century

Spain has a rail giant in the shadows. And just achieved the “contract of the century”

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If you have traveled to Belgium, the SNCB application is likely to have downloaded to move from one city to another. It is about ‘the Renfe‘Belgian and, a few years ago, They announced that they were going to renew 50% of their fleet from here to 2032. The interesting thing is that it is an operation of 3,400 million euros that has not fallen to anyone: it has done so in a Spanish company called CAF. And if you are wondering what diantres is caf, you are in your entire right, but you will surely have mounted on one of its trains. “The contract of the century”. In a release of CNCB, the operator detailed the pre -agreement reached with the Spanish, something that replicated own CAF detailing that the initial commitment of the same will be 1,695 million euros. This includes the development, manufacture and supply of 600 am30 trains (interurban trains with integrated motor and autonomy by battery when operating in un -electrified lines) with a total of 170,000 seats, although the initial commitment is 1,695 million euros for 54,000 places. The proposal of CAF has had to compete with other manufacturers, such as the French Alstom that argued cheapest prices, factories in Belgium and that local industrial promotion. Everything is not closed, since although CNCB has opted for the Spanish, political interests come into play in something like that. There is a debate around the firm and, for example, as we read in Basque chroniclea deputy of the Belgian Party Staf Aerts has discredited to the company, indicated that CAF is collaborating to create a subway line from Jerusalem to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel ” As we say, it remains to be seen that the agreement is finally closed, but by its magnitude, there is already talk of the “contract of the century” of the railway sector, with obvious consequences In the CAF portfolio. Centenaria. This news, because of its magnitude, has jumped to the first flat of numerous national and European economic newspapers, but the great question we could have is … what is CAF and why it is so important. CAF responds to ‘Constructions and Railroad Assistant‘And it is a company that was born in 1917 in Beasain, Basque Country. It was founded on workshops that already existed since the nineteenth century and from the beginning it was dedicated to the manufacture and rental of wagons, as well as other elements for rail transport. And in this more than a century, it has become one of the larger companies in the country. The Oaris World jump. They were developing their business within our borders, providing Renfe trainsbut in the 90s, they consolidated the international leap by operating more firmly in other countries thanks to the opening of about thirty subsidiaries. In Spain they have, above all, high -speed trains of variable width manufactured next to the ALSTOM itself, as well as electric and diesel trains for regional services and Renfe vicinity. However, much of your order portfolio It is for export. They have manufactured units for cities such as London, Brussels, or Sydney, as well as the Santiago de Chile and Mexico Metro, light trains for US cities such as Boston or the Oaris: High speed trains (up to 350 km/h) that form the backbone of the Norway rail network. And, to meet the needs, they have gone Opening factories all over the world. Why the mystery? In spite of everything, we do not know too much CAF beyond their area of direct influence (where they have the factories and hire employees) it has all the meaning of the world. Before we talked about Talgo, also a historic rail that not only stood out for their trains, but to baptize vehicles with their own name. Go up to Talgo It was synonymous with getting on the train just as asking for a Kleenex is asking for a handkerchief or, in some countries, playing “the play” is playing any game console in general. In the case of CAF, the same did not happen and, although it is an industrial pride in Euskadi and very recognized among experts around the world, its business has remained “in the shadows”. They operate mainly in the B2B sector, which implies work for large operators both public and private and not for the final consumer, and do not baptize their creations such as “CAF”, which keeps them in an unknown position for the general public. However, the last decades have grown, especially abroad, and with contracts such as the one achieved in Belgium and the jump to large media, it is more likely that the name ‘CAF’ sounds more and more. Images | Jordi Verdugo In Xataka | Renfe riding a circus this summer and dwarves grow: tunnels with leaks and more delays of the bird in Malaga

There is an island that has been prohibiting cars for more than a century and continues to use horses. And it’s doing pretty good

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Before entering the subject, let’s make a game: Open Google Maps, Type “Mackinac Island” And let the search engine transfer you to a small island in Lake Huron, in Michigan, USA. Then approximate and handle Street View to take a virtual walk through its streets. In their wide avenues you will see people walking, people by bicycle and people mounted in carriages thrown by horses, but what you will not find are cars. Very lucky maybe CACES some (few) of those used promptly to provide certain services. After all Mackinac is known worldwide Therefore: have banished motor vehicles and stay, in the middle of 2025, such as the reign of horses. In a Michigan place … Mackinac is a fantastic example of how history is full of ironies. The island known inside and outside the US for its aversion to cars is located in the middle Ford, General Motors either Chrysler. In fact Detroit, the “Motor City” It is located just 400 k, in a straight line. However, despite this influence of the industry 127 years ago the island authorities made a peculiar decision: they prohibited the use of combustion vehicles. Petarders no, thanks. The veto was promulgated the July 6, 1898after the islanders who dedicated themselves to working with calese alerted of the “dangers” and discomfort that the new “carriages without horses.” The legend He says that the trigger (never better) was the firecracker of a vehicle that in 1898 frightened a group of horses. It is also not far -fetched to think that the chauferes They moved to shield your business in the face of engines. A prohibition in DNA. The fact is that the rule set. After a few years It extended To the rest of the island, just 3.8 km2, and with the passing of the decades it became one of Mackinac’s great hallmarks. Little served to mark like Oldsmobile Or Ford became stronger and more only a few kilometers from there, the small island of Lake Huron remained an impregnable redoubt for the thriving automotive industry and thus has continued to be during the twentieth and twenty -first centuries, for pride of local authorities. On their official website they remember that the M-185the road that surrounds the island, is the only US state road in which the use of motor vehicles is not allowed. “Of the more than six million kilometers of public streets in the US, there is a stretch of 13.2 kilometers in Mackinac that stands out for its uniqueness,” They need The authorities. “It could be decided that it is literally one among one million.” There is no car? No. And yes. The authorities do not allow people to use cars as they would do any other part of the US, but that does not mean that there are certain exceptions. Mlive remember That the island has emergency vehicles, police cars, an ambulance released in 2021 and fire trucks. The State Park also has vehicles, although only uses them out of season high and preferably at first or last hour of the day. The island has also turned a blind eye in certain cases. For example, the US secret service put a car in 1975, during a visit by President Gerald R. Ford with his wife. The vehicle was used by agents. Ford opted for a carriage pulled by horses. Another exceptional case was the filming in 1979 of ‘Somowhere in Time’a film starring Chistopher Reeve and Jane Seymour that was shot in Mackinac and had a special permission to use vehicles. And the rest of the time? Simple. People walk, move by bike or ride in carriages thrown by horses, one of the great hallmarks of the island. It is believed that the horses arrived in Mackinac around 1780 by the British, who used them to lift the Strong Michilimackinacand the caleses were popular mostly in the nineteenth century, when the island became popular as a resting place. The first license for a carriage was issued in 1869. The island also has a ferry that allows its 600 inhabitants Move more easily from neighbors Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. “Without horses, this place would not be what it is. It allows you Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A destination with history. With the passing of the decades Mackinac has achieved more than becoming a small redoubt safe from the traffic and contamination of cars. It has also become a popular destination, especially during The summer months. There, in addition to their horse carriages, coasts and landscape The Anishnaabe culturea group of indigenous peoples from the region of the Great Lakes of North America. Images | Dan Gaken (Flickr), Greg Marks (Flickr), Kate Ter Har (Flickr) and Poissantfamily (Flickr) In Xataka | In the US there is a “colonized” city by the Basques. And it has its own Ikastola, Frontón and Ikurriñas on the street

In the twentieth century the pipelines were the key to the world. In the 21st century are the electrical networks and a country is winning them: China

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While a nation installs almost one hundred solar panels per second, another revitalizes factories to produce gasoline engines. While A build the largest solar plant in the worldthe other promises “Dominant Energy” Based on oil and gas. At first glance, two different strategies seem. Actually, it’s a career. And the prize is not just energy: it is the geopolitical power of the 21st century. Two opposing models. An Ember graph published by Our World in Data He has illustrated The point with amazing clarity. At the beginning of the 2000s you can see China’s gradual rebound. However, the crossing occurs in 2010 where the Asian giant exceeds the 4,000 Teravatios-Hora barrier (TWH), to a vertiginous ascent exceeding 10,000 SWH in 2024. In simple terms, China produces more than double electricity than the United States, which remained in the same line. But the most relevant is not how much it produces, but how it does. Data Source: Ember (2025); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2024) The silent revolution. In just one month, China installed 93 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is equivalent – more or less – one hundred panels every second. To that are added another 26 GW in wind, some 5,300 new turbines underway. According to Lauri Myllyvirta, principal researcher at the Institute of Policy of Asian Society, cited by The Guardian: “Only the facilities of that month would generate as much electricity as whole countries such as Poland, Sweden or the United Arab Emirates.” In total, between January and May 2025, China has added 198 GW of solar capacity and 46 GW of wind, sufficient to match the electricity production of Türkiye or Indonesia. This way, Keep overcoming The more than 1,000 GW, which represents half of the world total. They have known how to get ahead. More and more linked climatic ambitions with the growth of renewable technologies. In a recent speech, cited by The GuardianXi Jinping linked the development of the clean energy sector with China’s economic revitalization: “We have built the world’s largest and most complete energy chain in the world.” The term “new energies” includes renewables, batteries and storage technologies. The Asian giant is currently the largest global supplier of clean technologies: the market of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electric vehicles and nuclear reactors under construction dominates. In addition, it has almost 700,000 patents in clean energy, more than half of the world total, According to The New York Times. The other face. For a good part of the twentieth century, the United States was the reference in energy innovation: from the first commercial solar cells until The first wind farms. However, since Trump’s arrival, the focus It has been placed again strongly towards fossil fuels. According to The New York TimesWashington has pressed allies such as Japan and South Korea to invest billion dollars in American natural gas infrastructure. At the same time, companies such as General Motors have given clear signs of where the wind blows: the company canceled an electric motion plant near Buffalo (New York) to allocate 888 million dollars To manufacture gasoline V-8 engines. Where asymmetry resides. It is not just two different paths, but in world influence. According to Climate Energy Finance datathe companies of the Asian giant have announced more than 168 billion dollars in foreign investments in clean energy projects: from turbines in Brazil to electric cars in Indonesia, through gigantic solar plants in Saudi Arabia and hydroelectric projects in the Congo. Green energy, for Beijing, is not just a business. It is a soft power tool. A way to gain global land through infrastructure, long -term contracts and own financing. An influence that does not need military bases, but solar panels. In contrast, the United States has cut many of its international energy cooperation programs. Its foreign strategy is more transactional: specific gas, oil or even weapons agreements. But without a structural project that allows you to compete on this new energy board. And this change of roles? Half a century ago, the United States led energy innovation. In 1979, Jimmy Carter He installed solar panels In the White House. Decades later, Barack Obama financed projects like Tesla. But cases Like Solyndra’s failurea solar company that broke after receiving a federal loan, unleashed a conservative narrative against public investment in renewables. China, on the other hand, assumed risks. In the early 2000s, then Prime Minister Wen Jiabao – rare earth geneologist – understood that the country’s economic and geopolitical future went through controlling energy production. Your government invested hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, factories, technical training and innovation. Protected his market, automated manufacturing and dominated access to essential raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and silicon as has developed New York Times. The forecasts. The world is moving towards solar and wind energies, so confirms it The International Energy Agency. The energy demand will continue to grow, but its origin will be different. And that will change the global balance, because whoever leads this new energy matrix will also have a geopolitical, commercial and diplomatic advantage. China is prepared to lead that world. The big question is whether the United States – or any other global actor – is willing to compete with the same strategic vision, patience and scale. Because energy not only moves factories or illuminates cities. Today the global board moves. Image | Unspash Xataka | An explosive ramifications have just opened in the world energy industry: the “Peak Oil” of China

In the mid -twentieth century the nuclear was fashionable. So someone created “atomic” tomatoes and cucumbers

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The human being has from the dawn of agriculture trying to improve their crops. Before the arrival of advanced laboratory techniques such as CRISPR or the tools that the transgenics gave them, our species tested with a retahíla of various strategies to obtain larger fruits and vegetablestastier or more resistant. Some more successful than others. Some that bordered the demential. To the latter group belongs to the atomic horticulture, Atomic Gardening. The name of the technique speaks for itself. Atomic horticulture started from the idea of ​​bombarding radiation plantations. The objective of atomic horticulture, or at least the nominal objective of this, was to force mutations that improve the properties of food that were extracted from them. For this, the orchards were arranged in concentric circles, in whose center the radioactive material was located (Generally cobalt-60) capable of emitting gamma rays. The disposition implied that the successive circles received radiation dose that could vary significantly. The closest plants ended up burned by radiation and many nearby developed lethal problems such as tumors. The rest of the plants would receive more moderate doses that would introduce small mutations in their DNA. These mutations could be harmful or beneficial: the technique could Accelerate the natural process Of genetic modification, the selection, natural or human, would make the rest. The origin of this practice is found in the first years of the nuclear era, in the 1950s. Behind this initiative could find an association called The Atomic Gardening Societydedicated to promoting this striking practice. In An article Posted in 1962 the magazine Naturethis agrarian society was defined as “a scientific, educational and non -profit body, which carries out research in plants reproduction using radiative and chemically treated seeds and plants.” The different members of the association could exchange through this different seeds and the organization also served to record the different genetic variations introduced into the plants. The Atomic Gardening Society He also published his own magazine in which members could share their experiences and knowledge. We pointed out before the objective of this practice was to improve the qualities of plants and their fruits, make the most productive and resistant crops and their most nutritious or tasty crops. However behind this practice there was something else: marketing. The 50s was the era of initiative Atoms for peacein whose bosom the atomic gardens were born. This initiative intended to show that the energy responsible for devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki could also be used for economic improvement, in this case, agricultural improvement. Atomic horticulture in Spain Atomic horticulture was not an exclusive idea of ​​great nuclear powers such as the United States or the Soviet Union but also various countries from Europe to Japan developed their own gardens. Spain also had Your own atomic garden. The so -called Atomic Jarín of Alcalá is what remains of the Spanish tante in this nuclear agriculture, the then called El Encín Gamma Radiation Field. The origin of this experiment, which did not use Cobalt-60 but Cesio-137is in 1959, when Spain began to leave its isolationist period and could receive this radioactive isotope from US nuclear power plants for the exotic objective of building its own atomic garden not far from the capital. Today atomic horticulture is history. As we pointed at the beginning, today we had less quirky techniques to introduce mutations into plants. The transgenic foods, despite all the controversy they generate, have been accompanying us for decades. In fact, the development of the “scissors” of CRISPR genetic edition has given a new push to the genetic edition of organisms. This tool allows a control never seen before, notably facilitating The work of those looking for Improve the quality, quantity or resistance of crops. Atomic horticulture is history, but their results still endure. They do it in the form of variants of fruits, vegetables and even ornamental plants whose origin is in one of the most unique agricultural practices in the history of humanity. In Xataka | A perfect storm looms over Spanish olive oil: heat, pests and a problem of productive capacity Image | Google Maps / Catalan

A third of Spain will be completely dark for one or two minutes. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

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We still have the healthy envy of seeing the Spectacular images of the total solar eclipse that toured Mexico, the United States and Canada just over a year ago. It was an event that paralyzed a continent, especially in the so -called “totality strip”, the areas that were completely dark. Well, the next great cosmic appointment has Spain as a global protagonist. And we will not have to wait long. August 12, 2026. In just over a year the first total visible solar eclipse will take place since 1905, a unique opportunity in more than a century. Together with Iceland, which will enjoy 58 seconds of totality, we will be the only country in the world that can see all the phases of the eclipse. And let’s be sincere: in the middle of August, our possibilities of having clear skies are considerably greater than those of the Icelanders. Context. A total eclipse occurs when the moon aligns perfectly between the sun and the earth, projecting a shadow that immerses the lucky ones in a twilight darkness in the middle of the day. In the 2026 event, this shadow, the strip of totality, will have about 300 kilometers wide and will cross Spain from west to east, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands. The autonomous communities that will be under the shadow cone of the totality are Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Aragón, Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Madrid will be right on the edge, with a fleeting totality in the north of the region. But the rest of the country will not stay empty and witness a very partial partial eclipse, with a coverage of more than 90% (and up to 74% in the Canary Islands, with Lanzarote as the island with better seats for the show). Almost two minutes. An essential tool to plan the observation of the eclipse to the millisecond is the Xavier Jubier interactive map. This resource is the gold standard for eclipses hunters because it allows you to click anywhere on the map to obtain the exact hours of each phase, the duration of the totality, the altitude of the sun in the area … The eclipse will start just before sunset. The totality phase will take place around 20:30 (summer peninsular time), with the sun already very low on the horizon. This turns observation into a race to counterreloj against sunset. In cities like Oviedo, the totality will last 1 minute and 48 seconds, only a few more moments in Burgos, León or the Island of Mallorca, which is emerging as one of the most tourist places where to see the eclipse (with the disadvantage that the sun is put before in the peninsular northwest). Safety first. As much as I tempt us, look directly in the sun, even partially eclipsed, can cause permanent eye damage. During all partial phases (before and after the totality), it is necessary to wear certified glasses to see eclipses or indirect methods to observe it. For the rest, it will be enough to look for a high observation place, with a horizon clear of mountains or buildings to the west so as not to miss the one that will undoubtedly be the astronomical event of the century. In Xataka | Mars eclipses are ridiculous compared to ours. The reason is an extraordinary numerical chance

Australia was discovered in 1606 by Dutch. A theory defends that someone advanced a century: the Galicians

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Thinking about Australia is thinking about Rare animals with A single objective: kill you. It also implies thinking about the entire country as a British prison. Obviously, it is an exaggeration, but relating Australia with the British is the most normal when it was they who, in 1770 and under the orders of the captain James Cookthey began to colonize the area. But a historian did not believe in official history and developed his own hypothesis: Australia was discovered by the Spaniards. By a Galician ship, specifically, that was brought eucalyptus and left some granaries. 1606, a busy year. The British did not discover Australia, or from afar. The classic Greeks already theorized about something they called “Terra Australis Incognita“Or” unknown land of the south. “They imagined a continent that should be there for the theory of geometric symmetry and even included in European maps without really knowing if there was something there. In 1606, Things changed. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon He explored the northern coast of Australia and other explorers from the same country mapped both the north and the west later decades. In 1770, the British Cook arrived at the east coast, explored it and, that same year, he claimed it for the United Kingdom. So He was born The current new South Wales and the English had a new territory to colonize. As? With prisoners that They sent there in 1788. Lost Spaniards. But in 1606 they were not only the Dutch spinning around Australia. Pedro Fernández de Quirós He was a Portuguese explorer in Spain who, in 1605, decided to start from Peru to find that “Incognite Terra Australis.” He reached the current Vanuatu, an island east of Australia, also to the current Tahiti. After weeks, it landed in a larger territory and finally I thought I had given with “Terra Australis.” The christening as “Austrialia of the Holy Spirit” and was so happy. Currently, it’s called Holy Spirit and is part of the Vanuatu archipelago. Quirós and his other ships threw themselves into the sea again, but the ships separated and the captain of one of them, Luis Váez de Torreshe started looking for the main nave. He returned to Holy Spirit, He turned around for the Strait between Australia and New Guinea … and left. The area is named after ‘Strait of Torres‘In his honor and the Australian writer George Colllingridge affirmed that Torres “had discovered Australia without being aware of it.” Robert Langdon. It seems that the Spaniards/Portuguese did not set foot in the continent, but there are those who grabbed a burning nail, defending yes, that the Spaniards had been the first to reach Australia. And if you are thinking that it would be a Spanish historian taking breast, no: it was Robert Langdonan Australian historian who is called the same as the protagonist of ‘The Da Vinci Code‘. Langdon relied on several pillars to develop his theory. The most important was the discovery of guns of Spanish ships discovered in the Atolón de Amanuan atoll of French Polynesia halfway between Australia, New Zealand and South America, in 1929. Langdon defended in his’The lost caravel‘that those cannons were from the San Lesmesa Galician caravel that was shipwrecked in the territory and that pushed its navigators to start exploring the territories of Oceania. They were also reported findings of Spanish armor and helmets in New Zealand that would support this idea, but there are more details that support that idea of ​​the historian. ‘Patakas’ in Australia. A classic construction of Galicia are the Hórreos. It is a peculiar construction to conserve food, such as grain, moving them from soil moisture. They are like high barns that are associated with Galicia, but really in other European countries and even in Japan. This is important because Langdon speculated on the influence of those explorers who departed from Galicia in the architecture and culture of the area. As? With the supposed presence of Galician granaries in the territories of Oceania. The “problem” is that, as there are barns similar to the granaries in other parts of the world, in Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. They call them ‘Patakas’. Eucalyptus in Galicia. That Galician granario in Oceania would imply the cultural bond between Galicia and Australia, but Langdon also relies on the presence of eucalyptus in Galicia. It is an endemic species of Australia and yes, they took Galicia from the contine In the nineteenth century. In addition, Langdon also used anecdotes to support his belief, such as the presence of indigenous people with light skin and eyes, morphometric aspects in the face that differ from that of the rest of the residents of the Pacific or who knew the metal. The alleged route made by the descendants of the shipwrecked of the San Lesmes No changes in wiki. The arrival of Australian eucalyptus to Galicia is fine Documented And there is no record of transoceanic contacts before the modern era, and that in Australia there are Patakas such as Galicians also implies causality. The result is that there is a lack of evidence that supports Langdon’s theory, and the majority studies carried out by other historians thanks to the period writings show that yes, the Spaniards made several expeditions, but it was Dutch and English who made the greatest advances in the exploration of the continent and its subsequent colonization. Posts to theorize … Now, Langdon was not the only one who threw himself into the pool with alternative theories. Rowan Gavin Paton Menzies He was a British writer and submarine lieutenant who jumped to fame when he affirmed, without providing evidence, that China had arrived in America before Colon. Their Opinions They were embodied in ‘1421: the year in which China discovered the world’. Not happy with it, and also without evidence, he launched the hypothesis that China had arrived 350 years before Cook to Australia and that, in 1434, China sailed to Italy and sowed the spark of the Renaissance. In the … Read more

half a century later, his flames are going out

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In the heart of Karakum deserta vast extension of dune burned by the sun that covers about 70% of Turkmenistanthere is a place that breaks with the monotony of the landscape. There, between sand crests and without asphalting roads, the Darvaza cratera cavity of 70 meters in diameter known as the ‘Hell door‘. Its origin, like many episodes inherited from the Soviet era, is wrapped in contradictory versions and incomplete documents. The most cited theory holds that in 1971 a team of Soviet geologists pierced in search of oil when he found a natural gas bag. The land gave in and several sinks were formed. To avoid a methane leak, they would have decided to set fire to one of them. They thought it would be extinguished in a few days. Half a century later, the flame is still alive. Half a century later, the flame begins to extinguish Now, no version is confirmed. According to the Canadian explorer George Kouounis, First person to explore the crater in 2013not even local geologists agree. Some place training in the sixties and ignition in the eighties. Others talk about a grenade or even neighbors of a nearby town who preferred to light the crater to avoid bad odors or risk of poisoning. There are no public documents of the Soviet era that clarify the event, and the existing records could continue to be confidential. The truth is that, regardless of its origin, the crater has become the main tourist claim of a country that I barely receive 15,000 visitors a year. Every night, the glow of the flames illuminates the sky of the karakum and attracts travelers willing to travel four hours from Asjabad on a double -meaning road and sand roads. Visits have been professionalized: today there are several camps, such as Garagum, with housing in yurts, solar lighting and outdoor dinners next to the edge of the crater. But that fire could go out. In recent years, the Turkmenistan government has shown interest in extinguishing it. This week, During the TESC Environmental Conference held in Ashgabad, Irina Luryeva, director of the Institute for Natural Gas Research, reported concrete progress: previously sealed wells have been reactivated, drilled new to capture the residual gas, and The volume of flames has decreased visibly. The British Capterio company, specialized in satellite data, confirmed that combustion intensity has been reduced more than three times since 2013. Darvaza’s flames, which for decades have symbolized both the power and unpredictability of the country’s energy resources, have begun to diminish. And it is no accident. Turkmenistan, frequently indicated for its lack of transparency and authoritarianismhas begun to move internationally with concrete environmental promises: reduce its methane emissions by 2030. As part of that commitment, the authorities have activated a technical roadmap to contain the gas flow in the area. Images | Richard Mortel (1, 2, 3) CC by 2.0 In Xataka | We invented the asphalt for a simple reason: at the beginning of the 20th century European roads were a dust hell

At the beginning of the 20th century European roads were a dust hell

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We complain a lot about them, but the asphalt is that Gray web that joins towns and cities around the world. Today are something we take for granted, but the roads we know Today they have just a century behind them. Beyond allowing the “soft” passage of vehicles, it was the element that allowed the car expansion At the beginning of the 20th century. And we owe everything to an accident in a town in England and dust hateors. John Loudon McAdam He was a Scottish engineer who had a vocation: build roads. He dedicated his life to perfecting these routes because he realized one thing: the traditional stone and earth were easily embodied and the maintenance was constant. In other parts of Europe the roads were also being perfected, but their method, baptized as ‘Macadán’ was the one who imposed. His idea was to raise the roads a bit and give them some inclination so that the water was stored on the sides. To make them more “waterproof”, stone and gravel were crushed and compacted. That was covered with a layer of sand and seems simple, but it was a revolution. Macadán road Macadan’s roads were smoother than stone, it was more resistant and drained better. In addition, it was cheap, so it seemed like a Win-Win For governments and passersby, right? Well … not so much. The main problem was the dust that constantly rose due to that outer sand layer, but soon the natural enemy of the macadan came: the self -propelled vehicle. The first cars were many things, but of course they were not popular. Not everyone could afford a car, but who did one had to spend some time shaking the dust after a trip along Macadán’s roads. The dust is not a friend of speed, since it is impregnated in the mechanical components, in the clothes and enters through the nasal and mouthpieces of the drivers and passengers. The chance that gave rise to modern roads Mcadam’s contribution was great, but also hit by the new century. This is how Edgar Purnell Hooley enters this story. This Welsh inventor was walking a good day of 1901 along a Derbyshire County road when he realized that part of the road was covered with something black. When he asked what had happened, he was told that a carriage had lost a barrel of tar, spilling on the road and, to try to cover it, someone poured a scum of nearby furnaces. The mixture had solidified and, without pretending, had created a section of smooth road, no dust or potholes. Hooley was lit the bulb and, neither short nor lazy, patented in 1902 the process of heating tar, mixing it with sand, crushed stone and other elements and compacting it. It was baptized as ‘Tarmacadam’ and it is the element that revolutionized the roads for that new ‘animal’: motorized horses. It seemed the ideal solution by reducing dust, having much lower maintenance than the macadan and maintaining those resistance properties to the inclement weather. Besides, Little by little it was improved adding resins and portland cement to the mixture. They soon wanted to try that ‘miracle’ and the Radcliffe Road de Nottingham converted on the first paved road in the world. The Babylonians already used the asphalt to perform some processes, but Hooley’s technique to mix scum and tar was the real revolution on the roads Launching tar in the London of the IGM Those eight kilometers showed that Tarmacadam was the mobility solution of the new century, but the car revolution was not only occurring in England. At the same time that Hooley patented his idea, Alberto I of Monaco confessed that he was fed up with the dust raised by the cars. Dust covered tourism was not attractive, so he asked a Swiss doctor named Ernest Guglielminetti to do something. “We only breathe dust, the flowers suffer and it is absolutely necessary to do something. Would you have any idea?” That was his Challenge/Prayer For Guglielminetti, who had an idea. He recalled that, during his work in Indonesia, part of the hospital floor was composed of wooden planks covered with tar to facilitate cleaning. So, he proposed to spread a mixture of hot tar, sand and records along forty meters in part of the land road surrounding the oceanographic museum. It was a success and they began to asphalt other roads. In addition, tar was abundant because it was a residue of gas plants for municipal lighting that, until it began to take advantage of roads, was thrown … into the sea. Guglielminetti and his machine to heat the tar Unlike Hoolyy, Guglielminetti did not patent absolutely anything, but remained very active perfecting the tar mixture, even participating in the First International Road Congress held in 1908 in Paris. It was there when He explained that dreamed with a network of thousands of kilometers of paved roads connecting all the countries of the world. The conclusion of that congress was that tar was the ideal solution, but before it, there was already a League against dust that promoted the benefits of the asphalting. Everything developed quite fast, something logical if we take into account that the car also began to popularize. Putting Spain as examplein 1900 there were three cars enrolled. In 1905 there were already 275, but in 1910 the figure was almost 4,000. That rapid evolution and adoption of the car required a renovation of roads. With the passage of time, the tar stopped used Due to its adverse health effects, being replaced by oil derivatives, but maintaining the basis of what Hoolyy and Guglielminetti devised. And, returning to the Welsh inventor, the story did not end too well. Tarmac registered as a brand and founded the TAR Macadam Syndicate Ltd, but he was not a businessman and sold Sir Alfred Hickman. In addition to Wolverhampton parliamentarian, he had a siderurgy, so the scorus for the asphalting came out for free. He … Read more

The phenomenon of the year in Tiktok Spain is an influencer dressed in the nineteenth -century maiden mode

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The phenomenon of Inés de Robles (better known as Inesdrobles) It is particular for very different reasons. On the one hand, it is a fashionable Tiktaker who, however, remains faithful to a style that cannot even be described as Vintagebut hugs the rancid and little strident as a sign of identity. Second, those who have raised their commentators. And now, he is riding the wave of fame Tiktaker. The template. Inés de Robles videos are always the same, which has undoubtedly helped you establish a definite style. For example, never speak; simply, with unusually current background music (Quevedo, Mar Lucas, J Balvin, Ozuna … a whole Playlist own of a young woman of tastes mainstream), which accompanies of often frightful playbacks. Dressed in clothing Vintagethat sometimes they touch the directly typical of the last century (although, as we will see, not quite), it always makes a characteristic gesture: it bends a foot on the knee of the opposite leg, and stretches it and supports the ground as if it were a ballet step. 11 tricks to dominate Tik tok The comments. However, what has made it viral are its commentators: with a very white and nothing offensive sense of humor, they joke about the outdated aesthetics of videos. “She does not do history exams, she does Storytimes“,” I have gone so much that I have reached the Renaissance “,” I came out in ‘For his illustrious’ and I gave me ‘me’ “,” Fonograph of the lady? “,” This video has reminded me of the summer of 1874 “,” That is the treaty of newly signed tordesillas, right? ” 300,000 ‘Like’ and several thousand comments. Famous (and promotions) arrive. Fame is knocking on the door of Inés de Robles in the form of faranduleo, with collaborations where other people poses with her and makes her famous gesture with her foot. Some of them have been Beéle, Violeta Mangriñán, Omar Montes and even Iker Casillas. And of course, promotions have arrived, some more naked (Grefusa!a Futurist optics), and others more appropriate (Carolina Herreraa online copying where Gutenberg’s Bible says there). His last nine videos, all of April, are guests or promotions paid. An inimitable attraction. The result of this whole mixture is a fascinating account, since Inés de Robles never speaks, which makes her look like a young woman trapped in a bubble. The curious use of artists as inappropriate as the Zowi or Bad Gyal in the background in their videos contrasts with the descriptions of the videos, halfway between naivety (“enjoying sunset”, “excursion day”) and the consciously rancid (“APPOINTMENT for Thursday Tea”, “Tuesday of Mandados”). Or it is one Performance very careful or one of the last traces of spontaneity of Tiktok. And if so … What do you want to tell us exactly? @inesdrobles Recording some themes to the rhythm of @beéle 🤘🎶 #INESDOBLES #INESDEROBLES #Classicgeneration ♬ Sobloove – Beéle Inés: Origins. To discover the answer you just have to go back to the beginning of your account, not far behind in time (July last year), where we see elements such as fashion music and trap display, but in line unquestionably more modernaccompanied by their Two sisters. Some photo linked to rhythmic gymnastics also makes it clear where it comes from The famous and enigmatic gesture with the leg. The outfits They are, above all the last ones, already directly out of a period of the 1st period, possess to continue with the joke of the traveler in time. The Old Money style. As Absolutely everything can be categorizedInés de Robles aesthetics It can be framed In a recent current known as Old Moneya style with connection points with fashions Cayetana, PREPPYCatholic or prick and that is inspired by the lifestyle of American rich families, with luxurious leisure exhibition: golf, equestrian or tennis. Table skirts, poles, pearls … Everything that implies a social category in which it does not just enter, but carries generations in the family abounds (hence the “old money”, not very successful literal translation). Of course, here the ingenious account comments have twisted the concept and have taken Inés to dress with clothes that go beyond the merely aristocratic to get into the directly nineteenth. Header | Tiktok In Xataka | We have been waiting for years at airports for years. Tiktok’s “airport theory” believes that it has been a mistake

“Train” in a nineteenth century tunnel

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Supercars are no longer enough. What really removes the hiccups are hyper -sports. Combine the SUPPORTIVE CLASS with technologies and benefits of the Formula 1like him McLaren P1 With Kers and Drs. But if there is a category that is taking off the beast, it is that of the electric with benefits that They seem taken from a video game. Specifically, one English who could have Batman in his garage. It is the McMurtry Spéirling, and its secret is a tuning in a railway tunnel of 1897. Craziness. The McMurtry Spéirling, or Spéirling Electric Hypercar, was revealed in the prestigious Goodwood Speed ​​event of 2022, and there he got some records. Before that, let’s spend the technical record of this car that is not as attractive as a Bugatti Veyronthe aforementioned McLaren P1 or its maximum electric competitor, the RIMAC Neverabut that is a rex tyrannosaurus with lamb skin. Of a lamb 3.5 meters long, 1.7 wide and barely 1.1 high. It has two electric motors that produce a power of 746 kW in the rear wheels, equivalent to about 1,000 hp. The weight is about 1,000 kg, which together with that engine guarantees a huge force. How much? As an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in 1.4 seconds or 0 to 230 km/h in less than 5 seconds. Record car. It does not run “much” because it is limited to 305 km/h, so that engine could give much more of itself, and is equipped with a 60 kWh battery that they wait to expand 100 kWh at some point, increasing to 1,200 kg the weight of the vehicle. But with what we have now in hand, we can talk about a car that is leaving the bar high. Very high. At the Goodwood Festival of its debut, the McMurtry Spéirling managed to spray the upload record of its traditional 1.89 -kilometer hill circuit with a time of 39.08 seconds. There have not only been supercoches and hypercoches, but also formula 1 like that of 1998 Nick Heifield. With the McLaren MP4/13, he nailed the clock in 41.6 seconds. In 2019, an electric prototype, the Volkswagen ID.R. He lowered it to 39.9 seconds, and it was the brand that prevailed. Since then, we have seen McMurtry Spéirling making All types of cars bite the dustincluding the imposing Ferrari Laferrari With an atmospheric and 800 hp V12 with Kers of 163 hp or spraying the Mercedes-Am One record in Hockenheim lowering time by 14.1 seconds. The test tunnel. And the secret of this achievement is the wind tunnel. High performance cars are analyzed in wind tunnels in which their aerodynamics are tested. They are cameras in which vehicles are static and it is the air that flows on them, allowing engineers and designers to test aerodynamics. In the case of McMurtry Spéirling, the thing is different because in its wind tunnel, it moves at high speed. The reason? Use a tunnel that could go out in any Batman movie: the Catesby tunnel. It is a railway tunnel of the Victorian era that was built in 1897 and has a line of 2.7 kilometers long and 8.2 meters wide. It is no longer used for its original purpose, and from its conversion It has become an ideal test line for two reasons. The first is because it has constant climatic conditions, which allows engineers to test the car in an environment in which they can develop systematic and precise tests. The McMurtry equipment uses equipment as pressure sensors around the vehicle and high -speed cameras, but it is best to be moving, they can put elements such as wheels, the damping or the great secret of this car under the magnifying glass: the Downforce or ‘soil effect’. Fans, your secret. Because … yes, in a car import all the elements, but when we talk about speed (and that is where the F1 are specimens), it is not so much about the strength of the engine, but how much the car can stick to the ground thanks to the aerodynamics to accelerate better or take a passage through curve faster. And if we see any video of the McMurtry Spéirling, something that attracts attention is that, both in motion and standing before accelerating, it lifts a trail of dust. There is his secret: he has two rear fans that generate a force of up to 2,000 kg. This presses the car against the ground, causing it to leave a Scalextric car and getting a great speed in the curves. It makes a F1 look slow. To get an idea, that aerodynamic load of 2,000 kg that the McMurtry Spéirling has from a stop is the same that achieves a formula 1 when it goes to 250 km/h. And, speaking of formula 1, the video that we leave below is one of those that make a smile of disbelief: In it, we can see spéirling against the Rimac Nevera and a Red Bull RB8. It is very interesting because the Nevera Rimac, which is another electric one that is in the same category, wins in the first test by tip speed because the spéirling limiter comes into play. In the second test, Spéirling has heated the wheels and gets a more tight victory, and in the third we see another surprising thing. It is a braking test in which we see that the Rimac accelerates and runs a lot, but it is difficult for him to stop. Here, spéirling achieves a performance very similar to that of Formula 1, whose braking is spectacular. And it has merit that even with Liam Lawson behind the wheel, that Red Bull looks like a utility next to the other two. Especially next to the great strong point of spéirling: the acceleration from standing. Do you have a million left? Currently, the McMurtry Spéirling is approved for circuit competitions, such as the GT1 Sports Club, but if at any time it is homologated for use in … Read more

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