impact

In its pulse with the US, China has restricted key minerals for the Tech industry. Japan fears an impact globally

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The commercial war between United States and China It is developing with export controls. While Washington restricts the sending of advanced semiconductors and other avant -garde technologies, Beijing responds by limiting access to strategic resources. However, Japan has not hesitated to warn that the repercussions of this confrontation can go beyond these two powers. Financial Times points out That both the Japanese government and the companies in the country are alarmed by the recent measures of the Asian giant, which could mark the beginning of a “declaration of economic war against the rest of the world.” Japan, the greatest global consumer of Germanio, Graphite and Gallic, continues to receive these critical minerals, but fears that China further limits its supply. The dilemma of re -export controls China wants to prevent Gallium, whose supply to control 98%, drive military applications in the United States. And not only is he trying to do it directly with the export controls, but also indirectly with the Re -export controlswhich seek to limit the sending of products that contain this element, but the rules of the game are not clear at this time. The Chinese Gallic is in pieces made in Japan and imported by Tesla, as well as in Broadcom optical communication components and semiconductors used in Apple devices. However, Japanese suppliers that make up the supply chain of these US companies claim to ignore the gallium limit that they can incorporate into their products. So, as they warn, China could decide overnight that an excess of gallium is being sent to the United States and demand that a export license to continue supplying. The dynamics of licenses is well known: the United States has also used them To restrict the export of Nvidia graphics chips to Chinaand the problem is that, in most cases, they are never granted. In a globalized world, the decisions of key countries resonate beyond its borders. A change in the export policies of China or the United States can reconfigure access to essential resources, affect global prices and alter the economy of some nations. What seems like an isolated dispute can have direct effects on global markets, even making themselves feel in consumers. Images | Lio voo | Ln In Xataka | China’s veto to export minerals to the US had a small print and affects a key element of Ukraine defense: drones

The new data almost rule out the impact

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The impact probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 has fallen from 2.8% to just 0.16%, according to the Coordination Center of objects close to Earth Earth. NASA, meanwhile, has gone from an estimate of 3.1% (The highest since these records exist) at 0.28%. Almost-off risk. Space agencies have more and more data from 2024 YR4 because they have been incorporating new observations throughout their exhaustive monitoring of the asteroid. Therefore, and although it has been fluctuating in recent weeks, the most reliable estimate of its trajectory is what the European and NASA space agency has just published. With A possibility between 625 that the asteroid falls on Earth on December 22, 2032 (one between 357, according to NASA), ESA believes that we can soon rule out all the risks associated with 2024 YR4. What has changed. The new observations from large telescopes such as the Great Canary Islands Telescope, 10 meters in diameter, have allowed astronomers Reduce the uncertainty window in its calculations on the asteroid orbit. The range of options has been closed that the object crosses the earth in 2032. With current information, the Earth is on the verge of probability distribution, on the edge of that uncertainty window. If the fan had continued closing with the earth in the center, the probability would have continued to rise, but now the planet, to explain it visually, is about to get out of the graph to stop being a concern. The Webb will help discard it at all. The Webb Space Telescope, with its extraordinary sensitivity to observe infrared, will be key to rule out the probability of impact. The asteroid is moving away from Earth at this time, But the Webb can continue seeing it until Mayunlike the normal telescopes they observe in the visible. The observation hours already reserved by NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency with the Webb Telescope will be extended until May. Among other things, these sessions will determine the size of the object, which is estimated between 40 and 90 meters, in the absence of knowing the reflectivity of its surface. Chronology of an asteroid. 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27 by the last system of land impact of asteroids (Atlas) from Chile, but did not caught the attention of astronomers until Automatically appeared on NASA’s Sentry list on December 31 for its impact risk greater than 1% with the planet Earth. The asteroid will go down in history as the first object for which activated the planetary defense action protocols established by the UN in 2018. Since then, space agencies have coordinated as many observatories as possible to follow it carefully. In May they will meet to deide what to do, unless the danger has been completely discarded. Image | THAT In Xataka | The impact probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 has risen to 3.1% (1 of 32): why the UN waiting for May to act

There is a 2% probability that the asteroid impact the earth, but we will not know how much it measures until the webb observes it

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He Asteroid 2024 YR4 He has aroused unusual interest since his discovery on December 27. Although the probability of impact with the earth remains very low, has risen from 1 to 2% As new observations are obtained. However, astronomers are having difficulty measuring their size and have decided to resort to the most powerful space telescope in history to get out of doubt. There is a problem in how an asteroid is measured. Until now, the size estimates of 2024 YR4 have oscillated between 40 and 90 meters in diameter, a too wide range to assess the danger that would represent an eventual impact with our planet. This lack of precision has a reason and is that The size of the asteroid is calculated from the reflected visible lighta method that depends on the reflectivity of its surface. 2024 YR4 could be an object of 40 meters very reflective or an object of 90 meters very dark. As well as any intermediate option. The James Webb space telescope to the rescue. Unlike other observatories, The 10,000 million dollar telescopeoperated by NASA, ESA and the Canadian space agency, does not observe the visible spectrum, but the infrared spectrum, and with an unprecedented sensitivity. Astronomers will allocate hours of webb use to analyze the infrared light emitted by the asteroid to obtain a more precise measurement of its size and temperature. With luck, it will allow them to discern whether 2024 YR4 is at the lower or upper end of the estimated range, crucial information to better evaluate the consequences of their unlikely but possible impact. Two rounds of observation are planned. Space agencies have foreseen Two rounds of crucial observations With the Webb Telescope. The first will take place in early March, when the asteroid is at its point of greatest brightness and visibility for the telescope. The second round, scheduled for May, will allow scientists to study how the object temperature varies as it moves away from the sun, in addition to continuing to obtain data on its trajectory when the object has ceased to be visible by terrestrial telescopes. Why fluctuate the probability of impact. The 2% estimate is the most up -to -date ES has provided so far (NASA publishes a 2.1% estimate). The figure varies constantly because the calculations have been incorporating new observations that reduce the uncertainty of their trajectory. These fluctuations are, in fact, typical behavior in the estimation of the impact risk of newly discovered objects. NASA planetary defense equipment and ESA are based on orbital dynamic systems (such as Scout, Sentry, Meerkat and Aegis) that generate multiple possible trajectories for the asteroid. As less likely orbits are discarded, targeting on Earth may increase the fraction of possible impacts, although, over time, additional observations allow the threat to definitively discard. If this were not the case with 2024 YR4, we would be talking about a meteorite that could fall in countries as populated as Colombia, Nigeria or India on January 22, 2032. Then we would start talking about a mission to divert it, a task in the that We already have some practice. Image | Two of the 18 mirrors of the Webb Telescope (NASA/C. GUNN) In Xataka | The impact probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 has risen to 1.6%. The UN has already activated a special protocol

Some researchers have analyzed the impact of sugary drinks on world health. They have taken their hands to the head

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The sugary soft drinks conquered the world a few years ago. Thanks to its flavor and Marketing strategiesthe soft drinks became the very image of globalization. Little by little we began to be more aware of the health hazards that the excessive consumption of these drinks carried, so much that, even in some European countries it was created THE REFRESCO TAX. With the, The consumption of free sugars was reduced In certain cases. But a new one study It reveals that its intake is still very high in many countries. So much that there is an alarming link between the usual consumption of these drinks and millions of new cases of Type 2 diabetes every year. Sugary pandemic. The trigger has been a study by the University of Tufts, in the United States. Reviewing the drinking data of the global dietary database, a database with more than 450 surveys with information on the consumption of sugary drinks and a sample of 2.9 million people belonging to 184 countries, they ran into an elongent figures . Approximately, and according to this study, sugary drinks would be related to 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular diseases and 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes. Every year and worldwide, something surprising if we take into account The normalized and integrated that these drinks are in all societies. The reasons. It is not a novelty that sugary drinks are related to type 2 diabetes, obesity and other disorders, but the reason is that they are foods that are digested quickly, causing very pronounced blood glucose spikes without providing essential nutrients. They are empty calories like those that a beer can have, but with a much larger amount of sugars. This absorption process, repeatedly, contributes to the weight gain already most important: insulin resistance that carries metabolic problems related to the aforementioned diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Many cases, but … What does it mean? According to the study, 80,000 deaths per year for type 2 and 258,000 diabetes due to cardiovascular diseases related to soft drinks. Latin America and Africa. In countries that have fought in recent years to promote healthier diets and lifestyles, as well as the taxes we mentioned a few lines, that sugar consumption has decreased, but it is not something that happens throughout the world. In fact, in the study, researchers have focused on two territories: Latin America and Africa. According to these data, in Mexico the usual consumption of these drinks with almost a third of the new cases of diabetes is associated. In Colombia, the percentage rises to almost half. And in South Africa, about 28% of new cases of diabetes and 15% of new cases of cardiovascular episodes are related to these drinks. The explanation they have found is simple: in countries and communities with lower average income, little access to information and more limited preventive medical care, cases are triggered. Not all. Now, what drinks are we talking about? The study focused on the data of the sugary drinks with added sugars and, at least 50 kilocalories per 240 milliliters of product. It is something that includes soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices with added sugar, punch and even water with flavors to which sugar is added. Outside the focus is milk (which also has sugar), 100% natural juices without additives and without calorie products, being these sweetened drinks without added sugars. Of course, these drinks may be in the spotlight of subsequent studies, since researchers point out that, although they do not have added and not naturally present sugars, excessive consumption can also have negative health effects. Solutions. Laura Lara-Castor is the main author of the study and Comment that “urgent and evidence -based interventions are needed to curb the consumption of sugary drinks worldwide before more lives are shortened by their effects.” Dariush Mozaffarian is another of the authors, who believes that, above all, much more interest in Latin American and Africa countries should be put. Mozaffaian sees this as a real epidemic and considers that, “as a species, we need to address the problem of sugary drinks.” Now, as with almost everything, the study emphasizes the high and constant consumption of this type of drinks, since under normal conditions, a sporadic soda (without being healthy), is a whim that we can afford. In the end, the study does not want to focus on individual responsibility, but in a collective that involves governments and health systems. And, perhaps, at the most complex: The industry that creates that type of drinks. Image | Xataka In Xataka | There was a time when Coca-Cola had ‘cocaine’. That no longer has it is due to something surprising: racism

The impact probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 has risen to 1.6%. The UN has already activated a special protocol

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In just a few days of observations, the probability that The 2024 YR4 asteroid Impact with the Earth has risen from 1.2 to 1.6%. Once otherwise, there is a 98.4% chance that the newly discovered object passes by long. But the risk of not doing so is high enough for the UN to activate, for the first time, its planetary security protocol. Revised calculations. 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27 by the latest land impact alert system (Atlas) from Chile, but did not caught the attention of astronomers until it automatically appeared on the NASA Sentry list on December 31 by its impact risk (then just above 1%) with the planet Earth. According to the Updated data which published yesterday the Coordination Center of Objects close to Earth (NEOCC) of the European Space Agency (ESA), the 2024 YR4 asteroid measures between 40 and 90 meters in diameter and has a 1.6% chance of impacting with the Earth on December 22, 2032. He would do it near Ecuador, at some point that goes from northern South America to northern India, passing through central Africa. Meetings in NASA and ESA. We can agree that the probability of impact is still very small, but has put in suspense the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) of the UN, the committee that coordinates the response to asteroids of more than 50 meters with an impact probability of more than 1% in the next 50 years. With the planetary security protocol officially activated2024 YR4 has triggered, for the moment, two SMPAG meetings. One with the NASA Planetary Defense Coordination Officeand another in Vienna with the experts of the ESE Planetary Defense Office. What the experts have decided. Actively observe the asteroid and meet again at the end of April or early May (or before, if the risk of impact increases significantly) to reassess the situation. The probabilities can change in favor or against time as astronomers make more observations and refine the calculations of the asteroid trajectory. If the asteroid remains greater than 50 meters and the probability of impact is maintained above 1% for the next meeting, the SMPAG will issue a recommendation on future actions to the United Nations External Space Affairs Office (oneo). We will definitely need offices with acronym that is easier to remember if Armageddon comes true. We have some practice. Let’s not forget that humanity has already successfully diverted an asteroid. NASA did as proof of concept in September 2022 with the Dart mission, a ship that Dimorphos’ trajectory slightly divertedthe small moon of the asteroid Didymos. The European Mission Hera He now goes there to study the impact result. Everything we can learn from this test (And the one that China will do in a few months) It could make a difference in future planetary defense missions, the case may be. Images | Astrophyscia Institute of the Canary Islands, NASA/JPL In Xataka | Dart has been a success. The question is whether it will really save us when an asteroid goes to Earth

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