night

variable limits at night

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Catalonia has discovered variable speed limits. And it is beginning to exploit them to solve problems of different kinds. This alternative to a single and inflexible maximum speed is applied in other European countries but has not taken root in our country. Until now. The last place to try it is C-31. Pilot test. For now, it’s an experiment. An interesting examination that may define the future of some other roads in Catalonia. Because, at the moment, it does not seem that the DGT is in the business of applying the measure in the rest of Spain. Since yesterday, Monday, October 27, drivers have to slow down at a maximum of 70 km/h between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. as it passes through Castelldefels (and Gavà). The test aims to verify to what extent the noise impact can be reduced on a road that is very close to the homes in these municipalities. To do this, two sound level meters have been installed that will collect data along the six kilometers in which the cars have to slow down. At 70 km/h. As we said, this is the speed at which cars will have to travel at night. The rest of the day, traffic will move at a maximum of between 90 and 100 km/h, the limits that until now were inflexible in this section. That is, whoever maintains the original speed faces a fine of 100 euros without withdrawal of points. The test is temporary. Next December 4th The usual maximum speeds will be returned and, from then on, drivers will be able to return to their 90-100 km/h. That will be when the data will be analyzed and it will be studied whether it is worth applying new measures. It is not the first case. According to the DGTapplying variable speed limits can help reduce accidents by 10% but, at the moment, this measure has not been applied in any case. The system is simple, using the road lights, the maximum speed varies up or down. The system is widely used in Germany. Especially in the famous sections without maximum speed of the Autobahn. And, really, these sections can have a limit. There, the limits may vary depending on the weather, the hours of the day (as in the previous case) or depending on the traffic that is concentrated during peak hours. This last case is, for example, that of the AP-7. The Generalitat of Catalonia is studying applying sections with variable speed limits to try to reduce the risks due to the increase in traffic registered since the tolls were lifted. It has even been proposed that in some cases a maximum of 60 km/h be maintained. The noise. It is a problem that has been studied by some institutions for some time. Most of the time it is a problem that is addressed first in the municipalities where the noise of an engine (especially motorcycles) and the sound of music is more problematic than the rolling of the car itself. However, what is addressed here is the noise generated by the passing of cars. It is estimated that a car traveling at 70 km/h generates 3 dB less on average than a car traveling at 120 km/h. It must be taken into account, however, that the growth is logarithmic and the impact of those 3 dB is much greater in the jump from 77 to 80 dB than in the jump from 17 to 20 dB, to give an example. In this study It is noted that at night the noise generated by cars is lower because the traffic is also lower. However, the calm at night highlights this noise and, therefore, moving the focus away from the noise (in this case we are talking about an alternative route further away from the neighbors) has a greater impact during the day than at night. And more impact. Furthermore, beyond the fact that rolling noise is perceived more clearly at night, the WHO also recommends that the noise rates to which we subject our body be lower at night. This is because the impact on rest is greater to the point of recommending that the noise source does not exceed 45 dB. However, it is estimated that the busiest roads They constantly move between 75 and 80 dB. Figures that put the health of those who live in the surrounding area at risk. In 2021, it was estimated that excess noise had an effect on European income accounts. 147,000 million euros per yearbeing considered the second source of environmental risk for citizens, only behind atmospheric pollution. Photo | Castelldefels Town Hall and Google Maps In Xataka | What electric cars sound like: this is the sound chosen by manufacturers in their acoustic warning for pedestrians

Millions of Spaniards consume benzodiazepines to sleep at night. They do not know that it is an poisoned candy

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On July 13, 2010, two days after Spain won the World Cup in South Africa, a Facebook user He putas the name of a group of that social network a phrase for history as a title of a group of that social network: “I am Spanish, what do you want me to win?” He talked about sports, of course. But if I had to choose a non-sports land to beat almost any other nationality, I would have (sadly) clear: The consumption of benzodiazepines. And if we talk about sleeping medications, I would bet on Lorazepam. A medication … paradoxical. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine of intermediate action. In general terms, it works in the brain as a specific agonist of most subtypes of the Gabaa receiver. That is what makes it act as anxiolytic, sedative, muscle, anticonvulsive and amnesic. But, generalized (and even if the lormatazepan is better), it is prescribed to sleep. Why does it help to sleep? This medication facilitates Conciliation (helps to fall asleep), increases the total sleep time (in the first shots – therefore, treatments of more than four weeks are not recommended) and reduces night awakenings. It is, as it is easy to see, a resource very helpful to a problem increasingly widespread. And why is it ‘paradogical’? Because those ‘benefits’ have costs. To start, leave hangover. Being an intermediate action drug, it can leave some drowsiness or stunning after awakening. But that is little. The worst thing is that it modifies sleep architecture. In essence, the deep sleep phase and the ReM phase tend to reduce. That makes the sleep more continuous and less repairing. As The Uxoa Olaizola Pharmaceutical“Maybe you sleep, but your brain is not resting.” As if that were not enough, you can create addiction. This is better known and, in fact, it is one of the problems with the benzos. About 10% of the Spanish population has consumed them without a recipe, and 7.2% do so daily. We have a problem and it is quite serious. “75% of Spaniards wake up at least once At night, and 3 out of 10 directly affirm that they suffer from insomnia. “And, eye, the scientific evidence available tells us that we tend to think that we sleep better than we really do. Reality, surely, is much worse. And he will go more; With all its consequences. Lack of sleep is related to immunological problems, Metabolic, Cardiovascular emotional and cognitive; With disorders such as diabetes or of the obesity. Not just that sleeping little causes us to be more tired and irritablebut Raise our stress levels And it makes us Assume more risks And make more wrong. Hopefully not to mistake on this. Image | Shane | Roberto Sorin In Xataka | Science has been trying to find out what is the best time to go to sleep. And it is already close to an answer

Seoul has released a “holographic police” that arises every night in a park. The intention is clear: dissuade crimes

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A park in Seoul transforms every night into an unexpected stage. From seven in the afternoon, between street lamps and shadows, the figure of a police with impeccable uniform arises. Speak in a firm voice, throw a message and, suddenly, fades in the air. Two minutes later, it reappears to repeat the same scene. It is not a flesh and bone agent, but about Un real size hologram which has become the new attraction and security measure of the neighborhood. The bet began in October 2024 as an experiment of the Jungbu police station and the Seoul City Council. The selected park was not accidental: located next to the popular gastronomic area of ​​Euljiro, it was the usual scenario of incidents linked to alcohol consumption, As the local newspaper The Scoop explains. Police were looking for a way to strengthen security without displaying more personnel in difficult coverage. Thus collaboration with a technology company arose, which designed a system capable of projecting a virtual agent every night to remember that the place was monitored. A HOLOGRAM AGAINST CRIME The device uses a projector that launches the image of a policeman on a real -size acrylic plate. Every night, the hologram appears for a few seconds and repeats again every two minutes. Its presence is not limited to the visual, since in a clear voice it always conveys the same notice, which Remember passersby permanent surveillance of the area: “Hello, we are the Jungbu police station in Seoul. This area has an intelligent CCTV system. This system is in operation so that the police can respond in real time if an incident of violence or other emergency situation occurs. The Jungbu police station will continue working with the district to create a safer community. Thank you.” The first data collected shows that the bet has not gone unnoticed. According to figures from the Jungbu police station, between October 2024 and May 2025, incidents registered in the Park were reduced around 22% compared to the same period of the previous year. The descent was noticed above all in situations of spontaneous origin, such as altercations or discussions linked to alcohol consumption. For the police, this initial effect demonstrates that the hologram has served to cover holes in the usual surveillance. Those responsible for the project insist that the idea was born from a very specific need. Agent Kim Hyun-Don, from the Jungbu police station, He explained in an interview with the South Klab Canal that the park was surrounded by bars and leisure premises and that many neighbors preferred to avoid it at night for fear of meeting drunken people. “We thought that a visible policeman, even if it was virtual, could give security to citizens and at the same time deter those who could cause problems,” he said. For the police, the hologram is a risky experiment, but also an opportunity to innovate in prevention. Not all citizens interpret the hologram in the same way. While some perceive it as a presence that provides security, others believe that the measure will lose efficacy over time. A neighbor interviewed by The Scoop warned that “to really reduce incidents Frequent patrols are needed or a change in the dynamics of the neighborhood. ”In parallel, comments on the Internet oscillated between the joke and surprise: several users described it as a“ police ghost ”, although others celebrated the originality of the experiment. Seoul Metropolitan Police The project, despite its good initial results, is not free of problems. Those responsible admit that technology is sensitive to external factors: on extreme heat or intense cold days, The projector can fail. There are also neighbors who complain that the voice of the hologram is not heard well when there is noise in the street. To this is added a deeper doubt: if at the beginning it impresses and deter, over time it could become part of the landscape and lose its impact. Seoul’s “holographic police” has become a striking experiment within the debate on how to strengthen security in public spaces. Its initial efficacy shows that technology can provide creative solutions, although doubts about their permanence remain open. It remains to be seen if this model will consolidate as a stable tool or if it will remain an anecdote in the urban history of the city. Images | Seoul Metropolitan Police In Xataka | Solving the great mystery of the serial killers: why they disappeared from the 80s without a trace

A night train to connect Europe from this to west

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Renfe has several challenges ahead and one of the most challenging is expanding. It already has a powerful presence in Spain, now more competed after road release and the arrival of external agents like Iro and Ouigoand the next step is Europe. To do this, Renfe has certain allies such as Leo Express, a Czech company of which Renfe has 50% and who is working on his most ambitious project: to join Eas to West Europe with a night train and a very long route. Leo Express? Let’s start at the beginning. Four years ago, in August 2021, Renfe acquired 50% of the capital of the Private Czech company Leo Express for seven million euros (in shares). This operation, explained from Renfe at the time, had a strategic purpose: expand in Europe. Leo Express operates international connections in countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, both trains and buses, but this new route will undoubtedly be the longest. Image | Leo Express From this to west. As he has advanced Rail Tech And we have been able to confirm from Xataka through the Federal Agency for Transport Regulation of Belgium (PDF), Leo Express is working on a route that will link Belgium with Slovakia. Specifically, the route will be from Ostende (Belgium) to Bratislava (Slovakia). From Xataka we have contacted Leo Express for more information and we will update in the case of receiving response. Time. It will be a long trip with 50 stops. The train will pass through four countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium) and will stop in cities such as Prague, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Brussels and witches, among others. The train will leave at 7:10 p.m. and will arrive in Bratislava at 14:18 the next day. The return trip will be at 14:44 and will end at 21:52. Image | Leo Express The train. Leo Express will wear modernized RIC passenger cars and Siemens Vectron Locomotoras. That is, the train will have a maximum speed of 160 km/Hy a capacity of around 450 seats, although by December 2028 they intend to expand the capacity to 550 passengers. These trains will work as night trains and, as such, they will have cars with options and/or optional literas. A huge challenge. One thing is the intention and another that the action comes to fruition. Leo Express, and therefore, have to coordinate a line in four different national networks, obtain grooves in these networks and operate a train for which they are not preceded. In Belgium, in addition, you will have to partner with a certified operator. Midnight Trains cabin, whose idea was to offer true hotels about rails | Imange: Midnight Trains The background is not flattering. In 2023, the French startup Midnight Trains He wanted to launch a series of international night routes between Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Denmark and France. It was a premium service that even received the approval of the European Commission, which saw in Midnight Trains an initiative to promote cross -border routes on train. The idea was good, but then the problems came: how complex it is to access the Eurotunnel, the lack of financing, etc. The project ended up closing in 2024. The other part, more positive, is the Austrian OBB, which has a division dedicated alone and exclusively to night trains (Nightjet) that connects 13 countries. THE NIGHT TRAIN IN SPAIN. Neither is nor expected. Although night trains are a common modality in Europe, in Spain they do not operate since the time of COVID-19. Renfe suspended this service definitely due to profitability. The background idea is that the night train was a commercial service, not a public one, so it should be profitable by itself and, unfortunately, it was not. In 2019 alone, the last year in which this modality was operational, lost 25 million euros. Cover image | Leo Express In Xataka | A 17 -year -old is the digital nomad par excellence: he lives in trains (and does not get expensive)

Generate day energy and hunt asteroids at night

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At the time they seemed the future of solar energy for their ability to follow the sun with oscillating mirrors. Today the solar concentration plants, which direct the light by heliostats towards a large central tower, They cannot compete with photovoltaic prices collapse. But when a door closes, sometimes a window opens to the universe. Short. A pilot project in the United States has begun to take advantage of these gigantic mirrors when the sun falls for the Planetary Defense. For the day, heliostats generate energy concentrating sunlight in a tower connected to steam turbines. At night, they defend the planet of potentially dangerous asteroids. The figures are devastating. The thermoelectric solar energy has lost the battle against photovoltaic by win. In 2023, the world installed the record figure of 345.5 gigawatts in solar panels, but the solar thermos I barely added 0.3 GW in total. And what is worse, since then construction is not started of no new plant. Although Spain, the world leader in concentration technology, maintains its centrals working, other projects are canceled or reconvisaged. Morocco has replaced the Termosolar part of the MEGACOMPLEJO NOOR MIDELT by photovoltaic after qualifying it as “immature and face technology”. And iconic projects, such as the gigantic Ivanpah plant in Californianow face their closure for not being able to compete with the low price of photovoltaic kilowatt. Save the planet, and incidentally investment. Given this panorama, what can be done with these huge and expensive infrastructure? John Sandusky, scientific researcher at Sandia laboratories, has been turning an idea for almost 20 years. “Heliostat fields do not have a night job. They are simply there, without using,” Explain in a statement. “We have the opportunity to give a night work at a relatively low cost to find objects close to Earth.” The proposal is not to use heliostats to take photos of the sky. Its optical quality is not enough to form crisp images such as a telescope. The genius of the proposal, embodied in a Study of the late 2024 That has already been put into practice, lies in using what these mirrors do best: concentrate light. A lot of light. How it works. The traditional method seeks in the long exposure images the steles that the asteroids leave when moving against the fund of fixed stars. Sandusky’s method is radically different and is based on frequency analysis. Instead of aiming at a fixed point, the plant’s software causes the heliostats (mirrors designed to follow the sun) oscillate, sweeping a small portion of the sky at a constant and repetitive rate. The light of the stars, swept at this constant pace, generates a signal in the tower receiver with a specific and predictable frequency. It is the “tone” base of the sky. If an asteroid crosses that field of vision, moves at a different angular velocity from that of the stars. This makes the light that reflects generates a signal with a slightly different frequency from that of the “tone” base. It is a tiny change, but measurable with current technology. And can be used to detect asteroids due to its speed relative to the stars. From theory to practice. A team has demonstrated its viability using a single heliostat, and is already working to climb the project to a large solar plant to increase sensitivity and to detect smaller and more distant objects. Even tracking satellites and other objects in the cislunar space, to sell the idea to the space force. Sandusky’s idea is a masterful example of lateral thought. Instead of building new and very expensive observatories, it reuses a multimillion -dollar infrastructure that would otherwise be inactive half of the time. A technology that fights to survive in the competitive energy market and that could find a second life, a second job. Image | Pexels In Xataka | It was inaugurated in 2014 as the largest solar thermal energy plant in the world. Will close after setting fire to birds

Awakening in the middle of the night is common

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It can be something occasional or something recurring, but it is something that happens to almost everyone (especially as our age progresses), waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes it occurs for no apparent reason, although this “apparent reason” can be a night visit to the bathroom. Waking up in the middle of the night can be usual, but why does it happen? The question is important although it also hides another that many people will have done. It is the one, regardless of the annoyance, it is this loss of sleepworthy sleep. Sleep interruptions can cause insomnia problems, but can also respond to other stimuli of different kinds. In a recent interview in The avant -gardeSleep Psychologist Roser Gort pointed out some of the factors that can contribute to these inconvenience. First of all, GORT indicated that sleep interruptions are usually completed a pair of sleep cycles, an important factor since these cycles are linked both with the depth of our dream and with the very function of this. During each sleep cycle our brain passes through four phases: a REM phase (rapid eye movements); and three phases NO-REM, each deeper than the previous one. The REM phase is the phase in which dreams occur and in which it is easier to interrupt the dream. During a typical night we cross several cycles but the relative duration of each phase in them changes, as well as the very duration of the cycle: the first cycles will see longer deep phases, while in the final cycles the REM phase will gain prominence. If we generally wake up a couple of cycles, it is logical that we always wake up at the same time. But let’s go back to the key matter: what are the factors that make us woke up easily. Stress is one of them. According to Gort indicatesthe cortisol (the colloquially called “stress hormone”) tends to accumulate in our body from a certain time of the morning (between two and four) when our stress levels are high. The early appearance of This hormone It can facilitate we woke up at such hours in the morning. “Stress can also harm the quality of your dream,” they explain from Sleep Foundation. “Sleep and stress are probably affected by each other, with poor dream impacting your ability to manage stress and stress by impacting your ability to sleep well.” From the Foundation they also point out how The hormones They can also play an important role in these contexts. Hormones play a key role in the functioning of circadian rhythms, the “internal clock” that indicates when to sleep and when to remain awake. Hormonal changes, Add the FoundationThey can take you to wake up in the middle of the night. This also implies that events that influence our endocrine system, such as pregnancy, can affect our sleep and vigil cycles. One of the factors that can affect the continuity of our dream is age. As we become older, our body requires less sleep. This not only affects the total of hours that we sleep at night, it can also increase the probability that we wake up in the middle of the night without apparent reason. Some sleep problemssuch as insomnia or sleep apnea can also be behind our problems to keep us asleep. Finally, there are external factors that can also influence our ability to sleep “from the pull”. Factors such as our daily habits or medications that we can be consuming can also make our dream more fragile. Recovering the dream Waking up in the middle of the night can be a problem for those who have difficulty falling asleep. Awakening in the middle of the night can mean to lose a valuable sleep time, so some experts have been interested in this find ways to reconcile sleep quickly and effectively. Often We can wake up With the prevailing need to urinate. The problem is that this visit to the bathroom can contribute to reveal us making us more difficult than we reconcile the dream. According to Gort explainedit is not so much our bladder that awakens us on such occasions but that when we wake up we realize that we have to release its content. If we want to avoid this we can reduce our fluid intake in the hours before we go to bed. Avoiding this night walk can help us, but experts suggest A series of tricks To help us recover sleep. The first: not to look at the clock to check the time it is, since this probably generates anxiety and makes our dream difficult. There are almost as many ways of sleeping as people. Our dream depends on many factors, such as biological, work or social. In Xataka | This is the best time to go to sleep according to sleep science (and the amount of recommended hours) Image | Shvets Production

In India there are cities that have 40ºC on the street at 10 in the morning. So they have started living at night

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Spain is currently the best example of A problem much deeper that arrives with infernal heat in much of the planet: How to fight the fire with the working day (and life in general). Five workers died during the first heat wave, and that is why it is prioritized Adapt the day (or suspend it) when those hours arrive in which Sol does not let us move forward. And, meanwhile, in India it is 10 in the morning and they already have 40 degrees. How the hell do they do? Heat as law. He counted The New York Times In a report how fire is fought in the city More suffocating. In Sri ganganagara semi -desert region of the Indian State of Rajastáneveryday life has adapted to temperatures that, in the middle of June, reach 49 ° C. There, where dawn already begins at 30 ° C and by 10 in the morning the thermometer exceeds 40 ° C, heat is not a seasonal phenomenon: it is a structural condition that conditions work, health, rest and human relationships. The population, mostly agricultural and without access to comforts such as air conditioning, has developed A daily choreography that folds to the abrasing rhythms of the weather and the sun. Follow the sun. The key? The working days begin Before dawn: peasants and workers take advantage of the few fresh hours to work in the fields and constructions, before taking refuge where they can when the sun is It returns unbearable. The houses are emptied at noon, the markets close, and the few active services, such as street food carts, work under temperatures that melt the asphalt. The scene is repeated every summer with an increasing intensity, aggravated by a rising humidity that multiplies physical suffering. Sunset in Sri Ganganagar The thermal abyss. We go from Sri ganganagar to another “extreme” region. They explained In Bloomberg that in the western city From Ahmedabadwhere the thermometers They usually exceed The 45 ° C at the beginning of May, the fight against heat has also ceased to be a seasonal issue to become a structural need. In this environment, exposure to the sun is no longer just a job risk: it is a threat direct to healthfood security and economic stability of millions of people. For women Like Kunwar Ben Chauhanthat sells meat in the street and has suffered fainting, dehydration and economic losses due to the deterioration of its products, the extreme heat imposes impossible dilemmas: going to work and risk life, or stay at home and lose daily sustenance. Faced with this reality, groups such as Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Pioneer solutions like The parametric insurancewhich grants automatic economic compensation when the temperature exceeds certain critical thresholds. The measure, although modest, represents a vital lifeguard in an informal economy where many workers earn just three dollars daily. Ahmedabad Adaptation from below. In Ahmedabad, a more metropolis of 8.5 million Of inhabitants, resilience is built from the community fabric. In addition to climate insurance, initiatives such as ceilings coating With reflective paint and the installation of early alert systems are transforming the way heat is perceived and managed. The city, a pioneer in Asia del Sur, launched in 2013 Your own plan of action against heat after the devastating wave of 2010, in which they died More than 1,300 people and even 400 bats They fell dead by the burning air. Since then, the actions They have multiplied: Hospitals now have special rooms to treat heat stroke, dehydration and burns, community centers, temples and shopping centers become climatic shelters during the most extreme days, and awareness campaigns have been implemented through radio, neighborhood leaders and educators. The plan includes a alert system colored by colors that informs the population, and whose effectiveness has contributed to reduce mortality. Heat and health. Back to Ganganagar, He underlined the Times Other strategies. In the Chak Maharaj Ka clinic, patient flow increases as heat becomes unbearable. Those who suffer from previous diseases such as asthma or gastrointestinal conditions see how their ailments intensify, forcing medical staff to resort to rapid and palliative treatments. Most of the inhabitants have internalized basic strategies Survival: avoid going out in critical hours, hydrating with homemade solutions, or resting under trees when there is no other option. It happens that these methods only partially relieve a problem that threatens every aspect of life. In the epicenter of heat, in the city itself, the activity never stops at all. As In Ahmedabadworkers cannot afford to rest: if they don’t work, they don’t eat. Solidarity under the sun. Despite the relentless environment, gestures of daily humanity arise that become pillars of a shared ethic. At 3 in the afternoon, when the temperature reaches its maximum point in ganganagar, whole families go to the road with water cubes to offer relief to motorcyclists, truckers and travelers stunned by heat. The act, although simple, embodies a deep sense of charity in a society where doing good is seen as the way to Spiritual salvation. For many, giving water to a stranger is the only lasting legacy that can be offered in a world where everything else is Evapora Under the sun. Climate Innovation Laboratory. Behind the plan of action pioneer of the city of Ahmedabad there is a growing understanding that heat is not an anecdotal phenomenon, but a dangerous multiplier of vulnerabilities in a country where cities They grow disorderlycement replaces vegetation and global emissions have raised the average temperature of the planet in 1.2 ° C. From the pre -industrial era. Recent studies They warn that if global warming exceeds 2 ° C (one possibility every time closer) India will experience an increase Six older in the frequency of heat waves. Already today, More than 600 million Indians live under an unprecedented thermal threat. In that scenario, the city has become a Adaptation Laboratory urban, whose innovations (such as Insurance algorithm which contemplates variables such as night temperature, cloudiness and pollution) are being … Read more

A strange night a whistle has been listening for weeks in Vigo. They just found the culprit

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There are phenomena whose sounds They challenge not only reason, but even the very perception of reality. One of them is remembered in Scotland Since the late 90s, a low frequency buzz that is heard in different enclaves and that in recent times he has returned strongly. In Spain something similar to this part happened in an area of ​​Vigo. Weeks with acute noise when the night that had altered the dream of the neighbors. The problem is that they have just detected the “guilty”, and has a difficult solution. The mystery had wings. It The Faro de Vigo had. For weeks, the neighborhood of Vigo’s journey and Aragón Street has lived in confusion and irritation because of an acute, intermittent and persistent beep that began at nightfall and repeated every two or three seconds until dawn. The initial suspicion fell to multipable guilty: a spoiled alarm after the blackout of April 29, a port of the port amplified by the wind, or even some damaged traffic light out of decibels. The neighbors, unveiled and perplexed, mobilized to find the origin of the annoying sound, called 010, patrolled the streets in search of sound tracks and requested the intervention of the local police. In the end, neither industrial alarms nor port machinery: the author of the beep has turned out to be An unexpected creature and surprising, whose presence had gone unnoticed until then because of its historical silence and its expertise for camouflage. Small and nocturnal. Yes, apparently, the Local Police, after inspecting the area and confirming that it was not any mechanical source, identified the person in charge: a European autillo (Otus Scops), one of the smallest raptors in Europe (does not exceed 20 cm in length or 100 grams of weight) whose song remembers a high frequency electronic whistle. In fact and how I told the middle The biologist of SEO BirdLifeGustavo Ferreiro, the repetitive beep is part of the AVE mating ritual, which is in this time in an incubation phase. In other words: the autillo does not sing to bother, but to communicate its presence, claim territory and maintain the link with your partner during the breeding. Invisibility. Although common in southern Pontevedra, his nightlife and his perfect camouflage among the trees make him an almost inhabitant invisible which can only be detected by your voice. In this caseHabitat’s choice was an urban environment with dense vegetation and old trees, which surround the Matías Park and a nearby abandoned house. European Autillo Survival paradoxes. The case also offers other readings. The paradoxical is that The European Autilloonce a rural bird, it is today forced to take refuge in urban environments due to the loss of biodiversity In the field. Agricultural intensification has eliminated large trees, essential for nesting, and the massive use of pesticides has decimated insect populations that are fed. Thus, the natural habitat has degraded to such an extent that birds seek shelter in urban parks, where they can still find cavities and some food. This forced migration to the city is a reflection of the ecological decline in which the species is found, already included in The “vulnerable” category In the Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021. Thus, the presence of the Autillo in Vigo is not an isolated anomaly, but rather a symptom of a deep change in the distribution and behavior of many species affected by human pressure on ecosystems. Endangered species. The case of the beep in Vigo demonstrates how a daily discomfort can actually be the life sign of an endangered species. What began as a sleep disturbance became an opportunity to reflect on coexistence between the city and nature. The case reminds others where the presence of cities ends up modifying the life of species. In fact, in Valencia something similar has happened With another copy. EITHER In Icelandwhen the frailecillos season begins and humans hunt them and throw them through the cliffs (by A good reason). In this case, climate change and cities lights threaten the survival of birds. With the autillo, the loss of biodiversity is what is throwing them into such Obern Like cities. That said, and if everything follows its course, the song will send for the neighbors in August, when the chicks and the priorities of the bird change from the courtship to the care. Image | Counting stars, Frank Vassen In Xataka | We have been knowing where a strange sound has been coming from. Now he has returned strongly to an island of Scotland In Xataka | In 1960 a strange sound was detected under the waters of Antarctica. Not only do we still have no response: it is multiplying

Seville wanted more security in its streets at night. So he has recovered an old figure: the serene

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In many towns and cities of Spain, serene are a I remember distanta another time figure that he was in charge of around night through the streets while the rest of the neighbors rested in their beds. In Seville no. There the City Council decided to recover them to late 2023 And the experience has been good enough so that now, once that test is over, he has decided to return big, with more personal, more hours and covering more neighborhoods. Its mission will not consist of replacing the police, but in something much more interesting: demonstrating that serene can fit in the 21st century. What happened? That Seville wants that at night its streets are monitored by a figure that has disappeared in most towns and cities of the country: the serene. And he wants to do it big, in addition, dedicating considerable investment to the program (around 2.6 million euros) so that the guards can cover a large part of the Hispanic capital during every night of the year. Why do you do it? It may be shocking at a time when cities are already controlled by municipal agents and other agencies responsible for ensuring the safety of neighbors and businesses, such as the National Police, the Civil Guard or 112; But Seville acts with knowledge of cause. The Consistory already launched a program with “civic agents” to late 2023a service that worked for months and gave such good results that He wants to consolidate it. What do they do? The Hispanic City Council It makes it clear: The serene figure is not intended to replace the Polysa. On the contrary. His mission is to complement the work of the agents, inform neighbors and tourists, mediate in conflicts, accompany people who may need it, such as the elderly, dependent people or lost visitors, notify problems in urban furniture and alert the Cecop (Operational Coordination Center) Before emergencies. They are a “first proximity front”, In words of the Consistory. Their first year of operation gives a clear clue what the serene can contribute. In just one year they gave almost 500 notices To the CECOP room to inform open shops, problems with lighting, robberies, fires or medical emergencies. In Seville they have accompanied people at night, advising, mediating in the attention to homeless people and even provided “Preventive Protection” to a clerk before a case of harassment. And what does the City Council think? Its mayor, José Luis Sanz Ruiz, I made it clear This week when announcing the commitment redoubled by the serene: “we launched a pilot project in 12 neighborhoods of the historic center and the balance was quite positive. It has achieved a better coexistence, more security for neighbors and better job opportunities for hired people.” That first test was in fact launched as part of a public employment plan that ended Last December Without option In extension. Hence, now the Consistory has tendered a contract for the service to assume a company As of Octoberbetween the 1st of that month and on September 30 of the next year, although the sheet contemplates that the contract can be extended. What will the service be like now? Much more ambitious. If the pilot project had 18 “civic agents” and two coordinators, the new service will expand its seedling until adding 36 agents and two coordinators. This increase will also allow them to expand the Seville area that supervise: of the 12 neighborhoods planned in the 2023 plan, it will be passed to 26 zones. As for the schedule, the serene will be in charge of making rounds from 23.00 to 7.00 h 365 days a year, an hour more than before. That increase is possible thanks to a greater economic effort of the institution. The pilot program was financed by 725,800 euros. Now the investment is triggered to rise to 2.6 million euros. In that amount, They clarify at the City Councilthe salaries of the agents and the material they use, from geolocation devices to the clothes that identify them as serene are included. Are they exclusive to Seville? No. Although Seville has stood out for his commitment to the “civic agents” is not the only town in Spain that keeps serene. His figure has also recovered in Several municipalities Catalans Another example is Gijónwhat are you doing More than 25 years He decided to recover them to make rounds through the streets of the city from entrance at night and to the early morning. His work is very similar to that of his colleagues Sevillians: they help neighbors, merchants and tourists, prove that urban and lighting furniture is in good condition, they inform and warn the police in cases of robberies. Images | Seville City Council and Andrea Leopardi (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | A richer, more live years: the two neighborhoods of Seville that illustrate inequality in life expectancy

Do not get night on solar panels

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Suppose you acquire the power to cancel the night in a certain place in the world; of reflecting sunlight from space to illuminate something concrete, so that it is made from day in a given area. What would you use it? Orbital reflect. A Californian startup wants to obtain this power to illuminate the photovoltaic panels in the hours close to dawn and sunset, when I miss its renewable energy, and when the energy companies could sell more. Orbital reflect has just received 20 million dollars in financing, which will use to deploy a constellation of satellites equipped with gigantic mirrors. Its objective is to reflect sunlight towards Earth on demand. The sun to the letter. The concept is simple: to increase the production of solar energy on the earth directing sunlight to the large photovoltaic plants of the soil before dawn and after sunset. Like the space solar stations, but without the complications of concentrating the energy in a laser or microwave beam, placing large mirrors in orbit would significantly expand the light time that a solar farm receives to generate electricity, solving one of the great Peros of solar energy: its intermittency. The company has already performed tests with a mirror in a hot air balloon at almost 3 km on a solar farm, generating 500 watts of energy per square meter of photovoltaic panel with approximately half of the brightness of the sun. A first demonstration. The first orbital reflect mission is scheduled for the spring of 2026. A demonstration satellite will test a 18 x 18 meter mirror made with mylar plastic tensioning to form a solid reflective surface. It is expected to reach a brightness of 0.1 lux, comparable to a full moon on a clear night. The mission aims to illuminate 10 iconic locations during the night to generate dissemination and public interest. An ambitious goal. The initial idea contemplates a constellation of 57 small satellites in a synchronous polar orbit with the sun, about 600 kilometers of altitude. They would provide about 30 additional minutes of sunlight to photovoltaic plants. In the long term, orbital reflects plans to launch a constellation of thousands of satellites with much larger reflectors, up to 55 x 55 meters. On this scale, the total luminosity of the constellation would be comparable to that of the sun at noon. Other applications. Although the impulse to solar energy is the final objective, the company has plans to generate short and medium term income with other applications. Since its foundation in 2021, the company has received more than 260,000 applications from 157 countries for its sunlight delivery service. Among future services, they offer the lighting of night construction projects, public events, disaster help efforts, and defense operations. “We want it to be as easy as possible: you enter a website, you tell us your GPS coordinates and we send you some sunlight after dusk,” explains the CEO of orbital reflect, Ben Nowack. Science fiction made reality. Image | Orbital reflect In Xataka | Space energy never worked. A military escalation in orbit is making it come true

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