drunk

A Chinese driver rigged his car to drive alone while he was drunk. It wasn’t the best idea

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The Supreme People’s Court of China has had to come out to clarify what may have already seemed obvious: a driver cannot delegate all of his actions to a car with level 2 autonomy. Much less if that driver is traveling drunk and in the passenger seat, leaving the driver’s seat completely empty. As? Yes, you read that right. To Justice. History brings it CarNewsChinawhere they cover the case of a driver who was arrested for drunk driving… more or less. Because, really, he wasn’t the one driving. He was traveling in the passenger seat, with the small detail that no one sat in the driver’s seat. Wang Mouqun, a resident of Linping (a suburb of Hangzhou, a city with almost 12 million inhabitants), has been tried by the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China, the most important court in the country, in the first case dealing with behavior related to road safety. The detainee has been punished with 45 days in jail for testing positive in the alcohol test. The decision comes after the driver had also received another sanction for the same reason in less than two years, which has aggravated the punishment. Nobody at the wheel. The truly curious thing about the case is that Mouqun had rigged the car so that the driving assistance system worked even if there was no one at the wheel. Thus, the owner of the car was able to sit in the passenger seat and sleep peacefully while the vehicle was driving without anyone at the wheel. In the Chinese media They talk about “an accessory installed to fool the system” but it is not clear exactly how it did it. What is clear is that the vehicle, a Aito M9drove with adaptive cruise control down the road without ever detecting that there was no human at the wheel. It is not the first case that has occurred in China either. of a driver who activates the driving assistance assistants to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. What is new is that the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China is in charge of handling the case. Level 2 autonomy. Cars like this Aito M9, with a autonomy level 2can circulate without human intervention but require a person to remain attentive to what is happening around them to take the reins at any time. In addition, they require keeping your hands on the wheel. Level 3 autonomy cars can drive without human intervention but, in Europe, only Mercedes is allowed to do so and in very specific circumstances. In fact, the system is so useless at the moment that the company has stopped offering it in the new Mercedes S Class. Between both levels there is an intermediate step known as autonomy level 2+, which does allow for some license. These systems are those that equip cars that, in addition to maintaining the adaptive cruise control system, can overtake cars on their own, just by activating the turn signal or even looking to the sides like BMW. Ford is the only company in Europe with which You can drive without hands on the wheel although the system monitors that the driver keeps his eyes forward. Responsible. What the Chinese Justice has decreed is that in any case, the driver is responsible, even if he was traveling in the co-pilot system and with the driving assistance systems activated. And although no risk situations derived from this way of acting were detected. In fact, the vehicle was kept in operation between 1:15 in the morning and 1:37 when the vehicle detected the trick and stopped the car by itself on the shoulder of the road. It was then that other drivers detected that something was happening and called emergency services. They tested the driver, who tested 114.5 mg/100 ml of alcohol in his blood. in Chinaexceeding 0.80 mg/100 ml of blood alcohol is punishable by a fine and exceeding 150 mg/100 ml is an aggravating circumstance. Above 180 mg/100 ml of blood alcohol is punishable by a prison sentence without parole, with exceptions. The Chinese court considers that Mouqun was ultimately responsible for what happened behind the wheel and that, therefore, he is guilty of both hacking the car and “driving” under the influence of alcohol. Added to a previous withdrawal of his driving license in 2024, the driver has received the aforementioned penalty of 45 days in jail and a fine of 4,000 yuan (about 490 euros at direct exchange rate). Photo | XHBY.NET In Xataka | Fine of up to 1,000 euros for a beer: the DGT prepares the definitive attack against alcohol and it is called rate 0.2

There are people capable of testing positive in a breathalyzer test without having drunk a drop of alcohol. And we already know why

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Although it may seem crazy, failing a breathalyzer test after drinking only water and a plate of pasta is possible. And while explaining it that way to a police officer may raise questions about a poor excuse, The truth is that it is a medical reality for those who suffer from the known self-fermentation syndrome. The investigation. Until now we attributed this problem to yeast, but a team of researchers from UC San Diego and Massachusetts General Hospital has identified specific strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae as those responsible for generate intoxicating levels of ethanol in the intestineopening the door to treatments as surprising as fecal transplantation. That is, there are bacteria that can literally make us drunk without drinking a drop of alcohol. The metabolic storm. To reach this conclusion, the study analyzed to 22 patients diagnosed with this metabolic problem, comparing them with 21 healthy relatives. In this case, the results were quite compelling, because fecal samples from patients in the midst of the outbreak were capable of endogenously producing ethanol at alarming levels. In order to know much more, These samples were cultured and an ethanol concentration of up to 136 mg/dl was observed.. To put it in context, in many countries the legal limit for driving around 50 mg/dl in bloodso these patients without drinking would be doubling the level of alcohol permitted while driving. An alcohol factory. The novelty of this study is that it shifts the focus from yeast to bacteria, since genomic analyzes showed a massive enrichment of genes related to mixed acid fermentation. But we must not fall for the statement that these bacteria are ‘bad’, but rather that the ecosystem is broken to give rise to this problem. And what is the trigger? The antibiotics. And the use of these drugs can sweep away the balanced flora, allowing opportunistic pathogens to take control of the intestine and begin to metabolize sugars into alcohol. The treatment. Logically, this is a serious problem, not because of the fact of testing positive in the alcohol test, but because of the toxicity that the body faces. That is why the objective right now is on the treatment that now has the focus on a fecal microbiota transplant. For this study, the donor of his fecal microbiota was a personal trainer with enviable intestinal health. And the result was incredible, since the patient with this problem saw these problems disappear permanently, and his ability to “self-produce” alcohol disappeared after repopulating his intestine with the healthy bacteria of another person. Beyond getting drunk. As we have said before, it may seem ideal to have a feeling of intoxication without having to spend a single euro on a drink, but the reality is that this problem also leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. And constantly producing alcohol can cause very serious liver damage. But on the social issue, this endogenous overproduction of ethanol has led people to lose their driving license or face labor problems unfairly. All for a problem that may seem like the perfect excuse, but is actually a major medical problem. Images | Lawrence Krowdeed In Xataka | There is an age at which we should stop drinking alcohol forever. Neuroscience is clear why

a star that moves like it’s drunk

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Astronomers love mysteries, and Kepler-56 has been one of the great puzzles of our galaxy for years. This red giant, located about 3,000 light years from Earth, rotates too fast and with its internal structure literally twisted. Now, we have an explanation. A star that spins wrong. To understand why Kepler-56 is so strange, just compare it with any similar star in its old age. When a star like the Sun runs out of fuel, it expands and becomes a red giant. Typically, as it increases in size, its rotation slows down, like a skater extending his arms. However, Kepler-56 does the opposite: its outer shell rotates at an absurd speed, 10 times faster than normal for a red giant of its type. And the strangest thing is that the core of the star and its outer envelope rotate with axes inclined in different directions. Something didn’t add up. Kepler-56 has two confirmed planets orbiting it (Kepler-56 by Kepler-56 c), gas giants that orbit very close to their host star. Until now, the theory trying to make sense of Kepler-56’s strange movements was that these two planets pulled on the star using tidal forces, accelerating its spin. But Takato Tokuno, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, He realized that this explanation did not hold up.. For those planets to be responsible, the tidal efficiency would have to be orders of magnitude higher than what physics dictates. Another actor was needed in this crime scene. It was bad digestion. He study led by Tokuno seems to have reconstructed what happened: the Kepler-56 system had a third planet, but the star ate it. This third planet, a hot Jupiter, orbited dangerously close to the star, closer than the two planets we see today. So much so that, when the star began to age and expand, it was absorbed. It was not a smooth process. Tokuno explains the effect with a clear analogy: like a giant meteorite hitting the Earth glancingly. The planet would absorb the energy of the impact and accelerate its rotation. As it was engulfed, the planet transferred its angular momentum to the star’s atmosphere, causing it to spin at full speed. When hit at an odd angle, the star’s outer shell ended up spinning on a different axis than its core. The planetary life cycle. According to mathematics, the engulfed planet must have had a mass between 0.5 and 2 times that of Jupiter, and a frenetic orbital period of between one and six days. Its end was not unusual for a planet. We know that stars devour planets. In fact, our own Sun is expected to engulf Mercury, Venus and probably Earth within about 5 billion years. But catching a star still digesting is extremely difficult. And that’s what we’re apparently seeing. Image | David A. Aguilar (CfA) In Xataka | What is the Fermi paradox and why the architect of the atomic bomb gave a twist to the search for extraterrestrial life

If the question is why we continue to be drunk on airplanes, the answer is simple: because it is a business.

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We may all be more sensitive to flying from 9/11 attacksbut so is the feeling that every time there are more altercations inside airplanes with a common denominator: the alcohol. Scenes of drunk passengers causing delays, fights, vomiting or even attempts to open doors in mid-flight they are already part of the collective imagination of air travel. The question is almost obligatory: is there really no solution? An increasingly visible phenomenon. They remembered on CNN the recent case of the man who, completely intoxicated, forced to evict a plane in Chicago after vomiting during filming is just one example among hundreds of incidents documented year after year. In the United States alone, a review of more than 1,600 reports from the federal system revealed an incontestable pattern: alcohol in almost all levels of bad behavior, from arguments and disobedience to physical and sexual attacks. And although public perception confirms the problem (more than half of passengers in the United Kingdom claims to have dealt with with drunk travelers), there is still no consensus on how to stop it. Safety in the air. Plus: cabin crews operate in a space that is, by definition, a metal tube thousands of meters above the ground. They are the ones who must manage both the emotional tension of passengers and the consequences of alcohol mixed with fear of flying, long delays or increasingly narrow cabins. Without the ability to expel anyone mid-flight and with companies that do not always support their decisions, the attendants become in the first and last containment line. Although they receive de-escalation training, they face a type of passenger that did not exist a decade ago: the traveler who mixes alcohol with medications, stimulants or recreational substances, generating episodes of aggressiveness that are difficult to predict and control. Distribution of blame. And here comes the crux, because no one wants to assume the root of the problem. Airlines blame airports for allow consumption unlimited in bars and restaurants prior to boarding, pointing that they hardly sell alcohol on board, especially on short flights. The airports, in turn, point out that their role is commercial, not disciplinary, and that responsibility falls on the air operators. And within the flights themselves, the auxiliaries They blame gate agents for not blocking access to obviously intoxicated passengers, while pilots denounce that insufficient disciplinary measures are taken against repeat offenders. The fragmentation between ground and air causes each party to offload the problem on another, creating an operational vacuum that allows the situation to repeat itself flight after flight. The economic dimension. Behind the debate lies a factor that possibly outweighs any security protocol: alcohol, whether we like it or not, is one of the most lucrative businesses of the aeronautical industry. In airports it generates large margins for shops and restaurants, while in the cabin it is used as an incentive in higher categories. Precisely for this reason, rarely clear data is provided on income derived from its sale, and any attempt to limit consumption before boarding is met with resistance from both airport operators and airlines. The result is a permanent contradiction: The industry recognizes that alcohol causes problems, but depends on it financially. In other words, alcohol (and as a consequence, drunks) “interest(s)”, but with a small mouth. Public pressure. The number of passengers support restrictive measures It grows as incidents go viral and attract media attention. Some proposals already have a favorable majority: drinking limits at airports, breathalyzer controls before boarding or even total restrictions on certain routes. Meanwhile, regulators are toughening penalties: the FAA imposed its largest fine in history (more than $80,000) to an extremely violent passenger, and the airlines are expanding their ban lists to repeat travelers. However, the approach remains reactive, not preventive, and each solution encounters resistance in the chain of interests that sustains global air tourism. Between I want and I don’t want. Thus, the problem of the drunk passenger does not arise only from alcohol, but from a fragmented system where no one wants to bear the cost of controlling it. Airports that maximize profits, airlines that fear losing revenue, overloaded crews, regulators who act after the fact and frustrated passengers who see a drink as the instant answer to discomfort. Everyone agrees that there is a problem, but no one wants to be who imposes the solution. The result is a sky increasingly tensewhere safety depends on the professionalism of the crews and a kind of unstable balance that is broken too easily. Image | Instagram, X In Xataka | “This is the last time I pay 10 euros for a gin and tonic”: the anger of British tourists at the price of alcohol in Spain In Xataka | The “tourist cages” arrive in Valencia: holiday gentrification in Spain goes up a gear

Alcohol without drunk

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Friday. Eight in the afternoon. You are on a terrace of the center with your friends and you want to take A couple of reeds (Maybe a couple of Copazos) to take advantage of the sun of a summer in retreat, but the only idea of the Hangover From the next morning and alcohol ruins you a good part of the weekend, so you end up asking for a ‘without’ beer. Another one. But … what if there was an IPA or a liquor ‘without’ capable of giving you the tip of euphoria and disinhibiting you, all without a single drop of alcohol, hangover or risk of ending up developing an addiction? That is the curious promise that a British laboratory has launched. What happened? That in a delicate moment for the alcohol industry, marked by the demand drop In key markets, a generational change clear in the consumption of glasses and a growing interest For the beers or wines ‘without’, there are those who already want to go several steps further and reach the ‘Holy Grail’ of the drink. Which? Neither more nor less than achieving the quadrature of the circle: liquors and alcohol -free beers but capable of drunk. Or at least give to whoever consumes them that disinhibition and euphoria point that is sought in the bottles. Who is behind? The key name in that career is that of David Nuttneuroscientist with a long experience in research and that has been exploring how drugs affect the brain, addiction or anxiety. NUTT Recognize That the drink offers certain advantages at the social level, but aspires that people can enjoy their glasses more safely and healthy, avoiding risks such as addiction, cirrhosis or aggressive behaviors. Convinced that it can be achieved, years ago he co -founded GABA LABSa firm that starts from an ambitious promise: “to provide social drinkers what they want from alcohol without alcohol.” The team works to launch a patented molecule called ALCARELLEa toilet, tasteless and colorless compound that acts as “an ingredient designed to promote socialization and relaxation.” Its purpose, They clarify From Bloomberg, it is to amplify the effects of gamma-aminobutiric acid, a neurotransmitter that transmits chemical messages to nerve cells to indicate to the brain that relaxes. The company has also proposed Another ambitious goal: That its creation exceeds traditional alcohol without being addictive. Not just that. In The interviews that Nutt grants usually speaks of some effects similar to those of the spirits without the hangover of the next day. And how are you doing? In Your website GABA LABS points out that his goal is for Alcalle and the products derived from being available in the United States from 2028, although in an interview with Bloomberg In July NUTT confessed that he hopes that the compound will be commercially available before the end of 2027. Since it was founded, almost a decade ago, Gaba Lab has been looking for molecules capable of acting in GABA receptors of the brain to achieve the desired results (and dodge the unwanted), which has led them to develop dozens of different options. “It’s about trying and refining,” recognizes the scientist. Right now the laboratory has three ‘finalist’ molecules and hopes to bet soon for the most promising to advance its research and development. Statista graph. Have you launched something already? Yes. To check Gaba’s results, we will not have to wait so long. In 2021 the company launched a drink in small quantities in the United Kingdom and later did it in the US. His name: I felt. THE BREBAJE Does not include Even the molecule that Gaba pursues, but is made with natural ingredients that aspire to offer an advance of NUTT’s plans. Its creators They present it as an alternative for customers “tired of choosing between alcohol or without alcohol that seek a functional drink that improves their social connection.” A “without ‘beer? That the last promise of the Nutt team. A few days ago the EFE agency It echoed of the launch of a ‘without’ beer capable of generating in who ingested it a disinhibition similar to that of the traditional drink. Your commercial name: Gabyr. “It provides the same effects that people seek in a drink, relaxation, sociability, but with a much lower impact than alcohol,” claims The co -founded of the laboratory from Hemel HempStad, on the outskirts of London, which is where the drink is manufactured as the agency requires. The team is also working on A whiskey and A wine. Why is it important? For several reasons. First, for what it promises. Although for now it is basically that (promises and statements of intentions), in your interviews Nutt insists that his goal is ambitious: he pursues a range of drinks ‘without’ that offers what many social drinkers in the glasses, disinhibition and a point of euphoria are looking for. Everything insists, with an alternative Not addictive neither hangover. The effects are drunk and the effects come after 20 minutes. That of course leaves some interesting questions in different fields. How to face it at the regulatory level? How would it influence driving? And how could authorities supervise their use? With alcoholic? Do you have side effects? In An interview With Bloomberg, Kenneth Sher, a professor at the University of Missouri, acknowledged that it is difficult for him to imagine a single substitute for GABA -based alcohol. Another academic, Jim Cook, also shows his suspicion in the face of possible side effects, such as drowsiness or memory loss. Is there more? Yes. After NUTT’s proposal there is more than scientific interest. The lucrative alcohol industry has experienced Important changes Throughout the last decades, and although the trend is not the same (or just as intense) In all markets, there are certain guidelines that are affecting large brands: generation Z seems less interested Because of the alcohol that their predecessors gain strength trends such as “Dry January” And much more about the beers or the wines ‘without’which already represent … Read more

Manufacturers have drunk attendee cars for our safety. We do not use them and (worse) we don’t understand them either

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“We know that many people deactivate the lane maintenance assistant. Why should we sell it?” With these words, Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia, attacked the European Union and his commitment to adas systems for driving in 2022. What defended the head of the company is that most users They deactivate these aid Security and that, therefore, I did not understand why manufacturers were forced to include them in their cars. Years later, it seems that time is giving the reason to vote. They are neither appreciated nor used Since 2022, All cars approved in Europe They are obliged to set up a series of ADAS aids to driving, including emergency braking, lane output alert or controversial speeding warning that works hand in hand with signal recognition. These aid are, since 2024, mandatory series in every new car sold in Europe. That is, regardless of when any new car that has been bought or is about to be bought has been approved for a year. This, without a doubt, is one of the reasons that cars have increased. Therefore, we must understand that the CEO of Dacia had reasons to attack the European Union. For a brand that has always fought for price, including more starting equipment makes it difficult to. It is, of course, part interested in the debate. However, the data seems to give the vote right. At least that is what those who take the temperature of the conductors say. In JD Power they assured A few months ago that one in four buyers From a car in the United States he had reported a problem with ADAS systems in the first 90 days after buying the car. These problems do not refer exclusively to faults or system failures, they also refer to the inconveniences that users have found because they do not understand the systems or are not very clear how they can deactivate or configure them. Frictions have also increased, according to the study. In the last five years, the technology of the manufacturers in this area has been fired (much guilt has the security regulations), which has made more and more people who choose to deactivate these alerts. “They are too annoying and intrusive,” They point out from JDPOWER. The solution, they say, should go through more detailed explanations by the dealers to explain how these systems work and how they can take advantage of. In part, what happens in Europe is moving to other regions of the world. In the United Kingdom, the ADAS systems that are in the European Union are not mandatory but companies include them by cost savings. However, the data says that Most of them deactivate aid and that the ISA speeding system is the most affected. In a 2020 survey conducted by Erie Insuranceit was stressed that the second help system that was most deactivated after the alert for speed was the maintenance of lane. However, The European Commission points that between the lane output notice can reduce accidents between 10 and 21% and that lane maintenance can reduce the severity of the wounds suffered in an accident by up to 30% of the cases. There is, therefore, a disconnection between regulators and users. Keep in mind that not only the European Union demands these security measures. Euro NCAP, in their studies, punishes the companies that do not offer passive security systems that expand mandatory serial coverage. Euro NCAP is an independent study and cars that are homologated and sold in Europe They are not obliged to undergo their evidence. However, they have achieved quality status for the public that is rare who does not appear to them. This costs Dacia to receive a score of only three stars even though they are regular. It is not the shock tests that they have their safety levels in case of accidentthey penalize very basic adas systems equipment that is barely Leave Dacia Duster in an approved justito. And what happens in Spain? That we feel the same as Americans and British, according to A study of Fesvial entitled “Knowledge of the ADAS systems by the Spanish population” that was published in 2022. It indicated that “70% are not clear that the ADAS are intelligent enough to guarantee the safety of the person who conducts” and “30% are not convinced that the ADAS contribute to reduce collisions or their severity.” Data that exemplify the aforementioned gap between regulators and users. Photo | In Xataka | We are forgetting to drive. It has no importance and DGT exams know

It is not necessary to blow so that the DGT knows if you have drunk. And nothing has to do with new devices, fines or breathalyzer rates

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Alcohol behind the wheel has become one of the great conversation issues of recent times in mobility in Spain. Since the DGT announced that it wants to change the maximum permitted rates at the wheel, the Internet and social networks have been filled with articles with supposed changes in this regard. The reality: everything remains the same. An intention. At the moment, that’s the only thing we have. The maximum alcohol rate allowed at the wheel remains the same as always despite the DGT and the Interior Ministry They have been favorable to a reduction of these rates until the consumption of a beer is impracticable if we are going to put ourselves behind the wheel. With the changes, the DGT wants to punish alcohol consumption if it is conducted. In his own words, You can’t do it with a 0.0 rate because it can generate some judicial conflicts in very rare cases but in practice you cannot drink. What is applied right now? What is currently applied is, in general, a Maximum alcohol rate of 0.5 gr/L of alcohol in exhaled air or 0.25 mg/l of blood alcohol. Overcoming these margins can mean a fine of up to 1,000 euros If we are repeat offenders and will subtract six points in the driving card. What do you want to approve? The intention is lower the maximum limit allowed to 0.20 gr/L of blood alcohol. According to the data provided by DGT itself, a driver could barely take a cane before putting behind the wheel. On average, a woman would have impossible to combine the steering wheel and the drink of alcohol, however small. Is there any change? No, none. AND Nor is there a clear date When this measure will be approved or, even, if approved. At the moment we talk about intentions that need to pass the approval of the Congress of Deputies as it forces to change the GENERAL CIRCULATION REGULATION and the Traffic LawMotor vehicles and road safety. Source: DGT Nor in ethylometers? No, either. In recent days, information that speaks of new devices capable of detecting a positive without blowing have been popularized. These devices have been called proximity alcoholic and, as reflected in some publications, do not need the driver to blow. These supposed new ethylometers are used by the Civil Guard to expedite traffic in the controls. They ensure that just by bringing it to the mouth you can check whether a driver driver or not. In case of positive, the driver has to submit to blood tests to confirm the sanction. It’s true? As almost always, yes and no. Indeed, This way of proceeding exists But from the DGT they make it clear that Nothing has changed. It is working as it had been doing so far with the same as always. That is, we will have to blow if we reach an breathalyzer control. As they assure us from traffic, these alcoholic have a proximity function that is applied in very specific cases, such as a respiratory disease. Only in an assumption of this type is activated and, subsequently, is certified with the blood analysis if a positive occurs. In Xataka we have also contacted the Civil Guard to confirm if something has changed in its way of acting but at the time of writing these lines we have not obtained an answer. Photo | DGT In Xataka | Why it is absurd to play sports to try to “save you” from breathalyzer control and why other tricks are even worse

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