century

Half a century has been waiting for gallows by mistake

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Among the many paradoxes of Japan, none like IWAO HAKAMADA HISTORY. In 1968 he was 30 years old and life changed him forever. A court in the country declared him guilty of four murders and a fire, and as a result he received the capital punishment. Hakamada became the prisoner that spent more time in a death corridor, and we say it in the past because after half a century among bars, now it is free. All It was a mistakeand Japan wants to compensate. Symbolic compensation. Hakamada, Japanese professional exboxer, has received compensation of 217 million yen (around 1.4 million dollars) After spending more than 40 years convicted of death for a crime he did not commit, which made him the prisoner in the death corridor with more confinement time on the planet. The figure is equivalent to an average of $ 85 per day that he was deprived of liberty since his conviction in 1968, a sum that, although historical for his magnitude in the Japanese context, has been qualified by his defense as insufficient to repair the irreversible damage caused. His lawyer, Hideyo Ogawa, has argued that the State committed An unforgivable error and that no amount of money can restore the life that was taken away. Context of a devastating nonsense. THE HISTORY LA We count a while ago. In 1966 the police found in a house in Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, the bodies of a man, his wife and the two teenage children. They had died staggered. The boy was at the forefront of a miso plant and the investigations ended up pointing to one of his employees, a 30 -year -old ex -box. His name: IWAO HAKAMADA. The arrest. Two months after homicides and fire, to Hakamada They arrested him. The man was subjected to extensive interrogations that included blows and threats, which resulted in a confession that he later denounced as forced. In two years the sentence arrived. The Shizuoka District Court declared him guilty of crimes and condemned him to the maximum penalty: The HORCA. In his case there were two key tests: a confession and several bloody garments that allegedly belonged to Hakamada. The agents had taken to contribute them to the case because they did not find them up to a year after the detention of the boxer, hidden in a miso tank. The dissident judge, deeply affected by the final decision, resigned from his position Six months later, unable to live with the ruling. Since then, Hakamada has sustained his innocence unwaveringly. Genetic tests. The case began to turn in 2014, when they appeared New DNA tests which showed that the bloody garments used as a key test in the trial had been manipulated and possibly placed on the scene after the crime. These findings led to their release that same year, although the final acquittal would not reach until March 2023 and the sentence last year, when the Shizuoka court finally He declared him innocent. The resolution was held as A judicial milestonealthough he could not be witnessed by Hakamada, whose mental health is seriously deteriorated because of the decades of confinement, to the point of living, according to his sister Hideko, “in her own world” without contact with reality. Criticism of the Japanese system. The exboxer’s case has exposed the world structural deficiencies of the Japanese criminal justice system, where condemnation rates They exceed 99%largely due to the dependence of confessions obtained under pressure. Its history has also revitalized the debate on the Validity of the death penalty and the need for deep reforms in the country’s criminal proceedings. The prolonged wait for a judicial review, the initial refusal to accept exculpatory evidence and the lack of effective mechanisms to prevent abuses have turned this case into An international symbol of the devastating potential of judicial errors. Although the magnitude of the compensation received represents an official recognition of the injustice suffered, it seems impossible to reverse the decades of isolation, mental deterioration or the loss of a full life. Image | Christian Senger In Xataka | Japan has the prisoner that spent more time in a death corridor, almost half a century. Now we know it was a mistake In Xataka | 21 wonderful Japanese expressions that would need a whole phrase to be translated

The projects that played to be God during the twentieth century

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On August 6, 1945, Two atomic bombs They razed the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and, practically, put the end to World War II. It was a tragedy And, at the same time, a demonstration of strength. Demonstration of who would carry the baton in the new world order that had been created but, also, a demonstration of what was capable of doing nuclear energy. Aware of the military advantage that the atomic bomb, the armies of the most leading powers, They launched their developmentwith United States and the USSR at the head. The general atmosphere worldwide was fear and respect for technology that could cause a disaster never known until then. But, of course, it also served to give wings to the techno-optimists. Tecno-optimism is a current of thought that, In generaldefends that technological development and continuous improvement of current products will improve our life in the future, make it easier and increase our happiness. As I say, we talk about the master lines because This current of thought has different visions And, of course, detractors indicating that any development of a product or new invention can be used for malicious purposes. Noah Smith, journalist and extrabajador of Bloomberg, He puts as an example The use of drones as a gun to illustrate this last point of view. That techno-optimism lived a huge boom in the 50s and 60s. The cold war led humanity to an accelerated development that led people to spacethe First commercial opportunity of computersof Internet Oa to think of cars moved by nuclear energy. Why not? Nuclear energy for infinity car If any technology gained adherents among the techno-optimists of the 50s, nuclear energy was. In a document rescued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA) entitled 10 years of energy of nuclear origin It stands out that: “There was a period in which the fears that raised such a shortage became so deep that this was given to the commercial nucleotic energy its first great impulse. It was inevitable that the minds would turn to the new source of energy that had taken advantage of for war, as a means to compensate for the insufficiency of energy resources. When for the first time the nucleum energy became Easy about that means of obtaining cheap energy and in practically unlimited quantities, and among the fears that were sheltered on a shortage of energy of traditional origin and the hopes encrypted in an abundance of energy of nuclear origin, the latter prevailed, with an excess of optimism, until the end of 1957 “ As we said, despite the World War II Experiencenuclear energy won adepts rapidly and organizations such as the OIEA that defended its use for civil purposes, as a means of production of an electrical energy that was increasingly demanded. That idea that the nuclear led us to a “cheap energy and in practically unlimited amounts” promoted what we know as Atomic Ageor the era of atomic energy, born in the 40s. “The fact that we can release atomic energy inaugurates a new era in the understanding of the forces of nature by man. In the future, atomic energy can complement what comes from coal, oil and water, but that at the moment it cannot occur so that it can compete commercially with those sources. Before that happens, a long period of intense research must occur. It has never been the custom of the scientists of this country To the world scientific knowledge. The above words are from Harry S. TrumanPresident of the United States that gave the order to use the atomic bomb. The investigations showed that atomic energy could be used as a source of energy and, above all, as coal alternative and fossil fuelswhich were already seen as a finite source of energy and whose impact on people’s health was found first hand in the London of the 50s. At the point that nuclear energy could be a huge source of energy began to think applications for day to day. How to miniaturize technology to have, for example, appliances that will work with a nuclear battery that would last the entire product life cycle. Ford Nucleon model And, of course, the idea of ​​the car moved by nuclear energy came. The best known proposal is that of the Ford Nucleona prototype thought in 1958 that, of course, did not go from the model. The system was as simple as it was crazy: setting up a small nuclear reactor in the car. As? The rear, extraordinarily elongated would allow to shelter a small nuclear reactor. Inside, A uranium capsule It would work as a radioactive nucleus. As in any thermonuclear reactor, the uranium fission would cause a large amount of water vapor that would serve to move two turbines. One of them would start the wheels and the second would make all the electrical systems of the vehicle operate. Ford Seattle-ite XXI For some reason we do not know, Ford seemed that his plans could have some future and in 1962 they returned to the load. Then they presented the Ford Seattle-ite XXIa car that increased further the concept of nuclear car, to the point of having six wheels and body and interchangeable engines to pass from 60 hp to 400 hp. One option for day to day and another for long trips. The crazy concept was presented at the Century 21 exhibitionin Seattle, as an improved evolution of Nucleon. For example, it had been devised with six wheels because a double axis would serve to endure the weight of the small nuclear reactor in the rear. They even saved their backs pointing out that if one of the four wheels of the double axis were punctured the car would be able to continue with the rest. Guaranteed security and dynamism. Interestingly, the concept of this new car did have other inventions that we see in our current vehicles, such as a continuous tracking of the vehicle through GPS. Studebaker Packard … Read more

Young programmers no longer know how to program. AI is now causing the same as the calculator caused half a century ago

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Myron Aub was a boiler man from the egg head, but all that did not matter. I had discovered how to do something that humanity had forgotten: I knew how to multiply without the help of a computer. After demonstrating it, the members of the new Pentagon were amazed: someone was able to multiply with a paper and a ball! All that imagined Isaac Asimov in his short novel ‘The feeling of power‘, originally published in February 1958. History, in just 3,700 words, is simply prodigious – I encourage you to read it – and raise a future in which human beings do not know how to perform mathematical operations and depend on computers for computers all. When AUB performs reverse engineering of this calculation process, it creates an extraordinary situation. One that leads to an equally surprising conclusion … and sadly predictable. I read that story about 30 years ago and then I found it fascinating – I am an absolute fan of the ‘Foundation’ saga of Asimov, but I hated the Apple TV+ series for betraying that legacy. The prolific author transmitted a clear message: perhaps it is not so good idea to depend too much on the machines. Or maybe yes? The programmers who did not know how to program It is what is certainly happening in the world of programming, which is undoubtedly the segment most affected by the arrival of artificial intelligence. The AI ​​models have proven to be valuable attendees when programming, and just six months after the chatgpt launch nine out of ten professionals used AI to program. The de facto models have become increasingly capable in this type of task, and the popularity of Tools as cursor has shown that The conquest of “effortless programming” Tab-Tab-Tab is increasingly clear. Even those who did not know how to program or knew, but not in certain programming languages, they are now capable of creating surprising applications. AI is not perfect, of coursebut one thing is clear: it is getting better. That, of course, raises a risk: let’s forget how to program. It is just what a developer named Namanyay Goel denounces, which In his blog he explained How “New Junior developers are not able to program.” The AI ​​allows developers to deliver more code than ever, but these young programmers do not know why that code works or if there would be another way to do things. According to their experience, the new generation of programmers use chatgpt or co -pilot or Claude at all hours. That, he says, allows them to deliver more code than ever, but according to this developer, These young programmers do not know why that code works or if there would be another way better to do it. “We are sacrificing deep understanding (of the code) by fast patches, and although that makes us feel good now, we will pay later.” Goel highlighted how not much places like Stack Overflow were a much better source of information for programmers. They asked things, but when they got answers they used to learn why those answers were valid. That knowledge was there for free, and also in many cases veteran developers and experienced people became involuntary teachers for new generations. “The AI ​​gives you answers, but the knowledge you acquire is superficial. With Stackoverflow, you had to read multiple expert discussions to get a complete vision. It was slower, but you ended up understanding not only what worked, but why it worked.” Of course, not everyone thinks the same and a commentator in Slashdot He pointed out How “Stackoverflow has been a source of terrible programming tips and an overdependence of copying and hitting for much longer.” However, Essste developer believes that not yet everything is lost. AI can help you, without a doubt, but you can also continue learning with it. “When you give you an answer,” he advised, “Ask him for her. Ask why (he has given that solution). “He also recommends debating that code with your team of developers to discuss and be able to get new ideas, or perhaps do so with developers who go to platforms such as Reddit, Discord or Mastodon. The calculator teaches us the future The reflection of that developer is undoubtedly striking, but for many it is a useless debate. In Slashdot a user named Zak3056 He affirmed Take two decades interviewing Júnior developers. “A surprising percentage of them did not understand basic concepts (…). AI has nothing to do with this. It is the state in which education is, many schools are creating graduates that simply do not understand the field they have chosen “ Other comments coincided with him, and the situation reminds other industrial and technological revolutions in which a profession or discipline have ended up being completely conquered by machines. We continue learning to perform mathematical operations, but after school there are not many people who do operations at hand: It is much faster to use the calculator. The calculators may cause some workers who performed that task to be displaced at the beginning, but their impact in the long run has been greatly positive. The calculators may cause some workers who performed that task to be displaced at the beginning, but their impact in the long run has been greatly positive To begin with, there are still mathematicians, but they are dedicated to much more complex problems than the machines are not yet able to solve – of the moment either – and the calculators made them even more valuable: they could focus on those problems, and Not in the calculations that could also be wrong because we assume it, the margin of human error is there. In addition, the calculators productivity and efficiency improved significantlysaving all kinds of professionals those most repetitive tasks to focus on others that other non -substitutable capacities (at least, for the moment) by the machines. Will something like this happen with AI and programming? It is very likely. AI has … Read more

Throughout the twentieth century, the US “lost” up to six planes loaded with nuclear weapons. Today they still do not appear

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A few years ago we told a story that, if not because it was completely true, could go through the script of a black comedy. It turns out that The United States lost at least three nuclear bombs during the Cold War. The Plot Twist was never located. The story, in reality, is much worse. The nation has been left along the way, which is known, up to six nuclear “bombs”, and that is also known, continue in the same place where they once lost. Six times, know. The figures are even higher if we observe the frame more widely. Throughout history, the United States Army has been responsible for At least 32 documented incidents of accidents with nuclear weaponsknown in military jargon Like Broken Arrow. These events may involve accidental launch or detonation, theft or even the loss of a nuclear pump. We are going to detail this last case for a simple reason: if they have been lost and not detonated, they can be a danger somewhere. These are six of the most shocking cases in which a nuclear bomb disappeared Without leaving a trace. The B-36 incident. The story takes place About the Pacific on February 13, 1950. In the context of a nuclear attack simulation against the Soviet Union, a BOMBARDERO B-36 destined for Texas from Alaska began experiencing failures in the engines in full flight. Since a safe landing was impossible, the crew was forced to get rid of the “load”, including in the equation its Mark 4 nuclear pump on some part of the Pacific Ocean. According to the army, the bomb did not contain plutonium in its nucleus, so it could not generate a nuclear explosion to use, although it did have uranium and TNT. Neither the pump nor its components were ever recovered. The mysterious case of B-47. The facts are given on The Mediterranean on March 10, 1956. A BUMBARERO B-47 STRATOJET He took off from the Macdill Air Force base in Florida in the direction of Morocco, transporting two nuclear capsules. What happened? That during its journey, the plane had to refue in flight over the Mediterranean Sea, but never reached the meeting point. The aircraft disappeared without leaving any traceand to date no evidence of his whereabouts has been found or, of course, of the nuclear load he transported. A lost bomb in the Savannah River. The third event occurred on February 5, 1958. During a simulated combat mission, a BOMBARDERO B-47 accidentally crashed with a F-86 huntingseriously damaged. What happened? Given the impossibility of landing safely, the crew decided what you are imagining: launch the Mark 15 of 3,400 kilograms at the mouth of the Savannah Rivernear the city of Savannah, Georgia. Although the aircraft managed to land without incident, the pump was never recovered and remains missing until today. The Goldsboro catastrophe. History now leads us to North Carolina on January 24, 1961. A BOMBARDERO B-52 that performed an alert mission suffered a structural failure in full flight and broke in the air. Again, on board he carried two nuclear bombs. One of them activated its emergency parachute and landed without detonating, however, the other crashed into the ground. Although the government claimed to have recovered most of the starry bomb, the truth is that It is still believed that parts of it remain buried in a culture area near the city. In 2012, North Carolina erected a commemorative sign at the accident site. Disappearance in the Pacific. The December 5, 1965. A combat plane A-4E Skyhawkequipped with a nuclear bomb, fell into the sea From the USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier while operating in the Philippines sea, near Japan. The aircraft, the pilot and the weapon were never found. In this regard, in 1989 The United States admitted that the bomb was still at the bottom of the seaabout 128 kilometers from a small Japanese island, which generated outrage between the Japanese government and environmental groups. Classified information. The last of the events is the most diffuse of all and occurred in the spring of 1968, when the United States lost a nuclear weapon whose scope (and load) has never been specified. Although the pentagon has never revealed details, It is speculated that it could be related to the USS Scorpion nuclear submarinethe same as It disappeared in May of that year in the Atlantic along with a crew of 99 people. The connection between the disappearance of scorpion And a possible loss of nuclear weapons is still the subject of conjecture. That said, this and the rest of the incidents highlight the dangers associated with the management of nuclear weapons. If you want also, they show that, Throughout the Cold War And beyond, the United States has faced situations in which mass destruction bombs have been lost without being recovered. Image | Kelly Michals In Xataka | The United States lost at least three nuclear bombs during the Cold War. And they have never been located In Xataka | An unprecedented nuclear arms career has begun: one in which the US, Russia … and also China participate

A drawing by Leonardo da Vinci hid a hidden map. The work has revealed the secret tunnels of a castle of the 20th century

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Year 1460. Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milanhe made a decision: he needed a real residence according to his status. Thus, the nobleman seized the ruins of a medieval fortress in northern Italy and, for several years, supervised its reconstruction until it became a huge and majestic residence. Since then, The Sforza Castle took a legend accompanied: Under its foundations, Francesco would have devised a whole secret network of passageways. We had the solution in a picture of Leonardo da Vinci. A sketch as a map. As we said, Leonardo da Vinci’s monumental work continues to reveal secret centuries after his creation. The latest: a team of researchers from the Polytechnic University of Milan, in collaboration with Codevintec and Castillo itself, discovered that the rumors were true. In other words, There is a network of hidden tunnels under the Sforza castle in Milanand have been found based on a sketch of Da Vinci himself dating from the fifteenth century. Apparently, archaeologists used advanced technology to map the subsoil of the structure, such as terrestrial penetration radars and laser scanning, so that they not only confirmed the existence of the passages documented by Da Vinci In the so -called Codex Forster I At the end of the 15th century, but also They found indications of a more extensive system of underground corridors. History and function of tunnels. As we said at the beginning, Sforza Castle was rebuilt by Duke Francesco, although subsequently embellished by his successor, Ludovico Sforzawho apparently hired and He commissioned Da Vinci for the decoration of the castle, including the room Delle Asse, and designing an equestrian monument in honor of Francesco. During that process, the artist left detailed records of a system of underground tunnels and passages that, until now, had not been physically identified. In fact, It is believed that these structures were used for military purposesalthough there were also more personal and ceremonial passages. For example, one of the discovered tunnels connects the castle with the Basilica of Santa Maria Delle Graziewhere the iconic painting “The Last Supper” is located, as well as the tombs of the Sforza family, which suggests possible private access to the mausoleums of the nobility. Plus: Historians have raised the possibility that Ludovico Sforza use this tunnel to visit his wife’s tomb, Beatrice d’Ete, buried in the basilica. Technology and future research. The truth is that the finding not only expands the understanding of the castle’s architecture, but also opens new opportunities for the digital reconstruction of the site. Moreover, with the aim of developing a “digital twin” of the Sforza Castle, researchers plan to integrate the technology of augmented reality, allowing visitors to virtually explore these inaccessible spaces and know previously unknown historical details. “The objective is to create a digital model that not only represents the current appearances of the castle but also allow to explore the past, recovering historical elements that are no longer visible,” he settled in A statement Franco GuzzettiProfessor at the Polytechnic of Milan. And all thanks to Da Vinci and his ingenuity. Image | Sailko In Xataka | Leonardo Da Vinci established “The Tree rule” 500 years ago. Now we have discovered that he was wrong In Xataka | A Saudi prince paid $ 450 million for a Da Vinci box. The problem is that it may not be Da Vinci

In 1930, Japan sent rabbits to an island to test chemical weapons. A century later something is killing the creatures

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In the quiet region of the Seto Inland Sea, three km off the coast of the Japanese city of Takehara, in Hiroshima prefecture, lies Ōkunoshimabetter known as Usagi Jima or Rabbit Island. Today, the island is famous for being home to hundreds of wild rabbits that roam freely fed by tourists and living without predators. However, behind this idyllic image hides a dark past. In World War II the island was a secret center for the production of chemical weapons by the Imperial Japanese Army. The rabbits are “children” of that experiment, and now they are dying. A secret from the past. During the 1930s and 1940s, Ōkunoshima was the epicenter of the manufacture of so-called mustard gasphosgene and other chemicals used by Japan against Chinese soldiers and civilians. Estimates suggest that These toxic agents caused around 80,000 deathsand to test the effects that those experiments had a small rabbit fauna was launched onto the island which was increasing in number. To give us an idea, the strategic importance of the island was such that was removed from Japanese maps to keep their activities secret. Since then, there has been speculation that the number of current rabbits are direct descendants of those used in the poison gas testing experiments at the island’s military laboratory. According to Professor Ellis Kraussfrom the University of California, San Diego, most of the test rabbits were slaughtered by American forces after the Japanese surrender in 1945, but those that escaped their fate transformed the place. Rabbits and more rabbits. Therefore, and given that it seems unlikely that there are surviving creatures that inhabited the place during the military era, the question has always been to discern which are direct descendants and which are not, in which case, where the hell did they come from? One of the most accepted theories suggests that, in 1971, a group of students released about eight extra rabbits on the island. The absence of predators, the prohibition of hunting and the inability to keep pets such as cats or dogs have allowed the population to grow uncontrollably until it reaches approximately 1,000 individuals today. The impact of tourism. Although rabbits have made Ōkunoshima a very popular and tourist destinationthe increase in visitors has generated serious environmental and animal welfare problems. As? The practice of feeding rabbits inappropriate foods, such as cabbage, has led to digestive problems and nutritional deficiencies, reducing their life expectancy to just two yearsmuch less than in natural conditions. Besides, feeding dynamics are inconsistent: On sunny days and holidays, tourists provide large quantities of food, while on rainy days or out of season the animals are left without supplies, facing a shortage of resources, since the island’s vegetation has been devastated by overpopulation. And if all this were not enough, a mystery surrounds the island these days. They are dying without explanation. According to the Japanese authorities, More than 70 rabbits have died in circumstances not yet clarified. Last Thursday, Police arrested a man identified as Riku Hotta25, on suspicion of having kicked at least one rabbit on the island. The animal reportedly died shortly after the incident, prompting authorities to investigate whether there is a connection between Hotta and the discovery of those 77 carcasses. between November 26 and January 12. The bodies of the 77 rabbits were apparently found with unnatural injuries, such as broken bones, which has further sparked concern among authorities and tourists. Possible causes of death. As we said, despite the arrest, authorities have not yet determined a conclusive cause for the death of the creatures. However, Japan’s Ministry of Environment has indicated that Possible reasons could include: Infectious diseases, which could have spread due to the high population density and irregular diet provided by tourists. Adverse weather conditions, especially the cold of winter, could be affecting the rabbits, whose food depends largely on occasional visitors. Human factors, such as acts of cruelty or negligence, since there have been cases of visitors not following animal care guidelines. In this regard, and given that the suspect (Hotta) is not a resident of the island, but of Otsu, in Shiga prefecture, located halfway across the country, it is being investigated whether he made sporadic visits to carry out said attacks. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has stressed that is working together with veterinarians and animal welfare organizations to identify the causes of these deaths, and does so while reinforcing surveillance and monitoring of the island to prevent future incidents. Future measures. There is no doubt that in a society like Japan, where pets occupy a prominent place, the incident has prompted calls to strengthen the island’s security and improve regulations to protect rabbits from possible aggressors. Options are being studied such as the installation of surveillance cameras, access restrictions and awareness campaigns to guarantee the well-being of the animals and the sustainability of the island as a tourist destination. The paradox of an island with a dark past. Rabbit Island represents a fascinating example of how a place’s military past can be transformed into a tourist attraction. Furthermore, it also highlights the challenges of human intervention (once again) in ecosystems. Image | Chih-Wei In Xataka | Japan sent the wrong creature to eradicate snakes from an island. The disaster was so big that it took half a century to solve it In Xataka | In 1940, a creature snuck onto an island in the United States and devoured everything. Today two of the species most feared by humans coexist alone

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