closer

five destroyers a day are getting closer every day

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In the midst of the Korean War, American General Douglas MacArthur came to define Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”. It was not a metaphor about his army, but about his geographical position: whoever controls the island controls one of the main accesses between the China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. More than seventy years later, that location continues to condition the strategy of the great powers. Five destroyers a day. Just a few years ago, seeing several Chinese warships surrounding Taiwan was synonymous with a diplomatic crisis or extraordinary military maneuvers. Today it happens practically every day. Beijing has managed to transform the exceptional in routine and, with this, it has taken a decisive step towards a much more ambitious objective: to progressively isolate the island without having to fire a single shot. The fence is no longer prepared, it is practiced. I was counting a few days ago the wall street journal that the Chinese Navy maintains permanently between five and six ships of war around Taiwan, a figure that increases when other units are incorporated occasionally. The ships remain in the area for approximately two weeks before being relieved by others, allowing a growing number of crews to accumulate experience in a scenario that could become a future battlefield. More than a show of force, the deployment constitutes continuous training for an eventual blockade or invasion. Each patrol serves to learn and wear out. The constant presence of these ships forces Taiwan to answer over and over again with its own naval and coast guard units. Each incursion involves hours of monitoring, fuel, maintenance and crews on permanent alert. While the island consumes resources to react, China collects information on how Taiwanese ships move, how long they take to respond, what communications they use and what their movements would be in the event of conflict. Control the waters. The new step consists of extend the pressure towards the east of Taiwan through patrols of its Coast Guard. This area concentrates intense maritime traffic and would have enormous strategic value in a hypothetical blockade of the island. Beijing no longer limits its activity to the strait that separates it from the continent, but rather projects its presence towards the western Pacific to reinforce its message that it also considers those waters under its jurisdiction. Beyond surveillance. I remembered the new york times in a report that the Chinese coast guard does not act solely as a maritime police force. In recent months they have gone so far as to require information from merchant ships about their destination, crew or cargo, trying to exercise an authority that Taiwan completely rejects. This type of action allows Beijing to rehearse control mechanisms of maritime traffic using armed civilian organizations, a strategy much more difficult to respond militarily than an exclusively naval deployment. The real objective. Because China does not need to completely close access to Taiwan overnight to upset the balance in the region. It is enough to gradually increase the intensity of their patrolsexpand the areas where it operates and accustom shipping companies, fishermen, governments and armed forces to coexist with that constant presence. If that situation ends up being perceived as the new normal, Beijing will have advanced an important part of its strategy without having formally initiated a blockade. The blockade before the war begins. Be that as it may, current operations show that a blockade no longer has to consist of suddenly closing all access to the island. can be built gradually through permanent patrols, inspections, military exercises, coast guard presence and psychological pressure on maritime traffic. From that perspective, China seems to have understood that the isolation of Taiwan does not begin the day a war is declared, but much earlier, when the siege becomes a part of the everyday landscape and each new step is less surprising than the previous one. Image | Coast Guard News In Xataka | The US moved its aircraft carriers away from Asia to protect them: China has just published a manual to hunt them from 3,000 km In Xataka | Taiwan has been inspired by Ukraine by giving its citizens a weapon against China: “It’s like acquiring a new skill”

Global warming has stepped on the accelerator at an unprecedented rate and we are getting closer to the point of no return

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In recent years we are seeing how the climate is changing radicallyand the reality is that we know well that the Earth’s climate system is accumulating heat at an unprecedented rate. And it is not a stimulation that we do in our heads, but it is the main conclusion of the fourth edition of the report Indicators of Global Climate Change. The figures do not leave much room for maneuver, since, according to the panel of more than 70 researchers from 56 institutions around the world that have participated in the analysishuman activities have pushed global warming to 1.37 °C in 2025. And most worrying of all is that, if the current trend continues, the mathematical projection indicates that we will cross the dreaded 1.5 °C line in approximately four years. An unprecedented rhythm. The analysis, supported by an immense Earth observation network and aligned with the program data Copernicus and institutional repositories such as NASA Earthdata, shows that the rate of human-induced warming remains at a historical maximum of about 0.27 °C per decade. Because? The report points to a lethal combination, such as record levels of greenhouse gases and, paradoxically, a continued decline in sulfur dioxide emissions. The latter is important because, by reducing sulfur aerosols, part of the warming effect of greenhouse gases, which was previously mitigated, has been “unmasked.” As Piers Forster, lead author of the study and director of the Priestley Center for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds, explains, the key to understanding the magnitude of the crisis lies in the Earth’s energy imbalance since this indicator measures how quickly heat accumulates in the system. In the researcher’s words: “Without human influence, it should be close to zero, but it has been growing since the 1970s and is now at a record level, doubling in recent decades” The carbon counter. Perhaps the most urgent data that the scientific consortium provides for short-term decision-making is the update of the remaining carbon budget. This concept defines the total amount of carbon dioxide that humanity can still emit into the atmosphere before exceeding the 1.5 °C limit is inevitable. As of early 2026, that estimated remainder was just 130 gigatonnes of CO₂. If we take into account that in 2024 global greenhouse gas emissions reached a historical maximum of 56.8 Gt of CO₂ equivalent, mathematics tells us that at the current rate, that budget will be completely exhausted in about three years. Oceans under pressure. Beyond the average surface air temperature, the updated climate indicators portray a transversal impact on all biomes. Something that we have repeated a lot is that the oceans are the planet’s great thermal sink, and the report introduces a critical monitoring indicator to monitor them, which are the days of marine heat waves. Globally, the year 2025 experienced 65 days under these anomalous conditions, meaning that this number has tripled since 1991, severely disrupting carbon exchange between the ocean and atmosphere, altering acidity levels and threatening coastal infrastructure and marine habitats. sea ​​level It continues its continuous advance, fueled by the melting of land ice and the thermal expansion of warmer waters. Consolidated records show a record of 23 centimeters of increase since 1901 and the current rate of rise is around 1.8 mm per year and, far from stabilizing, it is accelerating by leaps and bounds. Images | Marcin Jozwiak In Xataka | Three days and above the 95th percentile: AEMET’s golden rule for declaring a “heat wave” in Spain

Airbus has just completed a test that brings its most anticipated moment closer

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He SIRTAP It is not a new name in the Spanish defense. Airbus and the Ministry of Defense have been presenting it for some time as a program called to strengthen tactical capabilities, industrial development and greater sovereignty in defense capabilities, but this entire journey has a milestone that weighs more than any calendar: seeing it take off for the first time. That image has not yet been produced. What we have now is a prior advance, important precisely because it places the program closer to that moment and forces us to sort out the underlying question: what exactly is SIRTAP and why Spain has been pushing it for years. The ground test: The progress communicated by Airbus Defense It occurred on the runway of the Getafe Air Base, right next to the company’s facilities. There, the Airbus U850 SIRTAP completed its first taxi under full control from the ground control station. The test served to verify very specific elements: braking, steering, navigation sensors and commands sent from the station itself. In other words, the objective was to verify that the system begins to behave as an integrated aircraft, not as a sum of separately tested parts. It’s not just any drone: The SIRTAP is, in simple terms, an unmanned military aircraft controlled from the ground and designed to look further, for longer and in more demanding conditions than a conventional short-range system. Airbus presents it as a high-performance tactical UAS, with more than 20 hours of autonomy, range of more than 2,000 km and capacity for ISR missions, that is, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Its design also includes day and night operations, maritime surveillance and the simultaneous use of two payloads, such as electro-optical sensors and radar. The lesson from Ukraine: The importance of SIRTAP is best understood if we look at the role that unmanned systems have gained in recent conflicts. A CSIS Analysis on the lessons from Ukraine summarizes a clear idea: UAVs have extended operational range, reduced soldier exposure, and become common tools for reconnaissance, target acquisition, and precision strikes. This reading does not make the Spanish program a direct consequence of that war, but it does place it within an evident trend. Industrial dimension. The Ministry of Defense acquired nine SIRTAP systems, a formula that does not translate into nine aircraft, but in 27 unmanned aircraft and nine ground control stations, because each system is made up of three devices and one station. Added to this are two simulators to train Spanish operators. According to Defenseall aircraft will be manufactured and assembled at the Airbus Defense and Space plant in Getafe, with Airbus as the driving company and with the participation of Spanish companies. The Ministry itself has defined it as the first Class II/III military aeronautical system developed entirely in Spain. The calendar: The temporal nuance is important because the first flight does not now appear as a pending surprise, but as a milestone that was already on the roadmap. Airbus placed it in 2025 when he announced the contract with Defense in November 2023and the Ministry again indicated that same year as a reference in January 2025. Later, in June 2025Airbus explained that the prototype was ready to begin ground testing and that the inaugural flight was scheduled for the end of that year. With the new progress communicated by Airbus, the conclusion is clear: the program is moving, but the forecast for the first flight in 2025 is already behind us. Next step. SIRTAP is no longer just a promise on paper and is already beginning to pass real checks on the runway, but Airbus still has new test phases ahead before the flight campaign. The important thing is not to confuse one thing with the other: moving on the ground is not equivalent to taking off. It does confirm, however, that the project is approaching the moment that has marked its narrative for years. The next big leap will not be symbolic: it will be seen in the air. Images | Airbus In Xataka | The European fighter may have died, but there is a plan B to avoid the F-35. One with Spain, Germany and an unexpected guest

a ventilation system to install them closer to furniture

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When placing a refrigerator it is important that we take into account the separation that we should leave with the furniture so that it can ventilate well and not overheat. And this is something that Haier has taken into account with its new refrigerators with which you will not have that problem: Haier Cube 83 7which has a price of 1,449 euros in the official store Haier FD 83 7which has a price of 1,419 euros in the official store. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links New Haier refrigerators The new Haier refrigerators belong to the range Space-Fita series of models that are aimed at greater integration in the kitchen. And it is not only useful by design, but also by convenience because having greater integration also means greater space savings. The reason is that these refrigerators have the technology bottom cooling (front cooling) that, instead of expelling heat from the sides or the back, have a condenser located at the bottom left that expels heat from the bottom right. This allows them to be placed closer to furniture, without overheating and quietlyalthough there is a limit: it is advisable that there be a separation of four millimetersa distance that in practice is very little perceptible, and 59 centimeters with respect to the wall. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that both refrigerators are designed to be silent, have antibacterial technology and, in the case of the Cube 83 7, it has a water dispenserwhich prevents us from opening the refrigerator door to drink cold water. In addition, both come equipped with drawers Direct Accesswhich allow quick and easy access to frozen foods, as well as having a much better view of the contents of the freezer without cold air quickly escaping. You may also be interested Hisense RF632N4WIE – No Frost Stainless Steel French Door Combi Refrigerator, With Dispenser, No Frost, 2 Meters, Drawer, 337 Liters, Air Flow System, Stainless Steel Finish, 485 Liters The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Bespoke AI Combi Refrigerator 203cm Twin Cooling Plus™ 387L Class A Inox RB38C607AS9/EF The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Haier In Xataka | American refrigerator or 70 cm Combi? Be careful with making mistakes when buying liters that you may not be able to use In Xataka | No Frost vs. cyclical (Static): why your refrigerator dries food and when it pays to buy a ‘low frost’ one

Orange has taken complete control of MasOrange. European consolidation is one step closer

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Orange has taken full control of MasOrange after closing the purchase of the 50% that was still in the hands of Lorca HoldCo, the company owned by the KKR, Providence and Cinven funds. With this operation, expected for monthsthe French company becomes the sole owner of the largest telecommunications operator in Spain. The movement represents a very important step towards a long-awaited market consolidation which the large operators have been behind for years. One in which the fewer intermediate operators, the better for the giant operators. what has happened. On Christmas Day, Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Iliad (Free) announced the joint purchase of SFR for 20.35 billion euros. Agreement through which the three groups will share the clients, assets and frequencies of the second largest operator in France. The transaction, which will be closed in 2027 after passing the necessary regulations, follows the line of what happened in Spain: Orange has acquired MasOrange. The other half. Orange has acquired the remaining 50% of the capital of MasOrange, to date in the hands of his co-sharer Lorca. The agreement, valued at 4.25 billion euros, already has the necessary authorizations in Europe. Following this move, Orange now controls 100% of the operator’s capital, completely diluting MásOrange. Why is it important. Spain becomes the second most important market in Europe for Orange. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, MasOrange had 26 million mobile telephone customers and 7.1 million fixed broadband customers. Those numbers now belong entirely to Orange. “The acquisition of all of MasOrange is a strategic step in our “Trust in the Future” plan and reinforces Orange’s position in Spain.” Secondly, the movement advocates the European consolidation of the telecommunications market. The large groups are closing the circle: Telefónica, Orange, and Deutsche Telekom. The photo. Europe is one of the regions with the most operators per region, a total of 34 compared to 3 in the United States and 4 in the Chinese market. The major European companies need to continue absorbing their small rivals. Reason? The following: Proportionally, Europe has eight times more operators than the US and China, something that ends up translating into much more compressed margins and a drop in 41% in the market capitalization of the sector between 2015 and 2023. Without consolidation, European telecoms have a difficult time not depending on foreign funds and capital.

the holy grail of space propulsion is closer thanks to plasma

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For many years, the aerospace industry has worked on the development of rockets powered by solid fuels. These have many advantages, such as simplicity, long life and high thrust-to-weight ratio. However, they have a huge drawback. Once these fuels start burning, they continue to do so until they are spent. There is no way to stop and restart the reaction, as is normally done in space maneuvers. Despite everything, a group of scientists from the Aerospace Corporation, the University of Southern California and the Naval Postgraduate School has been working in the development of new generation solid fuels, in which there are solutions for each of these drawbacks. At the moment, they only have a proof of concept in the laboratory, but that first experimental development has given very good results. The problem. Solid fuels are blocks of solid propellant that already include within them the oxidizing substance that, with the necessary spark, starts the combustion reaction. The problem with these fuels is that, once they start burning, there is nothing to stop them and restart them. It would be useful to use electricity to dictate when combustion starts and stops, but until now that has not been possible. An ingredient and a mechanism. These scientists have developed their solid fuel with the help of an ionic liquid polymer. Although this is manipulated to form part of a solid matrix, it retains the electrical conductivity properties of the molten salts with which it was manufactured. On the other hand, this new solid fuel undergoes a process known as nanosecond pulsed plasma discharge (NPPD). In this process, very short, very high voltage pulses are generated, lasting less than 100 nanoseconds, giving rise to an ionization process in which we obtain plasma as a product. Then what? NPPD plasma is generated in the gas of the combustion zone. During ionization, electrons and free radicals are generated that, thanks to the ionic conductivity of the propellant, can interact with the flame front and control combustion. This can be stopped or reactivated by activating or interrupting the electrical pulses. Other advantages. Other great advantages of these fuels is that, due to their compact shape, they can be integrated into all types of space platforms, from CubeSats even large ships. The most benefited. Although many agencies and companies could jump on the solid fuel bandwagon if they become viable, the small ones will benefit the most. satellite operatorssince they normally cannot afford a complex liquid propellant-based upper stage in their rockets. Although they are simpler, they also need to maneuver, turning combustion on or off in steps such as orbit insertion. Solid fuel engines are simpler and can be cheaper. If the problems they already have are solved, they will become a real revolution for big and small fish. Image | 中央通訊社 In Xataka | 2023 was the year with the most space launches in history. The vast majority of SpaceX and China

While Europe looks at Ukraine, the US has sounded the alarms for Spain on a closer front: losing two autonomous cities

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In July 2002, a handful of Moroccan soldiers landed on the islet of Perejil and raised a Moroccan flag there. The Spanish response came days later with a military operation so rapid and measured that it ended up becoming one of the diplomatic-military episodes strangest of the recent Mediterranean. What worries Spain. While Europe concentrates much of its military attention in Ukraine and the eastern flank of NATO, a much closer concern is growing in Spain: the south of the Strait. The problem is not just Morocco or the military balance in the Maghreb, but the change in the United States’ attitude toward the region. The appearance in Washington of official documents that describe Ceuta and Melilla like cities “under Spanish administration” in Moroccan territory has generated unprecedented alarm because it breaks a historical diplomatic taboo. For decades, the sovereignty of both cities was considered out of the question for Western allies. Now some American political sectors are beginning to treat her as an open dispute susceptible to future negotiation. US pressure. Spanish concern does not arise solely from a parliamentary report, but from the political context that surrounds it. Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balartclose to Marco Rubio’s entourage and aligned with positions very favorable to Rabat, has not only publicly defended that Ceuta and Melilla are “in Moroccan territory”, but that the own report encourages the State Department to promote diplomatic talks about their status. All this coincides with the deterioration of the relationship between Donald Trump and the Spanish Government for military spendingNATO and the disagreements over Iran. In certain strategic Spanish sectors, the feeling is beginning to spread that Washington increasingly considers most useful to Morocco as a regional and less essential partner to Spain within its Mediterranean architecture. Morocco and the new balance. The most profound change may be occurring on the other side of the Strait. Morocco has been accelerating for years its military modernization through agreements with the United States, Israel, Türkiye and France, while also promoting its own arms industry. Since 2021, industrial projects linked to drones, weapons and advanced military production have multiplied. At the same time, Rabat has consolidated his diplomatic position in Washington after the American recognition of Western Sahara. For many Spanish analysts, the problem is no longer just migratory pressure or specific border crises, but the emergence of a regional power much more militarily connected to the West and increasingly secure in its strategic position. Spain is left out. The other big concern is that Spain seems have been left out of the new network of military alliances in the Maghreb. Italy has become the main strategic partner of Algeria in the Mediterranean, expanding defense agreements, industrial cooperation and military coordination with one of the most powerful armies in Africa. Morocco, meanwhile, close ties with Washington, Paris and Tel Aviv. Spain has managed to rebuild diplomatic relations with both neighbors, but it hardly has any relevant agreements on defense matters. This vacuum is beginning to be perceived as a serious problem in certain strategic circles, especially when linked reports to the Ministry of Defense they already admit that “South of the Strait of Gibraltar, military pressure is a reality.” Ceuta and Melilla as vulnerable points. That is why the reports of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies raise with increasing clarity the need to a specific plan defense for Ceuta and Melilla. The focus goes far beyond the military and includes logistics, cybersecurity, maritime surveillance, institutional resilience and protection of critical infrastructure. Fear does not necessarily point to an open conventional conflict, but rather to hybrid scenarios constant pressure: migration crises, diplomatic tensions, partial blockades or political attrition campaigns. Autonomous cities thus appear as especially sensitive enclaves due to their logistical dependence and geographical isolation. A brutal return: geography. If you like, all this reflects something broader: the return of geography as a central factor of European politics. For years, Spain observed the Maghreb mainly from a migratory and commercial perspective, while the greatest threats seemed to be far from the western Mediterranean. But the war in Ukraine has accelerated regional rearmament and has reorganized alliances throughout the area. And in the midst of this transformation, Spain begins to discover that one of its potentially most delicate fronts is not in the Baltic or in Eastern Europe, but just in the other side of the strait. Image | US Army In Xataka | The US threatened to take the Rota base to Morocco. Spain has buried it with an unbeatable offer: more territory In Xataka | ANDhe tunnel between Spain and Morocco seemed like a chimera. Now a tunnel boring machine manufacturer says it is viable

The shape of the hands is one of the last evolutionary mysteries of the human being. And we are one step closer to solving it

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Our hands are, without a doubt, one of the wonders of biological engineering, since for a long time, the dominant evolutionary narrative has focused on how our anatomy transformed to allow precision grip and the manufacture of complex tools. However, if we look beyond the fingers and focus on the wrist, the bones tell a much older and more surprising story. New tests. A comprehensive published study in the magazine Proceedings of the Royal Society B has put on the table quite important evidence about how our ancestors moved. And the conclusion is that the morphology of our wrist retains an undeniable echo of a common ancestor adapted to walking supported on the knuckles. How they have done it. To reach this conclusion, the researchers have not relied on isolated conjectures, but on a large-scale anatomical analysis. The team analyzed more than 2,037 carpal boneswhich are what form the wrist, belonging to different species of primates, crossing these data with the anatomical analysis of 55 fossils of extinct hominins. What they discovered by mapping all this morphology is that human wrist bones don’t look like those of most primates, but instead share deep structural similarities specifically with African great apes. It’s not a coincidence, since it responds to the biomechanical adaptations necessary to support the weight of the body on the hands when they are closed. That is, although today we use our wrists for complex tasks such as typing, painting or even performing surgery, their architecture was designed for walking on the knuckles. Cautiously. Does this mean that our ancestor walked on his knuckles with absolute certainty? In science, closed statements are dangerous, and the authors of the study themselves are cautious, since they do not present this ancient practice as an irrefutable dogma, but as the most consistent and plausible interpretation according to the anatomical evidence on the table. Its evolution. Our body did not evolve suddenly to its current form, but rather went through different phases at different rates. Here the study shows this phenomenon in our hands, since, while the general structure of the wrist has preserved those primitive evolutionary signals shared with African apes, other parts of the hand changed later. Specifically, adaptations associated with fine, precision manipulation appeared much later in our evolutionary lineage. In Xataka | We had always believed that evolution had been arrested for thousands of years. The redheads were telling us the opposite

Japan has crossed a red line in the Pacific with the US. China just responded with warships closer than ever

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When in 2013 two Russian strategic bombers They flew over without warning airspace near Japan, forced Tokyo to deploy interception fighters in a matter of minutes in one of the most tense responses in its recent history. The episode, almost forgotten outside military circles, made clear the extent to which there are movements in the Pacific that, even if they last just hours, can change the way countries look at each other for years. A crossing of lines. Japan has taken a step that for decades it carefully avoided: integrating for the first time with combat troops in maneuvers led by the United States in the Indo-Pacific, de facto breaking a political and strategic barrier inherited from the postwar. This movement is not symbolic, because involves deploying soldiers, ships, aircraft and missiles in a real conflict simulation scenario, which brings Tokyo closer to a much more active role within the US military apparatus. The decision, furthermore, occurs in a context of growing concern about Taiwan and for him balance of power in the region, which makes this gesture more than just cooperation: it is a clear sign of strategic alignment. China’s response: closer than ever. Beijing’s reaction has been immediate and measured in kilometers: the deployment of warships on routes much closer to Japanese territory than usual, including transit through waters that it rarely used to access the Pacific. Although China insists that these are routine exercises, the pattern reveals a willingness to press and demonstrate operational capacity in sensitive areas, bringing its military presence closer to points that it previously avoided. Not only that. This movement fits in a trend wider than greater naval aggressiveness around Japan, where each maneuver not only tests capabilities, but also political limits. Everything revolves around an island. The background of this escalation is the Taiwan issuewhich acts as the axis of tension between China and Japan since Tokyo left open the possibility of intervening if a conflict breaks out on the island. Beijing has interpreted these statements as a red lineand has since responded with diplomatic protests, economic pressure and military demonstrations. Every Japanese step in or around the strait is seen as a provocation, and every Chinese move seeks to recalibrate that balance without openly crossing the threshold of direct confrontation. Balikatan: from exercise to message. It is another of the crystal clear readings. The Balikatan maneuvers have ceased to be a simple bilateral exercise to become a multinational display of forceone with more than 17,000 troops and the participation of countries such as Australia, France or Canada. The active incorporation of Japan changes its nature, because it introduces a key actor in the so-called “first island chain”, a geographical and military barrier. designed to contain Chinese expansion in the Pacific. The deployment of anti-ship missiles and live-fire exercises, including the destruction of naval targets, reinforces the idea that rehearsing a scenario of high intensity maritime conflict. The battle for the islands. Also we have talked on several occasions in this chain of territories (which goes from Japan to the Philippines passing through Taiwan) that has become the axis of the US strategy to limit Chinese naval projection. Japan, by integrating more deeply into this system, contributes to the creation of a species of distributed “fortress” that seeks to hinder any Chinese advance towards the open Pacific. For Beijing, however, breaking or surrounding that barrier is a strategic prioritywhich explains the increase in its activity beyond that line and its insistence on operating in waters increasingly distant from its coast. An increasingly fragile balance. The result of all this is a scenario where each movement has a double reading: what some present as routine trainingothers interpret it as a climbing sign. Japan has taken a step that redefines its role in regional security, and China has responded by bringing its naval power closer to a distance it previously avoided, creating an action-reaction dynamic that increases the risk of incidents. Thus, in a global context marked by many other conflicts that could divert American attention, the Indo-Pacific is positioned as the great board where the balance of power of the 21st century is played. Image | CCTV In Xataka | Japan has dozens of “forgotten” islands off the coast of China: it is now preparing for the worst scenario In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: China has concentrated thousands of fishing boats off Japan, and its idea is not to fish

We have covered the ISS in moss with a single objective. And now the possibility of “terraforming” Mars is closer

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Last year, scientists published the results of a study in which they told how they had covered the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) with moss. Although the study It was published in Decemberit was not a Christmas decorative strategy. They wanted to check if this primitive plant is capable of surviving the inhospitable conditions of space. The results were so positive, they could take humanity one step closer to terraforming Mars. A primitive plant to start a new life. The first plants that appeared on Earth were bryophytes, more specifically mosses. They are very resistant plants, capable of growing directly on rocks. From there, they can photosynthesize if they have the right water and nutrients. It is a process in which they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate oxygen. In addition, they generate organic matter that, upon death, becomes the perfect substrate. so that other more complex plants can grow. That is why the study was carried out to see if moss can survive in space. It was proven yes, so it could be an interesting candidate for terraforming Mars or the Moon. The study. Basically, what was seen in the study is that the mosses exposed on the outside of the ISS were able to survive for 283 days exposed to extremely cold temperatures and very intense ultraviolet radiation. When they were returned to Earth after that period, more than 80% had survived. In fact, planting them made them germinate. Carl Sagan already predicted it (more or less). The dream of terraforming other planets is not something new, although it is true that for a long time it was almost a fantasy. In 1961, for example, Carl Sagan made an interesting proposal to terraform Venus. It is known that this planet neighboring Earth It is covered by a dense layer of clouds. Since clouds here on Earth are usually made of water, the famous astrophysicist proposed planting cyanobacteria inside them. These microorganisms have the ability to carry out photosynthesis, like plants. Therefore, they could consume carbon dioxide and generate oxygen. The problem is that it was later discovered that the clouds of Venus are actually made of sulfuric acid, so their proposal became unattainable. Proposals to terraform Mars. No further proposals have been made to terraform Venus, but there have been proposals to do the same with Mars. It’s also pretty inhospitable, but it has a lot more potential. In fact, last year was published in Nature a study that talked about the possibility of turning the red planet into something similar to Earth with only four steps. The first would be to melt the ice, so that it becomes an immense ocean of liquid water. For this, the temperature would have to be increased by at least 30ºC. heat is needed. The second step, therefore, is to obtain that heat. It was proposed to use solar sails that direct most of the solar radiation to these ice reserves. Aerosols could also be dispersed in the atmosphere that cause a kind of greenhouse effect, further retaining solar radiation inside the planet. A vaulted habitat. Although Mars has its own atmosphere, it would have to be reinforced with something that would allow it to create a biosphere. Therefore, it would be interesting to build vaults into which to introduce the first Martian inhabitants. Life that brings more life to Mars. Finally, it would be necessary to use genetically modified-extremophilic microorganisms. These are microorganisms capable of surviving in extreme conditions. For example, microorganisms that survive in media with high salt concentrations or very high or very low temperatures are Extremophiles. Even so, it would be necessary to genetically modify them to make them even more resistant to extremely low temperature and pressure conditions. These microorganisms would be photosynthetic, so that they generate oxygen and organic matter. Moss comes into play. Following the results of the International Space Station experiment, it is clear that moss could be a good complement to these extremophile microorganisms to terraform Mars. Unfortunately, it is estimated that to have the technologies necessary to meet all the requirements we will have to wait at least 100 years. It’s a long time, but with everything humanity has waited for, it would only be a little longer. For now, as the road safety advertisements say, the important thing is to arrive. There are already space agencies trying to date that first step. Let’s start there. Image | Julius A OBARO (Wikimedia Commons) and Freepik In Xataka | Chernobyl was filled with mushrooms after the nuclear accident. Thanks to them we discovered a “new form of photosynthesis”

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