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Japan wanted its roads to be more than just a place of passage. And they thought of something: vending machines

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There are many, many things that catch your attention when you arrive in Japan. At first, it is difficult to understand how this country of ancient traditions and quiet Buddhist or Shinto temples that seem to be everywhere can mix with the most hilarious bustle of stores like the Don Quixote. As the days go by, little by little, one begins to assimilate what one sees and begins to focus on issues just as curious but not as striking. When you want to realize you are in the konbini in turn choosing which of the 12 types of cold coffee and the eight hot ones you want the most. Or if you dare with that lemon soda marked by some kanji as attractive as they are threatening. A few days later, you are picking up any of those soft drinks in the middle of a road, in a layby where there is nothing… Where there is nothing but a vending machine. And then you ask yourself: but what is this machine doing here? Vending machine culture And in Japan there is something as ubiquitous as shrines: vending machines. The Japanese have a passion for jidouhanbaiki either jihanki. Obviously, the most famous and used are those that sell something to drink, but there are all kinds of them and for all kinds of objects. My colleague Javier Pastor already pointed out in 2017 that there were an estimated five million vending machines distributed throughout the country. Some with objects as extravagant “like this one from used panties either it’s poop“. But in addition to selling products, these vending machines have found another function: that of promoting national and inland tourism by road. The country has been fighting rural depopulation for years and has found in vending machines a great support for travelers to opt for the car and motorcycle instead of the very crowded bullet train. The formula is as simple as it is Japanese: make the traveler comfortable. With that premise, many vending machines have been popping up on lay-bys and rest areas in the country. A tremendously simple formula for the traveler to stop and even deviates from its path. With a density of less than 40 inhabitants for each machine vending machine, this option has not only become a tool to assist the traveler, It is already a tourist attraction in itself. And that has encouraged an increase in the number of people who see here as another incentive to go out with their car or motorcycle for the weekend. When the Japanese have an obsession, it is very difficult for others to catch up to them. If we talk about motorcycling and motorsports, Japan is one of the most cultural countries. Hence, some roads have simply become a hobby. One where the customer simply pays to drive but to which some auxiliary services have been added to improve the experience. like the ubiquitous vending machines. It is not the only tool they have found to encourage this type of pure leisure travel. There are musical highways where the asphalt emits a melody as the car or motorcycle passes by, using the roughness to create scores that the traveler plays as they pass over it. Or the michi no eki, something like the latest evolution of the service area where the gas station has the obligation to have another business or to offer a local product. There are those that only sell local food but there are those that even have their own natural science museum. A perfect opportunity to collect your stamps or banknotes, other tourist attractions of these spaces. And Japan is an obsessed country for collecting and making everyone as comfortable as possible. And for that jidouhanbaiki They are perfect. Photos | Xataka In Xataka | Japan is searching for the person who built a road on the country’s largest lake. It leads nowhere

There is only one correct way to place toilet paper. A patent ended the debate in 1891

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We have been fighting all kinds of battles for centuries, and in some cases the response passed between disputes between each other. Among these debates there is one that never seems to disappear because both sides are equally clear about it. We are referring to toilet paper and correct way to hang it. If it takes us decades to achieve a significant advance of the roll, it makes sense that the controversy has endured. The funny thing is that the answer was there from the beginning. A “war” of a century and a half. The eternal dispute about how it should be hung toilet paper (with the sheet “above” or “below” the roll) has generated conflicting opinions, family debates and even heated discussions. Those who prefer the “over” method give practical and hygienic reasons: it is easier to locate the end of the paper, it reduces the risk of contact with the wall (and therefore with germs) and it is visually tidier. However, on the other side, supporters of “under” appeal to a more discreet appearance and the fact that, for example, it makes it difficult for pets or children to stay at home. unroll the entire paper. An illustrated invention. However, all this controversy seems to have found an official answer in an unexpected place: a document from more than 130 years ago. In 2015, writer Owen Williams rescued an image history of Google Patents file which showed the patent registered in 1891 by Seth Wheeler, none other than the inventor of perforated toilet paper. In it, it is clearly illustrated how the paper should be hung: above the roll (image below). The patent, registered by the Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, includes unambiguous diagrams in which the paper is unrolled from the front. Wheeler’s patent Wheeler’s reasons. The inventor not only patented the concept of perforated paper in 1871, but two decades later, he perfected the roll design, with the intention of minimizing waste and facilitating its use without the need for complicated roll holders. Your goal it was efficiencynot to fuel endless debates: “My improved roll can be used on the simplest supports”, wrote in the text of the patent. In its original conception, the paper should fall towards the front to facilitate individual tearing of the perforated sheets, thus avoiding accidental unrolling or unnecessary waste. Yes, Nokia made toilet paper before mobile phones Science to the rescue. There is more data that corroborates that the “pro-encima” are right. Science also supports this orientation for purely health reasons. According to explained doctor Christian Moroprofessor of health sciences at Bond University, hanging the paper with the sheet on top reduces the risk of users touching the back wall of the holder when reaching for the end of the roll, which can minimize that spread of bacteria. More remembered that among the potential contagion agents That can be found in bathrooms include streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and common cold viruses, all capable of being transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces. Preventing hands from coming into unnecessary contact with the wall or roll holder is therefore a simple but effective measure to reduce the risk of infection in shared spaces. An invention… to review? Beyond the debate about how it should be placed, in recent years others have appeared around the invention. The New York Times explained in a column that although its invention represented at the time a technical improvement over previous methods (which included, attention, leaves, seashells, sticks with sponges or even reusable ceramics), the persistence of its use reveals less a functional effectiveness than a cultural resistance to abandoning the familiar. Here the Covid-19 pandemic appears, when toilet paper acquired an unusual prominence: not for its medical usefulness, but as a symbol of control in the face of chaos. The mass hysteria led to emptying shelves, ignoring that neither the supply was threatened nor was paper the most hygienic solution. And despite this, experts agree that it is far from being the cleanest or healthiest option. The evidence. The Times explained that researchers in infectious diseases and colorectal health agree that the exclusive use of paper does not guarantee adequate cleaning and can, in fact, cause irritation and promote the transmission of diseases. Among the pathogenic agents that can survive in poorly eliminated fecal remains are those germs and bacteria that we mentioned before and that cause urinary infections. Traces of it were even detected coronavirus at the time in human feces. According to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey, a colorectal surgeon in Houston, many anal ailments he sees in his office come from excessive cleaning or with inappropriate products, such as wet wipes with perfumes and irritating chemicals. Water as a solution. Here a parallel debate opens, surely more bitter. The reason? The most hygienic method, according to many specialists, is rinsing with water, either using bidets or similar. In Japan, for example, smart toilets with warm water jets are the normwhile in the West adoption remains marginal. The reasons are not technical or economic (today there are compact and accessible solutions), but rather cultural. The rejection of the bidet has historically been associated with prejudice of modesty, licentiousness or even ridiculous misunderstandings like the one that occurred during World War IIwhen American soldiers learned about bidets in French brothels, which made them “suspicious” objects. The anecdote of a North American tourist who he mistook it for a bathtub for babies illustrates the extent to which discomfort in the face of the unknown has slowed its adoption, even in France, where it was originally common. Or wipes. In recent times, a “plan C” has emerged against the fundamentalists from the roll or water: wet wipes. The problem is that it has been accompanied by environmental consequences. Its accumulation in sewer networks, combined with grease and waste, has led to enormous blockages (known in the world Anglo as “fatbergs“) capable of collapsing urban sanitation systems. From that perspective, instead of improving the situation, wipes have added a … Read more

Europe and Japan step on the accelerator of nuclear fusion and place the ball in the court of a strategic country: Spain

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Europe and Japan walk hand in hand towards nuclear fusion commercial. They have been working together for several years in the JT-60SA experimental reactorthe largest magnetic confinement fusion energy machine that currently exists. However, this is not the only project in which they collaborate. They are also fine-tuning the LIPAc linear particle accelerator (Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator or IFMIF Prototype Linear Accelerator). This machine resides in Rokkasho (Japan). After having undergone a very ambitious update, it is ready to begin the final phase that will conclude with its commissioning in 2027. Its purpose is to test the limits of particle beam physics to pave the way for future fusion reactors. Europe and Japan began developing this 36-meter-long particle accelerator in 2007 with the aim of validating the design of an IFMIF-type machine (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility) capable of acting as a neutron source. To achieve this, this device had to recreate the intense irradiation conditions that occur inside a fusion reactor. One of Europe’s most important contributions is a huge steel cryostat with magnetic shielding and a thermal shield that houses a powerful superconducting radio frequency system. This component serves to accelerate protons and deuterium nuclei until they reach a maximum energy of 9 MeV (megaelectronvolts), which will place them close to the high-energy neutrons that future commercial fusion reactors will produce. LIPAc is the precursor of IFMIF-DONES, which is already being built in Spain The knowledge that scientists hope to gain from LIPAc will be used in the development of IFMIF-DONES (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility DEMO-Oriented NEutron Source), that is already being built in Escúzar, a town in the province of Granada. The heart of this facility is a linear particle accelerator that will cost approximately 450 million euros, although the Government of Andalusia will provide half of this money. However, this is the cost of the accelerator; The entire IFMIF-DONES project will cost around 700 million euros. Spain will contribute half of this capital. IFMIF-DONES is one of the three fundamental pillars of the nuclear fusion edifice in whose construction the European Union is involved. The other two are ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) and DEMO. The experimental nuclear fusion reactor that is currently being built in the French town of Cadarache aims to demonstrate that fusion at the scale that man can handle worksand also that it is profitable from an energy point of view. However, ITER does not aim to produce electricity. That will be the task of DEMO (DEMOnstration Power Plant), a facility that will take the technological advances that have been proven to work correctly at ITER and take them one step further to establish itself as the true precursor of commercial nuclear fusion reactors. However, without IFMIF-DONES there will be no DEMO, so right now Granada is the center of attention. The IFMIF-DONES linear accelerator will produce high-energy neutrons with the intensity and irradiation volume necessary to test candidate materials To fully understand the role of the IFMIF-DONES project, it is necessary to briefly review the fundamentals of nuclear fusion. One of the greatest challenges faced by technicians involved in the development of nuclear fusion reactors using magnetic confinement, such as ITER, is to recreate the conditions necessary for them to operate inside the vacuum chamber of these sophisticated machines. deuterium and tritium nuclei fuse. However, this is by no means all. When this reaction takes place, the fusion of a deuterium nucleus and another tritium nucleus triggers the production of a helium nucleus and a neutron that is ejected with an energy of about 14 MeV. The problem is that the neutron lacks a net electrical charge, so it cannot be confined inside the magnetic field which, however, does manage to retain the deuterium and tritium nuclei, which have a positive electrical charge. This is the reason why when it originates as a result of the nuclear fusion reaction, this neutron is ejected towards the walls of the vacuum chamber with enormous energy. This particle is very important because in practice it will be closely linked to the production of electrical energy in nuclear fusion reactors, but, at the same time, it represents a very aggressive form of radiation that can significantly degrade the materials used in the reactor. The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the internal wall of the vacuum chamber and the blanket. The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the blanketwhich is a mantle that covers it and whose purpose is to regenerate the tritium that must be used as fuel in the nuclear fusion reaction. This is why it is crucial to develop new materials that are able to withstand the neutron flux and therefore ensure that the reactor will have a long operational life. This is, neither more nor less, the purpose of IFMIF-DONES. And to carry it out it is necessary to set up facilities designed to allow the technicians involved in the project evaluate the properties of candidate materials to intervene not only in DEMO, but also in future commercial nuclear fusion reactors. The mission of this project invites us to intuit what the heart of IFMIF-DONES is: a source capable of producing high-energy neutrons with the intensity and volume of irradiation necessary to test the candidate materials. And this neutron source will be nothing more than a linear particle accelerator that will help IFMIF-DONES scientists to test, validate and qualify the materials that in the medium term should reach future electric energy production plants through fusion. Image | Fusion for Energy More information | Fusion for Energy In Xataka | ITER has faced one of the great challenges of nuclear fusion: preventing plasma at 150 million ºC from destroying the reactor

It is the secret entrance to the safest place in the US

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In 1942, in the middle of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered construction under the White House a secret refuge with concrete walls and steel doors, a space designed to disappear from the surface in a matter of seconds if Washington was attacked. For decades, that place barely appeared in official documents and its existence moved between rumors and stories fragmentary. But the idea left by that project remains disturbing: in certain buildings, the most important thing is never in sight. A building that hides much more. The White House has always been an example of architecture where appearance is deceivingwith a design that hides beneath its surface a complex network of technical and security spaces developed over decades. That logic remains in the major reform proposed until now, which not only transforms its visible silhouette, but also takes advantage of the constructive opportunity to intervene in what is never seen. As has happened in other major renovations of the complex, the true scope of the project is measured more underground than in what protrudes above the grass. From ballroom to strategic infrastructure. The new projected hall, of about 90,000 square meters and capacity for a thousand people, is officially presented as a solution to lack of space for large events within the presidential complex. However, from the beginning it has been linked to a security argument, especially after recent incidents that have highlighted the limitations of external venues such as hotels. The idea is not only to concentrate events in a controlled environment, but to integrate them within a space designed from scratch with criteria advanced protection. President Trump showed a mock-up of the planned new East Wing to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on October 20, 2025. Architecture as an excuse. The key element of the project is that it is not in the room itself, but in what it allows build under it. Various official statements have described the hall as a structure that “covers” a much larger complex, designed with explosion-resistant materials, anti-drone systems and secure communications. This approach responds to a logic known in the White House itself. throughout history: take advantage of any surface work to expand or modernize underground infrastructure without excessively altering the visible historical complex. Mockup of the proposed East Wing/Ballroom of the White House (photo released by the White House on October 22, 2025) The heir to the safest bunker in the US. I remembered a few days ago time that under the demolished east wing was the Presidential Emergency Operations Centerthe historic bunker built during the Second World War and expanded in successive renovations. This space, conceived as shelter and command center in the event of a crisis, it has evolved with each generation to adapt to new threats, from nuclear war to terrorism. The current reform aims to replace it with a more advanced versionmaintaining its function as the safest point in the country in extreme situations. Vice President Dick Cheney with senior officials at the Presidential Emergency Operations Center on September 11, 2001 A complex beyond a simple refuge. The known plans describe a facility that combines multiple functions in the same underground core. Includes hardened shelters, medical facilities, biosecurity systems, and high-security communications centers capable of sustaining government operations. in critical conditions. From that perspective, more than a traditional bunker, it is an environment prepared to operate during prolonged crisesintegrating military and civil capabilities in the same protected space. Between legality, heritage and security. It is one of the great debates in the nation at the moment, because the project has generated a legal and political conflict significant in considering the extent to which a president can transform the White House without approval congressional. While preservation groups they denounce the demolition of the east wing and the impact about historical heritagethe administration defends that the work it is essential for national security. The courts have opted for an intermediate solution, partially blocking the visible construction while allowing progress on the elements considered critical for protection. The perfect moment. There is no doubt, the recent security incident in an official event it has served as argument to reinforce the urgency of the project on the part of the administration, by highlighting the vulnerabilities of external spaces. From this perspective, the new room not only responds to a logistical need, but also to a change in the way presidential security is managed. The combination event and protection in the same place is presented as a solution that avoids depending on less controlled environments. The discreet entrance to the safest place. Altogether, the controversial reform aims to redefine the White House as a dual structure where the visible fulfills a representative function and the hidden concentrates the true core of power and security. The new ballroom thus acts as the architectural piece that, if necessary, allows access, coverage and meaning to an underground infrastructure. much more ambitious. Perhaps for this reason, more than an aesthetic or functional extension, the project is understood as a discreet door towards the better protected space of the United States, a bunker anti everything where the continuity of the government is guaranteed in any imaginable scenario. Image | White House, National Archives In Xataka | After the Guggenheim fever in Bilbao, Alcorcón wanted to replicate its success with a megaproject in 2004. It ended very badly. In Xataka | The biggest disaster in sports history dates back to the Roman Empire: the tragedy of the Fidenae “VIP boxes”

In 2023, an exclusive Rolex was stolen from Keanu Reeves’ house in LA. A year later they found him in the most unexpected place: Chile

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In September, Rolex, the luxury when it comes to watches, filed a patent application that gave an idea of ​​the house’s problems with thefts and counterfeits of its most legendary models: they sought use NFT chips and certificates of authenticity based on blockchain to identify the models. The story (with a happy ending) of Keanu Reeve’s watches has surely only reinforced that idea. John Wick’s watch. The story begins several years ago, during the filming of the film ‘John Wick 4’ that the actor played. At the end of filming, Reeves pays tribute to himself with an exclusive Rolex Submariner valued at $9,000one with the engraved words “2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five” next to the actor’s name. In December 2023, someone entered the artist’s house in Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles) taking several high-value jewelry, including the exclusive model from the Swiss luxury house. Enter Keanu’s house. Curiously, It wasn’t the first time it happened.. In fact, in 2014 the home was broken into. up to two times in three days. The first time, Reeves confronted an intruder in his library, the second, the cleaning staff found an intruder in his pool. But there is more. Early last year, Reeves requested a temporary restraining order against a man who allegedly trespassed on the actor’s property at least six times between November 2022 and January 2023. In one case, the alleged stalker left a backpack containing a DNA testing kit, one he intended to use on Reeves to prove they were related in some way, according to the order request. An unexpected find in Santiago. The news broke in December 2024 in the city of Santiago, where Chilean police recovered three watches belonging to the actorincluding the Rolex Submariner from the action movie and two other models described by authorities as “valuable.” Apparently, during a series of raids on four homes, Chilean authorities seized high-value jewelry and watches, including those three models that belonged to Reeves. According to CNN reportslocal authorities collaborated with US officials to establish the link between the watches and the robbery at the actor’s residence. As a result, a 21-year-old man is under arrest. Cinematic irony. The media has not stopped repeating a curiosity these days: the parallelism with the plot of the saga itself ‘John Wick‘, where Reeves’ character begins his story of revenge after a robbery (and the death of his dog) at his home. Outside of this trivial detail, the famous actor does not seem clear about returning to the role in future installments of the saga. The reason? Mainly age. Although his heart says he wants to do it, Keanu Reeves he joked shortly after in an interview that his knees might not be ready for another film due to the physical demands of the character. The symbolism of John Wick’s Rolex. As for the recovered watch and beyond its economic value, the Submariner represents Reeves’ appreciation for his team, known in the industry for giving away personalized watches as gestures of gratitude after finishing filming. In this case, the actor had kept one model and had given the rest to the doubles who played him in the film. Submariner, luxury on the wrist. The Rolex model is an icon of watchmaking and the first diving watch reference Truly functional. Launched in 1953 and designed specifically for divers, it became a symbol of innovation for its water resistance up to 100 meters (later extended to 300 meters) and its durability in extreme conditions. Its timeless design, with a unidirectional rotating bezel to measure immersion time and its legibility underwater, has established it as a standard in both the professional and fashion fields. In fact, before Keanu Reeves, the model He has been associated with many other historical and cultural figuresfrom ‘James Bond’ to marine explorers and other celebrities, a symbol of technical excellence and style that maintain it as one of the most recognized and desired watches in the world. In some cases and as we see, excessively. Image | Dr.K. In Xataka | He forgot some AirPods in his Ferrari: the unexpected trick that helped recover a stolen supercar In Xataka | New York has a problem with car theft. The police’s solution: give away some AirTags A version of this article was published in December 2024

As we look to the Middle East, the Arctic has become the hiding place for Russia’s biggest challenge to NATO: Borei and Yasen

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One of the greatest fears of Western navies was not a direct attack, but something much more disturbing: not knowing where the opponent was. That feeling became especially evident when, in the middle of the Cold War, a Soviet submarine managed follow a naval group American for days without being detected, demonstrating that in certain scenarios the true power is not in striking first, but in remaining invisible long enough. It is not seen, but it does not stop. They had an extensive report in Bloomberg that, hundreds of meters under a mountain in northern Norway, NATO relentlessly monitors a dashboard that does not appear in the daily headlines, but has never stopped being active. While global attention focuses and rightly so most visible conflictsin the depths of the North Atlantic there is a constant competition to detect, follow and keep track of the adversary’s most sensitive assets. It is, if you will, a silent, technical and permanent surveillance, one where the margin of error is minimal and where the absence of news does not mean, by any means, absence of activity. The Arctic as a strategic epicenter. As we said, although the political and media focus has irremediably shifted to the Middle Eastthe real pulse between Russia and NATO is moving further and further towards the arcticthousands of meters under the sea in an environment that combines isolation, depth and extreme conditions that make any monitoring difficult. This region, which for years was seen as peripheral, has regained its centrality for the opening of new routes, resources and, above all, for its military value as a transit and concealment space. In this scenario, ice and geography, more than obstacles, are natural allies for those who know how to take advantage of them. AND Moscow has the advantage. Welcome ceremony for the Borei K550 class nuclear submarine “Alexander Nevsky” at the permanent base in Vilyuchinsk Borei and Yasen: the Russian challenge. The heart of this strategy is the new generation submarines deployed by Vladimir Putin, especially the classes Borei and Yasendesigned to operate for long periods without being detected and capable of carrying strategic weapons. While they don’t always match their Western counterparts in stealth, they remembered in Bloomberg They compensate with tactics adapted to the Arctic environment, such as operating under the ice sheet or protected by other units, which greatly complicates their location. Perhaps for this reason, for NATO the greatest risk is not their presence, but rather the moment in which they are no longer under control. K-560 Severodvinsk A constant chase. It we have counted before. For decades, the key point to detect these submarines was the well-known GIUK runnerbetween Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, but technological and operational advances have pushed this hunting species towards higher latitudes. Now, the objective is to intercept them before they abandon the relatively shallow waters of the Barents Sea and enter areas where they can disappear more easily. This evolution has forced to strengthen cooperation between allies now deploy surveillance systems increasingly sophisticated. Europe in the shadows. It happens that, in the face of uncertainty Regarding the long-term commitment of the United States, European countries are increasing their involvement in this surveillance, with Norway as a centerpiece and partners such as the United Kingdom, Germany or Canada, strengthening capacities and coordination. The result of this has been translated in new acquisitionsjoint exercises and advanced deployments, all movements that reflect a transition in which Europe tries to assume more responsibility for its own defense, especially in an environment as critical as the Arctic. A new Cold War under the ice. Yes, because the result brings us closer to a scenario that increasingly reminds us of the (il)logic of the Cold War, but this time with the difference that now there are much more advanced tools and a geopolitical context. completely different. The russian northern fleetmodernized and prioritized within its military structure, represents one of the Kremlin’s main deterrence capabilities, especially as its conventional forces show weaknesses on other fronts. And in that unstable balance, the Arctic seems to consolidate itself as a lucky “perfect hiding place”a place where Russia’s greatest challenge to NATO is not announced, it is simply happening under the cold sheet of ice. Image | NDUP, Mil.ru In Xataka | A nuclear giant designed to make way in the Arctic: this is the most modern icebreaker in the Russian fleet In Xataka | Russia and China already had an advantage over the US in the Arctic. After Greenland, it has multiplied

We have found the father of the Roman legion belts in a totally unexpected place: an Asturian cave

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The spectacular expansion of the Roman Empire (at its greatest splendor, Rome It covered three continents) was not based solely and exclusively on its numerical superiority and conquering hunger, but also on its ability to absorb and adapt technology. That is, as the legions advanced, Rome absorbed and perfected those military innovations that it found in the conquered peoples. This process of cultural transfer is what allowed the Roman army to evolve from a citizen militia to a professional, standardized war machine. An example of this assimilation phenomenon is found in the Iberian Peninsula. Within the framework of the Asturian-Cantabrian wars (29-19 BC), the last great conflict of the conquest of Hispania under the mandate of Augustus, is where the military complex found in the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave (Asturias) acquires critical importance. The study, published in the Spal Magazineevidence that is more than an archaeological remains: it is the material proof of how a belt native to the plateau became the prototype of the iconic cingulum of the imperial legionnaire. The discovery. He found set It includes a dagger sheath with curved edges accompanied by an articulated bronze belt made up of sheets, a bronze omega fibula, a razor, a spear and human remains. There were also 807 animal remains belonging to 36 specimens of bovids, ovicaprines, equids, suids and canids, as if it were a ritual banquet or sacrifice. But let’s go to the star element: an articulated suspension belt made of bronze, composed of a buckle and four openwork plates of great technical complexity. This system of riveted plates allowed greater flexibility than leather straps and was not something random: it was a design designed to support the weight of a sheath (like the one found) and allow quick extraction of the weapon in combat. The sophistication of the plates suggests high-quality manufacturing, linked to workshops with a long tradition in iron and bronze metalwork. Hypothetical reconstruction of the belt and sheath assembly with curved edges found in the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave. Spal Magazine Why is it important. This belt is something like the missing link in the evolution of military equipment: it demonstrates that pieces that we traditionally consider “purely Roman” actually have a foreign origin. Their discovery allows researchers to precisely trace the process of technological transfer, documenting how the functionality of Hispanic defensive equipment was absorbed, perfected and standardized by the Roman State to equip its legions throughout the Empire. Context. The discovery was not found in a military camp, but in a deep and difficult to access gallery in a cave. The context points to liturgical: the research team proposes that it was possibly a captured enemy who was the object of a sacrifice or ritual (possibly a captured Roman soldier), as an offering to the Cantabrian divinities in the face of the advancing Roman army. The dating places the human remains around the 1st century BC. This type of deposits in natural cavities reflects the religious practices of the people of the north and the Plateau, who considered the caves as thresholds to the underworld. The main hypothesis. The thesis supported by the research team is: Technological hybridization, insofar as the belt was not manufactured in Roman workshops, but in Vaccean and Celtiberian workshops (pre-Roman peoples of the Plateau). It later became the standard belt of the Roman legions, the cingulumto address the need for more flexible and durable equipment. The evolution. There is evidence that the belt plates resemble others found in Roman military camps such as Numancia and Renieblas, what it suggests that local artisans developed prototypes that Rome adopted and standardized. Yes, but. Beyond the doubt of the ethnic identity of the buried soldier, since it is unknown whether he was a Roman soldier who had adopted the local uniform for its greater efficiency or a native warrior who served as an auxiliary to the Roman topas, the key lies in the origin of the cingulum. The main thesis points out that the model was the father of the Roman belt par excellence, but more findings are missing from other parts of Europe to confirm that this evolution occurred exclusively in Hispania and was not a parallel process on other borders of the Empire. In Xataka | A cargo sunk in a Swiss lake 2,000 years ago confirms it: the Roman legions did not deprive themselves of anything In Xataka | We have been arguing for years about the origin of writing. Now an Asturian cave can settle the debate Cover | Jametlene Reskp and Spal (Study of a ritual deposit from the Asturian-Cantabrian wars: the set of the curved-edged dagger from the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave (Suarias, Asturias, Spain) as a link between the indigenous dagger belts and the Roman cingulum)

Germany has found a source of perovskite for solar panels in an unusual place: bullets from the 17th century

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Solar energy is, with the permission of wind energy, the renewable energy that has stood out the most and best in the energy transition on a global scale. There are already solar parks everywhere: from fields that They fill the emptied Spain to deserts passing through the tibetan plateau and also in high seas either in lakes. And although the most common technology is crystalline silicon, perovskite is the great promise. There is a compelling reason to bet on perovskite: a record efficiency certified in a laboratory. up to 26%. However, a large-scale deployment of perovskite solar cells requires a large-scale, sustainable supply of high-purity lead iodide. We have come across lead: a toxic element whose mining is not exactly sustainable. On the not-so-good side, recycling it to the required purity levels is a technical challenge that a German research team at the Helmholtz Institute in Erlangen-Nuremberg has just solved. And in what way: have achieved converting 17th century musket balls into high-performance solar cells. The idea. It consists of a process of upcycling (upcycling) in two stages: first a non-aqueous electrochemical route and then purification through the crystallization of single crystals, quite different from traditional methods based on strong acids and large volumes of water. To demonstrate the robustness of their method, the team used lead bullets from the 16th and 17th centuries as raw material, a truly complicated material in that it contains carbon residues, metallic inclusions and oxidation patina. If the process can clean up this type of historical residue, it can handle virtually anything you throw at it (obviously any lead residue). Recycling bullets into solar cells transforms lead waste into a clean energy source. Why is it important. Perovskite solar cells require extraordinarily pure lead iodide, and achieving that level of purity from contaminated waste was until now a challenge without a practical solution that this research has solved: the team manufactured solar cells with their recycled material and obtained 21% efficiency, practically identical to the 22% of devices manufactured from industrial synthesis. Beyond the technical result, the process solves two problems at the same time: it offers a way to supply the enormous demand for lead iodide that will be generated by the take-off of perovskite solar cells without resorting to new mining and at the same time eliminates a toxic pollutant whose current management is expensive and environmentally problematic. Context. As we mentioned above, lead is an abundant waste: it comes from used car batteries, electronic scrap, construction materials or ammunition, among others. Lead recycling is dominated by car batteries, which have very high recovery rates in developed countries. The problem is in the rest: In 2018, only 48% of the world’s residual lead at the end of its useful life was recovered and in more dispersed flows such as electronics or construction, the recovery is even lower. Conventional recycling returns metallurgical-grade lead, useful for batteries and alloys, but far from what the solar industry requires. In addition, they are slow processes that generate toxic gases such as nitrogen oxides and large quantities of contaminated wastewater, up to 70 liters per kilogram of lead iodide produced. Traditional high-temperature purification methods are expensive and complex. More robust, adaptable and cleaner extraction and purification methods are needed for perovskite technology to truly scale. How they do it. The bullets are cleaned with dilute nitric acid, melted and molded into rods that act as electrodes in an electrochemical cell with acetonitrile and dissolved iodine. When current is applied, lead reacts directly with iodine and precipitates as lead iodide with 94% efficiency. Doing it this way, in a non-aqueous medium, is a deliberate decision to avoid introducing impurities that would accelerate the degradation of the perovskite. The resulting lead iodide still contains metallic impurities, so it is not suitable for solar cells. That is why it is subjected to a second purification stage through crystallization at a controlled temperature for about 70 hours. The process is exceptionally selective: as the crystal grows, it expels contaminating metals such as silver or copper, raising the purity of the material to levels comparable to or even higher than the highest quality commercial standard. Yes, but. The process works and the results are solid, but scale matters: at the laboratory level, productivity is just 0.05 grams per hour and each purification cycle lasts about 70 hours. The leap to an industrial scale requires solving the recovery of organic solvents, controlling the passivation of the electrodes and substantially improving the productivity of the process. The research team does not hide it: the chemistry is proven, but the distance from the laboratory to a real production plant is long and will determine whether we end up seeing perovskite panels made with recycled lead or if this remains like a shiny piece of paper in a drawer. In Xataka | Germany has had a crazy idea to solve one of the problems of renewables: covering a lake with solar panels In Xataka | 800 meters deep in a 175 million year old rock: Germany’s solution to nuclear waste Cover | By Branch and Soren H

Your refrigerator has a compartment designed for eggs in the door. It’s the worst possible place to keep them.

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Almost all refrigerators on the market, when purchased, come with an accessory designed specifically for this purpose: an egg cup that goes on the shelves of the appliance door. This has become the place that many of us look at at first to catch the eggs, but the truth is that it is the worst refrigerator place to save the eggs. The thermal trap. The reason lies not in the fragility of the food, but in a microscopic enemy that surrounds us and can be potentially dangerous: the Salmonella. Here the main problem with the refrigerator door is that it is the area most exposed to thermal changes, since every time we open the refrigerator to get milk, water or simply to think about what to eat, the temperature on the door shelves fluctuates drastically. Here are the regulatory bodies of the United States They are quite clear pointing out that these constant rises and falls in temperature are the ideal breeding ground for bacterial growth. Furthermore, as pointed out by the South Korean Ministry of Food, the door is prone to generate condensation, creating a humid environment that facilitates the proliferation of pathogens in the shell that end up in the food when we break the eggs in the same bowl where we beat them (something also not recommended). The ideal temperature. To keep salmonella at bay, the temperature must be stable and below 4°C – 10°C, since under these conditions, the growth of the bacteria is suppressed by more than 99%. But this on the refrigerator shelves is something that is not always achieved. What the studies say. Here the science is quite clear with different studies that have pointed to the survival of strains such as Salmonella Typhimurium and the Salmonella Enteritidis in very specific conditions. A 2021 study demonstrated that at room temperature the bacterial load increases alarmingly in both the white and the yolk. On the contrary, keeping them at 5ºC limits their multiplication and reduces virulence. But if we come more to the present, a study launched in 2024 found that, under alternating temperature conditions, that is, in cycles of 25 ºC to 5 ºC, similar to taking food in and out of the refrigerator, salmonella manages to migrate to the yolk in 64% of cases. How to preserve them. Taking all this into account, the big question is: what should we do when we get home from the supermarket? In this case, the health authorities point to two strategies, the first being to put them directly on the interior shelves, preferably on the lower or middle ones. In this way, the temperature remains stable below 4ºC, and especially if it is at the bottom of the refrigerator. Do not throw away the cardboard. Although we usually take eggs out of their boxes to put them in plastic egg cups for convenience, the truth is that it is a mistake. That is why the second conservation strategy is to keep them in the original packaging, since the cardboard not only protects them from possible knocks, but also acts as a crucial barrier against moisture loss, prevents the shell from absorbing odors from other foods and protects the egg’s natural cuticular barrier. Images | Onur Burak Akın Katie Bernotsky In Xataka | The internet has become obsessed with drinking hot water in the morning. Science is clear about what it does (and what it doesn’t)

Shakira wants to put 300,000 people in a place that does not convince the Government at all

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Live Nation and Shakira have now officially presented Macondo Park, a 40-hectare temporary venue at the Iberdrola Music in Villaverde designed for close the tour ‘Women no longer cry’ with a nine-concert residency in Madrid in September. The problem: the Government delegate in Madrid has been warning for years that the space does not meet security conditions for massive events and has formally asked the City Council not to authorize them. Stadiums make money. What Shakira and Live Nation have presented is not exactly a concert: it is a temporary infrastructure designed ad hoc by the international study BIGknown for projects such as the Danish pavilion at the Shanghai Expo or the expansion of the National Museum of Qatar. According to data from the organization, the so-called Shakira Stadium will occupy four hectares within the Iberdrola Music space, with capacity for 50,000 people per night: 26,688 seats in the stands, 25,000 standing and around 3,000 in the VIP area. Macondism. Macondo Park will be deployed around the stadium, which takes its name from the fictional town created by Gabriel García Márquez in ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’: 40 hectares active for twelve hours each concert day. The cultural program, baptized ‘Es latina’, includes gastronomy, workshops, exhibitions and sales of Latin American crafts, all selected by Shakira herself. There will also be a specific area for children called Macondito, designed (according to the organization) with the participation of the artist’s children, Milan and Sasha. The goal, according to Live Nation, is to “demonstrate what it means to be Latino” and project that cultural imaginary in Europe. Minitour without moving. Some pertinent figures: nine performances in Madrid, scheduled for September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27, to which have been added October 2, 3 and 4 due to the very high demand and how quickly the pre-sale sold out. The entire project expects more than 300,000 attendees throughout the residency. Ticket prices range between 73.50 and 181.50 euros, with VIP packages exceeding 1,000. And it will take 69 days to build the complete structure of this spectacular theme park around the artist. Problems in Villaverde. This great plan collides with a somewhat complicated background. Iberdrola Music is the same space that has hosted the Mad Cool festival for years. It was also the scene of the Harry Styles concert in 2023, where organizational failures led to monumental traffic jams and part of the audience ended up walking along the M-45. In the letter he wrote to the City CouncilGovernment delegate Francisco Martín recalls that he already warned about the venue in July 2023 on the occasion of the Reggaeton Beach Festival. According to Martín, in an institutional meeting held in 2024 it was found that there continued to be “relevant deficiencies in terms of accessibility, mobility and organization of entry and exit flows, incompatible with the celebration of large events in safe conditions.” The administrator of the Mad Cool festival even faced a request for a two-year prison sentence from the Prosecutor’s Office for violations related to noise pollution. It’s not a festival. Martín also differentiates between the festival model, where the public enters and leaves in stages for hours, and the “fan phenomenon”: a massive concert where 50,000 people try to leave the venue in a very narrow time frame. It is this second scenario that, in his opinion, Iberdrola Music is not prepared to absorb. Crossing of accusations. As it could not be otherwise, this open letter was followed by an exchange of accusations with little or nothing to do with music. Borja Carabante, Urban Planning delegate of the City Council, accused Martin of “trying to boycott, harm and harm the city.” Mayor José Luis Almeida pointed in the same direction: he described it as “extraordinary” that Shakira chose Madrid as the culmination of her tour and even hinted that up to ten dates could be held. Mariano de Paco, Minister of Culture of the Community of Madrid, defined it as “great news.” The preceding Adele. Promoter Pino Sagliocco, president of Live Nation, avoided entering the political fray. He defended that the mobility plan “is already done” and endorsed by engineers, and insisted that Iberdrola Music is “an experienced and well-conditioned space.” He compared Shakira’s plan to Adele’s precedentwho established his residence in a park in Munich, comparable in size to this Macondo. The center of the debate. There is slaps for pre-sale ticketsbut municipal authorization has not been granted, and the Government Delegation has made it clear that it will go “as far as necessary” to ensure that the venue offers guarantees. For now, there is silence from both sides of the Administration. The conclusion of all this is that the debate is not led by Shakira, but by Madrid’s real capacity to manage massive events outside the urban center, with access infrastructure that several reports consider insufficient. After 17 countries, Shakira’s tour culminates in the only place on the planet where organizing a live show means invoking a perfect storm. In Xataka | We Spaniards have stopped watching TV, going to the cinema and reading books: the only thing that interests us is going to concerts

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