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China has shielded its space station against embargoes and sanctions. The key is how it has built it

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When Yang Liwei became The first Chinese astronaut in 2003The United States and Russia – bypassing the advances of the former Soviet Union – already accumulated decades of experience and more than fifty manned missions. In just over twenty years, that gap has been reduced by leaps and bounds. Of a modest debut, China has become humans to space, Mars And finally, To raise your own space station. A project that points to self -sufficiency with its own technology In Beijing they do not hesitate to show off technological independence. Yang Hong, chief engineer of the space station system, summed it up in June this year: “The central technologies of the Chinese Space Station have intellectual property totally independentand all its components are of national manufacture. ” The statement is ambitious: an orbital laboratory raised without resorting to foreign licenses, with all its critical systems designed and produced in China. To understand how China has come to raise its own space station, it is convenient to go back to 2011. That year, the US Congress approved the call Wolf amendment, a provision that prevents NASA and some federal offices use funds to cooperate bilaterally with Chinese entities in spatial matters, except express authorization from Congress and Certification of the FBI. This includes the exchange of technology, data or training, and in practice has blocked any Chinese access route to the International Space Station through NASA. The measure was officially justified for security reasons and concerns about sensitive technology transfer. Analysts like Makena Youngfrom the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), argue that the exclusion imposed by the Wolf amendment “has encouraged China to Accelerate your space programscreating a serious competitor for American leadership in this key scanner of exploration ” Everything indicates that this led Beijing to reinforce its long-term plans and redefine its strategy: move towards a manned program with greater independence, with Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 as test laboratories before the current station. Now, is there inheritance of previous designs? Yes, and it is not a secret. But one thing is the historical lineage and another, the current dependence. The key is in critical blocks, presumably energy, attitude control, life support, navigationcommunications, computation and software. If those links are under national control, the self -sufficiency narrative gains strength, which means that there are no weak points that a rival country can take advantage of. In operations, there have been no public signs of external dependence: crew rotations and the resupplies have been fulfilled. But there enters the nuance: outside the official story, there are no independent verifications, so it is convenient to avoid absolute, despite the solid signals of autonomy. If we see this from a broader perspective we can discover that the US vetoes They have promoted the development of more advanced national chipsimprovements in manufacturing nodes, An impulse in electric mobility. External barriers have not stopped Beijing: they have been, rather, A strategic catalyst. Images | CMS In Xataka | The state of the ISS is so alarming that the United States and Russia have sat at the table for the first time in eight years In Xataka | It was not an extraterrestrial ship, but not a giant kite. We were totally wrong about 3i/Atlas

Ukraine has opened the most advanced Drone Kamikaze in Russia. Now they know what the key to their power is: nvidia

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For a while to this Ukrainian part has turned the opening of the different Russian drones confiscated or fallen in combat in the closest to research pieces to third parties. Thus they have revealed from hidden messages of the troops of Moscow, until The origin of the vast majority of technology components (with big surprises). It has also been known to what extent China is part of the war machinery. Now you have to add to a new and important actor: Nvidia. Drones with ia. We have gone counting: The drone war in Ukraine has entered into A new phasewith both sides competing for deploying systems endowed with artificial intelligence capable of Resist electronic interference and attack objectives autonomously. The chip. What has now known is that Russia, despite the sanctions that should prevent access to Nvidia hardware, has managed to incorporate Its powerful Jetson processors in several of the most advanced drones models, obtained by contraband in small lots and through third countries. These chips, fundamental in the development of AI due to their parallel processing capacity, allow to integrate advanced navigation, recognition and guided functions that increase lethality and reduce dependence on control links vulnerable to blockages. Nvidia and the technological basis. Nvidia, valued in more than Four billion dollars and around 85% of the global market From chips for AI, it produces both high performance units for data centers and Jetson compact plates for edge devices, including drones. The latter, low relative cost, They have demonstrated in competitions of 2021 and 2023 its capacity to defeat human pilots In FPV races, using only sensors and processing on board. The version Jetson Orincurrent standard in advanced drones, multiply by ten the power of your predecessor Tx2opening the door to autonomous navigation algorithms, detection of complex objectives and maneuvers such as swarm. Digital predators. In 2023 It was discovered that Russian drones Lancet, with 11 kg of weight and scope of 40 km, They used the Jetson Tx2 For automatic monitoring functions, increasing impact precision even if communication was lost. After an initial phase of problems in 2024, software improvements raised from 30% to 60% the percentage of impacts guided by AI. Forbes counted that the new generation includes three key models with Jetson Orin: the Shahed modified MS001that Combine Satellite navigation, thermal chamber and objective recognition; The V2Uof four wings and 40 km of reach, with navigation by comparison of land and sequential attack capacity in basic swarm, and the Tyuvika small version of the Shahed with 32 km of reach, designed to hunt moving vehicles and manufactured with commercial components. Capacities and limitations. The MS001, in addition to its autonomous navigation, can Identify and attack Objectives without depending exclusively on preprogrammed coordinates. The V2U, with a high -resolution camera, laser telemeter and digital modem, can Tour routes Looking for whites, although his discrimination is imperfect and has registered erroneous attacks. Your mode of teamworkdistinguishing drones by color marks and attacking in shifts, represents an advance towards the coordinated swarm. The Tyuvik, lighter, points to saturate defenses by low cost and mass production. In all cases, software and hardware are scalable and compatible between platforms, which allows to incorporate simultaneously the entire fleet. Strategic implications. No doubt, these advances bring the end of the drones not endowed with in high intensity environments. With software systems as Flir prism either Auterion Skynodenew functions (from air combat to advanced swarm) can be implemented quickly and with reduced costs. Hardware proliferation Like Jetsonaccessible in the global and difficult to control market, makes this technology “out of the bottle” and available for any state or non -state actor. On the Ukrainian front, where drone saturation marks the combat rhythm, the combination of flexible production, advanced AI and autonomous capabilities multiply the threat and redefine the balance in the Low Cota Air War. Image | UKRAINE MOD In Xataka | Ukraine has hunted an “invisible” drone of Russia. The surprise has been capitalized when opening it: it is “made in USA” In Xataka | Ukraine knocked a Russian Shahed drone and opened it. A hidden message has revealed Moscow’s advantage in electronic warfare

Jeff Bezos’s space company has advanced Spacex in a key milestone to go to the moon and Mars: zero evaporation

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One of the biggest obstacles to a mission to Mars is not the distance or travel time. It is the fuel. To send a manned ship, NASA estimates that dozens of Cryogenic propellant tons stored for weeks or months. But those liquids do not behave like on earth: in a vacuum, exposed to heat and without gravity, They are slowly evaporating even if the tank is perfectly sealed. That phenomenon, known as Boil-offforces to release the generated gas so that the pressure does not rise dangerously inside the tank. It is a constant loss that, in a long -term mission, can mean tons of tons of fuel lying to space. Therefore, developing tanks capable of preserving this propellant at safe pressure and without losses, which is known as zero evaporation technology, has become a technical requirement to go beyond the low orbit. Zero evaporation: the technical challenge that separates the orbit low from the rest of the solar system Blue Origin claims to have taken an important step To solve that problem. Jeff Bezos’ company has managed to maintain liquid oxygen and hydrogen in stable conditions, without evaporation, using Hardware flight prototype In earth tests (Blue Origin has not detailed whether it is vacuum thermal cameras or conventional banks). Dave clean announced itits CEO, as part of the lunar permanence program, stating that they already meet all the objectives set by NASA in this area. Click to see the publication in x The result is not less: we talk about conserving hydrogen at 20 Kelvin and oxygen to 90 Kelvin, two extreme temperatures, during sustained periods. This makes Blue Origin – which we know – the first private company that publicly and explicitly communicates a zero evaporation condition in cryogenic propelants. In the absence of this technology to vuele and demonstrate in orbit, what is achieved represents the most tangible advance so far towards tanks capable of storing liquid fuel without losses, a key piece to operate ships on the moon or Mars. Storing loss without space is not just a matter of good materials. It is a constant battle against physics. Even the best thermal insulation ends up giving in. Therefore, the path to zero evaporation goes through active solutions that cool the deposit from within. NASA has investigated two: The sub -housing jet and microgotes injectiontwo methods that allow to reduce the steam temperature and prevent internal pressure. Blue Origin has not detailed which of the two uses, but the logic points to the sub -deputy jet, The only tested method So far in microgravity by NASA. It consists of directing a very cold liquid jet where the steam is accumulated. When condensing it, it is avoided that the pressure rises and it is not necessary to release gas. It is a technologically complex system, but so far it has demonstrated greater efficacy and stability in test conditions. Long before Blue Origin announced its advance, NASA had already tested these systems In space. The ZBOT program, deployed aboard the International Space Station, allowed us to observe how a microgravity propellant tank behaves. One of its main discoveries was that the Interaction between the sub -housing jet and steam It does not follow the classic rules we know on earth. The Blue Origin cryogenic system during the ground tests of its zero evaporation technology In ZBOT-1, not only was it possible to control internal pressure with active mixture. Unexpected phenomena were also detected as cavitation, sudden formation of bubbles or flow alterations that could affect the stability of the system. That information – obtained with sensors, cameras and laser measurement systems – has served several companies, including Blue Origin, to design tanks capable of functioning stable in extreme environments. Spacex has not yet announced a zero evaporation solution as such. But that It does not mean that I am not working on it. In collaboration with NASA, The company has developed A cryogenic architecture oriented to reduced evaporation, which has already been validated in flight. In March 2025Starship made a Internal transfer of liquid oxygen in spacedemonstrating that he could move fuel and control his pressure without losing it excessively. NASA Artistic Recreation Although Spacex and Blue Origin are addressing the same general challenge – almaceinar propelants in space without losses – do not work with the same fuels or face the same level of thermal difficulty. Spacex uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen, while Blue Origin works with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. That difference is key. Liquid hydrogen must be maintained to one much lower temperature than that of methane or even that of oxygen. In addition, hydrogen is less dense, more prone to escape and much more difficult to isolate. Achieving zero evaporation conditions with hydrogen is therefore a major technical challenge. The advance announced by Blue Origin is not only significant by the result, but by the type of fuel with which it has achieved it. When talking about going to Mars, you often think of rockets, habitats or space costumes. But one of the most serious bottleneck is in something much more basic: conserve fuel. In a long -lasting mission, the propellant is not used at once. You have to store it, transfer it and, many times, keep it operational for weeks without being lost by evaporation. That makes zero evaporation technology a key piece for both future interplanetary missions and missions Artemis To the moon. Images | Blue Origin (1, 2) | POT | Xataka with Grok In Xataka | Spain is very excited about the three eclipses that will arrive between 2026 and 2028. The government is worried

Ozzy Osbourne was key to lighting something almost more culturally important than metal: television realities

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The death of Ozzy Osbourne is generating multiple manifestations of condolenceand it is not for less: one of the latest genuine stars of classic rock leaves. However, although his passage through Black Sabbath and his solo career are his most relevant milestones within music, it is also worth remembering him for how he helped configure modern television in one of his most popular aspects: the reality shows. The Lord of Darkness. It is impossible to summarize here the relevant role that Ozzy Osbourne has in the history of rock, as it is impossible ‘I’m Ozzy’, edited by Espop). However, and despite the success of classics such as’Crazy Train‘ either ‘War Pigs‘, In 2002 nobody already remembered Ozzy. Until The Osbournes revolutionized the genre of realities forever. Mrs. Osbourne. Sharon Osbourne was Ozzy’s wife since 1982, although he had been as a representative of his solo career since 1979 (his father, a historic industry, had also been Black Sabbath’s manager). Sharon was fundamental in Ozzy’s sound in the 80s, oriented to a more pop metal that opened the doors of the MTV. And it was also the brain of the reality ‘The Osbournes’, conceived as a project in which their children were clips presenters, but ended up evolving to show the daily life of the family. His inspiration was also MTV’s canonical reality ‘The Real World’, but with a difference. Here the protagonists were famous. The never seen. The concept was very novel for the time: show the intimacy of a famous family, of the most trivial details to the most dramatic. The chaos that breathed Ozzy’s life gave him a strange air of likelihood and lost that semi-guy air of ‘The Real World’. Success was immediate: razed in audience (In his day, it was the most watched program in the history of the channel) and became the first program of its kind in win a primetime emmyin the category of best non -fiction series. The fault that MTV will become a video clip channel to one of realitieswith programs such as’ Jersey Shore ‘(a phenomenon that would give rise to’ Gandía Shore ‘),’ Teen Mom ‘, ’16 and pregnant’ or ‘catfish’ coping the channel grill? It is from ‘The Osbournes’. Sitcoms in real life. What makes ‘The Osbournes’ so iconic is possibly that he had all the elements of a classic sitcom (hallucinated but endearing father, cunning mother, rebel children), but with themes and vocabulary that could not be seen in a fiction series (continuous swear Patriarch jumping again and again Sharon’s attempts to have something remotely similar to a script. Something of that spirit was transmitted to the next great success (which still lasts) of the genre, ‘Las Kardashian’ and, in Spain, ‘Alaska and Mario’. Ephemeral success, indelible footprint. The program only lasted four seasons, not for a fall at the audience, but because Success surpassed its protagonists. Ozzy was not prepared for all that attention again (in fact, he fell to the drink), and Jack had to go to therapy. He configured, yes, the image of Ozzy that already accompanied him until his death: a rock star that started snacks of pigeons on stage, but with which you would not mind sitting up for a while in front of TV in slippers to listen to his comments about the “horrible, horrible music” that the kids do today. Header | MTV In Xataka | Japan had a real “Truman show”. And it was starred by a man locked up, naked and forced to survive with coupons

China has a key technology to create a more effective antimisile shield than the iron dome: a beetle

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During the recent one Conflict between Israel and Iran There was a lot of talked about the powerful Israeli antimile defense system, known as the ‘Iron dome’. Europe too wants to build yours and United States shuffled the creation of a ‘golden dome’ that would use a satellite network and would be able to Stop hypersonic missiles. And what about China? Although they have Several antimile systems At different levels, they do not have a “total” shield like the one who wants to build the United States. What they do is a technology that, if applied, would far exceed the detection of missiles from other countries. A beetle. This kind of beetles receives that name for its ability to detect fire up to 80 kilometers away Thanks to an organ in its most sensitive exoskeleton than most infrared sensors in the market. This has been the inspiration of these Chinese researchers for their new creation: a system that mimics this same sensitivity and allows you to detect hot objects quickly and precisely. The system. During the investigation, Posted in Nature magazinethe scientists carried out several tests to verify the effectiveness of the system. In the first they built an ‘heteroestructure’ with divel -divelur, a material that offers a high absorption of the middle infrared range, and pentacene, an organic semiconductor. The device could detect radiation to an intensity of only 0.5 millivats per square centimeter, a sensitivity close to that of the beetle. In the second test they used black phosphorus and Indian seleniuro, achieving a photonic memory of 0.5 microseconds, 20,000 times faster than conventional optical storage. Capacities. Researchers affirm that this technology is able to “detect and identify objects in difficult environments, since it can penetrate obstacles such as smoke, fog and dust, providing clear images and precise detection of objectives.” In addition, it works at room temperature without refrigeration. This technology could be used in various scenarios: fire detection, autonomous driving, night vision systems and of course military environments. Antimisiles. As we said, China does not have an “dome” antimile system, but this technology could open the door to the creation of one that, According to South China Morning Postit would be much more precise than the ‘Golden Dome’ that Donald Trump wants to build. The key point is that the system integrates detection, memory and processing functions. Current antimisile systems are based on traditional silicon semiconductors and hardware separation (sensors and processors) prevents them from reaching those response speeds. Nothing concrete. Donald Trump’s ‘golden dome’ is, for now, a proposal that has not yet materialized, just like this hypothetical Chinese dome. What we do know is that China did not make any grace The announcement of this project because “it would raise the risk of converting space into a war zone and creating a career for creating space weapons.” Currently, China has several antimile defense layers: Dong Neng-3an exoatmospheric missile interception system, HQ-19 for medium-range interception and HQ-29 with antisatelite capabilities. Images | Flickr (1, 2) In Xataka | The day a missile killed 28 soldiers because the antimile defense system ignored an error of 0.000000095 seconds

Lyft, closer to landing in Europe. The platform has taken a key step to buy Freeow from BMW and Mercedes

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Lyft wants to enter Europe and has begun to move. The company has notified the National Commission of Markets and the Competition the purchase of Freeow, the taxi app that until now shared BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The operation, valued at 175 million euros It represents a key movement: if completed, it will allow Lyft to deploy in more than 150 European cities, including Madrid, Berlin and London. Instead of building a network in Europe, it is committed to acquiring a platform that already operates in some of the most important markets on the continent. Freeow not only has a consolidated presence in key cities: it also has local agreements, active fleets and an approach that fits the European ecosystem, more regulated than the American. The operation would allow Lyft to enter with a base already made. The operation is not closed. On July 9, Lyft officially notified the purchase from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC). With that step the initial phase of the regulatory process in Spain is activated: the agency now has a month to pronounce. If you consider that the operation needs a more detailed analysis, a second phase will be opened that could be lengthened between three and four months, As Europa Press collects. Only after overcoming this process the transaction could be completed. For users, nothing changes for now. But there are clear promises. Both Lyft and Freeow have confirmed that, for the moment, there will be no changes in the experience of use. The app will continue to function as until now. However, in the medium term, improvements such as more consistent prices, faster vehicles and new functions are expected. They are future objectives, even without a concrete date, but that are already in the road map of both companies. The Integration of Freeow would allow him to significantly expand his scope, both in number of cities and in potential volume of users. According to its internal estimates, the total market to which it aspires would reach more than 300,000 million annual journeys, with an expected increase in gross reserves of 1,000 million euros. Freeow does not disappear: he maintains his team, his brand and his local DNA. The agreement contemplates that Freeow retains its current structure. There will be no mergers or rebranding: the brand will remain active and directed by the same team. That continuity is part of the strategic value of the operation, since it allows Lyft to access a consolidated network without altering its internal operation. An agreement that meets two different, but complementary cultures. Lyft arrives with an experience focused on digital platforms and large volume management. Freeow brings the knowledge of the land: relations with fleets, authorities and operators in each city. Both companies assure that it is not an absorption, but a collaboration that aspires to climb what already works, without losing local identity. Images | Lyft/Freeow In Xataka | Europe has denied 1,100 million euros to Spain with a single goal: that we pay more for diesel

In the twentieth century the pipelines were the key to the world. In the 21st century are the electrical networks and a country is winning them: China

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While a nation installs almost one hundred solar panels per second, another revitalizes factories to produce gasoline engines. While A build the largest solar plant in the worldthe other promises “Dominant Energy” Based on oil and gas. At first glance, two different strategies seem. Actually, it’s a career. And the prize is not just energy: it is the geopolitical power of the 21st century. Two opposing models. An Ember graph published by Our World in Data He has illustrated The point with amazing clarity. At the beginning of the 2000s you can see China’s gradual rebound. However, the crossing occurs in 2010 where the Asian giant exceeds the 4,000 Teravatios-Hora barrier (TWH), to a vertiginous ascent exceeding 10,000 SWH in 2024. In simple terms, China produces more than double electricity than the United States, which remained in the same line. But the most relevant is not how much it produces, but how it does. Data Source: Ember (2025); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2024) The silent revolution. In just one month, China installed 93 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is equivalent – more or less – one hundred panels every second. To that are added another 26 GW in wind, some 5,300 new turbines underway. According to Lauri Myllyvirta, principal researcher at the Institute of Policy of Asian Society, cited by The Guardian: “Only the facilities of that month would generate as much electricity as whole countries such as Poland, Sweden or the United Arab Emirates.” In total, between January and May 2025, China has added 198 GW of solar capacity and 46 GW of wind, sufficient to match the electricity production of Türkiye or Indonesia. This way, Keep overcoming The more than 1,000 GW, which represents half of the world total. They have known how to get ahead. More and more linked climatic ambitions with the growth of renewable technologies. In a recent speech, cited by The GuardianXi Jinping linked the development of the clean energy sector with China’s economic revitalization: “We have built the world’s largest and most complete energy chain in the world.” The term “new energies” includes renewables, batteries and storage technologies. The Asian giant is currently the largest global supplier of clean technologies: the market of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electric vehicles and nuclear reactors under construction dominates. In addition, it has almost 700,000 patents in clean energy, more than half of the world total, According to The New York Times. The other face. For a good part of the twentieth century, the United States was the reference in energy innovation: from the first commercial solar cells until The first wind farms. However, since Trump’s arrival, the focus It has been placed again strongly towards fossil fuels. According to The New York TimesWashington has pressed allies such as Japan and South Korea to invest billion dollars in American natural gas infrastructure. At the same time, companies such as General Motors have given clear signs of where the wind blows: the company canceled an electric motion plant near Buffalo (New York) to allocate 888 million dollars To manufacture gasoline V-8 engines. Where asymmetry resides. It is not just two different paths, but in world influence. According to Climate Energy Finance datathe companies of the Asian giant have announced more than 168 billion dollars in foreign investments in clean energy projects: from turbines in Brazil to electric cars in Indonesia, through gigantic solar plants in Saudi Arabia and hydroelectric projects in the Congo. Green energy, for Beijing, is not just a business. It is a soft power tool. A way to gain global land through infrastructure, long -term contracts and own financing. An influence that does not need military bases, but solar panels. In contrast, the United States has cut many of its international energy cooperation programs. Its foreign strategy is more transactional: specific gas, oil or even weapons agreements. But without a structural project that allows you to compete on this new energy board. And this change of roles? Half a century ago, the United States led energy innovation. In 1979, Jimmy Carter He installed solar panels In the White House. Decades later, Barack Obama financed projects like Tesla. But cases Like Solyndra’s failurea solar company that broke after receiving a federal loan, unleashed a conservative narrative against public investment in renewables. China, on the other hand, assumed risks. In the early 2000s, then Prime Minister Wen Jiabao – rare earth geneologist – understood that the country’s economic and geopolitical future went through controlling energy production. Your government invested hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, factories, technical training and innovation. Protected his market, automated manufacturing and dominated access to essential raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and silicon as has developed New York Times. The forecasts. The world is moving towards solar and wind energies, so confirms it The International Energy Agency. The energy demand will continue to grow, but its origin will be different. And that will change the global balance, because whoever leads this new energy matrix will also have a geopolitical, commercial and diplomatic advantage. China is prepared to lead that world. The big question is whether the United States – or any other global actor – is willing to compete with the same strategic vision, patience and scale. Because energy not only moves factories or illuminates cities. Today the global board moves. Image | Unspash Xataka | An explosive ramifications have just opened in the world energy industry: the “Peak Oil” of China

We are sending cannabis samples to space. They will be key to knowing if we can colonize the moon or Mars

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Throughout our short space race we have sent the most diverse things to space: from golf balls up to 2,000 small jellyfish (that returned being 60,000), going through latea piece of the Wright brothers, an electric car, a gorilla costume and a pizza. Today to this peculiar list we have to add about 150 cannabis seeds. The reasons? Strictly scientific. Mayasat-1. That is the name they receive both the mission (Integrated within Mission Possible 2025) as the incubator on board which have traveled seeds, algae and human DNA, among other things. In total, 980 samples of 11 different customers. The incubator has been developed by the Genoplant Research Institute in Slovenia, but who has decided to send cannabis seeds to space has been Martian Grow. Transport-14 | Image: Genoplant Mayasat-1 | Image: Genoplant Three laps. Before addressing the why of cannabis, it is convenient to understand what the mission has consisted, whose duration has been three hours. Mayasat-1 took off on Monday 23 at 23:50 aboard a Falcon 9 from Spacex from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It reached a height of 520 kilometers (120 kilometers more than the International Space Station) and completed three laps around our planet. Specifically, through polar areas. Because? Because at the North and South poles exposure to radiation is very, much higher than that of Ecuador due to the magnetic field. The objectives. There are several, but they can be summarized as follows: Observe the survival of samples to radiation, microgravity and temperatures of space to have an idea of ​​its ability to resist extreme conditions. Investigate possible adaptations, such as genetic or structural changes, which may have occurred in response to the environmental stress factors. Study the possible implications for the cultivation of plants in space or advances in medicine. Serve as proof of concept for the realization of biological experiments in space. And now yes, cannabis. Božidar Radišič leads the initiative Martian Grow and works as a consultant at the Research Nature Institute in Slovenia. In statements collected by WiredRadišič believes that “sooner or later, we will have lunar bases and cannabis, with its versatility, it is the ideal plant to supply those projects.” In his own words, cannabis “can be a source of food, proteins, construction materials, textiles, hemp, plastic and medicines. I don’t think many other plants give us all these things.” But cannabis … Yes, it is associated with a very different recreational use, but its potential as a plant is tremendous. The Cannabis sativa l produces THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound) and CBD (Cannabidiol, has no psychoactive effects), but these are only two of the More than 550 chemical compounds found to date. And although we do not know what effects each and every one of them has, we do know that the plant is surprisingly resistant. Image | Crystalweed Cannabis Hold on what you throw. Cannabis sativa is a plant that resists ultraviolet rays and gamma radiation (in fact, it is used in its industrial production to decontaminate it). It is also extremely versatile, being able to grow both in Mexico and India, Nepal, Netherlands or Afghanistan despite the fact that its origin is in the Himalayas. Nor is it a plant that needs too much water and can be grown in different types of soils. Their ballots to be a successful space crop are, therefore, abundant on paper. And why send seeds to space? We know that radiation and genetic mutation is able to generate new varieties of species with different properties. “So far more than 3,400 new varieties of more than 210 species of plants using genetic variation induced by radiation and improvement by mutations, “they explain from the International Atomic Energy Agency. For Radišič, that is precisely the key: “It’s about finding out if cosmic conditions affect cannabis genetics, and how they do it, and we may only discover it after several generations.” Radiation exposure can cause mutations, not all negative, not all positive. The key is to detect those that can play in favor of humanity. The problem, of course, is that we need more information. Image | Genoplant Further. We have already cultivated lettuce at the International Space Station, Thalian Arabidopsis on lunar soil and Sent seeds to spacebut all radiation exposure has been in low orbit (up to 2,000 kilometers high). The responses to the radiation of a plant at the International Space Station may not be the same as those of a plant on the moon (at 38,400 kilometers away) or on Mars (54.6 million kilometers). One of the projects that seek to explore how plants cultivated on the moon respond is Leafa NASA mission that will travel to our satellite in the mission Artemis III In 2027. Next steps. When the capsule returns, the Božidar Radišič team and the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Ljubljana will study the seeds, their possible mutations and adaptations to obtain results and see which compounds have altered and how. “Whether there are changes as if not, both results will be important for the future, so that we know how to grow cannabis in the space environment,” says Radišič to Wired. An important job. Colonizing the moon or Mars is not only a technological challenge, but also logistics. It is not viable to transport food to keep the population of another planet, so it is capital to learn to cultivate in lunar and Martian soils, completely inhospitable and hostile. There have been advances and research with different proposals For many yearsbut there is still no solution that seems perfect. Images | Genoplant In Xataka | We have found a plant capable of producing 40 cannabinoids. A closer plant evolutionarily to lettuce that to hemp

There is a new Xbox on the horizon. Microsoft confirms that it works in new generation hardware and leaves a key advance

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The debate on the future of consoles has not stopped growing. With the rise of the cloud game and the advance of mobile devices, more and more voices wonder if it makes sense to continue betting on consoles as we know them. But Microsoft is clear: Consoles are still key. And not any console, but the one that is called to star in its greatest technical jump to date. Redmond’s company He already advanced it in February 2024. Now has confirmed it: It is working on a new generation of Xbox. And it doesn’t come alone. As announced by Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, the next console will re -support AMD to shape her hardware. The collaboration is not new: both the Xbox Series x like the Xbox Series s They integrate chips designed next to AMD. So does the PlayStation 5. Something that is new is the scope of the alliance. Bond speaks of a “multiannual strategic collaboration” focused on joint silicon development for a “device portfolio, including our next -generation Xbox consoles, both In your living room as in your hands“It is precisely that last sentence,” in your hands “, the one that raises expectation. Microsoft continues to bet on hardware Confirmation comes just after Microsoft announced New Xbox Ally devices in collaboration with Asus. They will arrive at the end of this year with a new Xbox experience integrated in Windows, which will also allow other platforms such as Steam. Everything indicates that Microsoft wants to replicate this approach in its next generation of consoles. One of the great unknowns that overwhelmed this new stage was what would happen to the current game library. Microsoft wanted to clear doubts as soon as possible: the new Xbox generation will be Compatible with previous titles. This has been confirmed by Sarah Bond, who says that the bet not only happens to offer a more powerful console, but also to maintain the continuity of what we already have. Microsoft’s message is not limited to a traditional console. In Bond’s words, it is about building a “game platform that always accompanies you”, regardless of the device. The next Xbox generation is developing with that idea in mind: to offer a coherent experience both in the room and in mobility, from a traditional console to a laptop, through the PC and the cloud. This vision is also reflected in the alliance with AMD, focused on bringing silicon to a new level. The objective: to improve visual quality, enhance immersion and take advantage of artificial intelligence to enrich the game experience. Another of the most striking messages of Microsoft’s intervention has to do with the distribution model. “We want to offer an Xbox experience that is not tied to a single store or a single device,” says Bond. Although there are no concrete details, greater freedom in the choice of platforms is good news for users. Images | Xbox In Xataka | There are possibilities for Switch 2 to spray a PlayStation 4. but Nintendo sales record has to supply the supply

The key to China’s success with rare earths are not the rare earths: it is the magnet

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The response of the Chinese administration to the tariff pressure to which the United States wanted to submit in early April was immediate: significant restrictions on the export of rare earths. A measure that ended up relaxing this week, with the granting of licenses of export for six months. A truce to which the United States accessed by lowering another of the key elements in this commercial war: The admission of Chinese students in American universities. These are one of the most important pieces of the geopolitical board: they are scarce chemical elements, difficult to extract and refine, and a key resource For the technological, automotive and energy industry, among many others. China is controlling access to these elements to defend their interests, but the key is not just to isolate its rivals of this precious material: is in the disability outside China to take advantage of them. China is the fundamental piece in its prosecuted. China controls rare earth production by 70% and 90% processing them. In the case of heavy strange earth, a subgroup of them even more scarce, their participation in the refining is 99%. According to the newspaper The New York TimesChina has up to 39 university programs so that its students can train and develop their career in the chemical industry specializing in this field. It is just a sample of the importance it has for the country led by Xi Jinping to continue controlling this geopolitical weapon. This graph is the best visual test of China’s domain in rare earths. The access toll. Although the focus on how they are affecting the restrictions on the export of rare earths to the supply chain is currently, there is a key that has gone unnoticed: the real problem is not access, it is the difficulty of working even in the case of obtaining them. When the Ministry of Commerce of China and the General Administration of Customs They imposed access controls for the export of medium and heavy rare earthsthe supply chain staggered. From their entry into force, all exporters were obliged to obtain specific licenses for each shipment, even if they are products in which they have already been refined, such as magnets. Why touch the rest. These licenses are a complex bureaucratic process, slow and studied case by case. Although the primary political objective is the United States, European companies that need heavy land (or materials manufactured with them, such as magnets), are seeing supply interruptions. Suzuki has already arrested swift production in Japan Due to the scarcity of pieces, Musk You are having trouble building your robots and, in Europe, the secretary general of CLA (European Association of Automation Suppliers) made an urgent call: production is entering the paralysis phase. “With a deeply interconnected global supply chain, China’s export restrictions are already paralyzing production in the European supplier sector.” The magnet as geopolitical treasure. William Huo, ex-intel and one of the most prominent figures in the critical analysis of Western industrial policy, summarizes it in the best possible way: West has been focusing on optimizing spreadsheets instead of factories, And now he is not able to manufacture a single magnet. The industry depends on the Chinese refining of rare earths to manufacture high performance magnets. Without them, there is no competitiveness in electric cars, defense, nuclear or consumer technology. The rest is not prepared to refine rare earths. “Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.” They are words of Den Xiaoping in 1992, who was the top leader of the People’s Republic of China. The country has been acquiring the necessary knowledge to extract and refine these materials, while the rest of the world enjoyed a comfortable (and economic) dependence. West has tried to self -abuse with at least 10% of the remaining rare lands. Countries like Norway and Sweden are finding new deposits, and have confirmed the intention of exploiting them not beyond 2030. None of this is enough. Refining is the main bottleneck for the use of rare earths in industry, an expensive, sensitive process and with complex waste management. In Xataka | China has built the most elegant economic power lever in modern history: rare earths

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