discovered

Speaking in English to a baby still in the womb seems like an absurd idea. Science has just discovered that it is effective

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We have long known that Babies recognize their mother’s voice from the womb and who show a preference for their mother tongue a few days after birth. However, now we know a little more thanks to studies neuroimaging studies that have confirmed something we intuited: the brain of a newborn is prepared to recognize foreign languages ​​if it has heard them in the womb during gestation. The experiment. To reach this conclusion, a team from Sainte-Justine University Hospital in Montreal recruited 60 pregnant women from monolingual French-speaking families. From here they did two different phases: prenatal exposure and brain analysis after birth. Prenatal exposure. In this case, a group of 39 fetuses was selected and exposed to recordings of a story during the last month of gestation. To do so, the mothers placed headphones on their abdomen so that the fetus could hear the story in its native language, which was French, and also in a foreign language, which was German or Hebrew. These languages ​​were chosen specifically because their rhythmic and phonological properties are very different from those of French. The second group, of 21 fetuses, acted as a control and did not receive any experimental exposure, hearing only the French of their natural environment, which is what happens in any type of normal pregnancy. Brain analysis. A few days after birth (between 10 and 78 hours), the brain activity of all these newborns began to be monitored while they listened to the same story in three languages: French, German and Hebrew. To do this, they used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive technique that measures changes in blood oxygenation in the brain to see which areas are activated. The results. They were certainly surprising. The brains of newborns reacted almost identically to their native language and the foreign language they had been hearing in the womb. In both cases, an increase in activity was observed in the temporal regions of the left hemisphere, which is a key area for language processing with Broca’s area, among others. In contrast, when these babies heard the completely new foreign language (the one they had not heard before), their brains showed a different response, with less activation in language areas and more activity in general sound-processing regions. The conclusion. This finding suggests that the fetal brain not only hears, but “learns” to recognize the patterns of a language, which causes a specialization of the left hemisphere. One of the authors point specifically that “Our results provide evidence that even brief prenatal exposure to a foreign language could make it recognizable to neonates, leading to brain activation patterns similar to those observed when listening to their native language.” Anne Gallagher, a neuropsychologist at the University of Montreal and lead author of the study, qualifies the concept of “learning”: “We cannot say that babies ‘learn’ a language prenatally. What we can say is that neonates develop a familiarity with one or more languages ​​during gestation, which shapes their brain networks at birth.” Understand development. These findings reinforce the idea that a newborn’s brain is not a ‘blank slate’, but that the gestational environment contributes a lot to its brain development, since its brain processing begins here to be shaped before birth. However, experts caution that this study should not be interpreted as a guide for parents to expose their babies to multiple languages ​​in order to make them more intelligent or multilingual. But it does give us an idea of ​​how this important characteristic is developing. Limitations. The study, while revealing, also has its limitations, such as a relatively small sample size that prevented, for example, directly comparing responses to German versus Hebrew. Still, it shows that even brief, repeated exposure to linguistic stimuli can modify a newborn’s language brain networks, laying the foundation for future development. Images | Volodymyr Hryshchenko In Xataka | When the first meal is not porridge, but a chop: the rise of carnivorous babies

We have discovered the “button” that activates our hunger. And it is the next revolution in weight loss medications

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In the molecular complexity that reigns in our body with the aim of controlling all its processes, Weight and appetite are undoubtedly one of the most complicated to keep under control.. Now, an international team of scientists has shed light about a molecular mechanism that acts as a master modulator, changing the way our brain processes hunger and satiety signals. Something that can give rise to new medications such as the famous Ozempic. The study. Published in the journal Nature, this research focuses on a key player in our metabolism: the melanocortin-4 receptor or MCR4. In this way, you can think that MCR4 is the “guardian of appetite” because it is nothing more than a protein present in our neurons that, when activated, tells us that we are satiated and that it is time to burn energy and reduce food intake. However, the operation is not as simple as the switch that turns the light on or off in our house. This is where its lesser-known, but crucial, partner comes into play: the MRAP2 accessory protein. The big change. Until now, it was known that the MRAP2 protein interacts with MC4R, but the consequences of this relationship were not fully understood. The new research reveals that MRAP2 has a drastic effect on the behavior of the appetite guardian and this is where the role it may have as a therapeutic target comes into play. What was known until now is that MC4R receptors tend to clump together on the surface of cells, forming “oligomers” or, to simplify, working in pairs or groups. Now the study shows that when MRAP2 enters the scene, it breaks these bonds and forces the MC4R receptors to act as “monomers”, that is, alone. A priori, the fact of going from being paired to acting alone may be insignificant, but the consequences it has are enormous and completely modify the recipient’s response to stimuli. Boosts the main signal. This is one of the effects caused by the MRAP2 interaction in this equation. Specifically, it has been seen that when it is in a monomeric state, MC4R becomes much more efficient in activating signaling pathways mediated by the G protein. This means that, with the same amount of stimulus (the α-MSH hormonewhich makes us feel satiated), the cell’s response is considerably stronger. Cancels stop signal. Normally, after activation, the receptors recruit a protein called β-arrestin2, which acts as a brake: it stops signaling and causes the receptor to be internalized, removing it from the cell surface to “reset” the system. Surprisingly, MRAP2 impairs this process. It hinders the recruitment of β-arrestin2, which in turn reduces the internalization of the receptor, so its ligands can bind to it in a much simpler way. The receiver on the front line. By preventing the receptor from entering the cell, MRAP2 allows MC4R to remain on the cell surface longer, ready to continue receiving signals. It’s like keeping a soldier on the front lines of battle instead of sending him to rest. In summary, MRAP2 acts as a “tuner” that modifies the MC4R receptor, biasing its function toward more potent and sustained G protein-mediated effects, while disabling its own braking system. The importance. Once this process has been understood, we move on to its importance in the clinic. The first thing that has been seen is that mutations in the MRAP2 gene are associated with cases of severe obesity in humans. This study provides for the first time the detailed molecular mechanism that explains why. Bottom line, if MRAP2 isn’t working properly, the MC4R “appetite keeper” doesn’t get that extra boost, becoming less efficient and contributing to an energy imbalance. These findings open a new avenue for drug development. Instead of looking for molecules that simply activate or deactivate MC4R, one could now think of therapies that modulate the interaction between MC4R and MRAP2. We could design treatments that mimic the effect of MRAP2 to enhance the satiety signal in people with obesity, offering a much more sophisticated approach tailored to the biology of our body. More drugs. Right now on the market we have different treatments that are focused on those people who have the most problems losing weight. We talk especially about GLP-1 agonists such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, which have given good results. But on the horizon we can see that they will not be alone and many others will arrive. Images | i yunmai Drew Hays In Xataka | Solving one of the great myths of losing weight: if “walking quickly” works by itself to lose weight

In 1995 some researchers discovered the “peaceful gene” of our body. Today their finding has earned them a Nobel

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The Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm has done it again. He has rewarded one of those investigations that, for years, seemed like a page note in textbooks, but today are the basis of revolutionary treatments. He Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine of 2025 He has been granted jointly to Japanese Shimon Sakaguchi and Americans Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell for “their discoveries about Regulatory T cells And the role of Foxp3 gene In the immune function “ The beginning. Already in the previous decade, Sakaguchi had identified a subset of T lymphocytes that did not attack, but did the opposite: they suppressed the activity of other T lymphocytes. They were pacifying cells, a kind of riot police of the immune system. In 1995, He published a job Key that characterized these cells, today known as regulatory T cells (TREGS). The finding was transcendental. Sakaguchi showed that without these tregs, The immune system went crazy and began to attack the tissues of the body itself, causing devastating autoimmune diseases. He had discovered the natural mechanism of the body to maintain tolerance and avoid self -destruction. But the key piece of the puzzle was missing: what made a T cell become a peacemaker and not a soldier? Brunkow and Ramsdell. Although this discovery was transcendental, the reality is that there was a lot of skeptic that he did not believe in his theory. But the answer to the big question that stayed in the air came in 2001 (still far from the year 2025 and the delivery of this award). Here, on the one hand, Mary E. Brunkow’s team investigated a rare and deadly disease Autoimmune in children called IPEX syndrome. The investigation pointed to a gene as a cause of this disease: Foxp3. On the other hand, Fred Ramsdell’s team was studying a mouse model with very similar symptoms and reached the same conclusion: The defective gene was Foxp3. The connection. The connection was immediate and explosive: Foxp3 was the “master switch”. It is the gene that, when activated in a T lymphocyte, gives you the instructions to become a TREG. Without functional FOXP3, there are no regulatory T cells, and the immune system is uncontrolled. Sakaguchi’s discovery finally found his genetic explanation and already gave him enough weight so that the scientific community saw that he had sat a great precedent. A revolution. This double discovery, Sakaguchi’s cell phone and Brunkow and Ramsdell’s genetic, has completely changed the immunology paradigm and has opened two great therapeutic pathways with immense potential. On the one hand, the door opens up to the fight against autoimmune diseases since with the lack of tregs the body attacks itself. The solution in this case is to increase this type of cells, and there are already different clinical trials to extract patient T cells, “convert” them into the laboratory and re -inject them to the patient. Something we now know as ‘immunotherapy’. But it also serves for the fight against cancer. In these cases it has been seen how tumors are ‘intelligent’ and surround themselves with tregs to protect themselves to the immune system that tries to end these cells. These pacifying cells prevent “soldier” T lymphocytes from attacking cancer. The new immunotherapies seek precisely to temporarily deactivate these tregs or block the action of Foxp3 in the tumor environment, eliminating the protective coat of cancer so that the immune system can destroy it. This has been especially promising in tumors such as lymphoma. Time has passed. The most surprising of all this is the large amount of time between the initial discovery and recognition with a Nobel. If it is true that it has been expected to have a crucial relevance within the clinical aspect, with trials that give very good results for diseases that are really serious. Images | Wikipedia (2, 3) In Xataka | A Spanish team has taken a giant step in a hopeful cancer treatment: chemoinmunotherapy

The greatest attack of Ukraine on Russian soil discovered a new threat with drones. China has just multiply it

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In 2024, Ukraine managed to enter trucks disguised as mobile houses in Russian terrain. It was the origin of what happened in June 2025, when The Spiderweb operation It was activated giving rise to kyiv’s greatest attack on Moscow since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine. The offensive also staged the Future of the contests. China has taken another step in that threat marked by drones. Show converted into threat. They told them Analysts at The War Zone. China, through the company Damodahas presented a containerized system designed in principle for light shows with drones, but whose concept reveals deep military implications. The Automated Drone Swarm Container System is capable to display and recover Hundreds (potentially thousands) of small grid drones automatically, in a matter of minutes and with a single operator. Although the declared objective is entertainment, the system encapsulates the logic of how a simple container can be transformed into a portable swarm launcher with capacity of saturating skies and objectives at will. What today is a viral show on social networks, tomorrow can be a devastating weapon on the battlefield. From Guinness to War. Damoda already holds the world record with More than 11,000 drones in simultaneous flight in a coordinated show. Now, with this modular system of extensible racks, each container can accommodate At least 648 dronesready to take off and land synchronized. Drones automatically return to their positions and recover in the system itself, which It allows constant repetition With minimal human intervention. The promise for the civil market is speed, portability and cost reduction, but from the military perspective what is shown is the ability to convert a truck or a container into a force multiplier, camouflaged in an innocuous appearance. The precedents. The most immediate parallelism is found in the Ukraine War. As we said at the beginning, in mid -2024, kyiv carried out the call Spiderweb Operationwhere hidden containers as sheds or mobile houses were used as undercover kamikaze drones. Those attacks against aerodromes inside Russia They damaged or destroyed dozens of aircraft, including strategic long -range bombers. The blow was so serious that the Pentagon estimates the loss of at least ten of these devices. Something similar It happened in the Middle Eastwhen Israeli commands used covert structures to launch drones and missiles against goals in Iran during the beginning of the twelve -day war. Both operations show that the container, the most banal and ubiquitous infrastructure of global trade can become A lethal vector of power projection. The military potential. If civil design is extrapolated to the war, the concept is transformed into A swarm weapon low cost with saturation effects. Several trucks equipped with these containers could simultaneously launch hundreds or thousands of drones with diverse missions: from exploration and recognition to electronic warfare, interference of radars or kinetic attacks with small explosive loads. It would be enough Reduced number of systems To sweep an air base, disable radars or cover an urban front with lethal swarm. Its deployment in scenarios where the control lines are diffuse, such as cities in war, would allow devastating and almost impossible to stop with traditional defenses. The defense challenge. The difficulty in repelling a massive attack of swarms is multiplied with each advance in Autonomy and artificial intelligence. A swarm with the ability to Autonomous search and destruction It could penetrate shegars, hangars or buildings in search of objectives, exceeding the limitations of preprogrammed attacks. Let’s think that conventional anti -aircraft systems, designed to intercept specific threats, are overwhelmed in front of hundreds of simultaneous drones. The directed energy weapons, like lasers or microwaveThey offer partial but limited solutions by scope, direction and power. One of the few effective alternatives is to respond with another defensive swarm of interceptor drones, capable of creating a mobile barrier in the sky. Even so, cost-efficacy asymmetry plays in favor of the attacker: while an interceptor missile It can cost millionseach suicide drone barely reaches some thousands of dollars. Representation of a container launch system for the Merodeo ammunition of the Hero family of the German contractor Rheinmetall, as another example of a relevant concept that has previously been shown A show in the contest. The great risk is that what is now deployed as a cultural or tourist show can be transformed With hardly modifications In a gun of war. The camouflage, a priori, is perfect: a load container standard, transported by train, truck or ship, does not raise suspicions until, in minutes, it becomes A lethal swarm. This multiplies the strategic challenge for air bases, ports and cities close to the front, where a single infiltrated container could inflict damage comparable to that of a cruise missile sap. In wars where surprise and saturation are key, this kind of “drone box” emerges as the contemporary equivalent of an unpublished intelligent cluster bomb and precision. Global threat in buds. The truth is that China is not the only country in Explore this land. Defense companies and contractors In the United States And Europe also work in similar conceptssome even thought for naval pitchers. The debate in the US Navy already proposes to install containerized swarms In ships for defense and attack, which shows the inevitability of this transition. The Chinese precedent and the war in Ukraine indicate that the next future of the Air War is not only in the great seasons of sixth generation or in hypersonic missiles, but in low -cost swarms capable of overflowing any defense. The paradox. The Automated Drone Swarm Container System of Damoda It is officially a civil product to illuminate the skies in celebrations. But what projects, beyond its luminous choreographies, is a disturbing mirror of the future of war. Each viral show is at the same time, An essay From what can happen on the battlefield: the replacement of the power concentrated by distributed saturation, the replacement of the missile of millions with hundreds of low -cost drones, the transit of the technological war to … Read more

NASA has managed to grow lettuce in space. What he has discovered later was not part of the plan

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In the International Space Station they are cultivating lettuce that seem as green as those of any land greenhouse. Astronauts water them with recycled water, illuminate them with pink LED lights and collect them carefully, as if they were the first daily gesture of an interplanetary humanity. It is the perfect image of a self -sufficient future: life making its way in a vacuum. However, the data is telling another story. A discouraging finding. A study Posted in Nature – Based in NASA’s open scientific repository – he has detected that space crops are losing nutrients while the human body, in microgravity, becomes more fragile. The analysis shows that the lettuce cultivated in the International Space Station and in the China Tiangong II ship contains between 29 % and 31 % less calcium and about 25 % less magnesium than its land equivalent. Iron appears in variable quantities and potassium, sometimes, shoots. At first glance, plants seem healthy, but their nutritional value bites. “A space salad can be perfect in the photos, but does not strengthens the bones,” The authors warn. And, in microgravity, the human body already loses bone mass rapidly; A diet with less calcium only accelerates the problem, while the lack of iron aggravates anemia and fatigue. What is behind. Microgravity alters more than satellite trajectories: it modifies the way in which plants absorb nutrients, distribute water and handle oxidative stress. Antioxidants such as phenolic and carotenoids decrease, leaving plants – already who consume them – with less defense against radiation. The study detected That species cultivated in orbit produce less protective molecules and more compounds associated with stress, as if plants were in survival mode. That chemical imbalance not only affects the taste, but also its ability to nourish. A cocktail of deficiencies. But not only plants change, astronauts too. According to NASA Twins Study data and Jaxa experiments, They were recorded Alterations in 163 genes linked to calcium metabolism, responsible for bone formation and immune regulation. Some of these genes behave anomalously in microgravity, which accelerates the loss of bone density and weakens the defenses. Human sampling analysis also show signs of permeable intestine syndrome or Leaky Gut: The intestinal wall, normally hermetic, becomes porous. Inflammatory molecules are filtered, the nutrients are absorbed worse and the immune system enters into tension. In that context, a diet devoid of iron and antioxidants can multiply exhaustion, cramps and radiation vulnerability. A dangerous combination when each bite counts. The space database. The work combines decades of astronaut records with the results of agricultural experiments in orbit. From the repositories OSD and Soma From NASA, scientists compared the mineral and antioxidant profiles of spatial crops with those of the earth and crossed them with human biomarkers. The objective was not only to analyze vegetables, but to understand how cultivated food interacts with a body that changes in microgravity. As explained on the Earth pageThe project is part of NASA’s analysis work groups, which gather researchers and volunteers from all over the world to study nutrition, biology and space health using open data. Looking for solutions. Even so, the panorama is not entirely discouraging. Scientists are applying bioengineering and biofortification to increase calcium, magnesium and iron content in plants. They also test crops rich in flavonoids such as quercetin – present in onion, broccoli and red lettuce – which protects cells and strengthens bones. According to Earthspecies such as soybeans, garlic or parsley already show natural advantages and could replace lettuce as the basis of the space diet. Besides, As we explain in Xatakaa team managed to ferment miso at the International Space Station, demonstrating that microbial processes can prosper in orbit. Fermentation not only improves flavor: it strengthens the intestinal microbiota and could help repair the intestinal barrier damaged by microgravity. And on earth, agencies continue to innovate. The Italian Space Agency It is developing A superannan and more nutritious rice, adapted to lunar soils and small spaces. It is the same philosophy proposed by the study: genetically designed crops to survive and feed better. Beyond plants, researchers also look towards alternative protein sources, Like the cricketscapable of closing ecological cycles in closed systems and providing essential nutrients with a minimum expenditure of resources. Mars’s challenge. The research is set on the missions to Mars, where each lost nutrient account. The full trip could last three years without refueling, and each food will depend on what is grown on board. If these plants lack calcium or antioxidants, crew health could deteriorate long before landing on the red planet. “Improve orbit nutrition today feels the foundations to survive on Mars tomorrow,” The authors of the study conclude. Space agriculture is not an aesthetic experiment: it is a matter of survival. Beyond the menu. Cultivating food in space is possible, but it is not yet enough. Plants lose nutrients, the human body changes and solutions advance more slowly than missions. What this study makes it clear is that space agriculture is no longer just about filling stomachs: it is part of the health system of the future. Biofortification, fermentation, microbiota and personalized nutrition will be as important as rockets or space costumes. Survival outside the earth will depend on both engineering and biology. Perhaps that is the deepest lesson in this finding: that human life – and that of the plants that support it – remains anchored to terrestrial gravity. Each outbreak cultivated in space reminds us where we come from and what we still do not carry with us: the earth itself. Image | Freepik Xataka | If the question is “what we will eat on the moon” the answer is “risotto”. At least if the Italians leave with their

A paleontologist discovered a frozen bison for 50,000 years. Then he stewed him to eat it with vegetables

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Almost half a century ago, in the middle of the Summer of 1979the American paleontologist Dale Guthrie received one of those calls that accelerate the pulse of any fossil lover like him. Some miners had found close to Fairbanks, in Alaska, which seemed to be part of the body of a bison of the ice age. At least that was what suggested the confusing knead of hooves, legs and skin that had peeked between the mud while the operators were looking for gold. Years after that call (and after intense work through) Guthrie and his colleagues celebrated the one who has probably been one of the most delusional banquets in the history of humanity: a stew with flesh of 55,000 years. What the hell is this? Something such that Walter Roman and his family have to think about the summer of 1979, when they discovered in a mine north of Fairbanks (Alaska) something that little or nothing had to do with the gold they were looking for. While working in the area they realized that something appeared between the frozen land: the remains of what seemed like a Ancient ancient creature of tens of thousands of years. They were so surprised that they warned of the finding and the news ended up arriving at Guthriepaleontologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Something better than gold. Guthrie had to drive about an hour On gravel roads to get to the Roman mine, but the effort was worth it. Once there he observed what they looked like muscle tissues, bones and black hair, the remains of an ancient semi -soured steparia creature between the ice. “Roman’s finding was a novelty for both. He had found an authentic mummy, an exceptional event,” I would report Years later Guthrie in one of his books. The body had peeked thanks to the force of the hose with which the miners worked, powerful enough to remove part of the frozen mud, but not to completely release the body. Seeing him Guthrie decided to finish the task to prevent the meat from breaking down. With you, the Bison Priscus. The paleontologist concluded that what he had before him was a Bison Priscusan exceptionally well -preserved steparium bison if you take into account that tens of thousands of years had lived. Unfortunately, not everything was good news. Ice accumulations prevented removing the body quickly. And the summer heat played against him. To get out of trouble Guthrie took A decision Worthy of King Solomon: he waited for a large part of the body to appear, cut what could be preserved in one of the powerful freezers of the UAF and then excavated the rest of the body that was still embedded in the icy mud, which included the head and neck of the animal. When he had all the pieces he assembled them with the help of a specialized taxidermist. Not just that. As it details An article Published in 1986 in the Magazine of the University of Alaska (UA), the researchers were responsible for preserving the bones, hairs, insects, wood fragments and plants … any fragment that would be hidden among the ice, however insignificant, to rebuild the last instant of the life of the bison. For that same reason, the geology of the area analyzed in detail, in addition to the orientation and position in which the body was. Once the work was completed they baptized the animal ‘Blue Babe’. Why ‘Blue Babe’? For a double wink. The first, to the coloration that acquired the body for the chemical reactions that occurred during the excavation. The body was covered with a layer of Vivianita that, when exposed to the air, acquired a bluish hue. The second is a reference to American folklore: Blue Babe It is the name of the blue ox that accompanies Paul Bunyan, a popular US and Canada figure, a strong and large lumberjack. A bloody story. So far the funniest part. What Guthrie and his colleagues discovered (in the excavation His wife also participatedMary Lee) when examining the body was much less enjoyable. On the back they found brands of claws and teeth that led them to conclude that Blue Babe was killed by a Panthera Leoatrxan extinct and related feline with the African lions. The beast opened the side of the bison, killing and leaving exposed vertebrae, ribs and muscles that later were responsible for devouring other carnivores. A first radiocarbon dating of a skin fragment led them to think that this event occurred some 36,000 yearsalthough subsequent studies have proven that they fell short and traced it to 50,000 years. Much more than a fossil. He Panthera Leoatrx And the rest of the beasts who participated in the bloodthirsty Festin were not the only ones who put the vote at the coast of Blue Babe. When examining the body the scientists found out something else, that the bison died towards autumn or winter, which favored the body to cool quickly and ended up freezing before their 50,000 -year -old dream. Your state of conservation It was so extraordinarily good That the paleontologists found blood coagulated in the skin, bone marrow, fat … and something else: they found that the muscle tissue that the lion and rest of the beasts had not realized had a color and texture very similar to that of fresh meat. So, why treat it the same? “A small part of the neck”. “All of us who worked on this had heard the stories of the Russians who excavated things like bison and mammoths at the north end and were frozen enough to eat them,” He came to confess Guthrie in statements collected by Obscure atlas. “So we said: ‘Do you know what we can make’ prepare a meal with this bison ‘.” No sooner said than done. The paleontologist and his colleagues decided to try a piece of one of the best preserved parts of Blue Babe, the neck. The banquet was held in … Read more

125,000 years ago the Neanderthals ate bones to survive. Today we discovered that they were right

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In the police comedy Brooklyn 99during a party the detective Charles Boyle meets the gastronomic writer Vivian Ludley, with whom he talks about the last meal on earth. The policeman, in a clamor for his love of French food, chooses El Hortelano: a tiny French bird that eats a single bite, with skin, viscera and bones. “A challenge to God”, They call it. Vivian replies that the practice is illegal, But he confesses that he had academic permission to try one: “The peak was very crispy,” he recalls with fascination. The scene may seem eccentric, but opens a question that is not less: what is in the bones that makes them so valuable – at the same time so controversial – in the history of food? Western oblivion. For centuries, the bones were a natural part of the human diet. The neardentals They came to ride “Fats of fat” in places like Neumark-Nord (Germany), where 125,000 years ago they broke bones of deer, horses and cattle to extract marrow and heat fragments with water until obtainable lipids. It was not a whim: it was survival, a way to avoid the so -called starvation of the rabbit, caused by eating too much lean protein without sufficient fat. Later, many cultures continued with practice. In sub -Saharan Africa, for example, rural communities even chew long bones as part of the daily diet. In Asia it is common to eat flags and fins of fried fish until they are crispy. And in Europe, popular cuisine always turned to the thorns of canned sardines and anchovies, softened by sterilization. However, speaking today of what bones are as such, this practice of consuming them disappeared. Most meat reaches the clean, boneless plate, ready to avoid discomforts. The bone has been relegated to the secondary paper of the broth. As Chef Jennifer McLAGAN explains: “We no longer see bones as useful. People consider them a discomfort, something to get rid of.” But that perception begins to crack through The search for “superfood”and the bones are on the table again. What is inside the bones? The short response would be essential nutrients. But I will not be so simplistic, the bones are mainly formed by calcium and phosphorusin addition to containing iron, magnesium and potassium. In protein terms, up to a 25 and 33% of the content of an animal It corresponds to collagen, a key structural protein for bones, skin and joints. In my case, I discovered it by accident. After an injury doing crossfitthe traumatologist told me about the importance of collagen To recover fabrics. Beyond prescribing supplements – which also opened the door to the veal bone broths, rich in natural collagen. It was my first conscious contact with this part of the animal we usually throw without thinking. Science behind. In a National Geographic report describe how bones They are one of the denser tissues in nutrients: they provide collagen, fat marrow and minerals. But science clarifies. An article, Posted in Frontiers in Nutritionpoints out that the benefits are modest: some trials show minor improvements in skin and joints, although with methodological limitations. A meta -analysis in Orthopec Reviews It points positive effects on bone and articulating health, but insists on the need for broader and standardized studies. In addition, we are not designed to bite hard bones: they can splinter, damage teeth or pierce the digestive tract. And large animals bones tend to accumulate heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, which advise against consuming them in excess or un controlled dust, According to Healthline. The heat and pressure of the long broths allow to extract collagen and minerals safely, and some studies They suggest a certain benefit when ingesting collagen peptides. However, the reviews of the studies consulted coincide: Quality trials are missing, with standardized protocols and clear clinical markers. A new trend? The interest in bones does not happen in a vacuum. A couple of months ago, the “Carnivorous Diet” for Babies: families that offer ribs or cord to their children as part of the Baby-Led Weaning. Health and expert authorities They coincide in which to introduce meat from six months is recommended by its iron and zinc. But they warn that a strictly carnivorous diet in babies lacks fiber and vitamin C, essential nutrients for development. At the same time, startups in Europe and Asia experiment with powdered bone -based products: breads, sausages, patches or nuggets that incorporate calcium and collagen without bothering the consumer. According to National Geographicthe initial results are positive: when the bone appears as an invisible ingredient, acceptance is high. Collagen is more present. Korean cosmetics and social networks They have converted To the collagen in a global phenomenon, associated not only to joint or bone health, but above all to beauty and anti -aging. From facial creams to soluble coffee powders, the promise is to erase wrinkles, combat sagging and rejuvenate the skin. However, skeptical voices such as that of the surgeon Afshin mosahebi Remember that scientific evidence It is limited and that, by ingesting it, the collagen does not reach the dermis: it decomposes in amino acids like any other protein. The bone broth is a nutritious and comforting classic, but Not a guaranteed age. The real secret to aging well is still in basic habits: do not smoke, protect from the sun, maintain a balanced diet and sleep enough. An unexpected return. Of the “fat factories” Neanderthals to Korean cosmetics, bones have accompanied humanity in multiple forms. Today they return to the scene between broths and collagen powders. The difference is that, this time, they do not arrive as a resource of survival, but as a market as a product: what was previously thrown, is now sold as a trend. Image | Freepik Xataka | Boomers trust pills and supplement, generation Z in “functional snacks”: two ways to look for the same

Bathing in Rome was not a priority. Until the elites of the empire discovered the luxury of the Termas de Trajan

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At present, daily hygiene is (or it should beat least) something we assume with total normality. But in the times of the Republic of Rome, the bathroom was not considered as A priority. The Personal hygiene It consisted of little more than washing your arms once a day and the rest of the body every nine or ten days. At the end of the 1st century, a new trend inspired by classical Greece was gaining importance among the privileged classes of Rome, which began to build spaces dedicated to the pleasures of the bathroom in its lavish villas. The ones were born Balnea that worshiped to the Salutem per Aquam or health through water. Submerging in water bathtubs at different temperature went from being a mere practical requirement to wash, something more playful that fit as a glove with the enjoyment of the patricians and other wealthy class. The challenge: get the greatest and most luxurious hot springs of the empire Marco Vipsanio Agrippa was the first ruler of Rome to which it occurred to build a huge Balneum in the Mars field as a meeting and entertainment place for the citizens of Rome. However, unlike Balneumwhich were deprived, these public water baths will receive the name of Themaereaching Our days like Termas. Agrippa, without knowing it, had started a career with its predecessors in which each new ruler wanted to leave their mark with some larger, more luxurious and most ostentatious hot springs than those of his predecessor. Trajan, as a good Sevillianhe knew the benefits of a good bath to cool off the heats and relax at the end of the day, so he entered the rag in the competition by building an authentic architectural and technological wonder of the ancient world. Ruins of the Termas de Trajan If we could Travel in time to ancient Romewe would meet the sumptuous Trajan Termas. Considered as An architectural wonder delivered to the luxury and well -being of those who visited it. These places offered numerous attractions for the entertainment and health of citizens: saunas, bath pools, Palestras, libraries, porches and gardens decorated with everything luxury of detail. However, although in most cases the cost of the entrance was available to the majority of citizens of Rome, only the wealthiest and powerful could pay all the pleasures and luxury offered by these facilities. The hot springs were inaugurated in the Oppio hill in 109 AD covering the void of public bathrooms left by the fire of the Domus Aureaof Emperor Nero. The Trajan Termas They were a real display of architectural innovation that Integrated the latest in Roman air conditioning technology and opulence in the decorations and mosaics. Mosaic with sandals in hot springs. “Salvom Lavisse”, a bath is good for you In the structure of its construction it was innovated with the development of lighter materials to achieve a equally resistant concretebut much lighter and permissive with heat based on volcanic rock either Tufo Giallo. The wooden structures, which served as fuel for the previous hot springs, were replaced by slender advocated ceilings and large interior spaces. The whole occupied the triple of the surface that its predecessor with some 111,000 square meters of luxury dedicated to body cult. The water supply was guaranteed by a complex aqueduct that brought the water from different sources of the Bracciano lake located 40 km from Rome, and was stored in huge deposits near the theater enclosure with a capacity of eight million liters of water. Trajan thermal complex plant Enjoy a bath in that sumptuous temple dedicated to hygiene and health was A luxurious and relaxing experience. The thermal complex was designed with an impressive architecture and offered a wide range of services and comforts to enjoy. The operation Upon entering, he passed by the NATATIO A large pool with which the first visual contact with the water was had, but that was visited until the end. Before, it should be passed through the APODYTERIA or common dressing rooms. From that point, the visitor passed to the Palestra Fully naked or smeared in essential oils to worship the body exercising the muscles or participating in ball games. Moment that many used to achieve political favors or influences between high society. Columns on which the ground rested. Eustolian house. Cyprus Then, the Thermal circuit It continued through heated rooms with an elaborate system in which the exposure of the sun’s rays was combined through large double windows, and a system of “radiant soil” raised on a series of columns that was heated by the circulation of hot air under the ground, the walls and the vaults. The wealthiest could enjoy massage services with scented oils and ointments and even body hair removal executed by slaves Hot water pools (Caldolarium) and temperate (Tepidarium) were conditioned using the same underground boilers with which the air that acclimatized the entire enclosure was heated. These boilers warmed a large bronze container with inverted turtle shell that came into contact with the base of the bathtub Caldolarium and circulated hot water by convection until The whole pool had the same temperature. Maximum resources optimization, with the same fire air and water heated. The thermal circuit ended with a bathroom in the four cold water pools of the huge central basilica of the Termas de Trajan. In them you could share the bathroom, the conversation (or what arises) with the rest of the hot springs, it was already allowed entry of both men and women. The route ended in the NATATIO who welcomed the visitor. This was one outdoor pool With an approximate depth of one meter, with which the visitor left his luxury and well -being reverie to return to his routine, which Rome did not do in one day. Unfortunately, fate wanted all this wonder of ancient Rome to succumb under a fire. An even greater project emerged from its ashes: the hot springs of Emperor Caracalla … but that is another story. In Xataka … Read more

Science has discovered what is the best time of day to be more concentrated and T0mar better decisions: at noon

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As with the muscles, the brain offers its best version the more rested it is. For that reason, the experts recommend Identify the most productivity hours According to the chronotype of each person to carry out the most demanding activities and tasks at that time and have a better cognitive performance. Recent studies have revealed that fatigue affects remarkably when it comes to being more productive and even in decision making. Understanding this relationship helps to better plan schedules and improve performance. An example: Jeff Bezos never program meetings Beyond five in the afternoon Because doing so would imply raising the risk of making erroneous decisions. The moment of higher performance: noon. A study carried out by researchers from the universities of Messina and Bologna (Italy) analyzed more than 104,000 oral exams and found clear patterns at the time of the day when the students had more likely to approvehighlighting a peak that was not related to the difficulty of the exam but to the time in which the exam was taken. The researchers found that the global approved rate was 57%. However, the chart of probabilities to approve drew a bell shape, reaching its maximum point in the hours near noon, especially between 11:00 and 1:00 p.m. In comparison, the approved rates were remarkably lower early in the morning (between 8:00 and 9:00 hours) and the first hour of the afternoon (between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.) without finding outstanding differences between those two moments. Without realizing it, we lose capabilities. To rule out that the downturn registered by the students at noon is conditioned by Knowledge of the subject of the examThe researchers also studied the behavior of teachers. The results of both groups led to the same conclusion: both students and evaluators experienced changes in their mental state and fatigue levels in the same time strip. This could contribute to the afternoon of the approval rate in exams is lower, since both the evaluator and the examinee are more fatigued and the teachers become more irascible and intolerant due to tiredness. If it’s 16:00, you’re guilty. The same conclusions arrived A group of researchers of the University of Columbia and the Ben Gurion University of the Neguev on the importance of the schedule in which judicial sentences and the increase in the severity of judicial decisions are issued. The investigators analyzed the behavior of several judges during the day and found that the favorable sentences to the defendants reached their peak as the pause to eat was approaching, reaching up to 70%. However, as the early hours of the afternoon progressed and the judges approached the next recess, this percentage progressively decreased to almost 0% by increasing the hardness of the sentences imposed. The “Baba” after the meal. This pattern suggests that our brain works best in mid -morning, and maintains that performance until eating. The explanation is found in the combination of biological factors such as Circadian rhythmswhich regulates energy and alert states during the day releasing more or less melatonin to the body to induce sleep state or activate alert and attention mechanisms. Researchers hypothesize that cognitive function continues This time curve naturallyimproving until noon and decreasing after eating, which coincides with the feeling of support after food. After lunch, there is a small increase in melatonin that can cause drowsiness and lower performance. Revitalizing naps. According to The published by Harvard Health Publishinga short nap after eating can improve the concentration and alert state if it lasts between 10 and 30 minutes. According to research in this regard, this type of naps increase the alert by more than 50% and competition by more than 30% compared to those who do not. However, the duration is key, and sleep more than the account It can be counterproductive. The study analyzed the behavior of Mediterranean adults and observed that making a short nap of less than 30 minutes is associated with a lower probability of high blood pressure (21%), while long naps (more than 30 minutes) are linked to the highest metabolic and cardiovascular risk (41%), as well as the higher perimeter of waist and blood glucose. Therefore, a brief nap after food, contributes to energy and maintaining mental acuity in the afternoon. In Xataka | Some neuroscientists believe they have found the trick to solve the most complicated problems: take a nap Image | Unspash (Sinitta Leunen)

The danger of using AI chatbots for everything is real: MIT has discovered the “cognitive debt”

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A MIT study He has shown that chatgpt and similar tools generate what they call “cognitive debt”: students who resort to them for total use end up writing better, but thinking worse. Why is it important. The study contradicts the belief that AI is like a calculator: a simple support that frees us for more complex reasoning. Actually, these tools can atrophy the brain connections that build critical thinking. The facts. 54 university students have spent months writing essays, divided into three groups: Grupo LLM, which used Chatgpt. Search motor group, which used Google. And group Solo-Cerebro, without external tools. The researchers measured their neuronal activity with electroencephalograms and the results have been overwhelming: those who used a neuronal connectivity systematically lower in all frequency bands. Compared to the group that only used its brain, there was a lower activation in key networks that connect parietal, temporal and frontal regions, fundamental for attention, memory and semantic processing. In Xataka 81% of interviewers suspected the traps with AI in interviews: 31% have confirmed it without a doubt and they have put a brake The contrast. The essays generated with AI received better notes, both from teachers and evaluating algorithms. But their authors remembered worse what they had written minutes before and felt a minor authorship about their texts. When they forced the usual users to write without help, their brain patterns showed that dependence on external support. They had lost ability to reactivate the necessary neural networks to write independently. How to walk without support after years doing it with crutches. Yes, but. The students who learned to write without ia and then used it for the first time maintained their engagement neuronal They even showed better memory and reactivation of broad brain areas. The key difference: You need to know how to think before you can think with machines. In perspective. This pattern replicates what we see in other professions: The subway driver who feels alienated because the train drives alone. Translators turned into machine editors. 3D creatives that only retouch what the AI ​​generates. {“Videid”: “X9R6K72”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “Chatgpt Pulse”, “Tag”: “Technology”, “Duration”: “67”} The threat. The study also analyzed university students who already had developed writing skills. The effects could be more severe in adolescents who are still building these cognitive abilities. As a Dartmouth teacher said: we run the risk of creating “an educated generation with AI shortcuts” that lacks independent thinking skills. And now what. The sequence matters more than technology. First, you learn to think. Then, you learn to think with machines. The brain needs to build those Neuronal highways before being able to delegate selectively in AI. The study concludes that educational interventions should “combine the assistance of AI tools with learning phases without tools” to optimize both immediate skill and long -term neuronal development. Outstanding image | Xataka In Xataka |What happens if the software doesn’t matter when you are the largest company in the software world (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news The danger of using AI chatbots for everything is real: MIT has discovered the “cognitive debt” It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Lacort .

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