plan

His kamikaze plan has rewritten the war manual

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A year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a drone instructor had an idea that sounded to science fiction– Pilot cheap quadcopters in order to ram and destroy other drones in mid-flight. Thus, what began as a joke between soldiers, “too much Star Wars”, they saidbecame in less than a year the spine of the Ukrainian defense. The origin. Given the shortage of anti-aircraft missiles and the russian waves of Iranian Shahed who put out cities, Ukrainian engineers and pilots they started redesigning commercial quadcopters to convert them into hit-to-kill interceptors. They were born out of necessity: Winter, power outages, and the inability of conventional defenses to process hundreds of low-cost threats pushed improvisation to become in doctrine. Crowdfunding programs like Come Back Alive and the initiative Dronefall They articulated production, training and logistics, financing and coordinating local manufacturers. How they work and their effectiveness. These interceptors require three conditions: speed and maneuverability to reach targets at hundreds of km/h, vision and guidance systems (from night cameras to semi-automatic guidance) and an explosive charge or kinetic capacity sufficient to destroy the threat upon impact. Models like the sting or variants by Wild Hornets They combine powerful propellers, thermal chambers and light warheads; The tactic is simple in concept, but extremely demanding in execution: detect, locate, launch and maneuver in windows of minutes before the attacker leaves range. Production and economy. lor we have told before, the strategic attractiveness it’s economical: an interceptor can cost between 2,500 and 6,000 dollarsin front of the million per missile of advanced systems. Multiple manufacturers, from Ukrainian SMEs to supported startups by Brave1allow scalability. Ukraine aims to produce hundreds and eventually thousands per dayIn fact, they are already reported thousands of interceptions and programs that connect twenty producers to standardize parts, training and supply. Field operations. Furthermore, the deployment requires a short chain: detection by radar or surveillance, link to a pilot or semi-autonomous system and launch with a very short margin of time (teams report 10-minute windows to intercept). Not only that. The effectiveness depends on the skill of the pilot (specialized courses show low pass rates) and the quality of the data link. When interceptors are not fully autonomous, the human variable remains the bottleneck: well-trained pilots achieve success rates much older. The Sting is much smaller than a typical Shahed drone Diversity of designs. Here the family of interceptors is heterogeneous: there are models that directly impact (ramming), designs with warhead projected at high speed, and guided drones optical sensor similar to small missiles. Plus: some are detachable and transportable in backpacks, and others are mass launchable from containers. This diversity allows the response to be adapted to the profile of the attacker (versus the slowness of a Shahed vs the speed of a Geran-3) and the operational environment. Results and effectiveness. Ukrainian reports speak of massive interceptions: hundreds killed in major attacks and aggregate figures of thousands of kills attributed to programs like Dronefall. Success rates vary (from 30% to 90% depending on the system, the class of the target and the expertise of the crew), but the economic impact is clear: replacing a defense missile with dozens or hundreds of cheap interceptors preserves strategic resources and forces Russia to inflate its operating costs. An interceptor crew prepares a Sting drone from their civilian vehicle Implications. NATO considers interceptors as a valuable complement to traditional layers of defense. The UK has already committed to co-producing interceptors for Ukraine; tests in allied airspace (e.g. trials in Denmark) demonstrate interest in integrating these solutions in territorial defense and protection of critical infrastructure. The main lesson for Europe is the need for cheap and scalable solutions to mass threats, not just high-cost, high-precision systems. Technical limitations. Not everything is optimism: interceptors also face scope problemsresistance to electronic interference and the ability to reach drones at very high altitudes or extreme speeds. The advent of reactor versions of the Shahed (Geran-3) that far exceed the speed of current interceptors forces the improvement race: greater propulsion, better sensor and autonomy, or alternatives such as higher-cost kinetic defense. Furthermore, dependence on human pilots with limited training conditions the sustainability of the effort. The next phase. Given the Russian advance towards faster drones, Ukraine and its partners are already working on new generations: faster interceptors, more robust sensors, semi-autonomous solutions and integrated deployments with radars and missiles depending on the objective. In parallel, non-kinetic defenses are being explored: from lasers to microwaves and EW systems that can complement or replace physical interceptors when speed or altitude exceed their capabilities. Strategic balance. If you will, the most profound change that interceptors introduce It’s doctrinal.: modern air warfare can be won by mass affordable and distributed response, and not just by expensive and one-off systems. Ukraine has shown in this sense that the combination of local manufacturing, civil financing and tactical adaptation transforms a weakness (lack of missiles, especially external) in operational advantage. The final caveat, however, is that this advantage it’s temporary: The adversary adapts, the technology scales, and the survival of the approach requires continued investment in design, production, and training. Image | Wild Hornets In Xataka | The crazy number of drones has turned the Ukrainian sky into the M-30 at rush hour. Identifying the enemy is a danger In Xataka | While Europe builds its Russian anti-drone wall, each nation loads its artillery: some with lasers, others with shotguns

China’s plan to make its military ruthless if electronic warfare shuts down technology: use its brains

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In the training camps of the People’s Liberation Army, the sound of drones and electronic simulators coexists with something unexpected: the echo of an ancient tradition. Between radars, missiles and touch screens, some soldiers practice invisible operations with their fingers in the air, moving imaginary beads on an abacus that no longer exists. It is not a ritual or an eccentricity, but a new military experiment: learning in case one day the machines suffer a blackout. Calculate with your mind. China has rescued an ancient tradition to apply it to modern warfare: mental calculation with abacus. In a context of increasing dependence on artificial intelligence, the People’s Liberation Army has applied logic: train soldiers capable of becoming a kind of “human abacus”, ready to operate when digital systems fail. In fact, in a recent exerciseCaptain Xu Meiduo predicted the trajectory of three targets in seconds after a radar failure simulation, guiding artillery fire with precision. State television has turned his feat into an emblem of self-sufficiency, reminding us that the human mind remains a decisive weapon even in the age of algorithms. From the classroom to the battlefield. The program is inspired by an educational practice still common in Asia: the mental abacus, or AMC, an ancient technique that allows complex calculations by visualizing an imaginary abacus. Used in China for a long time more than eight centuriesthis discipline has shown benefits measurable cognitive– Improves concentration, memory and reasoning speed. What’s more, studies from Harvard and Stanford confirmed a few years ago the trained children with mental abacus surpass in calculation and understanding to those who learn traditional mathematics. Now, the Chinese army transfers that advantage to the military fieldconvinced that mental precision and resistance under pressure can make the difference in combat. Millennial and current. The abacus, created in China ago more than 800 years and used for centuries in trade and imperial administration, it never completely disappeared. Although calculators and computers relegated it to a cultural symbol, in schools in China, Japan or Singapore continues teaching as a method of cognitive development. His mental version, based on imaginary manipulation From accounts, it has been the subject of neurological studies that demonstrate structural changes in the brain. Hence, the Chinese army has seen this plasticity as perfect training for modern warfare, where mental quickness and calmness under stress are as valuable as marksmanship. Tradition and vulnerability. The goal of the program, it seems, it’s double: reinforce the cognitive readiness of soldiers and reduce vulnerability to electronic warfare. In a confrontation where radars, GPS and networks can be nullified, human calculation capacity becomes a strategic backup. If you like, Beijing also seeks to demonstrate that its military strength does not depend solely on of drones or hypersonic missilesbut also of soldiers capable of thinking and deciding for themselves. Facing total automationChina aims for balance: a technologically advanced, but sustained army by trained brains to calculate without machines, in the conviction that, even in the digital age, war remains a human act. Between humans and algorithms. In that sense, the contrast with the United States is revealing. While Washington boasts or promotes highly trained soldiers and trusts in the superiority of its command systems, the Pentagon warns that excessive technological dependence can be an Achilles heel. US officials have pointed out that, when communications are interrupted and artificial intelligence degrades, what decides a battle is human initiative. From that perspective, China seems to have taken note. Your bet on rescue the mind As a war tool it is not intended to replace technology, far from it, but rather to complement it. In a world where machines can fail, true superiority, according to Beijing, may once again lie in the most basic: the human brain. Image | Picryl In Xataka | China has asked Russia for an airborne battalion and training. That can only mean one thing: they are preparing a landing In Xataka | The US studied what would happen if it went to war with China: now it has begun a desperate race to duplicate missiles

Spain and France warned of a failure in Europe’s drone wall. Now the plan includes lasers and civilians with rifles

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The drone raids Russians on the european airspace have turned the sky of the continent into a new frontier of hybrid warfare. In a few weeks, these devices have forced the closure of airports, putting the air forces on alert from NATO and reopened a debate that Europe thought distant: how to defend yourself of a cheap, difficult to track and increasingly sophisticated enemy. Then we heard the idea for the first time of the “drone wall”and now it’s starting to take an unexpected shape. The invisible threat. The incidents in PolandDenmark and Germany, where drones of unknown origin flew over military bases and civilian areas before disappearing, have accelerated the creation of an unprecedented defense device. Allies seek to protect the population and its critical infrastructure while balance the answer immediate with the development of a long-term architecture. This is how the idea of ​​raising an antidrone walla technological network that combines sensors, radars, jammers and low-cost weapons to detect, intercept and neutralize threats in a matter of seconds. The birth of the wall. The concept emerged many months ago, inspired by the lessons of Ukraine and the evidence that European armies They lacked adequate systems to counter the proliferation of drones. The Baltic countries, together with Poland and Finland, presented the initial proposal to the European Commission: a technological wall on NATO’s eastern flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, financed with border security funds and intended to monitor the skies against possible Russian incursions. But the wave of drones that crossed Polish airspace last September changed the scale of the project. Ursula von der Leyen proclaimed the need for a “wall” to protect all of Europe. What began as a regional idea became the embryo of a continental air defense network against unmanned systems, the so-called European Drone Defense Initiativeincluded in the new military readiness roadmap that the Commission will present this fall. Europe accelerates. Thus, while politics was debated over budgets and powers, the armies acted. Denmark installed Doppler radars in Copenhagen and at its base in Skrydstruphome of its F-16 and F-35, to detect suspicious movements. Sweden announced a investment of 370 million of dollars in interceptors, jammers and frequency sensors. Germany passed a law which allows police to shoot down drones that pose an imminent threat, and the United Kingdom deployed spy planes on twelve-hour missions over the Russian border. Defense manufacturers quickly joined the effort: Saab presented its Nimbrix missiledesigned specifically to take down swarms of drones, and the loke systema modular radar, machine gun and electronic warfare set created in just three months to respond quickly to the threat. And in an unexpected turn of events, the Danes have gone further than anyone else: they even accelerated the instructor training military with shotguns to shoot down drones at close range, an unusual measure that reflects the urgency with which Europe is trying to close a critical technological gap. You have to expand. The initial enthusiasm for the anti-drone wall soon found a political problem: Western and southern Europe felt excluded from an initiative that concentrated resources in the East. Countries like Spain, France or Italy they detected a problem and they warned that the threats are not limited to the Russian front, since drones can operate from any point in the territory. The Commission took note and proposed expand the plantransforming the “wall” into a pan-European network of sensors, jammers and weapons integrated under the same coordination framework. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius admitted that the EU’s current capabilities are “very limited” and that it will be necessary to resort to Ukrainian experience, accumulated after almost four years of daily fighting against Russian swarms. The remakerenamed the European Drone Defense Initiative, seeks total coverage and proposes a double challenge: demonstrate that the Union can assume a real operational role in defense (traditionally the responsibility of States and NATO) and achieve consensus among twenty-seven countries with very different military priorities. Obstacles of a wall. But there are more obstacles. I told it in an extensive report this morning Reuters. The project faces a complex internal battle over who should lead it. Small and Eastern nations prefer that the Commission centralize coordination, while France and Germany (accustomed to directly managing their arms programs) they refuse to give in leadership. Berlin and Paris also fear that the Commission will end up assuming powers that traditionally belong to national sovereignty. At the same time, experts warn that the idea of ​​a wall can generate a false sense of security: No network, no matter how advanced, can guarantee the downing of all drones. The technical difficulties they are huge: Connecting radars, acoustic sensors, optical systems, interceptors and artificial intelligence software from different countries into a single mesh will require years of testing and billion-dollar investments. The challenge is to achieve a defense staggered and adaptable to a type of threat in constant mutation, where each enemy innovation requires an immediate response. Lessons from Ukraine. It we have counted other times. The war in Ukraine has taught Europeans a costly lesson: you cannot shoot down a 10,000 euro drone with a missile that costs a million. The sustainability of the combat depends on intermediate solutionsfrom interceptor drones that collide with enemies to automatic cannons and low-power laser systems. Rheinmetall, the German giant, defends the use of artillery as a more profitable option and has already received orders from Denmark, Hungary and Austria for its Skyranger mobile system. Emerging companies from the Baltic and Germany, such as Marduk Technologies or Alpine Eagle, have presented your own schemes multi-layer defensewhile Ukraine continues to serve as a testing ground: its operators adjust the speed and maneuverability of the interceptors almost in real time to face increasingly faster Russian versions. This constant evolution turns anti-drone defense into a living disciplineof countermeasure and countermeasure, where human experience and AI must coexist. The utopia of safe heaven. If you will, the future of the alleged European anti-drone wall depends now on three factors: … Read more

Once again, goal does not have the best AI, but it is clearer than anyone the best business plan to make it profitable

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Mark Zuckerberg He was not happy with the advances in his companyso spent the whole summer signing the best talents for millionaire figures with the aim of creating a superintelligence. We do not know if you will get it, what we do know is that, although the goal is lagging in the AI ​​career, it is advanced in something more important: How to make it profitable. Zuckerberg’s last play is that all chats and interactions with goal AI will use to offer us personalized ads. December 16. It is the date on which Meta will start using the conversations that its users have with goal AI to customize ads and the content that will appear on its different platforms. This includes, not only conversations with your chatbot inside apps such as Instagram or WhatsApp, if you have a target Ray-Ban, all the interactions you have with the voice assistant will also be used. If, for example, we ask Meta AI a question about how to take care of a plant, it will show us advertisements of related items and suggest plants publications. Mandatory. In This article on your blogMeta states that the user still has control and that he can adjust the content and ads that he sees from the ‘advertisement preferences’ section. What they do not say is that there will be no way to prevent chats from being used to customize the ads and content that we will see in the feed. The only way to avoid it is not to use the finish line. Of course, the company states that it will not use sensitive information such as religious beliefs, sexual orientation, political, health or racial issues. Another approach. While other chatbots like chatgpt, claude or gemini They use conversations as training data For their AI, in the finish line they bet on an approach aimed at business. The great technology, They are dilapidating billions in AI. Google, Amazon and Microsoft are amortizing investment with their cloud services, while Meta relies on their strongest business: advertising. In the second quarter of the year Your income increased by 22%largely thanks to its advertising services. Risks. In statements a FortuneEmily Bender, co -author of I study the dangers of “stochastic parrots” On language models, he affirms that Meta is crossing a dangerous line: “It is customization disguise (…) The following obvious concern is whether Chatbot himself will begin to incite us to reveal information.” In addition, alert about the illusion of privacy that we feel when talking to a chatbot and that can lead us to reveal sensitive information that we would never say in public. Image | Goal In Xataka | Zuckerberg is willing to lose “hundreds of billions” of dollars in AI: not investing them would be worse for finishing

NASA has managed to grow lettuce in space. What he has discovered later was not part of the plan

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In the International Space Station they are cultivating lettuce that seem as green as those of any land greenhouse. Astronauts water them with recycled water, illuminate them with pink LED lights and collect them carefully, as if they were the first daily gesture of an interplanetary humanity. It is the perfect image of a self -sufficient future: life making its way in a vacuum. However, the data is telling another story. A discouraging finding. A study Posted in Nature – Based in NASA’s open scientific repository – he has detected that space crops are losing nutrients while the human body, in microgravity, becomes more fragile. The analysis shows that the lettuce cultivated in the International Space Station and in the China Tiangong II ship contains between 29 % and 31 % less calcium and about 25 % less magnesium than its land equivalent. Iron appears in variable quantities and potassium, sometimes, shoots. At first glance, plants seem healthy, but their nutritional value bites. “A space salad can be perfect in the photos, but does not strengthens the bones,” The authors warn. And, in microgravity, the human body already loses bone mass rapidly; A diet with less calcium only accelerates the problem, while the lack of iron aggravates anemia and fatigue. What is behind. Microgravity alters more than satellite trajectories: it modifies the way in which plants absorb nutrients, distribute water and handle oxidative stress. Antioxidants such as phenolic and carotenoids decrease, leaving plants – already who consume them – with less defense against radiation. The study detected That species cultivated in orbit produce less protective molecules and more compounds associated with stress, as if plants were in survival mode. That chemical imbalance not only affects the taste, but also its ability to nourish. A cocktail of deficiencies. But not only plants change, astronauts too. According to NASA Twins Study data and Jaxa experiments, They were recorded Alterations in 163 genes linked to calcium metabolism, responsible for bone formation and immune regulation. Some of these genes behave anomalously in microgravity, which accelerates the loss of bone density and weakens the defenses. Human sampling analysis also show signs of permeable intestine syndrome or Leaky Gut: The intestinal wall, normally hermetic, becomes porous. Inflammatory molecules are filtered, the nutrients are absorbed worse and the immune system enters into tension. In that context, a diet devoid of iron and antioxidants can multiply exhaustion, cramps and radiation vulnerability. A dangerous combination when each bite counts. The space database. The work combines decades of astronaut records with the results of agricultural experiments in orbit. From the repositories OSD and Soma From NASA, scientists compared the mineral and antioxidant profiles of spatial crops with those of the earth and crossed them with human biomarkers. The objective was not only to analyze vegetables, but to understand how cultivated food interacts with a body that changes in microgravity. As explained on the Earth pageThe project is part of NASA’s analysis work groups, which gather researchers and volunteers from all over the world to study nutrition, biology and space health using open data. Looking for solutions. Even so, the panorama is not entirely discouraging. Scientists are applying bioengineering and biofortification to increase calcium, magnesium and iron content in plants. They also test crops rich in flavonoids such as quercetin – present in onion, broccoli and red lettuce – which protects cells and strengthens bones. According to Earthspecies such as soybeans, garlic or parsley already show natural advantages and could replace lettuce as the basis of the space diet. Besides, As we explain in Xatakaa team managed to ferment miso at the International Space Station, demonstrating that microbial processes can prosper in orbit. Fermentation not only improves flavor: it strengthens the intestinal microbiota and could help repair the intestinal barrier damaged by microgravity. And on earth, agencies continue to innovate. The Italian Space Agency It is developing A superannan and more nutritious rice, adapted to lunar soils and small spaces. It is the same philosophy proposed by the study: genetically designed crops to survive and feed better. Beyond plants, researchers also look towards alternative protein sources, Like the cricketscapable of closing ecological cycles in closed systems and providing essential nutrients with a minimum expenditure of resources. Mars’s challenge. The research is set on the missions to Mars, where each lost nutrient account. The full trip could last three years without refueling, and each food will depend on what is grown on board. If these plants lack calcium or antioxidants, crew health could deteriorate long before landing on the red planet. “Improve orbit nutrition today feels the foundations to survive on Mars tomorrow,” The authors of the study conclude. Space agriculture is not an aesthetic experiment: it is a matter of survival. Beyond the menu. Cultivating food in space is possible, but it is not yet enough. Plants lose nutrients, the human body changes and solutions advance more slowly than missions. What this study makes it clear is that space agriculture is no longer just about filling stomachs: it is part of the health system of the future. Biofortification, fermentation, microbiota and personalized nutrition will be as important as rockets or space costumes. Survival outside the earth will depend on both engineering and biology. Perhaps that is the deepest lesson in this finding: that human life – and that of the plants that support it – remains anchored to terrestrial gravity. Each outbreak cultivated in space reminds us where we come from and what we still do not carry with us: the earth itself. Image | Freepik Xataka | If the question is “what we will eat on the moon” the answer is “risotto”. At least if the Italians leave with their

The plan is to convert the ocean into its energy muscle

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Invisible, but there are. Much of the seabed is occupied by very long roads that connect virtually all countries. ANDl map of submarine cables It does not stop expanding and, if something has shown us the war in Ukraine, is that it is a key infrastructure. They are vital for communication systems. Beside him, there are other types of pipes: Those that transport fuel and those that allow connecting all the Offshore energy infrastructure. And China has just achieved a milestone in its network: they have installed More than 10,000 kilometers of underwater pipes with the aim of continuing to develop its energy independence. China and the offshore. China has a vast terrestrial territory, but although it is exploiting it with Huge solar ‘farms’ and the largest hydroelectric plant in the world (more another one on the way), they are also developing offshore energy. It is the one that allows access to resources at sea, such as Marine wind (For what they are developing science fiction wind turbines), natural gas, solar or oil. The country is promoting megaprojects such as Chaozhou wind park either floating solar plants while drilling Looking for oil independence (Something complicated Due to the volume they need). It is a strategy that responds to two objectives: the aforementioned energy independence and decarbonization betting on renewables. And, to grow in installed capacity in the sea, they need pipes that connect with land plants. Accelerated development. That is where the more than 10,000 kilometers of pipes that China has already installed, one “megaconstruction”, In its own way, which has experienced an accelerated development in recent years. Only between 2021 and 2025, the country installed more than 1,500 kilometers of new pipes, some at depths of more than 1,500 meters, entering the ultra -proprafundas waters. These pipes have different diameters. Thus, there are some of less than three centimeters in diameter, but others much larger that exceed 120 centimeters. Imagine a pipe with the diameter of a 50 -inch TV. Independence. This huge investment translates into projects such as Hohai Bay. It is the one that concentrates the densest pipe network in the country, with more than 3,200 kilometers and focused on both crude and gas transport. Another project is Deep Let No.1the first “field” of Ultraprofundo Gas developed entirely by China that opera 1,500 kilometers deep. Resistant. To install these pipes, the country developed the Hai Yang Shi You 201. This is its first boat designed to tend pipes at even greater than DEEP is No.1. We are talking about that you can perform facilities at depths of 3,000 meters and, for this, the pipes themselves must be resistant. They are designed to resist both high temperatures and a very high pressure, but also They tell with anticorrosion treatment and internal capacity to transport gas and oil currents that reach 120 degree temperatures. Its thickness is considerable: about four centimeters. Projection. In the end, this pipe network is both a technical achievement and the foundations on which the China’s independence desire at energy level. The idea is to exceed 13,000 kilometers of pipes by 2030, further strengthening the country’s energy transport network, while continuing to develop its offshore capacity. And, although we talk about gas and oil, we cannot forget that the country also has an interest in transporting ‘green’ fuels such as hydrogen or shale gas, fuel they recently discovered Gigantic deposits that will help in that objective of reduction of import dependence. Images | BAIR175, Boh In Xataka | A ghost fleet has mapped the entire submarine structure of the EU. The question is what Moscow will do with that information

A plan with 1,000 companies and billions at stake

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For decades, when there was talk of technological innovation, there was an inevitable destination: Silicon Valley. From that strip of northern California advances were promoted that marked the lives of millions of people worldwide. There were companies that today are part of our day to day, such as Apple, Google, Nvidia, Adobe or Netflix, and there a cultural imaginary was also forged that made Silicon Valley synonymous with synonym of modernity. The term not only defines a place, it is also a brand What have we seen in series, movies and even the way we think about technology. Today, however, other regions of the planet begin to claim their space, with the ambition to balance, or at least approach, to the symbolic and economic weight of that Californian cradle of innovation. And in that struggle, one of the most striking movements comes from China. Shanghai has put A project that seeks to transform Zhangjiang, into Pudong, in what we could interpret as its own Silicon Valley of artificial intelligence. The goal is as specific as huge: create an ecosystem with 1,000 new companies from here to 2030, reach an industrial volume of 100,000 million yuanes, one 12,000 million euros to change, and raise an innovation center with global influence, According to the Xinhua state agency. They are figures that impose respect. If the announcement came from any other part of the world, it could sound more to aspiration than tangible plan. Because gathering a thousand artificial intelligence startups In just five yearsmoving more than 10,000 million euros in such a short time and also pretending world influence is not precisely a simple task. But we talk about China, a country that in recent years has proven to be able to turn its ads into realities. The transformation of its technological industry is evident. China is no longer limited to being the world factory That supplies the devices we use every day, also innova. And he does it hard. There are cases like Deepseek in the field of artificial intelligence or Unitree Robotics In Robotics, companies that have climbed positions until they become international referents. China is no longer limited to being the world factory. There is another key element: resilience against external restrictions. The United States has imposed severe limits to Chinese access to the most advanced technology, From nvidia leading chips Until the Lithography Machinery of Advanced Nodes of ASML. And, despite this, China has managed to respond. Huawei’s example, who managed to develop a 5G chip in full technological fencehe surprised his own and strangers in Washington and showed the country’s ability to advance even under pressure. This context feeds an inevitable question: can Zhangjiang become the Silicon Valley of artificial intelligence? For now there are no definitive answers. What we do have is a plan with clear goals. If it will end up being a new Silicon Valley or not, only time will say it. But the movement is already underway and deserves to be followed closely. Shanghai’s commitment to convert Zhangjiang into a magnet of companies, talent and capital To land the promise, it is convenient to go down to the facts: on September 16 it was inaugurated in the heart of Zhangjiang Science City the call Zhangjiang Artificial Intelligence Innovation Townthe starting point from which to understand what the project is, where it unfolds and what goals has been set for the next few years. It is not about lifting a technology park from scratch, but to integrate existing spaces such as Moli Community, a residential and innovative area, AI Island, a park specialized in artificial intelligence, or the Moli Twin Towers. The idea is clear: that this concentration works as an innovation engine, test terrain for new applications and fertile space for startups and large companies. In official words, ambition is to build a place of “low cost of innovation and high intelligence density”, With an eye on attracting talent and accelerating the implementation of artificial intelligence in specific scenarios. The project is displayed by a planned surface of 2 square kilometers, According to China News. The heart of the area brings together more than 700,000 square meters of industrial spaces and is based on 1,000,000 square meters of facilities. Less than 3 kilometers are added 7,000 homes aimed at talent. The sources that we have consulted do not clarify whether these figures correspond to new work or existing resources. The plan has set two clear horizons. By 2027, the goal is to have gathered more than 500 new artificial intelligence companies, complete the registration of 100 large models and have consolidated between three and five companies with a vocation of global leadership. The second milestone arrives in 2030, with the aim of reaching the 1,000 new companies and an industrial volume of 100,000 million yuan. The inauguration of September 16 marked the beginning of that road. The premiere was not symbolic. At the inauguration The first twenty companies were presented. They do not reach a desert, because since July 28, when the concept of the initiative was announced, more than forty companies had already joined. To attract companies and talent, Pudong has launched what he calls the “Ten high quality measures”From Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town. The menu includes rentals from 1 yuan (0.12 euros) per square meter and day, free accommodation between one and two weeks for equipment in the initial phase, low -cost youth apartments with a Maximum 2,000 yuan (239 euros) per month for three years, and a system of coupons that cover up to 100 percent in computing services, models or linguistic corpus, with stops of one million yuan per category. To this are added support for “AI demonstration scenarios” of up to 10 million yuan (1.2 million euros), among other incentives. Capital is also part of the design. The inauguration announced the Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town Link Fund, a fund of 2,000 million yuan created by Hillhouse Venture and the Pudong Public Investment Group. Its function is to … Read more

An educational plan asked to transform teaching with AI. The problem is that it brought a dozen invented sources

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The story has some irony: a report of more than 400 pages about education, which took a year and a half to be written in a province of Canada, has been uncovered with a crack difficult to repair. According to CBC Newsthe document contains a variety of false sources, from alleged academic articles to a film that never existed. The contradiction is striking: a text designed to guide schools and universities in times of AI, indicated precisely for an error that reminds of the “hallucinations” of the generative models themselves. What has happened exactly. The document in question is titled ‘A VISION FOR THE FUTURE: TRANS Transforming and Modernizing Education‘. It was presented at the end of August as a ten -year roadmap to transform public and university education into Terranova and Labrador. Its launch was accompanied by great expectations: to serve as a guide for the future of the education system in a province that seeks to adapt to the digital age and the challenges of artificial intelligence. What was not expected is that, after its publication, it would be discovered that at least fifteen of its bibliographic references do not exist. We can find titles impossible to locate in academic databases and that, in some cases, seem copied to fictional examples used in style guides. This finding opened an immediate debate about the reliability of the report and on the supervision of the process that led to its writing. Official reactions contained. The Department of Education recognized the existence of a small number of possible errors in the appointments and assured that they will be corrected in the online version. One of the co -author, Karen Goodnough, just pointed out in an email to the aforementioned medium that “references are being investigated and reviewed, without giving interviews with local media. Today, however, access to the report itself has been complicated: the original link in which it was published He no longer shows it and returns an error 404. Only remains visible in a filed copy. Invented appointments. Among the most striking examples is the mention of an alleged 2008 film produced by the National Film Board, entitled ‘Schoolyard Games’. The agency itself confirmed that this work never existed. The reference, however, appears in the report with all the details of a real bibliographic record, as if it were a verifiable source. The track led to discover something even more disturbing: The appointment matches word by word with an entry included in a university style guide used as a model to write bibliographies. That manual explicitly warns that many of its references are fictitious and are designed only as examples. Despite this, some ended up integrated in the final document as if they were authentic. It is striking because the document not only speaks of AI, but also reserves a specific chapter: use it to customize the teaching, support teachers and simplify administrative processes, while driving competencies in AI, responsible practices and protection of privacy. In its “Calls to Transformion” it proposes to modernize the school system and prepare students for a digital environment where these technologies will be part of the day to day. Was the generative used? The finding of false quotes opened another inevitable question: to what extent did artificial intelligence intervene in the preparation of the report? According to CBC News, some teachers fear that these references have been created with a language model, since these types of systems usually generate plausible titles that do not actually exist, but for now there are no conclusive evidence. Images | Steven Binotto | Screen capture In Xataka | Jensen Huang, Bill Gates and other CEO are clear: the AI ​​has opened the door to the three -day work week

99% of the Internet travels through submarine cables. Now there is a much more ambitious plan in progress: join the electricity grid

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At first glance, the seas are an empty landscape. Under its waters, the image is another, through it a network of invisible highways that already support our day to day: the submarine cables that carry the 99% of world communications. Now, a new generation of electrical interconnectors – thousands of kilometers and gigavatio power – aspires to bring sun, wind and hydraulic where they are missing, when they are missing. The promise is simple: that electricity travels with the sun and wind through schedules; The execution, not so much. The starting point: The North Sea. The United Kingdom and Denmark premiered at the end of 2023 the Viking Link, a 765 km cable that crosses the North Sea and allows you to import electricity when wind is missing on the island and export when left over. It is the longest interconnector in the world in operation, but, as Financial Times warned: “It may not be for a long time.” The British media report details That on the horizon there are much more ambitious plans: join Canada with the United Kingdom and Ireland through a 4,000 km cable, link Morocco with Europe or export Australian solar energy to Singapore through more than 4,300 km of submarine cable. Through the cables. This new megaproject makes it clear that countries have been pursuing a connection with renewables for some time, because there is a mismatch between production and consumption, and we must solve it. The most illustrative example is AapowerLink in Australia. The Suncable company plans to install 3 GW from Solar in the northern territory, store part in batteries and sell it both to Darwin and Singapore, through an underwater cable of more than 4,000 km. In the words of his CEO, Ryan Willemsen-Bell, collected by Financial Times: “Australia has abundant land and sun. The ability to share those benefits with our neighbors has enormous potential.” In parallel, the North Atlantic Transmission One Link seeks to connect the Canadian hydroelectric plant with Europe. The time differential is its great asset: when Canada sleeps, the United Kingdom starts the day; When in the North Sea, wind blows at midnight, New York is preparing dinner. A lesson from the Internet. The idea may sound futuristic, but there are already solid precedents. As we have underlined Xatakathe entire planet is furrowed by submarine data cables, authentic digital highways that have demonstrated the viability of infrastructure of tens of thousands of kilometers. The Southern Cross Cable Network, 30,500 km, connects Australia, New Zealand and the United States since 2000. The newly opened 2Africa, 45,000 km, surrounds the African continent and reaches Barcelona and India. And in Spain, cables such as tide (6,605 km, Meta and Microsoft) or Grace Hopper (7,191 km, from Google) link Bilbao with the east coast of the US. The experience of these data networks provides an obvious parallelism: if we already move information on a global scale, why not also clean energy? Although not everything is so easy. From Financial Times alert a tensioning supply chain: The manufacture of cables, transformers and converting stations does not supply. The waiting deadlines are lengthened, and the availability of specialized ships to tend cable is limited. To that are added political risks. In Norway, the export of electricity to its neighbors has triggered the internal debate on prices. In the United Kingdom, the Government rejected this year to support the X-Links project to bring energy from Morocco, claiming “high level of inherent risk”. And with the ongoing Ukraine War, the threat of sabotages to critical infrastructure It is a fact. Looking inside. In the Spanish case, the problem is more domestic than international. As we have explained in Xatakathe country has run more than anyone to lift renewables in the “emptied Spain”, but has not deployed the cables to bring that electricity to the cities. The result is a “broken bridge”: at noon there are plenty of cheap megawatts that are cut or sell at zero price, and at night the network needs gas support, more expensive the market. According to data from the AELēC employer, 83.4% of connection knots are already saturated, which prevents hooking new consumptions such as industries, data centers or electrolyiners. The challenge, in short, is not to plan and reinforce the networks; as well as improve interdependence with other countries to break With the French bottleneck. A map of interdependencies. Beyond the technical and economic, these electric highways draw a new geopolitical map. Just as pipelines and gas pipelines marked the twentieth century, renewable interconnections can define alliances and dependencies in the XXI. The engineer Simon Ludlam, co-founder of the Canada-UK project, summed it up in Financial Times: “The most important nuclear reactor is in heaven, and its energy can be shared thanks to the rotation of the earth. But we need to be interconnected.” The sun that shines in the Australian desert or the water that falls in Canada could light, in a matter of seconds, the lights of cities to thousands of kilometers. The energy transition not only depends on producing renewables, but also on learning to move them. If the pipelines defined the petroleum geopolitics, the electric highways can become the invisible arteries of the coming world. Image | Unspash and What’s Inside Xataka | The Google Maps of submarine cables: an imposing interactive map that allows us to know the skeleton of the modern world

The return has become the world showcase of the proportions. Madrid has a plan to avoid it: shielding

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What happened? That The return to Spain 2025 promises to occupy an outstanding place in the Patria sports chronicle, even in the international, but for a reason that bit It has nothing to do with bikes. The competition par excellence of Spanish cycling has been marked by protests against Gaza’s genocide, which have found an unpayable showcase for their message in the tournament. Why’s that? Simple. Three elements that have caused an explosive mixture coincide. The first is Gaza’s genocide and the deep rejection that is generating in the societies of several countries, including Spain. The second element is the very nature of cycling competitions, which have been used for years Slave shop windows difficult to control. After all, the return is divided into 21 stages that cover More than 3,000 kilometers. The third element is the participation of Israel-Premier Techa Uciproteam team that has become an involuntary protagonist of the appointment. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Why is it controversial? Being linked to Israel and being in the hands of Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli magnate linked to the real estate sector, who has reached define as “self -proclaimed ambassador to the state of Israel” and It does not hide His tuning with Benjamin Netanyahu. His participation in the Vuelta has marked the edition almost From the beginning and has placed his cyclists in the eye of the hurricane. The best test was left a few days ago by the technical director of La Vuelta, Kiko García, who slid that I only saw “a solution” to the problems with which the return is being found: “that the team assumes that being does not facilitate the safety of all others.” Those responsible for Israel-Primer Tech always They have made clear that this possibility is not on the table because “a dangerous precedent would sit”, but They accepted eliminating The mention of ‘Israel’ of his jersey. The measure, loaded with symbolism, does not seem to have been enough. How serious is the problem? Yes. A week ago the organization of the Vuelta was found with such deployment of protesters as it passed through Bilbao that he chose to end the stage Three kilometers before of the planned end point. And it has not been the only occasion when he has been forced to make a similar decision. In Galicia the organization also decided to advance Eight kilometers The goal. Cyclists have encountered banners, screams, protesters throwing themselves on the road, Blacks or even A tree In the middle of the road. A cyclist from Movistar, Javier Romo, He ended up retiring of the tournament for the injuries he suffered after a fall. The reason? A protester broke into the road and caused him to be protruding and lost his balance. Cyclists have decided to continue competing, but also They warn that will be planted if they consider that they are in danger. “In the previous stage, they launched bottles and even clicks and nails in the neutralized. Before those things, the squad is afraid,” I recognized Recently a team director The country. From the Staff They also regret that the 2025 Vuelta has left shocking images like “chinches on the face of a cyclist.” What will happen in Madrid? The big question. The last two days will be held this weekend with the Community of Madrid as Main scenario: On Saturday there will be a mountain stage between World ball and Robledo de Chavela And on Sunday it will be culminated between ALALPARD and the center of the capital. The authorities want to avoid at all costs that the protests cloud the most symbolic (and media) day of the return and have decided shield Madrid to achieve it. The Government Delegation Recognize That citizens have a “legitimate right” to demonstrate, but also insist that “peaceful” must be exercised. In any case, the administrations have preferred to work in health and deploy hundreds of police and civil guards, with an operation that reminds of draft appointments, such as The NATO Summit in Madrid. From the City Council they have also reinforced security and They call “To responsibility.” The right of the people to demonstrate is not questioned, but they want to avoid scenarios such as those who lived in the Basque Country or Galicia. “It works to compatible the development of the sports test, with the legitimate right of demonstration of those citizens who decide,” Underline Francisco Martín Aguirre, the Government delegate in the Community of Madrid. How many agents will there be? Many. The Government Delegation in Madrid speaks of 1,100 National Police agents and 400 of the Civil Guard, effective who “will join the usual ones of the return device.” The City Council has also announced a reinforced deployment, with a thousand troopssum of local police (800), mobility agents (100) and Samur (100). The objective: shield The gold brooch for a cycling return that, beyond sports achievements, will be marked for subsequentness by protests. Images | Madrid Emergency Vehicle (Flickr) In Xataka | Cycling has always been used as a huge vindictive showcase. And that is now going back to the return

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