managed

2026 has not yet started but it has already managed to produce the first bad news: the light goes up

by

There is one month left until 2026 begins and the January slope already has a clear protagonist: light. The electricity bill will start the year with the largest simultaneous review of regulated costs since 2020. The proposals of the Government and the energy regulator point to an increase that will affect all homes, regardless of what they consume. Without anesthesia. The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has put into public hearing its toll proposal for 2026 – the part of the bill that finances the electrical networks – and proposes a global increase of close to 4%. This update has two pillars: Transportation, which are the large electric highways, will increase by 12.1%. Distribution, which are the networks that reach homes and businesses, will increase by 2.5%. With these changes, the total money allocated to maintaining and expanding electrical networks will reach 6,608 million in 2026. In addition, to this increase we must add that of the chargesset by the Government. According to Five Daysthe Ministry for the Ecological Transition proposes increasing them by 10.5% to cover, above all, the cost of regulated renewable energies (Recore), which will grow by 37%. The fixed part is in charge again. The electricity bill is divided into two large blocks: The cost of energy, which depends on what each user consumes. Regulated costs (tolls and charges), which are always paid. This new year, the regulated part once again gains prominence. According to the specialized portal Tarifaluzhorathe combination of tolls and charges will increase between 2.8% and 4.8% for households. It may seem like a moderate increase, but it affects the amount paid even if consumption drops. Furthermore, the CNMC report estimates that domestic customers with PVPC 2.0 TD rate will see a final increase of approximately 0.6% on their bill, thanks in part to the slight expected growth in demand and the greater number of consumers among whom to spread the costs. A small print that worries the sector. As Cinco Días detailsthe Government has prepared its proposal for charges under the hypothesis that consumption will grow by 4.5% in 2026. This figure is not minor: the greater the demand, the more the regulated costs are diluted among users and the lower the impact per receipt. However, the problem is that the CNMC – which sets tolls – does not share that optimism. The regulator foresees an increase of only 2.3%. And here a delicate scenario opens up: if demand does not grow as much as the Government expects, the system will not collect what was expected. The tolls and charges are calculated on the basis that there will be more kilowatts consumed in 2026. If they are not ultimately consumed, there will be a lack of money to cover the regulated costs, which are already on the rise due to the Recore renewables, the expansion of networks and the adjustments from previous years. If we get ashy. The return of the tariff deficit is at stake. In other words, putting ourselves in the worst possible scenario, if revenues prove insufficient, Spain could return to a known scenario: tariff deficit. In other words, when the bill does not cover the costs of the electrical system, a hole is created that is financed as debt and drags on for years. It took Spain more than a decade to absorb the deficit accumulated between 2000 and 2013—more than 28 billion euros—and the sector fears a partial repeat of that cycle. A gap of just two percentage points between the demand forecast by the Government and the realistic estimate of the CNMC can make the difference between a balanced system or a stressed one. And all in a year in which tolls and charges will rise at the same time for the first time since 2020. And why will everything go up at once? Because in 2026 several impact factors coincide: More investment in networks to integrate renewables and electrification. Higher cost of Recore renewables, which must be compensated according to their contracts. The cumulative impact of the electricity blackout of 360 million, that the marketers still carry. Pending adjustments from previous exercises. 2026: a year that starts uphill. The electricity bill will be the first notice of a year marked by the structural increase in the cost of the electrical system and the need to accelerate investments that sustain the energy transition. More robust networks, more renewables and a more complex system imply higher operating costs. And, once again, it will be consumers who notice in January. Image | freepik Xataka | Spain needs to modernize its electrical grid, so the remuneration rate has increased. The effect will be noticeable in the next five years

Russia had managed to manufacture drones and missiles despite the sanctions. So selling Zara clothes was a matter of time

by

In recent months, a strange wave of western products has begun to reappear in places where, on paper, it is already they shouldn’t exist. Between geopolitical changes, forced business exits and an increasingly opaque market, certain brands have unexpectedly become visible again, fueling rumors, theories about how they are getting there and who is really pulling the strings of their distribution towards Moscow. Now a giant from Spain has (re)appeared: Inditex. A market that does not close completely. After announcing the end of operations in Russia a few days after the invasion of Ukraine, Inditex left behind its second largest market and sold its business in the country. However, more than two years latergarments with official labels from brands such as Zara, Bershka, Oysho, Stradivarius or Massimo Dutti have once again appeared on the shelves of the Russian channel Tvoenow renamed Tvoe n Ko, which boasts a “constantly updated” selection on social networks and presents the collections as almost clandestine finds. The pieces, which match models from previous seasons and carry prices in euros, are now sold in at least 19 stores Russian companies without there being (according to the official version offered) any contractual relationship between the Spanish company and the local distributor. In fact, they occur two months after the executive director of Inditex, Óscar García Maceiras, will declare to the Financial Times that the conditions “were not met” for his return to Russia. The engineering of the Russian gray market. I was counting a few hours ago the FT that the mechanism that allows the reappearance of these garments is based on the system of “parallel imports” established by Moscow to circumvent the massive departures of Western brands. In this scheme operates Disco Club LLCa Russian company that has recorded 18 statements in accordance, citing Inditex as supplier and presenting itself as its “authorized representative”, despite the fact that Inditex flatly denies having granted such permission. The garments come partly from inventories originally destined for various EU countries and partly from Chinese factories, according to labels and documents customs, in a circuit that takes advantage of legal loopholes and the Kremlin’s lack of inhibition to give formal coverage to a trade that would previously have been considered smuggling. The denial. For its part, Tvoe assures that it does not have direct agreements with Inditex and hides behind confidentiality agreements so as not to detail its suppliers, while Disco Club insist in which he only performed a “punctual technical service.” Burkhard Binder, the businessman linked to the founding of the company and based in Dubai, is disassociating himself from current operations. Inditex, known for its tight control of inventory, distribution and franchises, completely reject any link: he claims not to have authorized Disco Club or any Russian entity to act on his behalf and avoids commenting on how his products arrive in the country since he withdrew. Matter of time. we have been counting: the ability of the Russian economy to adapt in the midst of war has shown that international restrictions, no matter how strict, always find cracks. A country that has rebuilt chains complex supply chains to produce drones, precision ammunition or long-range missiles, despite technological embargoes and industrial vetoes, would not have difficulties reopening the door to much more “simpler” products, such as Western fashion clothing. In that context, the reappearance of garments of Zara in Russian stores is not so much surprising as confirming a trend: Moscow has perfected an ecosystem of parallel imports capable of circumventing almost any blockade, from military components even t-shirts and dresses from past seasons, turning the impossible into routine and the forbidden into a merely logistical problem. Russia, a laboratory of consumption in times of sanctions. The appearance of Zara products in Russia despite the exit from the company illustrates the magnitude of the gray market that Moscow has made official since 2022: an ecosystem that allows consumers to access Western brands through private intermediaries and indirect routes, without participation of the original companies. In this context, the reappearance of the Spanish firm in the Russian commercial landscape is not due to a business return, but rather to a state-run mechanism. commercial evasion that turns its garments into parallel import merchandise. If you like, the phenomenon also reveals the extent to which Russia has rebuilt its global consumption through third countries and front companies, and how even the strictest groups in controlling its supply chain cannot prevent its products from reappearing in a market from which they tried to leave definitely. Image | Pexels In Xataka | Ukraine has opened the Russian ballistic missile that has devastated its cities. Your surprise is a condemnation: your main supplier is untouchable In Xataka | Zara has been selling clothes for years. Now he aspires to sell something more difficult: prestige

Google has managed to integrate Apple’s AirDrop into Android. Without the help or permission of Apple

by

Google has announced that Quick Shareyour file transfer system on Android, now also works with Apple’s AirDrop. The users of a Pixel 10 They can send and receive files directly from iPhone, iPad and Mac without intermediaries or servers. Support is two-way and works when the Apple device activates “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode in AirDrop. The Pixel detects the iPhone as an available destination, the user accepts the transfer and the connection is established directly. Ta-da. The turn. Apple has not participated in the development. Google has confirmed that it has implemented this feature on its ownwithout your collaboration. “We have achieved it with our own implementation,” they said from Google. This contrasts with other recent interoperability advances between both platforms—messaging RCS or the unknown tracker alerts— where there was coordination. Between the lines. Google appears to have reverse engineered AWDL technology (Apple Wireless Direct Link) that underpins AirDrop. Although it is proprietary, it relies on open standards such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct, which makes it technically possible to implement unauthorized support. The company has developed the feature using Rust, a programming language considered more secure against vulnerabilities. It also hired NetSPI, an independent security firm, to validate the implementation. His assessment: the system is “notably more robust” than other solutions in the sector. The threat. Apple may end up blocking this functionality and in fact it is a very likely scenario given the history. In 2023 closed Beeper accessan app that allowed iMessage to be used on Android through reverse engineering. But the context has changed. Google is much bigger than Beeper. In addition, Apple now has greater regulatory pressure than then around anti-competitive practices, both in Europe and the United States. Yes, but. The current implementation only works in “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode. AirDropless convenient than the “Contacts Only” mode. Google has expressed its willingness to collaborate with Apple to enable that mode. The feature starts exclusively on the Pixel 10, although Google has promised to expand it to more Android devices. At stake. This move attacks one of the elements of Apple’s walled garden that most frustrates cross-platform users. If Google manages to maintain this operational compatibility, it erodes another barrier to change. If Apple takes it down, it reinforces the narrative of monopolistic practices just as regulators take a closer look. In the coming weeks we will surely hear about this case again. In Xataka | Privacy was Apple’s ace in the hole in the age of AI. Google just took it away Featured image | Google

When you bought a car you were supposed to control it 100%. The industry has managed to make us lose our desire

by

An owner of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N recently discovered that he couldn’t perform one of the most basic maintenance tasks on his electric car: changing the brake pads. The reason has nothing to do with how complex or not the task was mechanically, but rather with Hyundai’s proprietary software and the professional-level credentials necessary to access it. The episode has reopened the debate on the repairability of electrified vehiclesin an era in which we increasingly need professionals specialized in software and electronics in workshops, and carrying out maintenance on our own is increasingly more complicated. The underlying problem. Brake pads are wear components that any car needs replacing periodically, although in electric vehicles they last longer thanks to the regenerative braking. On most cars, this job can be done at home with more or less basic tools and moderate mechanical experience. However, the Ioniq 5 N incorporates an electronic parking brake that must be fully retracted by a computer to allow changing pads, and then recalibrated to adjust to the thickness of the new parts. What it cost the owner. According to shared user SoultronicPear on Reddit, no conventional diagnostic scanner worked on his 2025 Ioniq 5 N. After trying several options, he purchased a subscription to Hyundai’s J2534 software (costing $60 per week) and an approved adapter (about $2,000). Still, the system didn’t work. After contacting the software developers, he discovered that the Windows version was not updated for the 2025 models, while official dealers use a completely different program based on Android. a barrier. When I finally received the updated version of the software, a new obstacle appeared: the system requested credentials NASTF (National Automotive Service Task Force), a US organization that validates professional mechanics and regulates access to sensitive vehicle functions in the country. According to TheDriveHyundai’s technical documentation states in red that “access to two-way tests and special functions requires NASTF Diagnostic Professional or Vehicle Safety Professional credentials.” Therefore, the owner could not access this adjustment firsthand. Hyundai’s position. The middle consulted to the firm, which defended its procedure arguing reasons of security and functionality. “The official repair procedure requires placing the rear calipers into service mode using our Global Diagnostic System or the J2534 app. This ensures proper functionality and customer safety,” a spokesperson explained. The company he added that it is exploring ways to make routine maintenance easier by “balancing convenience with security,” and that its official tool is available for anyone to purchase, although it is worth mentioning that its price is around $6,000. Beyond legality. Technically, Hyundai does not violate the laws of law to repair because it offers access through systems compatible with the J2534 standard, not only through proprietary equipment. However, what has always been a task accessible to individuals with moderate mechanical knowledge who wanted to do it on their own, has been relegated exclusively to professional workshops, at least in this case. A growing problem. Although the case focuses on Hyundai, the Korean brand is not the only one that makes repairs on modern vehicles difficult. The electrification and digitalization of automobiles is creating new barriers for owners and even independent workshops, who also cannot access these functions. For many enthusiasts, this takes away autonomy over their own vehicles and creates confusion, especially for something that should be as accessible as routine car maintenance. Cover image | Tekton In Xataka | In 2001, Renault launched a car ahead of its time: it was a miserable failure that now has another chance

How China has managed to rescue its astronauts in record time when it took the US months

by

Last year, Boeing starred in a space drama that kept the world in suspense: the Starliner crisis. After discovering leaks and failures in its propellers, NASA took months between deliberations, tests and safety meetings to finally decide that the astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams They would not return in their ship, but would wait for SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission to return. Now, China has faced a similar scenario that it has resolved in a few days. The haste has its explanation. A cracked window. The news broke on November 5. The Shenzhou-20 mission, crewed by Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, was preparing to return to Earth after six months at the Chinese Tiangong space station. However, during inspections prior to undocking, the astronauts detected an anomaly that so it was not made publicbut that we now know: “small cracks” in the external glass of one of the capsule windows. After analyzing photographs and running simulations in wind tunnels, CMSA (China Manned Space Agency) engineers determined that the damage had possibly been caused by the impact of micrometeoroids or small fragments of space junkcompromising the structural integrity of the ship. The conclusion put Chinese astronauts in a bind: the capsule “did not meet the conditions for a safe manned return.” The game of chairs in orbit. Unlike the International Space Station, the Tiangong space station cannot accommodate six astronauts for a long time, so the Shenzhou-20 crew had to be brought in as soon as possible. China always maintains a Shenzhou ship and a CZ-2F rocket ready to take off in case of emergency. However, on this occasion, the CMSA ruled out launching the new Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to bring back the three stranded astronauts because it “included instrument upgrades for which the outgoing crew had not been trained.” The solution chosen to bring the crew back was, therefore, to do so aboard the Shenzhou-21 ship that had arrived with three other astronauts two weeks earlier. A literal change of chairs (they had to move the adapted seats from one ship to another) and with a single sacrifice: leaving the three crew members of the Shenzhou-21 at the mercy of a compromised ship (the Shenzhou-20) in the event of an emergency. In summary. The three outgoing astronauts They landed safely on November 14 aboard the ship of his three incoming companions. The reason why this exchange of ships was faster than in the case of the Starliner or, a year earlier, the Russian Soyuz MS-22, was, on the one hand, that the Tiangong station is not yet large enough for six people to live in, and on the other, that the replacement ship was already there. What cost NASA months of risk analysis and public relations management with Boeing, China solved in a matter of days thanks to the availability of spacecraft. The logistical sacrifice is that the crew of the Shenzhou-21 (which will stay in space for six months) has had to give up their “lifeboat” until the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft is launched without a crew as a new return vehicle. The Shenzhou-20 will return empty to analyze its damage on the ground, if it ultimately survives re-entry. Image | CGTN In Xataka | The only photo you need to understand the scale of what Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ company, has just done

Broncano has broken the only unwritten rule of ‘La Revuelta’ with Rosalía. And thanks to that he has managed to overwhelm ‘El Hormiguero’

by

In a season that is being characterized by the comfortable and placid victory of ‘El Hormiguero’ in practically every night in which he faces ‘La Resistencia’, it is a real surprise that Broncano’s program ahead of his rival in a clear and indisputable way. What is not at all surprising is how he has achieved it. He has resorted to the number one obsession currently in Spain as a whole: Rosalia. The data. Rosalía has helped Broncano achieve nothing less than his historical maximum quotawith 20.4% share and peaks of 27% in its final stretch. It is also their largest victory against ‘El hormiguero’, with a 5.2 point advantage in strict coincidence. La 1, thus, leads on Monday with one tenth ahead of Antena 3. It is the first time, in addition, that the program reaches 20% of share. ‘El Hormiguero’, of course, has not done badly: Andy (of Andy and Lucas) makes 15.3 of shareand both leave behind Temptation Island 9′, which with 1,344,000 also marks its own season high. Why has he achieved it? Rosalía’s participation in the program was partially out of the ordinary in the program, although at this point the Broncano team has become accustomed to surprise the publicespecially with the most relevant guests. First, Rosalía arrived at the theater with a spectacular reception, integrated into an original fictitious “neighbors’ meeting” scene with figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, Manuela Carmena and La Zowi. During the interview he improvised acapella a fragment of her song ‘La perla’ and shared with the audience a cake that she baked herself the night before. (But above all) why he has achieved it. since last week It was known that Rosalía would attend the Broncano program. The expectation was such that RTVE made an exceptional decision: to promote the interview on news programs and other programs on its schedule. This is an unusual decision for ‘La Revuelta’, which has sometimes started its program without a clear guest (as happened with the controversy by Jorge Martín), something that Motos, thatAnnounces all the guests of each week in advance, it cannot be allowed. But after some hearing results manifestly inferior to those on the Antena 3 program throughout 2025, TVE knew that it had the most important guest of the year on its hands, and it could not stop announcing it. Grow without stepping. Since its premiere a little over a year ago, ‘La Revuelta’ stood out for standing up to ‘El Hormiguero’ without needing to steal your audience. A new audience that usually does not watch television at that time joined the Access to watch Broncano’s program, which is a very notable phenomenon on television, where the public moves from one program to another, usually to the detriment of rivals. This time, Broncano unleashed this strange phenomenon again: neither Motos nor ‘Temptation Island’ made numbers lower than usual (in fact, they were pretty good), but he won the game handily. Rosalía, the definitive cultural artifact. Rosalía has managed to be a transversal phenomenon that unites different generations and social strata. From the teenage audience to older fans, which has undoubtedly benefited ‘La Revuelta’. With that ‘Lux’ that achieved 42 million views in 24 hours despite the previous leak, Rosalía not only reveals herself as a singer, but as a cultural event. The surprise presentation in Callao brought together thousands of fans who overwhelmed the center of Madrid: no other Spanish artist generates this level of unanimous media attention, nor the ability to paralyze the country when they announce something new. In a fragmented cultural panorama, divided into dozens of niches, Rosalía’s merit is doubly striking. In Xataka | The exception of ‘El Hormiguero’: no ​​successful program in the history of Spanish TV has lasted so long

A Chinese laboratory has managed to generate electricity directly from rain, without occupying land or using metal

by

Until now, the electricity from a storm came only from lightning. A Chinese team has just added another protagonist: a device that converts raindrops into usable energy. The invention comes from the Frontier Science Institute of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) and will open a new avenue for renewable energies. Its technical name is Water-integrated Droplet Electricity Generator, or simply W-DEG. The discovery. What differentiates this generator from the rest is not its power, but its logic. According to the published article in National Science Reviewthe device floats on water and uses that same water as part of the electrical circuit. It requires no metals or heavy structures, and yet each drop of rain can release spikes of up to 250 volts. Light, cheap and efficient: a small hydrovoltaic revolution. Rain as a source of clean energy. The physical principle behind W-DEG combines two known phenomena: contact electrification and electrostatic induction. When a droplet impacts a floating dielectric film, electrical charges are instantly redistributed between the surface of the material and the water, generating an electrical pulse. Water acts at the same time as a lower electrode and structural support, thanks to its high surface tension and incompressibility: it is firm enough to withstand the impact of drops, but fluid enough to stabilize the system. To prevent pooled water from blocking new discharges, the researchers added micro-drainage holes that allow liquid to flow downward, but not upward. This design keeps the surface clean even during heavy rain and prevents loss of efficiency. A small prototype. The Nanjing team built a 0.3 square meter prototype. Floating on water, the device was able to illuminate 50 LED diodes simultaneously and charge capacitors in a matter of minutes. Its modular design allows it to be easily expanded to power environmental sensors, water quality monitoring systems or small electrical equipment in rainy areas. Furthermore, the W-DEG is a “soilless” system: it does not occupy agricultural or urban land and can be installed on bodies of water without heavy infrastructure. This makes it an ideal candidate for regions where rain is abundant and space is scarce, or where other renewable sources – such as solar or wind – are less constant. The rise of floating energies. The new Chinese generator arrives at a time when floating energy is experiencing a global boom. Floating solar panels are being installed on ponds and reservoirs around the world, from India until the swiss alpsto produce electricity and reduce water evaporation. However, a study from Cornell University revealed an unexpected effect: in small ponds, these installations can increase methane and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 27%, by altering the balance of aquatic ecosystems. Faced with this challenge, the W-DEG emerges as a more environmentally friendly alternative. By not covering the entire surface of the water or blocking sunlight, it allows energy to be generated without altering aquatic life or natural gas exchange. Will storms generate light? The technology is still in the experimental phase. The NUAA team itself recognizes that it will have to optimize the device’s response to droplets of different sizes and speeds, something essential for real conditions. But the potential is undeniable: a lightweight, economical and durable generator, capable of obtaining energy directly from the natural water cycle, without occupying land or generating waste. Researchers imagine swarms of these devices floating in lakes or reservoirs, charging environmental sensors or powering local microgrids during rain. If every storm could turn on a light or power a system, gray days would no longer be synonymous with a blackout. With inventions like this, the border between water and energy blurs, and nature begins—literally—to generate its own electricity. Image | Unsplash Xataka | China has launched its first floating solar park in the sea: panels that rise and fall with the tide

They have tried to adapt it three times, but it is so strange that they never managed to achieve it

by

As often happens periodically, Stephen King is back in fashion. HBO has released, with notable success, a new prequel, It is in series formatfrom ‘It’. And a couple more adaptations coincide on the big screen, ‘Chuck’s life‘ and ‘The long march‘, with a new version of ‘Pursued‘ around the corner. However, there are some of his works that resist adaptation. ‘The eyes of the dragon’ is one of the most unique cases. What is it about? The fantasy ‘The Eyes of the Dragon’ was published in 1984 and is one of his first exceptions to the pure horror universes that King had been generating since ‘Carrie’: a novel that mixes political intrigue, magic and a fictional universe in line with what he would later do, in a much more sophisticated way, in ‘The dark tower‘. The novel tells the story of the fictional kingdom of Delain, where the throne is marked by the struggle between two brothers, Peter and Thomas, and the dark power of the evil wizard Flagg (there is a connection, in fact, with ‘The Dark Tower’). Why is it special? It is a more accessible and less violent fantasy than his other books, designed for a broader audience and with an adventurous approach that distances itself from the crudeness of other books. It is this same uniqueness that has made it difficult to adapt, since it demands a certain visual finish that is not cheap to achieve. The mixture of classic fantasy elements with psychological suspense and King’s own tension also makes it a work that is difficult to pigeonhole. And we already know how little that is liked in Hollywood. First attempt. The first serious attempt to adapt “The Eyes of the Dragon” was through an animated film. It was going to be produced by the French studio WAMC Entertainment, it was announced in the late 90s to be released around the year 2000. It was a very ambitious project in terms of budget, estimated at around 45 million dollars, something unusual for an animated film that was not strictly children’s at the time. However, despite the initial investment and the enthusiasm of the parties involved, the production encountered multiple technical and financial difficulties that ended it: deadlines were extended, costs skyrocketed and the creative vision began to blur. Ultimately, the studio ended up losing the rights. Second attempt. In 2012 it was the turn of Syfy, the cable channel known for adapting with considerable success works that were considered difficult to bring to the general public, such as ‘Dune’. The idea here was to use the miniseries format that had worked for other Stephen King adaptations such as ‘The Tommyknockers’, ‘The Store’, ‘It’ or ‘Apocalypse’. However, the project did not advance much and neither creative teams nor anything that went beyond the pre-production phase were firmly proposed. Third attempt. And Hulu arrived in 2019. There was some commotion, because the showrunner assigned was going to be Seth Grahame-Smith, who as a writer has had a couple of hits like ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ and ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’, but who as a screenwriter has had a somewhat erratic career: he was assigned to sequels to ‘Gremlins’ or ‘Bitelchús’ a decade ago, and more recently he was the first showrunner from the ‘Green Lantern’ series, but ended up leaving the series. And yes, he produced the recent and successful films that adapted ‘It’ by, precisely, Stephen King. The project was compared in tone to a kind of ‘Game of Thrones’ for young people. In September 2020, however, Hulu announced the cancellation of production. The reasons were not entirely clear publicly, but there was talk of budgetary difficulties, strategic changes to the platform and the impact of COVID. We continue waiting. King is so prolific and his name is so attractive to the public that it is not necessary to squeeze every corner of his bibliography in search of material to adapt: ​​there is plenty. ‘The Eyes of the Dragon’, however, is a relatively strange piece in his work: we may see it adapted if at some point that long-awaited definitive version of ‘The Dark Tower’ is created, since both have multiverses that are easy to connect. Until then, we will continue with the raw and bloody visions of the most commercial King. In Xataka | ‘Blackwater’ is one of the publishing events of the moment: economical, best-selling, addictive and serialized

NASA has managed to grow lettuce in space. What he has discovered later was not part of the plan

by

In the International Space Station they are cultivating lettuce that seem as green as those of any land greenhouse. Astronauts water them with recycled water, illuminate them with pink LED lights and collect them carefully, as if they were the first daily gesture of an interplanetary humanity. It is the perfect image of a self -sufficient future: life making its way in a vacuum. However, the data is telling another story. A discouraging finding. A study Posted in Nature – Based in NASA’s open scientific repository – he has detected that space crops are losing nutrients while the human body, in microgravity, becomes more fragile. The analysis shows that the lettuce cultivated in the International Space Station and in the China Tiangong II ship contains between 29 % and 31 % less calcium and about 25 % less magnesium than its land equivalent. Iron appears in variable quantities and potassium, sometimes, shoots. At first glance, plants seem healthy, but their nutritional value bites. “A space salad can be perfect in the photos, but does not strengthens the bones,” The authors warn. And, in microgravity, the human body already loses bone mass rapidly; A diet with less calcium only accelerates the problem, while the lack of iron aggravates anemia and fatigue. What is behind. Microgravity alters more than satellite trajectories: it modifies the way in which plants absorb nutrients, distribute water and handle oxidative stress. Antioxidants such as phenolic and carotenoids decrease, leaving plants – already who consume them – with less defense against radiation. The study detected That species cultivated in orbit produce less protective molecules and more compounds associated with stress, as if plants were in survival mode. That chemical imbalance not only affects the taste, but also its ability to nourish. A cocktail of deficiencies. But not only plants change, astronauts too. According to NASA Twins Study data and Jaxa experiments, They were recorded Alterations in 163 genes linked to calcium metabolism, responsible for bone formation and immune regulation. Some of these genes behave anomalously in microgravity, which accelerates the loss of bone density and weakens the defenses. Human sampling analysis also show signs of permeable intestine syndrome or Leaky Gut: The intestinal wall, normally hermetic, becomes porous. Inflammatory molecules are filtered, the nutrients are absorbed worse and the immune system enters into tension. In that context, a diet devoid of iron and antioxidants can multiply exhaustion, cramps and radiation vulnerability. A dangerous combination when each bite counts. The space database. The work combines decades of astronaut records with the results of agricultural experiments in orbit. From the repositories OSD and Soma From NASA, scientists compared the mineral and antioxidant profiles of spatial crops with those of the earth and crossed them with human biomarkers. The objective was not only to analyze vegetables, but to understand how cultivated food interacts with a body that changes in microgravity. As explained on the Earth pageThe project is part of NASA’s analysis work groups, which gather researchers and volunteers from all over the world to study nutrition, biology and space health using open data. Looking for solutions. Even so, the panorama is not entirely discouraging. Scientists are applying bioengineering and biofortification to increase calcium, magnesium and iron content in plants. They also test crops rich in flavonoids such as quercetin – present in onion, broccoli and red lettuce – which protects cells and strengthens bones. According to Earthspecies such as soybeans, garlic or parsley already show natural advantages and could replace lettuce as the basis of the space diet. Besides, As we explain in Xatakaa team managed to ferment miso at the International Space Station, demonstrating that microbial processes can prosper in orbit. Fermentation not only improves flavor: it strengthens the intestinal microbiota and could help repair the intestinal barrier damaged by microgravity. And on earth, agencies continue to innovate. The Italian Space Agency It is developing A superannan and more nutritious rice, adapted to lunar soils and small spaces. It is the same philosophy proposed by the study: genetically designed crops to survive and feed better. Beyond plants, researchers also look towards alternative protein sources, Like the cricketscapable of closing ecological cycles in closed systems and providing essential nutrients with a minimum expenditure of resources. Mars’s challenge. The research is set on the missions to Mars, where each lost nutrient account. The full trip could last three years without refueling, and each food will depend on what is grown on board. If these plants lack calcium or antioxidants, crew health could deteriorate long before landing on the red planet. “Improve orbit nutrition today feels the foundations to survive on Mars tomorrow,” The authors of the study conclude. Space agriculture is not an aesthetic experiment: it is a matter of survival. Beyond the menu. Cultivating food in space is possible, but it is not yet enough. Plants lose nutrients, the human body changes and solutions advance more slowly than missions. What this study makes it clear is that space agriculture is no longer just about filling stomachs: it is part of the health system of the future. Biofortification, fermentation, microbiota and personalized nutrition will be as important as rockets or space costumes. Survival outside the earth will depend on both engineering and biology. Perhaps that is the deepest lesson in this finding: that human life – and that of the plants that support it – remains anchored to terrestrial gravity. Each outbreak cultivated in space reminds us where we come from and what we still do not carry with us: the earth itself. Image | Freepik Xataka | If the question is “what we will eat on the moon” the answer is “risotto”. At least if the Italians leave with their

We have been discussing the change of time for years and we have managed to be in exactly the same place where we were

by

Almost every year for almost 20, Someone has taken To the United States Congress the idea of ​​ending the change of time. In Europe, We have spent hours and hours engaged in the discussion of what to do with him. Many countries, in fact, They have sent it to the history drawer (Others, on the other hand, They have recovered it again). I am still surprising that such a simple thing can unleash such great passions. Passions and, above all, reasons. Because there are hundreds of researchers trying to understand which time policy is better. That is why we talk about it again: because the Internet has filled with holders that ensure that “a study reveals that the change of time contributes to thousands of brain infarctions.” It’s true? What do we really know about the subject? How can the time change affect our health? The body has an internal clock of (approximately) 24 hours that helps regulate our physical and mental functioning. And not, It is not a way of speaking: As is in charge of innumerable physiological processes, the time we eat depends on that clock, to which we sleep, it even determines when we go to the bathroom. Ignore your permanent tick can cause discomfort or even a certain moment, serious diseases. Is What we call circadian rhythm. With this in mind, during this century, scientists have suspected that the hourly change should have some impact on those rhythms and, moreover, on health. The problem is that one thing is to intuit that impact and a different one is to be able to prove it. And what has this last study done? Stanford Medicine researchers They have compared how they affected circadian rhythms and general health in different different time policies (the winter schedule, summer and schedule with biannual change). To do this, based on the local exit and sunset hours, they analyzed the real exposure to the light under each time policy, the circadian impacts and the socio -health characteristics of each American county. It is not easy and has a high statistical component (and, in some segments, speculative), but it is an interesting exercise What have you discovered? In general terms, The team found that “maintaining the standard schedule or summer schedule is definitely better than changing twice a year.” According to their data, the winter schedule “would avoid about 300,000 cases of stroke per year and reduce obesity in 2.6 million people.” The summer schedule, meanwhile, “permanent would achieve approximately two thirds of the same effect.” And why would it happen? “When there is light in the morning, the circadian cycle is accelerated. When there is light in the afternoon, it slows down … explained Jamie ZeitzerProfessor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Standford. “The more light exposure is received at inappropriate times, the weaker the circadian clock is. All these factors that influence the life cycle – for example, the immune system and energy – do not synchronize so well,” He continued. The question we must ask ourselves, according to these researchers, is what time policy helps to better adjust circadian rhythms. And the answer, at least for the US set, is that most people would support a lower circadian mismatch with the winter schedule. Does that mean that winter schedule is better? Actually, no. It is possible that it is the most complete study to date, but (As the researchers themselves recognize) There are many factors that researchers did not take into account and that, by itself, can reduce gain very substantively. But even giving the methodology good and accepting that citizens behave as researchers suppose, we would have to reproduce the analysis in Spain (or our reference countries) to know what the final result would be. After all, The countries that change the time are a minority And it makes sense to think that there are scenarios in which the time change could help reduce that circadian mismatch. One of the problems of countries as large as the US (or realities as diverse as EU) is that making joint decisions is difficult. And then? I’m afraid that we are a little better than before, but almost in the same place: we still have no remotely if it is good or bad, and that we attribute more and more things. Image | Sonja Langford | NCI In Xataka | The “Spanish Ornitorrinco” exists and is on the verge of extinction: the very rare animal that only lives in the Peninsula

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.