device Laboratoryit had not been previously reported, which has generated concern in the international community about its true purpose. How the laser fusion works: star energy. Nuclear fusion consists of joining hydrogen atoms to generate energyreplicating the process that occurs in the sun and other stars. Unlike the nuclear fission currently used in nuclear plants, Fusion does not generate long -term radioactive waste or pose catastrophic accident risks. In this type of facilities, the powerful lasers shoot on a central chamber that contains hydrogen isotopes, compressing them until they merge and release a huge amount of energy in a process known as ignition. In the case at hand, the design of the Chinese installation presents those four huge arms that They will channel the laser energy towards a central tower where the fusion chamber is located. China vs.euu. Until now, the National Ignition Facity from the United States has led the laser fusion research for decades, achieving in 2022 a historical milestone: The first fusion reaction with net energy gain. The only “but”: the advance did not tell the energy expenditure necessary to feed the lasers, which still leaves the merger far from being viable as a commercial source of electricity. For its part, China, With its aggressive approach in technological developmentcould be shortening the distances. Analysts such as Melanie Windridge, director of Fusion Energy Insights, highlight that the Asian country is advancing with determination and speedwhich could give it a strategic advantage. For Andrew Holland, director of the Fusion Industry Association, if the United States and its allies do not accelerate the investment in nuclear fusion, China could win the race in a short time. Its ability to carry projects from the concept to construction is remarkably faster than that of the West. China East Fusion Reactor Energy or weapons? It is the big doubt after knowing the images. Beyond its application in energy production, these facilities can also perform A crucial role in the development of nuclear weapons. Both China and the United States are signatories of Complete prohibition treaty of nuclear testswhich prevents testing with atomic explosives. The problem? The capacity of these facilities It allows to simulate nuclear explosions without physically detonating themoffering key data to improve the design and performance of nuclear eyes. In this regard, William Alberque, analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Center, He pointed to the CNN that any country with an installation similar to the NIF inevitably will use its ability to improve its nuclear arsenals. Eveleth coincides, suggesting that the Chinese project It could allow the development of more sophisticated weapons, even smaller and more efficient versions. While some experts believe that this advance reduces the need for real nuclear tests, it could also mean a modernization of the Chinese arsenal without the country needing to perform test explosions, thus avoiding international sanctions. And a hybrid reactor? It is the other possibility that is considered, that the installation in Mianyang is not only a conventional laser fusion installation, but A hybrid fusion-fission reactor, which would further raise its strategic potential. The reason? This type of technology combines nuclear fusion with fission to generate energy more efficiently. According to Holland, if China develops this type of reactor, It would be more advanced than any similar installation in the Westwhich would consolidate its leadership in the field of advanced nuclear energy. Geopolitical implications. China’s advance in the construction of this installation points to part of an ambitious energy and military development program, marking a new phase in technological competition with United Statess. As we said, nuclear fusion has been considered The “energy of the future” for its ability to provide clean and unlimited electricitybut also represents a powerful tool in terms of national and geopolitical security. While the United States continues to lead scientific achievements in the field, China accelerates or seems to be demonstrating A much faster construction and scalability capacity. A development that could influence the balance of global power, not only in the energy field, but also in the strategic and military. A fact to consider: China has performed 45 nuclear tests in its historya significantly lower number than The 1,054 of the United States. In other words, its detonation database is more limited, so the use of advanced fusion simulations could be crucial to improve their designs without the need for real evidence. Image | Planet Labs PBC, Chinese Academy of Sciences In Xataka | His name is Crazy Li and is able to cut metal or cause blindness: China has developed an unpublished combat laser In Xataka | This is ‘Orca’, the new Chinese military ship without crew and up to weapons

His own nürburgring was built in the garden

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Have more than four hundred horses after the seat of a Ferrari Testarossa And not being able to feel its power was a feeling that, the already deceased Australian Millionaire Dean Wills could not resist. One day in 1996, Wills stepped on more than the account the accelerator of his Ferrari and a new recruit of the department of the local sheriff hunted him circulating above the speed limit. That infraction led him to a withdrawal of your driving card. Far from giving up his great passion and letting his supercar They took dustthe millionaire made a decision that would never regret it: Build a private circuit in the back garden of your house north of Sydney. Licensed to enjoy Dean Wills He had made a career and fortune in the business of the tobacco companies and member of the Board of Directors, former president and general director of Coca-Cola Amatil, the main bottling of Coca-Cola de Australia. This good economic position allowed the millionaire to assume the high cost of creating a valuable Collection of supercar and luxury cars. Among the models that treasured In his garage The McLaren F1 of limited edition with registration No. 009, The only McLaren F1 which was sold in a concessionaire in Australia. It was clear that, not being able to circulate with its supercar on the roads was not going to be an obstacle for the millionaire to enjoy his passion. He immediately got to work to design a racing circuit worthy of formula 1 at the back of his home in Nueva Wales del Sur. According to collected The Australian edition of the Daily Telegraphthe circuit has a length of 5.1 km and is made up of 22 curves, two lines of more than 500 meters each. The set occupies an area of ​​40 hectares of land and the cost of construction of this circuit was estimated at 10 million dollars. The work took three years to end, As they pointed out in Business Insider. Mark Wills, son of the millionaire, told the Telegraph That the main reason that led his father to build a circuit in his rear garden was “the lack of opportunities for sports driving in a safe environment.” The Wills heir assured that at the end of the 80s the roads in the area were very calm and there was hardly any traffic, so “it was possible to get up early on Sunday morning and go out to drive.” However, the increase in population in the area made traffic also increase. “It was becoming less and less safe, so we really needed a place we could go where we did not get into situations that threatened our life. Security was the most important, to enjoy driving as manufacturers had designed cars to be driven, without cars or cyclists in the opposite direction. “ A rural track with exclusive invitation Despite having a route worthy of the best formula 1 circuits, the Dean Wills Speed ​​Track Actually, it was conceived as a rural road through which the millionaire and his friends could circulate at high speeds with their supercar without putting them at risk or them or the rest of the road users. “We never went through our heads to create a racing track, we only wanted a rural road to circulate,” said Mark Wills. In fact, unlike most circuits, this track does not have gravel exits, barriers or pianos in the curves. In fact, and even has signs that advise at what speed to take each curve, to respect the regulations of a rural track, although it is actually closed to traffic and You can only access with an exclusive invitation of the family or his friends: someone has to answer for you. Visitors must comply with strict traffic standardsincluding the prohibition of careers or competitions. “All are friends with friends. We know people who invite and trust their criteria.” Among the illustrious guests to drive through the curves of this circuit are several formula 1 champions such as Jackie Stewart and the great Jack Brabham, who described the private track as the “second best racing track in the world.” “We do not count the times back, the only way to measure them is how long the pilot’s smile lasts,” said Wills’s son. In Xataka | The Magarigawa Club: the private luxury circuit in which the millionaires conduct their supercar Image | Flickr (Alexandre Prevot)

They attack with explosives the memorial that “El Chapo” Guzmán built in honor of his deceased son

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Amid the violence that is lived in the state of Sinaloa, an explosive attack caught the attention, because the goal was the memorial of Édgar Guzmán LópezSon of the drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. An armed group launched an explosive artifact against cenotaphus, which only stood a cross of two meters high and some pieces of cement around. The explosion was perceived by many peoplesince it happened near the Faculty of Medicine and the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), in the parking lot of the City Club supermarket, north of Culiacán, where Édgar Guzmán lost his life. The authorities work to investigate the origin of the explosive artifact, apparently improvised. Initially it was suspected of a possible car bomb, as there was a vehicle parked next to the cnotafio, very close to it. Since the unit presented firearm impacts on body and crystals, the investigations suggest that the vehicle was not part of the attack. Verona Hernández Valenzuela, of the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP), reported that There was no report from injured or killed Because of this attack. On this fact, the newspaper the news disseminated images where the damage to the cenotapio is appreciated. One of the most obvious is the separation of the memorial plate at the bottom, which said, “we will always love them.” “El Moreno”, as Edgar Guzmán López was also known, was 22 when he was killed, in May 2008, while he was outside the shopping center where his memorial was erected. He was allegedly executed by hitrings from the Beltrán Leyvawith whom the Sinaloa cartel had disputes. Another version, according to Infobae, tells that his murderers were under the orders of his own father, but they would have killed him by mistake. Édgar was accompanied by his cousins César Ariel Loera and Arturo Meza Cázareswho also died. His body was lying on the sidewalk next to at least 500 caps. To commemorate the 16 years of the death of the Son of the Chapo, the cenotafio was adorned with an arc full of thousands of white and red roses, who were also on the huge concrete cross; He had his own lighting and even a carpet. Continue reading:– They murder “El Tata” in Culiacán, the fifth influencer victim of the war between the Chapitos and the Mayiza.– Tired of narcoviolence in Sinaloa thousands of inhabitants took to the streets to protest. (tagstotranslate) Chapo Guzm \ U00e1n

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