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One of the most decisive campaigns of Christianity in Europe had a lost piece. It has been solved by a picture of the 16th century

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For centuries, the camp of Carlos v In the German city of Lauingen it was little more than a scene embodied in a team of the 16th century. Painted by Matthias Gerungshowed in detail the surrender of the city during the War in the Danube campaign. We knew that something important had happened there, but we had not found archaeological evidence that confirmed it and the painting could have been a free artistic interpretation. Until five tombs and a boot buckle caused the painting to become an radiography of the past. Danube campaign. In 1531, Protestant princes joined in the Esmalcalda League To fight the Catholicism that made its way in Europe Thanks to figures such as Carlos V. As usually happens, a religious war began, in this case to defend Protestantism against Catholicism in a war that consisted of bell battles when one of the two forces was considered superior, but also in strategic movements games when they felt at a disadvantage. The League had a huge army, but Carlos V managed to gather experienced soldiers and, above all, a lot of artillery. After a series of attacks and constant harassment, added to the fact that there were league troops that were not too close, it resulted in Carlos V to take control of southern Germany in 1546. He did not mark the end of the war, which would arrive a year later, but it was an important turning point. The picture. The Emperor’s main camp during the campaign was located in Lauingen, a town that surrendered in 1546 and inspired by the artist Matthias Gerung to paint in 1551 his ‘Heerlager Karls V. Bei Lauingen’, or ‘The Camp of Carlos V in Lauingen’. It is a historical piece, there is no doubt about that, but if you have not seen it so far it is understandable because paintings of this style there are many. Or not so many? Gerung embodied many details in the work that allow us to get an idea of ​​how the tents were used, as well as the weapons, armor and clothing. It was so rich that there were tiny details, as ornaments in the clothes or broches very well defined. Was it an artistic license or, was it hyperrealistic? Well, rather … the second. Coincides! The painting represents the moment in which the Lauingen Council surrenders to the emperor and is the heritage of that city. To be such an important place, no human or material remains had been found in the area, something strange that could suggest that Gerung … well, a license had been taken. However, in 2024 the situation took a turn when a group of archaeologists from Bayerisches Landesamt Für Denkmalpflege found five tombs of imperial soldiers in a place extremely similar to that represented in the painting. That changed everything. Apart from the remains, it is not that a lot of objects appear, simply some coins and the closure of a hook -shaped boot. “What has to do with the painting?” You will be wondering, because much: that closure coincides perfectly with some that can be seen in Gerung’s painting. The detail of the picture is surprising, everything must be said Coins. In a new one releasethe researchers of the BLFP They claim that the five deceased found were young men who had structural changes in the legs of the legs due, surely, to a large overload fruit of the long marches of the army. But objects are the true protagonists because, normally, in the tombs of this era there are neither coins or footwear remains. And, beyond that the closure of the boot coincides with the one that was represented in the painting, the really key is the dating of the currencies, which by their inscriptions aim to be from the 16th century. And all this represent the first clear dating sample of this era in the area. Eureka! “The antiquity of the coins suggests that burial Deputy Director of the Archaeological Conservation Department of Susabia de BLFP. The next steps of the archaeologists is to continue analyzing the remains found, but the most curious thing about this story is the painter’s excellent documentation to perform his work, since either he was in the place and stayed with all the details or was magnificently advised by someone who was in the camp. And it is, according to the coincidence found by archaeologists, an almost photographic representation of the camp that was touchstone in European history. Images | BLFD In Xataka | In 1061 two Galicians signed a legal agreement. More and more historians believe that it is really a gay wedding

What was from Barreiros, the Spanish automotive company that manufactured the Dodge “Made in Spain” in the second half of the twentieth century

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To Eduardo Barreiros the automotive was in his blood. With just 12 years he worked already in the workshop of the small bus company that his family had constituted in Ourense shortly before, in 1929, and it is said that over time he came to develop such an expertise that he could mount a truck with scrapping pieces. His other great inheritance was The businessa facet that his father had already deployed as an emigrant in the Canary Islands, where he created A CEDAZOS FACTORY. With such a cocktail running through its veins, a mixture of mechanics and entrepreneurial pulse, it does not surprise that Eduardo Barreiros ended up becoming one of the great magnates of the automotive of the Spain of the twentieth century. And rightly. Perhaps the passage of the decades and memory has not done justice, but there was an era, there for the third quarter of the twentieth century, in which his last name became one of the most popular brands in the sector and he in one of the most admired entrepreneurs, inside and outside Spain. Still in 2023 there are those who present it as “The Spanish Henry Ford”. And also in that there is enough. A logo for memory The emblematic Dodge-Dart Barreiros. The company that constituted in Madrid in the 1950s, along with his brother, Valerian Its characteristic logo In the form of eight, sum of its initials “E” and “B”. Thanks to his business alliances, towards the mid -60s of his factories even a Dodge came out “Made in Spain”the emblematic Dodge-Dart, a high-end car launched to compete against the SEAT-1500. The brand would end up becoming popular for an episode that has little to do with mechanics: when he suffered the attack that ended his life, on December 20, 1973, the Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco traveled aboard a Dodge 3700 GTsuccessor of those Dodge Dart, today Property of the Army Museum. To learn about the origins of your company, baptized not without controversy as diesel sweeps, it is necessary to go back a few years before, to the Spain of the 50s, on horseback The autarkic and developmentalism. It was then, in 1954, when Galician Eduardo Barreiros decided to constitute his own automotive company with his father and brother in Madrid. It was the result of an intuition that had been maturing since the previous decade: the business that could be created with the conversion of diesel gasoline engines, which allowed lower consumption and the use of a fuel cheaper. Simca 1000, with the Barreiros brand logo. As the Spanish Patent and Brands Office (OEPM) A detailed essay Dedicated to the company, Barreiros did not lack experience in the matter: he had accumulated it with the transformation of the engines of his own trucks and those of other transporters. Several years before founding Barreiros Diesel, in fact, he had had the good tino to protect his system with two patents. The business started on a plot of almost 16,000 m2 of Villaverdesouth of Madrid, and a capital of 10 million pesetas. Enough to make diesel engines, tractors and trucks. The young Barreiros soon demonstrated his good eye for the sector: at the months of constituting the company he made an intelligent movement that –Remember the OEPM– It allowed it for practical purposes to introduce the Perkins P-6 engine in Spain without the need for its manufacturer’s license. Boom and fall Throughout the following years the company experienced considerable growth, with the constitution of different societies related to its activity and an increase in personnel, facilities and of course production capacity. From the factory, emblematic creations came out, which even today place in the second -hand market, such as the TT-90 trucks, Goshawk and Super Azorthe Tempo van or the tractors Hanomag Barreiros R-335 and Barreiros 5500. Barreiros 4045. Barreiros also sought alliances with other companies, such as Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werk GmbH either Hanomag. The most relevant, due to its impact, contribution of funds and – I live in perspective – business repercussions would be the agreement with the European subsidiary of Chrysler, closed in 1963 and that allowed the Spanish firm to clear its future and take a decisive step for the manufacture of cars. It did not go free, of course: the multinational was done with 40% of the capital. A few years later from the Villaverde factory, the first Dodge-Dart of Barreiros, also known in the national market-how “Dodge Barreiros” came out. The remarkable injection of resources that accompanied the pact with Chrysler also allowed him to manufacture the popular Simca 1000launched in the early 60s in France by Simca with a commercial approach other than that of Dart. The Barreiros brand was popular, had an interesting catalog, manufactured emblematic models and had even managed to face SEATdriven by the powerful National Institute of Industrybut Not everything was good news in the offices of Villaverde. By the end of the 60s the firm faced a financial crisis that allowed Chrysler to reinforce his control and gain even more weight in the capital of the company, which soon derived in Chrysler Spain. The family that had captained the beginnings of the project, back in the 50s, ended up ceasing its activities in the company. His last name, yes, still survived as a commercial brand for years, proof of the success he achieved. The old Barreiros business project, cemented on their ideas for the conversion of gasoline engines for use with diesel then employed more than 20,000 people directly, generated a considerable business flow and, above all, had earned a prominent place in the history of Spanish automotive. The very New York Times It came to include to the Galician tycoon in his list of entrepreneurs most influential in Europe. The veteran businessman would still continue with his career, betting on the livestock sector and with an adventure on the other side of the pond, in Cuba, where he promoted the creation of Taíno engines. There, in Havana, … Read more

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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