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Some astronomers made a paella at 2,000 meters above sea level in Almería. And they discovered the best cooking point for rice

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If you like cook a paellait is best that you do it on the coast. And not only because of how pleasant the impression of having a rice at the beach bar looking at the sea is. Also because, basically, it will cook better. Astronomers know this well. Calar Alto Observatoryin Almería, who have a curious anecdote with this story. It wasn’t the chef’s fault.. Years ago, the astronomers at the Calar Alto Observatory enjoyed the dishes prepared by a magnificent chef, from a small town in the province of Almería, during their work days. In his municipality he was known precisely for the quality of his rice. However, I had a thorn in my side with the paellas I was trying to prepare at the observatory. Rice never suited him. At least, not as tasty as normally. In Xataka We have spoken about it with Ana Guijarro, one of the astronomers at this observatory. One day she explained to him that he should not martyr himself. The fault was not his, but rather the fact that the facilities They are 2,168 meters above sea level. The physics behind. As we rise meters above sea level, the atmospheric pressure is lower. To understand it, we can visualize it: there is less column of air above our heads, therefore there is also less pressure acting on them. The boiling point of liquids depends on the pressure. If we heat waterthe molecules that make it up will move faster and faster, colliding with each other. When they reach the surface, they may attempt to “escape,” turning into vapor. However, atmospheric pressure pushes them down and prevents this from happening. If the atmospheric pressure decreases, so does the boiling point. That is, the temperature at which the liquid can begin to turn into vapor. At sea level, the boiling temperature of water is 100ºC. However, at 2,168 meters, water boils at approximately 92.6ºC. A cooking class. For rice to cook properly, it is necessary for the starch in its grains to hydrate and gelatinize correctly, and for that to happen, sufficient heat is needed. The problem is that, when a liquid boils, all its energy is invested precisely in that change of state instead of continuing to raise the temperature. The 100ºC at sea level, or 92ºC at higher altitudes, remain stable so that the liquid turns into a gas. Therefore, there is not enough temperature to process the rice grains in the best possible way. And what about Andean rice? In the Andean countries there are many rice-based dishes that are very tasty. The height is even higher than that of the Calar Alto Observatory, but in these places, where they have no choice but to cook at high altitudes, They have a very precious trick: the pressure cooker. Precisely the objective of this utensil is to artificially increase the pressure, so that the boiling point rises and the food can be cooked for longer. It is valid for rice and all types of stews. Even at sea level it is very precious for cooking certain dishes, such as stews. Sometimes physics makes it difficult for us, but there are tricks to deal with it. It’s not just a matter of rice. Ana Guijarro tells us that this does not only happen with rice. “For example, tea or any infusion They don’t taste the same in the mountains, because the water boils at a lower temperature and that affects the extraction of the flavor that these things have.” It is something that can frustrate a chef a lot, but with which people who, like astronomers, usually work many meters above sea level, are more than familiar. Better paella on the beach. In short, the next time you have a paella on the beach, remember that it is the best place you can have it. And everything is much more enjoyable when you know the science behind it. Images | MagnificentJorgechp In Xataka | The paella Taliban have been growing strong for years. More and more evidence points to the contrary.

The good news is that the Ebro reservoirs are at a historic 85% water level. The bad thing is that we are going to spend it in a short time.

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There are 6,640 hm3 of water in the Ebro basin. The reservoirs are at 85.1% of its total capacity at what is its highest level (for this date) of the decade. And yet, the fact that there is a lot of water is not news. All of Spain is the same (83.3%). The news is that we are going to spend it. A structural problem called ‘Mediterranean’. Every year, the pressure of the Mediterranean summer and the irrigation campaign empty the reservoirs very quickly. AND, as history has shown usthere is never too much water: “each dry period has served to implement emergency measures for agriculture that were not eliminated when the rains returned, they were used to expand irrigation, aggravating the problem in the following drought”, said Ana Tudela and Antonio Delgado. And that, precisely that, is what we are about to see. The complete image. Seeing the figures for the reservoirs can lead us to forget that, just three years ago, 85% of the basin’s surface was in “prolonged drought“and 45% of them declared themselves in shortage emergency. Mequinenza, the largest swamp, reached historic lows. It was a catastrophe not only in water terms, but also in energy terms. Now, however, all that is in the past. And Say’s Law lurks in the dark. What the old French economist Jean-Baptiste Say argued at the end of the 19th century is that “every supply creates its own demand“and, translated into this situation, this means that the fact that there is more water generates all the incentives in the world for there to be more irrigation. As soon as we do it, this becomes clear. After all, not all of the basin’s storage capacity is enough for a full year of agricultural demand. Without the annual rainfall and the melting of snow, we could already consider all its reserves exhausted. March is the key month. The irrigation campaign runs from April to September and that means that March is the key month for planning the year. It is true that the thaw has not yet begun (which this year is going to be very intense), but it helps us estimate what quantities of water are really available. All irrigated agriculture in the valley depends on the water we are able to store during the spring. The question from now on becomes: how do we conserve as much water as possible before we once again enter a situation of risk? And the problem is that we don’t have answers. Especially in a regulatory context in which are not foreseen widespread restrictions on irrigation. Economic, social and institutional incentives tell us that we are not yet prepared, as a country, to address the really important question: we do not have a water problem, we have a consumption problem. There is still room for improvement in management, yes. But that won’t solve the problem: it only postpones it. And that 85% of reservoir water has given us unbeatable weather, we just have to hope that we can take advantage of it. Image | Manuel Torres Garcia In Xataka | The great battle of the Ebro is not between Murcia and Aragón, it is between the headwaters of the rivers, the large cities and the delta

The Tagus reservoirs have reached their maximum level. The response of the authorities has been to empty them immediately

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1,639.67 hm3 of water. That is what the Entrepeñas and Buendía reservoirs store today at the head of the Tagus. This means that they have reached 65.11% of their capacity (compared to 48.52% last year) and, more importantly, that have reached level 1the maximum possible step. Finally, some good news! After years of hardship, the river has reached its “dream level.” Then, we are going to empty it. As? This same week, the Tajo-Segura Transfer Exploitation Commission is going to propose sending 180 hm3 of water to the Segura basin. It will be done in stages over three months. And the truth is that it was something totally predictable: the growth of reserves in the headwaters of the river has reached milestones that we have not seen since the late 90s. In application of the transfer rules that were set in 2013the irrigators of Segura request that the necessary procedures be activated so that they can give them the water that is theirs. What happens is that the political mess is enormous. What is happening with the water of the Tagus? Basically, by virtue of the Tagus Hydrological Plan, approved in 2023the transfer rules had to be updated to adapt them to the current reality. It has been tried; late, but it has been tried. What happens is that the process (due to the enormous political costs it entails) has been stalled for months and months. Right now, he is stopped waiting for pending resolutions in the Supreme Court. This has generated a very complicated situation: the plan that was going to be approved included a progressive reduction of transfers up to 40% in the next five years. The stated intention was recover the Tagus River and look for management formats that do not focus on specific moments (“emptying the pantry just when we have finished filling it”), but on more global measures that do not compromise the management of the basins in the medium term. But since it is not approved, the law is clear: Segura can claim its water and the Exploitation Commission will proceed to send it. The central issue is whether all this is a mirage or not. It is not lost on anyone that this January has not been a normal month (it has been the rainiest in the last 25 years) and, for this reason, each of the parties wants to use ‘this gift from heaven‘ for their own interests: some to regenerate the Tagus (and ensure the economic activity linked to it) and the others to keep the Segura agroindustry alive. That is, we have to choose at the worst possible moment: with the elections just around the corner. Image | Maria LVRZ In Xataka | The water from the Tagus is going to stay in Castilla-La Mancha. So Alicante and Murcia already have a plan B: set up desalination plants

Your experience at Xataka goes up a level with exclusive newsletters, raffles, El Consultorio and more

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Xataka was born in 2004 as a blog for technology fans, and boy has it rained since then. Cell phones were not from that time smartphonesMP3 players were the fashionable devices and I don’t think anyone, not even us, imagined everything that was going to come next. But there is something that has not changed since then: the support we have received all these years from all of you, our xatakeros and xatakeras. Today I want to tell you what the next step is for Xataka, something we have been working on for almost more than a year. Today we announce the arrival of Xataka Xtraa new subscription community with which we want to offer a much more direct relationship between the public and the editorial staff, in addition to including some advantages that we think may interest you. But before going on to detail what Xataka Xtra is, I’m going to skip all the style rules and explain to you what it is not: It’s not a paywall. I want to make this clear from the beginning. Xataka Xtra It is, as its name suggests, an “extra.” A way that we propose to support all of us who make this medium. But the usual Xataka experience does not change: everyone will be able to continue enjoying our open content as before. Xtra is an “plus” for those who want to support us and go a little further. And yes, under subscription. We are aware of “subscription fatigue”, ourselves we have talked about her. In an increasingly hostile environment for those of us who create content for the web, initiatives like this allow us to continue doing what we do and, in the process, thank you for your support through different advantages. Our priority has been to design a value experience while keeping the price as low as possible: at Xataka Xtra you can support us for what a coffee costs each month. We want to continue making content made by humans and for humans. Made by us for you. And we want to maintain a closer and more exclusive relationship with our xatakeros and xatakeras, something that on a large scale today is practically impossible but that we do believe we can achieve with the Xtra Community. And now, let’s explain what it includes Xataka Xtra. What advantages does Xataka Xtra include? Three exclusive newsletters: Chip War (weekly, every Monday): The semiconductor industry is the technological, economic and geopolitical battlefield of our time. Every week we analyze what is happening in the race for chips: from the tensions between the United States and China to the decisions of TSMC, Intel, SK Hynix or Samsung that will determine who leads the next decade. Next X (biweekly, every other Thursday): Biweekly analysis of the trends in technology and science that are changing the present and will define the future: AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, space exploration. Context and perspective on where we are going and why it matters. B-sides (weekly, every Saturday): Five curious and fascinating readings each week. Strange, counterintuitive or unexpected stories that we find on the Internet and that deserve your attention. From industrial accidents that changed the world to surprising scientific research or absurdities of late capitalism. Close and direct relationship with the Xataka team: Exclusive community on Discord: access to our Discord server, only for the Xtra Community. The office: We resolve your doubts with preferential treatment and you will have a direct line with the entire team. Available via email or on Discord. Write to us with your query and our team of editors will try to provide the best solution. Monthly video Q&A with the Xataka team: We provide the team that attends, you set the agenda and what you want to talk about. Giveaways and exclusive benefits Raffles and discounts. Just by being Xtra members you will participate in exclusive draws and have special discounts. And pay attention because very interesting products are coming up to be raffled off. Today we announced the first: a 75-inch LG TV. Advantages and offers with our partners. At launch we will have the following: Nextory: Extended free trial for 45 days. NordVPN: 3 months free for 1 and 2 year plans. NordPass: 10% discount for 1 and 2 year plans. Saily: 10% discount on new hires. Other benefits Xataka Xtra badge in the user profile. It will be seen when an Xtra user comments and on their profile. Ad-free option: For those who want to browse without advertising banners, there is also an option. And this is the beginning: we want to take advantage of the creation of this Xtra Community so that you can tell us what things you miss and would love for us to add. We will design the future of Xataka Xtra together. How much does it cost and available versions Xataka Xtra It is available in monthly subscription mode and annual mode. Signing up is easy, with a couple of clicks, and unsubscribing is equally simple: just by clicking the corresponding button in your Xtra area. The available plans are the following: Monthly plan: 4 euros per month (2 euros per month in introductory offer) Annual plan: 30 euros a year (15 euros per year in introductory offer) Annual plan without ads: 60 euros a year (30 euros per year in introductory offer) For all those who sign up with the introductory offer, the 50% discount remains as long as they do not cancel or change their subscription. As you can see, we have included the possibility of contracting a plan that eliminates all banners from the website and makes reading easier. This has been an addition that we have included based on your feedback, since it was one of the most requested features. Thank you, really and this is Xataka Xtraat least for now, since as I mentioned, the idea is that this fluid relationship with the Xtra Community helps us find other interesting ideas that you may like to … Read more

NASA just classified the 2024 incident at its highest level

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When NASA launched the Commercial Crew programdid so with a clear idea: to partner with private companies that would design and operate their own ships under fixed-price contracts. Boeing and SpaceX have been part of this scheme since its origin, with the aim of guaranteeing regular manned access to low orbit. The Starliner manned test flight in June 2024 was to complete the technical validation process of the Boeing capsule before its certification, but anomalies detected during the mission completely altered the initial plan. Now, when officially classifying This test as a “Type A Incident”, NASA places what happened at the highest level of its incident scale and recognizes that the magnitude of the episode goes beyond a simple technical setback. What happened in 2024. On June 5, 2024, the CST-100 Starliner took off heading to the International Space Station on its first crewed flight with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board. The mission was initially planned to last between eight and fourteen days as a comprehensive test of the system. However, during the approach They detected helium leaks and failures in the thrustersand NASA explained that a loss of maneuverability occurred as the crew approached the station, although control was regained before docking. The stay ended up extending up to 93 days and, after reviewing the flight data and performing tests on the ground, The space agency decided that the vehicle would return in September 2024 without the astronautswhich finally returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. A devastating report. The independent investigation team, formed in February 2025, examined the technical, organizational and cultural factors that contributed to the problems with the test flight. According to their conclusions, there was a combination of hardware failures, gaps in the qualification processes, leadership errors and cultural dysfunctions that generated risk conditions incompatible with the safety standards of the agency’s manned flight program. NASA has indicated that it accepts this document as the final report and that work to identify the technical root cause continues. What does “Type A mishap” (Type A Incident) mean? NASA uses this category as the highest level within its incident system. Let us remember that this definition includes cases such as damages exceeding 2 million dollars, the loss of control or destruction of a vehicle or the loss of human life. In the case of the Starliner flight, there were no injuries and, according to the agency, the mission regained control before docking, but there was a loss of maneuverability during the approach and associated financial damages. The designation recognizes that there was potential for a major mishap and that the conditions generated cannot be dismissed as a simple technical mismatch. SpaceX Dragon 2 NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was explicit in addressing the cultural dimension of the problem. “It is decision-making and leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human spaceflight,” he declared at the press conference. The head of the agency maintained that the classification as “Type A mishap” seeks to “make things clear” and ensure that what happened is recorded appropriately for future learning. He also admitted that allowing the program itself to initially investigate itself was “incompatible with NASA’s safety culture,” a practice that, he explained, it has decided to correct. Boeing’s response. In a statement released after the report’s publicationthe company stated that it remains “committed to NASA’s vision of having two commercial crew providers” and thanked the agency for the research. Boeing maintains that in the 18 months since the test flight it has made progress in corrective actions to address the technical challenges detected and has driven cultural changes within the team. Images | POT In Xataka | NASA’s megarocket no longer leaks: Artemis 2 passes its vital test and clears the path to the Moon

China gives the green light to the first level 3 autonomous cars. Their goal: to be leaders in 2035

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China has given the green light to its first two passenger vehicles with capacity level 3 autonomous driving (L3). This will allow drivers to let go of the steering wheel in certain circumstances. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced this Monday that Changan Automobile and BAIC have received authorization to manufacture electric cars with this technology, although with geographical and speed limitations. What level 3 really means. Most current driving assistance systems in smart cars are classified as L2 or L2+, which force the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times. Level 3, considered “hands-off” according to the criteria of the international organization SAE, allows the vehicle to assume all dynamic driving tasks under specific conditions. However, the driver must remain alert and prepared to intervene when necessary. To put ourselves in context, level 5 would represent total autonomy, without the need for human intervention under any circumstances. The restrictions of the approved models. The model from Changan, a state-owned manufacturer based in Chongqing, will be able to navigate autonomously through urban streets and traffic at a maximum speed of 50 km/h when its assistance system is activated. For its part, the BAIC model under its Arcfox brand (the Alpha S sedan) is authorized to travel on highways and expressways at up to 80 km/h. Both vehicles, which are pure electric, will only be able to operate in specific areas: the Changan Deepal SL03 will be able to do so in certain sections of Chongqing, while the Arcfox Alpha S in specific sections of highways in Beijing that connect with the airports. Why China is accelerating now. The country is treating autonomous driving as another strategic objective, just as it did when promoting its electric vehicle industry, which is so popular abroad. The authorities have set the goal of making the country a leader in the sector by 2035. According to Zhang Yongweigeneral secretary of China EV100, two out of every three new cars sold in China this year will have Level 2 or higher autonomous driving capability. “The approvals show that the authorities are willing to deregulate the market,” says Phate Zhang, founder of CnEVPost, who anticipates that “officials are likely to take a phased approach to distributing more manufacturing licenses to other manufacturers.” The industry was already prepared. According to SCMP, several premium manufacturers have been with models ready to comply with level 3 regulations for months. Geely’s Zeekr and Seres, backed by Huawei Technologies, have designed and developed intelligent vehicles considered semi-autonomous that would comply with L3 rules, according to previous announcements. Andrew Fan, CFO of Hesai Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of lidar sensors, declared reported last month that “preparations were well underway in the Chinese auto industry for the next generation of autonomous driving capabilities, even before Beijing cleared the regulatory path.” The cost of the advanced lidar sensors needed for Level 3 ranges from $500 to $1,000 per unit, with demand rising as major Chinese manufacturers accelerate development of autonomous vehicles. Where is China compared to the West. Mercedes-Benz seems to have the advantage in this area: its Level 3 Drive Pilot system was approved by German authorities at the beginning of the year to operate at speeds of up to 95 km/h on the motorway network, marking the fastest certified system for conditional autonomous driving in a production vehicle, according to the company. Tesla continues to update its Full Self Driving system, which operates at an advanced level 2. Meanwhile, manufacturers like BMW and BYD also have models in testing for Level 3 driver assistance in Chinese cities like Beijing. What’s coming now. The MIIT has confirmed which will work with other authorities to supervise these vehicles while promoting the development of this technology in China. The two manufacturers will use the models to carry out pilot programs in assigned locations. Although the ministry has not specified when they will hit the market, technically manufacturers can begin assembling the models once they receive the green light. In addition to these two state-owned manufacturers, several robotaxis companies such as Baidu’s Apollo Go, Pony AI and WeRide They are already leading the deployment of driverless vehicles worldwide, operating at level 4, which does not require a human driver. Cover image | Wikipedia In Xataka | For the first time in 88 years, Volkswagen has crossed a red line: closing a factory in Germany

The elite of the open models spoke in Chinese. Mistral has just placed Europe at a level that not even the US managed to reach

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Over the last year, the elite of open models for assisted programming, at least in benchmarks as SWE-Bench Verifiedhas spoken with a Chinese accent. Names like DeepSeek, Kimi either qwen They had settled into the top positions in testing and were setting the pace in complex software engineering tasks, while Europe was still searching for its position. The arrival of Devstral 2 alters that distribution. It does not displace those who were already at the top, but it places Mistral at the same level of demand and turns a European company into a real contender in a field that until now seemed reserved for others. League change: the technical leap that had been brewing for some time. During recent months, the open models developed in Europe and the United States had shown constant evolution, although still without the performance necessary to compete in the most demanding tests. The progress was evident, but there was a lack of a project capable of consolidating it at a higher level and demonstrating that this path could give results comparable to those of the sector. Devstral 2 in data: performance, size and licenses. The new Mistral model reaches 123B parameters in a dense architecture and offers an expanded context of 256K tokens, accompanied by a modified MIT license that facilitates its adoption in open environments. Its compact version, Devstral Small 2, reduces the model to 24B licensed parameters Apache 2.0. In the SWE-Bench Verified figures published by the companyDevstral 2 obtains 72.2%, a mark that places it in the most competitive section of the open models evaluated and that confirms its presence among the most advanced alternatives in the segment. It is reflected by a panorama concentrated in the upper part of the benchmark. Among the open models, DeepSeek V3.2 leads the group with 73.1%, followed by Kimi K2 Thinking with 71.3% and for proposals such as Qwen 3 Coder Plus and Minimax M2, which are around 69 points. At lower levels GLM 4.6, GPT-OSS-120B, CWM and DeepSWE appear, with more moderate results. In the closed commercial environment (proprietary models), the graph incorporates higher scores: Gemini 3 Pro reaches 76.2%, GPT 5.1 Codex Max rises to 77.9% and Claude Sonnet 4.5 scores 77.2%, all of them above the best brands registered for open models. What SWE-Bench Verified Really Measures and Why It Matters. SWE-Bench Verified is a test designed to evaluate whether a model can solve real programming tasks, not synthetic exercises. Each case presents a bug in an open source repository and requires a patch to pass the previously failed tests. The evaluation seeks to measure whether the system understands the structure of the project, identifies the cause of the problem and proposes a coherent solution. It is a useful and demanding metric, although limited to Python repositories and a specific set of situations that do not cover the full breadth of software work. From co-pilots to agents who act on the project. The arrival of Devstral 2 coincides with a broader change in the way of working with programming tools. It is no longer just about receiving suggestions in the editor, but about having agents capable of exploring an entire repository, interpreting its structure and proposing changes consistent with its real state. In this context, Vibe CLI appears, a tool that allows Devstral to analyze files, modify parts of the code and execute actions directly from the terminal, bringing these capabilities closer to the daily workflow of developers. Cost and deployment: what each type of user can do with Devstral. The model will be available for free for an initial period and will then cost $0.40 per million tokens for input and $2.00 per million for output, while the Small 2 version will be priced lower. Its deployment also makes a difference: Devstral 2 requires at least four H100-class GPUs, aimed at data centers, while Devstral Small 2 is intended to run on a single GPU and, according to Mistral documentation, the Devstral Small family can also run in CPU-only configurations, without a dedicated GPU. This variety allows both companies and individual developers to find a suitable entry point. The appearance of Devstral 2 introduces an unexpected element in a space where Chinese companies set the pace and where not even the United States, despite its leadership in artificial intelligence, had an open model in this high performance range in SWE-Bench Verified. Mistral does not displace those who were already at the top, but it does broaden the conversation and shows that Europe can compete in a field where it did not appear until now. It is a movement that does not alter the general hierarchy, although it does open a new margin for the evolution of assisted programming tools. Images | Xataka with Gemini 3 In Xataka | OpenAI and Google deny that they are going to put ads in ChatGPT and Gemini. The reality is that accounts do not come only with subscriptions

The Chinese subsidiary of Nexperia has just broken ranks with its parent company in the Netherlands. And that takes the conflict to another level.

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Nexperia has gone from being unknown to becoming the new focus of tension in the technological war between the West and China. The company, with Chinese capital but based in the Netherlands, has been intervened by the Dutch Governmentwhich alleges national security reasons. And its impact could soon be felt in sectors as sensitive as automobiles and consumer electronics. The movement is not minor: Nexperia controls an extensive network of factories and assembly centers in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Malaysia and China, all important for the global semiconductor chain. Since the Netherlands took over governance of the company at the beginning of the month, a key question has arisen: how far does its control over those international operations really extend? Different laws, one company: Nexperia, caught between Europe and China The answer, at least in part, we already have. Nexperia operations in China have recalled that They work “independently” from the Dutch headquarters. A gesture that not only challenges this European authority, but adds a new layer of uncertainty to an industry that continues to suffer the consequences of the chip crisis. The statement released by Nexperia China on October 17 through its official channel WeChat marks a turning point in the dispute. In the text, signed by all the group’s operating entities in the country, the company reaffirms its autonomy from the headquarters in the Netherlands and remembers that its activity is governed exclusively by Chinese legislation. The document clearly establishes that the legal representative has exclusive authority to make decisions and approve any instructions from abroad: “Nexperia companies in China are independent companies that operate in accordance with national laws. The legal representative has exclusive authority to make decisions and approve any external instructions. No employee is obliged to follow orders coming from outside without their express consent.” The Dutch headquarters, for its part, has denied that “independence” and has attributed it to unauthorized information and actions, which adds another chapter to the internal clash. A ban on exporting its products from China has put European manufacturers on alert, especially the automotive industry, which depends on Nexperia chips for the operation of numerous electronic components. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) warned last week that the situation could cause production stops if supply is not restored in the coming weeks. According to the organization, current stocks would barely cover a few assembly cycles and approving new suppliers would take months, a period incompatible with market demand. One of Nexperia’s facilities in Guangdong Nexperia’s weight in the semiconductor chain is best understood by looking at how its production is organized. Although the headquarters and operational management are located in the Netherlands, much of the group’s added value comes from Asia. Its assembly and test plants in China, the Philippines and Malaysia manage enormous production volumes that supply both the Asian market and Europe. The coming weeks will be marked by the search for a fragile balance between regulators and governments. Nexperia has confirmed that it is in talks with China’s Ministry of Commerce to reverse the export blockade, while the Netherlands retains control of its governance. The question is whether the company will be able to operate normally. without violating either of the two legal frameworks. For now, the signals are mixed: production continues, but under an environment of uncertainty that leaves manufacturers waiting for a quick outcome. Images | Nexperia In Xataka | The problem is not that Europe has “expropriated” Nexperia from a Chinese company: it is that it approved its sale just a year ago

If we want to know how climate change will affect the Pyrenees, you should not look at heat or level. You have to study the caves

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Sometimes we have already talked about the threat that climate change supposes for the Pyrenees, for their ecological balance and for one of the key elements in the economy of the region, skiing. The mountainous regions are vulnerable areas in the face of changes in the weather, but to discover how we do not have to look at their snow, but in their stones. 16,500 years. A new study He has studied The evolution of temperatures in the surroundings of the Pyrenees during the last 16,500 years. The study allows us to establish a correspondence between the evolution of temperatures on this natural border of the Iberian Peninsula and the evolution of the climate in other regions of the world. Almost seven degrees. One of the details emphasized by the study responsible for the study is a sharp change in the temperature of the region registered about 14,600 years: an increase of about 6.7º Celsius (with a margin of error of about 2.8º) in the temperature of the mountainous environment. This increase in temperatures corresponds to a change in the climate of the northern hemisphere that occurred during the same era and has a counterpoint: a decrease of more than six degrees occurred almost two millennia later, about 12,800 years ago, during the event known as Younger Dryastowards the end of the last glacier period. This increase in temperatures corresponds to a change in the climate of the northern hemisphere that occurred during the same era and has a counterpoint: a decrease of more than six degrees that occurred almost two millennia later, about 12,800 years ago, during the event known as Younger Dryas, towards the end of the last glacier period. Analyzing stalagmites. The study was conducted by applying A new technique It allows to extract new climatic data from the incursions of water trapped in stalagmites, the mineral deposits that are formed in numerous tests, similar to the stalactites but whose growth occurs from the bottom up. The analysis was carried out in two caves of Ostolo and Mendukilo, in the north of Navarra. According to The team stands out Responsible for the study, the new analysis allows us to “not only identify the qualitative temperature changes of the last 16,500 years, but also to offer quantitative numbers of these variations with high chronological precision.” The details of the study have been published In an article In the magazine Climate of the past. Learn for the future. The new study is proof that our environment responds “quickly and synchronized” to changes in the global climate and also does so in relatively short time scales. This can help us to prevent the local impacts of future changes in the weather with greater precision, something of unique importance in an environment already vulnerable to these alterations. “Know how the climate in the past It helps us to better understand what can happen in the future in the face of similar disturbances. So that the future predictions of the climatic models are as robust as possible need data from the past to understand how the climate has worked in the face of phenomena such as the thermhaline circulation stop or previous increases in CO2 ”, stood out in a press release Ana Moreno, co -author of the study. In Xataka | The Pyrenees have become a huge weather laboratory: torrential rains have multiplied by four in Spain Image |

The Caspian level has dropped so much that it now has a new island. But you can’t visit (still)

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Climate change has caused the oceans to have raised their reach in a few centimeters, but human action escapes also the opposite in other environments. The most obvious case is almost missing from the Aral Sea, but we find a more recent one in a nearby basin, that of the Caspian. A new island. A new island It has emerged from the waters in the Caspian Sea. The geographical accident is due not volcanic activity (as usually happens occasionally) but to the progressive decrease in sea level in this inner basin. The existence of the island was confirmed this summer by the Shirshov Institute in Oceanography, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IO Ras) On the ground (or almost). According to Explain the institutionthe first sighting of this new sand bank in the middle of the waters of Caspo was held from space, in November last year. However, the existence of the island was not confirmed and the unknown of its existence lasts for a few months. Until the end of May, when the IO Ras brought an expedition to the land. According to the oceanographic body, the expedition could not make land on the island due to the low depth of the waters and the weather conditions, but could see it and perform a first analysis that included the deployment of a drone to be able to approach it. The island without name. The island has not yet been named and there is little we know about it. As Io Ras points out, it is about 30 kilometers Southwest of Maly island Zhemchuzhny, another small islet formed in front of the Delta del Volga. The description made by its discoverers of the new formation is that of “a soaked plain”, a kind of marsh in the middle of the sea, as can be seen in the photos. In addition to appointing it, the team Point out that we will still have to study it in better detail to investigate in its “biohydrochemistry, hydrobiology and (in) the dynamics of sea behavior.” To facilitate the study, the team placed an oceanographic station about 40 cm deep in the waters surrounding the island. Experts expect the continued descent of the sea level in the Caspus to make the island expand over time. The end of summer would be a conducive moment for the study of the new island since the evaporation of sea water during the summer, along with a lower flow in its tributary rivers also implies a slight seasonal drop in this sea level. Importance for marine life. It will be interesting to see how the appearance of this islet to the ecology of the environment affects. The land could be used for some of the bird species that inhabit the Caspian to nest or make a break in the environment with other reasons. The other new islands. The warm -up of the planet is also able to “give” new islets to the geography of the planet through the withdrawal of the ice from the poles. It is what It has happened too Recently in Alaska, where the withdrawal of Alsek glacier has allowed the appearance of an island in the homonymous lake. However, the main engine in this creating new formations in our seas and oceans is volcanic activity. A recent example is The island that arose with the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano. It was the already missing The island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, the result of the fusion between two existing volcanic islands. It is not necessary to leave the caspian waters to find another example. At the beginning of 2023 a mud volcano erupted in this sea, creating a new island that faded little by little. These examples do not predict a long life expectancy for the new training, but the scientists who study it believe that the progressive decrease of sea level will imply that this island grows, at least for now. If it will be later that is razed by the sea, that will be another story. In Xataka | In 1940 the Nazis invaded a British island. There they met an unexpected enemy: a language that nobody understood Image | Io Ras

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