experts

They have asked 1,600 experts how the Universe works. They don’t agree on almost anything

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We continually read news about new findings that they defy the known physics of the Universe. This may lead us to ask ourselves something: do we know so little about the Universe that absolutely everything challenges it? To answer this question it is important to give a little context. Yes, a lot is known about astrophysics, but when we talk about something as immense as the Universe, even that “a lot” can fall short. Furthermore, much of this information is based on hypotheses that have been accepted as consensus, but not on absolute truths. Therefore, it is not strange that in the largest survey ever conducted It has been proven to astrophysicists and astrophysics fans that there is a lot of disagreement on almost everything related to the cosmos. The largest survey. In 2024, during an astrophysics conference in Copenhagen, a survey was carried out in which 85 experts participated. All of them had to answer a series of questions about some of the best-known theories in astrophysics. With this survey it was seen that there is a lot of disagreement, even in those theories in which there is supposed to be a great consensus. In order to check whether these disagreements were a result of the sample size, a new survey was carried out in 2025, this time with 1,600 people who had to answer 11 questions. Some participants were experts from the American Astrophysical Society. Others were amateur readers of Physics Magazine. With a larger sample, the results were very similar. There is very little consensus. From hypotheses to certainties. Science in general, and astrophysics in particular, is built on hypotheses that evolve as scientific advances are made. For this reason, it is often more full of probabilities than certainties. It is important to differentiate different branches of science. In health sciences, there are certainties. For example, we know that antibiotics attack bacteria and are not useful against viruses, no matter how many people insist on taking them for the flu. We also know that their abuse can be very harmful, since it contributes to the development of resistance in bacteria. Those are certainties, although logically there is also information that evolves over time. In astrophysics, hypotheses accepted by consensus often outnumber certainties. There are very clear certainties, such as that the Earth is not flat or that it revolves around the Sun. But also some hypotheses with which not even experts agree. Cosmic inflation wins. The issue on which there was the greatest consensus in the 2025 survey, the results of which were recently published, was cosmic inflation. That is, the hypothesis that points to an exponential expansion of the Universe which began in its first moments, after the Big Bang. 51% of respondents agreed that this theory explains many problems in cosmology at once and therefore has a high probability of being true. Talking about the Big Bang. The existence of the Big Bang was another of the theories with the greatest consensus in the survey, although the truth is that the figure is nothing to write home about either. 25% of the participants agreed that this event gave rise to the Universe 13.8 billion years ago. On the other hand, there were 68% of people who indicated that the Universe was born at a time when there was a large increase in temperature and density, but they did not indicate when that occurred. Disagreements with dark matter. Gravitational behaviors that do not respond to the observed mass have been observed in the Universe. That is, it seems as if there are massive objects exerting a gravitational attraction on others, but these objects are not detected, not even large accumulations of atoms. There is nothing. 27% of those surveyed consider that this can be explained by the existence of dark matter. However, there are 12% who believe that all this may be due to changes in the behavior of gravity on cosmic scales. That is to say, when we talk about the immensity of the Universe, the gravity exerted by objects is not the same. On the other hand, there are 5% of people who consider that the key is in primordial black holes. Although here we must emphasize that one of the hypotheses about the origin of dark matter is that it is formed in part by primordial black holes, so they would not be denying its existence. String theory to solve incompatibilities. The theory of general relativity was proposed on large, cosmic scales. On the other hand, quantum mechanics talks about the behavior of matter on a subatomic scale. Both questions seem incompatible, but to understand the Universe we need to work at both scales. Therefore, for a long time there has been thought about a theory that helps unify both issues. This, for 19% of those surveyed, is string theory. In it, subatomic particles, instead of being treated as points, are considered vibrational states of a more basic extended object, called a string. Normally, when we try to calculate the energy of a particle by considering it a mathematical point, without extension, we get closer to it eternally. We can do a kind of infinite zoom. On the other hand, when the points are replaced by strings with a minimum length, a result must necessarily be obtained. It does not tend to infinity. On the other hand, in string theory gravity, which not normally considered on a quantum scalearises naturally. Another hypothesis. The point is that, in the survey we are talking about, there are 12% of people who consider that string theory does not solve the problem, but that another theory does: that of loop quantum gravity. This, basically, acts in a completely opposite way. String theory emerges with quantum mechanics as a starting point and tries to find ways to make gravity make sense. On the other hand, the theory of loop quantum gravity starts from the General Theory of Relativity and attempts to quantize it in a way that … Read more

some experts fear consequences that are difficult to measure

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There is an initiative to build a gigantic data center in Utah (USA). The so-called Stratos Project plans to occupy an area equivalent to the city of Washington DC and is estimated to consume 9 GW of power. Some experts warn that the thermal impact will be devastatingand they claim that “it is the equivalent of releasing the energy of 23 atomic bombs a day in the form of heat.” A Dantesque project. The approval of Project Stratos occurred at the beginning of May by the Box Elder County Commissionersthe community in northwest Utah on whose land it will be located. The megacomplex plans to occupy 16,100 hectares of surface, and if completed it will become the largest data center on the planet. That record is disturbing and alarming. 9 GW of computing capacity. This data center will consume 9 gigawatts of power, a figure that doubles the current electricity consumption of the entire state of Utah. The figure, like all those surrounding the project, is absolutely exaggerated, and there are many those who have criticized the project. But also GW of heat. The biggest concern for experts It’s not just energy consumptionbut how this will affect the temperatures of the region in which this data center is intended to be built. Robert Davies, a physics professor at Arizona State University, has made the first calculations on this impact and his conclusions are worrying. Because the natural gas plants that will generate electricity for the center are 57% efficient, the complex will produce about 7 or 8 GW of waste heat. Once that electricity reaches the servers, it will be converted into heat, and it is estimated that Project Stratos will emit about 16 GW of thermal energy daily in the Hansel Valley where it will theoretically be located. 23 atomic bombs. Davies points out that this release of heat in a closed basin like the one in this valley is equivalent to “depositing the energy of 23 atomic bombs every day in the local environment.” It is obvious that the project does not generate nuclear explosions or radiation, but it will cause notable climate change. The models estimate that daytime temperatures will increase by 2.7 ºC on average, but the nighttime ones will suffer peaks of up to additional 15.5ºC. The semi-arid climate of the region, one of the driest in the US, will transform into an area with thermal dynamics similar to those of the Sahara Desert. Threat to Great Salt Lake. The location chosen to locate this AI data center is not coincidental: the Hansel Valley is the area through which the so-called Ruby Pipeline passes, a gas pipeline that transports natural gas from Wyoming to the west coast of the United States. The problem is that it is also very close to the northern end of the Great Salt Lake, a body of water that has already been in danger for some time. In fact, its water levels are near historic lows after an unusually dry winter. we were few. The supply contracts indicate an even greater risk to that body of water. The developers plan to acquire local water rights equivalent to about 16 million cubic meters. It is a volume sufficient to cover the basic needs of more than 20,000 homes in Utah. Data center hate is real. This is the latest and most notable case of mega data center construction projects that trigger frontal rejection from local communities in the US. While AI companies and hyperscalers continue to announce new data center construction projects, residents of these areas organize local resistance. Image | O’Leary Digital In Xataka | We already know how data centers will impact employment in Aragon: open 24/7 with 180 workers

A mathematical problem had been resisting experts for more than 80 years. An AI has surpassed them all

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In 1946 the Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős asked a seemingly very simple question: if you place n points in the plane, how many pairs of points can be exactly at a distance 1 from each other? This dilemma is known as unit distance problem in the planeand has maintained many mathematicians who research in the field of geometry, immersed in its resolution for no less than eighty years. The classic strategy proposed by many of them to try to solve it was to resort to a square grid. They soon realized that the number of pairs at unit distance grows at least as n to the power of (1 + C/loglog(n)), where C is a positive constant that quantifies how much a particular construction can be better than a basic square grid. It’s a complicated idea, it’s true, but we can try to approach it in a slightly more intuitive way. A standard square grid produces approximately 2n pairs of points at unit distance. If we rescale it in an ingenious way by choosing the scale factor as a number that has many divisors (in number theory this property is known as a number with many small prime factors), you get more pairs of points to fall exactly at distance 1. The value of C measures precisely the efficiency of that choice. This is the key. An AI from OpenAI has achieved the first major breakthrough in 80 years As we are seeing, the question Erdős asked is very easy to state, but extraordinarily difficult to resolve. If we develop the classical approach a little further we will realize that since loglog(n) grows very slowly, the exponent approaches 0. This means that the square grid grows only slightly faster than n, but not enough to exceed n at a fixed rate. This milestone was achieved by a general-purpose inference model that OpenAI was testing internally. This is why for decades mathematicians predicted that the upper bound would be approximately n^(1+o(1)), that is, just slightly larger than n. Now we know that they were wrong, and the person who refuted this conjecture was not a particularly skilled current mathematician; this milestone has pointed it out a general purpose inference model which OpenAI was testing internally. and not one artificial intelligence (AI) specialized in mathematics. This model has provided an infinite family of examples that produce polynomial improvement. In fact, he has shown that it is possible to construct configurations of points with at least n^(1+δ) pairs at unit distance, where δ is a fixed value greater than 0 that does not disappear as n grows. When the AI ​​delivered this result, OpenAI researchers asked a group of Princeton mathematicians to review it. And his conclusion was blunt. The AI ​​was right. This is the first progress on the lower bound of the problem posed by Erdős in 80 years. And, curiously, the OpenAI model has achieved this by using advanced engineering tools. algebraic number theory for an apparently elementary geometry problem. Several renowned mathematicians, such as Fields Medal winner Tim Gowers or number theory expert Arul Shankar, have declared that the result that AI has delivered is an extraordinary achievement that could provide mathematicians with a bridge to explore other problems in the future. Image | Jeswin Thomas More information | OpenAI In Xataka | These two problems have baffled mathematicians for decades. A genius has solved them with a stroke of the pen

Spain will have 27,000 new civil servants. The surprise is that experts in AI, cybersecurity and data science are now sought

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In recent years, Spain has promoted the public employment calls. This has managed to beat historical figures in the number of places and, although the OEP (Public Employment Offer) of 2025 took its foot off the accelerator, the Council of Ministers has just approved the OEP corresponding to 2026 with figures somewhat higher than those of the previous period. What draws attention is something else: the 1,700 positions for information technology specialists to achieve a ambitious goal. Transform Administration thanks to AI. 27,000 for the AGE. How has published The Government through the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, the OEP 2026 includes 27,232 places for the General Administration of the State. It represents a small increase compared to the 26,889 places last yearalthough it continues to show that there is a personnel problem. The breakdown is 26,886 ordinary places and 346 corresponding to an extraordinary offer linked to the climate emergency. The Government points out that this offer will generate 6,200 net jobs and ensures that, since 2021, the different public employment offers have met the objective of rejuvenating the public workforce, with an average age now at 49 years. New specialists. Now, the big news is that the Administration wants profiles that are much more specialized in technology. Of these positions, 1,700 will be for information technology specialists. It is estimated that it is 42% more than those called in the previous offer and it is not only the increase in places, but also the profiles they are looking for. Because what they are looking for are “specialists in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Data Science” with the aim of, according to Minister Óscar López, “transforming the Administration.” López points out that we have to see what the administration’s priorities are, the needs of citizens and, thus, “have a more effective and efficient administration with the use of AI and the creation of quality public employment.” More digitization. This increase in digital profiles is supported by Government figures that indicate that the percentage of citizens who use official websites or applications is 83% while the European average is 75%. Furthermore, they point out that Spain is seven points above the average in digitalization of the Public Administration. The objective they aspire to is to increase digital administrative procedures by 25%, digitizing public administration. If this is going to be accompanied by the destruction of jobs, López affirms no and that what they are going to do is transform those jobs, not destroy them. They do not detail much else, other than that a series of digital training courses will be carried out with AI modules and “data tools” to strengthen the digital skills of all public employees. Exceeding 37,000. In total, counting the beaches already announced for the National Police, Civil Guard and Armed Forces, the OEP 2026 will exceed 37,000 places, slightly above the 36,588 last year. And, beyond the striking nature of these digital offers in AI and “data”, the Government intends to reinforce strategic areas such as the energy transition, the prevention of climate emergencies and the fight against climate change. The problem is that, according to the OECD, Spanish public employment remains below the international average. In the 2025 report, the OECD pointed out that Spanish public employment represented 15.25% of the total active population in 2023, with the average for all OECD countries being 18.41%. We will have to wait for more recent reports to see if the record rally of 2023 and 2024 has reversed the situation. Image | Treball Generalitat (edited) In Xataka | The easiest oppositions to pass in Spain following three criteria: by syllabus, by places and by requirements

All experts agree that introducing bison into Spain is a bad idea. And yet we’re doing it

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Nine European bison have been grazing for four months in the Guadalajara municipality of El Recuenco, in the heart of the Alto Tajo. And the only really relevant question is why. I mean, we know why. They are there because the Rewilding Spain foundation and the town council itself have placed them in what has become the first case of bison in public forests in Spain. In fact, as long as we pay attention to what its promoters say, it is not only a renaturalization initiative, it is “a tool against forest fires.” The thing is, none of that explains why anyone thinks any of this makes sense. There have never (as far as we know) been European bison in Spain. Yes, yes. I know that one of the most iconic Spanish images is that of the painted bison of Altamira, but that animal was not a Bison bonasuswas a Bison priscus. A species that became extinct 9,000 years ago just when the habitat (the mammoth steppe) that welcomed it did. There is no conclusive paleontological evidence to say that there was ever a European bison on the peninsula. In fact, in 2020, MITECO commissioned a report that unanimously denied that this animal could be defined as an “extinct species in Spain”. Does that mean that it is proven that there was not? No, one thing does not imply the other. At any time we can find remote proof that there were. In fact, in February 2026 was announced that a skeleton about 4,000 years old had been found in Navarra that could be from a Bison bonasus. It is a matter of time before a genetic test confirms it (or not). Be that as it may, no one seems to care: the nine bison are in Guadalajara. And there are up to two doctoral theses that will examine fecal samples, stress levels and diet to study the adaptability of these animals and their effect on vegetation. The latter is interesting because, as I said, the second objective of all this has to do with vegetation. With its control and management. There it is, despite the skepticism of many expertswhere there may be a future. But it is not a simple future. To begin with, because the species cannot be the subject of an official reintroduction program. The nine specimens from El Recuenco (and the other 160 in the country) are not protected wildlife, but are classified as livestock or zoological nucleus. This requires them to be controlled, geolocated and monitored. But, above all, that forces us to ask ourselves many things and “do we have any capacity to control our country?” It is perhaps the most important. For years, people have been releasing beavers into the main Spanish rivers without anything happening. What’s more, in Spain have been detected more than 200 invasive species. The debate is not ‘bison yes or bison no’. Above all, because it is not a strictly Spanish debate. The United Kingdom reintroduced bison to Kent, the Netherlands did it decades ago… European rewilding is being done, to a large extent, outside the usual channels of conservation. And El Recuenco is just the local version of a deeper debate: that of what nature we want to exist in the future. Image | Oskar Jablonski In Xataka | We are reforesting Europe with trees that will not survive by 2100. If pests don’t kill them, climate change will.

This is the FAFO parenting that divides the experts

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The Internet and social networks have become fertile ground for debate about how to raise childrensomething that is used especially by first-time parents who want to know what is the best method to have a ‘model’ son or daughter for society. And while a few days ago we were talking about helicopter parentsnow we have to focus on FAFO parenting, which is at the opposite end and is gaining strength on the networks. FAFO parenting. These acronyms they come from the English ‘Fuck Around and Find Out’ which could be translated as ‘do something stupid and find out what happens’. This is a term that, although it lacks a formal academic basis, under that specific name has become popular to describe a parenting style based on natural consequences. The premise here is quite simple: if a child refuses to put on his coat in winter, the parent does not insist; allows the child to go out, feel cold, and “discover” why the coat was necessary. However, experts point out that the FAFO label is being often used as a “license for parental indifference. A tougher model. Right now FAFO is a trend, but if we look back, we come from a time where social control and extreme protection were on the order of the day with what was known as ‘helicopter parents’. And to understand it, you have to know that right now we have three main axes for raising the little ones: Desirable authoritarian: with clear limits combined with high emotional support, who uses the consequences of actions as a learning tool, but with parental supervision. ‘Just plain’ authoritarian: There is little affection towards minors, causing “I told you so” to prevail over understanding and empathy. Permissive: Here there is an absence of limits and total freedom for minors, meaning that there is no clear structure. The FAFO problem radical is that it slides dangerously towards the authoritarian style or detachment. Here the studies indicate that children raised under purely punitive or indifferent discipline have higher levels of stress, which can lead to anxiety and long-term behavioral problems. Its risks. The controversy arises especially when the strategy lacks emotional support for the child, since allowing a child to “find” the consequence of their actions is only educational if the child’s brain is capable of processing that cause-effect relationship. And it is not something that everyone can, because a 3-year-old child does not have the prefrontal cortex developed enough to understand that his tantrum caused the loss of a toy as a logical lesson, but only perceives the pain of the loss and the coldness of his father who left him crying. How it should be done. And what has to be prioritized in parenting is learning so that it continues to evolve, but logically everything must be adapted to the maturity of the child, there must be supervision to guarantee safety and subsequent emotional support is essential. The big problem with the FAFO approach, as promoted on the networks, is that it often eliminates that last point and makes it necessary to show indifference, inattention or public humiliation. Something that only increases stress. Against overprotection. FAFO triumphs because we come from a time where ‘helicopter’ parenting and ‘snowplow’ parents have dominated in many families. Now we have a reactive effect on overprotection on the table. Although, as positive parenting guides point out, teaching a child that his actions have consequences does not require coldness. Letting the child “crash” can be a very valuable lesson, as long as his parents are there immediately afterwards to help him manage the frustration, without humiliation or the phrase ‘I told you so’. Images | freepik In Xataka | In 2007, Spain forced men to take longer sick leave to care for their children. Fertility then fell.

The current that warms Europe will weaken by 51% before the end of the century. And Spain, according to experts, is already beginning to notice

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“The 5% chance just became 50%.” This quote from Stefan Rahmstorf, the world’s leading expert on the collapse of the AMOC, describes the change it introduces the study just published by the University of BordeauxIt’s this April 15th. But the story goes beyond the number: it is the latest installment of the great climate debate of the decade. A debate that, whoever wins, we are all losing. What exactly is AMOC and why do we care? The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is the North Atlantic branch of the thermohaline circulation. Since the sun does not heat the sea equally everywhere and freshwater flows reach the ocean at very specific points, this is the basic mechanism by which the oceans balance differences in temperature and salinity. The AMOC is a good example of this regulation. After all, as explained from AEMETit is an “Atlantic basin-scale north-south ocean flow that begins with cold sea water sinking to the bottom off Greenland, subsequently flowing south, and being replaced by warmer water flowing at the surface from the south, transferring heat from the tropics to the east coast of North America and the west coast of Europe.” Therefore, it is a key mechanism and if it stops, as studies began to say a decade ago, the problems for Europe would be enormous. Huge? “Without it, Western Europe and eastern North America would cool significantly, with a host of potential adverse effects,” said Sánchez Laulhé. We talk about a “widespread cooling throughout the North Atlantic and northern hemisphere in general” that would collapse the temperature in Europe would drop several degrees and cause a “strengthening of winter storms, with more and more powerful explosive cyclogenesis” and a “greater proportion of precipitation falling in the form of snow throughout Europe.” However, scientists do not fully agree. In 2021, the IPCC said the AMOC was “unlikely” to collapse. In 2023, the Ditlevsens not only said that it was a probable scenario, but that they set the first date for the collapse. In 2024, 44 signatories They asked to take the problem seriously. But in January 2025 Terhaar, Vogt and Foukal said which, in short, had not weakened since 1063. Now, the University of Bordeaux states that the AMOC will weaken by around 51% by the end of the century with a confidence level of 90%, under the intermediate emissions scenario. What can already be seen. French researchers they are right in which the most recognizable observational signal of the weakening of the AMOC is the “cold spot” of the subpolar Atlantic south of Greenland. In the midst of climate change, “the only point on the planet that has cooled in the last century.” However, we are also not clear what that really means. And there is the key. So will Europe freeze? Probably, but that’s not what’s interesting. Throughout the history of the Atlantic it has been passed many times. The question is whether it will be soon, if it will be our fault, if we can avoid it and what consequences it will have. Be that as it may, Spain will not be the most affected, but it will be. It is being. Stefan Rahmstorf, for example, said last year at the Autonomous University of Madrid that “the slowdown of the AMOC is already having impacts in Spain.” You just have to know how to read the signs. Image | Xataka In Xataka | We have been fearing the fading of the AMOC current for years. We have good news

The rain has transformed the driest desert on the planet into a sea of ​​flowers. It’s a sight to behold and a problem for experts

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The Atacama Desert bloomed again in spring. After the August rains, more than 200 species from the Chilean region were activated and provoked the first major flowering since 2017. The Internet was filled with impressive photos, but (beyond the hype) there is a central problem: increasingly clear signs of a destabilized climate system. What has happened? In August 2025, a storm left accumulated between 40 and 60 mm in the Chilean Atacama Region. Specifically in the south: in Huasco, Freirina, Vallenar and the Llanos de Challe National Park. As a consequence, flowering started in the third week of September and reached its peak between the end of September and mid-October. He show was amazing: a mantle of red and yellow añañucas, of sighs, of huilles, of guanaco legs and lion’s claws. And why are we talking about this now? It’s a good question. Historically desert blooms occurred between 5 and 7 years. Typically linked to El Niño phenomena. In the last 40 years, Chile has recorded about 15 superblooms. The striking thing about this case (as happened in 2022 and 2025) is that it is linked to La Niña conditions. And, indeed, one may be a coincidence, but three so close together mark a trend. And the problem is that more blooms are not always good news. And so? As explained Maria Fernanda Pérezan ecologist at the PUC of Chile, out-of-season blooms generate a gap between flowering and pollinators. What’s the point of having pollen if we don’t have bees to do their job? Indeed: absolutely nothing. What’s more, if climate change causes this type of blooms on a regular basis, this deregulation could cause very serious problems. After all, just think that a guanaco paw seed can spend fifteen years on the desert floor until its time comes; If it germinates and there is no one to pollinate it, there will not be another seed. Climate change is going to cause us more problems than we are able to imagine. Because the serious thing is not the sea level, the melting of the glaciers or the rise in temperatures (that too). The most important thing is these little things that change everything. Things so small that we haven’t thought about them. Image | In Xataka | The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on the planet. And right there a bunch of “crazies” are trying to get water out of the fog.

Science and longevity experts are clear about what time you should wake up

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For years, the culture of effort and extreme productivity has sold us the “five o’clock club“like him Holy Grail of successtaking as examples to CEOs, influencers or personal development gurus who point out the need to wake up at five in the morning. However, science focused on aging has a very different message: waking up too early is not only not productive, but it can shave years off our life. The experts. Sebastian La Rosaa doctor specializing in longevity, already pointed out that the optimal time to wake up is in a very specific window: between 6:45 and 7:00 in the morning. And the reality is that the scientific literature supports its claims based on clinical experience quite well. Without going any further, an analysis that lasted for 20 years in large groups of people revealed that the lowest point of mortality risk is exactly around seven in the morning. From this point on, extremes (as often happens in biology) are quite expensive. The extremes. Get up constantly after 8 in the morning raises the risk of mortality from all causes by a staggering 39%. But being a night owl and waking up super early every day isn’t good for your health either. This is what they saw from the data extracted from the UK Biobankwith a sample of more than 433,000 people, showing that the evening chronotype (going to bed late and getting up late) has a 10% higher risk of mortality total compared to early risers, impacting more harshly on people over 63 years of age. More tests. On the other hand, a massive study from the University of Exeter found that people who wake up naturally between five and seven in the morning reduce their risk of premature mortality by between 20 and 25%. This fits perfectly with the recommendation to go to sleep between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. to achieve 7 or 8 hours of restful sleep and protect, in the process, cardiovascular health. The golden rule. While 7:00 a.m. seems like the evolutionary magic hour, researchers at Harvard and other pioneering institutions have reached an even more important conclusion: consistency is the most important factor. In this way, having irregular sleep schedules, such as going to bed and getting up at very different times each day, increases the risk of mortality between 20 and 48%. In fact, the regularity of the sleep-wake cycle has been shown to be a stronger predictor of mortality than the total number of hours slept. This forces the scientific consensus to establish that sleeping between 6 and 8 hours is ideal, with exactly 7 hours being the figure linked to greater survival in large population cohorts. But if we choose to sleep less than seven hours or more than eight hours, the body can become unbalanced and increase the risk of death. Hacking the internal clock. Behind all these statistics there are pure cellular mechanics. In animal models, it has been proven that having “high amplitude” circadian rhythms, with very marked differences between daytime alertness and nighttime rest, directly correlates with greater longevity. When this biological clock is altered by living behind sunlight, we alter metabolic pathways critical for aging such as via mTOR, sirtuins or IGF-1. Exposing yourself to natural light as soon as you wake up around seven in the morning is the signal that the brain needs to set this complex hormonal mechanism in motion, mitigating oxidative damage and preventing cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Images | muntazar mansory In Xataka | If you fall asleep in less than five minutes, you don’t have a “superpower”: it’s a warning signal from your brain

For experts the question is whether we are in uncharted territory

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For hours, the state of the Fresnillo dam was subject of rumors, hoaxes and concern. The reservoir, extremely close to the urban area of ​​Grazalema, was being monitored by the UME and preventive evictions had been carried out in the homes near the Gaidóvar riverbank. Finally, the mayor had to come out to deny that the rip of the dam was a scenario that was on the table. But the day was not over. 229 kilometers from there, around twelve at night, the Civil Guard began the complete eviction of Dúdara town in Granada at the foot of the Quéntar dam. The swamp It was at 101.46% of its capacity and I had to start pumping out water at full speed. A few kilometers from there, the Genil destroyed the Fabriquilla bridge and part of the old electrical installations of Hazallanas Other neighbors in the area, too They were relocated due to the rise of the river Aguas Blancas and, in Poniente Granada, hundreds of people slept in sports centers before the overflow del Genil, Colomera, Cubillas and the problems around the Frailes and Cacín rivers. In Córdoba, Navallana has been forced to unload and, as a consequence, the Guadalquivir channel receives more pressure. Back in Cádiz, the Bornos reservoir too is approaching its maximum capacity and, according to the local pressthe dam has dawned with two backhoes in case the floodgates had to be opened even more. That is to say, the lamination capacity of the Andalusian containment system is reaching its limit. The UME is taking control of entire municipalities and there are more than twenty roads blocked in several southern provinces. And the worst is not that. The worst thing is that it is going to continue raining. An overflowing community At this time, 14 rivers are under red warning today and another 31 are under orange warning. Rivers such as the Guadalete, the Genil, the Guadiaro and the Guadalhorce They are not just responding to today’s rain.but to the inability of the basin to drain what has accumulated in the last 48 hours. The best example is called Huétor Tájar (in Granada). There the Genil River – the largest tributary of the Guadalquivir – completely overflowed and the chaos has been so enormous that The army has had to take control of the entire area. Above all, because this occurred before the discharges from the headwaters of the river (still contained by the Canales reservoir) reached the area. But the key data is that of Grazalema. Although the official figures will obscure the record (because they are measured by hydrological days), the truth is that that corner of Cádiz has received more than 600 liters per square meter in 24 hours. Today, in addition, there are more than 100. And that is key because every dam (every river engineering work) is made with one key piece of information: the return to 500 years. That is, the risk of flooding at 50, 100 and 500 years. What if what is happening in Grazalema is not something specific? What if climate change is updating the chances that extreme events of this type will happen much more often? We tend to have a stereotypical view of global warming, but these are the things where it really makes a real difference: in the ability to put our infrastructures in check more criticism. In this sense, when the worst of this crisis is over, when the rain and floods give us a break, we will have to understand all this as a great stress test for our water system. And more importantly, we will have to act accordingly. Image | Dream Flower In Xataka | 180 liters where 60 were expected: why the high-resolution models have “crashed” against the Grazalema wall

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