idea

Germany has spent three nights copying Taiwan. If Russia decides to invade it, it has had an idea: surprise them underground

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Last July, the Taiwan subway experienced an unusual day: Instead of passengers loaded with purses and suitcases, soldiers, soldiers and more soldiers armed with anti-tank missiles began to arrive at Taipei stations. The reason was twofold: to send a message inside and outside (China) of the country. That idea seduced Germany, and now that it has begun its rearmament it has launched in Berlin. A disturbing return. The exercise Bollwerk Bärlin III Last week, he returned to the German capital a scene that seemed banished to the memories of the 20th century: soldiers descending U-Bahn stairsjumping onto the tracks and advancing through smoke, simulated gunshots and cars taken over by “saboteurs.” For three nights, between 1 and 4 in the morning, about 250 members of the Wachbataillon (a unit known for its ceremonial role but with infantry functions) transformed stations like Jungfernheide into a real underground battlefield to practice assaults, close combat, evacuation of civilians and protection of critical infrastructure in a realistic environment in which nothing is altered or mocked up: the narrowness of the tunnels, limited visibility and changes in light are the same as they would find in a real war scenario. In the background: Russia. They remembered the TWZ analysts that this return to urban warfare in tunnels and stations, without embellishments or theatrical simulations, symbolizes a profound change in Germany’s strategic priorities and revealed the extent to which the shadow of a possible conflict with Russia has penetrated into the very heart of Germany. his military planning. The metamorphosis. The battalion in charge of displaying honors on state visits had been conceived for decades as a symbol of institutional stability, not as a combat force. However, its real operational mission (protecting the federal government and its facilities in the event of a crisis) today takes on an urgency that has not been seen for a long time. Hence the direct tone of his commanderlieutenant colonel Maik Teichgräber: Berlin is your area of ​​operations and they must prepare for “the worst case scenario,” which means training where you would really fight. The use of stations closed to the public allows practice quick entriesassaults on trains, neutralization of enemies and immediate removal of wounded, integrating snipers, perimeter security and coordination between units in a densely urbanized environment. The presence of additional scenarios (such as the former Rüdersdorf chemical plant or the Ruhleben police complex) underlines the desire to turn the capital’s defense into a multidimensional exercisecapable of absorbing everything from internal sabotage to coordinated incursions that seek to paralyze the political center of Germany. Global dimension of the trend. Which happens in Berlin It is also reflected in other regions of the world. How we countTaiwan uses its subway as a defensive artery during the Han Kuang exercises, aware that, in the event of a Chinese invasion, underground infrastructure they would be vital to move troops and supplies while the surface becomes a continuous target. In parallel, the United States has raised the underground war a priority for its special forces, responding to the proliferation of fortified tunnels, dense urban areas and the expansion of drone swarms that force troops to seek refuge underground. The growing autonomy of unmanned systems, already present in Ukraine, accelerates this trend: in a future where aerial surveillance will be almost constant, defending in depth will mean dominating not only streets and buildings, but subways, tunnels, pipelines and interconnected bunkers. The war of the future, according to these emerging doctrines, will be fought both upwards (against drones, sensors and loitering munitions) and downwards, in an underground network that takes on strategic value. Echoes of the Cold War. He training on the U-Bahn inevitably refers to a divided Berlinwhen the city was a western enclave surrounded by Warsaw Pact forces. At that time, the United States, the United Kingdom and France were rehearsing urban operations aimed at slowing down an invasion to gain political time, aware that holding the city indefinitely was unrealistic. Units like the (secret) Detachment A They practiced sabotage and unconventional warfare techniques from the shadows. Even stations, such as Pankstraße or Siemensdamm, were designed like nuclear shelters for more than 3,000 people for weeks, with armored doors and air filtering. The reunified Germany had left behind that architecture of fear, and today, faced with a panorama of uncertainty, it returns to study how to reactivate these civil protection capabilities. The contrast is evident: what in 1994 seemed unnecessary is once again considered a strategic necessity. Historical rearmament. we have been counting. The exercise is also part of a context transformation unprecedented german military apparatus. By 2029, Berlin plans spend 153,000 million euros per year in defense (around 3.5% of GDP), an enormous jump from the levels that for decades were a source of friction with Washington. It is a rearmament designed not only for modernize capabilitiesbut to adapt the country to threats that They are no longer theoretical: What happens 900 kilometers away, in Ukraine, conditions the entire strategy. This budget increase has led NATO to consider a symbolic turn that would have been unthinkable during the Cold War: that Germany would command the allied forces in Europe. Although that moment has not arrivedthe expectation underscores the pressure on Berlin to demonstrate that it can take on top responsibilities and is willing to prepare its military for complex scenariosfrom urban sabotage to large-scale conventional warfare. Strategic warning. Teichgräber put it clearly: Nobody can guarantee that the war that is currently devastating Ukraine will not one day reach German territory. That phrase sums up the background of Bollwerk Bärlin III. The Bundeswehr trains in the subway tunnels because it understands that contemporary conflicts do not respect borders or capitals. The hybrid warcoordinated attacks on critical infrastructure and the massive use of drones They make the interior of cities as vulnerable as their borders. If you like, what is at stake is not only the defense of Berlin, but Germany’s capacity to react facing a moment in which the strategic … Read more

We sensed that arguing in front of small children was a bad idea. Science has revealed to what extent

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Arguing in front of a small child is something that classically always has been discouraged for the problems that it can cause for the minor himself. And this is something that is not nonsense, because a child seeing this scene does not think that he is witnessing the conflict between two adults, but rather he thinks that it is his fault. And it is not an exaggeration that has always been done, but developmental psychology and neuroscience have been explaining for decades why something as human as this happens. Self-blame. The minds of little ones function very differently from those of adults, and it is logical because they are developing over time. And this is something that was already defined by Jean Piaget, who attributed he “egocentric thinking“to children who are in their first years of life. In it, children interpret the world through their own perspective, and psychologists Wesley Rholes and John Finchman they showed it in the nineties when seeing that minors tend to take responsibility for conflicts family members, especially when they do not understand the causes or why. This causes minors to interpret the situation in a very emotional way without thinking about the reasons why it is causing this (which could be friction between two adults). And it is logical, because at an early age the mind is not yet learning to distinguish between what is internal and what is external. The impact. When these discussions are intense or frequent, children may develop anxiety, stress or guilt. It is something that is proven also by Edward Cummings and Patrick Davies, from the University of Notre Dame, who pointed out that unresolved conflicts between parents affect children’s ability to regulate their emotions and maintain a sense of security. Other studies reinforce this idea, showing that family tension can increase a child’s risk of have emotional problems with the passing of the years. The solution. So… Shouldn’t we argue in front of minors? This may become impossible in some situations, especially when living together. That is why the secret is not in avoiding them, but in how adults manage them and explain it later. This is something where psychologists agree when they point out that the strategy should be for the parents to clarify that the dispute has nothing to do with the child, to help neutralize feelings of guilt and strengthen the emotional bond with them. What the brain says. From neuroscience, we know that when a person (whether adult or child) is angry, the brain strongly activates the amygdala, which is the center where emotions are processed in the brain. Although logically we have a brake which is the prefrontal cortex as it has the activity of reducing this activity. Based on this, science suggests that in moments of intense anger, one cannot ask for calm because physically there are no neural resources that can calm someone down. Therefore, parental calm acts as a brain “anchor.” Its serenity not only calms, but also offers the child a model of self-regulation that his own brain cannot yet achieve alone because it does not have this brake. The link. Ultimately, understanding emotions—your own and those of others—is a shared learning process. Children don’t need arguments to go away, but rather to understand that these tensions do not threaten their safety or self-worth. This understanding does not arise by instinct: it is cultivated with words, presence and emotional coherence. And science backs it up. From Piaget to modern neuroimaging, everything indicates that the true antidote to childhood guilt is not adult perfection, but the opportunity to teach, with each conflict, that love and disagreement can coexist without breaking the bond. Images | Vitaly Gariev Marcus Neto In Xataka | If the question is where to find the time to play sports or learn languages, you have the answer on your mobile

A beach bar in Malaga had the happy idea of ​​taking its ‘Sardinator’ robot for a walk. Until the police found out

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An establishment in La Malagueta decided to innovate when it came to attracting new customers with an advertising robot that wandered along the seafront, advertising mojitos, caipirinhas and espetos for four euros. Although the idea was striking and made heads turn among the local residents, the Malaga City Council has stopped the initiative. ‘Sardinator’ does not comply with municipal regulations and the Local Police have already reported the beach bar. The beach bar play. The robot, named Sardinator, walked along the La Malagueta promenade inviting people around to follow its voice to the beach bar. It wasn’t a waiter robot of those that serve inside the premises, but an autonomous device designed to advertise in the middle of a public street. It advertised drinks and food as it moved, although according to MálagaHoyhis ability to avoid obstacles left a lot to be desired: “he avoids trash cans, but he is not so skilled with people”, even tripping over a pedestrian. Why did the police intervene? Just like has shared The medium, Elisa Pérez de Siles, Councilor for Public Roads of the Malaga City Council, assured that this type of robots “are not authorizable” in the city. The use of the device on the promenade violates the municipal ordinance, which is why the Local Police were ordered to draw up a report and report the establishment. Although in other cities they are quite popular devices, in Malaga “there is an ordinance that must be complied with,” said the councilor. The political reaction. The municipal group Con Málaga has also focused on the issue. Its councilor, Toni Morillas, submitted a letter to the mayor asking about the robot after receiving complaints from neighbors who observed the advertising device “with astonishment.” Morillas even described the situation as “Málaga, the lawless city” on his social networks, according to inform MálagaHoy, highlighting the concern over the lack of control over this type of initiatives on public roads. The legal loophole of advertising robots. The case of Sardinator is something very specific and Spanish legislation does not yet specifically contemplate autonomous advertising robots on a public road. Municipal ordinances regulate outdoor advertising through urban planning licenses, but these regulations are designed for static elements such as fences, signs or posters. Many ordinances expressly prohibit the distribution or delivery of brochures and advertising on public roads, and even advertising in circulating or parked vehicles except for very specific exceptions. The boom of robots in hospitality. Sardinator does not seem to have had the same luck as other robots that have had growing popularity, such as those who work inside serving at the tables. In Spain, waiter robots are being introduced mainly in fast food restaurants, chains and some fine dining restaurants. Cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia or Seville have already seen the introduction of these robots in several establishments. The fundamental difference here is that these robots move in controlled private spaces, not on public roads, which avoids conflicts of this type. Without going any further, in Malaga, there are several establishments that have incorporated this type of robots, although never outside the premises, as is the case of Sardinator. How they work. Waiter robots are designed to take orders from the kitchen to the customer’s table, following already marked routes and avoiding obstacles. The manufacturers are mostly of Chinese origin, including PUDU Robotics with its Bellabot and Kettybot models, Orion Star with Lucky, and Keenon, although there are also Spanish companies such as DAX Robotics with its Delibot and Slimbot model. The prices of waiter robots range between 6,000 and 15,000 euros, and they can support up to 60 kilos of load. They are equipped with LIDAR laser sensors and 3D cameras to move autonomously and safely. Robots as an alternative to labor shortages. The labor shortage in the Spanish hospitality industry, which affects more than 60% of businessesaccording to the Bank of Spain, means that this type of device could end up being an effective alternative. This is not about replacing staff, but about easing the burden due to the difficulty in finding waiters and qualified staff, which is why many establishments are turning to service robots as support. Although they are not yet a complete substitute for human interaction nor are they profitable for all establishments, these robots may end up representing a pragmatic response to a structural problem. And now what. The La Malagueta beach bar will have to return to traditional advertising methods or look for alternatives that respect the regulations. Meanwhile, ‘Sardinator’ has stopped touring the promenade and his catchy “mojito, caipirinha, daikiri” promotion is no longer heard in the area. Let’s give a minute of silence for our friendly friend. Cover image | Javier Albiñana In Xataka | The crazy story of the Galician woman who registered El Sol before a notary, sold plots online and then took eBay to court

Australia’s idea to survive its own solar success

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In Australia, solar energy has gone from being the promise of the future to a problem of the present. There is so much sun, and so many panels, that the electrical grid is reeling from excess production. During the middle of the day, millions of rooftops feed electricity back into the system, generating more energy than the grid can absorb without losing stability. At that time, wholesale prices fall to zero and even negative values. The solution that the Australian government has found is as simple as it is disruptive: giving away electricity for three hours a day. The challenge of excess. Australia has been experiencing its particular energy paradox for years: the transition towards renewables has advanced so quickly that the system is beginning to suffer its consequences. More than four million homes —one in three— have solar panels on their roofs. This distributed generation already produces more electricity than all the coal plants still active. According to Reutersthe program, dubbed “Solar Sharer”, will allow millions of homes to access three hours of free energy a day, even those who do not have solar panels. “People who can move their electricity consumption to the zero-cost period will benefit directly, whether or not they have solar panels and are homeowners or tenants,” explained Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Energy for everyone. The plan is not optional for electricity companies: the Australian Government will require them to offer three hours of free electricity each day during the midday solar peak. The measure will start in 2026 in New South Wales, South Australia and southeast Queensland, and will be extended to the rest of the country if it works as expected. To make it possible, the Executive will modify the Default Market Offer (BMD)the benchmark fee that limits what retailers can charge. From now on, that rate will include a daily slot of zero cost, just when the grid is saturated with solar energy. Participating households must have a smart meter and reorganize their consumption: run the washing machine, charge the car or turn on the air conditioning when the sun is at its highest. A double objective. On the one hand, it seeks to relieve pressure on the grid and reduce emissions. According to the Financial Timesthe plan seeks to utilize excess solar capacity and rebalance the electrical grid to reduce dependence on coal and gas. Tim Buckley, director of the Climate Energy Finance think tank, called it an “obvious” measure, as it will create a “demand pool” in the middle of the day, helping to stabilize the system. The Australian Government has been committed to accelerating the energy transition for some time. In 2022, Bowen set a goal for 82% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, as detailed by Reuters. Initiatives like the Solar Sharer They are added to the subsidy for domestic batteries, which will allow part of that free energy to be stored for night use. Not everyone is happy. The Australian Energy Council (AEC), the consortium that brings together the main electricity companies, criticized the Government for not having consulted the sector before the announcement. Its executive director, Louise Kinnear, warned that “Lack of consultation risks damaging sector confidence and generating unintended consequences.” Additionally, some companies fear the plan will increase network costs and force smaller retailers out of the market. According to FTemployers fear that the measure will distort competition, although defenders of the plan assure that the real risk is not acting in the face of a saturated network. Despite this, large players such as AGL Energy and Ovo Energy have shown willingness to collaborate with the Government to define the technical details. From Australia to Spain. The Australian proposal has sparked interest in other sunny countries, especially in southern Europe, where solar energy has also grown explosively. From there the inevitable question arises: can we replicate it in Spain? Being one of the largest photovoltaic powers in Europe and with negative price episodes In the electricity market, it is logical to consider this possibility. However, the Spanish electrical system goes through a phase of instability: while the south of the peninsula produces more solar energy than it consumes, the north continues to depend on gas plants, the only ones capable of providing the “inertia” necessary to stabilize the network. Although the hourly tariff system and smart meters would allow the Australian measure to be technically replicated, the European framework prevents offering free electricity directly. The price is set in the wholesale market, managed by OMIE, and the State cannot intervene except through subsidies or discounts. In short: Spain has the sun and the technology, but not the regulatory flexibility. As noted by analyst Joaquín Coronado“we have the generation of the future, but we continue to use the crutches of the past.” The global experiment. Giving away electricity to avoid a collapse of the grid may seem contradictory, but it contains a lesson about the energy transition: the problem of the 21st century will not be producing energy, but managing it. While Europe debates how to lower the bill, Australia has chosen to share its excess. If the plan works, it could become a reference for other countries with strong solar penetration, such as Spain or Italy. In the words of Minister Chris Bowen“the more people take advantage of the offer and transfer their consumption, the greater the benefits will be for everyone.” Perhaps the future of energy is not just about paying less, but about using light when the sun gives it away. Image | Unsplash Xataka | 75% of the universe is made up of unknown matter. Australia has gone down to look for him in a mine

Restoring vision is one of the great challenges of contemporary technology. These Spaniards have had an idea and it seems to work

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In January 2018, the car Tonya Illman was riding in got stuck in the sand. They were on Wedge Island, 180 kilometers north of the Australian city of Perth; so while they waited for roadside assistance to arrive, Tonya took a walk on the beach. And it was there, among the dunes, where saw something sticking out of the sand. It looked like an old bottle and he picked it up thinking it would look good on his shelf. Then, as they emptied it of sand, they found a note: a form on the back, a small handwritten note on the back. Tonya had just found a message that had been thrown into the sea from the German ship Paula on June 12, 1886. A message that had taken 132 years to reach its destination. Well, this, just like this, is how we tried to restore sight to blind people: throwing electric bottles into the sea of ​​neurons in our brain. Now a Spanish team wants to change that. What has happened? That a team from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche and the Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) just published data from a new “round-trip” cortical machine vision system; that is, capable of adjusting stimulation according to the neuronal response. The results (despite being in a preclinical phase) they are excellent. How does it work? It is a device of about four millimeters with 100 microelectrodes that is implanted through a small hole of about 10 millimeters. The interesting thing is that it is a system that records and stimulates at the same time. This is what allows you to adapt the stimulus patterns in real time and fine-tune the stimulation to adjust it. And that has been the complicated part. In the end, sending stimuli to the brain is trivial; But during all these years it was a lot like throwing a bottle into the sea: I knew what you were sending, but not what was being received. With these new ones closed, everything changes. Are they the first to get it? Reviewing clinical trials databasesit seems that there are a couple of other companies developing the same type of devices: the trend seems clear and we can see how the market is changing from the They seem to be a little more advanced, but not too much. Which is good news for the UMH and for Spain. It is clear that the only way we have right now to move forward on this problem is ‘personalizing’ the way systems stimulate the brain. And the only way to do it is through these closed circuits. It is still curious that the field of research has survived such notorious failures as those of retinal prostheses (which left many people in the lurch). But here we are, one step closer to being able to look back. Image | Ruiqi Kong In Xataka | Hundreds of blind people received bionic implants to restore their sight. Now they are out of support

We believed that ‘Air’ and ‘Edge’ mobile phones were synonymous with cuts. Huawei wants to explode that idea with a figure: 6,500 mAh

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The surname “Air” (or “Edge” in another case) is usually synonymous with an ultralight design and, therefore, of sacrifices. We have seen it in smartphones like the Galaxy S25 Edge from Samsung or your own iPhone Air of the signature of the bitten apple. The battery is the first victim in the quest for extreme thinness. However, Huawei seems willing to break this rule with its next Huawei Mate 70 Air after return to the top of the market in his native country. According to a wave of leaks and accompanying photos, the Chinese giant is preparing a device that not only claims to be the thinnest ‘Mate’ in history, but does so by integrating a huge battery. We knew that China had the solution for the battery of ultra-thin mobile phoneshere comes the first demo. A “normal” smartphone battery. This is the figure that is focusing all the attention of Huawei’s next launch. Leaks echoed by media such as Android Authority They point to a massive 6,500 mAh battery. If confirmed, in addition to being the highest capacity of a Huawei mobile to date, it would also dwarf the direct competition in the segment. slim: The iPhone Air has a 3,149 mAh battery, across the street, Samsung puts a 3,900 mAh battery in the Galaxy S25 Edge. An engineering challenge. How has Huawei managed to integrate this battery? Leaks indicate that the phone is built on an aluminum and glass chassis with a thickness of around six millimeters which would help. The images seen online confirm an extremely thin terminal that maintains the aesthetics of the Mate family, including its characteristic circular camera module. This is what the Huawei Mate 70 Air looks like in leaked images. Image: Weibo But without a doubt, the silicon-carbon batteries They are what have allowed the Chinese firm to take the leap. We have seen how these have allowed us to stretch the energy capacity up to 15,000 mAh in the case of Realme (still with certain unknowns about its durability) u 8,000 mAh in the Honor one. Without reaching these figures, the 6,500 mAh of the next Huawei Mate 70 Air seems feasible. It won’t skimp on photography either.. The Mate 70 Air looks at a triple system with a 50 megapixel main sensor (possibly 1/1.3 inch), a 13 MP ultra wide angle and an 8 MP periscope telephoto lens. It seems that it will not have to concede in the field of cameras, an ambition that aligns with Huawei’s strategy in recent times. one that has taken him to the throne of mobile photography recently with his Pure 80 Ultra. In addition, they may use again image sensors manufactured on national soil. Huawei is supported by SmartSensa Shanghai-based manufacturer of CMOS sensors: has more than 350 customers and 420 patents of which 190 are of its own invention. Reservations in physical stores of the Huawei Mate 70 Air. Image: Weibo Kirin Heart. And in two flavors? As expected in post-veto Huawei, the terminal will use an in-house Kirin 5G chip. Curiously, at Huawei Central They talk about two variants: the 12 GB RAM model would use a Kirin 9020B (a version with reduced clock frequencies), while the 16 GB model would use the Kirin 9020A, a SoC that we already knew in the Mate 70 family. It is, again, a reflection of the steps that Huawei has been taking in recent times in order to diversify some chips that no longer hidesas well as to ensure your HarmonyOS ecosystemkey in times when you need resilience. Imminent launch. This is not a long-term rumor: according to multiple leakers, the device is already in the reservation phase in physical stores in China and its official launch could be as soon as November 6. That is, in two days. All this happens while Huawei is already preparing new flagships: the Mate 80, which will try to demonstrate power by compensating for the hardware limitations (more evident in chip manufacturing) with custom software. Cover image | Composition with images of Huawei and Jose García for Xataka In Xataka | With HarmonyOS NEXT Huawei has achieved something incredible. Neither Samsung, Microsoft nor Mozilla achieved it

Memes have become so self-referential and I don’t understand that anyone has had an idea: a Great Reset

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Have you ever felt like you don’t understand memes like you used to? What the hell is that thing Italian Brainrot? No, wait, that’s already out of fashion and has been replaced by another even more cryptic and incomprehensible trend. If you have been on the internet for a few years, you undoubtedly miss the times of some sillier and simpler memes. Those who defend a Great Reset of Memes by 2026 also believe that. And return to the times of epistemological simplicity in memetics. The GMR is coming. In January 2026, an internet cultural phenomenon known as ‘The Great Meme Reset of 2026’ is planned. This viral phenomenon, originating mainly on TikTok, proposes that the online community reboot humor and memes, returning to the memorable classics of the 2010s, in particular the iconic memes of the second half. This is a reaction to the saturation and wear and tear of recent memes, which are perceived by many users as forced, uncreative and unfunny. What we know lately as “brainrot”, and which has a lot to do with automatic and somewhat artificial creativity of AIs. What is intended? The idea of ​​this restart is to leave behind the current landscape of “niche” memes that dominate platforms like TikTok and that, according to their critics, accelerate the lifespan of memes too quickly, which last only a few days. The reset advocates a return to memes considered “dank” or “pure”, such as shrek things, Big Chungushe Trospid Knuckles either the legendary Sanicthe Rage Comics (unequivocal symbol that you are of an age) or the so-called Montage Parodiespure angst generational in terms of image and sound, and that marked meme culture in its first digital years. How it started. The origin of the “Great Meme Reset of 2026” is in March 2025, within an increasingly frustrated digital community. The first and involuntary starting signal was given on TikTok, when @joebro909 posted a video which addressed a sort of meme “drought”, proposing a “great reset” to save meme culture. Although it did not specify the date of 2026 or a complete renewal towards classic memes, it introduced the idea to the community of meme creators as a Trojan Horse. This concept took shape and gained popularity on social networks throughout 2025. In April, on Reddit They began to allude to the need to make this reset a reality in meme culture, specifically citing the idea of ​​returning to old memes. In September the campaign took off in a more clear and organized waywith several videos on TikTok proposing December 31, 2025 as the deadline for modern memes, and hoping that classic memes from the early years of the internet would return in 2026. This launch was reaffirmed by a viral video by @golden._vr, which accumulated almost 370,000 likesin which it was announced that upon December 31, 2025, memes would “return from the grave” and meme culture would be restarted from scratch in 2026. It’s all a huge joke, of course, but it reveals a point of view and a generational conflict. Memetics as culture shock. There is a clear generational gap in the way humor is conceived and consumed on the internet: on the one hand, classic memes played with conciseness and standardized formats, templates; On the other hand, the current phenomenon of brainrot It is an uncontrolled torrent of self-referential content that devours itself, and that has a total disconnection from the previous humor. They are two ways of understanding not the digital, but directly the observation of reality. The millennials come the brainrot like the degeneration of humor: noise, worthless content, a sign of the damage that perverse overexposure to the Internet has done, and they demand meaning and coherence. Generation Z and Alpha find 2010s memes dated, slow, and too literal. He brainrot It is his way of reflecting the chaotic, fragmented and accelerated reality of the Internet, where logic is an obsolete concept. The joke is that there is no joke. And we are not going to agree on that, not even with a reset. In Xataka | Neither left nor right: Charlie Kirk’s murderer did so motivated by a labyrinthine subculture of memes

an idea as ambitious as it is risky

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The United States has a company that wants to take artificial intelligence beyond the laboratory. It’s called Shield AI and its next creation, the X-BATaims to make it the protagonist of a new era in defense. It is a combat aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically, but its most striking feature is not in the design, but in its pilot: an AI system called Hivemind that will make decisions for himself in mid-flight. The project seeks to demonstrate that a machine can direct a complex military mission as effectively—or more—than a human. Shield AI She is not a newcomer. Founded in 2015, it has gone from a small startup to one of the most promising companies in American defense. CNBC points out that is valued at $5.3 billion after its latest round of financing. His career includes relevant contracts with organizations such as the United States Coast Guard, which in 2024 awarded him almost 200 million dollars for his V-BAT drone. After that boost, the company redoubled its commitment to artificial intelligence, placing its Hivemind software as the axis of its strategy and its future combat aircraft. This is how Shield AI wants to reinvent air power: total autonomy and low cost The X-BAT is designed to operate where conventional fighters cannot. It can take off and land vertically, allowing it to operate from ships, remote islands or improvised bases without the need for a runway. With a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles (approx. 3,700 km) and a flight ceiling exceeding 50,000 feet, it aims to redefine autonomy on the battlefield. Its compact structure, with a wingspan of about 12 metersfacilitates transportation and storage: three units fit in the space occupied by a single traditional fighter. As we say, the real leap is not in the aircraft, but in the intelligence that governs it. The company assures that Hivemind, its autonomous flight system, has already been validated on different platforms and real test environments. According to the company, it can operate even when there is no GPS or communication with bases, which would allow it to keep the mission active in scenarios where a human pilot could not react as quickly. Shield AI describes Hivemind as a system capable of observing, deciding and acting in milliseconds, applying a continuous decision cycle inspired by the military doctrine of the “OODA loop”. According to Shield AI, the X-BAT is designed to go into combat. It can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons both in its internal bays and in external mounts. The company details that its architecture supports everything from light missiles to long-range attack munitions, in addition to a set of active and passive sensors that cover the entire detection spectrum. These include a electronic warfare package which would allow it to operate in environments with signal interference or attacks. Altogether, it seeks to combine stealth, autonomy and offensive power in a single system. Shield AI’s economic proposal is one of the most striking arguments: the company claims that the X-BAT could be produced for around $27 million per unit, a figure that – if confirmed in production – would be a fraction of the cost of fighters like the F-35, whose unit price exceeds 100 million dollars. This difference would not only reduce the initial bill, but, according to the company, would allow more aircraft to be deployed and multiply sorties in a theater of operations; However, the expected cost reduction depends on economies of scale, supply chain and maintenance costs that are not yet demonstrated in mass production. Shield AI ensures that the development of the X-BAT is progressing according to the planned deadlines. The company claims to have completed wind tunnel, engine and structural section testing, as well as radar signature testing. Its objective is to carry out the first flights with vertical takeoff and landing in 2026, reach operational capacity in 2028 and start production in 2029. For now, this is an internal calendar and not a contractual commitment, but the company presents it as a demonstration that aerial autonomy is no longer a laboratory idea, but a program under construction. The autonomy of the X-BAT also forces us to think about its digital security. Systems controlled by artificial intelligence depend on complex software and networks, which exposes them to possible attempts at interference or manipulation. If the data they process is altered, their behavior could be affected. Shield AI has not yet detailed how it plans to protect the aircraft’s information flow, although in defense programs it is not unusual for certain technical aspects to be kept under wraps. Images | Shield AI In Xataka | Ukraine cannot believe what it found inside Russia’s ballistic missiles: déjà vu

30% of depressions do not respond to pills or psychotherapy. A psychiatrist’s idea: treat them with ultrasounds

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Depression is a truly complex disorder, which in 30% of cases do not respond to treatment conventional. Neither pharmacotherapy nor psychotherapynor the transcranial magnetic stimulation (used to treat OCD) appear to offer lasting relief to those who become trapped in the more resistant states of the disease. And although at first they can be ‘given up as lost’, the Argentine psychiatrist Salvador Guinjoan He is already working on another avenue of treatment. The idea. The psychiatrist, researcher Laureate Institute for Brain Research from Oklahoma, is working on an alternative that uses more physics than psychiatry for these patients who a priori had no other type of solution. This is based on the low intensity focused ultrasound, what is known as LIFU (Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound). During the recent Conference on Updates on Neuromodulation held in Seville by the Spanish Society of Clinical Psychiatry, Guinjoan explained that the objective is quite ambitious: to modify the electrical activity of the brain circuits involved in psychiatric symptoms without the need to open the skull or implant an electrode as he explained. in an interview to El País. What is LIFU. This technology uses mechanical energy instead of electrical or chemical energy. Its transducer generates ultrasonic waves that are capable of passing through the skull and concentrating the energy at a very specific point in the brain, subtly modulating the mechanosensitive ion channels of the neurons. In practice, this alters neural communication in regions that are involved in emotion, motivation, or decision-making. But the important thing in this case is that unlike traditional deep stimulation (DBS), which requires surgery and permanent implants, LIFU allows completely reversible interventions with high anatomical precision. According to Guinjoan, the method opens the possibility of observing, for the first time, causal relationships between a specific brain circuit and a clinical symptom: “If modifying a circuit changes the symptom, we can begin to understand the cause,” he points out. The bibliography supports it in these cases, since previous research, such as those carried out in the Massachusetts General Hospital and published in Nature Neuroscience (2024), had already shown how LIFU can influence deep regions such as the amygdala or thalamus without visible tissue damage. Now, the challenge is to transfer that precision to the psychiatric field. Key points. Guinjoan and his team focus their trials on two key markers of resistant depression: anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure) and the persistence of negative thoughts. Both phenomena seem to be related to connection circuits between the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia. And it is precisely in this circuit where the psychiatrist wants to intervene with LIFU. The researcher suggests that modulating the subcircuits that connect the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia with ultrasound can alleviate these characteristic symptoms without resorting to surgical interventions and perhaps without more medication in the future. And although at the moment there is still a long way to go, pilot studies in the United States point to sustained symptomatic improvements after several sessions, with mild side effects such as temporary headaches. The ethics. The ability to literally reprogram the brain without invading it opens up questions that go beyond medicine. Guinjoan agrees with neuroscientist Rafael Yuste, promoter of the neurorightsin which it is urgent to regulate the non-therapeutic use of these technologies. Although the border between treating a disease and enhancing mental performance is increasingly blurred. Unlike other home neuromodulation tools, such as transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS) devices that They are already sold for personal useLIFU requires high-precision neuronavigators and a specialized clinical environment. Guinjoan does not believe that it will become a domestic technology, but he does imagine a future where each patient receives a personalized neuromodulation treatment, adjusted to their specific neural map. The future. If ongoing trials confirm efficacy, focused ultrasound could be incorporated in the next decade into the arsenal we have in the treatment of resistant depression, anxiety or even schizophrenia. All this without having to enter an operating room. Something that could also represent a new leap in psychiatry as we know it and a paradigm shift in the therapeutic approach to this type of pathology. Images | Fernando @cferdophotography Robina Weermeijer In Xataka | There are people eating carrots like rabbits because they think it will make them tan. There’s just one little problem

Lockheed Martin has had an idea to make the Black Hawk a more lethal weapon. He removed the cabin and made it autonomous

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During the annual fair of the Association of the United States Army, The Black Hawk reappeared unrecognizable. The helicopter that has accumulated decades of service lost its cabin and controls to gain a bow that opens into two doors and makes way for an expanded hold. The new name is U-Hawk and the conversion is carried out by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. Within ten months, a UH-60L became an unmanned prototype with autonomy architecture, presented for the first time in public at AUSA. The U-Hawk was officially shown on October 13, converted from a former UH-60L of the US Army. According to Lockheed Martinthe project went from concept to demonstrator in that period and is in the validation phase before its first flight, scheduled for 2026. For now, the development has been financed internally by Sikorsky and is supported by the company’s previous experience in flight automation. From Black Hawk to U-Hawk: the old helicopter that is reborn without a cabin The most visible change is in the bow. Where controls and instrumentation were once concentrated, there are now two type gates clamshell that open to the sides and a motorized ramp that allows loading and unloading even with the rotors running. Integrate a system fly-by-wire third generation together with MATRIX, Sikorsky’s autonomy technology that coordinates sensors, cameras and algorithms to manage flight without human intervention. The redesign provides 25% more useful space compared to a conventional UH-60L. The extension of the front fuselage not only frees up space, it also multiplies cargo options. The U-Hawk can carry up to 3,175 kilos inside and lift another 4,080 kilos using the external hook, just like a conventional Black Hawk, but with more room for bulky objects. The warehouse supports four standard JMIC containers, twice as many as before, or a full pod of six HIMARS rockets. It can also accommodate two Naval Strike Missiles anti-ship missiles and an unmanned ground vehicle that enters and exits via its own ramp. One of the most striking new features is the internal launch system that Sikorsky calls quiver. This module, installed in the warehouse, can house between 24 and 50 drones or loitering munitionsready to be deployed in mid-flight. Each payload can be configured for surveillance, reconnaissance or electronic warfare tasks, and the system supports mixed combinations depending on the mission. The company maintains that this design will allow the U-Hawk to act autonomously before the arrival of troops, clearing or analyzing the terrain with its own means. Autonomy is one of the strong points of the U-Hawk. According to Lockheed Martin, it can cover up to 1,600 nautical miles without assistance, about 2,960 kilometers, and stay in flight for up to 14 hours without refueling. The company indicates that it can carry internal tanks to extend the range or time on station, but has not specified whether they are necessary to achieve these maximum figures. In any case, the operating margin presented by these data is unusual for a helicopter of this class. Sikorsky describes the U-Hawk as a forward reinforcement of the air assault. In a typical mission, the helicopter would take off before the troops and release several launched effects for reconnaissance or attack. It would then land, deploy an unmanned ground vehicle and rise again without human intervention. This sequence seeks to reduce the exposure of soldiers and open a path in hostile areas, with an approach that also contemplates non-military uses such as support in fires or natural disasters. Sikorsky wants to make operating a U-Hawk as simple as using an app. Operators enter mission objectives from a tablet, and MATRIX software calculates the route, controls takeoff, and manages the flight autonomously. The level of intervention can be modified depending on the circumstances, from closer remote monitoring to minimal supervision. Additionally, the system recognizes whether it is in civil or military space and adjusts its behavior. The U-Hawk was also born as a commitment to efficiency. Sikorsky is taking advantage UH-60L fuselages retired of the US Army, which it replaces flight systems and electronics with its own simpler and lower cost versions. The company claims that this vertical integration, by manufacturing its own management computers and actuators, reduces the total cost of the system and facilitates its maintenance. Being based on the H-60 ​​family, it also inherits a fairly consolidated supply chain. If the schedule is met, the first flight of the U-Hawk will take place in 2026. It will be the decisive step to check whether full autonomy can be integrated into the H-60 ​​fleet, a model that the US Army plans to keep operational until at least 2070. The idea of ​​converting a classic helicopter into an unmanned platform points to a future in which machines with and without pilots coexist. Whether this vision is translated into a new generation of aircraft will depend on how this first prototype works. Images | Lockheed Martin In Xataka | A new army has arrived to put order in the Arctic: an F-35 squadron that does not belong to China, Russia or the United States

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