English

If the question is whether using ChatGPT or Claude in English is more efficient and saves tokens, the answer is: yes

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You may not have stopped to think about it, but there is a striking reality in the world of chatbots: It is more expensive to speak in Spanish with AI than to do so in English. The reason is simple: AI does not understand words, it understands tokens. And when you talk to GPT, Gemini, Claude or any other LLM, you talk to him in a language, but to understand you he first “translates” what you are telling him and converts it into tokens. And the problem is precisely that: that not all languages ​​”cost” the same in terms of tokens. There is a very simple example that we can analyze thanks to tools like ClaudeTokenizer: the word “developer”, which in English is “developer” costs few or many tokens depending on the language in which we write it and also (importantly) the version of the AI ​​model used. In the image it is clearly seen, but just in case, we summarize: For ChatGPT (GPT-4o and GPT-5) the word “developer” has three tokens (des-developer-ador), but the word “developer” only costs one. For Claude (Opus 4.7) the word “developer” costs no less than 9 tokens (2 in Opus 4.6), but “developer” costs “only” 6 (1 in Opus 4.6). What is happening here? Well then each language model uses its own “tokenizer”your “translator” from a conventional language to the token language that the language model understands. And those tokenizers favor precisely the languages ​​in which these models are created. This is how AI understands how we speak. Each word is divided into tokens, and English is understood much better. “developer” only costs one token in GPT-5, but “developer” breaks down into three. Bad news for Spanish speakers. In fact, English has become the official language of artificial intelligence, whether we want it or not. The reason is not cultural, but architectural: 95% of the training data of the frontier models (GPT-5, Gemini 3.1, Claude Opus/Sonnet 4.7…) are in that language. That makes the rest of the languages ​​”foreign languages”, and that makes it necessary to pay extra when using them, an almost invisible toll on every interaction. In practical terms, what happens when we use Spanish to talk to an AI model is simple: we use more tokens, and therefore using Spanish is simply more expensive than using English when working with a large language model. If you want to save tokens, better use English The question, of course, is how much more does it cost us to speak in Spanish than in English with ChatGPT (GPT 5.x) or with Claude Opus 4.7? It is difficult to say because each word and each phrase is a world, but the truth is that English is almost always the most “economical”. We have used one of the first sentences in this article to compare that token consumption, and by translating the sentence into different languages ​​and querying that token consumption for different models, the data is clear. It is important to highlight that these results are not conclusive, but they do make the trend clear: English is the most efficient language in terms of token consumption, but be careful, because Spanish is not that bad, and is usually the second most efficient. It is even more efficient than English in Gemini, at least according to the tool consulted. But on average, it is normal that there is a significant extra cost when using different models. A conversation with Claude Opus 4.7 is already “expensive” because it is one of the most expensive models currently, but in Spanish it is almost 30% more expensive, not to mention in Arabic, 76.3% more expensive. In fact, according to this example, the difference between Claude or GPT-4o in terms of efficiency is clear: OpenAI tokenizer is “cheaper”and although there may be differences with GPT-5.x, what seems clear is that Anthropic has preferred to “spend more” to obtain better results (or that is the objective). Gemini is even more thrifty according to these tests, and that may also have a lot to do with the quality of the answers, although that question is for another topic. We have used one of the paragraphs of this article in Spanish and translated it with Deepl into English, Arabic, Norwegian, French and Chinese to find out how many tokens the phrase “cost” in each language. English is undoubtedly the most efficient Tokenizers advance and evolve. Sometimes they do it to save us tokens, as happened with the GPT-4o tokenizer: at that time OpenAI explained how that tool used 1.1 times fewer tokens when speaking to her in Spanish but up to 2.9 times fewer in Hindi or 3.5 times fewer in Telugu. With Claude Opus 4.7, just the opposite has happened: the tokenizer has been redesigned and consumes more tokens (up to 1.35 times more, they admitted) with the aim of better processing and understanding the text. Your chatbot thinks (and programs) in English Here we must also highlight something important: although we can talk to our favorite chatbot in any language and it will answer us in that language (unless we ask otherwise), AI models “think in English”. That is to say: when you talk to them what they do is translate what you tell them and then reason in English and finally they translate their response into the language in which you were speaking to them. This consumes additional reasoning tokens, but also has some impact on latency (how long it takes to start thinking or answer the model). In complex tasks, this can clearly influence response times for the simple reason that the AI ​​model does not stop translating from “its official language” (English) to our language. This preference for English is also noticeable in the benchmarks: in the Humanity’s Last Examin which the models are asked all kinds of general knowledge questions with several options to answer, it is reasonable to think that the models They answer better in English because that exam is designed in that language. … Read more

Wikipedia has banned using AI to write or rewrite articles in English. Human knowledge begins to raise barriers

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The English version of Wikipedia has just banned articles made with AI. In the last update of their guidelines are clear: content generated with language models violates content policies. The largest encyclopedia on the internet positions itself as a refuge for content created by humans. AI no thanks. The ‘AI yes or AI no’ debate has been going on for a while generating tension on Wikipedia and they have finally opted to support human content with an overwhelming majority 40 to 2. The new restriction imposed reads as follows: “Text generated by large language models (…) often violates several of Wikipedia’s fundamental content policies.” Those fundamental policies What it refers to are the neutrality of the content, verifiability and that the content cannot be original research, but must be attributed to reliable sources. With this change, editors are prohibited from using LLM “to generate or rewrite article content.” Two exceptions. Wikipedia contemplates two scenarios in which the use of AI is allowed: Basic style suggestions and corrections, as long as the LLM does not introduce its own content. They warn that it must be used with caution since LLMs tend to “go beyond what is asked of them and alter the meaning of the text.” Translation of articles into other languages, as long as it is reviewed by a person competent in the two languages ​​involved. Here it is important to note that Wikipedia has already had dramas in the past because of AI translations. Why is it important. Wikipedia has positioned itself as a repository of genuinely human content in an internet that is flooded with artificial content. At a time when distinguish the authentic from the synthetic is increasingly difficult, the largest encyclopedia in the world chooses to rely on human authorship as a guarantee of reliability. There is certainly something ironic and that is that Wikipedia rejects AI, but AI continues to draw on Wikipedia to provide answerscausing them to lose clicks and saturating your servers. AI generated vs human made. Until recently we thought that the solution was flag artificial content on platforms with the classic ‘AI’ label, but we are already at a point where it is more valuable and useful to highlight the opposite: that it is made by humans. The advancement of image generation tools and the amount of texts made with AI are overwhelming, to the point that an anti-AI current is emerging; Some artists are starting to designing “badly” to differentiate itself from AI homogenizationthey have created extensions to return to the internet before ChatGPTthere is browsers that filter AI results and even ‘Not by AI’ badge has been created. The point is that it is a David against Goliath. The Etsy case. It is perhaps one of the most bloody cases of the flood of low-quality AI content. The platform that It was presented as a refuge for the authentic, today it is an AI market which also tries to pass itself off as artisanal. Ghibli-style portraits for 20 euros, profiles managed entirely by AI that say things like “I can’t wait to draw you”… Etsy allows content made with AI, but says you have to label it as such. Nobody does it. Proof that the label is no longer useful. A key detail. The last paragraph of Wikipedia’s guidelines is especially striking because it talks about possible sanctions for those who violate the rule, the problem is how they plan to detect who uses AI. Wikipedia admits that “some editors may have writing styles similar to those of large language models” and that “more evidence than mere stylistic or linguistic clues is needed to justify the imposition of sanctions.” We have no idea how they are going to do it, what we do know is that AI text detectors fail more than a fairground shotgun. Image | Wikipedia, edited In Xataka | The last barrier against AI is good taste. The problem is that an entire generation is growing up without developing it

In 1888 an English doctor dissected a corpse down to its nerves. And illuminated forensic science along the way

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If you stop by the bookstore of the Faculty of Medicine of the Drexel Universityin Philadelphia, you’re most likely in for a scare. Fright that will be followed by an uncomfortable gesture. Discomfort from which you will jump to surprise. And surprise that will give way to absolute fascination. There, locked in a glass display case located in the Student Activities Center of the faculty, received visitors until at least a couple of years ago, a dissected human body, tall, well bleached and with bulbous eyes with an expression of superlative and perennial surprise. The most curious thing is that the corpse does not preserve the skin. Not even the muscles. Not even the veins. Not even cartilage. Not even the bones. The corpse, baptized “Harriet”, is pure nerve. And it is in the most literal and full sense of the word. “Harriet” is the result of the surgical virguería of the late 19th century, the result of meticulous and pioneering work – it had so much of both that there were those who believed it impossible – prepared more than 130 years ago by the Dr. Rufus B. Weavera former professor of Hahnemann Medical Collegenow known as Drexel College. Maybe in the era of 3D printing Harriet’s vision is less moving than in 1900, when medical students observed her; but the effect revives when you know two things. One, that Harriet are the remains of a real person, a former employee of the center who died at the age of 35; two, that to give it shape Weaver had to arm himself with patience and separate, filament by filament, the entire nervous system. The process took five to six months. and it only failed in the intercostal area. This is your story. With the eye of an anatomist and the pulse of a seamstress By the late 1880s Dr. Weaver was a well-established and respected professional. He was almost 50, had made a name for himself by identifying and removing bodies from fallen soldiers at Gettysburg and had been working for some time as a professor of Anatomy at the Hahnemann Medical College. In mind, however, Weaver had a project that would allow him to gain fame in the United States and abroad: completing a total dissection of the cerebrospinal system. During his travels through Europe he had seen partial works, but none that showed a complete “x-ray”. Help for his task came, it is believed, from where he least expected: from Harriet Cole, a young African American who was dedicated to cleaning the anatomy laboratory. Although he was only 35 years old, Cole’s health was very delicate. He suffered tuberculosis and his forces were greatly undermined. Before he died in 1888, however, he decided to donate his body to science and offer Dr. Weaver the opportunity he was looking for for his ambitious nervous system project. Over the next six months, Professor Weaver, armed with patience, eyesight and a seamstress’s hand, set about extracting the entire cerebrospinal nervous system. It takes a look at the result to understand that the work was anything but simple. Only the base of the skull required two weeks of dedicationalmost half a month during which he cut the bones piece by piece to keep the dura mater intact and that the eyes remained attached to the optic nerves. With the help of a very fine needle he separated the cranial nerves, the spinal cord and its nerves. Then he used bandages, gauze and pads soaked in alcohol and applied white lead-based paint and shellac to preserve them. Extracting and preserving the intricate system of filaments that shaped Harriet Cole’s system was only part of the challenge. To shape the composition that still today, 13 decades later, continues to amaze Drexel medical students, he had to suspend the mass of fibers from a special board with thousands of pins. The result, named “Harriet” in a nod to the donor, was used by Weaver for his anatomy classes at Hahnemann Medical College; but his virguería soon transcended the walls of the laboratory and even the limits of Philadelphia. In 1839, about three years after the professor’s death, the board was presented and achieved distinction in the famous Word’s Columbian Exhibition. Since then, Harriet’s image has been reproduced in books, articles… Even today, more than 130 years later, the Legacy Center in Drexel University welcomes applications of teachers who want to use their images for their classes at universities or secondary schools. Who was Harriet? As time has passed, the focus has also been placed on Cole herself. Years ago precisely the Legacy Center decided to go beyond inherited history since the end of the 19th century and delve into the figure of the former Hahnemann cleaner. Specifically, he asked himself some questions: Did Harriet really exist? And if it was so, who was it? Why did he donate his body? Under what circumstances did you decide it? Did she know what Professor Weaver would use her corpse for? During their investigation they found many clues and circumstantial evidence, but no conclusive data. The Legacy Center located an 1870 census entry referring to an African-American woman named Harriet Cole who worked as a domestic servant and lived in Philadelphia, right in the same district where Hahnemann College was located; also a death certificate with his name signed in March 1888 and which attributes the cause of death to tuberculosis. What’s more, the center dedicated to medical study is designated as the “place of burial.” Does that mean that Harriet is the same person that, stripped of muscles, veins, bones and cartilage, we continue to see pinned at Drexel University? The institution recognizes that it is very difficult to know. The gaps in the center’s records between 1869 and 1900 make it difficult to go further. In any case, slip that it is not crazy think that Harriet Cole was a poor woman who, faced with the prospect of imminent death, decided to bequeath her … Read more

On August 1, 1828, an English captain shot himself in Chile. And thanks to that Darwin devised the theory of evolution

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On August 1, 1828, in Puerto del Hambre, Chile, an English captain shot himself in the head. He died twelve days later, in his cabin, moaning and screaming in pain. His grave is still there, decorated with nautical charts. His ship took two years, HMS Beagleto arrive back at Plymouth and when he did he had a 26-year-old aristocrat named Robert FitzRoy as captain. Along with the Titanic, the Santa María and the Nautilus, the Beagle is one of the best-known ships in the world. For five years it was the home of a very young English naturalist named Charles Darwin who, over the years, would come to state one of the most dangerous ideas ever thought of: the theory of evolution. But the story could have been different (and very different!) because of a simple nose. A captain who did not want to be alone Despite his youth, Captain FitzRoy had several things in his favor: he had commanded a ship for two years, he had completed the expedition successfully and, above all, he was the nephew of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Granfton. Therefore, it was not surprising that he was entrusted with another of the large number of missions that attempted to carry out hydrographic surveys of the coasts of South America. With the independence of the Latin American republics, this cartographic information was of vital importance for the British army. The only problem was that it was a terribly boring task. Without going any further, Pringle Stokesthe captain I was talking about at the beginning, fell into a very deep depression before committing suicide. That’s why FitzRoy asked for a geologist for the mission. No one disputes that, as they had already verified on the previous mission, bringing someone capable of “knowing the nature of the rocks and soils” of the regions they were visiting could be very useful. But that was only the official reason. FitzRoy didn’t want to be alone. I should have written that ‘only’ in quotes. Evidently a brig of the class Cherokee Like that one, it carried an average of 120 people in its belly. But the aristocracy has always been exquisite for its companies. The captain was looking for a gentleman with scientific interests and a university education who could be excellent company to talk to during the months of the trip. The problem was how to select that gentleman. Luckily, FitzRoy knew how to do it. The mirror of the soul Although physiognomy is as old as human beingsthe idea that people’s personalities could be known through the shape of their faces became popular thanks to Lavater, a Swiss shepherd who lived in the second half of the 18th century. And when I say popular, I say very popular. The great intellectuals of the time accepted the pseudoscientific theses of physiognomy as a proven fact. It didn’t matter who we were talking about: doctors like Charles Bellphilosophers like Herbert Spencer or writers like Balzac; Everyone looked at the drawing of eyebrows, the prominence of a chin or the shape of a nose looking for clues to understand those around them. FriztRoy too. When it became clear that none of his friends wanted to accompany him on the trip, the captain wrote to the Admiralty to find someone who, meeting the requirements, would like to accompany them. They were able to contact the University of Cambridge. After a few unsuccessful attempts, a 22-year-old young man appeared at FitzRoy’s door who, on paper, seemed perfect. But on the paper, understand me, the silhouette of his nose was not there. Oh my goodness, the nose! He was convinced that that nose was not that of a man with the energy and determination necessary for such a trip. FitzRoy did the impossible so that that guy wouldn’t step on the Beagle at any time. But eventually it became clear that he either accepted that nose or he would have to make the journey alone. And thank goodness. That nose collected dozens of samples and collections, took thousands of geological, biological and anthropological notes and, many years later, enunciated the theory of evolution. A nose named Charles Darwin. Physiognomy could change the history of contemporary biology (even if it was call evolutionary thought ‘wallacism’). So that they then say that pseudosciences are not dangerous. Send noses.

Columbus introduced the pineapple to Europe in 1496. 200 years later the English went crazy

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When the gun is drawn it is to shoot, the one who takes it out to show it is a parguela. That always made me more amused than necessary. phrase of one of Callejeros’ ‘caughts’ on public roads, and I always associated it with what we buy for status. If we are what we have, we show what we have to demonstrate our position. And in 17th century England, what the richest people took out for a walk to show off their power was… a pineapple. The Blackberry phones back in the dayto the just like watchesjewelry, cars or yachts, are status symbols. They are elements that we use to show the social level in which we find ourselves. Up to a Labubu would go into this example, and if these symbols have something in common, it is that they are expensive. In the case of the pineapple, the fruit was introduced to Europe in 1496 with a single specimen of a pineapple. And this exotic fruit did not hit hard in Spain, but in an England that experienced a real “piñamania”. From the pineapple fever… It was on his second transatlantic voyage when the explorer in the service of the Spanish crown returned with the pineapple. In the Guadeloupe island He found the fruit and took back to Spain a large quantity of this “pina de Indes”, or fruit of the “pine of the Indians”. He offered it to the Catholic Monarchs and it seems that… they liked it. So much so that, according to the historian Peter Martyr d’Anghierathe king “preferred it over everything else.” It was what was needed for the subjects will embrace the fruit with open arms. It is a mystery how and when pineapple was introduced to England, but it is believed that, in the mid-17th century, Charles II of England held a feast at which pineapple was the exotic dish. And more important than its flavor, was that the pineapple, being unknown in the Old Continent, was not associated with any cultural reference. If the apple was the forbidden fruit, the pineapple was a blank canvas. In an article by BBC We can read how Lauren O’Hagan, from the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University, explains that this allowed the pineapple to be given a mythical quality: it was the symbolic manifestation of the divine right of the king. There it is nothing, but it is still easy to identify thanks to the “crown” of the pineapple and the golden color of the exterior and, above all, the interior. This earned him the nickname “King Pine,” and the royals wasted no time in doing what they did best: turning something unattainable to the people into something more than separated them from the plebs. King Charles II commissioned a portrait of himself being entertained with a pineapple, the ornamentation of palaces and mansions began to adopt the pineapple as a structural ornament. Drawings, tapestries, more paintings, tableware, furniture ornamentation, medals and… this: Dunmore Pineapple It was exotic, but there was also an interest in starting to cultivate it in Europe, and that was possible in the mid-17th century. Heated greenhouses They allowed us to replicate the tropical climate (more or less) to start growing pineapples. And you would think that the more pineapples on the market, the lower their value will be, right? Well, the opposite happened. Since these greenhouses were very expensive, and growing the first pineapples was not an easy task, the fruit was seen as a investment. It took years to flower in a very expensive facility and, furthermore, it was possible that a large part of the harvest was lost for different reasons. There were more, yes, but since the upper classes were the only ones who could afford a pineapple and were aware of its value… they were not going to eat it. And thus began the climax of this story: pineapple rental. The wealthiest, who could spend 80 pounds on one (tight to inflation, between 12,000 and 16,000 pounds), they were not going to eat a piece of fruit worth 20,000 euros, so they used it as ornamentation. Since they last several days without going overboard, they organized events in which they had the pine cones as if they were vases (or LEGO figures), clearly visible to the guests. When it started to get soft, they ate it. And what did those who had money, but couldn’t afford a pineapple, do? Rent it. This is how a parallel business emerged. to satisfy that demand. Shark mentality of those businessmen who thought about the business of renting pineapples to the wealthy classes, but not much. It was considered shameful to be caught leaving a pineapple rental store (it would be admitting social defeat), and the absurdity reached limits like seeing people walking around holding a pineapple. The equivalent of going out into the street with a ‘Luisvi‘ bragging about ‘Luisvi’. But soon the gentrifiers’ worst nightmare would occur: globalization. …to the democratization of the pineapple The progress In transportation, with steamships that began to make more frequent trips between Great Britain and the colonies where pineapples grew wild, pineapples began to be stored in warehouses, along with other goods. Soon, the pineapple invaded the market, and if before only the upper classes could afford a pineapple, now the working class could also delight in its flavor. O’Hagan recounts that “at the time, the pineapple-eating working class was used as a visual metaphor for the problem of progress in satirical prints.” If everyone could eat pineapple, It wasn’t special anymore.. Suddenly, the image of pineapple as a prohibitive fruit fell away, like “I liked Nirvana before it became mainstream.” They were sold in carts on the streets, even cheaper than potatoes, and when a way was devised to fit a pineapple in a can, the fruit definitively lost its appeal for the wealthiest. There was only one thing left to remember that glorious past: art, tableware … Read more

There are so many English people living in Alicante that the largest British pub chain has decided something: open there

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The millions of British tourists who land in the province of Alicante each year will now have a piece of their country just before they leave. As if Benidorm, Torrevieja or the entire Costa Blanca had not been enough, next January the first Wetherspoon in all of continental Europe will open at the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández airport. A “100 Montaditos British style”, but installed in the boarding area and designed, paradoxically, for those who are already queuing to return to the United Kingdom. The very British landing. According to The Guardianthe chain has confirmed that its premiere outside the United Kingdom and Ireland will be in Alicante, where it will open a newly built pub called Castell de Santa Bàrbera (when in Valencian it would be Castell de Santa Bàrbara), in “homage” to the fortress that crowns the city. This is a striking move for the company founded by Tim Martin more than four decades ago and which had never operated on continental European territory. For its part, as The Independent has detailedthe store will open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will be located in the departures area, aimed mainly at British people returning from vacation. The space will be about 93 square meters and will have an outdoor terrace. In addition, the menu will replicate 90% of the typical Wetherspoon pub menu: full English breakfasts, fish and chips, burgers and pizzas. Even so, it will also incorporate some typical Spanish dish such as garlic prawns or Spanish tortilla, an adaptation that the company has already confirmed. The choice is not accidental. British tourism in the province of Alicante is one of the most important in the region; Benidorm is well known for this. According to data collected by La Vanguardiaalmost 90% of English people choose the province as their favorite destination. Although a decade ago the owner publicly celebrated Brexitthe chain has recently experienced slowing growth in the UK: like-for-like sales of 3.7% in the first 14 weeks of the financial year, lower than in previous years. According to The Telegraphthe company is suffering from the increase in labor, energy and tax costs, which has led its president to explore new markets, and hence its strategy focused on airports: places where traffic is guaranteed and the clientele is usually predisposed to consume, even at times when most bars would not open. A British icon, almost invisible for Alicante. Despite the commotion that the news has generated in the province, the truth is that this first Wetherspoon on the European continent will be out of reach of the general public. It will be necessary to pass security control to access, which makes it a rarity: a British icon installed in Alicante, but almost invisible to the people of Alicante. Although Alicante will be the first, it will not be the only one. Tim Martin has reiterated in different British media that his intention is to open “several pubs abroad in the coming months and years, including some in airports”. The new location at Alicante airport will, therefore, be a test by fire. One last drink before heading home. Alicante can now boast of having the first Wetherspoon on the continent, although only travelers who fly will be able to enjoy it. For British tourists, it will be the last sip of home before returning; For the province, further proof of the weight that this market has in its economy. Time will tell if this little pub next to the departure gates is the start of a new European conquest or simply a last pint in the sun before heading home. Image | FreePik Xataka | Years ago Alicante thought it was a good idea to build an artificial island with a luxurious restaurant. It didn’t turn out as I expected

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

While all Spain is pending that their children learn English, in the Canary Islands they have another obsession: the German

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The Canarian ties with Germany are strong. And they come from afar. They date back (at least) at the end of the 19th century And they have been reinforcing thanks to the Expats and the Huge weight which has the German market in the Canarian tourism sector, capital piece in the economy of the region. This link explains that in its classrooms it is studied more German than anywhere else in Spain and Parents committed in which their children learn at the same time the languages ​​of Cervantes and Goethe. It is the ‘Germanization’ of Canarian education. What happened? That Canary Islands show signs that little by little in a key area is being germanized: early childhood education. At least if we compare it with the rest of Spain. German influence on the archipelago (and more in zones With a strong foreign presence) it is nothing new, but there are indicators that help to better understand what extent they are pending in their classrooms and homes. The last one left it a few months ago The confidential in A report which shows how parents are betting on their children speak of Goethe’s tongue (almost) from the cradle or even cases of children who chapurre them before the Spanish. Are there figures to try it? Yes. Those of the Ministry of Education, which reflect how the teaching of German stands out in the archipelago against other regions of Spain. Although Canary Islands is one of the communities Less populated of the country is the one that has the most students studying German in the classrooms. At least in the 2020-2021 course They added 31,300considerably above the Community of Madrid (28,300), Catalonia (24,600), Andalusia (18,100) or Balearic Islands (13,800), two regions in which there is also a strong presence of tourists and Expats. And who studies it? That is the most interesting. The language is not only learned by young people who study ESO or university students. In the archipelago he has also penetrated among the youngest children. The 2020-2021 course there was almost 500 students Studying German in the Early Childhood Education stage, data that exceed only Catalonia and Andalusia, with much greater population. If we talk about Primary the figure, the largest registration in the country is triggered. In general the learning of German It is less extended than that of English or French, but still reaches a notable weight in the Canary classrooms. The region stands out For how extended the study of the second languages ​​is. What is the reason? There are several factors that explain that clear Germanization, but two stand out above the rest: the first are the Historical ties Between the Canary Islands and Germany, which date back to 19th century And they explain that there is a German school in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and another in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. According to the Canarian Institute of Statistics (Istac), the Germans are one of the main foreign population groups in the region, although they are significantly below nationalities such as the Colombian, Venezuelan or English. The second factor is tourism. The sector has A crucial weight In the GDP of the region, where it generates thousands of millions of euros every year. And much of that flow of money comes out of German pockets, such as I recognized Recently the Canary Islands government itself, taking stock of the 2024 campaign. statistics From Exeltur they show that in 2024 the German was The second market International most relevant to the tourism sector of the region. Only the British is overcome. What supposes that in practice? That speaking German becomes a key tool, both in the Canary Islands (work or not in tourism) and when looking for a job in the rest of the country or the EU. “Everything that is science and engineering is very enhanced in German, but nothing happens if the girl later chooses to be a hairdresser and not continue studying. I try to give her best for her future,” Explain to The confidential A Canarian mother who pays 600 euros per month (activities included) so that her daughter is formed at the German school. “I know people who have studied in this school and thanks to that they work or live outside.” Is it important? There are those who believe it. “Learning this language here is a priority for two reasons. First because it gives you the possibility of leaving the islands to, for example, exercising as an engineer or sanitary in other places. It is also essential to work in the southern area of ​​the island (Gran Canaria), where tourism is concentrated and people are always needed to deal with Germans,” Marta García reflectshistorian of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. “Here is key to accessing certain positions and ascending.” That influence explains that there are also adults who throw themselves to study the language to prosper, that the Canarian government has reinforced your bet For the linguistic immersion scholarships to study in Germany (and Ireland) or that there are even cases of children who begin to Chapurrean German before Spanish. Although it is not a generalized trend, a few months ago The confidential He reviewed A specific case, that of a four -year -old girl who entered the German school in Santa Cruz de Tenerife without speaking at all Spanish and surprised her parents by expressing themselves first in German. “I had a delay in language and I worried when I saw her speaking first German. I thought I was wrong and went to see the pediatrician, but luckily she started speaking Spanish last year.” Images | Norbert Braun (UNSPLASH), Guillaume Didelet (UNSPLASH) Via | The confidential In Xataka | For the first time in ten years, La Palma has shown the best creatures of its parties: the disturbing dwarfs that dance Polca

The English Court throws a new save the VAT with technology discounts

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We have already started October and there is less for the end of the year. These last months of the year are always closely related to offers and promotions of all kinds, so it is a Very good time to renew devices or to give us some whim. The first major event of this type we have comes from El Corte Inglés and it is about A save the VAT. From today And only until next Sunday 5we have very good offers in technology of all kinds. There is much to choose from, but to make the task a little simpler, we leave you below an offer of the most prominent chollos. Digital Western portable hard drive by 106.61 eurosan option with 5 TB to safely save our files. V8 Advanced vertical vacuum cleaner by 298.33 eurosideal to keep our house clean and especially effective with pet hair. Laptop ASus vivobook Go 15 by 371.05 eurosan easy team to transport and perfect to work or study. SMART TV OLED PANASONIC by 799 eurosan integrated TV OLED and compatible with Dolby Vision. Krups estenteial superautomatic coffee maker by 279.32 euroscompact, with grinder and a 1.7 -liter water tank. Digital Western portable hard drive The first of the options stars An external hard drive of the Western Digital brand. It is one of those options that can come in handy in many scenarios, ideal to always have our safe files and hand. The PVP of the same is 135 euros, but this save the VAT leaves us cheaper. Specifically, by 106.61 euros. It is a model that stands out for offering 5 TB capacitya quite important figure to have a ton of files, images or videos. In addition, it has USB 3.2 and incorporates the possibility of protecting its data with password and encryption. Western digital portable hard disk 5TB 5TB USB 3.2 Black The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links V8 Advanced vertical vacuum cleaner We continue now with a vertical vacuum, one that is also one of the most recognized brands in this sector, As is Dyson. This is the V8 Advanced model, which is currently one of those who offers better value for money. His PVP was touching the 400 euros, but now we have it with a great discount: Cuesta 298.33 euros. Although it is perfect for all types of households, works especially well with pet hair. It has a suction power of 130 W in its Boost mode and has an autonomy of up to 40 minutes, a more than enough time for medium -sized home. It comes with several different accessories, so we can even make it a hand vacuum cleaner. Dyson V8 Advanced Rechargeable Blood Aspirator with Cyclones 2 Tier Radial ™ The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Laptop ASus vivobook Go 15 What if we are looking for a new laptop? This save the VAT of El Corte Inglés also has several reduced at very interesting prices. One of the most outstanding is this Ase Vivobook Go 15, A team designed to work or study that, in addition, it is very easy to transport. His PVP was touching the 450 euros, but this offer leaves us for 371.05 euros. This Asus laptop stands out, above all, to offer A 15.6 -inch screen with OLED technology. At the hardware level, it meets very good note thanks to a Ryzen 5, 16 GB processor of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. Its autonomy is not a problem, but it is also compatible with fast charge: it is able to load up to 60% of it in less than 50 minutes. Laptop ASUS VIVOBOOK GO 15 E1504FA-BQ2448, RYZEN 5-7520U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, 15.6 “, without so The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links SMART TV OLED PANASONIC Now we continue with a TV, this time one of the Panasonic brand. This is the model TV-55Z80bez in its 48 inches version. It is a very interesting smart TV, more if we take into account this offer from El Corte Inglés. Your PVP touches 1,200 euros, but we have it available for 799 euros. It is an OLED model, which means that its image will show us very bright colors and fantastic blacks. In addition, it has HDMI 2.1 and a 120 Hz refreshment rate, which makes it perfect for consoles such as PlayStation 5 Pro either Xbox Series x. It also has integrated TV And it is compatible with both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. OLED TV 121 CM (48 “) PANASONIC TV-55Z80BEZ, UHD 4K, HDR10+, DOLBY ATMOS, SMART TV The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Krups estenteial superautomatic coffee maker We close this selection of offers with A KUPS SUPPEROMATIC CAFETERwhich is especially remarkable as far as quality-price relations is concerned. Its PVP is 399 euros, but this promotion of El Corte Inglés makes us much easier to get it with an offer that leaves it in alone 279.32 euros. This coffee maker, EA810 essential model, It has a pressure of 15 bars and has an integrated grinder with 3 different types of grinding degrees. It allows to adjust the volume of the drink very flexibly and has a 1.7 -liter water tank. Its design is quite compact, which makes it ideal for small kitchens. SUPPEROMATIC CAFETER KUUPS ESENTIAL EA810 Conic gloat cappuccino 15 bar 1.7 L The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Buying, Western Digital, Dyson, Asus, Panasonic, Krups In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which to buy and seven recommended 4K 4K In Xataka | Better cable vertical vacuum cleaners. Which buy and seven broom vacuners recommended from 139 euros

The English Court changed the credit card model. And along the way it has become a Fintech

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In just two years, El Corte Inglés has financed 1,372 million euros in purchases outside its commercial universe, according to reports Expansion. All for allowing you to use your card anywhere in the world. A silent transformation that has made these department stores an unexpected rival for traditional banks and Fintech emerging. Why is it important. With 11.7 million cards in circulation, the chain has converted its loyalty program of the sixties into a powerful financial weapon. Has moved more money than many Fintech that aspire to revolutionize the sector. The transformation. The change arrived in 2022 Thanks to an agreement with Mastercard. For the first time in its history, the card was the surroundings of the department stores to compete with the banks in neutral territory. The strategy is being a success. They maintain traditional advantages (interestless payments up to 60 days in ECI, 30 in other shops) but add functionalities Fintech: mobile application, notifications Pushcontrol of limits and geolocated promotions. The numbers. The total volume of the card reached 3,778 million euros in 2023, adding internal and external purchases. It is far from the 2018 record (4,895 million), but the new modality is growing. 1,372 million financed outside ECI in two years. Only 191 million in modality Revolving (Interest of 19.56% TAE). Free: without issuance or maintenance expenses. 4% bonus in Repsol for future purchases. The play. The English Court already had the largest loyalty clients in Spain. I just needed to open the doors. A much more interesting and advantageous play than the Fintech forced to find users from scratch. Yes, but. His proposal remains conservative. The revolving model barely represents 5% of the business, well below the standards Fintech. They prefer the safe margin of the interestless interest that monetize via cross consumption. The threat. For traditional banks, the English Court represents something worse than a Fintech Disruptive: a competitor with financial muscle, a huge customer base and brand credibility built for decades. Financiera El Corte Inglés, 51% controlled by Santander since 2013is the giant of consumption financing in Spain. In perspective. The chain has achieved what many financial startups only dream of: monetizing an existing user base without burning millions of euros in marketing. Its competitive advantage is not so much the technology and the confidence of 11.7 million Spaniards who already carry their card in the portfolio. In Xataka | Mercadona earns more and more money selling money, no food: the effect of interest rates on their results Outstanding image | Financiera El Corte Inglés

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