problem

For centuries the Christians pilgrimage to a remote cave to venerate Salome. Problem: They were wrong with Salome

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There was a time, many centuries ago, in which Christians went to an old cave located in the Judea Lowlandsnear the village of Eliav, in search of inspiration. Over the years even a Sacred place For Islam. There (the remains of Salome were supposed to be, a biblical figure with echoes in the origins of Christianity. Some versions identified it as the midwife that attended the birth of Jesus. Others as one of his disciples and witness of the crucifixion. It is even said that she was Maria’s little sister. Now a group of Israeli archaeologists has reached a fascinating conclusion that relies on vestiges located years ago In the cave: I probably Salome that rested in his day in the crypt was neither the midwife nor disciple of Jesus, but an opulent and powerful aristocrat related to Herod. In a place of Judea … The Salomé cave is a wide sepulcher located in Sefeláthe lowlands of Judea, with an exceptional archaeological value. In fact there are those who consider it one of the funeral caves “More impressive” discovered in Israel and “More elaborate” of his time, the known as period of the Second templewhich extended between the centuries VI AC and I DC Specifically, experts believe that the crypt built between the I AC and I DC The cave itself is no novelty. The archaeologists excavated it decades ago, in the mid -80s, after they were located. Throughout the last years, however, they have expanded our knowledge about the grave. By 2022 A group of experts from Israel Antiquies Authority (IAA) made an excavation in part of the enclosure that revealed new data on its architecture and history. He also confirmed that for several centuries that remote Cave of Sefelá was used as a veneration space. And how is it? Wide. Elaborate. And fascinating. The archaeological set includes a lobby, a large patio surrounded by silry stone walls and a funeral cave with several cameras in which they were preserved Kokhimfuneral niches excavated in the rock, in addition to ossuaries. Although archaeologists studied the thorough crypt in the 80s, a few years ago they wanted to go further, analyzing in depth The 350 m2 courtyard and cleaning the inside of the cave. “The patio turned out to be one of the most elaborate of its kind compared to other cemeteries of the same period,” he says An article Posted by the IAA. Among other things, experts met stones with Jewish motifs and “delicate plant designs,” such as rosettes, grenades and acanthus vases. Nothing to do with most access courtyards to funeral caves found by archaeologists, who are usually excavated, not raised with masonry. Cave … and pilgrimage place. If the grave is so relevant, it is not only because of its size, architectural characteristics or decoration. There is another equal or even more relevant factor. For a while the cave was a pilgrimage place. During their excavations of 2022 and 2023 in the front courtyard, archaeologists discovered a row of positions in which clay lamps were sold and rented. “We find hundreds, complete and broken, dating from the eighth centuries and IX DC”, They explain Nir Shimshon-Paran and Zvi-Fire, directors of the excavation. “The lamps may have served to illuminate the cave or as part of religious ceremonies, similar to the candles that are distributed today in the tombs and churches,” They add. In the cave, Greek, Syriac and Arab inscriptions, recorded crosses and indications that reveal that the funeral space remained in use during the Byzantine and Islamic periods were also located. “The excavations show that, in the Byzantine period, the site had become a place of Christian pilgrimage,” experts say, which tells us about a wide period of worship that covers from the 5th century to the IX DC DC The cave of Salome. The question was obvious … Who belonged to the funeral cave? Who rested in his day in the crypt? And why the archaeologists found crosses and dozens of inscriptions recorded directly on the rocks of the walls? The answer is both simple and complex: the Sefelá cave was the resting place of ‘Salomé’. Among the inscriptions in different languages, archaeologists identified several in Greek that mention that same name, ‘Salomé’, supposedly a religious figure relevant to Christians. In An article Published this year on the sepulcher, IAA experts remember that, in the 1090s, the scholars that analyzed the inscriptions have already concluded that the first monks who arrived in the cave in the Byzantine period discovered an ossary with the inscription ‘Salomé’, a relatively frequent name in the Judea of the beginning of the beginning of Christianity. “During the second temple period it was not common Explain Paran to The Times of Israel. “It is possible that the cave contained an ossuary with the name of Salome, although we did not find it. It could have been looted.” So … who was the famous Salome? The midwife of Jesus? A tradition attributes that name to a figure that appears in it Protoevangelio de Santiagoapocryphal text in which a Salomé is cited as a midwife that doubted the virginity of Mary. The story tells that his disbelief earned him a punishment that ended up turning it into a symbol. “According to the Christian tradition, Salome was the midwife of Bethlehem who was called to attend the birth of Jesus. He could not believe that they asked him to participate in the birth of a virgin and his hand dried. He only healed when he held the baby’s crib,” Remember From the IAA. Other versions They place Salome as a disciple of Jesus, Mary’s sister or has even confused her with the mother of Santiago and Juan. “The cult of Salomé, sanctified by Christianity, belongs to a broader phenomenon: the Christian pilgrims of the 5th century found and sanctified Jewish places. The name Salome could have appeared in ancient times in one of the alter’s already disappeared from the tomb and thus the tradition … Read more

Grok 4 destroys the tests and aims to be the most advanced AI model. The problem is that Elon Musk continues to sabotage his answers

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Xai has launched Grok 4its new artificial intelligence model that is sweeping the most demanding performance tests in the sector. The model exceeds OpenAi, Google and Anthropic proposals in multiple benchmarks. And is that in the absence of knowing OpenAI’s strategy with GPT-5At the moment it has all the ballots of being the most pointer the model. However, Grok continues to drag the usual problems: controversial responses, offensive content and an Elon Musk using the model to subtract credibility. The numbers speak alone. In the test Humanity’s last examconsidered one of the most difficult to measure abilities of AI, XAI states that Grok 4 has achieved 25.4% Without additional tools, surpassing O3 of Openai (21%) and Gemini 2.5 Pro from Google (21.6%). But it is with Grok 4 Heavy, its multiagente version, where the results shoot: according to the company, reaches 44.4% With ‘tools’, almost doubleing competition. Image: XAI In addition, at the benchmark ARC-AGI-2which measures the ability to solve complex visual patterns, Grok 4 has obtained 16.2%practically double the next commercial model. According to Musk“Grok 4 exceeds the doctoral level in all subjects, without exception”, an affirmation that, although it sounds to marketing, is supported by the results obtained. The revolutionary approach. Grok 4 Heavy works with A “multiple agents” system that work in parallel about the same problem, then comparing their results as if it were a study group. This architecture allows you to climb intelligence according to the available computational power, a concept that could redefine how we understand the AI ​​performance. Image: XAI The usual problems. The launch of Grok 4 occurs just after the previous version of the chatbot published anti -Semitic comments In X, even identifying as “Mechahitler” in some answers. XAI had to temporarily withdraw the service and eliminate offensive publications, while countries like Poland They announced complaints before the European Commission and Türkiye blocked access to chatbot. The cause was a modification in the system instructions that allowed the model “not to avoid politically incorrect statements.” Although Xai withdrew that guideline, the damage was already done. A constant sabotage. Despite these technical advances, Musk continues to condition Grok’s responses in ways that compromise their usefulness. The model performs automatic searches for the opinions of the tycoon in X to respond to controversial issues, turning the alleged search for “truth” into an echo of its creator’s ideas. This practice, confirmed By experts in AI like Carlos Santana, he once again demonstrates how Musk’s controversial decisions are directly influencing the development of the model. In addition, several researchers already They have managed to avoid Easily model safety barriers, making it generate content on chemical weapons, malicious software, drugs and other sensitive issues through relatively simple jailbreak techniques. Ethan Mollick, professor at Warton and an expert at AI, Point out The lack of transparency of the company: ‘There is no detailed technical documentation, risk analysis or explanations on how to avoid future incidents’. This opacity makes it difficult for companies to trust Grok for critical applications. Grok 4 prices. XAI Grok 4 Basic offers at a price of about 30 dollars a month. However, the company has also launched Supergrok Heavy, a subscription of $ 300 per month in which its most advanced model is offered and that directly becomes the most expensive market service on the market. What is coming. XAI plans to launch a programming model in August, multimodal agents in September and video generation in October. Also will integrate Grok 4 in Tesla vehicles Next week, expanding the scope of AI throughout the Musk ecosystem. The question is whether the company will separate the technical excellence of the media controversies that surround it, or if it will remain hostage of its founder’s impulsive decisions. Cover image | XAI In Xataka | We knew that AI would generate new jobs that did not exist before. What we did not expect is that he was fixing his pifias

Wimbledon has replaced all his line judges with a success. The only problem is that tennis players do not believe it

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Wimbledon has replaced This year for the first time in its history to its line judges for a technology that is an evolution of the traditional eye of the hawk. Despite the accuracy it brings, several tennis players They have expressed their discontentespecially following the controversy with the party of Kartal and Pavlyuchenkova. What’s happening. Several tennis players have publicly expressed their doubts about the electronic system. Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, the British numbers, have questioned the accuracy of decisions, while the Switzerland Belinda Bencic It was more direct: “I do not trust the system. Nor is it that I want to speak it too much, but it is really stressful.” The reluctance about this new system are increasingly common in tennis. Although the hawk’s eye has accompanied the games for many years already, The replacement of the judges It marks a general discontent in several professionals of this sport and fans. AND The case of Pavlyuchenkova He has put the situation more inri. Failure in three key situations. The incident that has been playing the most in networks was during the match between the British Sonay Kartal and the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on the central track. With the marker matched 4-4, a Kartal ball clearly came out, but the Hawk-Eye system remained silent. Without the usual sound signal of “out”, the referee ordered to repeat the point, causing The frustration of Pavlyuchenkova: “You have stolen the game.” The ruling lasted 6 minutes and 49 seconds, during which the system lost three decisions. The AI ​​is working. The organization has revealed that the problem of Pavlyuchenkova was actually a human error: an operator accidentally deactivated part of the cameras with a click on their computer. Sally Bolton, executive director of All England Club, He has defended that “the ball monitoring system has worked optimally and effectively” throughout the tournament. After the incident, they have modified the software so that the cameras cannot be deactivated manually when there is an ongoing game. How the system works. The Live Electronic Line Calling (Live Elc) that Wimbledon uses is An evolution of the traditional hawk eye that we have been seeing since 2007. The key difference is that it now works in real time: use a network of cameras with artificial vision that tracks the ball and automatically emits an “out” when it goes out. Before, the hawk’s eye was only used to review decisions when players requested it; Now he is the main referee of all lines. It has been working for years. Studies show that electronic systems in sport are significantly more precise than human judges. An investigation He revealed that line referees make mistakes in 27% of cases where the check -up review is required, which is equivalent to an error every 17.4 games. The system has demonstrated its reliability in multiple sports for more than a decade, and both the Australian Open and the US Open have integrated it in its entirety in recent years. AI and arbitration, whenever complaints. Resistance to technology in arbitration is not exclusive to tennis. THE VAR IN FOOTBALL It generates constant controversies. In addition, Hawk-Eye is also implemented in volleyball, Cricket, and even in football for ghost goals, situations in which there has also been controversy with technology. And it is that sport is usually very reticating to technological changes. We don’t trust technology. Machines fail less than humans, but Perception is usually different. And it is that many problems attributed to AI are actually errors in the implementation or in human decisions that accompany the system, as has happened this time in Wimbledon. Technology is not infallible, but it is statistically more reliable than any available human alternative. And why don’t we trust? According to Gina Neff, a teacher in Cambridge, “right now, in many areas in which AI affects our lives, we believe that humans understand the context much better than machines,” he says. “The machine makes decisions based on the set of rules for which it has been programmed. But people are really good when it comes to multiple external values ​​and considerations as well – what is the right decision may not seem like the fair decision,” he continues. “It is the intersection between people and systems that we have to do well.” “We have to use the best of both to make the best decisions.” Cover image | Shep Mcallister In Xataka | 150 years ago the English played the first football matches in Spain. Now there is a fierce fight for finding out where

Aemet at last at the end of the extreme heat tunnel in Spain. The only problem is what comes in place

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During the last weeks, the successive hot episodes (including the heat wave at the end of June and early July) have alternated with the arrival of vaguades that offered a certain thermal relief. A relief loaded with storms and hail, but relief after all. However, the dynamics of recent weeks seem to have broken. Postbile Dana. Meteorological models foresee the possible formation of a DANA, an isolated depression at high levels. This phenomenon, Experts of Meteoredthis phenomenon would bring more hailstorms in addition to winds of consideration. Two masses of air. The arrival of the Dana would also occur in a context also different from what we had seen in a June where the heat was extended by almost the entire peninsula. The first days of this are mana are characterized however by A two -speed Spain: With a mass of cold air installed in the peninsular north and a warm air dominating the center and the south. The long -awaited thermal relief is therefore produced at two veliocities, more quickly in the north (where temperatures have already moderated) and more slowly in the south, where the thermometers will move away from the 40º mark but with a slower stabilization. Uncertain weekend. That would be the context in which Dana could make an appearance. There is still uncertainty about how the “Descolgue” of this area of ​​low pressures will be and its entry into the Peninsula, but the simulations indicate that the arrival of this phenomenon will occur between Friday 11 and Sunday 13. More storms, more hail. This leaves us a panorama of uncertainty for the end of this week: if this arrival of the DANA occurs the instability could be high and that means that we could see a new rough storms with rainfall and strong winds. According to the modelsSaturday will be the day when it is noticed in our environment. According to these same models, the most affected areas will be the north third, the northeast peninsular and part of the Mediterranean coast. A summer of uncertainties. The question now is to know what will happen after this week of relief. While the warm episodes of the last month and a half had been interspersed for days of storms and temperature reduction, these stops in the thermal escalation had been rather brief. This week however the arrival of several troughs, including an associated with the possible Dana could involve a somewhat more marked reduction in temperatures. For now it is soon to know what will happen. The Monthly prediction From the State Meteorology Agency (AEMET) points out that we still have hotter weeks than usual for these dates, between 3rd and 5th warmer than the average. The quarterly forecasts Aemet also indicates that we have several warm months ahead: 70% probability that it is. In Xataka | “Clouds of fire”, the phenomenon that makes escape from sixth generation fires can make it impossible Image | ECMWF

The strokes have become a huge silent health problem in Spain. And there are ways to limit risks

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Every year 90,000 cases of strokes are produced in Spain that leave 23,000 deaths on average, According to the data of the Spanish Society of Neurology. This number could be significantly reduced, after all, many of the Risk factors which are associated with this type of event correspond to behaviors and habits that we can modify. Before reviewing what the risk factors are controllable or not, associated with the stroke, maybe it is appropriate to consider us What exactly is an stroke. The stroke or stroke (stroke) occurs when the blood flow that reaches a part of the brain is interrupted or drastically reduced. There are two types of accidents: ischemic and hemorrhagic. The former are the most common, are produced by the blockade of one of some circulatory route, for example by a clot or its narrowing as a result of fatty deposits. Hemorrhagic strokes for their part are produced by the breakage of a blood vessel. There is no exact list of risk factors that are related to these episodes since there are numerous overwhelms and interconnections Among these factors. Nor can we make an accurate distinction between the factors that we can control and those that do not. A clear example is that of diabetes. This disease is a risk factor in the appearance of ICUTS. Suffering or not this disease is not under our control, but we can avoid factors that in turn are linked to it. Despite the difficulties when delimiting these concepts, experts estimate that controllable risk factors are associated with 60% and 90% of the risk of suffering a stroke. That is, avoiding these factors we can reduce very significantly the risk that this type of event will be triggered in our brain. And what are the risk factors on which we have the greatest control? According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute From the United States, controllable risk factors include blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet and tobacco. According to the American medical institution Johns Hopkins Medicinea blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is a factor that can condition our probability of suffering such an accident. Obesity, food and physical inactivity They are clearly interconnected risk factors. Smoking is one of the Risk factors More widely mentioned, but alcohol and some recreational drugs such as intravenous or cocaine are also related to an increase in the risk of suffering from an stroke. Some legal substances such as the contraceptive pill have also been related to an increased risk of stroke. With anxiety, depression and stress, something similar occurs than with other diseases: we have a certain degree of control, but this can be very limited depending on the circumstances of each person. Something similar happens with the environment in which we live: although residing or working in contaminated areas can aggravate our risk of suffering from an stroke, changing work or residence is often not in our hand. What we cannot change Some of the risk factors that we associate with the stroke totally escape from our control. Maybe age is the most important: Age. As we become greater the possibilities of suffering a stroke are increasing. Sex is another factor linked to the appearance of this disease and in a unique way: it is fine at an early age men suffer from these accidents more frequently, the greatest life expectancy of women means that throughout life these suffer more such problems. Different ethnic backgrounds can lead to different levels of risk: in the United States African -American, native and Hispanic people have a higher risk of suffering a stroke. Finally, Genetics And family history can also be considered risk factors, especially in cases where a family member has experienced one of these events at earlier ages. In addition to the risk factors, it is worth remembering what are the main symptoms that accompany these events in order to better identify an stroke and improve the chances that whoever suffers it receives medical assistance on time. There are a few key factors that can help us Identify an stroke quicklybut there is also a challenge of symptoms that can also be associated with strokes. Among the Key symptoms There are the loss of strength or sensitivity in the face, arm or leg, which usually swams to a single side of the body; Confusion in speech, for example in the use of unconnected words; sudden loss of vision; dizziness, loss of balance or the appearance of a severe headache without a clear origin. In Xataka | We have a new and promising treatment against the consequences of stroke (and has been created in Spain) Image | Anna Shvets

When the heat arrives, the boys fall in love, the solar panels have a fatal and Spain has a new electrical problem

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Summer has arrived with excessive force To Spain. June has closed as the hottest month of which you have a record, and there is no indications that temperatures are going to give truce. The streets are emptied, public parks are deserted, and fans snort day and night as if trying to mark the rhythm of these unbearable days. But while life adapts as it can to this new heat, under the surface – where the invisible network that sustains modern life – heat has also tested the limits of the electrical system. High demand. While millions of people seek refuge under air conditioning, the Spanish electrical system begins to show saturation signals. Extreme heat triggers demand, reduces the efficiency of some sources of renewable generation and generates imbalances in the electricity grid. As collect the Iberian energy market operator (OMIE)on July 1, the price of the megavatio hour reached a peak of 167 euros at 9:00 p.m., an unusual figure for a night strip. The increase coincides with a high demand and a reduced renewable production at the end of the day, which forces the system to rely on more expensive technologies such as natural gas, According to Red Eléctrica España (REE). More heat, more network pressure. To all this is added an urban phenomenon that aggravates the pressure on the network: The island of heat. In cities, asphalt, concrete and lack of vegetation make the heat accumulated during the day stay overnight, raising the temperature several degrees with respect to rural areas. As a result, energy consumption does not descend after sunset, but is kept high for more hours. The households continue to light fans and air conditioning apparatus until well into the morning, which stress the system when the renewables have already fallen from the mix. But with more sun … The logical thing would be to think that with more sunny hours, Solar energy would suffice to meet the growing demand. And in part, it does: According to REE dataon July 1, renewables contributed 50.6 % of the electricity generated in Spain, compared to 49.4 % of non -renewable sources. But that daily average hides what happens in critical hours. From eight or nine in the afternoon, the photovoltaic disappears from the energy mix, just when the demand remains high and the temperature barely yields. At that time, they are the combined cycles – central that burn natural gas – that support the system, with more than 14,000 megawatts generated in some moments of that same night, According to REE data. There is an added problem. Solar does not always yield as expected: As we have already explainedpanels can have efficiency losses between 10 and 25% because of high temperatures. For each additional degree, they can lose up to 0.5 % yield. Nor does wind help too much: heat waves usually come accompanied by atmospheric stability situations that reduce the wind, which also lasts production. Will there be any blackout? Talking about generalized blackouts may seem exaggerated, but comparison with other countries, like the United Statesforces to take the threat seriously. However, the Spanish system has proven to have a certain margin of maneuver. After the blackout of April 28, they were activated Adjustment services to balance the network in case of collapse of the system at critical times. Although it avoids collapse, these mechanisms have a cost: they have more thanked the invoice part, especially for those in the PVPC rate. From that moment on, Ree has maintained an additional safety margin, operating with active backup power plants even when they are not in use, which structurally increases the operation of the system. Beyond the specific episode, that blackout exposed the deficiencies of a system that needs More storage, MicroRedes and greater local response capacity to disturbances. A system under stress. This summer is not only breaking temperature records: the margins of the electrical system is also testing. The combination of prolonged heat, night demand peaks and a more vulnerable renewable generation than expected is stressing the network at critical moments. The renewables are the present and the future, but they are not infallible. Its behavior also depends on the weather. And when the heat waves become the norm and not the exception, the resilience of the system depends on other factors: on the reinforcement of the networks, the storage, the demand management and, above all, to prepare the cities to resist without the most vulnerable paying the price. Image | Pexels Xataka | In a desperate attempt to avoid the blackout, Ree tried to start a gas center seven minutes before the disaster

Renfe has exploded the problem of the bird in full start of summer

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The rail transport has started Julio, a month usually marked by vacation trips, from The worst forms Possible, with considerable chaos in one of its great arteries: the high speed corridor between Madrid and Andalusia. Trains stopped for hours. Delays Suspended services. And a monumental anger among the affected passengers joined to the one already showed in May, when Copper theft He collapsed the bird of Seville. What happened? That in the full start of July, with thousands of people making their bags to enjoy their summer vacation, the Spanish railway sector has encountered a considerable problem in one of its great arteries: the high -speed corridor between Madrid and Andalusia. And it is not the first. In early May the Madrid-Sevilla AVE line has already suffered A collapse which resulted in trains detained for hours, saturated stations and thousands of passengers (there was talk of more than 16,000) affected. Fault in a catenary. The notice jumped yesterday around the afternoon in the province of Toledo, where Adif recorded A fault in a catenary between the Yeles (Toledo) and La Sagra (southwest of the Community of Madrid). The problem, according to detailed in x The administrator of the railway infrastructure caused it a “lack of tension” that directly affected the high -speed trains that Madrid and Toledo connect with Andalusia. Click on the image to go to Tweet. An incidence with hangover. The chronicle of what has happened can be followed by a tweet. About half past nine of the Adif Night confirmed A “breakdown” in the catenaria (without going into details) that led him to mobilize technicians, displace relief locomotives to move the trains stopped outside the stations and even ask for help to the 112 of Castilla-La Mancha to attend affected travelers. At ten o’clock Adif confirmed that he had recovered the tension on one of the roads between the Sagra and Yeles, which partially unlocked the Madrid/Toledo-Andalucía corridor; But that solved only part of the problem. Adif itself acknowledged that the affected trains would continue to suffer delays by having to operate in a single route. Well, enter the morning, at 5.20 hhe chose to cut the tension to focus on the catenary that was still blocked and recover the second way from the yles to Mora. Checking the grill. The result was The suspension of the first -hour trains with origin Atocha and Destinad Andalucía and Toledo. “The difficulty of the rescue of two trains affected by the incidence and prolongation in the work to repair the catenary prevent the trains of the South Corridor with origin/destination Madrid and/or Sevilla circulating until new notice,” needed Almost at nine in the morning. The consequences They let themselves feel Also in long distance connections with Malaga, Granada, Cádiz and Huelva and Trains with Toledo, Puertollano and Ciudad Real. Click on the image to go to Tweet. “Delays can be recorded”. The message confirming that the catenary breakdown was repaired did not reach the eleven of this morning, which opened the door at the end of the trains of Madrid to the south and those that start from Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha direction to the capital. Of course, the administrator of the railway infrastructure was cured in health with a clear warning for the passengers of the corridor: “Delays can be recorded due to the accumulation of trains.” “Absolute abandonment”. So far the Chronicle of Adif. The collapse in the railway corridor, however, left another very different story in networks, the one contributed by the passengers affected by the fault. “What seemed like a simple trip has become a nightmare: we have been trapped in the middle of a plain in Toledo, without electricity, without bathrooms, with an unbearable heat and surrounded by insects,” He denounced this morning An X user, Antonio Regalado, annoyed by the “absolute abandonment” of Renfe 5862. An evacuated octogenarian. “Thirteen trapped hours. This is not a delay, it is an abandonment”, insists Given. According to her testimony, a woman even suffered an arrhythmia and had to be evacuated in ambulance. “There are older people, children and passengers totally abandoned, with anxiety, hunger and without explanations.” 112 Castilla-La Mancha has confirmed In networks that of the five trains of the Madrid-Sevilla line damaged between the provinces of Toledo and Ciudad Real, four were able to continue the march during the night. The convoy located in Villaseca de la Sagra ran worse luck, so the 112 operators had to attend them at night. They also had to evacuate an old woman 84, who ended up being transferred to Toledo University Hospital for respiratory failure. The train did not resume its trip to Madrid until 9.30 a.m. Image | Pablo Nieto Abad (Flcikr) In Xataka | China wanted to be the queen of high -speed trains. So he built all the longest bridges in the world

It is not you, it’s hotter than ever. And the problem is that summers are not going to improve over time

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A good part of the planet is clear about one thing: it’s hota lot. So much that life during the day It makes complicated. Last June it became the New Julywhat leaves us a disturbing question now that we started new month: what will happen in July? Many wonder if what happens is “normal”, and the truth is that scientists have an answer: it is not only suffocating. Anticipated and prolonged. As we said, summer did not wait for July. With anticipated heat waves that have fried To Canada, the northeast of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and a good part of northern Europe, the 2025 summer season is being configured as another forceful evidence of the rapid advance of climate change. The pools in Toronto They remain open Until midnight, concerts are being canceled in Amsterdam and fans They have reappeared In French homes earlier than usual. The alarming is not just the heat intensitybut its chronology: the thermal threshold that previously marked the beginning of the warmest period of the northern hemisphere was reached around July 10. In 2024, the hottest year Never registered, it was exceeded from June 13 to September 5. This year, without being as extreme as the previous one, this weeks advanced regarding the historical average. The phenomenon reflects A clear pattern: summers are lengthening at both ends, starting before and ending later, which increases exposure to heat waves and elevates substantially The health risksagricultural and environmental. Heat out of time. I remembered The Washington Post That heat waves are no longer limited seasonal phenomena, but an increasingly continuous threat. According to data From the United States Environmental Protection Agency, its duration, frequency and intensity have increased significantly in the last seven decades, extending the “extreme heat season” of less than 50 days in the 90s to about 70 Since 2020. This phenomenon has altered the climate calendar in a drastic way: between January and mid -June of this year, 163 of 171 days registered temperatures greater than 32.2 ° C in extensive regions of the northern hemisphere, a figure unprecedented since 1980. Examples The consequences are manifested Multiple: anticipated forest fires, Early melting of glaciers in the Swiss Alps or the increase of deaths due to heat stroke, which in Europe have risen 30% In the last 20 years. The danger increases Especially in early heat waves, when the population has not yet adapted physiologically nor has preventive protocols activated, more seriously affecting older or vulnerable people. Heating accelerates. He underlined The New York Times That the evidence shows that the planet is heating, and is doing it faster than the models predicted just a few decades ago. The summer of 2025 had barely begun when the United States was already caught under that suffocating “heat dome” of The one we talk about who beat records, while Alaska registered his First official alert by high temperatures. As we said, these anomalies arrive after 2024 that was the warmer year Never registered, and reinforce what climate science has been anticipating: global warming caused by human activity not only continues its course, but also that It is accelerating. More science. A Recent study estimates that the average global temperature is increasing at the rate of 0.27 ° C per decadea significantly higher rate to the rhythm of 0.2 ° C that was observed in the 70s. But beyond the figures, the most disturbing is how these changes have begun to demonstrate directly And visible in everyday life: devastating floods, extreme droughts, increasingly voracious fires and heat waves that challenge the limits of the human body and modern infrastructure. The ends grow faster. In this way, each additional tenth not only adds heat to the planet, but also increased the violence of Meteorological phenomena extremes. According to the climatologist Daniel Swainevents such as torrential rains or forest fires do not grow in a straight line with the temperature: they do it with An exponential pattern. For each Celsius heating grade, extreme rainfall increases by 7%, but the so -called “record events” are doubling that rate. This intensification was not only predictable, but the scientists had already modeled it, although now it begins to feel tangible and disconcerting. Kate Marvel, another recognized climatologist, summarized it like this In the Times: “There is no climate out of climate change.” Phenomena like him Hurricane Helene or historical floods of Vermont They are not anomalies, but direct expressions of an altered atmosphere. Although a total understanding of the most extreme events is still lacking (in part because its rarity makes it difficult to Adjust your models urgently. Accelerated thaws. The impact of heating feels with special severity in vulnerable regions such as The Arctic and Antarctica. The thaw of his ice masses, which for decades seemed a distant phenomenon, is now contributing to a faster sea level rise than expected. A NASA analysis Posted in March revealed that the level of the oceans increased by 2024 to A higher rhythm to the estimated, due to the thermal expansion of the waters (heated in depth) and to the accelerated thaw of glaciers. The sea and the planet. In addition, the data from another study of the National Center for Earth Observation show that the marine surface temperature It is increasing above the previous forecasts, which has direct implications for The global climateprecipitation patterns and cyclones intensity. Cecilia Bitz, an expert in climatic modeling, acknowledges that simulating the complexity of the Earth is a challenge, but insists that the great physical principles of the climate system They are still valid: They are not being denied, but complying with disturbing accuracy. The energy imbalance. The physical root of global warming is in the Energy imbalance From the planet: the difference between the solar energy that the Earth receives and the one that returns to space. According to Another study Recent based on NASA satellite data, that imbalance It has doubled In the last two decades and is now … Read more

This city of China is the world epicenter of rare earths. The problem is that nobody thought of its inhabitants

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To get an idea to what extent It has control Of those precious minerals that form the set of rare earths, the greatest enemy that China has is not outside its borders. It is such a monopolization in the sector that the danger has in “house” through of the smugglers. And of all enclaves, one stands out greatly as an epicenter of the entire heart. His name is Baotou, and everything that shines for the surrounding inhabitants is not gold. A normal city in appearance. Baotouan industrial core of 2.7 million inhabitants on the border with the Gobi desert, seems to the naked eye a second category Chinese city like so many others: shopping centers with western chains, local restaurants overflowing and children playing late. However, a short journey to the outskirts is enough to discover His true nature: A landscape dominated by factories, smoking chimneys and an environmental legacy forged by one of the most strategic and persecuted sectors of the planet. The heart of rare earths. Yes, the enclave houses More than 80% of the Rare reserves of China. Since in the 30s they were discovered in the nearby Mining District of Bayan Obo elements such as Cerio, Lantano or Samario, its exploitation has turned the city on a chain axis on global supply on industries such as electronics, automotive and defense. We have counted before: During the 90s, China increased its production by 450%, while other countries, such as the United States, They closed their mines. This concentration made Beijin the almost exclusive supplier of these critical metals, and today, in the midst of the commercial war with Washington, its control has been transformed In diplomatic weapon. Economy vs Human Cost. The problem? The Guardian told that mineral wealth has favored the economic development of Baotou, whose GDP per capita It widely exceeds the national average. However, prosperity has Your reverse: Processing plants generate toxic (often radioactive) waste that are discharged into huge artificial rafts. The most infamous, the Weikuang dam, for years was the largest landfill of rare earth waste on the planet, without adequate coating and directly close to the Yellow River. In fact, official reports have confirmed that these activities caused a 87% decrease of ammoniacal nitrogen in a tributary between 2020 and 2024, although accumulated ravages remain visible. Yin mountains on the outskirts Cancer and poison. For example, numerous studies They have documented devastating consequences in the health of nearby communities: from bone malformations to a “Epidemic” of cancer. Exposure to these elements, capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, has been associated with motor and sensory disabilities, as well as alterations in fetal neurological development. Not just that. 2020 investigations revealed that the dust of the streets contains concentrations so high that the children of Baotou and surroundings are exposed to dangerous levels Just to breathe. Daily particle ingestion rates in mining areas far exceed the limits considered safe. A washing … halfway. Given the growing international criticism, China has tried to clean its image. In 2022, state media announced that Weikuang’s dam had been transformed into an urban wetland, now supposed paradise of migratory birds. The reality? Explained the medium British that when arriving at the place, what one is located is a concrete wall that hides a dry and desolate lodazal. Behind, ruins of ancient “villages of cancer” and oxidized industrial structures extend. New homes built for displaced are practically empty, and foreign journalists are It usually blocks actively to prevent them from talking to residents. Rural sacrifice. So things, Baotou exemplifies an uncomfortable truth: the China domain In the rare earth market it has been possible not only for its geological reserves, but for a political decision where rural communities have been allowed to support Toxic costs of a globalized economic boom. It is not an exempt problem from China, of course, the same thing happens in other sectors such as AI and its data centers (we recently counted it with the Elon Musk Supercomputer). Be that as it may, and although there are less polluting technologies to process these metals, they are rarely used: its implementation would make the low costs that have cemented the Chinese position. If you want, in a context of growing international pressure and commercial sanctions, the extractive model It reveals both the fragility of environmental balance and the rawness of contemporary geostrategic priorities. Image | 柏尔莫华, 天王星 In Xataka | The key to China’s success with rare earths are not the rare earths: it is the magnet In Xataka | China’s domain of rare earths has nothing to do with geography: it is born from 39 university programs

We have a big problem with AI agents: 70% of the time are wrong

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The AI agents They fail more than a fair shotgun. That’s at least what reveals A recent study of researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Duke. These experts have analyzed the behavior of several of them and put them to the test to check if this is a “much noise and few nuts.” AND At the moment it is. Inspiration. Graham Neubig, professor of CMU, explained In The Register how inspiration had been A 2023 article of OpenAi. It talked about what types of work could be replaced by AI systems, but as he said “his methodology was basically asking Chatgpt if those works could be automated.” In that study they wanted to verify it by asking various AI agents to try to complete tasks that theoretically carry out professionals of those works. In Xataka Everything begins by asking a thing to an AI. When the AI ​​is asked for others, chaos begins Theagentcompany. To carry out their study, the researchers created a fictitious company they called The Agent Company and they used it so that different agricultural models tried to complete various tasks. These systems should be able to use access to several services such as Gitlab, Owncloud or Rocketchat to carry out these works, but their performance was disappointing. 70% errors. The researchers used two trial environments called Openhands Codeact and Owl-Roleplay and in them they were testing the most important AI models today. The best of all of them is Claude Sonnet 4, which managed to solve 33.1% of the proposed tasks. Behind are Claude 3.7 Sonnet (30.9%), Gemini 2.5 Pro (30.3%) and, much further, disastrous GPT-4O (8.6%), call-3.1-405b (7.4%), QWEN-2.5-72B (5.7%) or Amazon Nova Pro V1.0 (1.7%). In the best case the models can complete 30% of the requested tasks, but they fail in 70%. Or what is the same: a lot of noise and few nuts according to these benchmarks. Unable agents. During these tests the researchers observed various types of failure in these tasks processes. Thus, there were agents refusing to send a message to colleagues who were part of the task, there were also agents unable to manage popup windows during navigation sessions, and even agents who cheated or cheated. In one of the cases, they highlighted, an agent who had to consult a person in Rocketchat (an alternative Open Source a Slack) did not find it, so “he changed the name to another user to give him the user with whom he had to contact.” But they are improving. Even with those problems, the evolution is being positive in the performance of these AI agents. Neubig and his team tested a software agent that was able to solve about 24% of the tasks involved web navigation, programming and some related tasks. Six months later they tested a new version and achieved 34% of completed tasks. {“Videid”: “X8HJ0VY”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “Chatgpt: What you did not know what you could do | tricks”, “Tag”: “”, “Duration”: “790”} Imperfect but useful. Not only that: these researchers pointed out that even failing so much, AI agents can remain useful. In certain contexts, such as programming, a partial code suggestion with which to solve a certain fragment of a program can end up being the basis of a solution in which the developer can then work. Care where you use them. But of course, agents make so many mistakes can be a problem in scenarios more sensitive to these problems. Thus, if we commission an agent who writes Correos and sends them to incorrect people, the result could be a disaster. There are solutions in sight, such as the growing adoption of Model Context protocol (MCP) that facilitates the interaction between services and AI models so that communication is much more precise and these errors can be mitigated during the autonomous execution of tasks. A benchmark that makes the AI ​​models look bad. For this expert one of the great disappointments is that companies that develop AI models do not seem interested in using it as a metric to improve their developments. Neubig suspected that “perhaps it is too difficult and makes them look bad.” It is something similar to what happens With the benchmark arc -ag2: It is such a difficult test for the IAS that today The best of all models of which they try to overcome it is o3, which achieves – a 3% of completed tasks. In Salesforce they coincide. That previous study is complemented With another realized by a group of Salesforce researchers. They created their own benchmark specifically aimed at verifying how various AI models would be checked when controlling typical tasks in a CRM like those developed by the firm. His project, called Crmarena-Pro, tests those AI agents in areas such as the Sales or Support Department. In Xataka If the question is whether IA is already as good as human intelligence, the answer is: solves this puzzle To replace workers, nothing. In their conclusions, these researchers reveal how the AI ​​models “achieve globally modest success rates, typically around 58% in scenarios with a single shift (execution), but with the yield significantly degrading approximately 35% in multiturn scenarios.” In fact, they explained, “agents are not generally prepared or have the essential qualifications for complex tasks.” The risk of some experts, with A great impact of AI on various jobsit seems precipitated. A complicated future. To these discreet results, the prediction of the Gartner consultant is joined. According to your studiesmore than 40% of the development agents projects will end up being canceled at the end of 2027. The main person responsible for the report, Anushree Verma, indicated that “at present, most of the agricultural projects are experiments or tests of concept in the initial phase, mainly driven by advertising already often badly applied.” The message is clear: there are too many expectations in relation to AI agents, but the current state of technology shows that today its application is problematic and limited. Image … Read more

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