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The big problem with putting solar panels on crops is shade. The University of Jaén has found a solution

December 14, 2025 by usatoday24

In search of fulfilling the decarbonization goalswe are filling the field with solar panels. Giants like China can do it combining other activities well, but in the case of smaller countries, things change. Spain is an examplewith a field irrigated by crops that is also being plagued by panels. Now, a research team from the University of Jaén has found the key to continue deploying solar panels without interfering with crops. A panel with minimal shading that does not compromise its energy generation. The agrovoltaics. Different reports have pointed out how the temperature will increase by 1.5 to 3.2 degrees If we continue the same as until now. For this reason, the European Union marked the milestone of 30% of its energy comes from renewables by 2030 to, in 2050, achieve climate neutrality. Wind is important, but what almost all countries are embracing is photovoltaics. The price of the plates has fallen to the ground thanks to the China overproduction and it has begun to be deployed massively. The problem is what we mentioned: it takes up a lot of space, which opens a direct conflict with the farmland. There, agrovoltaics is becoming established as a solution to place panels that do not interfere with the cycle of some crops, and mixes with beekeeping and the livestock. But if we want to continue expanding photovoltaics, panels that provide less shade are needed. Panels and photosynthesis. That is where the solution devised by the University of Jaén comes into play. In a study Published in Science Direct, researchers detail a technology that allows a panel to efficiently generate electricity, while allowing crops to receive enough light to perform their optimal photosynthesis cycle. To do this, the team has taken into account two technical parameters: the average visible transmittance and the average photosynthetic transmittance. In practice, they indicate the amount of light useful to the plants that reaches them after passing through the panel, and they point out that different studies estimate that, for most crops, the minimum value should be around 60%. In that spectrum, plants produce normally. Status of the “transparent” panels“The photovoltaic industry has been working on this for some time. There are two approaches: Non-wavelength selective panels: They are those that absorb a large part of the solar spectrum and achieve transparency by reducing the color of the material or leaving gaps between the cells. With them, transparency is not adequate. Wavelength Selective Panels: They are those that absorb, above all, ultraviolet and near-infrared radiation, but allow a large part of the visible light to pass through. It is what the plants need and, in this case, the transparency of the panels is greater and more suitable for crops. RearCPVbif. In the two groups the industry is testing very different technologies, from polycrystalline silicon to organic cells and color-sensitized panels, but the Spanish team’s approach is somewhat different. The semi-transparent photovoltaic modules They are the STPVs, but what is proposed by the University of Jaén is a system called RearCPVbif, or “Bifacial Rear Concentrator Photovoltaic.” Unlike conventional semi-transparent designs, this technology concentrates and redirects reflected light towards the back of the bifacial cells, generating an increase in electrical production without reducing optical transparency, which is what allows light to reach the plants. It is an STPV, but with rear optical concentrators. In statements to PV-MagazineÁlvaro Varela-Albacete, co-author of the research, points out that STPV technology is being underused and that, with these rear concentrators, there is “a substantial increase” in energy generation without compromising optical transparency. “And how much is the transparency factor? 60%, according to the study, so it would be suitable for most horticultural crops. Next steps. In the study they also mention that they have taken into account that a crucial aspect for agricultural viability is thermal behavior, indicating that, in their tests, the cell temperature was below 70 degrees. This is important so that the panels do not create a “greenhouse” that affects crop patterns. And most importantly: this technology has already attracted attention. Numerous promising studies are published throughout the year, but their application is not always clear. In the case of this ReadCPVbif technology, the co-author of the study, Eduardo Fernández, points out that they are already engaging in conversations with different organizations to accelerate the development of the technology. Now, the route hour includes an evaluation of the benefits for crop growth, with different test campaigns on real crops. In any case, it aims to be a particularly relevant technology in the intensive horticulture that occurs in regions of Spain such as Almería, where apart from the sea of plastic, also the photovoltaic sea is rising. If the two things can be combined, it would be a great step for both sectors. Images | University of Jaen, Σ64 In Xataka | Almería has been Europe’s great “sea of plastic” for years. Now it wants to be another sea: that of solar panels

Google is serious about putting data centers in space. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos rub hands

December 14, 2025 by usatoday24

While there are municipalities debating whether to let big technology companies install data centers in their domainsGoogle wants a strike further: taking the data centers to space. Google. The company revealed its intentions a few weeks ago and your Suncatcher project wants to install two prototype satellites before 2027. Curiously, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are more than delighted with the idea of their rival. Suncatcher Project. Push the capabilities of the artificial intelligence requires that we train it and, for this, they are necessary huge data centers with spectacular computing power. The problem is that the energy needs of these facilities They are astronomical, becoming resource sinksmaking oil companies set aside their renewable energy plans and even raising the opening of “private” nuclear power plants. Suncatcher couldn’t have a more appropriate name. In space, without the influence of the atmosphere, solar panels They capture the light spectrum in a different way, enough to feed those data centers that seem insatiable, and what Google proposes is to build constellations of dozens or hundreds of satellites that orbit in formation at about 650 kilometers high. Each of them would be armed with Trillium TPU (processors specifically designed for AI calculations) and would be connected to each other via laser optical links. Pichai puts the topic anywhere. Although 2027 is the key date, it is evident that Google is very interested in airing its plans because it is a sign of both technological power and an invitation for interested entities to invest in the process – and a way to continue inflating everything around AI-. And the person who is practicing this speech the most is the company’s CEO himself: Sundar Pichai. Since we learned of Google’s plans, Pichai has spoken of the topic in every interview he has given. It does not tell anything new beyond that hope of having TPUs in space in 2027 and the ambition that in a decade extraterrestrial data centers will be the norm. Musk and Bezos: competition, but allies. And if Google is interested in selling its narrative, those who are also interested are two of its most direct competitors: Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Both Musk with several of his companies and Bezos with Amazon Web Services are in the race for data centers and artificial intelligence. They have some of the largest on the planet, but they also have something that the rest of the competitors don’t: ability to launch things into space. Musk with SpaceX and Bezos with Blue Origin have the tools to put satellites into orbit, charging for each kilo they launch into space. And it is there, the more credible it seems that the future of computing is in low Earth orbit, the more economic and political sense they will make. SpaceX as Blue Origin. Both are Google’s competition, but also the option for Google to achieve its objective. And, ultimately, we keep seeing rival companies renting their services from each other. Data center fever in space. The truth is that, at first, it sounds like a crazy plan to build these extraterrestrial data centers, but from the most pragmatic point of view (removing logistics and the money that both development and each launch will cost from the equation), it is a plan that makes sense. In space, a panel can perform up to eight times more than on the Earth’s surface, in addition to generating electricity continuously by not depending on day/night cycles. It is something that would eliminate the need for huge batteries, but also for complex water-based cooling systems. And, as we said, Google is not alone in this. Currently, there is a fever for space data centers with big technology companies in the spotlight: Considerable challenges. Now, Google itself comment It will not be easy to carry out this strategy. On the one hand, the costs. The company claims that prices may fall several thousand dollars per kilo to just $200/kg by mid-2030 if the industry consolidates. They note that, in that case, the price of launching and operating a space data center could be comparable to the energy costs for an equivalent terrestrial data center. Another difficulty will be maintaining a close orbit between the satellites. They would have to be within 100-200 meters of each other for optical links to be viable. And most importantly: radiation tolerance by the TPUs. Google has been experimenting with this for years, but they must test the effects of radiation on sensitive components such as the HBM memory. Surely astronomers They will be delighted with this strategysame as with starlink. Image | THAT In Xataka | We are launching more things into space than ever before. And the next problem is already on the table: how to pollute less

Putting four chickens in the yard seemed like a good idea to have cheap eggs. Bird flu just changed the rules of the game

November 25, 2025 by usatoday24

From November 13, 2025, there is no poultry farm in the country that can be outdoors. With mass confinement, the Government wants to contain the spread of the H5N1 bird flu. And it makes sense: so far this season, 14 outbreaks have already been recorded in poultry, several in captive birds and dozens in wild birds. The problem is everything that falls under the radar. “What do I do with my chickens?” In Spain, at least from 2024, all chickens must be registered. And yes, that includes ‘self-consumption’ chickens; some animals that, according to the data, they represent only 0.77% of the census (but all experts know there are many more). A report from El País from the spring of this year confirmed that “the figures do not reflect reality and that a large part of self-consumers have birds (especially the ISA Brown species) without census.” This has meant that in a context in which self-consumption does not have inspections (and lives unaware of animal health regulation), the doubts and risks have grown exponentially. As Cristina García Casado explained in InfoLibrethe question most frequently asked by veterinarians across the country is “what do I do with my chickens?” And the answer is very simple: confine them. Because the regulations do not understand sizes: a backyard chicken infected by contact with a wild bird can be just as big a problem as any other type of chicken. Or maybe more. After all, the European authorities they continue to qualify the risk to the general population as low; but they raise it to low-moderate for people in direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. Having unmonitored poultry increases the risk to the “civilian” population and if we are realistic we will recognize that they cannot be monitored. The problem has names and surnames: at least when it comes to the flu, all those domestic pens have the same sanitary requirements, but much less infrastructure. The ‘boom’ of homemade eggs. We must remember that this does not happen in a vacuum. The truth is that in recent years we have lived a real ‘boom’ in self-consumption chickens. It is the confluence of the “happy chickens” movements with the response of many citizens to a price that does nothing but go up. According to the National Institute of Statistics, have gone up 15.9% so far this year and, according to the OCUthe growth has been 105% compared to 2021. And, be careful, we are not talking about a luxury product. We are talking about what may be one of the proteins cheaper and more accessible of the world. Faced with this ‘ovoflation’, the accounts are clear: “a hen costs about nine euros, it is easy to raise and maintain with fruit, vegetables and feed, and it lays an egg every 25 hours.” How can there not be a problem? What to do if I have a chicken coop for self-consumption? If we are in that situation (or are thinking about setting up our own domestic corral) there are some things to keep in mind: Whether larger or smaller, the corral must be registered in the REGA (General Registry of Livestock Operations). Implement confinement and biosecurity measures: separate chickens from any contact with wild birds; control inputs and outputs; record all changes in a log book. Improve cleaning conditions, more frequent bed renewal and tightening daily management protocols. Introduce wellness programs to contain the problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle. But, above all, be extremely vigilant. There are many warning signs (apathy, drop in production, high mortality or flu symptoms). Therefore, it is best to be alert. Anything can happen. Image | Finn Mund In Xataka | H5N1 bird flu unleashes a massacre in Antarctica: half of the female seals have already disappeared

There are people trying to kill migraine with surgery. Neurologists are putting their hands on their heads

November 19, 2025 by usatoday24

Migraine is a relatively common neurological disorder among our population that can have dire consequences for those who suffer from it. as it can become disabling for several days in a row. This means that patients’ search for treatments has become desperate to avoid having to being locked in a dark room for several days without being able to go to worksince there is no cure. The problem is that the treatments that are proposed are sometimes not the best. Among these measures we have, for example, the famous piercing in the ear that promises control headaches or even botox therapy. But the reality is that now an operation is emerging that continues to raise doubts. What does it consist of? When suffering from disabling pain, the main thing for many patients is to eradicate it, and the reality is that they do not care how to do it. That is why trigger point decompression surgery, popularly known as “migraine surgery,” is beginning to become popular in the United States. And while in the United States it is gaining more and more ground, the Spanish Society of Neurology has raised the alarm due to its proliferation in private clinics by offering great results against this disease. His story. The story of this surgery does not begin in a neuroscience laboratory, as happens with other techniques that are put into clinical practice. To understand this technique we have to go back to the beginning of this century with the surgeon Bahman Guyuron who noticed something strange: many patients on whom he performed the lifting from the front, that is, the frontal stretch, they reported that after the operation their migraines had disappeared. From there, the theory of extracranial trigger points was developed. The hypothesis is that migraine is not just a brain event, but can be triggered by compression of peripheral nerves in the face and neck due to muscles or blood vessels. Surgery in this case basically consists of releasing these nerves through decompression or cauterization. of four specific areas of the skull: In the forehead region. At the temples. On the back of the head. In the nose area. The discussion. It is not logically conflict-free. On the one hand, there are American surgeons who They assure that between 70% and 95% of patients improve or eliminate their symptoms. However, when we turn to rigorous scientific literature, the numbers become considerably nuanced. The magazine Frontiers in Neurology, who analyzed the data of 627 patientsrevealed a very clear reality. Only 38% of patients undergoing this operation recorded a remission of headaches after 6-12 months. And this is a very controversial figure, since private clinics promise figures that are not what independent studies point out. The study explicitly warns that more elaborate and transparent tests are neededsince the risk of bias in patient selection is high. That is, those patients who are giving the best results are chosen, giving a success value that is not totally real as it does not follow the quality standards expected in a study. In Spain. Our country has gone up in arms against these types of surgeries that seem like a miracle, and the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) He does not see the physiological basis behind it that explains its effect. The first thing they see is that the studies are too small (which leaves the results obvious), but they also point out that migraine is a disease of the central nervous system and that “decompressing the nerves” outside the skull lacks biological plausibility. Specifically, the conclusion reached in the SEN is the following: There is no scientific evidence that currently supports that surgery has a therapeutic role for migraine. Therefore, any migraine patient is not recommended to undergo surgery for this disease. Migraine has been studied in depth, and there is no solid evidence that these nerves are compressed in migraineurs. And they go further by pointing out that “migraine has no cure, but there are many scientifically based therapeutic developments and more are to come.” Placebo effect. To understand it, we must know that surgery is an intervention that is imposed on anyone, and the simple fact of going through an operating room generates in a patient the feeling or expectation that they will be cured. That is why this is about measuring in the control groups, which are those patients who enter the operating room, but who do not receive nerve decompression (although they think they do). In these cases it has been seen that patients point out that their migraines have improved, when this is not the case. All motivated also because measuring the intensity of pain in a patient is not easy at all, as it is tremendously subjective, since each person perceives it in a specific way. Your application. In Spain, the technique moves in limbo. It is not financed by social security nor endorsed by the Network of Health Technology Assessment Agencies (RedETS), but it is offered on the private market with prices ranging between $5,000 and $15,000. But the recommendation of specialists in this case is that “any patient with migraine is not recommended to undergo surgery for this disease.” The only exception they make is that you are going to participate in a clinical trial. Images | Adrian Swancar Akram Huseyn In Xataka | Splitting an ibuprofen in half to take 600 mg instead of 400 is a bad idea: it destroys a key piece of its engineering

The enormous Mayrit tunnel boring machine on Metro L11 is already in Madrid. Now comes the real challenge: putting it together piece by piece

November 15, 2025 by usatoday24

In Madrid there are already the pieces of one of the largest machines that will work in the city’s underground in the coming years. It is about Mayritthe EPB tunnel boring machine 98 meters long and 1,500 tons in weight whose transport started in Germany, continued along the Rhine to Rotterdam and continued by boat to the port of Santander. After that journey, a special convoy has completed more than 450 kilometers by road to take its modules to the future Comillas station, where it will prepare to excavate the new section of Line 11 between Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal. The work on which Mayrit will work is part of a broader intervention that the Community of Madrid describes in 2025 as the largest expansion of the Metro network in the last decade. Official data published in November put progress at 34% and maintain a budget of 518 million euros to complete the new section and the planned stations. The regional government maintains the year 2027 as a reference to close this phase of the project. Mayrit is already in Madrid: one hour left to convert its parts into a single operational machine When dealing with a machine of this size and complexity, each phase of the process requires precision that goes far beyond conventional engineering. Mayrit’s journey towards Spain began long before it appeared on the road: it started in Schwanau, the German town where Herrenknecht completed its manufacturing after about 20 months of work. There, more than a thousand kilometers from Madrid, the tunnel boring machine It was assembled for the first time in June 2025 to carry out initial verifications. This assembly showed the magnitude of the next step: converting the machine into a set of parts capable of traveling around Europe without risks. Disassembling it was not a quick procedure. For the next two months, Herrenknecht teams dedicated themselves to separating each module following a sequence calculated to the millimeter. The result was a set of sections ready to begin an international tour. The disembarkation in the port of Santander marked the beginning of the last stage of Mayrit’s journey, a phase that requires coordination very different from that of river and maritime transport. The pieces arrived distributed in separate shipments and were transferred to prepared platforms, a process that is carried out with specialized equipment to avoid any unexpected displacement. The organization of the road transfer incorporated common protocols in special transport, with large-tonnage vehicles escorted by technical teams in charge of checking clearances, turning radii and urban accesses. The authorities confirmed that the advance was carried out mainly at night to reduce interruptions and facilitate maneuvers in the most delicate sections of the route. The arrival in the Comillas area required a final deployment of personnel and machinery to accommodate each piece in the work area, where the assembly phase that will transform this set of modules into a single operational tunnel boring machine is already awaiting. The arrival of the pieces also marks the beginning of a phase that, according to forecasts distributed between June and November 2025, can extend until March 2026. Assembling a TBM requires joining modules in a strict order, connecting hydraulic and electrical systems, and performing tests that are concentrated between late January and February. It is a sequential process that is not resolved in a few days and that determines the date on which the machine will be able to start digging at the beginning of March. The official documentation describes Mayrit as an EPB machine adapted to the geotechnical characteristics of the layout. Its operation is based on maintaining a balance of pressures that prevents unwanted movements on the surface, especially relevant in urban environments. To sustain this process, shifts of specialists are involved who manage the control and evacuation systems of the excavated material. The expected performanceclose to 15 meters per day, will be decisive in setting the pace of mechanized advance. Comillas will be the point from which Mayrit will begin the mechanized sectionaccording to the forecasts that the Community of Madrid has been detailing since June 2025. From there it will advance to Conde de Casalwhile in parallel the manual excavation of about 700 meters towards Plaza Elíptica progresses, started in September with a performance of close to 50 meters per month. The beginning of the excavation will mark the jump between the preparatory work and the actual progress of the tunnel that will transform this section of Line 11. With each meter excavated, the planned layout will get closer to its final shape and will allow the progress of the project to be measured more clearly. It is a significant element within regional planning to reinforce mobility in one of the areas with the most demand on the network. Images | Community of Madrid In Xataka | Malaga has become a magnet for the most luxurious yachts in the world: the latest, that of the co-founder of Google

Insects have been traveling to space for decades. Now the ESA is studying putting them on the astronauts’ plates

November 11, 2025 by usatoday24

For years, many of us have thought of insects as something foreign to our table, but they have been part of space history for much longer than we imagine. Even before the first astronauts reached orbit, these small species they had already shown that could withstand the conditions of flight. Today, with long-duration missions on the horizon, the conversation has changed. Europe wonders if these animals, so nutritious and easy to maintain, could become a real option to feed those who live far from Earth. Why insects. Although they are still a culinary rarity in Spain, insects are part of the regular diet of billions of people. The FAO estimates more than 2,000 species consumed on different continents, valued for their contribution of protein, iron, zinc and beneficial fats. Their ability to develop with few resources and transform waste into useful biomass makes them an attractive candidate for controlled food systems. That is why several European teams are analyzing its nutritional potential and its viability in environments where every gram counts. What we know about microgravity. Research with insects in space has accumulated decades of datafrom early suborbital flights to tests at orbital stations. During this journey, different species have been tested, with very different results: some managed to complete essential phases of the life cycle in microgravity and others showed sensitivity to factors such as movement or radiation. This contrast has been useful to understand what biological mechanisms remain stable outside of Earth and what processes are altered even in very resistant organisms. What the ESA is looking for. The European team work with a specific idea: to know in detail how these organisms behave in key phases of their development when they spend prolonged time in orbit. The agency has brought together diverse profiles to study their ability to recycle nutrients and produce protein under controlled conditions, a line that already has candidate species such as the common cricket and the mealworm. This research aims to clarify what biological requirements should be met before considering its production in long-duration missions. Fruit fly habitat used for scientific research in space Although there is an extensive history of testing with insects, much of the results are scattered and come from short missions. The majority of experiments did not reach times that allow the complete life cycle of a species to be followed, an essential requirement to evaluate its use in long missions. Furthermore, many of these investigations are old and used different methodologies, making it difficult to compare them. That is why ESA is preparing new studies specifically aimed at measuring changes in reproduction, development and behavior in orbit. Drosophila model. NASA’s experience with Drosophila melanogaster has demonstrated its usefulness as a model organism to understand physiological changes in space. The agency highlights that it shares a good part of the genes related to human diseases and that its accelerated reproduction facilitates the analysis of several generations. He Fruit Fly Lab, installed on the International Space Station, it allows us to follow their behavior and freeze samples for study on the ground. It also incorporates a centrifuge that helps distinguish which effects depend on gravity and which are linked to space radiation. Astronaut James D. “Ox” Van Hoften examines a bee experiment From the laboratory to the menu. For now, the food use of insects in space missions continues to be a line of study and not an immediate application. Researchers need to check how they behave in prolonged phases and what it would mean to stably grow them in inhabited modules. Added to this is the challenge of transforming this biomass into safe, manageable and acceptable products from a nutritional and sensory point of view. Everything is moving in the direction of exploring options, not automatically incorporating them into the astronauts’ menu. Images | ESA | POT In Xataka | Astronauts’ food is not appetizing at first, especially in China

Alibaba is becoming the Ai Open Source sponator. Your family of Qwen models is putting the market above

September 23, 2025 by usatoday24

The Chinese giant Alibaba has launched Officially QWEN3-OMNI, an open source artificial intelligence model that can process text, images, audio and video simultaneously. In fact, it is the first model that unifies these four modalities natively and does it completely free, something that none of its US competitors offers. Bet on the Free Code. While Openai and Google charge for using their most advanced multimodal models, Alibaba gives theirs under Apache 2.0 license. This means that any company can download it, modify it and use it commercially without any cost. This open source approach It is the trend that multiple Asian giants are adopting to cause global interest in their language models and that multiple developers around the world want to contribute to their evolution. It is part of China’s strategy to remain relevant in the AI career. Image: Alibaba What can you do exactly. As points The company, QWEN3-OMNI simultaneously processes text in 119 languages, recognizes voice in 19 languages and can speak in 10 different languages. Its “thinker-speaker” architecture separates the reasoning of the audio generation, promising real-time responses with latencies of just 234 milliseconds for audio and 547 milliseconds for video. Benchmarks. In 36 reference tests, QWEN3-OMNI exceeds open source models in 32 of them and establishes new general records in 22. In advanced mathematics (Aime25) obtains 65 points compared to 26.7 of GPT-4O. In writing tasks (Writingbench) 82.6 points, exceeding 75.5 GPT-4O points. While it is true that it is not being compared to Openai’s most avant-garde model to date (GPT-5), it is a real achievement what giants like Alibaba are doing with their free and open source models. Strategy. Alibaba is running a risky but intelligent play: democratize the multimodal AI to gain market share. “This could bring some changes to the panorama of the OMNI open source models,” explained The Qwen team. The announcement occurs just when Nvidia announces Investments of 100,000 million dollars in data centers for OpenAI, while Alibaba and the rest of Asian giants prefer to dispute technological leadership in AI from another angle. What does it mean. Great American technology have opted for proprietary models that generate direct income. Alibaba wants to change the rules by giving instant access to its technology to millions of developers. Even if they offer it for free, they are building an ecosystem that gives them competitive advantage In the long term. And now what. China is not the only one that launches free code models. OpenAi has GPT-Oss And Google has Gemma. Two options that developers have on hand to deploy their ideas, modify them, contribute to their evolution and others, although they are not the main approach of both companies. In the case of Alibaba models, Deepseek either Tencentthe idea does revolve around the open source, and the pulse does not tremble when offering their most powerful models for free (despite the fact that some more complete and specific options are reserved for special agreements). QWEN models A great reputation have been carved Throughout these last years, and this new evolution in his family marks a new ribbon for the rest of the companies, not only in efficiency, but in the deployment of this business model. Cover image | Alibaba and Growika In Xataka | Eight people. An hour of work. A budget dollar. 5,000 new podcasts thanks to AI

Italian producers are fed up with the Parmesano stolen. So they are putting microchips

August 17, 2025 by usatoday24

Gouda, ManchegoCheddar, Roquefort and Parmesano, of course. All have in common that they are Cheese typesbut also that, together with many others, they represent something more important: culture, tradition and even a country. Such is the importance of certain foods that the European Union created the DOP seal, A quality system To protect them. But outside the EU, products are still confused under the DOP that have a lower quality. In Italy they have tired have decided to take action on the matter armoring the Parmesan cheese. As? Inserting microchips. Parmesan. Parmesan is one of the most ‘copied’ cheeses in the world. And it is not due to its flavor, but to something that interests the industry much more: its prestige and the high value of it. Parmesan is used in recipes as dear as Pizzas Or a certain type of pasta, and if you have ever bought a Parmesan, you will know that the price is very different from other wedges. Out of Europe is the jungle. It is one of those cheeses with the seal of Denomination of Protected Origin And, although the European Union prohibits the use of the name “Parmesan” for products that are not ‘Parmigiano Reggiano Dop’, the problem is that there are markets, such as the American, in which a cheese ‘parmesan’ is sold that nothing has to do with Parmesan. Apart from the United States or Latin America, there are versions of ‘ParmesanReggianito‘Argentine after World War Ithat it was consolidated so much that it caused the creation of the Reggiano Parmigian consortium. It is estimated that this imitations market moves around 2,000 million dollars annually. To put it in context, the authentic Parmesan moved 3.2 million in 2024. The bark is like a huge barcode And the detail of the QR where the microchip goes A Burrada. Estimates point to 90% of products labeled as “Parmesan” that are not really Parmesan. These are cheese made based on cheaper cheese mixtures, with extreme cases of some stuffed with wood fibers. And, as you can imagine, it is something that entails several inconveniences for the DOP, such as direct damage to the consumer being a lower quality product, but with a high price. And also affects Parmesan’s own industry, eroding its cultural value. The Italian consortium He has managed to block some attempts to parmesan cheesebut it has not been enough and manufacturers have gone to action. Microchips in food. For a few years, the Parmesan cortex (which is a part that is not usually consumed, although it is very good to make a cream or to some popcorn) incorporates QR codes. They allow a traceability of the product and are “printed” based on dairy proteins. If you want to eat the bark that carries that QR, there would be no problem. The wheel also has a system of points that act as a kind of identity document. However, the volume of fraud forced the sector to look for new solutions. There the microchips come into play. Developed By the American company P-chipthis microchip is somewhat larger than a salt grain and is inserted into the casein label. Each has A unique code that stores all cheese information: Origin. Production date. Place of production. Origin of milk. Protecting the denomination of protected origin. It is something that allows producers and distributors to verify the authenticity of that piece and, of course, gives a guarantee to the consumer, who knows that he is paying a high price for the product he wants to buy. According to security tests, and how we can read in The Guardianalthough the chip is in contact with the food, it does not leave toxic waste and can be easily removed at home because yes or yes it is in the QR code. This began to be implemented in 120,000 of the four million wheels annually in Parmesano, but the Reggian Parmigian consortium wants this technological solution to become a standard in its industry. Beyond Parmesan. In the end, it is a measure for Protect the economic value of the product And, if the DOP seal does not say – not protect – nothing outside the European Union (a seal that shares cheeses such as Manchego or Roquefort), which at least between QR and microchips There is a traceability and a fight against “falsifications”. The objective, according to account The president of the PRC, “is to transmit the value of our product globally and distinguish it from products with similar names in the market that do not meet our strict production and area of origin.” And, precisely, the Reggian Parmigian can teach the way to other products with denominations of origin such as the Padano Grana or the aforementioned Spanish and French protected cheeses. Images | Parmigianoreggiano, Udo Schröter, Morgan Cheeses In Xataka | Bodegas have been labeling their bottles with all kinds of animals for years. It turns out that they are key to choosing wine

The AI is putting the US power grid in trouble. And Google has already taken a measure that shows the magnitude of the problem

August 6, 2025 by usatoday24

Google data centers work 24/7, processing searches, videos and now also AI models. But not everything can grow at the same pace. In several areas of the United States, electricity begin to notice the pressure: Energy demand is accelerated and In some places already exceed capacity forecasts. Given that scenario, Google moves: It will reduce the consumption of your data centers when there are peaks, prioritizing the essential and postponing what you can expect. The novelty is the focus: Machine Learning charges. Artificial intelligence progresses. The electricity grid notice. The expansion of AI is going so fast that companies receive more connection requests than they can meet in certain areas. The consequence is no longer only technique: there is an energy restriction that conditions the deployment. It’s not about turning off machines, but moving loads. The “demand response“It consists of adapting consumption to what the network can supply at all times. In practice: displace or reduce non -urgent loads – like the processing of programmable videos or tasks – outside critical hours. It is a tool used in intensive industries and cryptocurrency mining, now applied to data centers with AI. The system has clear limits. This type of flexibility is not applicable in all centers or in all situations. Google recognizes it clearly: there are services that you just can’t expect. Platforms such as Search, Maps or the cloud for critical sectors – such as health or emergencies – require continuous availability, without margin for load settings. There are no “non -urgent” tasks that can be postponed. Therefore, although the response to demand is a valuable tool, its implementation will remain partial and selective. It requires planning, previous agreements and an infrastructure designed to absorb that type of reorganization. Not all centers can do it. But where it is possible, it becomes a real way to relieve pressure on the network without compromising the essential. There is already experience, and now. It is not theory. Google tested this flexibility With the public electric of Omaha and reduced demand associated with Machine Learning in three network events last year. The next step are formal agreements with Indiana Michigan Power (Fort Wayne) and with Tennessee Valley Authority: in Indiana it will be integrated from the beginning of the new center, and in Tennessee it will be applied coordinated with the operator. From experiment to strategy. What began as a pilot becomes operational policy: Managing demand flexible helps stabilize the network and accelerates the connection of large loads without waiting for new lines or centrals. It is not a magical solution, but it wins time while the infrastructure is reinforced. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 Flash | Andrey Metelev In Xataka | Google has signed the largest hydroelectric agreement in history. You no longer know where to get more energy to feed your AI

Going to the hairdresser or putting bracelets is not enough for Mercadona to dismiss you

August 1, 2025 by usatoday24

An employee who had been working as a manager in Mercadona for more than twenty years had to face a complicated situation when, in August 2023, he began A medical leave For anxiety. While it is true that there are certain activities that a person on a medical leave should not do, the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León has had to remind Mercadona to go to the hairdresser or get bracelets is not sufficient reason for A disciplinary dismissal. Spied on the super. As detailed In the sentencethe farewell employee worked as a manager in a Mercadona de León supermarket since 2001. In 2023, she took a medical leave for anxiety. After a few months, Mercadona hired A private detective agency To monitor their daily activities while he was ongoing. In the report, the detectives recorded that the worker had gone to the hairdresser, wore bracelets and rings, spoke on the phone and had even made purchases in a Lidl supermarket of cleaning products and detergents. Farewell by allergic? At all times, the company had linked all these activities with an alleged allergyTo metals such as nickel and chromium, present on the bracelets, in smartphones, in elements of the hair washing area, etc., as well as chemicals present in cleaning products. According to the allegations of the company “it has superior respiratory tract hypersensitivity by general immune irritative reaction due to awareness of irritating agents present in the work environment.” The daily activities of the employee, so normal to anyone, were interpreted by the company as a “lack of will to take care” and a reason for Unjustified extension of its temporal disability. According to the company, the use of jewelry and contact with chrome surfaces were “behavior incompatible with their healing process.” So the company declared “that the employee was acting in bad faith” and that “she had lost her trust”, so he applied a disciplinary dismissal. At this point, it should be remembered that the reason for the medical leave It was for anxiety. The judicial reaction: it has anxiety, not allergy. The Social Court No. 1 of León initially gave the reason to Mercadona, but the employee appealed the sentence and raised it to the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León (TSJCyL), which corrected the company’s performance strongly. The court criticized that they were considered “activities that compromise the healing” completely everyday actions such as going to the hairdressing, carrying bracelets or making the purchase. In addition, the ruling highlighted the contradiction between the diagnosis of anxiety that justified the decrease and argumentation of the dismissal focused on reasons related to respiratory pathologies caused by supposed chemical sensitivity. TSJCyL: One More Thing. The TSJCyl judgment not only declared the disciplinary dismissal inadmissible, but declared it void, considering that it occurred in a clearly repressive context. The worker had denounced deficiencies in the prevention of occupational hazards before her medical decline. Therefore, a violation was evidenced to the right to non -discrimination due to disability and compensation guaranteethat is, the right not to suffer from Exercise labor rightsinterpreting the dismissal of the employee as a revenge that had nothing to do with her medical recovery. The sentence. The Superior Court has dismissed the decision of the Social Court No. 1 of León that in the first instance gave the reason to Mercadona, and goes on to condemn the company to readmit to the worker in your job and with the same conditions and pay for back salaries from the discharge of temporary disability after dismissal, at a rate of 2,089.58 euros per month. In addition, you must pay compensation of 7,500 euros for damages. In Xataka | 55,245 euros for eating a sandwich and a beer: Mercadona must compensate an employee for unfair dismissal Image | Wikimedia Commons (LBM1948), Unspash (Farhad Ibrahimzade)

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