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More and more people are looking at invasive species as the new big culinary goldmine. Science has something to say

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Honolulu, Hawaii, is famous for its beaches and the kind of paradise landscapes you dream of when planning your vacation. A few weeks ago, however, one of its most picturesque beaches hosted a contest that sounded like anything but paradise: “Eat the Invaders” (“Eat the invaders”). Although the title may be shocking macabre, in reality it was a fishing tournament in which participants had to capture three invasive species. Then a chef was in charge of preparing them to demonstrate that, in addition to being a huge environmental problem, fish ta’ape, to‘ouch either roi They can be a delicacy. It seems like an anecdote, but that Honolulu tournament is just part of a much bigger problem: the ‘invasivorism‘. What the hell is ‘invasiveness’? The word is confusing, but it refers to a very easy concept to understand: the ‘invasiveness’ It consists of neither more nor less than consuming invasive species. Exactly what encouraged to do a few weeks ago in Honolulu: stop seeing ta’ape or roi as simple invasive species and understand them as something more, an ingredient for delicious dishes. In theory, this does not mean that we give up eradicating them or ignore the damage they cause to local ecosystems. It is simply encouraged to go further and turn the problem into an opportunity. Does it only happen in Hawaii? Not at all. Honolulu residents haven’t invented anything new. Not even the slogan of “Eat the Invaders”, which is actually the title of a series from the ABC network that explores precisely the culinary potential of Australia’s invasive species. In 2025 even the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) used that same hook (“Eat the invaders”) to launch a campaign that encouraged taking advantage of species introduced by man and that now threaten native diversity. “Consumption of invasive species can help protect native fauna and flora. By trapping, trapping and consuming them we can reduce their population and the damage they cause,” claims an article signed by Erin Huggins, from the FWS communications area, which details half a dozen species that represent a problem in the US and “should be considered”: Myocastor coypus, Channa argus, iguana iguanasilver carp and Sus scrofacreatures from other areas of America, Asia or Europe. Sounds good, right? That’s the crux of the matter. At first glance it seems like squaring the circle: an invasive species is combated and in the process a benefit is easily transferred to the entire population. The idea is so powerful that in 2013 even the FAO encouraged fighting jellyfish plagues with a similar slogan: “If you can’t fight them, eat them.” The problem is that there are experts who believe that invasiveness is actually a trap that is tantalizingly easy to fall into. At first it seems like the perfect solution, but it often ends up aggravating the invasions. The issue is of sufficient concern that a group of scientists from several countries, led by the Doñana-CSIC Biological Station, has published an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in which he questions the basic argument of invasiveness: that the consumption of invasive species is an intelligent strategy, especially if it ends up turning the capture and exploitation of those same species into a lucrative business. “Encouraging commercialization can create incentives to maintain them instead of eradicating them.” What do they say exactly? That what at first seems like a solution can end up becoming a problem. “Invasivorism is usually presented as a strategy win-win (mutual benefit) based on the idea that the consumption of an invasive species generates wealth while minimizing its impacts”, recognize Fran Officialdegui, researcher at the Doñana-CSIC Biological Station and main author of the article. “But the reality is much more complex, and in many situations, when the problem becomes a business, a resistance to ending it arises.” “What is not often said is that the objectives of commercial exploitation and management of invasive species are, in most cases, opposite,” affects the researcher before warning of the greatest risk: that a market will be generated around foreign species. When this happens to the interest in eradicating them, another that pulls in the opposite direction can be added: the interest in conserving them. Can that really happen? It has already happened, in fact. In their article, the researchers recall the case of the Kamchatka crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). Although it is a species native to the North Pacific, about 60 years ago the USSR decided to introduce it to the Barents Sea, in the Arctic. There these crustaceans found a place where they could easily expand and ended up becoming a pest. Also in something else: the engine of a prosperous business that over time led to overexploitation. What did the authorities do when fishing threatened to eliminate the theoretically invasive species? Catch limits were set to guarantee the business that had been created. Why are they issuing the warning now? Because, as they remember from the Doñana-CSIC Biological Station, the discourse of invasiveness seems to be settling little by little. And in part this expansion is due to campaigns promoted by companies, administrations and even conservation organizations that are carried away by the motto of “If you can’t beat them, eat them!” that already used years ago the FAO. Officialdegui also warns that what happened in his day with the Kamchatka crab could be replicated in Spain with the Callinectes sapidusor blue crab, a invasive species whose goodness culinary now they start promoting themselves. In fact it is easy to find recipes that explain how to prepare it with rice. “It is very likely that scenarios similar to that of the Kamchatka crab will occur on the peninsula when, once the commercial exploitation of the blue crab is established (Callinectes sapidus), there are declines in its population”, keep it up Officialdegui. In his opinion, invasiveness can help raise social awareness about the risk of exotic species, but that cannot mislead us. “Addressing biological invasions requires long-term commitment, scientific knowledge and coordinated … Read more

Ibiza has evicted 200 people who lived in campers and caravans. Their big problem is that they are key workers for the island

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If you enter Idealista and you are looking for a home For rent in Ibiza the cheapest option right now, a 32 m2 studio in Sant Joan de Labritja with the kitchen almost at the foot of the bed, is 799 euros. And that, the ad warns, is only the price of “the winter season.” Looking ahead to spring and summer, things change. The next option, a 35 m2 studio, already costs 1,000 euros. From there up. Especially if you are looking for near Eivissa. With similar prices to many workers who keep the island’s hospitality and construction industry afloat they have no other choice than staying in cabins, shanties, vans or (hopefully) caravans. The problem is that they are often installed in unauthorized settlements that end up dismantled by court order. What has happened? That Ibiza has just expanded its (increasingly large) list of evicted settlements. He April 21 About twenty police officers went to the Sa Joveria site, near the Ibiza fairgrounds, to clear what was probably the largest settlement of substandard housing on the entire island. When the agents arrived there were barely any tenants left (the date of the operation was announced days before), but it is estimated that in Sa Joveria they have come to live (badly) more than 130 people who spent their daily lives in caravans, shacks, tents or vans camperized. Just a few days later, the April 29another judicial delegation moved to Can Misses to dismantle another settlement made up of caravans, tents and shacks. The photo was similar: when the agents arrived at the lot there were hardly any people left, but not so long ago more than fifty people lived there (it is estimated that between 70 and 80), part of them bounced from a previous eviction in Can Rova. The eviction left no incidentsbut it is a new reminder of the housing challenge that Ibiza faces. Are these the first evictions? Not at all. a few days ago Ibiza Diary took stock and counted at least half a dozen similar operations since 2024, including the last two in Sa Joveria and Can Misses. The list starts with what was probably the most dramatic episode of all: the eviction of Can Rova in the summer of 2024, when agents from the Santa Eulària police and the Civil Guard dismantled a settlement in which they lived hundreds of peopleincluding children. The episode ended with detained. In March 2025, a similar (more peaceful) operation was carried out in Can Raspalls and in July of that same year the scene was repeated in the es Gorg and Can Rova industrial estate (again). Now the authorities have returned to act in Sa Joveria and Can Misses, among other reasons due to the fire and pest risk what the settlement entailed. “Ibiza city has a major housing problem, but the administration cannot tolerate this becoming a habit of life,” argues the mayor, Rafael Triguero. Why is it a problem? Ibiza is not the only territory in Spain (or Europe) that deals with illegal shanty settlements. The problem is that there is a peculiarity on the island that is explained by its residential market: a good part of those who are forced to survive aboard motorhomes or vans parked in lots like Can Misses or Sa Joveria are not people at risk of ‘social exclusion’, without jobs or fixed income. It comes with reading the local press and the interviews with evicted people to understand that construction, hospitality and tourism workers also live in the towns. People with stable jobs and payrolls that exceed 1,000 euros per month. The problem is simply that their salaries are not enough to find housing. Or what they find (rooms in shared apartments in exchange for exorbitant rents) is less attractive than the prospect of living alone in caravans or vans. Are there testimonies? Yes. Recently The Country chatted for example with Ahmed, a 35-year-old immigrant from Western Sahara who works in a five-star hotel on the island. At least until a few weeks ago, before the eviction of Sa Joveria, at the end of his shift he returned to the cabin built with wood and cardboard that served as his home. The newspaper claims that 80% Of those who lived on the plot were Sahrawis who worked as seasonal workers in the construction and tourism sectors. Another similar case was that of Mohamed, 38 years old, installed in a tent. Also interesting is the experience of Yamile Elisabeth, a Venezuelan who has resided in Spain since 2019. Until her eviction, explains to elDiariolived in a van in Can Misses for which he paid 550 euros a month. “When you look for a rental, they easily ask for 1,000 euros and three or four months’ deposit to share a small space with five other people,” the woman clarifieswho claims that he works several hours a day cleaning a bank branch, although in reality he has training as a physiotherapist and last summer he earned 1,600 euros by working six days. Is housing that expensive? Not only is housing becoming more expensive in Ibiza, but there are a number of factors that have put special strain on its market. The first is its status as an island, with limited space. The second, its enormous demand for tourist accommodation, which even leads some homeowners to abandon them in summer (they temporarily move into caravans) to rent to visitors. The result is prohibitive income for many workers, including civil servants. Three years ago, in fact, the case of a firefighter at Ibiza airport who was forced to settle in a caravan was reported. “The only solution to save some money”, recognized the man, of Andalusian origin, in an interview with laSexta. Is there more? Yes. The problem, as remember our colleagues Motorpassionthe thing is that living in a caravan on the island is not that simple either… or economical. Laws like the 5/2024 vehicle control or that of the Rustic Land of … Read more

“Some people expend tremendous energy just being normal.”

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If modern philosophy had its pantheon of rockstars, Albert Camus It would probably be one of the most popular. And not only because he is one of the key figures of the absurdism and existentialism, the latter label he rejected throughout his life. As if that were not enough, Camus was a prominent political activist, a brilliant novelist, and one of the youngest writers to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He picked it up when he was 44 years old, just three years before he died prematurely in a traffic accident in Villeblevin, France. We also remember Camus for something else: his deep reflections on the human condition, something that connects with the quote with which we opened this post. Pill Philosophy. We have discussed it many times: The Internet is full of philosophical quotes of dubious attribution and authorship that is impossible to verify, if not outright false. This is sometimes a problem because the quotes clash with the way of thinking of the philosopher to whom they are assigned, as happens with the most famous phrase (and false) by Marcus Aurelius. Other times the quotes are simply paraphrases that try to make complex ideas digestible. Hidden in a notebook. The phrase that concerns us today is not neither one thing nor the other. It is not by Camus, although the Internet is full of pages that point to him as its author. However, it did come out of his own handwriting and is included among his works. How do you explain that? Simple. In addition to writing his own reflections, Camus was fond of recording other people’s comments that, for one reason or another, he found interesting. one of those quotesnoted in one of his notebooks between 1942 and 1945, is the one that concerns us today: “No one realizes that some people expend tremendous energy simply to be normal.” The comment is attributed to “BB”, the actress’s initials Blanche Balainwho was probably heard during a meeting in Saint-Étienne. Isn’t it your work then? No. And yes. Perhaps Camus is not its author in the strict sense, but (ironies of life) that phrase has ended up becoming one of the most popular of the Nobel Prize in Literature. And it is understandable. In addition to being suggestive, the phrase connects with the way Camus looked at the world and the human condition. It is difficult to know why he decided to write down Alain’s comment in his notebook, but what is clear is that he was the one who popularized it. Not only that. Over time, the actress’s words have become a door through which to access Camus’ philosophical legacy. “Just be normal”. The phrase in question leaves behind a suggestive, almost challenging idea: there are people investing energy in something seemingly as simple and simple as “being normal.” But… What is ‘being normal’? Does it require an effort? If something is ‘normal’, shouldn’t it come naturally to us by definition? Balain-Camus’s reflection dynamites that idea and introduces another, much more suggestive one: the ‘normal’ can actually be an artifice, a mask that we put on to avoid going against the current and whose use, furthermore, is exhausting. “The most important thing”. Camus is not the first to point out the clash between social pressure and authenticity, an idea that already had expressed centuries before the philosopher Michel Montaigne in ‘About loneliness’: “The most important thing in the world is knowing how to be yourself.” What Camus does stand out for is his radical nonconformity and his defense of the rebellion as a form of dignity. Hence many people interpreter Camus’ annotation as a wake-up call, a way to remind us of the price often paid by those who deviate from ‘normality’ or do not meet society’s expectations. The (no) meaning of life. Camus’s phrase has a deeper reading level that connects directly with his ideas about the human condition. Like other authors who embraced philosophy of the absurdCamus believed that our existence is meaningless and does not respond to any higher purpose. That does not mean that it has no value or that we should abandon ourselves to death. On the contrary, the French writer believed that the meaninglessness of existence forces us to pursue a lofty goal: be the ones who give it our own meaning and do so while being fully aware of its futility. Remembering Sisyphus. The clearest example (used by Camus) is left by classical mythology with the character of Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra condemned to push a huge rock up a mountain day after day only to see that, just before reaching the top, the stone always rolled down the mountain. That of Sisyphus is an absurd purpose, just as is the determination of men to search for meaning in a universe that lacks purpose. Still, Sisyphus presses on, carving out his own courage. Just like we do, facing day to day. “The very struggle to reach the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. You have to imagine Sisyphus happy,” Camus concludes. Image | Wikipedia In Xataka | “A place of joy with pain”: the phrase that summarizes the Aztec philosophy to be happier in this life

people who go to live in Valladolid and return to work by train

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For a simple work issue, for decades Many pucelanos had no choice but to pack their bags and move to Madrid. The companies are there. And good job prospects. Today things are different, as suggested the data of the Valladolid City Council. The expansion of teleworking and the improved communications It has allowed quite a few people to return to the Castilian-Leonese city without giving up their jobs in the capital and even turn the tables: Valladolid is the one that grows at the expense of Madrid. The data are certainly eloquent. What do the figures say? That for years the Castilian-Leonese city endured a clearly negative migratory balance with the capital. Many more people from Pucelanos went to Madrid than people from Madrid arrived to Valladolid. If you follow the historical series The census shows that this imbalance favorable to Madrid dates back to at least 1997, with years in which the difference was brutal. In 2014, for example, Valladolid recorded 736 casualties of Pucelanos who packed their bags to move to Madrid; The reverse route (from Valladolid to Madrid) was done by 305 people. And is it still like this? No. We know the change thanks to an analysis published in 2025 by The Confidentialwho has had access to the records of the Valladolid City Council. They show how between 2022 and 2023 the migratory balance between the cities of Valladolid and Madrid experienced a change: if in 2022 the Pucelana city registered 799 departures of residents bound for Madrid compared to 617 registrations in the opposite direction, in 2023 the “photo” was the opposite: 765 registrations and 566 cancellations. From the red numbers it went to a positive balance of 199 people. The trend was confirmed in 2024 with a new positive migration balance. That year, the Pucelano City Council recorded 796 new arrivals from Madrid compared to 504 new arrivals from residents who moved to the state capital. Again a positive balance, 292 people. In a matter of two years, Valladolid therefore went from dragging a historic deficit in population exchange with Madrid to “gaining” 491 new registered residents at the expense of its southern neighbor. This trend has coincided with the general growth of the Valladolid registry, which has been gaining population for several years and is now located at 303,843 inhabitants according to the municipal censusthat doesn’t always match with that of the INE. Is there more recent data? The last ones indicators published by the Statistical Institute of the Community of Madrid and the Junta of Castilla y León They are from 2024, but a quick Google search comes to find articles with testimonials recent of people who live in Valladolid and work in the capital. Even from other parts of Castilla y León even further away from Madrid. “Right now, whatever station you go to, Zamora, Salamanca, Segovia, Palencia or León, they are packed. Before you saw the train half empty,” explained a few weeks ago Carlos Perfecto, promoter of the Association of AVE Users in Castilla y León, told RTVE. “We are talking about the fact that between Valladolid and Segovia alone, 7,000 direct families go to work in Madrid every day.” Does it only affect cities? The “picture” can be completed with more brushstrokes that help understand the change. The change in the migratory flow has also been observed in the entire Madrid region, not only in its capital. After decades in the “red numbers” (in demographic terms), in 2023 Valladolid registered more registrations of new residents arriving from the Madrid community than registrations of Pucelanos who had moved to municipalities such as Móstoles, Alcalá, Leganés, Fuenlabrada, Getafe or Madrid itself. Between 2023 and 2024, in this sense, it accumulated a positive balance of 758 new registered. At the end of 2024 The North of Castile the change was already pointed out trend citing INE statistics, although in his article he handled data until 2023 and at the provincial level, not exclusively from the municipality of Valladolid. What did they show? Something similar to what is reflected in the register of the Pucelano City Council. In 2023, 1,785 people arrived in Valladolid from the Community of Madrid, while 1,270 people left the province to settle somewhere in Madrid. Result: 515 more people for the Valladolid census. Not bad if you take into account that the previous year (2022) the province had lost 115 people to the Community of Madrid. Last December The North of Castile updated analysis with provincial data from 2024 and verified that the trend continues. That year 1,744 people left the Community of Madrid to settle somewhere in Valladolid while 1,232 made the reverse move. Once again the figures favor the Castilian-Leonese demographic with a balance of 512 people. And what is the reason? Rather, we should talk about reasons, in the plural. When analyzing the change in trend, there are those who talk about the expansion of teleworking after the pandemic or the attractiveness of the Valladolid real estate market compared to that of Madrid, which makes buying a home much more acceptable there than in Madrid. According to Idealista, the m2 costs in Valladolid €2,029 while in Madrid it is located in 5,960. Something similar happens in the rental market: in the city of Pucelana, the m2 is rented to €9.7 in front of the 23.2 from Madrid. But… Why this abrupt change? Although it is true that COVID-19 marked a before and after in the implementation of teleworking in Spain and that the real estate market has not stopped tense In recent years, both trends do not fully explain why the population flow between Valladolid and Madrid has experienced such a sudden change in such a short time. Nor why it has become more pronounced in 2023. Hence, when looking for explanations, analyzes of the phenomenon add another determining factor: the improvement of transportation. At the end of 2007 the line was launched Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid high-speed train, which made it possible to get from … Read more

There are people reselling tickets to the World Cup final for 2.3 million dollars. Great news for FIFA

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It is still too early to know if the 2026 World Cup will be a success, a failure or will be added without pain or glory to the extensive chronicle of FIFA. What we can say at this point is that enjoying the tournament in situ it won’t come cheap. Especially if you aspire to see the final, which will be played on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The cost of your tickets it takes months embroiled in controversy, but the debate has soured after some positions have come to light resale market for the price of a 200 m2 apartment in the center of Madrid. All with the veiled pleasure of FIFA. What has happened? That although there is still more than a month until the opening match, the World Cup in North America (to be played between Mexico, Canada and the USA) is already earning the dubious honor of being the most expensive of history. The fans screamed in the sky last decemberwhen the first tickets were launched, but the rates that were offered then seem like a ‘bargain’ when compared to those that are now being achieved in the purchase and sale market. In this secondary trade, channeled through FIFA, there are passes that are offered for the same What does a 200 m2 apartment in Madrid cost? Does it sell so expensive? Yes. The news has advanced it the Associated Press (AP) agency, but it comes with taking a look at the buying and selling platform of tickets hosted on the FIFA website to verify it. If we look for available passes for the final on July 19, we will see that there are people reselling them for more than two million dollars. To be precise, there are at least four seats on sale in the lower stand (behind the goal) for a whopping $2,299,998.85. Not all tickets cost the same, but resale prices are generally not affordable for everyone. The cheapest seats, 3rd category, are offered for $10,900. If you want a position with better views and more comfort, you can add a few thousand more to that figure and purchase higher category passes for $16,100, $33,800, $43,200 or even $207,000. The prize goes to the entries of 2.3 million and 991,500, which is what a seller asks for seats located in the front area. On Wednesday FIFA itself put up for sale a new block of tickets on its direct sales platform, where it was possible to find seats for the final by $10,990. Who controls these rates? Direct sale tickets are launched by FIFA itself, but things change when we talk about the secondary market. There, in the so-called “Resale/Exchange Market” the federation does not control prices, although it does take a considerable part of the business. For each transaction you pocket a commission which is divided into two parts. One, 15%, is applied to whoever purchases the ticket. Another, of the same value, is borne by whoever detaches from the entry for resale. As they explain in Guardianthat means that if one of the tickets that cost 2.3 million is finally sold, FIFA would deposit $690,000 into its account. But… How is that possible? In other editions of the World Cup, the resale price of tickets was limited at face value, but this time FIFA has changed the approach. The reason? First, adapt to the market of the host countries, especially the United States, which is the one will host more games of the tournament. Secondly, FIFA hopes that by channeling the buying and selling itself, the use of portals such as StubHub will be discouraged. “FIFA has established a ticketing and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events in host countries,” alleges in a statement cited by the Associated Press. “Resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards in the North American sports and entertainment sectors.” Is it an isolated controversy? The controversy has now arisen due to the prices that are being reached in resale, but the truth is that the cost of the tickets has been a matter of discussion since the first phase of sale, activated in December 2025. The focus has been on both the prices themselves and the system applied by FIFA in the sale, the ‘variable pricing’similar to dynamic rates. Consumer organizations like the OCU have already raised their voices for that same reason. For reference, in December tickets for the final were already being sold for prices ranging from 4,185 and 8,680 dollars. And this despite the initial promise to offer them for 60 dollars in the group stage. “They only exist as ridiculous green splotches on the edge of seating maps, little more than mirages of inclusion,” ironizes Bryan Armen, from Guardian. Does it only happen with tickets? No. The tickets are so expensive because, FIFA allegesare one of their main sources of income. However, passes to matches are not the only thing that is valued at a gold price. In recent days, another controversy has arisen around the celebration of the World Cup in the US that revolves around something that has little to do with sport: public transportation. The New Jersey rail operator has decided that those who want to buy round-trip tickets to travel from Manhattan to MetLife and watch the July 19 final there will have to pay 150 dollars. It is almost 11 times more than what the same service costs on a normal day, when it is around $12.9. Images | FIFA and Wikipedia In Xataka | Mexico City is already noticing the economic effect of the World Cup: it is losing homes and gaining Airbnb apartments

There are people visually and economically exploiting “lo cuqui” as a tool against stress

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In the midst of 2026, the irony of our hyperconnected era has reached its peak. We are witnessing the rise of “maximalists of silence”a digital tribe that has decided to keep their phone notifications off 24 hours a day. What a decade ago was considered a serious breach of the social contract is today applauded as the definitive act of self-care. We live so saturated that ignoring others has become a survival strategy. From this need to turn off digital noise, we have moved on to shielding our physical homes. As Hailey Bieber herself explains in an article for the magazine Voguefaced with noisy neighbors or a stressful environment, the search for silence and peace has become essential. But the market, always attentive to our shortcomings, has been able to read this collective exhaustion. We are looking for tranquility, yes, but we have come across a new viral trend that turns that search into a highly consumable aesthetic. Is called cozymaxxingand it is the new way to visually and economically exploit our need to embrace “cuqui” so as not to go crazy. To understand the phenomenon, we must first define it. As explained in different lifestyle portalshe cozymaxxing is the intentional creation of a multi-sensory environment that cultivates tranquility, peace and extreme comfort. It’s about taking comfort to the limit (hence the suffix -maxxing) to calm the senses. At the level of interior design, this represents a radical paradigm shift. This trend comes to say a resounding “goodbye to minimalism”. Catalog houses, pristine, perfectly organized and often cold, no longer work. Now we are looking for overlapping textures, warm lighting, curved shapes and reading corners. In fact, one of the great unwritten rules of this trend on social networks is the dictatorship against the ceiling light (known on TikTok as the hated one big light). Only dim lamps and ambient light are acceptable. But doesn’t it remind you a little of hygge Danish? Not quite. He cozymaxxing It is basically “he hygge “on steroids”. While the Nordic concept seeks to simplify and share moments In a clear environment, this new trend born on TikTok has a shamelessly maximalist side: it’s about accumulating, layering blankets, collecting fluffy cushions and lighting multiple scented candles. The biology of comfort: an antidote to burnout If he cozymaxxing It is sweeping not only because of a question of pretty cushions; is a direct response to a widespread mental health crisis. According to the health portal Healthlinethe main reason for its success is the burnout (the burnout syndrome) and the frontal rejection of hustle culture or culture of constant effort. People are exhausted and desperately searching for “pockets of peace.” Science supports this need. As mental health experts point out consulted by The SkimmSurrounding ourselves with a comfortable and predictable environment through the five senses activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the one in charge of “rest and digest” functions). This directly reduces levels of cortisol – the stress hormone –, promotes emotional regulation and drastically improves sleep quality. In addition, there is a deep sociological component: the illusion of control. In a world marked by economic instability, climate anxiety and constant noise, as psychologist Ritika Suk Birah analyzes in Healthlinewe cannot control the outside world, but we can control the light, temperature and aroma of our living room. It is a biological and psychological defense mechanism. At this point, we must ask ourselves if we are really learning to take care of ourselves or if we have simply put a nice filter on our stress. Hailey Bieber herself recognize in Vogue that many of these buzzwords “tend to end up being a launching pad for brands to sell you more products you don’t need.” This romanticization of comfort connects directly with another phenomenon: the absolute aestheticization of domestic life. Just as we have seen how Generation Z romanticizes decadence and humidity with the controversial trend trash wall because “it remains authentic” (as we already documented in Xataka), he cozymaxxing aestheticizes the need for rest. By analyzing those peeling walls, we discovered that there is a “luxury in faking” a specific aesthetic. The problem arises when real self-care is replaced by compulsively buying the items that appear in viral videos so that our house looks “perfectly imperfect.” Having an “immaculate reading corner” or a spacious house isolated from noise is a luxury at a time when a large part of a generation shares tiny apartments or suffers from housing precariousness. There is an undeniable class privilege behind this aesthetic. Just as the “productivity gurus” had commodified silence with the #monkmode (monk mode), now the lifestyle influencers They have turned the simple act of lying on the couch into a business model. Resting is no longer an intimate and passive act, but rather a performative performance that requires a perfect showcase and, above all, an economic outlay. So that he cozymaxxing be valid in the age of TikTok, it is not enough to put on old pajamas; The algorithm requires sets of loungewear linen, designer essential oil diffusers, handmade ceramic mugs and blankets that cost the same as the electricity bill. We’ve transformed stress relief into a consumer good where, ironically, if your break isn’t Instagrammable, it doesn’t seem to count. Beyond consumerism, blindly immersing yourself in this trend carries psychological risks. The experts consulted by Healthline and The Skimm issue a crucial warning: if not done intentionally, the cozymaxxing It can lead to avoidance and isolation behaviors. Staying eternally under a heavy blanket with white noise in the background can stop being a way to recharge your batteries and become a way to escape from responsibilities or, worse still, to mask a picture of depression. This links to the social cost that we talked about at the beginning. Isolating ourselves in a blanket bunker, with our cell phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode permanently, frustrates our loved ones and disconnects us from reality. Therefore, extreme isolation is not healthy and they recommend that this search for … Read more

The new EU border system is leaving people without flights. Ryanair has a solution: close check-in early

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From 10 November, Ryanair check-in counters They will close one hour before of the scheduled departure, instead of the 40 minutes that is now allowed. The change implies that the traveler will have to coordinate the time better and go a little more in advance. All, according to the company, in order to avoid problems at security and passport controls. What exactly changes. Until now, Ryanair travelers who wanted to deliver their luggage at the airport had a limit of 40 minutes prior to the departure of their flight. With the new rule, that margin is extended to 60 minutes. In other words: you will have to arrive at the airport earlier and arrange your suitcase more in advance. The measure will apply to all airports where the Irish airline operates. Why does he do it? According to the company itselfthe goal is to reduce the number of passengers who miss their flight due to getting stuck in security or passport control queues. By bringing forward the closing of the counters, travelers with checked luggage would have more time to go through those checkpoints before boarding begins. Dara Brady, chief marketing officer at Ryanair, counted in the press release that the change is especially relevant “during peak periods, when some of these lines at the airport can be longer.” Milan was the best example. Queues at checkpoints are the common enemy that can cause us to end up missing our flight. And the last few weeks have been especially busy around it, because hundreds of passengers missed their flights due to Europe’s new Entry and Exit System (EES). This is the European Union’s new digital border control that forces non-EU citizens (including British citizens after Brexit) to register their biometric data, such as fingerprint and facial recognition, every time they cross a border in the Schengen area. The system was supposed to be fully operational on April 10, but it seems that no one thought that the system would end up being so chaotic. According to reported BBC, on April 16, a Ryanair flight from Bergamo airport in Milan left for Manchester, leaving behind a group of travelers who had been stuck in the border queue for an hour and a half without moving forward. That same day, another airline flight between Tenerife South and East Midlands also left many passengers on the ground. Mplus self-check-in kiosks. The measure comes accompanied by an expansion of self-check-in luggage kiosks, which will be available before October in more than 95% of the airports in its network. These terminals work integrated with the Ryanair application and allow the passenger to check in the suitcase and print the label without going through the traditional counter. The airline claims this will speed up the process and reduce waits. Who it affects and who it doesn’t. According to account airline, this change only affects 20% of Ryanair passengers who check baggage. The remaining 80%, who travel only with hand luggage, will not notice any difference. For this reason, if you travel with Ryanair and plan to check in a suitcase starting in November, take this margin into account and calculate that you will have to arrive a little earlier for your flights. Cover image | Marty Sakin In Xataka | The airlines had been warning for weeks and the consequences are already here: Volotea will charge 14 euros more for the Hormuz crisis

MrBeast challenged people to live several days in a supermarket: they did not expect to run into ‘Juan the Mexican’

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MrBeast bought an entire supermarket in North Carolina, put dozens of random people inside, and told them that the last one out would get $250,000. What he did not calculate is that among the participants was a 56-year-old father from Hidalgo, Mexico. That is destroying all the success projections of its rivals. The supermarket as a coliseum. Last April 18 MrBeast posted a 42-minute video on his channel, ‘The last one to leave the store wins $250,000‘. The mechanics of this new test by the YouTuber was as simple as it was extreme: he had bought a supermarket in Greenville, North Carolina, filled it with products and invited real customers to participate in an endurance contest. With only one rule: the last one to leave wins the prize. Those who did not want to compete could take their already full cart for free. It’s not the first time that does something like this: MrBeast has been perfecting the “last to leave” scheme for years in different scenarios (circles painted on the floor, islands, closed rooms…) Strategies. Inside the establishment, participants began to build sleeping structures with empty shelves, improvised showers with hoses from the fruit section and organized themselves into factions with their own names (the Dream Team, the Innovators, Fort Freezy near the frozen ones). The rules allowed sabotage and alliances, which turned the competition into something that was very close to psychological warfare. In Xataka MrBeast turned YouTube into a franchise: now all content creators make the same video over and over again Juan García, hero of the people. Among all the contestants, one was gaining ground among MrBeast fans. Juan García, 56 years old, originally from the state of Hidalgo, who had entered the supermarket accompanied by his son Ángel. After 15 days, the young man had to retire to return to school and work. When MrBeast asked Juan if he also had pending obligations, the response was: “I’m going to ask for a vacation and stay a little longer.” From that moment on, Juan advanced practically alone: ​​he was excluded from the initial alliances after his son left, which left him without a support network in the always wild environment of reality competitions. However, he withstood the isolation, the constant noise, the cold at night and the confrontations. The moment that ended up making it go viral was one of the simplest: when another contestant threw his pots and pans outside the establishment, Juan simply told him “Don’t do that, friend.” The other’s response was “I don’t respect you at all.” Five days later, that participant dropped out. Day 67. At the end of the video, we see how four contestants remain inside and refuse to come out. They have made alliances, they get along well, and they can hold out indefinitely. MrBeast decided to offer the four a new mission: become a team and consume the entire supermarket inventory to win a million dollars, with the store refurbished with beds, showers, a gym and a nutritionist. The group accepted. The volume of product available suggests that the confinement could be extended for several additional months, and in fact, MrBeast says goodbye for another year. Vote for Juan. When the video was released, messages of support began to multiply on social networks: “Juan already won”, “All of Latin America with Juan”, “I am not Mexican but I support Juan.” Danay Escanaverino, digital monetization specialist, explained that Hispanic audiences respond with special intensity when they find someone on screen with whom they emotionally identify. The figure of Juan (father, older, calm, without allies) connected with an audience unprepared for his frankness. In Xataka MrBeast has been giving money to his followers in his videos for years: now he wants them to be the ones to give it to him Up Mexico. A comment that is repeated among many Mexicans is, precisely, that Juan may have unknowingly blown up the MrBeast concept: locked up for a year with expenses paid and all you have to do is eat and relax? A vacation and a million in perspective? Is a humble Mexican, finally, the perfect fit for MrBeast? In Xataka | MrBeast has discovered a much more lucrative business than making videos on YouTube: selling chocolate (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news MrBeast challenged people to live several days in a supermarket: they did not expect to run into ‘Juan the Mexican’ was originally published in Xataka by John Tones .

pay young people for dating apps

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To desperate problems, desperate solutions. In full demographic debaclethe authorities of Kōchi (a prefecture in southern Japan) have decided to help their young people find a partner a peculiar shape: paying for their subscription to dating apps. The aid is only aimed at residents under 40 years old, cannot exceed 20,000 yen (110 euros) and is limited to a list of certified social networks, but it gives an idea of ​​the extent to which the Administration is determined to reverse the birth crisis that is clouding the future of the country. That it has focused the focus on apps is not a coincidence either. Help to flirt. Japan is not willing to sit idly by while its birth rate declines at a rate record speed and the country is moving deeper and deeper into a demographic catastrophe of unpredictable consequences. Over the last few years, the Japanese authorities have launched millionaire programs to activate their birth rate, which includes from numerous ‘baby checks’ to job improvements that facilitate conciliation. In few places, however, have they been as imaginative as in Kōchi Prefecture. There the Government has decided help your young to pay dating apps. “Helping singles”. Kōchi’s idea is as simple as it is shocking. a few days ago the prefecture announced a “subsidy program to cover app usage fees.” Said like this, it may not seem too interesting, but things change when you go down to detail. Its objective is very specific: to lend a hand to young people in the region who want to register on dating platforms and, ultimately, “to help singles who want to meet someone or get married.” With small print. The measure, of course, has fine print. Only Kōchi residents between 20 and 39 years old can apply and must prove that the app began to be used on April 1. In fact, the aid is designed to pay for subscriptions between April 2026 and March 2027. Its amount is also limited: in no case can it exceed 20,000 yen, about 110 euros. The curious thing is that Kōchi is not the first to use this trick. In the region of Miyazaki They also launched a similar program in 2025, although with an aid of only 10,000 yen per year, and in Tokyo they have even promoted a dating app focused on a very specific user profile: people looking for a stable partner. Is any application worth it? No. That is another of the peculiarities of the Kōchi initiative. The prefecture subsidizes only subscriptions to certain apps preselected, although among them is Tapple, a platform very popular among singles in Japan. Curiously, just a year ago it incorporated a function that allows its users to verify officially their marital status, which allows the rest of the people in the network to know if they are married or not. In the list from Kōchi also includes Pairs, D3 or Omiai, among others. A well-calibrated bet. That the Kōchi authorities have decided to bet on dating apps is no coincidence. A few years ago the Government carried out a survey in which, among other questions, he asked the Japanese how they had met their partners. A quarter (25%) of those who had gotten married acknowledged that they contacted their better half through dating apps, which makes them the great matchmaker in the country. 21% said they had met their spouse at work and 10% at a school. How much does it cost to flirt? It is also no coincidence that Kōchi has set its subsidy at 110 euros per year. “The current price of annual membership fees is just over 20,000 yen, so we set the amount to cover most of it,” explains an official to The Sankei Shimbun. Those who benefit from the measure will only have to cover the rest of the costs. In its efforts to make it as easy as possible for singles, the prefecture even has a specific program which helps those who move to Kōchi to look for a boyfriend or girlfriend. Again it may seem like a strange initiative, but in Japanese society only a tiny percentage of babies are born out of wedlock. If Kōchi (or any other region) wants more children, it first needs more couples. Goal: more babies. Although Japan is not the only country suffering the effects of demographic winter, the situation there is particularly worrying. Their multiple efforts to reactivate their birth rate do not seem to be giving results (unlike what seems to happen in South Korea) and in 2025 the country recorded its tenth consecutive year of decline, reaching a new historic floor. The outlook is so discouraging that Japan is moving at a minimum demographics I didn’t expect to see until the 2040s. Kōchi is no exception. Macrotrends shows that takes years losing inhabitants. Images | Kochi Prefecture Victoriano Izquierdo (Unsplash) In Xataka | Japan wanted to know what bothers its citizens most about tourism. The answer is extremely Japanese

More than 2,000 years ago, people were already taking to the grave the greatest “bestseller” of all time: the ‘Iliad’

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No matter how many centuries pass or where they dig their shovels, the soil of Egypt remains a box of surprises for historians. Just checked it a team of archaeologists who have found a surprise when exploring an ancient necropolis from the Roman era of Al-Bahansalocated almost 200 km from Cairo. In addition to mummies, vessels with ashes and amulets, the researchers located one of the largest bestsellers of all time: the ‘Iliad’. The question is… What was he doing there? In a place in Minia… The news has taken care of advance it the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, which gives an idea of ​​the relevance that the country gives to the discovery. An archaeological campaign led by doctors Maite Mascort and Esther Ponce has discovered mummies and funerary offerings in a necropolis from the Roman era of Al-Bahansa (Minia), the ancient Oxyrhynchus. The site is not exactly new. In fact, the Government speaks of two parts of the necropolis: number 65 and number 67, a Ptolemaic burial. located in 2024. The tombs were also not spared from grave robbers, who once damaged the coffins and probably took valuables with them. Still, the Spanish-Egyptian mission has made interesting discoveries. To the other world with Homer. Perhaps the most fascinating is the one found inside one of the mummies from the Roman period. When examining the body, the archaeologists extracted a papyrus with a fragment of the ‘Iliad’, the universal work attributed to Homer. To be more precise, they identified the passage ‘Catalogue of Ships’from the second book of the Greek epic and which describes part of the Achaean forces deployed in the Troy campaign. “This discovery adds a literary and historically significant dimension to the site,” they celebrate from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. Gold leaf and decorated linen. It was not the only surprise that archaeologists got when exploring the tomb no.65. The necropolis preserved several mummies from the Roman era carefully wrapped in linen decorated with geometric motifs. Even the polychrome wooden coffins and the fragments of gold leaf that were attached to some of the corpses are preserved. Tongues of gold and copper. It was not the only thing that the archaeologists found. When exploring the hypogeum, the researchers located three languages made with gold and a fourth made with copper next to the mummies that were still preserved in the funerary chamber. These were probably mortuary amulets that were placed in the mouths of the deceased to facilitate their journey to the Hereafter. Why is it important? Beyond how curious they may be, the findings are valuable for two main reasons. To begin with, as has been responsible for highlighting the head of Archeology and Tourism, Sharif Fathi, confirm the wealth and enormous diversity that accumulated in the Egyptian civilization over the centuries, including the Ptolemaic era and the domination of Rome. Furthermore, the mummies and other vestiges offer a valuable clue about the funerary practices used in Al-Bahansa in Greek and Roman times. Vessels with ashes. When exploring the east of tomb No. 67, from the Ptolemaic period, the archaeologists found a ditch with three limestone chambers in which they were still preserved. historical treasures. For example, in one of the rooms they located a stone slab and a vessel with charred remains that seem to belong to an adult, in addition to the bones of a baby and the head of a feline. All carefully wrapped in fabrics. In the second chamber there was also a container with the remains of cremated people and an animal of the same species. Statues representing the god were located in the surroundings. Harpocrates and even a figurine of the god Cupid. Images | Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Facebook) In Xataka | We just discovered that a semi-legendary Nile king really existed thanks to a 17th century document found in trash

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