natural

Taiwan produces 90% of the world’s advanced chips. Its natural gas reserves last exactly 12 days

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In global energy markets, alarm bells do not always ring loudly; Sometimes all you have to do is watch where the boats are sailing. While the West observes the already known Third Gulf War With a mixture of horror and remoteness, Asia is suffering the direct impact. The colossal Ras Laffan facility in Qatar—which processes about a fifth of global liquefied natural gas (LNG)— has suffered damage by 17% of its infrastructure after the Iranian attacks. 12 days. At the exact center of the geopolitical target is Taiwan. The island has a practical monopoly on the world’s most advanced chips, but its “silicon shield” hangs by an extremely fragile logistical thread: an energy supply chain whose legal security threshold requires a minimum of just 11 to 12 days of natural gas reserves. The fatal panorama in Asia. Asia is on the front line of this fuel crisis as it buys more than 80% of the crude oil that transits through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. The nations of the region have had to quickly dust off the survival manuals of the COVID-19 era. Philippines has become the first country in declaring a state of “national energy emergency”, warning of an imminent danger and turning to coal to reduce costs. In South Korea, the government has asked its citizens Take shorter showers, use public transportation, and avoid charging your phones at night. Sri Lanka declared on Wednesdays as a holiday to save fuel, and in Thailand, officials have received the order to take off their suits, use the stairs and telework. china from chill. However, the contrast with China it’s abysmal. While its neighbors panic, the Asian giant observes the chaos coldly. Five years ago, Xi Jinping ordered to secure the country’s “energy rice bowl.” Today, thanks to a massive accumulation of sanctioned crude oil (bought cheaply from Russia or Iran), the shielding of renewables and a vehicle park where electric cars are the majority, China has built an invisible Great Wall that isolates it from fossil volatility. A trade war against the clock. This hydrocarbon drought not only turns off the lights, but paralyzes the industry. According to Commonwealth Magazinethe petrochemical and plastics sector has been the first major victim. The giant Formosa Petrochemical has had to issue force majeure notices after running out of raw materials, and prices of key materials such as ABS (used in car parts) have soared by up to 50%. At a logistical level, a trade war has broken out ruthless battle between Europe and Asia to seize the few available LNG shipments. Spot prices in Asia have doubled, and ships originally sailing to Spain or France are diverting their course to the Pacific in the face of more lucrative offers. In this Darwinian scenario, South Asia is acting as the global “shock absorber”: price-sensitive countries, such as Pakistan or Bangladesh, cannot compete and are forced to destroy demand or paralyze industries, leaving gas available for the giants that can afford it. To mitigate the blow on their own streets, governments like Japan They plan to inject billions in subsidies, while Taiwan has committed to absorb 60% of the increase in crude oil prices. Taiwan’s “Achilles heel” and the check on chips. If there is a critical point in this crisis, It is the island of Taiwan. In 2025, Taiwan relied on imports to meet 95% of its energy needs, including more than 99% of its oil and natural gas demand. Before the war, it received more than 38% of its annual natural gas supply and approximately 70% of its crude oil from the Middle East. The structural problem is time. While nations like South Korea have the capacity to store gas for 52 days and Japan for three weeks, Taiwan is walking on the wire. As pointed out Bloombergis an almost non-existent room for maneuver for an island where electricity generation based on natural gas has expanded to almost 48%. An immediate buffer. To avoid collapse in the short term, the Taiwanese Ministry of Economy has acted quickly with a checkbook. Minister Kung Ming-hsin has confirmed that supply planning is already covered for March, April and May, and they have even secured half of their replacement agreements for the month of June. Away from the imminent blackout, the island’s reserves have managed to remain above the safety threshold of 12 days since the fighting broke out. However, this short-term patch does not turn off the alarms. The real danger lurks in the summer, when high temperatures historically trigger electricity demand. A prolonged blackout: global chaos. The semiconductor sector contributes around 20% of Taiwan’s GDP. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which produces about 90% of the chips most advanced in the world (vital for AI and military technology), alone consumes approximately 9% of all electricity on the island. But gas is not the only missing input; Added to this is the disruption in the supply of secretive but vital raw materials such as bromine and helium (a third of which is processed in Qatar). The experts They warn that if the interruption of helium exceeds 14 days, the chip production lines will go into technical stoppage. With summer just around the corner and electricity demand about to skyrocket, the island operates at its limit. The pressure is so immense that the historically reluctant Taiwanese government is already openly debating the reactivation of nuclear energy, recognizing that the explosive growth in electricity demand linked to the development of Artificial Intelligence is changing all the rules of the energy game. The geopolitical board: opportunism and contradictions. Beijing has not been slow to intervene. Taking advantage of the panic, the Chinese government has thrown a poisoned lifeline. According to Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, collected in South China Morning Postthe Asian giant offered the island a stable, abundant and cheap energy supply in exchange for accepting “peaceful reunification.” Taipei’s response was blunt: Vice Minister of Economy, Ho Chin-tsang, rejected the offer, calling it “cognitive … Read more

Why on earth donkeys arose has always been one of the great mysteries of natural history. Until now

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When we think about the animals that have been accompanying humans since time immemorial, helping us in agricultural and daily tasks, surely the first candidates are horses, dogs, and even cats. Probably the donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) are a little further down the list. Until now we believed that the domestication of the donkey was an event that was repeated in different places and times in prehistory. However, the largest genetic study of these animals carried out to date revealed a different story: that of a single domestication of the donkey, which occurred about 7,000 years ago in the area around the Horn of Africa and what is now Kenya. The closest relatives of the domestic donkey, wild donkeys (Equus africanus) still live today in this African region. The common donkey is sometimes seen as a subspecies of these African donkeys or as an independent species closely related to it (in which case its “scientific” name would be Equus asinus). According to the team, led by French researchers, the donkey was domesticated in this context, and then began to spread throughout the rest of Eurasia, already as a domestic animal about 4,500 years ago, that is, about 2 and a half millennia after being domesticated. The genetic study has not only pointed out the unique origin of this species, but It has also “advanced” the date of domestication by about four centuries. The domestication of the donkey would have made sense in its spatiotemporal context. About 7,000 years ago the Sahara environment witnessed an aridification process that led the desert to expand. The donkeys they had an advantage Compared to other equids, they are more resistant to lack of water, which could have made them ideal for use as an aid in transportation or agricultural work. For their analysis, the international team of researchers analyzed samples of 207 modern donkeys from 31 countries, as well as remains of skeletons of 31 other donkeys who lived in the last 4,500 years. They also used genetic information from other equids to expand the study. The work of the researchers was published in the journal Science. The variety and the mules The study also offers us some curious stories about this animal. For example, genetic analysis of Roman-era remains found in France tells the story of a generation of giant donkeys (up to 25 centimeters larger than the average modern donkey). The Romans They didn’t raise these donkeys colossal for their direct use, but because mules (crosses between male donkeys and horse mares) were of great use to them. The Romans took advantage of an animal that combined part of the robustness of donkeys with the ability to travel long distances more typical of horses. After the fall of the Roman Empire, mules once again gave way to donkeys since economies had become more local, so it was not necessary to use them to transport large loads along the popular Roman road network. The donkey is perhaps the most maligned of domestic animals. Despite having played a key role in human development over the past four millennia, the donkey is often seen as synonymous with stupidity or clumsiness. Such is the point that the donkey has become a threatened species in places like Spain or Mexico. For better or worse, the donkey continues to form part of our cultural heritagefrom the donkey with which Sancho Panza accompanied Don Quixote to that of Friar Perico. Now, thanks to science, we know a little more about the history of what could be the least popular cousin of the equine family. In Xataka | The Iberian lynx is reconquering Spain and that is good news. The challenge now is to understand why In Xataka | Science had always believed that only humans understand geometry. Until we noticed the crows again Image | Ansgar Scheffold

Your heart has a natural “handbrake” against aging and it is important to consume enough

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When we think about diseases related to the heart or with our circulatory system The need to reduce the fat consumption either salt. But there is an actor that we have somewhat forgotten aside and that can significantly influence how our arteries age: magnesium. What is known. Magnesium seems to be intended for athletes so that they put it in their hands and do not slip on the training bars or to avoid cramps or improve sleep. But science is seeing that this mineral is really important for keeping our arteries functioning in a controlled manner. And its function is so critical that experts see it essential to prevent the blood from becoming ‘too active’ and to thus protect the heart from premature wear. The influencers. And the truth is that seeing all the properties it has, there are many influencers that we can see promoting the use of this supplement through social networks. Above all, taking advantage of sales channels like the TikTok Shop to try to sneak it in to anyone who wants to have all these properties, but logically going through their checkout. That is why although it has great features, especially in the coagulation of our bloodwe must understand exactly why its effect is like this and also whether or not it is necessary to supplement. Since with our wonderful Mediterranean diet Few people will see it as totally necessary. The importance of blood. It is known that blood should neither be too liquid nor too ‘thick’ for it to move correctly. Calcium is one of those responsible for keeping the blood in an optimal state, favoring coagulation when it is too liquid (something that could increase the probability of bleeding). But on the other side we must have a brake that does exactly the opposite, to prevent the blood from being too coagulated, which can cause problems such as thrombi. This is precisely magnesium. And the key is in the balance of both substances so that the blood is in optimal conditions to do its job. It is something documented. A review that was published in 2024 Cureu detailed this mechanism quite precisely: without enough magnesium, calcium dominated cellular function. The only thing this caused was that the platelets did not stop sticking together, making the risk of thrombosis increase enormously. In this way, it was seen that magnesium was a natural antithrombotic that kept the blood with adequate fluidity. Living longer with good health. Taking care of the blood vessels is essential to be able to have correct aging, avoiding problems such as the formation of thrombi or rupture of the endothelium of the vessels. Because the endothelium is nothing more than the part of the arteries that is in contact with the blood and its degeneration only causes the formation of atheroma plaques or the lack of regulation of blood pressure. That is why in a randomized controlled trial published in the magazine Circulation shed light on this: magnesium therapy in patients at coronary risk significantly improved endothelial function. The researchers observed that the higher the levels of intracellular magnesium, the better the ability of the arteries to dilate and adapt to blood flow. The secret of a good diet. But with this the question is mandatory: should magnesium supplementation be uncontrolled? The answer is no. Currently we live in a world where food supplements and bioelements such as tryptophan, magnesium, or calcium are the order of the day. But the reality is that you only have to supplement if there is a deficiency demonstrated by an analysis and that it has a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In the normal case, a balanced diet gives us all the necessary elements that we do not produce organically. That is why having a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds is enough to have the adequate level of magnesium to have adequate regulation of our coagulation. On another point, if you do not follow the classic Mediterranean diet and hardly consume vegetables, you should undoubtedly opt for supplementation, but always under medical supervision. Because as with everything, Too much can cause problems also for our body. Images | Kenny Eliason Xataka | You will love muscle above all things: how protein fever has led to a cult of the “perfect” body

Carratraca was a small town in Malaga with 800 inhabitants. Now it will be the largest natural theme park in Europe

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Carratraca is a small town in Malaga that does not reach the 800 neighbors. Yeah ‘Evolution Park’ It meets its objectives in a short time, however, it will have a unique facility in Spain and an international reference: a theme park dedicated to nature that (among many other claims) wants to be equipped with the longest aquarium in the world and the largest aviary in the country. Along the way, by the way, it aspires to mobilize a million-dollar investment and generate a volume of employment that is equivalent to 45% of the entire population of Carratraca. One figure: 786. They are the neighbors who (according to the INE) are registered in carratracaa small municipality in the Guadalteba regionprovince of Malaga. There, in the heart of the Sierra del Agua, is where an ambitious project has begun to take shape that aspires to become a benchmark beyond Malaga, Andalusia or even Spain: Evolution Parka theme park dedicated to nature that, according to the data outlined by the Board, it will have the longest aquarium in the world and the largest aviary in the country, among other attractions. What exactly will you offer? The regional government presents it as “a nature theme park”, a large facility located on the slopes of the Sierra de Aguas and Sierra Blanquilla that aspires to become into “a reference center for sustainable tourism”. That is at least the philosophy’s rhetoric. If we look for specific details, it comes with reviewing the Andalusian newspaper archives. After all, the project is not new: takes years on the table, although its future seems to have cleared up in recent months thanks to the endorsement administrative. Animals, cabins… and a ‘mega aquarium’. Although the latest What has emerged from the park is that it will have “the longest aquarium in the world”, the largest aviary in Spain, a natural history museum, planetarium and 360º cinema. The Andalusian press has been making some progress for some time. keys of the project. For example, it will have animals, although it will move away from the traditional concept of a zoo. There is who points In fact, it will also act as a wildlife rescue center, recreate habitats and be the biggest theme park of the nature of Europe. In April SOUTH pointed out that the enclosure will include themed accommodation (such as African-style cabins), a museum with replicas of extinct animals made by paleoartists, a simulator type ‘Flying Theater’ or a train that will allow visitors to move around the enclosures and observe the animals safely. Regarding the aquarium, he pointed out that it will measure about 80 meters long. All in one large farm of the Sierra del Agua located just four kilometers from the urban center of Carratraca and connected through the A-354 highway. The town is located about an hour’s drive from the center of Malaga. Another figure: 10 million. Although the initiative seems to have aroused enthusiasm in the Board and the City Council, in reality it is a private proposal which will start with an investment of three million of euros and will end up mobilizing around 10 million. Behind is Ecological and Recreational Estate Arroyo las Cañas 2013. The diary SOUTH clarify that to give shape to the project, a land of around 200 hectares was chosen within the municipality of Carratraca and that the idea (at least today) is to have the project ready in four years. “It’s not just sun and beach”. If the future park is in the news today, it is because its promoters have managed to go beyond paper and infographics. The laying of the first stone of Evolution Park was celebrated on Thursday, a symbolic ceremony which, however, is interesting for two reasons: first because it confirms that the project is alive; second, because it has demonstrated its institutional support. The Minister of Tourism, Arturo Bernal, attended the event, for example, and highlighted that the complex “will generate an economic and social impact” that will make the small Malaga town “a new benchmark for nature tourism.” 350 jobs. A curious fact about Evolution Park is that it aspires to generate a volume of jobs that is equivalent to almost half of the population of Carratraca (780 residents), as it was responsible for underline yesterday the Junta de Andalucía. “This unique project in Europe, with a private investment of 10 million, will promote the creation of more than 350 direct and indirect jobs,” celebrated the leader, who insisted that Evolution Park will help diversify the tourist offer of the entire province. “Projects like this are the best proof of why Andalusia is a leading and reference destination. A destination that is not only sun and sand, but also mountains, culture, heritage, sustainability and life.” Images | Andalusia Tourism, Ian Schneider (Unsplash) and Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Andalusia (X) In Xataka | The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

A geologist explains why natural disasters continue to surprise us

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How can an eruption on the other side of the planet cause a “year without a summer”? Why does an apparently small earthquake devastate a city while a larger one goes almost unnoticed? The answer is not always in magnitude of the phenomenon, but in the place where it occurs, in the number of people exposed and in how the risk is managed. Understanding it is not just a scientific question: it is a way of looking at the planet with different eyes. ‘Science and aside’ It is the space where we talk about science with experts. It is part of our YouTube channel and is also available as a podcast on Spotify and iVoox. In her fourth episode, Ángela Blanco interviews Rosa María Mateosgeologist and director of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), a reference voice in the study of natural disasters. With decades of experience and a doctorate focused on this field, his vision helps us understand what is happening on Earth. When science faces the fury of the planet The conversation starts with a seemingly simple question: what is the most damaging natural disaster? The interviewee responds calmly: “It depends where you are and where you live.“In his explanation there are no hierarchies between volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis, but nuances. “Living in the Canary Islands, which has a high probability of a volcanic eruption, is not the same as living in Madrid, where the probability is zero.” The danger changes with the map, and understanding it requires looking at the geology of each place before its history. “Among the great episodes that marked the history of the Earth, Rosa cites one that was on the verge of erasing our species from the map. “We are talking about 74,000 years ago, which probably was on the verge of ending the Homo sapienswith our species.” It refers to the eruption of the Toba volcano, a megaeruption in Indonesia. Rosa explains that not all earthquakes are measured the same and that their magnitude can be misleading if you do not understand how it is calculated. “The magnitude of the earthquakes It is measured on a logarithmic scaleto. This means that an earthquake of magnitude four is not twice as strong as one of magnitude two.” The difference, he clarifies, is exponential: each point on the scale multiplies the energy released, and that is enough to turn an earthquake into a colossal force. Some historical episodes demonstrate this better than any graph. Rosa remembers the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 not only for its magnitude, but for what it represented for science. “The waves reached the coasts of Finland.” The phrase summarizes the scope of a phenomenon that destroyed the Portuguese capital and left traces throughout the Atlantic. From that disaster a different way of thinking was born. To understand why some catastrophes are devastating and others are barely mentioned, the expert introduces an essential distinction. “We geologists talk about two very different concepts that we often confuse. One is the danger… and another thing is the risk.“In the video he explains what each one consists of, their scope and also the consequences of confusing the terms. The conversation with Rosa María Mateos shows that natural phenomena cannot be avoided, but their effects can be reduced. In this episode of Science and apartthe geologist explains how observation and knowledge help to anticipate risks and live better with them. A talk that leaves open the door to continue learning about the planet we inhabit. Images | Xataka In Xataka | The Nobel Prize in Medicine illustrates the importance of the “story” to win it: a story that Spain has been losing for years

The countries with the greatest natural gas reserves, gathered in this graphic developer

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Natural gas has become a bridge fuel on the road to decarbonization. Emits less dioxide that coal or oil when used to generate electricity, and in a world that is hitting the Volantazo to renewable energiesgas has established itself as a vital element. Reason? Is being used to feed the voracious data centers And, in addition, it is A geopolitical element. And there, countries with the largest natural gas reserves have a lot to say. And that mixture between natural and geopolitical resources can be seen perfectly in this graph elaborated by Visual Capitalist: The powers. Russia, Iran and Qatar are the indisputable powers when we talk about natural gas reserves. The United States stays close, but the first three, according to these data from the US Energy Information AdministrationThey represent 51% of those world reserves. And the first ten countries, which are represented in the graphic, accumulate 83% of the total natural gas. Russia is the clear clear, with twice more than Qatar and almost tripling the reserves of the United States. The closest is Iran, Another oil power. Protagonist role. And who controls gas, controls a large percentage of the world energy cake. It is estimated that, currently, natural gas represents 23% of the global energy mix. This depends on the country, of course, but one of the largest whales is the United States and there represents 40% of the electricity generation. The reasons are the amount of and efficiency, being your Great advantage which is the most ‘dispatchable’ energy source. It can be activated and deactivated easily and, in a matter of minutes, operates with a capacity greater than 80% to satisfy demand peaks. In addition, what we have already commented: its emissions Co₂ are approximately 50% lower than coal and 30% lower than oil. Trend. The graph represents the status of reservations in 2023, but with more recent data, we see that it is still an essential fuel: Natural gas meant 33% of the increase in world energy supply. The demand for natural gas in 2024 increased 2.5%. Electric generation from natural gas also grew by 2.5%. Natural gas production increased 1.2%. And world trade by gas pipeline and LNG increased by 3.3%, being the first time it grows from 2021. Geopolitics. And that only a few countries have such an essential fuel for the rest, it implies that it is a source of economic, diplomatic power and, in times of crisis, also a weapon. In Europe we have witnessed this from two different fronts. Before 2022, near the 40% of European natural gas was Russian. The invasion of Ukraine caused a series of cuts in the supply and Russia He used it as a weapon in the contest‘drying’ the countries of the European Union that supported Ukraine. This has led the EU to rethink your energy safetydiversifying energy sources and investing in infrastructure such as those of the Green Hydrogen Corridor. And, in this situation, the US has gained weight becoming the largest gas exporter to Europe, using this resource in the Tariff trade war. Artificial intelligence. Beyond politics, this ability to satisfy demand peaks is something that is erecting natural gas as the most important fuel today. Data centers require something called “operational reliability”, or what is the same: they cannot stop working and They cannot depend on renewable energieswhich may have intermittent periods of activity, be their only energy source. In addition, at certain times of computational demand peaks, They need a huge amount of immediate energyand that is where natural gas can meet that demand. The energy need for these is such Data macrocentros that there are companies that are choosing to take over nuclear energy plants to meet your needs. Gas for a while. The natural gas is a complex scenario because, although we want to get rid of it in favor of renewable energies, factors such as its energy advantage and strategic pacts favor that it is rope for a while. The projections indicate That the energy demand of data centers only in the United States will grow from 180-290 twh from 2024 to 515-720 TWH in 2030. In the rest of the world, It will pass of the 415 TWH to 945 TWH in 2030. Globally, other analysis They point to an increase in that 50% demand by 2027 and up to 165% by 2030. Beyond the needs of the data centers, it is wait An increase of 32% in the world demand for natural gas by 2050, being Africa and Asia the main driving regions of this growing demand due to electrification and industrialization needs. These estimates can go to the fret if a Unexpected increase in renewables Thanks to new technologies or more efficient solutionss, or if the panorama of the data centers changes, but what is evident is that the Camino to decarbonization You will have to live with natural gas. In Xataka | If Europe is beating solar energy records this summer, why has the price of light shot?

New Zealand is full of natural treasures. Now he has decided to charge foreign tourists who want to see them

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Mount cook (Aroaki) is one of the most emblematic places in Oceania, a mountain of something More than 3,700 m full -up New Zealand Alps and famous for its snowy peaks. The enclave is fascinating, as is the beach of Cathedral Cove, Milford Track or the Tongariro National Parkall natural treasures of New Zealand. If your government’s plans are ahead in not long foreigners must scratch their pocket to enjoy them. The reason? New Zealand wants to charge them a rate. Surprised friends. The announcement The country’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, and the Minister of Conservation, Tama Potaka: The Government wants to collect an extra rate to foreigners who visit some of the most popular protected spaces in New Zealand to help conserve them. “Tourists contribute to our economy and nobody wants that to change,” Recognize Luxon. “But many times I have heard from foreign friends his surprise to be able to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free.” The great icons. “The places that are special for New Zealand should be protected, so we will give more support to the DOC (Conservation Department) by introducing a position for foreign visitors to access the most crowded spaces “, Confirm The Prime Minister. At least the executive has in mind four of the most iconic spaces in the country: Cathedral Cove/te wahanganui-a-hei, Tongarino crossing, Milford Sound and Aoraki Mount Cookspaces where foreigners usually represent 80% of visits. A figure: € 20. The government not only handles a list of enclaves, it has also thought about a possible rate. In A statement Published this Saturday, the government slides that the “fair” is that foreigners who come to those “special places” pay an extra payment of between 20 and 40 Neozelands dollars per person, which translated into euros is equivalent to a fork of between 10 and 20 euros, more or less. “For the natural heritage that will involve revenues of up to 62 million dollars a year (almost 32 million euros) that will be reimited directly in those same areas, so that we can continue to invest in the places that support much of our tourism sector,” I claim Potaka. The idea is that the fee is paid only by foreigners, not the locals, who can continue to access without costs. “It is our collective heritage and the Kiwis They shouldn’t have to pay. “ Is anything else known? Yes. The newspaper The Guardian Slide That the rates are probably imposed from next year. Another of the keys to which the government is already spinning is how to differentiate foreign visitors from Neozylalands, although it does not seem that this will be a great challenge. “When you go to the Auckland Domain Museum, you have to show that you are from Auckland if you want a different price,” Remember Potaka. The same goes for the differentiated price of the routes. Foreigners pay a little more than the premises and there are different ways to demonstrate it, through passports, certificates, etc. “ Tourism slopes. The government’s decision comes after the Zealander economy Enter technical recession Last year, which has led the government to Search for formulas To stimulate growth. With that backdrop, tourism has revealed a valuable income route. During the last months the government has intensified your promotion, flexible The rules for the arrival of digital nomads and has made it easier for Chinese visitors. As of November, the country will test a visa exemption program for travelers with Chinese passport traveling from Australia with a valid Australian visa. “This will make it easier, cheaper and fast for them to cross the Sea of Tasmania and visit our coasts,” reason Immigration Minister Erica Stanford. The country closed 2024 with 3.3 million of foreign visitors. Are there more changes? Yes. New Zealand not only plans to charge an extra tax foreigners. In it release in which they announce that measure Luxon and Potaka advance their plans to modify the conservation law to facilitate “a new wave of concessions” in sectors such as tourism or agriculture. The reason? The Executive remember That a large part of the territory is protected by its historical, cultural and biodiversity value, and although there are already businesses in that space (shepherds or ski slopes, for example) it is not easy to assemble them. “To do so, a concession is needed, and the concession regime is totally broken. It often has been renewing it for years and leaves companies in a bureaucratic limbo.” The Executive speaks of “obsolete standards” and advances its intention to promote “more employment, growth and higher salaries.” The announcement has already earned you criticism of the environmental organization Forest & Bird. Images | Christian Michel (Flickr) and Bernard Spragg. NZ (Flickr) In Xataka | The north of Spain has been complaining about mass tourism for years. Asturias has discovered the bitter consequences of losing it

Psyllium went viral as a “natural alternative to Ozempic.” Reality is not so simple

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Like any revolution, Ozempic came with promises and A hidden price. Then the side effects, the cost and the need for a medical prescription arrived. While its shadow is lengthened, an alternative option is born that does not need punctures through an millenary seed. The shell of a seed. What began as a traditional remedy in southern Asia today is a trend in Tiktok. More than 13,000 videos under the hashtag #psylliumhusk show how this fiber is incorporated recipes, Challenges and Tips for losing weightcalm appetite or improve digestion. But behind the viral phenomenon there is something much simpler: the Psyllium is the peel that surrounds the seeds of the ovata plantgo, a discreet but effective plant. Also known as Psilio, I know has used For years as soft laxative thanks to its ability to form mass and facilitate intestinal transit. The product can be consumed in dust, capsules or in its raw form, reminiscent of wood chips. Upon contact with water, this soluble fiber forms a thick gel. And it is precisely this viscosity that explains a good part of its benefits. Science behind. The secret of the Psyllium is how it reacts to water, since it absorbs and forms a thick gel. This process helps reduce appetite, improve intestinal transit and control cholesterol and blood sugar. In fact, an investigation He has confirmed ityou just have to consume between 10 and 15 grams daily to even reduce LDL cholesterol, the considered bad. Not everything is so simple. Although the enthusiasm in networks is understandable, experts ask for caution. First, for a security issue, since the Psyllium needs at least one liter of water for every 20 grams of fiber has pointed to The Guardian Lena Beal, spokesman for the Nutrition and Dietary Academy. The reason is none other than if it is not consumed without sufficient liquid, it can become a danger of suffocation or cause intestinal obstructions. It is not for everyone. It is not for everyone. Because it is natural, it does not mean that it is harmless. From Cleveland Clinic They do not recommend it in people with difficulties in swallowing, serious intestinal diseases (stenosis or crohn disease) or in cases of chronic digestive disorders. It is also advisable to take precautions if you are taking medication, since the fiber It can interfere. Natural Ozempic? Comparisons are always hateful, as the saying goes. The Psychlium shell does not alter the hormonal system as the GLP-1 agonists do. And although it can support weight loss, it does not do so in a powerful way or in all cases. More support. Because consuming more fiber is one of the most consistent recommendations of Modern nutritional science. In the end it is about incorporating improvements in the long -term diet, support that comes with a broader look on what it means to take care of yourself. Image | PGDP123 and Chemist4u Xataka | Ozempic and blindness, we have been on the track of an extremely rare adverse effect for months. Now the AEMPS has taken a step forward

IA consumes so much energy that the United States is building data centers directly in natural gas wells

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What makes a startup dedicated to building data centers get 11.6 billion dollars in financing. In the case of Crusoe Energy Systems, it all started with an idea as disturbing as profitable: build data centers with natural gas wells. Crusoe Energy’s idea Journalist Emily Chang de Bloomberg visited a few weeks ago The city of Abilene, in Texas, where Crusoe is building the monstrous Stargate data centers, The 500.00 billion project OpenAi, SoftBank and Oracle to develop general artificial intelligence. Stargate arrived at Crusoe Energy thanks to the demonstrated efficiency of the startup in the construction of specialized data centers in AI. Chase Lochmiller, the CEO of Crusoe, explained to Chang how the company was born: “When an oil company opens an oil well, one of the associated by -products is natural gas. And when they do not have access to an pipeline, all this associated gas simply burns in situ. So we had an idea: instead of trying to take that gas to a market where you can sell, we could create a market for gas. We could build mobile and modular data centers, take them direct data”. Crusoe was born in the best possible place to materialize this idea: the country of fracking. But maybe not at the best time to do it. Initially, they chose to build GPUS farms to undermine Bitcoin. When the cryptocurrency market collapsed, they ended up pivoting artificial intelligence. Like crypto mining, AI data centers are not based on CPUS but depend on the parallel processing capacity of thousands of GPUS, mainly Nvidia specialized chips. These new data centers consume much more energy than traditional data centers, so Crusoe started from a key advantage: their direct access to fossil fuels that obtained at the price of bargain. A booming business Oil giants are not oblivious to this trend. Exxonmobil is developing Off-Grid gas plants specifically for data centers with carbon capture technology to reduce emissions. Chevron, meanwhile, It has been associated With Engine No. 1 and Ge Vernova to mount similar facilities. The first will open in 2026, also in Texas. The figures are eloquent: the demand for natural gas for data centers will be increased by 47 GW from here to 2030. Currently, natural gas already feeds about 40% of the loading of data centers in the United States and is expected to continue being the main source of supply up to at least 2030. It is not the preferred energy source, but There are not enough renewable to feed artificial intelligence and Not all data centers They can be connected to a nuclear power plant, another common occurrence in the United States. As for Crusoe, thanks to the initial push of natural gas that were going to burn oil companies they developed their own technologies, such as a closed cooling system that does not need to renew The water evaporating the serversor own gas turbines, such as 360 MWs that are installing in the Stargate project as a backup energy source. Stargate data centers will feed mainly solar panels and wind turbines, which abound in Abilene for the confluence of wind and sunny hours. It is one of the reasons why data centers are being built in this Texas area, in addition to the tax exemptions that local governments are willing to yield in exchange for employment generation. It remains to be seen how many employees have everything built. Image | W.Carter (CCO) In Xataka | Microsoft will reopen a nuclear power plant that has been closed since 2019. It needs it for its artificial intelligence

There is no miraculous recipe that gives us a “natural ozempic.” But science has some “tricks” that can help us

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The popularity of the semaglutida (the active substance of the well -known Ozempic) and similar compounds, has led many to the search for alternatives that allow replicating Its effects without having to go through the pharmacy. It is not something to miss, like any other drug, Ozempic and similar medications have side effects, not to mention their cost or the fact that it can only be acquired with medical prescription. Having more alternatives within our reach can be tempting. The search for a “natural ozempic” however has more shadows than lights, more pseudoscience than science. That does not mean that the door is completely closed. One of the compounds to which often It has hung This label It is the Berber. Although some studies have detected pharmacological effects of this compound, we lack solid evidence today that proves to help us lose weight. What we do have is A series of risks associated with its consumption. Another regular candidate to serve as “natural ozempic” It’s green tea. Although this drink can give us some nutrients and help us stay hydrated, its effects on or on our glycemic levels They are limited at best. In An article for The conversationMary J. Scourboutakos, an expert from the University of Toront A “Ozempic of Nature”. The key to her is not in a compound that these foods can give us, but to focus on those who in one way or another stimulate the production of hormones that these treatments “imitate.” To understand it, we must remember how these compounds work. Semaglutida is an agonist of peptide receptors similar to type 1 glucagon (LPG-1), that is, it is a compound that functions as this key hormone for our digestive processes. The LPG-1 is a hormone that our stomach segregates when we eat with the aim of transmitting a double message. On the one hand, this hormone warns the pancreas that you should begin to segregate insulin to control blood sugar levels. These types of medications are, in origin, drugs against diabetes that stimulate insulin production for glycemic control in people who have trouble exercising this control. On the other hand, this peptide also sends a message to the brain: satiety. This is the reason why these compounds also make those who consume them lose weight, since they flatten hunger. Other drugs, such as Zepbound, They work similarly. The formula of the American Eli Lilly is based on the tirzepatida, which acts as an analogous not only of the LPG-1, but also of the GIP (polypeptide gastric inhibitor). Not only what, also how According to Explains Scourboutakosour diet can help stimulate the production of the GLP-1 hormone. He does not only through nutrients but also through our habits, when and how, in addition to what. With respect to nutrients, the expert highlights two, being the first, and perhaps the most important, fiber. The fiber is key Because it serves as food to our intestinal microbioma, and this in turn would be responsible for segregating compounds capable of stimulating hormone production. A study Posted in 2018 in the magazine Science He indicated that the fiber could help feed bacteria in charge of segregating short-chain fatty acids, which would be in this case those responsible for encouraging the secretion of the LPG-1. Recently, Another studyis published in Nature Microbiologyobtained similar results. The team responsible for this analysis detected that greater Presence of bacteria Vulgatus bacteroids and of its metabolite, vitamin B5 or pantotenic acid were able to activate the secretion of the peptide similar to type 1 glucagon. Returning to Scourboutakos articlethis highlights another key nutrient, monounsaturated fats, which we can find for example in the olive oil. Again, some studies support this notion, such as The published in 1999 In the magazine The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionwhich detected that olive oil stimulated better than butter the secretion of both LPG-1 and GIP. Regarding the “How”, ScourboTakos quotes for example A study In the magazine Diabetologyfrom which he concludes that consuming the most protein foods before the richest in carbohydrates (such as eating a fish dish and then one of rice) would give rise to a greater secretion of LPG-1. Other relevant factors mentioned by Scourboutakos include the time we consume food and even if we chew or consume in a liquefied form. Our diet affects our health and our well -being in very diverse ways. It may seem anti -limitic, but the closest thing to a “natural ozempic” we have is A varied diet, rich in fibers And in fats such as olive oil, whose positive properties have been well known for a long time. A diet of this type may not be able to cure diseases, but it is a necessary complement to many treatments and is an important preventive tool when avoiding problems for the future. In Xataka | Ozempic is supposed to increase the risk of erectile dysfunction. Thousands of people think exactly the opposite Image | Chemist4u / She Olsson

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