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China claims that having its own ASML is not that difficult. At the end of the day “ASML is a simple integrator”

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China is advancing at a fearsome speed, but they are their own critics. A group of scientists and industry representatives has published an analysis very critical in which they describe their semiconductor industry as “small, dispersed and weak.” For these experts, the problem is that they do not have their own ASML, so they propose creating one, and the curious thing about it is precisely that: that they do not see it as difficult to do. Not authors, authorities. Among the authors of the study are Wang Yangyuan —co-founder of SMIC— or Chen Nanxiang —director of the YMTC NAND chip manufacturer—. Both they and the rest of the participants are recognized personalities in the field of semiconductors. That makes it clear that this articlepublished in the magazine Science and Technology Review China is valuable to understand the state of this industry. The US veto works. This article indicates that the United States has managed to contain China’s advance in three areas: electronic design automation (EDA) used in chip design, the manufacture of silicon wafers, and the creation of chip manufacturing equipment, especially those with extreme ultraviolet (UVE) photolithographic technologya segment that is absolutely dominated by the Dutch ASML and that China has not yet managed to match despite its efforts. There are many companies, but they are too small. The study analyzes in depth the situation of the Chinese semiconductor market, which they describe as small, dispersed and weak. And to prove it they give a significant fact: there are 3,626 domestic chip design companies in China, but “the total value of the industry’s output was 646 billion yuan (approximately 91 billion dollars). In other words: the total sales of these 3,626 companies were less than the sales of NVIDIA alone.” Smartphone chips are doing well. Of course, these experts point out that several Chinese companies have managed to reach “the world’s leading edge” in terms of chips for smartphones. They mention HiSilicon Semiconductor and Unisoc, which occupy the first and second place among the largest smartphone chip designers in China, with market shares of 20 and 10% respectively. And the “mature” chips, too. Something similar happens with chips with much more mature technologies, such as those manufactured with 28 nm photolithography or higher. That problem is already solved in China, which does not have to depend so much on foreign manufacturers. In fact, China now represents 33% of global production in this segment, and design and manufacturing processes are not limited by internal restrictions. Too dependent. Despite its many advances, China remains the world’s largest importer of integrated circuits. It invested $385.79 billion in 2024 in these components, even exceeding its oil imports ($324.7 billion). Here China has a big problem of dependence on chips from third-party foreign manufacturers, and this is especially noticeable in automotive chips (95% of them import) and memory chips (90%): all of them depend on imports. There is a clear bottleneck in high-end integrated circuit production. In search of Chinese ASML. The document also addresses competition with ASML but not as a direct commercial rivalry, but as a strategic challenge of technological sovereignty. The Dutch company is described as “a simple integrator” that coordinates more than 5,000 suppliers to manage the 10,000 components of an EUV machine. The suggestion of the study is precisely to create a Chinese ASML that unifies the advances made by different companies. But. Although progress has been made In this ambitious objective of creating SVU machines, “integrating them with a national effort is a problem that must be resolved during the 15th five-year plan” that concludes in 2030. To do this, these experts assure, there must be financial support and human personnel is required. We already knew that China I was trying to copy ASMLbut for now it is going badly. The document talks about developments such as promising Flip-FET technology (FFET) of Peking University. This advance allows us to reach 3-2 nm nodes without depending exclusively on EUV machines, but it remains to be seen if this method ends up being successful or not. In Xataka | Holland has just declared war on China in the most important battle of the century: control of semiconductors

is that we are missing 20 million physical barrels a day and there is nowhere to get them

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The entire planet has been paralyzed in a funnel of salt water just 33 kilometers wide. With the escalation of war in the Middle East, headlines from around the world warn that the price of crude oil has surpassed the psychological barrier of $100registering record increases of 36% in a single week. However, the price is only the fever; the real illness is much more serious. To understand the magnitude of this crisis, we must stop looking at the stock price and start looking at the physical barrels that are missing. Today’s fundamental and structural problem is scarcity: the market is drying up. Overnight, we face the disappearance of some 20 million barrels a day. It is a logistical catastrophe five times greater than the one we experienced in the historic crisis of 1973. The 20 million barrel hole. According to data collected by The Kobeissi Letter and confirmed by Goldman Sachsthis blockade takes about 20 million barrels a day off the board (approximately 20% of world consumption). To put it in perspective, this supply shock is the largest in history and is equivalent to adding, at once, the losses caused by the Iranian Revolution (5.5 million), the Yom Kippur War (4.5 million), the invasion of Kuwait (4.3 million), the Iran-Iraq War (4 million) and the invasion of Ukraine (2 million). We are not facing a reserve crisis, but rather an absolute logistical collapse. As we have explained in Xataka, just open the platform Marine Traffic to see a swarm of some 240 immobilized vessels, including at least 40 supertankers (VLCCs) loaded with two million barrels each. The chaos is not only physical, it is also electronic as there is severe interference in the tracking systems (AIS), showing ghost ships located inland due to signal hacking. The fear of sailing is justified, tanker traffic in Hormuz has fallen by 90% and freight rates for supertankers have skyrocketed by 600%. The domino effect. Unable to take ships out to sea, onshore storage tanks have been filled to the brim. Iraq has been the first major physical victim of this plug. The data of Bloomberg They give the actual measurement of the cap. Iraq has had to plummet its production by 70%, falling from 4.3 to just 1.3 million barrels per day. The shock wave has already reached the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, which have begun to close wells for a very basic reason advance by Financial Times. They have simply run out of physical space to store the crude oil. Given this scenario, OPEC+ promised to inject an additional 206,000 barrels per day. However, analyst John Kemp explains in Financial Times that this is a mirage: almost all of the cartel’s surplus capacity is inside of the Persian Gulf. If the ships cannot leave, that crude oil does not exist for the rest of the world. Nor are alternative pipelines a panacea. Javier Blas, columnist of Bloombergexplains that Saudi Arabia and the Emirates have pipelines to bypass Hormuz to the Red Sea, but a report from Goldman Sachs warns that the actual diversion capacity It is only 0.9 million barrels per day compared to the theoretical 6.5 million. The shortage is already hitting critical sectors. As my colleague Alberto de la Torre warned about an unprecedented crisis in aviation fuel (jet fuel), whose price in Asia reached an anomalous record of $225.44 per barrel. It is estimated that 40% of the jet fuel arriving in Europe passes through Hormuz. Since airports have very small storage tanks, the supply chain is stretched. Airlines such as WizzAir already foresee losses of 50 million euros due to this extra cost alone. Panic has reached governments. According to reports Financial Timesthe finance ministers of the G7 and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are preparing an emergency meeting to release between 300 and 400 million barrels of their joint strategic reserves. It is a desperate measure to stop the global inflationary impact. President Donald Trump, facing US gas stations at $3.45 a gallon, downplayed the blow on his social media, stating that short-term prices are “a very small price to pay for peace and security.” China’s master plan against the US “Donroe Doctrine”. While the West panics, in Beijing there is the calm of someone who has done his homework. The US strategy was to suffocate the cheap crude oil (Iran and Venezuela) that the Chinese industry feeds on, in what some analysts call the “Donroe Doctrine” (the US attempt to control up to 30% of the world’s reserves together with Guyana and Venezuela). But China was anticipated. Last year it spent $10 billion absorbing excess global crude oil, building up strategic reserves for 96 days. Today it has 166 million barrels floating safely off its coasts. In addition, it has triggered the purchase of Russian and Saudi crude oil, and has accelerated its true national shield: the electrical transition. With a 50% market share in electric vehicles and 430 renewable gigawatts installed in one year, Beijing demonstrates that, unlike a ship in Hormuz, sunlight cannot be blocked by the US Fifth Fleet. ANDThe ghost of 1973. Comparisons with the 1973 Arab oil embargo are inevitable but misleading. In ’73, the cut was 4.5 million barrels; Today the hole is 20 million. The economic damage suffered by the world was seven times greater than the value of the missing oil, all because of the collective panic that paralyzed investment and consumption. Today, however, the physical scenario is so extreme that the structural blow is guaranteedWhether there is panic or not. The only current advantage is that the United States is today the largest producer in the world and its economy depends much less on crude oil than it did 50 years ago, which gives it a certain shield. The tyranny of geography. If the ships do not sail, signatures like S&P Global Energy They predict a brutal “demand destruction”: unaffordable prices that will force the world to forcibly stop consuming crude oil. In the … Read more

Father’s Day comes to AliExpress with discounts on technology

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There are ten days left until Father’s Daybut most stores aren’t going to wait until then to launch promos. One of the last to start its campaign is AliExpress, which this time is much shorter than usual. Although yes, it is full of very good prices and discounts if you are looking for a new mobile phone, tablet or even console. We have until tomorrow, March 10 at 11:59 p.m. to take advantage of their offers, although it is very likely that most will not arrive until then. To make your work easier, we have made a selection of five offers that seem especially notable to us: Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G by 239.38 euros with the coupon VSES25, one of the best quality-price mobiles. POCO F8 Pro 5G by 403.91 euros with the coupon VSES25, mobile with top processor and 100 W fast charging. Honor Pad 10 by 215.44 euros with the VSES25 coupon, a 12-inch tablet ideal for studying or watching movies. Realme GT 7 Pro by 511.61 euros with the VSES25 coupon, a phone with incredible autonomy. nintendo switch 2 by 439.20 euros with the VSES25 coupon, the Nintendo console along with ‘Mario Kart World’. Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G There are several mobile phones in this selection, although we start with the cheapest of them, which is the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G from Xiaomi. Its predecessor was the king of quality-price last year and this new model looks like it will follow in the same footsteps. We can get it for 239.38 euros with the VSES25 coupon and in exchange we will have a mobile phone that stands out for a good 6.83-inch screen and a 6,580 mAh battery. Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G The price could vary. We earn commission from these links POCO F8 Pro 5G If we prefer a more powerful option without going much higher in price, we have this POCO F8 Pro. Its price is not bad at all on AliExpress right now (it costs 403.91 euros with the coupon VSES25) and it is a device with the Snpadragon 8 Elite, one of the best Android processors there is. In addition, it has 12 GB of RAM and a 6,210 mAh battery compatible with 100 W fast charging, which will make it ready in approximately 35 or 40 minutes. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Honor Pad 10 If you are looking for a new tablet and want to spend around 200 euros, this Honor Pad 10 may fit you very well: it costs 215.44 euros with the coupon VSES25. It has a 12.1-inch screen that, despite being LCD, has a 120 Hz refresh rate and 2.5K resolution, making it ideal for watching movies or even reading. It has a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor and 8 GB of RAM, more than enough for day-to-day tasks and the most common apps. All without forgetting that it has a good 10,100 mAh battery. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Realme GT 7 Pro Let’s go with another mobile phone, in this case one that is ideal if your priority is to have a lot of autonomy. We are talking about Realme GT 7 Proa device that can easily offer you up to three days of autonomy. Not only that, but it is also a very powerful device thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and it has a camera system that doesn’t do anything bad. We have it available for 511.61 euros with the coupon VSES25. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links nintendo switch 2 And we close this selection of offers with nintendo switch 2which is usually the queen of this type of AliExpress promos. It is true that it has been cheaper on other occasions, although that does not mean that the 439.20 euros that it costs (with the VSES25 coupon) continue to be very attractive if we compare what the console costs right now in stores like MediaMarkt either PcComponents. In addition, this is the version that includes ‘Mario Kart World’. Nintendo Switch 2 + ‘Mario Kart World’ 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 | Alejandro Alcolea, Ricardo AguilarXiaomi, Honor, Realme, Nintendo In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | The best quality-price mobiles. Their analyzes and videos are here

The same day that the US threatened Spain and said it did not need the Rota base, the US invested 13 million in expanding the Rota base

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More than 7,000 kilometers from Washington, on the coast of Cádiz, is one of the military enclaves most important of the United States outside its territory. NATO missile shield destroyers operate from there and dozens of military ships and aircraft pass each year heading to Africa, the Middle East or the eastern Mediterranean. In the midst of international escalation, that place returns to position in the center of the geopolitical board. And it reminds us again that everything has a price. Political noise and military reality. The diplomatic crisis between the United States and Spain in the wake of the war against Iran has been marked by harsh statements, veiled threats and rhetoric that suggested a strategic rupture between both countries. Washington openly criticized the refusal of the Spanish Government to allow the use of the Rota and Morón bases for operations against Iran, while Madrid defended that this war lacked legal coverage and it did not have international support. However, under this political clash a much more prosaic reality remains intact: the daily functioning of military cooperation between both countries. has barely changed. Bilateral agreements remain in force, facilities continue to operate normally and collaboration between the armed forces runs through technical channels that, although it may not seem like it, are completely separate from diplomatic noise. A threat with millions under his arm. Yes, the most revealing paradox of this situation occurred on the same day that the United States raised its tone against Spain and dropped that I didn’t need the naval base of Rota. While the political rhetoric spoke of distancing, the US Department of Defense simultaneously awarded a contract of about 13 million of euros to renew various infrastructures within the Cádiz base, from paving and parking lots to structural repairs and painting of facilities. It we count last week. The contract, awarded to a spanish company and with an execution period of five years, it was not an isolated investment but part of a broader program of modernization that will last until the next decade. In practice, while public discourse hinted at a strategic cooldown, the Pentagon was reaffirming with money and works that Rota remains a centerpiece of its military architecture in Europe. Rota as a logistical pillar. Investments are not limited to maintenance work. Washington has also approved projects much more ambitioussuch as the construction of enormous fuel depots capable of storing tens of thousands of barrels to supply naval aviation and ships of the 6th Fleet. Added to this are new missile warehousesammunition maintenance facilities, hangars for strategic transport aircraft and improvements to docks and landing strips. All this logistical reinforcement has a clear recipient: the US destroyers permanently deployed in Rota, which will soon pass five to six unitsin addition to the numerous ships and aircraft that use the base as a support point for operations in Africa, the Mediterranean and NATO’s southern flank. Thus, far from losing relevance compared to other locations such as Morocco, Rota is thus consolidating itself as one of the most important logistical nodes of the US naval strategy. Spain also expands its base. As we write A few days ago, the reinforcement of Rota is not just an American bet. The Spanish Navy has also launched its own expansion plan to solve an increasingly evident problem: the base has become too small for the number of ships it houses. Currently, American destroyers, a large part of the Spanish fleet, amphibious units and naval aircraft coexist there, in addition to ships participating in international exercises. Solution? To absorb this growing traffic, the Ministry of Defense is preparing a profound transformation of the facilities valued at more than 300 million eurosone that will practically double the port’s capacity with new docks, fuel tanks and logistical expansions. The project even contemplates modify the mouth of a nearby river and reclaim dozens of hectares from the sea to build new port infrastructure for the future F-110 frigates and to the Spanish amphibious ships. Morón and cooperation. Meanwhile, the Morón air base also continues to be part of the joint military plans. US command reports new facilities are planned ammunition storage and improvements in critical infrastructure within the Sevillian facility, with investments that could reach tens of millions of dollars. At the same time, air operations continue developing normally: American tanker planes continue to use Spanish bases for their logistics missions and, when the Spanish Government limited their use for certain operations related to Iran, the aircraft simply they moved temporarily to other European bases without altering global military cooperation. The Frigate and Iran. In fact, Spain’s own military performance in the conflict illustrates well this duality between political discourse and strategic reality. While Madrid insists that it is not participating in the offensive against Iran nor does it allow the use of its bases for that purpose, Spain has at the same time deployed one of its most advanced units in the eastern Mediterranean. The Frigate Christopher Columbusequipped with the Aegis combat system and anti-aircraft missiles capable of intercepting threats at more than 150 kilometers, has been integrated into the air-naval group of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle next to Greek ships to protect Cyprus against attacks with missiles or drones. Its mission is defensive and framed within the support of European partners, but its presence demonstrates that Spain remains fully involved in regional security in the midst of the escalation of the conflict. The diplomatic “show” and the military machinery. In short, the sum of all these movements paints a peculiar scenario, to say the least. On the surface, the declaration war between Washington and Madrid suggests deep tensions and strategic disagreements over intervention in Iran. But under this political spectacle, the joint military machine continues working normally. United States iinvest hundreds of millions in reinforcing its bases in Spanish territory, Spain expands them facilities to accommodate more ships and aircraft, armies they continue to coordinate within NATO and Spanish forces participate in military … Read more

the third country in South America with the shortest day

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Reduction of working hours to 40 hours per week It is already a reality in Mexicoafter his approval and publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF). Now, the country begins a period of progressive adaptation that will end in 2030 with a 40 hour work day weekly. This milestone places Mexico in an advantageous position with respect to the rest of the continent, being the third country in South America with the shortest working day. This change comes in a context in which the majority of Latin American countries still maintain a 48-hour work week, while only Ecuador and Chile have until now had a 40-hour regulation like the one Mexico now faces. Mexico joins the 40-hour “club”. With the reform, Mexico joins Ecuador, a regional pioneer in reducing the working day since 1997, and Chile, which is already in the process of transitioning from 45 to 40 hours with closure planned for 2028. The International Labor Organization (ILO) points out in its report ‘Reduction of working hours: global evolution and challenges for Latin America‘ that 48-hour work weeks remain the norm in Latin America, although some countries have moved towards shorter limits. The report highlights that reducing working hours can improve health, well-being and productivity, but clarifies that the impact depends on the economic context, the design of the reform and of complementary policies that each country adopts. Other countries with days of less than 48 hours. Beyond the aforementioned examples of Ecuador and Chile, other Latin American countries have already reduced their working hours to below 48 hours, although without reaching the 40 hours of the Mexican project. The Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras maintain a 44-hour day, while Colombia established it at 42 hours per week, after a gradual reduction that began in 2023 and concluded this year. In contrast, most of the economies in the region, including Mexico until now, continue with the 48-hour limit, which reflects a certain degree of immobility in the face of international recommendations and the experiences of reducing working hours that have already been carried out. in other countries. How the reduction will be applied in Mexico. Taking the example of other countries that have already followed the path of reducing working hours, in Mexico, the change will be carried out gradually, with the goal of going from 48 to 40 hours weekly without altering the scheme of a single day of rest, something it shares with the recent reforms in Chile and Colombia. The adaptation will be carried out progressively at a rate of two hours per year, so that in January 2027 the working day will become 46 hours per week; In January 2028 it will go to 44 hours and by January 2029 it will be reduced to 42 hours. In January 2030, the cycle ends and the working day will be established at a 40-hour work week. All this without applying a salary reduction. The labor challenges of Latin America. The ILO report highlights that the reduction of working hours in Latin America faces specific challenges, such as high levels of informality in contracting, limited coverage of collective bargaining and a tendency to underground economywhich conditions the scope of the reforms. Furthermore, sectors such as domestic work, moonlighting and gender gaps They require specific regulatory frameworks for their respective labor markets and not a simple copy of the models that have worked in high-income countries. In Xataka | If the question is how to do your job without extending the working day, the answer is simple: avoid “time traps”

five gifts to surprise with on the next Father’s Day

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There are two weeks left until the arrival Father’s Day. If this year you don’t want to get caught out and buy the typical last-minute socks or purse, you have time to do it right and surprise your father in 2026. Below we offer you a selection with some gifts that he will surely love. Pack Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition + wireless charging case and base by 267.38 euros: with seven-inch color screen and various accessories. Razor Philips OneBlade 360 by 39.99 euros: with a guide comb and autonomy of up to 60 minutes. Wine accessories set Fackelmann by 17.99 euros: with cooling sleeve, aerator and corkscrew. Smart TV Haier H32K702FG by 139.99 euros: 32-inch LED and Android TV. Pack of two surveillance cameras Blink Mini by 24.99 euros: with two-way audio and compatible with Alexa. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Pack + case and wireless charging base If your father is a book devourer and keeps linking one title to another, perhaps a good gift (especially to save space at home) is to give him an e-book reader. Now, on Amazon, they have reduced the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Editionwhich comes in a pack with a case and wireless charging base for 267.38 euros. He Kindle Colorsoft stands out for its seven inch color screen. Its battery is charged via USB-C and can last up to eight weeks. Although, thanks to this pack, you can also charge it with the wireless charging base that is included. If your father travels a lot or takes the subway or bus every day, this Kindle is very thin and light, making it very comfortable to transport. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32 GB) + case + wireless charging base The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Philips OneBlade 360 ​​razor More and more men have beards and if your father has one, you surely want him to have it in perfect condition. This shaver Philips OneBlade It is a real bestseller and now it has a discount of 20 euros on Amazon and you can buy it for 39.99 euros. This shaver from Philips is effective even on the longest hair and is 360, meaning it can be tilted in all directions. comes with a guide comb so you can choose the appropriate length and with its double-sided blade you can create precise edges. It works with a battery, which is charged via USB and offers a range of up to 60 minutes. Philips OneBlade 360 ​​- Hybrid Razor The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Fackelmann Wine Accessories Set A very useful gift for parents who like to enjoy a good glass of wine at home can be this Fackelmann set. Thanks to this set, you will be able to serve wine in perfect condition and now it only costs 17.99 euros. The set comes with a cooling sleeve for wine and cava bottles, a aerator and a corkscrew. The cover is equipped with a cooling gel that can be repeatedly frozen and is made of elastic nylon, to provide a universal fit. As for the aerator, it optimizes the oxygenation of the wine through the Bernoulli effect, improving its flavor. Fackelmann Wine Accessories Set The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Smart TV Haier H32K702FG If your father likes to watch TV in bed, you might be interested in giving him a small TV for the bedroom. This Haier H32K702 FG It is perfect, not only for its size, but for its price: 139.99 euros. The LED panel of this TV is type 32 inch LED and it offers Full HD resolution and for the price it is not bad. Works under the operating system Android TV and has Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, WiFi and Ethernet port. As far as audio is concerned, its speakers offer 8 W RMS power and are compatible with Dolby Audio. Haier Direct LED Full HD H32K702FG – 32″, Smart-TV, HDR, Dolby Audio, Android 11, Smart-TV, Google Assistant, Bluetooth 5.1, DBX TV, HDMI 2.1 x 3, Frameless The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Pack of two Blink Mini surveillance cameras Finally, if your father is worried about home security and, every time you go on a trip, he says he has to buy a surveillance camera; Now, on Amazon, there is a very interesting offer. This is the pack of two Blink Mini surveillance cameras, which has gone from costing 44.99 euros to 24.99 euros. You can get these indoor surveillance cameras in black or white and are compatible with Alexa. They offer images in HD 1080p resolution and have two-way audioso they are ideal even if you have pets at home and want to calm them while you are not at home. Blink Mini | Compact Smart Security Camera, 2-Pack 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. Image | Amazon, Blink, Haier, Fackelmann, Philips and Freepik In Xataka | Best e-books: which one to buy and nine recommended models In Xataka | Five things to keep in mind before buying an e-book

Science has calculated the real impact of reading books on your brain. And it has a very simple recipe: 30 minutes a day

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It is well known that a sedentary lifestyle It is one of the great enemies of public healthespecially at advanced ages where muscle loss is a great danger. However, there are sedentary activities that are really beneficial and that we sometimes stop, such as reading books. Its benefit is such that science has shown that immersing yourself in the pages of a good book It not only feeds the intellect, but also lengthens life. The demonstration. One of the most important studies who wanted to focus on the benefits of reading, beyond the cognitive benefits or the richness of vocabulary for everyday life, analyzed a group of 3,635 nationally representative participants in the United States over 12 years. And as a result, they saw that the longer the time spent reading books, lower risk of mortality. The results. To understand the magnitude of the discovery, the researchers followed all the patients until 20% of them died and only 80% remained. There they put the cut and began to draw conclusions. The first is that non-readers reached this point at 85 months, while book readers reached this same threshold at 108 months. This is something that translates into a 23-month survival advantage for those who had the habit of reading books, or in other words, readers reduced the risk of mortality by 20% throughout the 12 years of follow-up. Furthermore, this protection was maintained regardless of a person’s gender, wealth, education, or health status. The format matters. Although you may think that any type of reading is appropriate, even the back of a shampoo, the reality is quite different. In this case, the study explicitly compared the impact of reading books versus reading the newspaper or a magazine. The findings here demonstrated that reading books contributes to a significantly greater survival advantage than that seen with newspapers or magazines. While magazines offer short articles that we often skim, books require a higher level of concentration. Something that is enhanced above all because the authors constantly present themes, characters and topics and that is essential to be able to follow the thread of the story that is being presented to us. Because? Here science is quite clear that the key is in the brain, since the “cognitive score” functioned as a complete mediator of this survival advantage. This means that reading books improves cognition and it is this cognitive improvement that prolongs life. Here reading books activates different specific neural processes that create this advantage. Among the most notable points, we find that active reading of books improves skills such as reasoning, concentration, critical thinking and vocabulary. But it also promotes social perception, empathy and emotional intelligence, which can lead to better health behaviors and stress reduction. Fundamental things when we talk about extending life. It’s backed up. In addition to the original study published in 2016, science has wanted to continue investigating the benefits of reading with a study published in 2024 where the complexity of reading in older adults pointed to less cognitive decline. But it has also been decided to analyze even the cultural level of the citizens, where it has been seen that low literacy increases mortalityonce again making the act of reading books stimulate our brain and protect our cognitive reserve. Although it is not necessary to be reading all day to guarantee having a better brain, studies specifically point out that with about 30 minutes a day It is enough to start reaping these advantages and obtain more years of life in which to continue reading. Images | Blaz Photo In Xataka | The problem is not that we are reading fewer books: it is that the books we read are much simpler and easier

We have been talking about “day 996” in Chinese companies for years. The reality is more complex: “day 323”

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In China there are more than 1.4 billion people and nearly a quarter of its active population works in the public sector, a work universe so enormous that any generalization usually falls short. Thus, between global topics and everyday realities, the distance may be greater than it seems. The myth exported from 996. It we have counted on more than one occasion, but just because something is repeated many times does not mean that it is the norm. We have been hearing for so long that China applies infamous day 996 (working from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, six days a week), that the concept itself has ended up becoming a symbol of a supposed superhuman work ethic, although in its origin it was a criticism to an abusive model within the technology sector and never a general rule. On paper, Chinese law sets weeks five days and 40 hoursalthough its application is irregular and the official unions lack real power, and although there are sectors such as migrant work or the platform economy where the hours are hard and the scarce rights. In any case, they said in a Foreign Policy report that 996 has prospered in the West because fits the fear It calls for China to “work harder” and surpass its rivals, but that narrative simplifies to the point of dehumanizing those 1.4 billion people. Furthermore, it hides a much more diverse reality. The inheritance of work as ideology. The truth is that Chinese work culture was not born with the technologies of Shenzhen, but with a tradition marked by Maoism and heritage. of Soviet Stakhanovismone where productive sacrifice was glorified and consolidated the social weight of the danwei or work unit. In that sense, he remembered the analyst James Palmer that was not until 1995 when the two-day weekend was formalized, and for decades employment was not only a source of income, but also the core of identity, housing and social network. that past explains the coexistence of intense practices with other deeply bureaucratic ones, where political obedience and compliance with quotas weigh as much as real efficiency. The silent reality of 323. As we said at the beginning, beyond from the myth of 996a significant part of Chinese employment (around 23% of the active population) is concentrated in the public sector, where an informal pattern predominates summarize as 323: three hours of work in the morning, a break of two or even three hours to eat and napand another three hours in the afternoon. That long interruption is, in fact, almost sacred and has withstood reform attemptswith offices that dim lights or enable spaces to rest, in a routine that surprises those who expect constant hyperproductivity. The pace can be lax in quiet times and frenetic at the end of the year to meet administrative objectives, often accompanied by creative accounting adjustments. Bureaucracy, patronage and ghost jobs. They recalled in FP that 323 coexists with less visible practices such as fictitious jobs granted by patronage, from positions where hardly any work is done to positions “without presence” that serve to reward loyalty or avoid formal requirements. In that environment, flexibility and frustration coexist: an office may close during a long break, but also show leniency in the face of formal delays. And when the political leadership hardens the toneas happened with the anti-corruption campaign started in 2013 or with extraordinary demands such as imposed on teachers to register vaccinations in 2022, the intensity increases and many of the amenities temporarily disappear. Mandatory socialization and discipline. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that official work life includes banquets, toast and collective meetings that reinforce hierarchies and informal networks, rituals that can become a burden rather than a privilege and that were briefly contents by disciplinary campaigns before eventually returning. That sway between everyday laxity and political pressure explains why 323 makes sense within the system: it does not respond to an ethic of leisure, but to an administration that alternates phases of low demand with bursts of mobilization. Put clearly: in front of the story simplistic 996reality is more contradictory and less hyperbolic, a fragmented work culture where the working day depends as much on the sector and the political climate as on individual will. Image | International Labor Organization ILO In Xataka | China promised them very happy with day 996. Until they realized that it was a shot in the foot In Xataka | China became famous for its eternal work hours. The solution has been to throw the employees out on time.

Wild chimpanzees drink the equivalent of almost two glasses of alcohol a day

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If we test chimpanzees for blood alcohol levels, we would most likely see that they test positive as sI would have had a drink or two. And here the fault is not in the fact that they have a hidden bottle of whiskey, but in the sugars present in the fruits they consume and their microbial fermentation. But from here on, science has debated whether our attraction to alcohol It is due to an ‘evolutionary accident’ or a direct inheritance from our primate ancestors. Something that has been determined now. A new study. Published by researchers at the University of California and which suggests that wild chimpanzees consume substantial amounts of ethanol in their daily diet. To demonstrate this, the team went to Kibale National Park, Ugandato be able to monitor several chimpanzees. And instead of doing a blood test, the researchers opted for a non-invasive method by analyzing the urine of the 19 wild chimpanzees. In this case, what was being sought was not raw ethanol, but a very specific biomarker called ethylglucuronide which tells us that ethanol has been processed. Your diet. As we have said before, the secret of this discovery is not in the alcohol that we know, but in the fruit. That is why during the research the chimpanzees fed almost exclusively on a species of canopy tree called the African star apple. When specifically analyzing this apple, it was found that it contained alcohol in a proportion of 0.09%, while in some harvests it could reach 0.4%. The results. After performing urine analyzes on the chimpanzees, it was possible to see that, of the 20 individual urine samples collected, 17 tested positive for ethylglucuronide, exceeding a threshold of 300 ng per milliliter of urine. But in addition, of a set of 11 of these positive samples, 10 tested positive again when subjected to a much higher clinical threshold of 500 ng/ml. The “drunk monkey.” The researchers point out here that this continuous intake of fermented fruit translates into an average dose of 14 grams of ethanol per day for the chimpanzees. In human terms, it is as if they had drunk one and a half drinks a day. These findings offer vital physiological support to the famous “drunken monkey” hypothesis which suggests that the attraction that modern humans feel for alcohol has its evolutionary origin precisely here: in an adaptation of our ancestors to locate, through long-distance smell, crops of ripe fruit and, therefore, more caloric thanks to the smell of ethanol. A mismatch. The problem is that this vestige of the past has gone down the wrong path, since the current problem lies in an evolutionary imbalance. While our ancestors chronically consumed ethanol in low concentrations through a fruit-centered diet, today humans have access to distilled alcohol in massive quantities and not through a survival system. Now, this discovery not only changes our understanding of primate feeding ecology, but opens the door to future research into how this natural alcohol consumption could affect the social behavior of chimpanzees, including factors such as aggression or reproduction. Images | David Trinks Brian Jones In Xataka | We believed that war was a unique and exclusively human invention. Until we look at chimpanzees

With Plenitude, the kWh will cost you the same 24 hours a day and, at the same time, you get a gift card for Netflix

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If you have an electricity rate with time slotsthe watch is your greatest ally. You probably try to organize yourself as much as possible to turn on the washing machine or dishwasher in the off-peak sections, thus saving money along the way. This creates stress in many homes.especially when unforeseen events arise or there are small children at home. What alternative do we have? A rate where the kWh has exactly the same price 24 hours a day. That’s just what it offers Plenitude’s Easy Ratethat now bring a gift with you in the form of a Netflix gift card. Of course, only if you hire before next March 2. A fee to be able to put on the washing machine (or whatever) without looking at the clock Although it may not seem like it, there is a fairly considerable difference between the price per kW between the cheapest and most expensive hours. If you can use the most demanding appliances at off-peak hours, there is no problem. But, What if you get home at 7 p.m. every day? There you will have to pay the most expensive price, which can make your electricity bill skyrocket. That does not happen with the Plenitude Easy Rate. with her, the price of electricity will be exactly the same all day (at the time of writing, 0.128306 per kWh). This way, no matter how many unforeseen events you have during the day, you won’t have to worry about how much electricity costs at a certain time of day. Furthermore, once you contract the rate, the price of kWh will remain stable for 12 months. This means that, if, for example, an energy crisis occurs that increases the price of electricity, you will continue paying the same. And it does not have any type of permanence, something that not all electricity rates on the market offer. Hiring can be done in several ways, although you have the option of doing everything through the Plenitude website. In this way, you will have a 100% digital process which will only take you a few minutes. We are talking about the Easy Rate for electricity, although Plenitude also offers the same for gas, as well as for having both supplies together. Now it’s time for the promo we mentioned above, active only until March 2. Any of these rates include a 50-euro Netflix gift card that we will receive after the first month of contracting. We can use this for both a new account and one we already have. If we do numbers, it’s great: It gives you almost four months of the Standard plan. Everything together gives us an opportunity to save every month, both on the electricity bill and by removing a subscription for a while. Although yes: only if you hurry and you contract the Easy Rate before March 2. 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 | Patrick Schneider on UnsplashPlenitude In Xataka | What do you need (according to the EU) for your survival kit and how much will it cost you? In Xataka | Best power banks to charge your mobile phone. Which one to buy and recommended external batteries

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