paint

Russia is hiding its vehicles with paint

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The scene is a of the most remembered of the First World War. It happened when the British Navy began painting their ships with huge stripes and geometric shapes in 1917, when many thought they had gone crazy: instead of hiding them, they made them more visible. However, that idea ended up spreading to thousands of ships because it achieved something much more important than hiding them: making it difficult for the enemy to know where to aim. War is no longer just against humans. The evolution of drones in Ukraine is pushing the battlefield into increasingly strange. For centuries, camouflage had an obvious objective: to deceive enemy soldiers, observers or pilots. Now Russia is recovering the technique born in World War I for a completely different purpose. Your trucks Ural and KAMAZ are appearing covered by geometric patterns black and white, similar to used by ships that were trying to confuse German submarines, but this time the recipient of the deception is not a person looking through a periscope, but an algorithm trained to recognize vehicles from the air. When the enemy is an AI. The proliferation of Ukrainian drones equipped with artificial vision systems is changing the rules of the game. These devices already do not depend exclusively of a human operator to identify targets in real time, but they can learn to recognize, classify and track vehicles using image recognition algorithms. The Russian bet consists of visually alter the appearance of their trucks to the point that the software cannot identify them with enough confidence to authorize an attack. It is an unprecedented form of war: physically modifying the world to exploit the limitations of artificial intelligence. USS West Mahomet in dazzling camouflage, 1918 The new race between drones and countermeasures. The painting is only the latest chapter in a long chain of improvisations that emerged during the war. Before and as we have been saying, they arrived metal cages about the armored ones, the so-called “turtle tanks”the protective netsthe structures spiked and even the placed logs on vehicles as improvised armor. Covered Russian bombers also appeared with old tires and warships painted with special patterns to break their silhouette seen from above. All of these solutions respond to the same phenomenon: drones have become such a ubiquitous threat that any method capable of making its identification difficult deserves to be tested. Vehicles are no longer safe in the rear. The importance of these measures reflects the extent to which drones are expanding the scope of the war. Thanks to artificial intelligence, attack systems can autonomously search for targets in huge areas, distinguish active vehicles from destroyed ones and even operate in coordinated swarms. Thus, logistics trucks that could previously move relatively calmly away from the front can now be located and attacked dozens of kilometers away. The rear has become an extension of the battlefield and every moving vehicle is a possible target. A battle between programmers and painters. The big question is whether these paints will really work. Algorithms can be quickly retrained and learn to recognize new patterns, while sensors such as infrared could be seen less affected than conventional cameras. However, even temporary effectiveness would have value if it forces the adversary to devote time, resources, and computing power to solving the problem. That is perhaps the most striking conclusion of the latter and rocambolesca History: The drone war in Ukraine has reached a point where combats no longer only pit weapons against weapons, but also anti camouflage softwareengineers against engineers and algorithms against paint stains designed specifically to fool a machine. Image | X, Wikimedia In Xataka | Thousands of elderly Ukrainians are isolated at the front. An army of drones is coming to your rescue In Xataka | Ukraine has been left without thousands of drones: an error classified them as electric cars and the Treasury has fried them with taxes

Wind turbine blades are a deadly danger to birds. The solution: paint them like poisonous snakes

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One of the great drivers of the global energy transition are wind turbines. Of course, they have been carrying a silent problem for decades: they kill animals. Wind turbines kill 368,000 birds a year in the United States and Canada alone, according to this study published in PubMed. The data for Europe is more fragmented and varies greatly by country and type of facility: in Germany for example place mortality between 100,000 and 250,000 birds per year and SEO/BirdLife esteem that between 1.2 and 4.6 million birds die per year (data from 2023). Given that the expansion of wind power seems unstoppable, the question is how to minimize these deaths, e.g. with self-adaptive speed blades. A research team from the University of Helsinki and the University of Exeter has just publish a proposal unexpectedly simple but effective (judging by its results): painting the blades with the colors of poisonous animals, appealing to one of the most solid principles of evolutionary biology. Those dangerous snake-painted wind turbines. The research team exposed birds to videos of turbines spinning in four color schemes: standard white, a black blade, red-white stripes, and a red-black-yellow biomimetic pattern that was inspired by coral snakes and dart frogs. The result was clear: the birds systematically avoided the blades with the biomimetic pattern and moved closer to the white ones. The remarkable thing about the discovery is why it works. It was not necessary for the birds to learn in the experiment to associate those colors with danger like Pavlov: They were already learned from home. The key is in aposematism, just the opposite of camouflage: signaling danger with colors, something that has been engraved in the nervous system of birds for millions of years. The team simply transferred that evolutionary signal to a huge steel structure. Why is it important. The United States Renewable Energy Institute calculate that per megawatt installed the turbines kill between two and six birds and between four and seven bats, figures that seem small but are considerable on a global scale: the world’s wind capacity already exceeds 1,000 GW installed, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. Reducing the death of animals is the main reason, a good practice that is even more relevant if the species in question has a small population. If the solution is also something as cheap as changing the paint color, the cost-benefit in terms of conservation is difficult to ignore. Context. Aposematism is a documented evolutionary mechanism for almost two centuries: The idea is that certain toxic or dangerous animals warn of their danger with bright colors. The winning combination to scare you is red-black-yellow, universally recognized as a sign of toxicity among vertebrates. What this study does is apply this principle outside of the natural world by projecting it onto an industrial infrastructure. It is not a pioneer: there is a previous investigation in Norway in which they tried painting a blade black to break the optical illusion of a “still hole” created by the spinning turbines and the results were already promising. This new study goes a step further by actively exploiting the perception of danger. How it works. The birds process color in a radically different way from humans. They have four types of photoreceptors instead of three, which gives them tetrachromatic vision and allows them to detect ultraviolet. In short: they appreciate contrast better than humans, so apostematic signals are extraordinarily striking to them. For the experiment they used touch screens designed specifically for birds, so that they interacted with them by moving closer or further away from the stimuli, thus allowing them to precisely quantify how they behaved in response to each pattern. The biomimetic pattern was the most avoided of all. Yes, but. As the research team acknowledges in the paper, all tests were carried out in the laboratory, with birds in front of screens, not with wind turbines spinning in the open field. Perception distance, approach angle, flight speed or weather conditions are variables that the experiment does not replicate. Taking it to the real world can be a very different story. Furthermore, the study was carried out with a limited number of species. Aposematic responses depend on the evolutionary history of each lineage and whether that group has coevolved with those dangerous species in its territory. Come on, what may be useful for birds native to an area may be useless for migratory raptors or for species affected in specific wind farms. In Xataka | There are cannibalistic rabbits on a farm in Valladolid. His rancher is clear about the reason: wind turbines In Xataka | Spain’s bats live in uncertain times. The reason, according to the CSIC: the wind turbines Cover | Gonz DDL and David Clode Alfonso Castro

The world wants to verify the age of children so that they do not access social networks. Children’s solution: paint a mustache

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The United Kingdom presume to have one of the strictest legislations in the world when it comes to protecting minors from social networks. The curious thing is that young people are managing to demonstrate that age verification technology has a unique Achilles heel: an eyebrow pencil. Look, I have a mustache. The British country has been forcing platforms to implement age verification measures in accordance with its Online Safety Act for months. However, a recent study from the NGO Internet Matters reveals that the limits imposed by these platforms are surprisingly easy to overcome. In fact, one of the methods is especially striking, because some children simply use an eyebrow pencil to paint a mustache and thus look older than they really are. Children 1 – Machines 0. This agency surveyed 1,000 children and parents in the United Kingdom and although it showed positive effects after activating these measures, it also made it clear that many children saw these systems as an easy obstacle to overcome rather than as a way to keep them safe. 46% of minors believe that the measures are easy to overcome. Only 17% believe that they are very difficult to avoid, while 19% say they do not know. Source: Internet Matters. Cheating machines is trivial. 46% of the children surveyed indicated that These age verification systems are easy to overcomeand only 17% found them difficult to avoid. There are several methods to overcome these systems, but most are simple. For example, using video game characters like ‘Death Stranding’ to show them in front of cameras trying to verify their age. Also show IDs of other people when asked, or simply use false birth dates. (At least) One in three skips the controls. But not everyone uses these methods: although the aforementioned 46% say that it is easy to overcome these systems and another 17% say that they are neither easy nor difficult, “only” 32% admit to having used some technique to overcome them. Of course, it is one thing that only 32% admit it and quite another that these figures are representative taking into account that they are confessing that they are doing something that they should not do. Methods vary, but many use fake birth dates or log in with their parents’ or siblings’ accounts. Complicit parents. The effectiveness of the Online Safety Act depends largely on the family environment, with data suggesting that at least a quarter of parents are uncooperative. The study indicates that 26% of parents have allowed their children to ignore or overcome these age verification systems, and in fact 17% admit have actively helped their children to evade these controls while 9% simply turn a blind eye. It’s not that big of a deal. Many parents justify this “help” by indicating that they understand the risks of their children accessing these platforms, but prefer to supervise the use of services such as TikTok or video games themselves. The idea: allow your children to bypass restrictions to play with friends or stream, but theoretically under your supervision. The failure of putting doors to the field. It’s not just that age verification systems are easy to overcome: The thing is that they do not eliminate risks completely either. In the Internet Matters study, almost half of the minors surveyed (49%) indicated that they had recently encountered toxic material on the Internet. This makes it clear that even children who do not try to bypass these controls still encounter inappropriate content. There are those who advocate going further and push for the end of online anonymity. Image | Jeremiah Lawrence In Xataka | The EU has just ready its app to verify age on the internet. And Ursula von der Leyen warns: “There are no more excuses”

paint a road red

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There is nothing like installing a speed radar (or simply warning it) to make a driver take their foot off the accelerator. But there is a more effective method: painting the road. It has been proven that when we see colors, lines and shapes painted on the asphalt, drivers slow down. So in India they have not thought twice. That’s why they painted the road red. Because? Madhya Pradesh is known as “the Heart of India”. The region has been growing at a good pace for some time, especially supported by tourism that is attracted by its ruins, its temples and a truly striking nature. But this region is also famous for something else: tigers. And those tigers are the reason India is building “the first red road”. Or what is the same, two kilometers where the asphalt has been painted a striking red color with the aim of alerting drivers and reminding them that they are traveling through a space where tigers, one of the protected animals in the area, roam freely. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. A wildlife sanctuary. This is how they define the website from this reserve to the area in which the road we are talking about is located. An area of ​​about 2,339 km² where tigers but also bears, leopards and wild dogs roam. The problem is that the NH-45 highway also runs through that space, a road that connects Bhopal and Jabalpur, two cities with a total of more than four million people if their metropolitan areas are added. Click on the image to go to the original post A road painted red. One of the solutions devised has been to paint the road red to signal to drivers that they are passing through a particularly sensitive space. The road has been renovated to redirect animal traffic to 25 underpasses and 11 cameras control that they do not sneak onto the asphalt. However, one of the most effective measures is to paint the road with huge red squares. And although various measures can be taken to reduce speed on a road, painting the asphalt is one of the simplest in terms of effort and money invested. In Spain, the DGT is trying to paint some sections with a huge red line. In Catalonia (the DGT has no powers there), try the same with circles at the entrance to curves to warn motorists. And in the United States it has been proven that painting the streets is a good method to protect children and prevent accidents. Our brain. In this case, in addition to being painted, the squares also create a small noise in the tires to convey to the driver a greater obligation to take their foot off the accelerator. However, it’s just about tricking our brain. When a road is painted with squares of this type or a red line is added in the center, the perception we have as drivers is that the lane is narrower and, almost immediately, we lift our foot off the accelerator a little when we perceive that it is more unsafe to travel at the same speed than on an asphalt that has not been modified. It is, simply, a sensory illusion. Playing with the shapes and their sizes is enough for the driver to understand that something is happening there and that he should take his foot off the accelerator. In some Spanish cities like Madrid they have what are known as “dragon teeth” on streets with schools or hospitals to create the sensation that they are narrower and make drivers lift their feet. and it works. The most surprising thing is how something so simple delivers results. In Bloomberg pointed out a long time ago that the city of New York implemented Asphalt Art Initiativeto draw enormous murals at the most conflictive intersections in the city. After painting them, drivers began to pass more slowly and the number of serious injuries after a hit went from 50% to 37%. Something similar was used in a Beuné crossing (a town located near Angers, western France). There, his neighbors, tired of the town’s road being crossed as if it were a highway, decided to paint the ground. The result was immediate, the cars took their foot off the accelerator. Photo | Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve and Google Maps In Xataka | A huge red line: the DGT’s experimental measure in one of the most dangerous stretches in Spain

In the war between Spain and Ryanair for hand luggage, the European Union has already sent a message. It does not paint well for Spain

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At the end of last year, Spain sanctioned Ryanair and four other airlines with millionaire fines for the collection of hand luggage. Since then, the Irish company has been defending that the sanction is illegal because they are not breaking any regulations. The case has climbed to the European Union … And things do not paint well for Spain. Gathered. In person or by video call, which begins to give an idea of ​​positions. At the end of last week, Apostols Tzitzikostas, European Transport Commissioner, He scheduled a meeting with Michael O’LearyRyanair CEO. Yesterday, Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumption, met with that same commissioner by video call. The digital meeting arrives days after the reception to the maximum leader of the company and thousands of kilometers away. A first approach that gives an idea of ​​where the positions are. Affinity. From the meeting between O’Leary and Tzitzikostas they have not transcended holders but in Spain they already begin to fear that the positions between them are closer to Spanish positions, they explain in The country. To start because Bustinduy requested to have that meeting before Ryanair’s CEO met with the European leader but there was no success. And, second, because from the European Transport Commission they have clear that their positions are close to those of low -cost airlines in terms of hand luggage. Your last proposition It does not differ much from what, until now, Ryanair was allowing. 4 liters. It is, according to BBC The increase in space Ryanair assumed with its new measures for hand luggage. The company has gone from 40 x 25 x 20 cm with those that was handled until this summer to some innovative 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Those five centimeters are those that are calculated, increase the size by four liters. As we count a few months ago, the decision comes after the Airlines For Europe (A4E) association of which Ryanair is part of, will sign an agreement to establish a minimum in 40 × 30 × 15 cm bags. A movement that actually serves to make lobby and create a new European standard. And, before the fines, Ryanair herself has pressed so that exact minimum sizes allowed are defined. On the side of the low cost. The A4E agreement arrives just when the European Union has decided to close, at once, the hand luggage chapter. Right now, airlines have to ensure that you can travel with “the essential” in a backpack. But there are no minimum measures. In that strip and loosen to get a new regulation of travelers, The Council of Europe has proposedexactly, that the measures to be collected are those 40 x 30 x 15 cm. That is, Ryanair would already be complying with the minimums. And the Transport Commission also bets on the same measures although it emphasizes that this backpack must be free (and It has discrepancies on other aspects). The fine, in the air. Although there is no record that Ryanair has climbed the disagree to European magistrates, what we do know is that the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid He has suspended the sanction Economic, pointing out that if applied, a hard impact on the treasury of these companies will be generated, for what has applied, for the moment, precautionary measures. In fact, in Spain justice has been shown in favor of users and the airline in contradictory sentences for the same fact. In Salamancathe courts have considered that the free size allowed by Ryanair is not enough for the passenger to carry the “essential” luggage. In SevilleHowever, they do not have the same opinion and have failed in favor of the company. Summarizing. At the moment, the Ministry of Consumer faces a complicated role. Has imposed a millionaire fine to Ryanair (the highest in the history of our country) Justice has caught the sanctions precautionary The company has pressed in the European Union European leaders have previously received the company’s CEO than Spanish leaders (and have done so by video call) And Europe seeks to carry out a new regulation to travel with hand suitcases … with more restrictive measures than those Ryanair offer from this summer. Photo | Nejc Soklič and My Random Photo In Xataka | Lack of a hole, prize on the payroll: Ryanair will upload the prize for employees who discover too large handbags

A millionaire spent a money to paint an exclusive RUF CTR YellowBird. I didn’t expect them to return it by doing the pine

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Who plays with fire can burn, and who transports cars valued at millions of dollars also runs the risk of burning since the slightest carelessness can generate damage valued in thousands of dollars. This is what happened to a passionate owner of a RUF CTR ‘YellowBird’, one of the 80 more rare derivatives of Classic Porsche 911. After investing more than $ 150,000 in maintenance tasks and a total repainting of his painting, the valuable car It ended up rugged When downloading it from the truck that transported it before the stunned look of its owner. An icon of the 80s: the Ruf Ctr ‘YellowBird’ The RUF CTR ‘YellowBird’ is a modified version of the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and developed by the German firm Ruf, specialized in converting the sports firm’s sports car In authentic beasts. Specifically, only 29 units of this RUF CTR ‘YellowBird’ were built, which makes it one of the most coveted cars in classic auctions, and a usual of cars video games. His exclusivity has led him to reach historical figures: in March 2024, one of these units was sold for 6.05 million dollars, As reported Topgear. Despite being based on the chassis of the Porsche 911, the Ruf Ctr It was very different In specifications. Its weight was reduced to 1,170 kg thanks to the use of aluminum in several body panels and carbon fiber defenses. It mounted a six -cylinder boxer engine with double KKK turbocharger, double intercooler and a DME injection system derived from the Porsche 962 competition. All of the above granted 476 hp of power and a maximum torque of 553 Nm, capable of exceeding 342 km/h in official tests, surpassing Ferrari F40 by then. Of “yellow bird” to bright black Be that as it may, the Ruf Ctr ‘YellowBird’ protagonist of this story is one of these 29 unique copies that originally went on the market with a body painted in a striking yellow color, as indicated by its last name ‘YellowBird’. Looking for a more elegant appearance, the owner resident in California sent his unit to the RUF headquarters in Germany so that, in addition to making mechanical adjustments, the car in bright black was repainted. For many collectors, modifying the original color of such an iconic model may seem risky, but in this case, the change added an even greater touch of distinction. As you can imagine, neither the transfer nor the restoration process was at all cheap. In total, the owner disbursed more than $ 150,000, according to details Road & Track. These types of restoration operations are common between collectors of high -value cars, which do not hesitate to send their vehicles even to other continents to ensure that they are in the hands of experts accredited by the manufacturer. A very expensive carelessness The tragedy arrived just when the owner was about to receive his Ruf Ctr back and with his new body color. When downloading it from the truck in the transport gondola, the car tires were not correctly secured, which caused it to slide through the ramp without control. Deportivo fell painfully from an approximate height of 2.4 meters, hitting the ground on the rear bumper, while the front was raised at a 45 degree angle on the truck. Touch the image to go to the original message The images of a six million dollar car making the pine on a transport truck soon became viral on social networks, and accounts like @johnclaywolfeshowThey shared them on Instagram accompanied by messages such as “Guess how many millions this little bird was worth.” In these photos you can see the transport operator inside the car at the time of the accident, observing impotent how a newly restored collection piece suffered damage that has not yet been evaluated at all but that, without a doubt, will mean an important disbursement for the person responsible. In Xataka | A Ferrari F40 of $ 700,000 Image | RM Sotherby’s (Stephan Bauer)

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