explains

Science has measured how dinner affects sleep and the result explains why you wake up craving sugar

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Almost everyone has experienced an annoying night tossing and turning in bed after a heavy dinner or fat. Under this pretext, science has gone one step further to demonstrate that the relationship between what we eat and how we rest is completely bidirectional, making what we eat determine whether we are going to rest better or worse. And the most surprising thing is that sleeping poorly can cause us to need to consume more sugar the next morning. A Granada studio. In February 2026 the magazine European Journal of Nutrition public a revealing investigation led by the University of Granada, where researchers monitored the habits of 146 adults with obesity. To do this, they used special watches to analyze accelerometry over a period of 14 days, to later cross-reference the activity data with dietary surveys of what had been consumed throughout the day. Prohibited items. One of the most interesting conclusions reached was undoubtedly the relationship between certain foods and poor rest. And to be clear, the elements that should be prohibited at our dinner are the following: Saturated fats. Eating excess protein and, more specifically, eating red meat for dinner. French fries, or fried foods in general, reduce the quality of sleep. Alcohol is one of the classics on this topic, since, although it generates a feeling of sleep, it destabilizes its quality. Large meals cause slow digestion and cause nighttime awakenings, preventing you from entering into a deep and restful sleep. Highly recommended foods. On the contrary, the passport to restful sleep seems to lie in another type of nutritional profile. Interestingly, carbohydrates, often demonized at night, were associated with better rest in this study. Although we are not talking about sugar directly from the sugar bowl, but rather complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or potatoes, because help transport tryptophan to the brain. But in addition, the consumption of oily fish such as salmon or sardines is also recommended, since they are rich in omega-3 and especially tryptophan. The reasons. As we see, tryptophan is key in the diet to induce quality sleep, and it is no wonder. Biochemistry tells us that the tryptophan that we ingest through the diet is converted into serotonin and, subsequently, that serotonin is transformed into melatonin, the well-known sleep hormone. And for this chain to work we need very important factors such as vitamin B6, magnesium or zinc. But this also adds to a much less difficult digestion when talking about foods that are barely fatty and that do not require a lot of work on the part of our body and that do not invite reflux symptoms to appear that can be really annoying at night. Specific foods. With scientific support behind it We find the kiwi, since here a trial pointed out that eating two kiwis, one before going to sleep, reduces the time to fall asleep by 35%. But it also increases sleep duration by 13% due to its contribution of antioxidants and natural serotonin. Additionally, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard or lettuce provide magnesium and tryptophan. And if vegetables are not for you, we also have eggs, either boiled or in an omelet, which provides tryptophan and vitamin B6, along with the classic grilled chicken breast, which is also an excellent source of tryptophan. The rebound effect. However, the true clinical contribution of the research is to show that this problem is, in reality, a cycle that feeds on itself in a dangerous way. Here the researchers found that when participants experienced a poor night’s sleep, breakfast was marked by a higher consumption of sugars and a lower intake of fiber. Images | Slaapwijsheid.nl Debbie Tea In Xataka | We have accepted that “deep sleep” is the standard for sleep quality: science points in another direction

This Norwegian valley has rocks on either side of the river that act like a giant pile. Maybe that explains your ghost lights

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The Hessdalen lights are a mysterious phenomenon which has been reported in the valley of the same name, in Norway, since 1811. However, it was in the 1980s when they began to be taken more into account, especially in 1984, when the Hessdalen project was established, aimed at monitoring them and trying to explain them. Unfortunately, despite all the efforts that have been put into this, it is currently not known exactly what this is due to. Although it is true that there are some hypotheses. A very disparate phenomenon. Both witnesses who have seen them and scientists who have recorded or photographed them describe the Hessdalen lights as a very disparate phenomenon. Sometimes they are formed at ground level, other times on roofs or at the height of mountain peaks. Sometimes they move more or less homogeneously, other times they move erratically, changing direction for no apparent reason. They are normally white and yellow, although they have been observed in other colors. Some last only a few seconds, while some can remain in the air for more than an hour. Even the shapes vary from an American football to an upside-down Christmas tree. The only thing that most witnesses seem to agree on is that they are about the size of a car. Hessdalen Project. A multidisciplinary team of scientists from several Norwegian institutions launched a project aimed at monitoring the lights of Hessdalen. Since then, they have been monitored thanks to the installation of radioelectric spectrum analyzers, magnetometers, seismographs, photo cameras, Geiger counters and infrared cameras. That is, earth tremors, magnetism, radioactivity and, ultimately, the emission of energy at different lengths of the electromagnetic spectrum are analyzed. This tracking system began operating in 1984 and is still active today. A peculiar hypothesis. One of the most peculiar hypotheses that have been made about the Hessdalen lights is that they could be the visible result of the formation of a wormhole micrometer that connects two points in space time. In reality, this hypothesis was raised in a magazine with little scientific reputation, very given to conspiracy theory and the supernatural, so it is not the most accepted at all. Hypotheses in the air. Thanks to the monitoring of these lights, there are much more plausible hypotheses. To begin with, it is thought that the Hessdalen lights could be due to the decay of radon, a very abundant gas in the Norwegian atmosphere. This disintegration would produce alpha particles capable of ionizing the molecules present in the air and dust, giving rise to structures capable of emitting light, called Coulomb crystals. Hypotheses on the ground. There are also hypotheses that point to the geology of the valley. For example, it is believed that it could be due to the combustion in the presence of air of dust clouds rich in scandium, an element that is abundant in the soil of this Norwegian region. It could also be a piezoelectric effect. This is the effect by which some materials are capable of emitting electricity when pressed or deformed. Quartz, for example, has great piezoelectricity and turns out to be very abundant under the valley floor. Copper is also abundant, which is a great conductor of electricity. And speaking of electricity, a battery effect could also be occurring. On one side of the river in the valley there are rocks very rich in zinc and iron. On the other side, rocks very rich in copper. The former could act as the anode of a battery and the latter as the cathode. In turn, local mines rich in sulfur could be releasing this element into the river, which would act as the bridge of a battery, allowing electricity to flow. If there is electricity, there is light. All these electricity emissions could be causing the ionization of molecules present in the air, giving rise to a process in which light is emitted. It is something similar to what happens with the northern lights, although the origin of the ionizing particles is totally different. The color of light depends on the molecules in the air. That is why it is not always exactly the same, although white and yellow tend to be abundant. In short, it is still not known where these mysterious lights come from, which can be seen both day and night. But that is precisely why they are so fascinating. Image | Bjørn Gitle HaugeØstfold University College, Fredrikstad, Norway In Xataka | Norway works little but produces a lot and that stresses them out. Generation Z has found the solution: the four-day week

Jony Ive, iPhone designer, explains why the Ferrari Luce rejects touch screens

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You either love him or hate him, but he Ferrari Luce It has not left almost anyone indifferent. The firm’s first 100% electric car is a statement of intent. A commitment to the future that, to do so, gets rid of a good part of its past. And in that setting there is a unique element: the prominence of physical controls and the reduction in the relevance of screens in cars. Why bad design can be lethal. Leo Abrams was publishing these days a video interview in which he asked Jony Ive because of something he had said in the past: “people are dying because of bad design.” What did that mean? In the case of the car, the answer for him was clear: “Multitouch technology is wonderful for a mobile phone, because when you’re using a phone, you’re looking at that phone. But multitouch technology shouldn’t be in a car, I think, because if you have to do basic things, it requires by definition that you don’t look at where you’re going in the car, and that you look at the screen.” Stop looking at the screen so much. For Ive the danger is obvious: if you don’t look at the road, you have a good chance of having an accident. It is a discourse already known in the automotive segment, and since touch screens they became fashionable the debate has always been there. Replacing traditional physical controls with controls that were more typical of a mobile phone or tablet seemed like a recipe for disaster. The Euro NCAP certification body took this into account for your tests: five stars can only be achieved if some functions (turn signals, hazard lights, horn, windshield wipers) ensure the use of physical controls. muscle memory. The problem is not the screen itself, which is tremendously useful for things like GPS navigation, but rather that “touch blindness” that these touch screens impose. Physical buttons allow you to use muscle memory: you can operate them without looking. Touch screens force you to look where you press, which we insist, introduces serious risks while driving. Multitouch technology is not for everyone or everything. Ive also reflected on how any tool has the potential to be used for good and evil “in unpredictable and unexpected ways”, and that is one of the reasons why for him the role of touch technology in the Ferrari Luce had to be almost anecdotal. “I was very fortunate to be involved in the development of multitouch technology. It’s a fantastic technology that makes some new user interfaces possible, but it has to be used appropriately, thoughtfully and carefully.” Result: fewer screens, more touch. The interior of the Ferrari Luce It was the first thing we were able to know about this carand it was already clear at that moment that this was going to be a Ferrari very different from the rest of the Ferraris but that retained that love of touch: the Luce uses physical controls, rotary dials, switches and buttons everywhere. The screens are also present, yes, but touch is clearly a priority over sight, at least when it comes to controlling the vehicle’s options. This is about being better. At the beginning of the interview, Ive made a point: “just because the power source is electrical, one seems to assume that the interface should be digital and that is a big leap and I think that thinking that is presumptuous.” It seems evident that from the beginning Ive and the Ferrari designers and engineers were clear that this car was going to be differentand Ive himself confirms it: “We are trying to solve problems in new ways. Not to be different or new, but to be better.” In Xataka | The new Ferrari Luce is much more than Ferrari’s first electric car. It is a desperate cry to find a new audience

science explains why it is the worst possible idea

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Chances are, if you’re faced with a jellyfish sting right on the beach, someone in your group of friends will quickly suggest an eschatological solution: piss on the sting. This advice is, without a doubt, one of the most widespread home remedies in popular culture and on internet forums. Much of the blame lies with one of the most successful comedies in the history of television. In 1997, the series Friends aired the episode titled “the one with the jellyfish.” In an unforgettable scene, Monica is stung by a jellyfish and Joey quickly suggests that someone pee on her leg, claiming that he saw it on a Discovery Channel documentary and that ammonia would numb the pain. Faced with Joey’s “stage fright,” it is Chandler who finally performs the unpleasant task, leaving the trio deeply traumatized by the experience. The anecdote made millions laugh, but it also burned a supposed medical cure into the collective imagination. Fact or fiction on the seashore? Despite its television fame, science is blunt: Urinating on a jellyfish sting is an absolute myth and doesn’t work. Far from alleviating the bather’s suffering, this bodily fluid can drastically worsen the situation and increase the victim’s pain level. Various scientific studies and medical specialists completely rule out this practice. In fact, the prestigious publication Scientific American He already took care of denying this false remedy in 2007, warning of its dangers. The anatomy of a mistake. To understand why Joey’s advice is so dangerous, you first have to understand how does this animal attack. Jellyfish have thousands of specialized cells in their tentacles called cnidocytes or nematocysts. These structures work like tiny harpoons loaded with venom that, upon sensing a mechanical stimulus (such as the touch of a leg) or a chemical change, are fired in fractions of a second, injecting their toxins. The logic behind the myth is based on the fact that urine It contains compounds such as ammonia and urea, which could theoretically neutralize pain. However, human urine is composed mostly of water, so the amounts of ammonia are ridiculous and insufficient to stop stinging cells. Because it’s not a good idea. Urine is a freshwater-based liquid, and that sudden change in salinity causes the “harpoons” still attached to the skin to activate, injecting even more poison into the bloodstream. Additionally, the force and speed of the urine stream acts as a physical stimulant that agitates the residual tentacles. As jellyfish biologist Lisa Gershwin explainsthe poison is neutralized with acids, but the acidity of human urine is variable; If the pH is alkaline, it will cause 100% of the stinging cells to fire, turning this remedy into a dangerous “urinary roulette”. So what should we do? If urine is discarded, how should we act in the sand? Experts and medical institutions recommend following this first aid protocol: Wash with salt water: The area should be rinsed immediately with sea water or saline solution. Fresh water should never be used, as the change in osmotic pressure will burst the remaining stinging cells. Removing the tentacles: Remove visible remains using fine tweezers or the edge of a plastic credit card. It should never be rubbed with bare hands or rubbed with a towel or sand. Apply temperature: To relieve pain, it is very effective to immerse the area in hot water for about 20 minutes. You can also apply cold using ice, but always wrapped in a towel or plastic, never directly on the skin. Use of vinegar (with caution): The acetic acid in vinegar helps neutralize the tentacles of certain species, such as the dreaded sea wasp (Cubozoa) or the compass jellyfish. However, it is totally contraindicated in bites from the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis), as it will make the reaction worse. Immediate medical attention: If things get complicated and symptoms appear beyond simple stinging, such as difficulty breathing, pressure in the chest, nausea, vomiting or muscle cramps, then you should seek medical help or go to the emergency room as soon as possible. The idea was a joke that looked good on screen. Pop culture is a wonderful tool for entertainment, but shows like Friends They should not be used as clinical survival manuals. When faced with a jellyfish sting, science asks us to forget beach myths, stay calm and trust in sea water, tweezers and heat. As Dr. Elias Hyams humorously summarizesa urologist at Brown University, warning about the ineffectiveness of this false home remedy: “It is always better to urinate in a bathroom than on a friend on the beach.” Image | Photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash Xataka | The silent condemnation of “visual snow”: 3% of the world’s population sees the world with interference

There is an underlying reason that explains it, according to Bloomberg

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The agreement between OpenAI and Apple, announced at WWDC24brought together all the ingredients to become one of the most refined movements in the sector. The artificial intelligence company of the moment landed with its star product in the ecosystem of the technological giant where practically everyone wants to be. ChatGPT began to occupy a privileged position within the devices compatible with Apple Intelligence– The user could take advantage of its capabilities from Siri and Writing Tools, and even link their account to access a more complete experience. And yes, unlike other Apple Intelligence features, like the new Siri, that ended up being delayedthe integration with ChatGPT did end up being deployed on the apple company’s different platforms. What did not materialize, according to Mark Gurmanwere the results that OpenAI expected. The startup led by Sam Altmanexplains the Bloomberg analyst, was confident in an avalanche of new paying subscribers that would translate into billions of dollars in annual revenue, at a time when every dollar counted. Two years after that agreement, even the possibility of legal action begins to appear on the horizon. The agreement, furthermore, was not exactly frozen in that first photo from WWDC24. Bloomberg points out that the integration ended up expanding with new entry doors: users could subscribe to ChatGPT directly from the iOS settings, Apple incorporated it as an option to create images in Image Playground and also used it to analyze on-screen content. On paper, it was no small feat. The problem, always according to the sources consulted by Gurman, is that these expansions were simply not enough. An alliance without money involved, but with many expectations The economic key to the agreement helps to understand why the disenchantment weighs so much. The American media already explained in June 2024 that Apple was not paying OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its systems. Nor was it considered, at least at that time, as an operation in which OpenAI would buy its place within the iPhone. The payoff lay elsewhere: Apple offered distribution, visibility, and potential access to a gigantic user base. For a company that needed to turn popularity into recurring revenue, that promise was apparently worth as much as a check. Now, the reality was much less brilliant. Bloomberg says user studies conducted by OpenA suggest that Apple customers turned much more frequently to the standalone ChatGPT application than to the integration within Siri and other system services. That information changes the reading of the agreement. If the user already has the habit of opening the app, the presence in Apple Intelligence stops working as an entrance door and it becomes something more secondary: it is there, but it does not necessarily drive the business. The shape chosen by Apple would not have helped much either. The use of ChatGPT within their systems remained limited. The reproach attributed to OpenAI has a quite concrete logic. Bloomberg notes that the company hoped Apple would put ChatGPT in a more prominent place, not just as an option available if the user knew where to look for it. It also relied on broader integration with in-house apps and more intense promotion within its platforms. But the matter goes further. Gurman assures that OpenAI lawyers are working with an external firm on different legal options that could be executed soon. One of them would be to send Apple a notification by alleged breach of contractwithout this necessarily implying filing a lawsuit from the first moment because it aims to resolve the conflict outside of court. It should be noted that there is no official information, and that Apple and OpenAI did not comment following the request of the American economic media. Apple, for its part, doesn’t seem very comfortable either. The company reportedly maintained reservations about OpenAI, including whether the startup did enough to protect user privacy. Added to this is a more recent tension: OpenAI no longer wants to limit itself to software and works on devices with several former Apple peopleincluding Jony Ive. For Cupertino, according to Bloomberg, the signing of engineers from its hardware teams would also have been especially annoying. That scenario is going to change even more. Already at WWDC24 Apple announced that it would open the door to integrate other AI systems in its ecosystem. So everything seems to indicate that it is a matter of time until OpenAI rivals such as Google with Gemini either Anthropic with Claude land within the apple company’s ecosystem. It would not be an expulsion from ChatGPT, but it would be an obvious loss of prominence. We have to wait to see how this agreement and the relationship between both companies will evolve. Images | Xataka with Nano Banana In Xataka | The ‘Chinese Netflix’ has designed a plan for AI to generate the majority of its content within five years. It sounds risky

Science explains why your brain prefers paper to keyboard to learn

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In an era dominated by mechanical keyboards, touch screens and cutting-edge tablets, the ancestral gesture of slide a pen over the paper seems like an anachronism reserved for people who haven’t updated. And this is a reality in areas of study such as, for example, universities, where it is rare to see someone studying by hand. But the reality is that, to be much more productive while studying, it may be best to put the laptop aside and start writing. The ‘magic’ of the pen. Here science, in its different disciplines, has concluded that taking notes by hand significantly improves retention and comprehension compared to actively using digital devices. And it’s not a question of romanticism, it’s a question of neural processing. A transcription effect. One of the pillars of this evidence is in a study published in 2014 which pointed out that students who use laptops to take notes become authentic transcribers of what the teacher says. And we have reached the point where many people can write faster than teachers speak and become “transcription machines” without processing the information. and stay with what is most important. I have even seen that even jokes end up being copied. On the contrary, who writes by hand You can’t write it all down. This requires you to engage in active cognitive processing: you must listen, digest, synthesize, and rephrase the idea in your own words. This “desirable difficulty” generates a much deeper encoding in memory that lasts even a week after the study. Better paper. Beyond the transcription effect, neuroscience has confirmed that the benefit is not only strategic, but also physical. Here, a study from 2021 published by the University of Tokyo demonstrated using electroencephalograms that handwriting activates brain areas critical for memory, language and fine movement. This is why, when using a pen, it has been seen that the hippocampus is significantly activated, which is essential for memory and spatial coding of information. But it does not stop there, since up to 25% more neuronal connectivity has been detected in complex tasks when the analog method is used. This explains why students in highly demanding careers tend to perform better cognitively when they opt for neural methods such as engineering. Less distractions. Beyond neurons, paper offers a competitive advantage in the study environment, since it is a closed system. This is very important because a tablet or laptop It is also a tool with open doors to notificationssocial networks and messaging apps that can be a temptation when it comes to interrupting the study quite easily. In addition, it facilitates word recognition and visual memorization, something vital for competitive exams or high-level exams such as a competition. And while well-designed digital notes may be superior for quickly remembering a single fact, paper wins by a landslide in conceptual understanding. Images | yanalya in Magnific In Xataka | The 2-7-30 method has become one of the fashionable systems to study faster. Science has doubts

science explains what happens to your body (and your brain) depending on the time you choose

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In social circles, the truth is that there are sometimes very interesting debates about common customs, such as whether it is better to shower first thing in the morning or just before getting into bed. Here, while there is a group of people who defend tooth and nail the revitalizing power of water in the morning to “start” the day, others say that there is nothing like hot water at night to conclude sleep. And here science has something to say. It makes us sleep better. If you have trouble falling asleep, the science here suggests that a nighttime shower may be a good idea, and explained in a meta-analysis published in 2019 in the magazine Sleep Medicine which analyzed 17 different studies. Here it was concluded that bathing or showering with hot water between one and two hours before going to bed reduces the time to fall asleep by approximately 36%. Because? Here hot water is our main ally, since it warms the skin and, therefore, increases blood flow to the extremities such as the hands and feet. From here, when you get out of the shower, that heat dissipates quickly, causing a drop in the body’s core temperature. And this is the key, because this thermal drop mimics the natural cooling that our body experiences before sleeping, which sends an unequivocal signal to the brain to release melatonin, which is the sleep hormone, and reduce levels of cortisol, which is related to stress. It depends on the time. From a psychological point of view, morning and night showers fulfill completely opposite functions and it depends precisely on the time at which we take them. In the case of the morning showerthe goal is increase performance with the activation of the sympathetic system by stimulating muscle tone and, above all, preparing us for the stress of the day. In the case of the night shower, as we have said before, an attempt is made to activate the parasympathetic system with a longer and more leisurely duration of the shower with the aim of reducing the accumulated physical and mental tension, fulfilling the function of an authentic ritual of transition and disconnection. According to psychology. Here we enter territory that is not so clear, but which indicates, for example, that people who prefer a shower at night do so because they have a lower tolerance for dirt, which is why they prefer to remove all the sweat of the day before going to bed. But it is also noted that people who prefer solitude tend to prefer nighttime showers, precisely because, after a day full of stimuli, the bathroom becomes a capsule of sensory disconnection. In the end, it is a way to relax from everything that has happened throughout the day. Images | freepik In Xataka | Cooling down is the forgotten step in our exercise routines. And that affects how we shower

Science explains why you leave the gym a month after starting

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The beginning of the year arrives, the gym fee is paid and you leave with great motivation religiously for several weeks. But a day appears where you can’t go due to overwork and, suddenly, you don’t play sports again for months. This is a description of what happens to many people, and although it is easy to blame a lack of discipline, the truth is that psychology points to the goals we set for ourselves. The culprits. As reported by El País, when we face To a new exercise routine, we set goals that are as rigid as if it were a new company we are creating. And this is a mistake, as a study published this year points out, showing that excessively rigid exercise plans encourage an “all or nothing” mentality. This means that if the goal is to “go to the gym 4 days a week for 1 hour” and one week you can only go two days for 20 minutes, the brain processes it as a total failure, which triggers dropout rates. But also, if they are very ambitious, great frustration can arise when you are not seeing the result because of how far away it is. The goals. We usually start the sport with a result in mind which can be “lose five kilos” or “get some good abs to go to the beach to show them off”, but science suggests that this is the wrong approach to adhering to this exercise plan in the long term. The evidence suggests that focusing on the process, such as proposing that tomorrow you will do a little more exercise than today, improves motivation. This is supported by self-determination theory, which shows that when exercise is associated with daily enjoyment and well-being, rather than achieving a number on a scale, it is maintained for longer. Flexibility. One of the great fitness myths is that you must reorganize your entire existence around your training routine to achieve results, and this can suffocate anyone. Here the science point because the goals must be individual and above all flexible in the event of an unforeseen work or social event, since sport can be seen as a real inconvenience. Autonomy. When exercise is perceived as a punishment or a medical obligation imposed to improve health, it has an expiration date that is very close. Here interventions reviewed by Infocop and publications of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMFYC) they insist in the need for progressive adaptation and, above all, giving positive feedback. The WHO itself, in its guidelines on physical activityemphasizes that health promotion should not be obsessed with the “optimal goal” and maximum performance, but with the creation of a sustainable habit that focuses on doing a little exercise so as not to be sedentary. Because the reality is that with a small amount of exercise time, The benefits achieved are incredible. Rescheduling goals. In summary of all this, we must keep in mind that we must avoid strict numbers at the beginning, such as ‘lose 10 kilos in two months no matter what’, and above all be compassionate towards failure, since a day without training does not ruin progress. In addition, we must opt ​​for activities that really motivate us and not the exercises that appear on TikTok and that are fashionable. Images | freepik In Xataka | We have been debating for years whether we should exercise at night or in the morning. The answer is in our DNA

the theory that explains why the rise in gasoline is here to stay

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Gasoline skyrockets. It is the consequence of the attacks on Iran and the country’s responses to the United States and Israel. In an enclave very exposed to any type of crisis, the Strait of Hormuz, oil transit is suffering harsh consequences. China already warns that it will not export its fuel. And, meanwhile, gasoline is rising at a dizzying pace. 20 cents. Tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, marks one week since the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Since then, hostilities in the Middle East have continued, with a response from Iran in which its neighboring countries and even the European Union have been involved. It was February 28 and gasoline was moving below 1.50 euros/liter on average. When we write these lines, March 6, the portal dieselgasolina.com which monitors the price of Spanish service stations offers a very different image: So far this month, prices have skyrocketed: Gasoline 95: from 1,495 euros/liter to 1,608 euros/liter. +11 cents/liter Gasoline 98: from 1,687 euros/liter to 1,766 euros/liter. +8 cents/liter Diesel A: from 1,447 euros/liter to 1,643 euros/liter. +20 cents/liter Diesel A+: from 1,549 euros/liter to 1,734 euros/liter. +19 cents/liter A week. Barely a week has been enough for the price of gasoline and diesel to skyrocket and, above all… there is no prospect of their ceiling. And the oil companies and service stations are already beginning to notify the Government that they are not willing to support a new gasoline subsidy, as would happen in 2022. This means that the prospects are not at all promising and the truth is that if we look at the progress of the conflict, everything indicates that we can expect the worst. Right now: Sign of the increase in price in a few days like a rocket. What we are witnessing, again, is the theory of the rocket and the pen. When the supply chain falters, the price of gasoline skyrockets. However, its descent lasts for weeks or months, reproducing the effect of a feather. And, as soon as the last war in the Middle East began, gas stations have already started raising prices. It doesn’t matter that the impact of a rise in the barrel of Brent is not immediate on the prices at which they buy oil, the truth is that there are gas stations where prices have increased by more than 10% in the first days of the conflict, as you can see in the image above. The diesel. Although the price of gasoline is rising, without a doubt the biggest loser is the diesel customer. Spain continues to be a country whose automobile fleet is made up mostly for this type of fuel and seeing an increase of 20 cents/liter, on average, in just one week is hard. Its price is already higher than gasoline. What was once a historical raritytoday it has become a certain normality. As we already observed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war in this territory, diesel became more expensive because Russia was a big exporter of the same and European refineries had been reduced. That is to say, we had less fuel available on the market and for what there was we had two options: buy it at a high price or wait for the European funnel to ease. And the room for maneuver is small. But, in addition, since the War in Ukraine the State has been applying some measures that reduce the room for maneuver to try to patch the situation. Public transport is now much cheaper that then and gas stations and oil companies have already raised the hatchet against possible subsidies. A tax cut seems complicated. The State would be shooting itself in the foot, reducing revenue that also goes up when fuel prices rise. AND The European Union has been pressing for years so that diesel bonuses are eliminated and, therefore, taxes are equal to gasoline. Photo | Hamza Şamil Yavuz In Xataka | Europe has been demanding that Spain increase diesel prices for five years. And Spain is playing at being Spain

There is a graphic that explains the atrocity that has occurred in Grazalema. And it helps to understand why the people continue to be evicted.

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And that graph is Nahel Belgherzea meteorologist who covers extreme events throughout the world and who, despite being used to them, has described what has occurred in the mountains of Cádiz as “hydrologically absurd.” “Hydrologically absurd”? It is. Grazalema, according to available datahas received more than 2,000 mm of rain in the last 20 days alone. That is, more than a normal year of rain and we are at the beginning of February. It is not surprising that Spanish reservoirs accumulate 43,341 hm³ of water; that is, 5,634 hm³ more than last week. As of today, Spain is at an astonishing 77.34% of its total capacity. And, in fact, today, many reservoirs continue to drain before the arrival of more water. What do you see in the graph? The graph in question is very simple: it is the accumulated rainfall for the Grazalema station. On the Additionally, in gray, you can see the cumulates from other years. And, as you can see, the curve is almost vertical: it has rained unspeakably in a few days. Compared to normal years (when the river grows in spring and winter), there is now a totally enormous water boom. Something unprecedented. And, precisely that, is what is forcing CISC technicians to continue reviewing the Grazalema aquifer. While the City Council insists that the return of the residents will take place when a safe return can be “guaranteed”, researchers from the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) they are still on the ground. The aquifer, a geological structure 18 square kilometers in size, has been put under enormous pressure and authorities are focused on ruling out the slightest risk of collapse before the town’s inhabitants can return. The Junta de Andalucía, in fact, has been warning for days that it can go for a long time. Image | Nahel Belgherze In Xataka | Desertification is devouring southern Spain: Extremadura and Murcia face a completely dry future

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