Holy

We sensed that there were areas in Spain where longevity was greater. A map has just confirmed where the “Holy Land” is

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The year before the new millennium entered, the Belgian demographer Michel Poulain arrived in a small town in Sardinia looking for a statistical error: too many male centenarians to be credible. What he found there would end up giving rise to the concept of the “Blue Zones”the regions of the world where living for more than a hundred years is not a rarity, but almost a custom. Now, the same researcher claims to have found something similar much closer: in Spain. The map that confirms an old intuition. For years there was a suspicion almost intuitive in Spain: there were territories where people not only lived longer, but also aged better. Now a map has made it black on white. The demographer Michel Poulainwho, as we said, is one of the world’s great experts in longevity and creator of the modern concept of the Blue Zoneshas applied its extreme longevity index to the Spanish territory and the result draws a very clear pattern: The north and part of the interior have a probability of reaching 100 years that is up to three times higher than that of the south. It is not a cultural perception or a family anecdote. It’s demographic statistics. Where is the Spanish corridor. The map pinpoints a species privileged belt. Navarra, La Rioja, Soria, Guadalajara and Segovia top the classification, followed by other areas of Castilla y León, Catalonia, Álava and a good part of the northwest of the peninsula. In it opposite end appear Seville, Cádiz and Málaga, where the possibility of reaching a centenary falls very noticeably. The big surprise is not only the gap, but its magnitude: tripling the odds within the same country, with the same health system and political framework, forces us to look beyond genetics. We no longer talk about “blue zones.” The finding also changes the way we study aging. For years the dominant model was that of the Blue Zonesthose iconic places like Sardinia, Okinawa or Icaria where centenarians accumulate. But Poulain believes that model has fallen short. Now science speaks of “longevity corridors”: large areas where the combination of social, environmental, health and cultural factors generates a favorable ecosystem for living longer and better. Spain, and especially its northern halfone of those European corridors begins to emerge. It’s not magic, it’s lifestyle. The key, researchers insistit is not in a miracle recipe or a hidden superfood. Eating meaningfully, moving naturally, sleeping well, avoiding chronic stress, maintaining strong family ties, living connected to nature, and having purpose in life appear again and again as common patterns. They are simple habits, but sustained for decades. And therein lies the real lesson: longevity is not manufactured at 70, it is built from childhood. That is why experts insist so much on prevention and early education. The invisible factor. There is more, since one of the elements that is most repeated in these territories is something that rarely appears in an analysis: the social network. It talks about having support, not feeling alone, maintaining family and community ties, in short, continuing to be useful to others. That human tissue seems to act like silent protection against physical and mental deterioration. In many of these provinces, especially rural ones, there continues to be a denser social structure than in large cities. And that could be as important as diet or exercise. The great warning. Last but not least, there is a clear warning. The researchers they warn that these corridors are not eternal. Changes in diet, sedentary lifestyle, accelerated urbanization, loss of community and social isolation are eroding precisely the factors that made them possible. In other words, healthy longevity can be lost in a single generation if the environment changes. That is why the great objective now is not to admire centenarians as a rarity, but to study how they have gotten there to replicate those conditions. Because the map not only tells where you live most. It also points out perhaps something more important: where a way of living that the rest of the country is losing is still preserved. Image | Pexels,ELI, Adam Jones In Xataka | They don’t bring suitcases, they bring medical records: how Spain has become the new European mecca of longevity In Xataka | Putin has become obsessed with eternal life. And that’s why he has scientists experimenting with organs in pigs

the holy grail of space propulsion is closer thanks to plasma

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For many years, the aerospace industry has worked on the development of rockets powered by solid fuels. These have many advantages, such as simplicity, long life and high thrust-to-weight ratio. However, they have a huge drawback. Once these fuels start burning, they continue to do so until they are spent. There is no way to stop and restart the reaction, as is normally done in space maneuvers. Despite everything, a group of scientists from the Aerospace Corporation, the University of Southern California and the Naval Postgraduate School has been working in the development of new generation solid fuels, in which there are solutions for each of these drawbacks. At the moment, they only have a proof of concept in the laboratory, but that first experimental development has given very good results. The problem. Solid fuels are blocks of solid propellant that already include within them the oxidizing substance that, with the necessary spark, starts the combustion reaction. The problem with these fuels is that, once they start burning, there is nothing to stop them and restart them. It would be useful to use electricity to dictate when combustion starts and stops, but until now that has not been possible. An ingredient and a mechanism. These scientists have developed their solid fuel with the help of an ionic liquid polymer. Although this is manipulated to form part of a solid matrix, it retains the electrical conductivity properties of the molten salts with which it was manufactured. On the other hand, this new solid fuel undergoes a process known as nanosecond pulsed plasma discharge (NPPD). In this process, very short, very high voltage pulses are generated, lasting less than 100 nanoseconds, giving rise to an ionization process in which we obtain plasma as a product. Then what? NPPD plasma is generated in the gas of the combustion zone. During ionization, electrons and free radicals are generated that, thanks to the ionic conductivity of the propellant, can interact with the flame front and control combustion. This can be stopped or reactivated by activating or interrupting the electrical pulses. Other advantages. Other great advantages of these fuels is that, due to their compact shape, they can be integrated into all types of space platforms, from CubeSats even large ships. The most benefited. Although many agencies and companies could jump on the solid fuel bandwagon if they become viable, the small ones will benefit the most. satellite operatorssince they normally cannot afford a complex liquid propellant-based upper stage in their rockets. Although they are simpler, they also need to maneuver, turning combustion on or off in steps such as orbit insertion. Solid fuel engines are simpler and can be cheaper. If the problems they already have are solved, they will become a real revolution for big and small fish. Image | 中央通訊社 In Xataka | 2023 was the year with the most space launches in history. The vast majority of SpaceX and China

We have been looking to replace the key ingredient in cement for years. We have found the Holy Grail: basalt

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In the midst of the era of decarbonizationthe first thing that comes to mind when we think about ways to emit less CO₂ into the atmosphere is the transition to renewable energy or electric vehicles. However, we can often overlook something that sends as many CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere each year as all the cars in the world: the cement. This material is essential and, although We have been looking for a replacement for yearsa team from the University of California believes they have found the key to creating greener cement. A cement without limestone that relies on silicates. Portland cement. It is the basic material that ‘links’ our reality. This paste resulting from the mixture of water, sand and stones is very resistant and, as we say, although we have been looking for a substitute for some time, the truth is that we have not found the key. It is still a structural part of buildings, bridges, dams or tunnels and the problem is that the cement industry is estimated to represent around 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And one of the problems with this cement is limestone. It is a simple rock to refine, but it requires a lot of energy. It is not that limestone pollutes by itself, but because of the process that must be followed to process it and make it a good ingredient in cement. This limestone must be heated to more than 1,500 degrees Celsius to produce the calcium oxide necessary for the mixture and it is estimated that half of all CO₂ emissions linked to cement production are related solely to that process with limestone. Focus shift. With that in mind, Jeff Prancevic (a geologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara) and Cody Finke (of Brimstone Energy) set out to replace the elephant in the room. If Portland cement is the most used and the limestone refining process is what pollutes the most in the process, the rock had to be removed from the equation. The key? Find other rocks rich in calcium, but that are easier to refine. Basalt to the rescue. And in the study published in Nature They detail how basalt is that rock that meets what they are looking for. After carrying out different analyses, they came to the conclusion that, in theory, manufacturing cement from these calcium-rich silicates can require less than 60% of the energy needed by limestone, reducing CO₂ emissions by 80% in the process. In numbers. It is estimated that, in the refining of limestone, 600 kg per metric ton of cement of CO₂ are sent into the atmosphere, but if we use other silicates, the authors calculate that these emissions could be around 50 kg per ton. In the least conservative calculations, the proposed solution would still cut more than 25% CO₂ compared to the standard process with limestone. Another interesting point is that the processing of these other rocks has the potential to give us valuable byproducts with high iron and aluminum content that could benefit other industries. That is, the material would be used more while contaminating less. The pasta question. The problem is… the same as always. When we talk about a new lbrick from recycled plasticsof sugar bricks or of others in the shape of a ‘staple’ that do not need cement to join together, the bottom line is that the construction industry should make a radical change in its processes. It is a huge liner that cannot be swerved overnight, no matter how many benefits these new materials have. And the same thing happens here. Although it is not about creating an alternative to cement, but rather using other rocks to extract the calcium that the mixture needs, the money comes into play in two ways. The first for the basalt deposits. If the cement industry has been organized around enormous limestone deposits to optimize processes, switching to basalt would imply relocating plants or creating new supply chains that would increase both time and costs. If something works… On the other hand, the margins of the cement industry, which has been shown to be extremely conservative throughout history. There is a product that works and changing something in the chain would involve carrying out a reorganization that they may not want to undertake. There is also the fact that yes, basalt has iron and aluminum as a byproduct, but the plants would have to be conditioned to be able to treat it properly, which would mean a huge initial investment. The authors of the study themselves indicate that it is difficult for an industry that for a century has been organized around Portland cement changed its way of acting one bit, but they also point out that, precisely for this reason, they have focused on finding materials such as basalt that are abundant, with reserves to maintain the current pace of construction for thousands of years and that emit less into the atmosphere. It is obtaining calcium from a different rock and its authors call on the industry, and other researchers, to experiment with new technologies that help accelerate the decarbonization of cement. The problem is that, as we say, there are too many drawbacks that the industry itself probably does not want to take on. Image | Cemco In Xataka | Coal is back in fashion in many countries. The problem is that it is clouding the sky from the solar panels

Perovskite is the “holy grail” of solar energy, but its industrial manufacturing was hell. This new technique changes everything at once

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Solar energy has a clear favorite to lead the future: tandem solar cells. The idea is brilliant and simple on paper, since if you combine traditional silicon with a top layer of revolutionary perovskite, you create a “super panel.” Perovskite swallows high-energy, short-wave light, and silicon finishes the job with longer waves. So the result is capturing much more solar spectrum and generating more electricity than with traditional plates. The valley of industrial death. The problem is that the photovoltaic industry had been banging its head against a wall for years. Perovskite was a wonder in the “Petri dish” of the laboratory, but manufacturing those very thin layers on a large scale, uniformly and quickly, was a true technical nightmare. Technology ran the risk of remaining an eternal promise, until a bridge built between Karlsruhe and Valencia showed that the problem was not the material, but the method. The 10 minute record. A team of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany and the University of Valencia, supported by institutions in France and Argentina, has just published a historic milestone in the magazine Nature Energy. They have designed an ultra-fast, solvent-free vacuum process that deposits the layer of perovskite at a pace never seen before. They have managed to manufacture tandem cells with a very high efficiency of 24.3% and the conversion process lasts just 10 minutes. To understand why this turns the industry upside down, you have to look at the factory numbers. As Professor Ulrich Paetzold (KIT) explainsIn the industry, not only efficiency matters, but also that the process is robust and scalable. This new method achieves a deposition rate of 47 nanometers per minute, that is, a speed ten times greater than that of conventional thermal evaporation methods. In addition, it consumes very little material and allows sources to be reused, drastically reducing costs. The “magic” of sublimation. The technique is called Closed Space Sublimation (CSS). We could say that it is like a microscopic oven: the precursor materials evaporate and collide directly against the silicon cell, which is placed just a few millimeters away. There they react on site to form the structure of the perovskite almost magically. Sofía Chozas-Barrientos, researcher at the University of Valencia, emphasizes that this system It allows you to do without solvents and save a lot of time. However, the recipe needed to be refined. For the tandem to work, the perovskite The upper part must act as a spectral filter (have a wider bandgap), and this is achieved by adding bromine. The drama was that, when trying to introduce bromine, it literally vanished during the process. The solution, according to researcher Alexander Dierckswas to create a mixed organic source by mixing methylammonium iodide and methylammonium bromide in an exact ratio of 3 to 1. Thus they managed to retain the bromine and nail an ideal band efficiency of 1.64 eV. Ready for the real world. The point is that good solar panels are not smooth; They are full of textures (with micropyramid shapes) to better catch the light. And this CSS process has worked perfectly on smooth, nanostructured and microstructured silicon, without having to touch a single button in the machine’s settings. Microscopes confirmed impeccable coverage in all topographies. As Professor Henk Bolink summarizesfrom the University of Valencia, a process that only works on smooth laboratory surfaces is of no use in industry. The fact that this sublimation achieves uniform layers on textured silicon is what makes this advancement real, viable and marketable. The future, on the roofs. Closing the gap between the laboratory and the factory is the great challenge of our energy era. With this Spanish-German milestone, the mass production of tandem solar technology finally removes the “unviable” label. The perovskite revolution no longer has to wait decades; is ready to make the leap to factories and, very soon, to rooftops around the world. Image | Eurekalert Xataka | Where you see an old bullet from the 17th century, Germany sees a magnificent source of perovskite for solar panels

Silicon-carbon seems to be the holy grail in batteries. I have spoken to an Honor engineer to verify this

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For years, smartphones have been asked for something that didn’t seem so complicated: that their battery last more than two days. It turns out that it was complicated, and that manufacturers have had to wait for the only technology that, for the moment, makes this possible to mature. This technology is the silicon-carbonand companies like Honor were pioneers in its implementation in commercial phones. He Honor Magic5 Prolaunched in 2023, was the first high-end smartphone to incorporate it. Three years later, the industry trend leaves no room for doubt: –this is the way– that is the way. After the launch of Honor 600at Xataka we have had the opportunity to speak with Lun Lu, one of the engineers in Honor’s battery department. And yes, he told us little things. Just because One of the greatest limitations of the human being has to do with the “what ifs”, followed by a negative consequence. In the case of silicon-carbon batteries, no manufacturer dared to implement them commercially. Until Honor decided to accompany her “what if…” with a positive consequence. I ask Lu when it was clear to them, when they knew it was the right time to make the jump to silicon-carbon. He tells me that a year before, in 2021, they felt that they were ready and were clear that the technology was mature. They began to allocate resources to design the architecture and start talking to their partners for mass production. This is precisely one of the keys that makes the process so slow. The chemistry of these batteriesthe changes that need to be made at the design level, the security measures that its implementation requires… it is a slow and delicate engineering process. And this answers my question why do you think that some of the Western manufacturers (Apple, Google) They are not yet on the boat. But… what exactly are we talking about? We are clear that Honor was the pioneer in introducing silicon-carbon but… what exactly are we talking about? How could we explain to someone who has no idea about technology what these types of batteries are and what they provide? Lu explains it without any complications: we are facing a great advance through which we can introduce batteries with much more energy in the same size. In other words, where certain mAh used to fit, now many more fit. Much more lithium per gram can be stored in silicon-carbon batteries than in traditional batteries, up to ten times more on a theoretical level. In the new Honor 600, without going any further, they have introduced a 6,400mAh battery in a body of only 7.8mm. It is much thinner than most of its direct rivals with 5,000mAh batteries, and in our analysis it has reached three days of use. Yes, but If the path to silicon-carbon was only surrounded by flowers, there would be no doubts about its implementation. But everything has fine print. We asked about the biggest challenges when implementing this technology. And the answer is clear: your safety, without room for discussion. Introducing silicon greatly complicates the internal stability of the cell, since its volumetric expansion when absorbing lithium ions is considerable and The fear of possible fans is present in the industry. Zhua says that designing this type of battery is a challenge, but that the department takes into account each of the limitations and possible problems of this technology with a view to the long term, since Honor knows that the trend in the industry is towards maintaining the same mobile phone for a few years. Another fairly recurring doubt with these batteries has to do with the cycles they support. In recent years, one of the obsessions has been to ensure that traditional batteries do not degrade excessively. after 1,000 cycles (about what we would do in a couple of years of heavy use). Although he does not reveal all his secrets, Lu says that Honor has been researching for years how to alleviate the early degradation of silicon-carbon, optimizing manufacturing processes to keep them to a minimum. The E1 and E2 chips, implemented in the Magic family and responsible for energy management (co-processors that accompany the main CPU), are responsible for controlling charging and discharging in real time, adjusting consumption according to temperature, voltage and use, and trying to improve cold performance. The last big limitation has to do with what Lu considers “a big problem,” and answers my question of how a manufacturer like Honor deals with having to make a device with one battery destined for China and another destined for Europe. The European Union has strict controls and restrictions with battery imports, and this is slowing down the advances that China is developing. “We would like to provide batteries with the most advanced technology and the highest energy density all over the world, but regulations cannot be discussed. What we can do right now is somewhat limited, because regulations are a red line that we cannot cross.” From the bar counter The phone battery is one of the components most subject to bar counter conversations. “Fast charging is bad.” “It is better to charge up to 80%.” “Silicon carbon batteries have almost no silicon.” Claims that are sometimes made without knowing the scientific support that supports them (or not). So I take the opportunity to ask Lu about some recurring myths and the direction in which these batteries are going. To the first question, it makes it quite clear to me that today there is no difference between charge quickly and charge slowly. There is some truth to the myth: uncontrolled fast charging is harmful, but current battery and charger design takes this issue into account. Regarding the famous 80-20% ruleit is something totally proven. There is no problem in charging to 100%, but keeping the battery in this range helps to extend its useful life. It is risky to give specific information on how many cycles we can gain, since it will depend on … Read more

A brotherhood in Sagunto has closed its doors to women during Holy Week. The decision threatens to cost the entire town

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What weighs more, tradition or equality? It seems like a whimsical question, but it’s exactly the same as yesterday they had to consider hundreds of brothers from Sagunto. There the members of Sang de Sagunt have had to make a controversial decision with Holy Week around the corner: Keep the doors of their brotherhood closed to women, preserving the status quo with which they have functioned in recent centuries, or accept the requests increasingly pressing of the women who want to procession just like the men of the town? For them there are few doubts. What has happened? That nothing will change in Sagunto. At least for now. Yesterday the brotherhood of the Sang de Sagunt decided by an overwhelming majority that it will remain faithful to tradition and keep its door closed to women. The members of the brotherhood with the right to vote were called to a conclave in which they had to decide a crucial question: whether or not to alter the statutes so that where it now says “male” it now includes “any baptized person”, a small change that would nevertheless allow women to participate in the work of the entity. The brothers voted for do not touch a single comma. What was the result? The vote was held behind closed doors, but its results were not long in coming. To begin with, we know that of the 1,627 brotherOnly 403 voted, all men, of course. Regarding the result, the ‘no’ to the change won resoundingly. 267 people spoke out against altering the statutes compared to 114 who supported it. Another eight brothers abstained, 12 voted blank and two issued invalid ballots. The result throws a bucket of cold water (the umpteenth) on the claims of the dozens of women of the Semana Santa Inclusiva Sagunto collective who were waiting gathered at the doors of the temple where the summit was held. Why is it important? Beyond the vote and what it means for the brotherhood, the result is important for several reasons. To begin with, it shows that, despite the attempts at Inclusive Holy Week, the message of equality is far from reaching the brotherhood. It’s not just that the ‘no’ won overwhelmingly, it’s that it’s the third time that the brotherhood has spoken out in that sense. A similar vote was held in 1999 in which only nine brothers They spoke out in favor of the inclusion of women. In 2022 the experience was repeated with the same result, although the ‘yeses’ shot up to 135, leaving at least a positive reading for women. Yesterday the vote did not even leave that little consolation. Support plummeted to only 114. Are there more reasons? Yes. Yesterday’s vote is also relevant for what it may represent for Holy Week in Sagunto. In February elDiario revealed that the Ministry of Tourism had initiated an investigation file to decide whether or not to remove the label Festival of National Tourist Interest (FITN). The reason: precisely the lack of gender equality in the brotherhood that has been in charge of the central events of Holy Week for centuries. The loss of the title would be a lot more than a simple administrative formality. The FITN label clears the way to benefit from promotion channels and subsidies, so if Sagunto loses that label it could be affected at a tourism level. The Government already has advanced which, after yesterday’s vote, has decided to initiate a file to “revoke” the 2004 declaration. Why did they vote against? In the background there is a key debate: Maintain the current status to preserve tradition or adapt it to the values ​​of the 21st century for greater equality? As the reporters who were waiting yesterday for the result of the vote at the doors of the temple explained, arguments in favor of both positions could be heard in the streets of Sagunto. At the summit, however, the first one won with arguments like “tradition is tradition” or that women can set up their “own brotherhood.” “We are sad, above all disappointed,” admits to The Newspaper Blanca Ribelles, from Holy Week Inclusive. “I thought that our society would have evolved and that we would be more mature than three years ago, because equality is something that is no longer questioned. It is not about being more, but about equality.” After collecting signatures to encourage voting, Ribelles recognizes that now the next move may be to go directly to court, although assures which is a path “that we would never have wanted to reach”. Is it a unique case? Not quite. What the group demands is that women not have to limit themselves to mending their clothes, cleaning the hermitage or raising funds. They want to go out in procession in “the usual brotherhood, the one they have always had.” It is not the only place in Spain where the debate has arisen. A year ago the Constitutional gave the reason to a woman from La Laguna (Tenerife) who reported a similar situation. The case has been resorted at the European level, however, which explains why yesterday it was not decisive in the Sagunto vote. Images | Sagunto Tourism and Valencian Community In Xataka | Holy Week has been a huge marketing campaign for decades. Now it even has board games

MicroLED promises to be the Holy Grail of televisions. That is your big problem today.

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There are technologies that are born with enormous promise. He MicroLED is one of them. Since Samsung introduced “The Wall” at CES 2018the sector has been telling us for years that this technology is going to revolutionize the way we watch television. And he is right. The problem is that this revolution has not reached anyone’s living room. who is not a billionaire. The technology has become the Holy Grail of the television industry, but the enormous cost of its manufacture means that only the most exclusive models and, let’s say it without frills, extremely expensive, can integrate this technology. Unlike what has happened with OLED or MiniLED, manufacturers have not managed to reduce production costs of these panels to make them competitive in mass manufacturing. What is MicroLED and why is it so special? To understand MicroLED you have to know how current screens work. Traditional LED TVs have a layer of pixels that filters light coming from an array of LED lights installed on the back. It is, therefore, a backlighting technology that offers very good brightness power. The problem is that when those screens need to display pure black, the screen can’t turn off pixel by pixel, so it turns off areas of those rear LEDs. The more dimming zones you have, the better the light control and the more control over the blacks you have. Even so, it is inevitable that some light will sneak in. It’s not really black. The result is very dark grays at best. The technology OLED solved that problem years ago, making each pixel on the screen emit its own light that can be turned off individually. Here, the result is a perfect contrast, but it has its own limits. The LED diodes that make up each pixel are organic, so they degrade over time and are susceptible to burn-in, leaving a permanent mark on the screen after many hours with a static image on the screen. In this sense, the promise of MicroLED technology is to provide the perfect balance between OLED and LED, but without any of their drawbacks. Like OLED, it uses microscopic LEDs as a pixel, but made with inorganic materials that are much more stable and resistant to burning. In this way, the screens MicroLEDs are capable of reaching OLED contrast levelsbut with a much higher shine and with a useful life that is measured in decades. It is literally the best of all worlds. And there is also its trap. The problem: manufacturing the MicroLED is a nightmare A 4K display has about 8.3 million pixels. In the latest MicroLED panels, each of those pixels needs three individual LEDs, leaving us with almost 25 million microscopic chips that must be manufactured, placed and connected with nanometric precision on a panel the size of a television screen. This level of miniaturization required by MicroLED has limited its production to large-inch formats before the challenge it poses fit so many millions of diodes into a 55″ or 65″ panel. The process of mass transfer of these chips, what the industry calls mass transferis extraordinarily complex, and today, also extraordinarily expensive. How much expensive? To put it in context, one of the few MicroLED models that can be purchased in stores is a 89 inch Samsung and has a sale price of 109,000 euros. He LG Magnitaimed at the extreme luxury market, was around 230,000 euros in sizes of 118 and 136 inches. That price range makes them unviable as home televisions (at least for most mortals’ homes). Hence its market figures are very small at present. In all of 2024, they were manufactured less than 1,000 units of MicroLED televisions in the entire world. Samsung sells that many conventional televisions in a matter of minutes. However, although these panels do not reach the living rooms, it does not mean that the MicroLED is stagnant. In fact, it is in development. This technology is growing strongly in those niches where price matters less than performance. In large format signage it has been the standard for years. film and television studio fundslobbies of luxury buildings or private movie theaters. In automotive, the dashboards of the future want bright, durable and efficient screens. And in the wearables segment and augmented reality, both Apple and Samsung have been investing for some time in bringing MicroLED to smart watches and AR glasses, where extreme pixel density is critical and having smaller production volumes makes the cost more manageable. As indicated in an analysis According to Yole Group, the global MicroLED market could grow to nearly $5 billion in revenue by 2032, although most of that will come from those niche segments, not the living room TV. There are MicroLED and “MicroLED” The high production cost made manufacturers explore other ways to make this technology profitable and evolve. One of the solutions was to use as backlight system behind an LCD panel, rather than as self-emissive pixels. Strictly speaking, although the latter have MicroLED technology, they should not be considered as such. However, some brands use it interchangeably in their trade names for advertising purposes. By having a smaller scale, MicroLEDs allow much better control of light and enhancing the colors, but they still require an LCD panel that separates the colors of each subpixel. That is, it would act more like a MiniLED or a conventional LED than an OLED. The good news is that, as brands showed like Hisense and Samsung have already evolved MicroLED technology with white diodes, towards the RGB MicroLEDwhich already has a self-emissive RGB diode for each pixel that, now, would be closer to the operation of an OLED. This evolution, as before MicroLEDs they made other technologiesrepresents the first sign that these panels are beginning a path of optimization to reduce production costs. In fact, the models launched by Samsung during the last CES 2026 It would be around $30,000.. It seems like an exorbitant figure for a television, but it must be taken into … Read more

The Vitruvian Basilica is the “holy grail” of Roman architecture. Also a huge enigma that we have finally solved

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If there is one thing that abounds in the presentations of archaeological finds (no matter where, when or who makes them) they are superlatives. Each discovery is the most important, the definitive one, the last missing piece to complete the puzzle. Another thing is that it really is like that. In the province of Pesaro and Urbino (Italy) the authorities they just announced a finding in which the opposite occurs: yes, there are superlatives, but they fall short. In the end, what they have unearthed there is neither more nor less than the “holy grail” of Roman architecture. In a stroke of luck, archaeologists have found the basilica erected 2,000 years ago by Marcus Vitruvius, which concludes a search for more than five centuries. What has happened? That Italy has put an end to a 500 year adventurethe time that archaeologists, architects and historians have been searching for perhaps the “holy grail” of Roman architecture: the legendary Vitruvian Basilica. Scholars placed it in Fanum Fortunae (current city of Fano) and for decades they probed its soil in search of vestiges or at least some indication. In vain. things changed about three years agowhen during the renovation works of the market square they found themselves (shortly half a meter deep) some remains that, we now know, belong to the basilica. “Millimeter correspondence”. What we have found under the cobblestones of Fano are Roman columns. So far nothing exceptional considering that we are talking about an ancient coastal city in the Marche region of Italy. The curious thing is that these vestiges fit closely with the description that Marcus Vitruvius left us of the basilica in his famous treatise. ‘Of Architecture’. The columns, their arrangement, the shape and layout of the nave coincide. The “definitive confirmation”, clarify from the Italian Ministry of Culture, arrived after the discovery of a fifth pillar that confirms both the position and orientation of the property. A planimetric reconstruction based on the description left by Vitruvius finally provided the guide. The coincidence is so precise that the authorities speak of a “millimeter correspondence”. “Imposing structures”. “The columns, around five Roman feet in diameter (147-150 cm) and about 15 meters high, rest on pillars and pilasters that supported an upper floor,” points out the Italian Government, which recalls that in 2022 experts were on the trail after discovering some “imposing masonry structures and marble floors” on Via Vitruvio. The confirmation that the remains belong to the old basilica does not complete the work. In fact, Cultura is already advancing that it will continue researching with the support of community funds. “Everything necessary will be done to recover and promote this exceptional find,” guarantees the regional president, Francesco Acquaroli. “Like Tutankhamun’s tomb”. During the presentation neither Francesco Acquaroli, nor the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, nor certainly the mayor of the town, Luca Serfilippi, spared praise (and superlatives). “The column behind us changes the history of the region. It is a discovery comparable to that of Tutankhamun’s tomb,” celebrated the regional leader. Giuli has used similar effusiveness, for whom the location of the mythical Roman basilica, erected ago two millenniabrand “a before and after” in archaeological history. “History books and not just journalistic chronicles will document this day and everything that will be studied about this exceptional discovery in the coming years. The scientific value is of absolute caliber,” he emphasized the Minister of Culture. “The vestiges discovered clearly demonstrate that Fano was and is the heart of the oldest architectural wisdom of Western civilization.” Is it so relevant? Whether the discovery of the Vitruvian basilica is comparable to that of Tutankhamun’s tomb may perhaps be discussed, of course what is undeniable is that it is one of the great archaeological news of the year (and that at the very least). The reason is not only the value of the building but that of its creator, Marcus Vitruvius (1st century BC), architect, engineer, treatise writer and author of ‘Of Architecture’a fundamental manual to understand Renaissance architecture. In his treatise Vitruvius addresses the three axes that would mark architecture for centuries: firmitas (firmness), utilities (functionality) and venustas (beauty). His work influenced, among others, León Battista Alberti, Andrea Palladio and Leonardo Da Vinci, who was inspired by its proportions to create one of the most iconic (and recognizable) drawings of all time: the ‘Vitruvian Man’. In ‘De Architectura’ the Roman architect does something else: he describes in detail the basilica that has now been found (finally) in Fano, a project in which was directly involved. In fact, the Ministry of Culture remember that it is the “only building attributable with certainty” to the Roman writer. Now we no longer need to imagine it. Images | Office Stampa e Comunicazione MiC In Xataka | We have discovered (again) the secret of Roman concrete. It’s less impressive than it seems

Regenerating tooth enamel is the holy grail of dentistry. And they have achieved it using a part of the sheep

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Cavities are a real nightmare for many because of the pain they cause and also because of the mandatory visit to the dentist, which for some It resembles hell itself. And it is no less a problem, since untreated tooth decay is one of the most common problems in the world, affecting some 2,000 million patients worldwide, such as point the Global Burden of Disease 2019. A serious problem. A cavity requires quick dental treatment, since it is impossible for them to cure on their own or with a simple pill. This is because mature tooth enamel, what we see of the tooth, is a hard tissue, without cells and, therefore, cannot regenerate itself once it is damaged by bacteria. In this way, if not treated, cavities progress, destroys the tooth and takes us straight to the dentist’s chair for a filling. This is where the dentist must remove all damaged enamel and replace it with some kind of putty that hardens to look like enamel, although it really isn’t. The objective. For years, science has been searching for the “holy grail” of dentistry: a method to regenerate enamel biologically. However, getting the enamel compound to grow in an aligned and orderly manner, as biology does, is a nearly impossible thing. The now. A team of researchers from King’s College London has achieved something radically new: using keratin, the protein found in our hair or even in the wool of sheep. With this project, the researchers, instead of betting on a “patch” as now, keratin self-assembles into a fibrous network and forms structures as if it were the perfect scaffold. This is where the magic happens. This keratin scaffold guides the ordered growth of the molecules that make up the tooth. The study discovered that the keratin structure itself is flexible and reorganizes itself during mineralization (changing from β-sheets to α-helices), actively orchestrating the formation of the new mineral layer. It has already been tested. To check If this new material worked, they took human teeth and artificially caused “white spot lesions,” which are the first visible stage of a cavity. With this base, the keratin film was applied and incubated in a mineralization solution, resulting in a comprehensive repair of the tooth with an adequate structure. The future. The most important thing is that this regeneration is not just aesthetic; It is functional. The study measured the mechanical properties of the repaired enamel and the results surpassed one of the current standard treatments: resin infiltration. Both in the hardness and mechanical properties tests, it was seen that the result was really positive when it came to being able to use the tooth as if it were the integral version. In this way, this study establishes a preclinical framework for using a platform based on keratin, a cheap, abundant and biocompatible material. The manufacturing process is simple and does not use solvents. This could represent a “paradigm shift” in the clinical management of early caries. Instead of just having to drill and fill them, the possibility of curing and regenerating them is offered to restore both aesthetics and mechanical properties. Images | Pierre Villedieu Ozkan Guner In Xataka | If you always brush your teeth after eating, science has something to tell you: you’re doing it wrong

To Holy What Buy China so much oil now

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From the port of Singapore to the port of Houston. The entire energy market is asked these days the same question: Why is China buying oil as if there were no morning? The collection is so massive and sustained that analysts have more doubts than certainties. 90% of world oil. So far this year, China has bought about 150 million more barrels than you consume, publishes Bloomberg. At the current price, that is an invoice of 10,000 million dollars in raw that, For what we knowyou don’t need. To put the data in context, the International Energy Agency estimates that, in the second quarter of 2025, China has absorbed more than 90% of the storage of measurable crude oil worldwide. According to ReutersAugust’s surplus exceeded one million barrels per day. So that? It is the million dollar question and there is no clear answer. If we attend the Ockham razor, one of the simplest explanations would be that oil is “cheap.” Although prices fluctuate, in terms adjusted to inflation the barrel is at a price similar to that of 20 years ago: $ 64 per barrelaccording to the futures market of the WTI crude. An explanation is that Chinese government planners, known for their long -term vision, are taking advantage of a golden opportunity to fill their deposits at a reasonable cost. They have where to save it: China has been adding massive storage capabilities with the construction of new tanks and the entry into force of a new law. A lot of hole to fill. On January 1, the new Energy Law In China. For the first time, the country establishes as a legal obligation that both state and private companies maintain strategic reserves. In essence, the private sector now shares with the government the responsibility of storing raw. Consequently, there is still a lot of hole to fill. According to him Oil & Gas Journalgovernment strategic reserves are 80% of their capacity, while commercial storage tanks are only 50%. A “giant”. In case the above reasons were few, analysts have a range of geopolitical explanations. China buys approximately 20% of its oil from countries under western sanctions, mainly IranRussia and Venezuela. He knows that the United States could, at any time, harden control and hinder that flow. Another theory points to a diversification of its foreign exchange reserves. Instead of continuing to accumulate United States Treasury bonds, China could be investing part of that capital in a physical and strategic asset such as oil, a play similar to its constant purchases of gold, seeking to reduce its exposure to assets linked to the dollar. Do war drums sound? Here we enter the purest terrain of speculation, but for the most pessimistic analysts, this massive accumulation of reserves only makes sense if Beijing is preparing for a possible military conflict over Taiwan. In that scenario, having full energy pantries is not an option, it is a strategic need. How it affects us others. The sudden thirst for crude oil has a direct effect on the global market. According to the International Energy Agency, the world is directed downhill and without brakes to a surplus of “unsustainable” production of 2.5 million barrels per day for the second half of 2025, which could reach 3 million in 2026. Normally, a surplus thus would cause a collapse of prices. But, according to the analysis of Argus MediaChina is acting as a giant sponge that absorbs much of that excess supply and helps maintain the most stable prices than they should. In summary, either by pure commercial strategy, by legal imperative or in preparation for a conflicting future, China has become the “X factor” of the oil market. While continuing to buy, prices will have a floor. The day I step on the brake, the huge global surplus could flood the market. And no one, except perhaps a few in Beijing, know when that will happen. Image | Corey Seeman (Flickr, CC BY-C-SA 2.0) In Xataka | A European satellite has caught two ships transferring natural gas in the Mediterranean. The key: is Russian LNG

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