resist

China is building a megastructure for deep-sea research. For whatever reason, resist nuclear bombs

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China is building a mega thing. It doesn’t matter when you read this: the Asian giant always has a mega dam underwayhe highest bridge in the world either an impossible road in the bag. However, one of the country’s latest projects is not a mega-construction, but a floating artificial “island,” which can navigate and designed to be self-sufficient. Oh, and most importantly: prepared for the end of the world. The “island”. Waiting for it to receive a somewhat more “commercial” name, in a report by South China Morning Post They refer to the facility as the “Deep-Sea All-Wather Resident Floating Research Facility.” It is a name that is equivalent to “what do you want this station to do” and the answer is “yes,” and it is basically a mix between a research center, command center and nuclear bunker. It will be a semi-submersible platform with a 78,000 ton twin hull design and considerable dimensions: 138 meters long. 85 meters wide. Main deck 45 meters from the waterline. Long duration missions. The project specifications show that the platform is projected to house almost 240 people for four months without the need for any replenishment. In addition, it can sail at a speed of up to 15 knots and something that gives us a clue to its colossal ambition is that the engines allow a displacement comparable to that of the Fujian, the brand new Chinese aircraft carrier of 80,000 tons. Bomb proof (nuclear). If you’re thinking about a fortress that could be worthy of a Marvel movie, here’s the shot. The structure will resist waves up to nine meters high and category 17 typhoons, the highest for this type of cyclone. But the most striking thing is that it will have special armor to resist nuclear explosions. Instead of conventional steel armorthe walls of the complex will be built with a design that converts the powerful shock waves of a nuclear explosion into ones that the structure can assimilate. As a “dissipator” of the power of the wave, wow. To do this, they have resorted to a metamaterial which, when subjected to pressure, compresses, creating a denser and stronger structure than much thicker steel panels. According to simulations, its walls resist more pressure than those of a submarine and four times more than those of a conventional ship, but with a plate thickness of only 60 mm. Back.To withstand these long periods at sea, and as describe from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in an article in which they talk about the superstructure, the installation contains critical compartments that guarantee emergency power, but also backup for communications and a navigation center equally protected against nuclear explosions. China is taking leaps and bounds in its fleet Strategy. The SJTU describes it as a research center and, although the project has been described as “civilian”, its specifications make it comply with the Chinese military standard GJB 1060.1-1991 against nuclear explosions. Therefore, although it can be used for deep-sea research, it could also operate in areas where warships could not be accessed (such as waters near diplomatically sensitive countries or territories). This is something that does not frighten a China that does not hesitate to deploy its ships in disputed territoriesand from SCMP they point out that the installation could function as a resilient command center, a logistics center or a surveillance station that, in addition, is less invasive than a fixed structure built on land. It’s not that far away. Although we now know of its existence, this station has been on the drawing board for a decade and is expected to reach operational status in 2028. Once completed, we will be able to see what it is capable of and, above all, what use it is given. Because therein lies its importance as a research center to support the “blue economy” (extraction of deep sea resources, renewable energies and marine research), but also its military component. The photo, by the way, is not of a real structure, but of an interpretation of the SJTU. Images | SJTU, 中国新闻社 In Xataka | China is immersed in a nuclear revolution and needs industrial quantities of uranium. His solution: “fish” it in the sea

Why some sun spots resist more than others

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It was not until about 400 years, with the invention of telescopes, which We realized of the existence of sun spots. Since then, these regions of high magnetism and low luminosity have intrigued astronomers, who have spent the last four centuries trying to unravel their secrets. Solving the mystery. A group of scientists has resolved One of the enigmas that intrigued those who study sunscreen and their evolution. This is the question of why some sun spots remain in a stable equilibrium that allows them to mangue active, even for months, while other spots fader. The spots in the solar cycle. Sun spots are not static regions but these are dynamic regions, arise, grow and end up fading over time. Decades ago we know that these are regions where the magnetic field of the sun is especially strong. The dynamism in these spots marks the passage of the so -called “Solar Cycle”, an 11 -year cycle in which the number of sun spots ranges from a peak of activity and times of relative calm. The abundance of sun spots also implies an increase in solar activity since, According to the responsible team Of the new study, the “unstable” magnetic configurations in the surroundings of these spots are responsible for the bursts known as coronal mass ejections (CME). Correcting the observations. The team responsible for the new study developed a method to analyze with greater reliability and precision solar spots through observations made from terrestrial telescopes. Then they used this method to the observation of the Hispanoalemán Gregor Solar Telescope. The objective of the technique is to eliminate the distortions caused by the Earth’s atmosphere in the images obtained by the telescopes. This allowed to achieve a new quality in the measurements of the solar magnetic field carried out by the European telescope. Balance. The technique allowed the team to inquire into the balance that maintains some active sun spots for months, while others vanished in a matter of days. As explained, since the 1970s there was the hypothesis that this was possible due to the balance between the magnetic field pressure of the sunny sun and the external gas to this, a balance so far extremely difficult to explain. The new analysis shows us how the magnetic field of sun spots is compressed by external pressure until the balance is reached. The team stands out How this finding explains the survival of these areas but could also help us in the future to detect the instabilities responsible for the CME bursts, which in turn would serve to protect us in front of their impacts. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Astronomy & Astrophysics. The feet on the ground. One of the advantages of the new tool is to facilitate with Estudio del Sol and its spots From the earth’s surfacewithout having to resort to space telescopes. This implies that we can now observe the sun not only easily, also reducing costs. Maintaining sun surveillance is key to detecting bursts that cross the space between our star and our planet to a significant portion of the speed of light. These outbreaks can have consequences for the satellites that orbit us and communication networks, so anticipating them is of extreme importance. An importance that does not stop growing since our dependence on these networks is increasing. In Xataka | What are solar storms and why society has become so vulnerable to something that has happened millions of years Image | POT / Freiburg Institute of Solar Physics

The US Navy wants to modernize its F/A-18 with sensors that cost 16 million each. They do not resist 40 hours without failing

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There are more modern, more expensive, newer fighters. He F-35for example, with his futuristic cabin and his advanced stealth. Or the F-22 Raptorless young, but so well known that you barely need a presentation. Even the future F-47. But while that happens, a good part of the United States aerial muscle continues to rest on the shoulders of a veteran: the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. A plane that began to fly in 1995 and that, with constant updates, it is still the versatile hunting par excellence of the Navy. The challenge is to keep it up. And for that, added added. One of them is the IrST Block IIan infrared search and monitoring system designed by Lockheed Martin. It is integrated into a modified central deposit and Cuesta, According to the latest GAO report16.6 million dollars per unit. Its function is to detect threats from long distances without the need to turn on the radar, which allows the pilot to “see without being seen.” A key tool against poachers, long -range drones and environments with intense electronic warfare. In theory, a tactical jump. In practice, for the moment, a problem While IrST Block II has already been tested in real operations, and its capabilities are well documented, it has a serious obstacle: reliability. According to the same GAO report, the system fails, on average, Every 14 hours of flight. The minimum required by the Navy is 40. That is, the sensor does not endure even half of the time that should suffer a critical failure. And this is making its large -scale deployment difficult. During the operational tests carried out between April and September 2024, the IRST Block II showed unstable behavior. According to a Dot & e reportthe system suffered unexpected flights in full flight, software blockages and hardware failures that, in many cases, required direct assistance of engineers from Lockheed Martin. The marine maintenance crew could not solve them alone. The failures are not limited to software. In 2023, a previous GAO report warned that between 20 % and 30 % of the manufactured components did not comply with the technical specifications. They identified themselves Microelectronics problemsthe cooling system and the general assembly of the Pod. Although some of these deficiencies have been corrected, but many others persist, as we have just seen above. The schedule of the program has been deteriorating year after year. The decision to go to production in full cadence was scheduled for early 2025, but was postponed. And that has consequences. The Irst Block II is not just a punctual improvement: it is an essential piece within the effort to keep the Super Hornet competitive against more modern rivals such as China and Russia. The ironic thing is that while the navy still hopes to trust its star sensor, the American Air Force has already integrated similar systems in its F-15 and F-16. In Western Europe, Eurofight Typhoon also incorporates a similar solution. Apparently, operating from an aircraft carrier implies other conditions, and that is complicating things for the US Navy. United States | DOWRY | Lockheed Martin In Xataka | We prepare to say goodbye to Windows 10, but part of the US Air Control still works with disks and Windows 95

In Valencia the shepherds resist the disappearance of their trade, so they have had an idea: to turn it into “career”

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When Antonio Miguel (grandson, son and nephew of shepherds) began to take care of cattle in Side of Los Olmosprovince of Valencia, lived with 64 other colleagues. Today there are so few that you can count on your fingers. Recently He reported in The provinces They are just ten. And at 63 he will soon fall out of the list. Your goodbye will aggravate the situation of a falling layer sector in Valencian lands, where the number of professionals He has sunk In just a few decades. To cut that trend and claim the profession, there are those who are trying to move forward an idea in other regions of Spain: A SCHOOL OF PASTORS. A sector in low hours. Beyond testimonies such as Antonio, data draw a complicated panorama for Valencian grazing. Let’s see. Some estimates They estimate that around 1,500 shepherds worked in the community. Today they would be just over 300. Together, the INE shows that the Valencian territory has lost about 30% of its territorial agricultural livestock capacity throughout the last decade. The problem is not much less exclusive of the Valencian Community (occurs in other parts from Spain), but it does paint a future with clouds. A protagonist: Opem. With that backdrop, a few years ago Paco Rubio, livestock, pastor and technician Alicante, joined other colleagues to create the Mediterranean Extensive Pastoralism Observatory (Better known for their acronym: Opem), which basically aspires to “empower” the extensive shepherds and ranchers in the region, give them greater visibility and help them maintain their farms. Throughout the OPEM years he has moved several initiatives, but there is one (in very initial phase) that has achieved a special impact: the organization wants Mediterranean Center. Neither simple, nor limited to Spain. Your goal It is that in the center the concepts of veterinarian are taught, future shepherds are taught how they should treat animals, different types of land and their peculiarities and the way of acting before fires, animal attacks or any other unforeseen event. The trade is not simple (cattle must be taken 365 days a year, without exceptions), but offers a job departure, helps to set population and also has its own horizon, beyond the Spanish field: in Switzerland or Austria professionals are demanded to work during certain months a year. And at what point are they? The idea is not exactly new. Carries on the table now Some years. But Opem has been working on it and especially moving to make it known throughout the region. With the support of the Diputación, he has studied the needs of the territory and organizes informative talks on the “activation of the Valencian School of Pastors”. His desire, he insists, is “to form new generations of farmers, encourage generational relief and promote a model that combines food production, conservation and environmental sustainability.” In recent months he has talked about her in FencedXàtiva and Tuéjar. From ideas to classrooms. In An interview recent with The countryRubio acknowledges that he still works ahead to reach the ambitious project to which the OPEM aspires. The objective, of course, is clear: open in the region of Ademuz corner A school focused on shepherds with facilities, professionals, sheep and land. Much of that already have it. To shape it, however, a budget of 600,000 euros. As for how OPEM would work, the OPEM manager is in favor of a mixed model, with public financing and private management that even allows him to take him to the Balearic Islands. “There is potential”. “There is interest and there is even structure. And we are seeing that it is profitable. But it is an even more complicated sector than that of agriculture because tradition was lost a little earlier,” Comment to The avant -garde Ruth Carbonell, project technician in OPEM. In its favor the collective has the strategic value of grazing, especially in the rural one, where it helps to set population and keeps the fields clean to prevent forest fires. “We trust that there is a potential of people who would and would fill in a hole that is not being covered,” emphasize Rubio on the project. A not so new idea. Although Opem’s idea has generated expectation In the Valencian Community, the truth is that it would not be the first grazing school in Spain. Moreover, they recognize that they are being set in other institutions distributed by the country, such as The Estivein Huesca. In the Valencian Community they have offered courses On grazing and livestock. “We are seeing how Aragon models work and Cataloniawhich are semi -public. In Andalusia there are school of shepherds, but it is public “, Rubio points out. “And then there are private models such as the Basque or Extremadura, where an NGO is responsible and does not receive money from the administration, but a return from who enrolls.” Images | Manel (Flickr) and Gutifoll (Flickr) In Xataka | During the gold fever, California needed sheep. The most unexpected ranshening came to the rescue: the Basques

There is an old Soviet probe about to fall on earth. The disturbing thing is that it was designed to resist hell

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A piece of Soviet spatial history, the Kosmos 482 probe, is about to conclude its very long 53 -year -old odyssey. And in the most disturbing way possible: falling on us. Context. Launched on March 31, 1972, this Soviet ship was destined Venus, but A failure after its launch left it stranded In the Earth’s orbit. 53 years later, its final decrease is imminent: it is expected to be re -entered into the atmosphere around May 10. The probe does not contain nuclear materials, and the risk of properties or people is low … but it is not null. And you don’t want an object of half a ton that falls from the sky to hit you. Kosmos 482. Twin sister of the successful Venera 8 mission, she was launched only four days later, but unlike the first, she failed to land in Venus. The upper Blok-Nvl stage of the Molniya rocket that transported the Kosmos 482 went out prematurely, leaving the probe trapped in a very high elliptical terrestrial orbit (initially 206 x 9,800 km high). Faithful to the secretism of the time, The Soviet Union never admitted the ruling And he simply baptized the mission with the generic designation “Kosmos 482”. After three days, several fragments that had separated from the ship rented over New Zealand, where some remains were even recovered, such as cylindrical fuel deposits. Other objects associated with the mission rented in 1981 and 1983. Designed for Venusian hell. The object that has resisted all this time is the mission descent capsule, aimed at landing in Venus. It is estimated that this sphere has an approximate diameter of one meter and a mass of about 500 kilograms. Here comes the interesting thing: this capsule was designed to survive the infernal atmosphere of Venus, a planet whose average temperature on the surface is 464 ° C. As he points out Satellite analyst Marco Langbroekit is possible that relatively whole to the reentry of the Earth’s atmosphere, although the reentry trajectory and the seniority of the capsule reduce the possibility that it is intact at the time of the impact With the parachute deployed? The imminent reentry has intensified the follow -up by satellite observers. The amateur astronomer Ralf Vandebergh has achieved telescopic images of the object in which it seems to have a parachute. “There is a compact ball, but several frames show a weak elongated structure on a particular side of the ball,” He said to Space.com. In addition, the object could be tumbos, so it is only visible at times. How to follow the reentry. Kosmos 482 Orbit the Earth every 90 minutes in a inclination of 52 degrees. This means that the reentry can occur anywhere between latitudes 52 ° North and 52 ° South. The space -track estimated reentry window and analysts such as Langbroek focuses on May 10, 2025, with an uncertainty of 2 or 3 days that will be reduced as the moment approaches. The ship will make a series of visible passes from the northern hemisphere at dawn just around the planned reentry dates. Sites like Heavens-Above already include predictions of visible passes for Kosmos 482. When the man walked on the moon. The fall of Kosmos 482 is a tangible reminder of the golden era of space exploration and the intense race towards Venus, which followed the lunar race. This 1972 relic (the last year in which man walked on the moon), will return to a radically different world, increasingly congested by thousands of active satellites and a growing amount of space garbage. Image | POT In Xataka | Unable to solve the problem of garbage on earth, humanity has generated one more: space garbage

Madrid has its own ‘dead language’ with dictionary and translations. There are those who resist that they fall into oblivion

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In Spain there is an official language, Spanish, and A handful of co -official languages. The country’s complete linguistic photo is however much (much) richer and includes a wide range of Dialectal varietiesin addition to countless jargon and Sociolectsways to use language limited to a specific group. For years Madrid managed his own, Chelia speech that left a mark in the Royal Academy, inspired novelists and film directors, and even has its own dictionary and several translations. His golden age may be behind, but that does not mean that there are people who still claims its value and fight so that (if not spoken) at least it is talk about him. What is Chelii? A sociolect, a speech, a kind of dialect without fix but with abundant vocabulary, a sign of identity associated with a city (Madrid) and a time (especially the 80s and the first 90), a “Generational slang”in the words of the novelist Paco Umbral … or If we ask him to the RAE dictionary, a “jargon with castizos, marginal and countercultural elements.” Cheli is all that and some more things, like a improbable link of union between Camilo José Cela, Enrique Tierno Galván, Ramoncín and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; But above all it is a rich, spontaneous and diverse way of communicating that enjoyed its particular golden age mainly during the movement. What is its origin? It is counted that the term as Francisco Umbral coined it in The countrybut As I remembered a couple of years ago Álvaro de Benito, journalist and passionate about linguistics, one thing is the baptismal act and a very different birth. To know the origins of Cheli you have to probably go back much further back, the 18th century and the rise of the Casticism. Over time he gained background and form, vocabulary, expressions and style. It expanded. His great era was, however, the last decades of the twentieth. It is in that period, in the late 70s, when places its hatching The French linguist Henriette Walterwho came to dedicate a couple of pages in his essay ‘The adventure of languages ​​in the West’published in 1994. “It began to speak in Madrid in the criminal environments, is inspired by the drug slaughter and in the caló,” says the expert, who refers to him as “Cheli, passage or roll language.” Who spoke it? As I remembered A few years ago The journalist Arsenio School, Walter places the origins of “El Pasota” between Barcelona and Seville, but the land in which he managed to consecrate “as a social phenomenon” was another: the Madrid. There he fell deep. The neighborhoods were linked in a moment of profound political and social changes and sneaked into stores, taverns, factories, markets … although as with most languages ​​and dialects, Cheli was not an unalterable, unidimensional and static reality. In An article Posted a few weeks ago in The Spanish newspaper (EPE) Pedro del Corral remembered that depending on the age and training of speakers it was used in one way or another. It was also linked to some neighborhoods. All this served to somewhat cheli will be used for more than talking: it was a sign of identity between groups. Was it only used in the street? No. Cheli reached the screens and books, institutional acts and even aroused the interest of laureate singers and novelists. They reproduced him in some of his works Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio and Camilo José Celait rang in ‘The glass ball’ or the movie ‘Navajeros’ from Eloy de la Iglesia and threshold dedicated him in 1983 A dictionary whose presentation It was headed by the tierra Galván mayor, who even started talking to the public at the Palacio del Conde-Duque in Madrid. It was not the only one. In 1993 Ramoncín launched ‘El Toccho Cheli’that self -defined as a “dictionary of jargon, Germanías and jerigonzas”, and three years later it followed ‘The new billy cheli’. Entremedias, in 1994, Antonio Alonso, chaplain of the Carabanchel prison, decided to go further and develop an adaptation to Cheli of the ‘New Testament’. He titled it ‘El Chuli, the colleagues and the basca’a declaration of intentions: in its pages Jesus becomes Chuchi, the Apartlets in colleagues and the fishermen in Basca. Is it the only translation? The answer is not again. And explain why Cheli has become news again in recent years. In 2022, after an investigation of year and a half Álvaro de Benito, journalist and passionate about languages ​​and dialects, decided to launch A translation to the Cheli of one of the great classics of universal literature, ‘Le Petit Prince’of the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The adaptation is already reflected in the same title of the work: ‘The main kids (with the fetal ticks of the Menda)’. 92 pages that are a vindication of Madrid slang and have served to return it to the spotlights. Why ‘the Little Prince’? De Benito explained it clearly in an interview to Madrid Secret. “Regardless of whether we like it or not, ‘the Little Prince’ is a universal and valid tool for the dissemination of languages. Every time something comes out of it, a stir is assembled,” confesses. Cheli is not in fact the only adaptation published by its editorial, From tuma. In Your catalog There are others in Cantabrian, Manchego, fritter, Hoketía, Gacería or the Talk about rebollar. How was the process? Álvaro de Benito was born in 1980, so that during the years of splendor of Cheli was still a child. In addition to pulling your own experience It was documented With philological studies, articles, magazines, films, novels … the result, however, is not the same as a conventional translation into an official language with an academy behind it in charge of defining its canon. “In English you can translate well or badly, but Cheli can only adapt it. It is not a matter of doing it right or badly,” Explain from Benito. “I picked up the greatest possible vocabulary. There have been people who … Read more

We believed that what we learned from the coronavirus would help us better resist other epidemics. The flu shows us that

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Five years have passed since the beginning of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, the Covid-19 virus. In those first months, some wondered what lessons we could learn of past epidemics, such as the “Spanish flu” of 1919 that we could apply to the new epidemic. The question now is another, the opposite, we could say: what can we learn from the pandemic that will help us with epidemics such as the seasonal flu. And above all, why It seems that we have not learned these lessons still. Although the fight against Covid brought with it extreme measures such as confinement, measures that are neither necessary nor implementable in epidemics like the one we see every winter associated with any of the flu viruses, it is possible to look back to find measures that we can put into practice, especially if we present symptoms associated with the flu or a cold. Perhaps the first lesson that Covid taught us regarding the flu is that it is possible to stop the transmission of this virus: the winter between 2020 and 2021 was the winter without flu: the measures to keep the spread of the coronavirus at bay made the incidence of the flu would fade away. This had another impact: the disappearance of a strain of the virus, the one called B/Yamagata. The extinction of this influenza B lineage It is still shrouded in a certain mystery, but what we do know is that since 2020 there has been no news about this strain. But the pandemic too he left us lessons that we can apply, if not in our daily winter life, at least when we notice the appearance of symptoms that we associate with flu or colds (similar but not identical), such as general malaise, runny nose, irritation of the respiratory tract or fever . The pandemic encouraged the study of the transmission of respiratory viruses, of how aerosols containing these pathogens travel through the air. Some of this knowledge can be useful to experts, being extrapolated to other similar viruses, such as the coronaviruses that cause some of the typical colds of these dates and the flu itself. Keeping distance is one of the advice that health authorities give to those who present these symptoms, something that can undoubtedly remind us of social distancing of the pandemic. The transmission of respiratory viruses is usually similar, and in these cases, keeping a certain distance from the other person can be helpful in preventing contagion. Another recommendation that we can find in the guides is to properly ventilate the spaces. Whether in our home, offices or on public transport, adequate ventilation can also hold the key to avoiding new infections. Of course, masks provide a physical barrier to the spread of the virus. Although health authorities recommend resting and avoiding going outside when we suffer from diseases such as the flu, masks can be of great help in cases where that option is not available. Another useful lesson is in testing. Rapid Coronavirus tests were of great help in keeping the spread of the virus at bay and some tests soon incorporated the possibility of looking for the presence of other pathogens, such as the flu. During the pandemic we became familiar with this type of rapid tests, now a lot cheaper and more affordable that five years ago. However, its current use may not be as widespread as might be expected in the context of seasonal influenza epidemics. Similarly, the pandemic enabled new advances in vaccine development, but also laid the foundation for more efficient vaccination campaigns. Also what has been learned by scientists and authorities may be of help when dealing with annual flu outbreaks. Forgetting what was learned And why do we forget these lessons? Forget it’s part of our natureit may even make sense in many contexts, including Covid. Forgetting can make work easier of our brain, but it is also important for our mental health. The process of forgetting is very visual: we associate the Covid era with images such as masks or empty streets. The memory of masks (or forgetting them) may be especially relevant precisely because it is an element that can make it difficult to spread the flu and other diseases of the respiratory system. The lessons not only can they be valid when considering strategies to deal with seasonal flu. In recent years we have witnessed various bird flu outbreakswith the active outbreak in the United States among the most worrying. The virus has reached numerous people and, although so far no infections have been detected among humans, a few weeks ago the first person died as a result of the outbreak. The ramifications of this outbreak have been significant. The outbreak has not only affected wild and poultry birds, it has also affected cattle and cases have even been detected in the country’s pigs. In recent weeks we saw that the virus was circulating again among poultry in Europe, so the possibility of this zoonosis continuing to spread is not negligible. In Xataka | Thousands of people have survived without suffering from Covid. Now they are helping us learn more about the disease Image | Anna Shvets / CDC

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