EXCLUSIVE

Take advantage of the new exclusive advantages in the Samsung online store with Xataka Xtra

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Habemus news in the subscription to Xataka Xtra. To the discounts and promotions on NordVPN, Saily, NordPass and Nextory today we add a very juicy new feature from one of the most powerful technology brands in the world: Samsung. And from today all members of the Xataka Xtra community will be able to access exclusive discounts in the Samsung online store. If you were thinking of renewing an appliance, the television, the monitor, the mobile phone or the tablet, by being members of Xtra you will be able to do it at a better price. Exclusive opportunities at Samsung for Xtra members Samsung is a technology brand with almost a hundred years of experience behind it. Its catalogue, as everyone knows, is very varied and, after a significant boost in recent years, is connected. The cell phone, the washing machine, the refrigerator, the television and even the oven, all devices are part of an ecosystem that, under the umbrella of SmartThings, makes day-to-day management (such as knowing How much is left in the washing machine or if you have to buy milk) are much easier. From this moment on, all Xataka Xtra members will find a unique and exclusive code for each user in their member area. By entering that code in the link provided you will access all the discounts, advantages and opportunities in the official Samsung store. It should be noted that this code can be used as many times as you want to access the offers, but can only be redeemed onceso use it well! If you have to renovate the kitchen, you want to update the TV now that the World Cup is approaching or you have been wanting to for some time. try a high-end smartphonenow you have a golden opportunity. Join Xataka Xtra and save The Xataka Xtra subscription It includes access to exclusive benefits in Samsung’s online store and many other things, such as an exclusive Discord server, a direct line with editors through El Consultorio, a monthly meeting with the house’s editors by video call and much more. You can join for the cost of one coffee per month and take advantage of this discount, in addition to all those already available and, small spoiler, those to come:

Spending a night at one of LVMH’s most exclusive vacation spots isn’t cheap: $70,000 a night

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There are luxury resorts. And then there are places for which there is still no category that does justice to what they offer. He Cheval Blanc Randheli Private Island, located in the Maldives, cobra $70,000 for a single night stay in its facilities. And no, we didn’t miss any extra zeros when writing it. The property belongs to the LVMH hotel divisionthe same group behind luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon or Tiffany & Co, and what it offers for that price goes far beyond a bed overlooking the Indian Ocean: an island just for you. A resort that was already unattainable for most Cheval Blanc Randheli is located on Noonu Atoll and can only be reached by seaplane from Malé, capital of the Maldives. He LVMH luxury hotel It is divided into two islands: one where the main resort is located and a second island, separate from the main one, whose price can reach $70,000 per night. That is to say, for that price you are not renting accommodation in a villa, nor a presidential suite. It is literally a private island, with its own beaches, its pier, its dedicated staff and more than 8,000 square meters of total area. A proposal for which the word “exclusive” falls short. The luxury resort opened its doors in November 2013 as part of the Maisons collection of the brand. The main complexlocated on the largest island, is the one that welcomes the most guests, with 45 loft-style villas distributed between overwater, garden and beachfront options. Each of them is equipped with private pool infinite edge. The experience offered by this resort begins even before arriving, as guests They travel on the private seaplane by Cheval Blanc after a stay in an exclusive waiting room in Malé. Common facilities include five select restaurants, a Guerlain spagym, water activities and even the only surf simulator with artificial waves in the Maldives. Conventional villa rates at the main resort are now out of reach of most pockets. According to the accommodation portals in the areatheir prices range between $2,268 and $7,688 per night depending on the type of accommodation. The island of millionaires Cheval Blanc Randheli Private Island is an independent island separated by just 50 meters of deep turquoise sea from the main island. It has a surface area of ​​one hectare and is only accessible through a private pier. The island houses an exclusive mansion four bedrooms with approximately 2,200 square meters built, with capacity for up to eight guests. The master bedroom has panoramic views of the ocean, double bathroom, dressing room, office and its own living room. The residence also includes two family rooms on the ground floor and a separate villa for companions who prefer more privacy, making it an ideal option for families or groups of friends. This paradisiacal mansion also has three connected living rooms, a piano lounge, a private bar and a 25-meter-long pool complete the set, creating the feeling of living in a luxury tropical residence in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Beyond the luxury accommodations and equipment for the exclusive inhabitants of this island, it also includes a private spa with treatmentsgym, movie theater, tropical gardens, private beaches, pergola for outdoor dining and meditation pavilions. So that you do not lack anything during your stay, the service It is run by a resident team dedicated exclusively to the island’s guests, available 24 hours a day. A private boat connects the island with the rest of the resort, so that guests can change islands whenever they wish and eat in the restaurants, bars, kids club and diving center of the main complex, without sacrificing an ounce of their privacy. All for the modest price of 70,000 a night. In Xataka | Hotel chains no longer just offer luxury rooms: Ritz-Carlton dives into the superyacht business Image | Cheval Blanc Randheli

exclusive for Xataka Xtra members

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One of the things we like most about Xataka Xtra is that it allows us to have a direct line with you, our xatakeros. We have it through the web server and the comments, yes; and via Discordwhere we talk daily, but we want to go one step further: see each other’s faces, talk without agendas or pre-set topics, as we would do having a coffee after work. That’s why a few days ago We present the Q&Asome virtual meetings between xatakeros and Xataka editors exclusive for Xataka Xtra members. We told you that the first one would be soon and today, finally, we can confirm the date, time and attendees (more on this soon). Mark it on the calendar: Day: Thursday, March 26. Hour: 17:00, Spanish peninsular time (16:00 in the Canary Islands, 10:00 AM in Mexico). Assistants: Javier Pastor, Andrés Mohorte, Alex Alcolea, María González, César Muela and yours truly, Jose García. Connection link: we will provide it to you later by email. Q&A sessions are one of the exclusive advantages of Xataka Xtraour new community for subscribers that includes giveaways, discounts, exclusive newsletters and more. How Q&As will work The Q&A are live virtual sessions of around an hour in which both xatakeros and in-house editors will participate. They will have a monthly cadence and the objective is not to talk about a specific topic, but to It is the community that decides the agenda. We talk about whatever you want. Do you want to talk about the latest Samsung? We talk about him. Do you want to talk about Artemis and the Moon? We talk about Artemis and the Moon. If it is within the usual themes that we deal with at Xataka, go for it. And if not, surely too. The meeting will take place through Google Meet, so there will be no need to download software. We will send you the link by email one hour before the event so that you can connect from the device you have closest to hand. Needless to say, using the camera or microphone is completely voluntary, as is participation. If you don’t feel like it or it doesn’t work for you, absolutely nothing happens. As for the participants, we will do a rotation in each Q&A so that you can put a face to us all. Javier Pastor, Andrés Mohorte, Alex Alcolea, María González, César Muela and the one who writes these lines, Jose García, will participate in this first meeting. In Xataka | Subscribe to Xataka Xtra

You have NordPass in Xataka Xtra with an exclusive discount

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I don’t know how many years I’ve been using a password manager, but I do know that since I have, my life is much simpler and all my accounts are much better protected than when I used one password for everything. Or like a friend, who keeps writing down their passwords on a post-it next to the computer. That is why we were clear that we wanted to offer you this advantage: for being a member of our community of Xataka Xtranow you have a Extra 10% discount in 1 and 2 year plans NordPassthe next-generation password manager designed by the experts behind NordVPN. Two years of NordPass (password manager) with 3 months of NordVPN free The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A manager goes far beyond remembering passwords A good password manager is not only useful so that you don’t have to click on the “Have I forgotten my password?” button every now and then. In the case of NordPass, they offer: Passkey Support: Unlike traditional passwords, passkeys work through a pair of cryptographic keys: one ‘public’ that stays on the web and another ‘private’ that never leaves your device and that only you can release with your fingerprint or face, making it impossible to steal through remote hacking. They are much more secure than traditional passwords. Data breach scanner: Its platform monitors the network and if it detects that your email or one of your passwords appears in a database leaked by a hack, NordPass notifies you instantly so you can change it and avoid headaches. Password health: This is more important than it seems because you can have a very good password manager, but if your passwords are a chestnut… turn off and let’s go. With this function, the service warns you if you have a very weak, very old key or if you have reused the same one a lot. Save your cards and other private data: In addition to passwords, you can save your credit cards and personal notes encrypted, filling out purchase forms in a second with complete security. I use it a lot for the typical account recovery codes for WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, etc. Email masking: NordPass includes an email masking option, which is used to create fictitious email addresses so that you can subscribe with them wherever you want and avoid the risk of phishing, spam, etc. You really know your address, but not the smartasses on the internet. Why we like NordPass You may already use the password manager that comes with Chrome or Safari, but NordPass goes a little further. Use the algorithm XChaCha20 encryptionfaster and more resistant than traditional methods. It is also multiplatform, so if you jump a lot between different devices such as your mobile phone, computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) or tablet, with NordPass you have everything synchronized and under a “zero knowledge” architecture: only you can see your datanot even the NordPass developers have access to them. Your advantage for being Xataka Xtra With the Extra 10% discount exclusive for subscribers Xataka Xtraaccess to the Premium version of NordPass is much more affordable. And it joins other discounts such as: In Xataka | Password managers: which ones are the best to protect and remember all the ones you have

an exclusive Ferrari worth 40 million euros

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There are weddings that are remembered for the banquetfor the dress or for the music. Charles Leclerc’s wedding will be remembered, above all, for the car. The Monegasque Scuderia Ferrari driver married Alexandra Saint-Mleux a few days ago in an intimate ceremony held in Monaco, and chose to leave the place of celebration a piece of motor history: a Ferrari 250 Testa rossa from 1957. The images that went viral In networks they showed the couple traveling the streets of the Principality aboard a car that, according to the most recent estimatesmay have a price close to 40 million euros. A picture that is rarely seen outside of a museum or an elite auction. A car born to win that became a myth The protagonist of this story is the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, a two-seater roadster built with a single purpose: to compete and win. His name, precursor of the mythical name that the brand was about to losemeans “Red Head”, in reference to the color with which the cylinder heads of its engine were painted, a 3.0 liter V12 capable of developing 300 HP. For the time, those figures were a declaration of intentions. Essentially designed to participate in the Sport Prototype championship of the 60s, the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa It competed directly against rising brands such as Maserati or Aston Martin. Among his most notable achievements is having inaugurated the Ferrari record in the 24 Hours of Le Mansone of the great milestones in the history of the Italian brand. Beyond its sporting history, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that Lecrerc wore at his wedding is also a work of engineering thought out down to the last detail. Its structure is based on a tubular chassis and has body elements designed exclusively by Scaglietti, which further adds more value to each unit. Under its body hides a 140-liter fuel tank, a four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension and disc brakes. With all this technical equipment, the car was capable of reaching a maximum speed of 270 km/h, a truly extraordinary figure for a two-seater vehicle that did not exceed 800 kg in weight. An exclusive gem in every sense Today, driving one of these cars through the streets of Monaco is already something almost extraordinary due to the extremely high historical value, but also economical of the unit. One of the factors that contributes to its exclusivity is that Ferrari only manufactured 19 unitsso we are talking about one of the rarest classic cars that exist on the face of the Earth. That rarity has a market price that goes accordingly. OK to what was published by The Vanguarda 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa already broke world records at auction in 2009, when it was awarded for 9,020,000 euros at the event Ferrari Leggenda and Passione celebrated in Maranello. Since then, its price has only grown. There is one detail that should be clarified, and that is that the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that Leclerc drove on his wedding day is not his property. It was a special loan for the link, most likely coming from the Ferrari historical collection. Even so, the gesture of the Italian brand towards one of its star drivers says a lot about the relationship between the brand and the young driver. A transfer that is already a gift in itself. What is clear is that Leclerc, known for his taste for historic automobiles and his professional link with the brand of The Prancing Horseknew how to make the most of the moment. While the world of Formula 1 was preparing for the start of the 2026 season at the Australian Grand Prix, the Monegasque driver got married and crossed Monaco at the wheel of one of the most valuable and exclusive cars on the planet. It is difficult to imagine a more spectacular way to start a new stage of life. In Xataka | The Ferrari F150 Muletto M4 has been key in the history of Ferrari. The problem is that it has also been the ugliest Image | Ferrari, Flickr (Dave Hamster, Mike Turner, Jim Culp)

Your experience at Xataka goes up a level with exclusive newsletters, raffles, El Consultorio and more

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Xataka was born in 2004 as a blog for technology fans, and boy has it rained since then. Cell phones were not from that time smartphonesMP3 players were the fashionable devices and I don’t think anyone, not even us, imagined everything that was going to come next. But there is something that has not changed since then: the support we have received all these years from all of you, our xatakeros and xatakeras. Today I want to tell you what the next step is for Xataka, something we have been working on for almost more than a year. Today we announce the arrival of Xataka Xtraa new subscription community with which we want to offer a much more direct relationship between the public and the editorial staff, in addition to including some advantages that we think may interest you. But before going on to detail what Xataka Xtra is, I’m going to skip all the style rules and explain to you what it is not: It’s not a paywall. I want to make this clear from the beginning. Xataka Xtra It is, as its name suggests, an “extra.” A way that we propose to support all of us who make this medium. But the usual Xataka experience does not change: everyone will be able to continue enjoying our open content as before. Xtra is an “plus” for those who want to support us and go a little further. And yes, under subscription. We are aware of “subscription fatigue”, ourselves we have talked about her. In an increasingly hostile environment for those of us who create content for the web, initiatives like this allow us to continue doing what we do and, in the process, thank you for your support through different advantages. Our priority has been to design a value experience while keeping the price as low as possible: at Xataka Xtra you can support us for what a coffee costs each month. We want to continue making content made by humans and for humans. Made by us for you. And we want to maintain a closer and more exclusive relationship with our xatakeros and xatakeras, something that on a large scale today is practically impossible but that we do believe we can achieve with the Xtra Community. And now, let’s explain what it includes Xataka Xtra. What advantages does Xataka Xtra include? Three exclusive newsletters: Chip War (weekly, every Monday): The semiconductor industry is the technological, economic and geopolitical battlefield of our time. Every week we analyze what is happening in the race for chips: from the tensions between the United States and China to the decisions of TSMC, Intel, SK Hynix or Samsung that will determine who leads the next decade. Next X (biweekly, every other Thursday): Biweekly analysis of the trends in technology and science that are changing the present and will define the future: AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, space exploration. Context and perspective on where we are going and why it matters. B-sides (weekly, every Saturday): Five curious and fascinating readings each week. Strange, counterintuitive or unexpected stories that we find on the Internet and that deserve your attention. From industrial accidents that changed the world to surprising scientific research or absurdities of late capitalism. Close and direct relationship with the Xataka team: Exclusive community on Discord: access to our Discord server, only for the Xtra Community. The office: We resolve your doubts with preferential treatment and you will have a direct line with the entire team. Available via email or on Discord. Write to us with your query and our team of editors will try to provide the best solution. Monthly video Q&A with the Xataka team: We provide the team that attends, you set the agenda and what you want to talk about. Giveaways and exclusive benefits Raffles and discounts. Just by being Xtra members you will participate in exclusive draws and have special discounts. And pay attention because very interesting products are coming up to be raffled off. Today we announced the first: a 75-inch LG TV. Advantages and offers with our partners. At launch we will have the following: Nextory: Extended free trial for 45 days. NordVPN: 3 months free for 1 and 2 year plans. NordPass: 10% discount for 1 and 2 year plans. Saily: 10% discount on new hires. Other benefits Xataka Xtra badge in the user profile. It will be seen when an Xtra user comments and on their profile. Ad-free option: For those who want to browse without advertising banners, there is also an option. And this is the beginning: we want to take advantage of the creation of this Xtra Community so that you can tell us what things you miss and would love for us to add. We will design the future of Xataka Xtra together. How much does it cost and available versions Xataka Xtra It is available in monthly subscription mode and annual mode. Signing up is easy, with a couple of clicks, and unsubscribing is equally simple: just by clicking the corresponding button in your Xtra area. The available plans are the following: Monthly plan: 4 euros per month (2 euros per month in introductory offer) Annual plan: 30 euros a year (15 euros per year in introductory offer) Annual plan without ads: 60 euros a year (30 euros per year in introductory offer) For all those who sign up with the introductory offer, the 50% discount remains as long as they do not cancel or change their subscription. As you can see, we have included the possibility of contracting a plan that eliminates all banners from the website and makes reading easier. This has been an addition that we have included based on your feedback, since it was one of the most requested features. Thank you, really and this is Xataka Xtraat least for now, since as I mentioned, the idea is that this fluid relationship with the Xtra Community helps us find other interesting ideas that you may like to … Read more

Your subscription to Xataka Xtra includes an exclusive badge for your profile: this is what it will look like

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Xataka Xtra It is loaded with advantages. For only two euros a month you have access to exclusive newsletters, raffles and discounts, to the Discord server, to our editors to resolve your queries and, of course, to show that you, xatakera, xatakero, support Xataka and are part of the Xtra community. That’s why today we present to you another of the benefits included in your subscription: an exclusive badge for your profile. This badge will appear on your profile and in the commentsso that everyone can see that you are part of the Xtra community. It should be noted that it does not mean that your comments will be seen first, that they will not be moderated or that you will earn more karma, but it is a gesture that we want to have from Xataka to value your support in a more visual way. We remind you that Xataka Xtra It has a promotional price of two euros per month or 15 euros per year. In addition, for only 30 euros per year you can unlock advertising-free browsing. If you haven’t done so yet, You can subscribe now from this link. In Xataka | Subscribe now to Xataka Xtra

We believed that imagination was exclusive to humans. Kanzi, the bonobo who drinks “invisible coffee”, has just proven the opposite

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For decades, cognitive science has drawn a firm red line between us and the rest of the animals that is the imagination. Although animals can use tools and even solve complex problems, the ability to disconnect from immediate reality and imagine a scenario that does not exist was considered something exclusive to humans. Until Kanzi arrived. Kanzi. A bonobo that is world famous for its mastery of lexigrams to communicate and that has now starred a published study this week in the magazine Science that could rewrite the books of evolution. And it is no wonder, since Kanzi not only knows how to order food, but also knows how to pretend to eat it when it’s not there yet, and being completely aware of what it does. The tea party. The study published earlier this month presents the strongest evidence to date for the representation of pretend objects in a great ape. And for a human Pretend you are drinking coffee by imagining you have a cup in your hand It is something very simple to do. But until now in apes it was something unthinkable. But to prove us wrong about our exclusive quality, the studio designed an experiment where they sat Kanzi down and interacted with empty objects. Specifically, they pretended to pour juice from an empty bottle into a juice or eat “grapes” that did not really exist. But the best thing is that it was not a simple imitation, but Kanzi followed the game with astonishing precision as if he really imagined it. The juice trick. The objective here was to rule out that Kanzi was simply copying movements without understanding the basic concept, and to do this the team designed three tests. The first of them began with the researcher pretending pouring juice into one of several empty glasses. Kanzi was then asked to interact with them by picking one up. In this case, in 68% of the 50 tests, Kanzi chose the glass that “contained” the imaginary juice, ignoring the other identical but “empty” glasses. Fact versus fiction. This is where the crucial point of the investigation is, since if Kanzi were confused, he would treat real and imaginary juice the same. This was not the case, since when given a choice, Kanzi preferred the real object in 78% of the cases. Something that may seem insignificant, but that shows that it maintains two simultaneous mental representations: the physical reality of the empty glass, and the fake reality where we play that the glass has juice. The same thing happened when imaginary grapes were used instead of juice, where Kanzi maintained a 69% success rate in identifying the location of the pretend food. Decoupling reality. The technical term being discussed here is decoupled secondary representation, which is the brain’s ability to hold an image of the world that contradicts direct sensory information. That is, what is being seen or heard. Until now, it was debated whether this ability emerged with modern human language, but Kanzi’s results suggest that this “spark” of imagination was already present in the common ancestor we share with bonobos and chimpanzees. between 6 and 9 million years ago. This is something that also changes our understanding of childhood play, since when a two-year-old takes a banana and pretends it is a telephone, he is exercising a cognitive muscle that evolution has been refining long before telephones or cultivated bananas existed. Exception or rule. It must be taken into account that these experiments have not been done with just any bonobo, but rather an “enculturated” ape since it has spent its life surrounded by humans and trained in the use of lexigramsmaking it have extraordinary capabilities. This gives rise to some critics, such as comparative psychologist Daniel Povinelli, who usually argue that these results could be the result of intensive training that “humanizes” the ape’s mind, rather than a natural capacity in the wild. Although it is something that the investigation tries to counteract with rigorous controls to ensure that Kanzi was not responding to human clues. Images | Will Rust In Xataka | Humans are evolving live on the Tibetan plateau. And understanding what happens there will be essential in space

Ford has auctioned the most exclusive prototype of the 2017 Ford GT. So exclusive that no one will be able to drive it

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Ford has just auctioned a car so special and unique that, in fact, it was not made for customers, but for the engineers who were working on the development of the Second generation Ford GT to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s triplet at Le Mans in 1966. So much so that the car was auctioned with a naked, unpainted body. However, it is such an exclusive supercar that Ford has made sure to keep it away from prying eyes, so although its engine runs perfectly, no one can show it off in public. Above all, its owner. First prototype, second legend The Ford GT Mk II, which has just been auctioned on the Barrett-Jackson portal, was designed at the end of 2015 as mechanical test mule for the new engine that would be mounted in the second generation of the Ford GT that was presented in 2017. Engineers used this car in the early testing phases of the project to collect real-world data on the dynamic behavior of the design, its aerodynamic stability and the response of the suspension under extreme conditions. So it was the intermediate step between the designs on paper and the model that would finally hit the market two years later. Being an early design means the car still retains the essence of original designsbefore aerodynamics or technical requirements forced certain profiles of its bodywork to be polished. However, its usefulness as a test mule meant that technical usefulness was prioritized over aesthetics. It was a laboratory tool on wheels, not a rolling showcase, and this was taken to the extreme that the engineers did not even consider painting the carbon fiber body, sensing that sooner rather than later it would need touch-ups. Only five prototypes were built, so this unit spent years stored in the collection. Ford Heritage Fleetan internal collection with which the brand protects its most valuable prototypes and vehicles with historical pedigree, until the time came to bring it to light. Its recent sale makes it a unique case: it goes from being a corporate secret to becoming a private trophy. Driving in public is prohibited However, the brand had a hidden ace up its sleeve. The purchase of this unique supercar was linked to a very restrictive clause: the explicit and absolute prohibition of registering it, insuring it as a vehicle or driving it on any public road. That is, its owner will never be able to wear it in public, except to use it on a private circuit. In this way, the first prototype of the 2017 Ford GT becomes a sculpture with an engine that can only be admired in the buyer collection who has paid $467,500 for that unique specimen due to its technical and historical pedigree. Be the first Ford GT prototype to break the garage confidentiality Ford classifies it as an exclusive collector’s piece, especially for those who already have a street GT in their collection. Under that rough and rough untreated carbon fiber body there is still the 3.5 EcoBoost V6 biturbo engine that it shares with the final GT, a brutal engine with a double turbocharger that delivers its power through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, optimized for pure rear-wheel drive. When you open its doors upwards, you are greeted by an interior as austere and practical as its exterior, designed to give your all on the track, but without the fine Alcantara finishes that you expect to find in a car for which you have paid almost $500,000. It features a single fixed bucket seat molded in carbon fiber for the test driver, position-adjustable pedals to adapt to different drivers, and a flattened Formula 1-style steering wheel with integrated buttons. No sign of the passenger seat, which underlines its single-seater work role, whose objective was to push it to the limit the performance of your engine and its bodywork. An untamed beast…that no one can legally drive on a road. In Xataka | In 1982 someone became unhealthy obsessed with a Mercedes-Benz 500 SL: in 43 years he has not driven it even a single kilometer. Image | Barret&Jackson

Mars has just entered the exclusive club of planets with rays. This is discouraging news for NASA.

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NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured a lightning strike on Mars for the first time. Although it may seem strange, it is only the fourth planet in which we have confirmed the presence of this type of electrical activity, after Earth, Jupiter and Saturn. Confirmed. Despite its thin atmosphere, scientists have suspected for decades that the red planet, with its constant whirlwinds and dust storms, must have some type of electrical activity. Now, thanks to the Perseverance rover, we finally have definitive proof. The discovery, published in the journal Natureconfirms that the Martian atmosphere crackles with electricity, although not exactly like the Earthly storms we know. They haven’t seen it, they’ve heard it. As much as we would have liked the Perseverance rover to photograph a blinding flash across the Martian sky, the first evidence of electrical activity on Mars is not visual, but auditory. NASA’s rover’s SuperCam instrument, equipped with a microphone originally designed to listen to the rover’s laser hitting rocks, has captured something unexpected: the sound of electrical discharges. Among dust devils. According to the data analyzed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratorythe rover recorded 55 electrical discharge events over two Martian years. Most associated with dust storms, and 16 of them when the rover was directly crossed by sand devils. “We got some good recordings where you can clearly hear the click,” Ralph Lorenz, Perseverance mission scientist, explains in a statement. But in a specific recording from sol 215 (the 215th Martian day of the mission), you hear not only the electrical crack, but also the swirling wind hitting the rover and grains of sand impacting the microphone. The triboelectric effect. How do these rays form on a planet without rain clouds? Because of the triboelectric effect, exactly the same physical principle that happens when we walk with socks on a carpet and then you touch a doorknob and, ouch, a spark jumps. On Mars, dust devils act like giant generators of static electricity: Hot air rises and begins to rotate, forming a vortex. When rotating, it raises dust and sand. The dust grains rub against each other, transferring electrons and generating charge. It’s not very encouraging. Although on Earth it also occurs in deserts, on Mars this effect is much more likely to result in electrical shocks. The Martian atmosphere is extremely thin, so the amount of charge needed to break air resistance and generate a spark is much smaller. This discovery is not just a meteorological curiosity; has profound implications for the planet’s chemistry and the search for life. Confirmation of these electrical discharges suggests that the Martian atmosphere may become charged enough to activate powerful chemical reactions. These sparks could be creating highly oxidizing compounds, such as perchlorates, which are very aggressive and can destroy the organic molecules (the building blocks of life) that the rover is trying to find. Image | NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona In Xataka | Who or what excavated the ravines on Mars? The answer is even stranger than we always thought

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