RESPONSIBLE

China is responsible for 3 of the 4 worst space debris episodes of the 21st century and a latest event shows that it is not getting better

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On June 9, the Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket released two satellites into low Earth orbit without any incident. With this, the upper stage of the rocket had already completed its mission. China does not reuse rockets, how SpaceX doesFor example. However, like any other space company, whether private or public, it has the obligation to try to ensure that its discarded rockets do not pose a risk to its space neighborhood or to the Earth itself. Unfortunately, the Asian country is not very efficient at preventing this from happening. Therefore, it is not entirely surprising that the upper stage of Zhuque-2E ended up exploding, violently ejecting more than 100 pieces at a dangerous distance from the International Space Station and much of Starlink satellites. By the hair. A United States Space Force dedicated to inspecting space for possible dangerous activities was the one that raised the alarm about this event. Not many details were given, other than that the person responsible for the explosion had been the Zhuque-2E rocket, with an upper stage 8 meters long and 3.35 meters in diameter. However, Darren McKnight, senior technical researcher at the orbital intelligence company LeoLabs, did venture to calculate in statements to Ars Technica that the explosion would have possibly released between 100 and 150 debris into low Earth orbit. The highest part of the orbit in which everything happened intersects the orbit of the International Space Station. However, the residual atmospheric resistance would be pushing the debris beneath it, so it would not pose a danger to it. The same cannot be said for the Starlink satellites, many of which are still quite close to some of the fragments from the explosion. Fortunately, also because of the residual atmospheric resistance, this debris will continue to fall, so that in a few months it should re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up into much smaller fragments that would no longer pose a risk. Many fear China. The experts They have been warning for years on China’s role in generating space debris. Currently, Russia and the former Soviet Union lead the list of launch-related debris into long-duration orbits. They are followed by China and the United States. However, while Russia and the United States are decreasing these numbers more and more, the number of this type of fragments associated with the Chinese space race has increased by 150% in the last 5 years. 3 of 4 dangerous events. A good example of the risk China poses in this regard is that it is responsible for 3 of the 4 largest explosive debris release events in low Earth orbit during the 21st century. The first of them took place in 2007, with Fengyun-1C. This was an anti-satellite test, so a kinetic destruction vehicle was used to deliberately hit a Chinese weather observation satellite. 3,500 pieces of debris were released. On the other hand, in 2022 and 2024 there were explosions in the upper stage of a Long March 6A rocket. It was something similar to what has happened now, although more fragments were formed. 500 in 2022 and between 700 and 900 in 2024. The only case that is not Chinese. The fourth of these dangerous events was another anti-satellite test, but this time carried out by Russia. This is how the Cosmos 1408 satellite was destroyedwith the subsequent release of 1,800 fragments. Space debris is an increasingly serious problem The solutions. All companies releasing inactive vehicles into low-Earth orbit or geostationary orbit should do everything possible to prevent them from becoming dangerous fragments. On the one hand, you can try to make a controlled deorbitation so that the objects return to Earth, without losing control over them. Passivation can also be carried out, in which the tanks are emptied of fuel to prevent explosions from occurring due to pressurization. Possibly, what has happened in China is due to the fact that some residual fuel has remained. Rockets or satellites can also be sent from geostationary orbit to a graveyard orbit. This is a higher orbit, far from any operational orbit where there are satellites, spacecraft or facilities of any kind that are operational and could be impacted. Finally, if the object in question is in a very low orbit, it can be monitored until it deorbits naturally. China could do all this, but it does not seem to be investing enough in optimizing results. Beware of the domino effect. These types of events could be dangerous if they occur something known as Kessler syndrome. It is a phenomenon that begins when a fragment of space debris collides with another or with an active object, such as a satellite, breaking it and generating more fragments that in turn continue to collide. It would be a kind of domino effect that could cause serious damage to the entire space infrastructure that we have been deploying little by little. For all this, what happened with this latest Chinese rocket is a wake-up call to what could happen in the future. It is not a serious case, compared to others, but it still happens. If this country does not take action, the consequences will be increasingly dangerous. Image | 中国新闻社 | POT In Xataka | Orbital cleanup is no longer science fiction: the first regular space debris collection service will arrive in 2027

Many people use the eco mode of the dishwasher thinking that it is the most responsible option. There are two reasons why not

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I am a faithful user of the dishwasher’s eco mode. In fact, I don’t think I’ve used another one since they installed it in… 2018? It cleans my dishes and saves water, all advantages, or so I thought. It turns out that There are two reasons why it is not recommended Only use this mode. Using the eco mode reduces water consumption and also electricity consumption by not heating it as much. According to a study by the OCUeco mode consumes, on average, 16% less water and 20% less electricity than the normal program. In liters, they calculated that the normal mode consumes about 13 liters and the eco 11 liters, so it is not a huge saving either. If we look at the money, they calculated that per year we save 7.7 euros, 0.60 euros of water and 7.1 euros of electricity. The problem: temperature As a general rule, dishwasher eco programs heat the water up to 50 degrees. This is enough to soften the dirt so that it comes off the plates and cutlery, but not to eliminate certain bacteria that we can find in a kitchen such as E. coli or salmonella. To get rid of most bacteria, different food safety guides They talk about temperatures starting at about 60-65 degrees combined with sufficient exposure time. Below that range, even if we have used soap and see the dish clean, there is no guarantee that no bacteria will remain. Normal dishwasher programs are usually around 60 degrees and also have intensive modes up to 70 or 80 degrees, although it is best to consult your model’s manual to be sure of the temperature of each mode. Another thing we usually do that can harm disinfection is open the dishwasher door prematurely. Even if you have finished washing, the residual heat continues to do its job to dry the dishes and also to kill any bacteria that may have remained. The fact that the water is not as hot in eco mode has another consequence and that is that it can end up damaging the machine itself. With the passage of time, grease and debris deposits are created in the dishwasher ducts, but if we use a program that does not heat the water much those deposits accumulate morewhich can cause bad odors and even lead to long-term failure. A user account on Reddit that his dishwasher broke down and, when the technician arrived, he told him that the culprit was the eco mode because the temperature of the water was not capable of completely dissolving the soap and it had been accumulating in the ducts until it clogged them. That does not mean that you should never use this option, but it does mean that it should not be the only one. For my part, I am going to continue using it, but seeing that the savings are not as great as I thought and that using hotter water has advantages, I will alternate it from time to time with the intensive mode. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Your refrigerator has a compartment designed for eggs in the door. It’s the worst possible place to keep them.

Bill Gates is responsible for the “biggest mistake of all time” that cost Microsoft 400 billion, according to the co-founder of Android

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Nobody is perfect. Not even the great tycoons who have taken technology companies to the peak of success. One of these examples is Bill Gates who during an interview recognized What has been the biggest mistake he has made in his time running Microsoft. And the co-founder of Android did not hesitate to mock him through social networks several years after this confession. Today we all associate the Android operating system with Google, which is the company behind it. But in its beginnings Android was in limbo between Microsoft and Google. This is where Bill Gates’ mistake was, who did not decide to bet on this operating system, causing Google to keep it and get the great performance it has today. Android co-founder gives a different version of Gates’ “biggest mistake” It was a few years ago during an interview with Julia HartzCEO of Evenbrite, where the Microsoft co-founder acknowledged that the biggest mistake he has made ““It’s the mismanagement that I got involved in that caused Microsoft to not be what Android is.” This mismanagement caused Google will develop Android before Microsoftand achieved the great success it has today. In addition to the many benefits that Android leaves today for being the operating system with the largest market share, 72.46% global share according to statistics from the end of 2025. That is why a bad decision and problems with antitrust laws meant that this operation was not closed. Although he tried to do something similar with Windows Phone, it didn’t turn out well as we have already seen. For Bill Gates there is only room for an operating system other than iOS on the market. And this is something that figure at 400,000 million dollars that he lost with this bad decision 20 years ago. He related it in the following way: The biggest mistake of all was the mismanagement I got into that caused Microsoft to not be what Android is, meaning Android is the standard platform for non-Apple phones. In reality, it is a winner-take-all market. If you have half as many applications or 90% of them, you are on your way to total ruin. There’s room for exactly one non-Apple operating system, and how much is that worth? 400 billion dollars that would be transferred from company G (Google) to company M (Microsoft). For Gates, this is one of the biggest mistakes in history, and he has no doubt that if he had reached the mobile market before Google, Microsoft would be the company that would be dominating today. Their mistake was leaving Google with Android “free” until it developed Windows Phone. The best part of this story comes when the co-founder of Android appeared last year to comment on these words through your X account. In a publication he details that his goal when developing Android was to prevent Microsoft from controlling phones “as it did with computers, stifling innovation.” Click on the image to access the publication. With this concern that Microsoft could control the mobile world, the co-founder of Android affirms that “Sorry Bill, but you’re more responsible for the $400 billion loss than you think.” On this topic Steve Ballmer also spokethe charismatic former CEO of Microsoft, who admitted that this mistake by Microsoft was motivated by overconfidence and “arrogance” focused on the supremacy of the Windows brand. This led them to underestimate the competition and assume that they could dominate any new market by imposing their ecosystem, but evidently this was not the case. Images | Wikimedia Commons (UK Government) Via | Windows Central In Xataka | “In five years they will have to pay taxes”: Bill Gates has pointed out the elephant in the room of AI and humanoids A version of this article was published in 2025 in Genbeta

You thought you went to the library for the silence, but science says that the “co-action effect” is responsible for your concentration.

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When teleworking or studying, you can live a very peculiar situation: Sit at your desk at home, open your laptop and suddenly feel the urgent need to tidy up the table, go to the refrigerator or check Instagram. In the end, do everything possible except do the tasks we have to do and be zero productive. But this is something that can change completely if we go to a library or the officewhere you can achieve three hours of absolute concentration. It has its explanation. It is not magic, nor is it coincidence, since the fact of being very more productive in libraries or in spaces of coworking responds to a fascinating combination of human psychology, interior design and social pressure. The psychology. The most powerful psychological factor operating in a library is what experts call social facilitation. This theory postulates that the mere presence of other people performing a task similar to ours improves our performance in routine or mechanized tasks, since we are forced to have to replicate them. Within this phenomenon, the “co-action effect” stands out, which is basically based on the fact that, when we see dozens of people around us immersed in their books or screens, our brain receives a very clear signal: It’s time to work. This behavioral contagion makes it much easier for us to stay focused and not get distracted. It’s a social comparison. Something that I myself have experienced in this sense is that the thought that one has in these situations is that “If everyone is focused, I should be too.” A simple social comparison that heightens our sense of responsibility and eliminates the temptation to procrastinate to spend some time watching TikTok. Decades of study. The neural bases of social facilitation have been the subject of different studies, highlighting a 2007 meta-analysis in different individuals that confirmed that the social context of “working” directly modulates our performance. Of course, science also suggests that this effect is wonderful for assimilating notes or advancing on known tasks, but it can be harmful if we face extremely complex mathematical or logical problems where the pressure of the environment can block us. The design of the space. Beyond psychology, modern libraries not only store books, but have been designed to have good cognitive comfort for those people who visit to work or study. This is something that evidenced in a 2024 study published in Social Sciences Communications which analyzed the environment of university libraries and how it directly influences student engagement. The conclusions drawn here were that environmental variables such as natural lighting, a controlled noise level, ventilation and the ergonomics of furniture favor positive emotional states that prolong our ability to concentrate. In addition, zoned design, such as absolute silence areas versus group work spaces or modern learning commons, allows the user to “customize” their level of isolation, significantly improving study habits, as supported by science itself. The silent pressure. If it crosses our mind to open a package of crispy chips in the reading or study room of a library, it seems like an easy task, but the pressure of the gazes of the rest of the people present makes us give up in three seconds. Libraries operate under a strict code of rules that act as firewalls against stimuli that can distract us. Being a public and academic space, study-oriented behavior is socially rewarded. On the contrary, activities that we would do at home without thinking, such as having the television on in the background, having the cell phone on, watching a video on YouTube or snacking, are perceived here as unacceptable. That is why these ecosystems force us to limit ourselves. The union in society. Finally, it should be noted that there is an identity component, since by feeling part of a temporary community of people who make efforts in the same physical space, our own academic or professional identity is reinforced. Interestingly, this phenomenon has been extrapolated to coworking spaces, and science has shown that working “alone but together” not only increases time structuring and perceived productivity, but also improves mental and physical health. Even moderate social interaction, such as a glance or a brief greeting at the coffee machine, gives us the necessary social support without becoming the constant source of interruptions that a traditional office or our own home is often. In Xataka | The great little gem of productivity is a very simple method: the “two minute” rule

Since 2019, Spanish movie theaters have not had so much attendance in a single weekend. The person responsible: Torrente

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‘Torrente Presidente’ arrived in theaters on March 13 without a trailer, without press passes and with a poster with a black background as the only promotional material. In 72 hours it raised close to 7 million euros: with one million viewers, it is the best start for a Spanish film in fifteen years. And these are the causes of the phenomenon. The figures. The first numbers of ‘Torrente Presidente’, before the weekend ended, were already overwhelming and predicted extraordinary success. Premiere on 1077 screens. 150,000 tickets sold in advance. 2.4 million euros and 300,000 spectators on Friday alone. At the end of the weekend, it had generated a total of 6.94 million euros, 70% of the national box office. Of course, it is the weekend with the highest attendance at cinemas since 2019, before the pandemic. The figure places the sixth installment of the saga as the fourth best premiere in the history of Spanish cinema, behind ‘The Impossible’ (€8.9M), ‘Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis’ (€8.6M) and ‘Torrente 3: The Protector’ (€7.21M). It is also the highest-grossing Spanish film of the year and the best debut of a Spanish production in the last eleven: no national film had reached that level of box office on its opening day since at least 2015. Unusual marketing. Segura opted for a launch strategy completely atypical: The film arrived in theaters without a trailer, without promotion and without prior press screenings, announcing itself only with a publication on social networks. The director has explained that his intention was that fans of the saga would be the first to enjoy it. Curiously, Segura has for decades been one of the most active Spanish directors in the promotion machine, continually appearing on television wearing t-shirts with the film’s title. Once ‘Torrente Presidente’ was released, it has already been seen on programs like ‘El Hormiguero’ and has begun to give interviews and give access to press passes. You know what you’re going for. Curiously, Torrente’s films do not stand out for their plot twists or spectacular surprises, but there is another secret to keep: the cameos. As could be seen when the film arrived in theaters, ‘Torrente Presidente’ is one of the densest films in the saga (if not the most) in terms of number of cameos and guest stars. That was what Segura did not want revealed, and that is why there are abundant articles on the internet that they gut this aspect of the movie. It is the great secret of the premiere, above its plot or its approach, where it rains in the wet. And now what. If in a film like this the surprise effect is important, word of mouth is even more important. From its second week onwards, Segura will adhere to the usual rules of the promotion (trailer, poster, pass, interviews) seeking to maintain the momentum. The first milestone that ‘Torrente Presidente’ has to overcome is the 22.1 million in revenue from ‘Torrente 2’, the most lucrative of the saga to date. At this rate, this second week could exceed the 14 million euros that the intermediate installments of the saga accumulated, amounts that the films of ‘Father there is only one‘. In Xataka | There are many people who hate Santiago Segura’s films. The problem is that they “save” Spanish cinema every year

Tesla’s enormous problem in Germany has an alarming figure and a clear person responsible: Elon Musk

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Three out of four potential buyers of an electric car reject the idea of ​​buying a Tesla. The study points to the German market, which is the first electric car market in Europe by sales volume, and explains an important part of Tesla’s failure in Europe during 2025. Three out of four. 75% of potential buyers of an electric car in Germany do not value the idea of ​​buying a Tesla car, according to a study by the German Institute of Economics in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden. The figure, which in itself is bad, has even more meaning. And that 75% is made up of potential customers who believe it is unlikely to buy a Tesla (15%) and those who completely reject buying a vehicle from this brand (60%). The reason, as we could imagine, is not a question of competition or price. The disaster. Last year, 545,142 electric cars were sold in Germany. It was, by far, the strongest electric car market in Europe. The growth was 43.2% compared to 2024, the year in which just over 380,000 electric cars were sold. Its market share reached 19.1%, above the European average, according to ACEA. For Tesla, however, it was not a great year. In Europe, 150,504 electric vehicles from Elon Musk’s company were sold, 37.9% less than the previous year when 242,436 registrations were registered. The most problematic thing is that the company had achieved a market share of 2.3% (a good bite to eat on the electric car pie, which in 2024 was only 13.6% in the European Union. That is, almost two out of every 10 electric cars sold in Europe were from Tesla. The drop was even more pronounced in Germany. There, the drop was 48.4%, as recorded Reuters at the beginning of the year. And, with everything, It has not been its strongest percentage drop in European countries but the damage in volume is more than evident. The politics. The decision by which the Germans seem to completely reject Tesla is evident to the creators of the study: Elon Musk’s political positioning. According to the authors, political positioning influences the purchase of a car more than sociodemographic characteristics. They point out that young people, those with a higher level of education and those who live in urban areas are more inclined to purchase an electric car. In political terms, Green supporters are the most open to acquiring this technology and AfD (German far-right) voters are the least enthusiastic. On average, they say, the potential customer for an electric car has grown by over 40% and those who reject it outright have also fallen. But the problem for Tesla is that it is not attractive to either group. Among the Greens, only 10.8% value the purchase of a Tesla as their first option and the percentage grows among AfD followers to 15.2% but it must be taken into account that these voters are also less in favor of buying a car of this type. Just lose. The study concludes with a statement: Elon Musk has lost support for buying cars among progressive groups (those who buy the most electric cars or are willing to buy) and has not attracted enough conservative groups to alleviate this disadvantage. The result is a direct consequence of a year 2025 that began with Elon Musk doing a Nazi salute during Donald Trump’s takeover of the United States and which continued with a explicit support of the company’s head for AfD and other far-right parties in Europe. It must be taken into account that this type of political positioning in Germany is much more delicate than in other countries. In Germany the Nazi salute is a crime punished with a fine in minor cases but which can be grounds for imprisonment in more serious cases. Study on preferences when buying an electric car in Germany segmented by political parties. Source: German Institute of Economics The worst option almost always. The image above shows the predisposition of Germans to the type of electric car they want to buy, segmented by their origin and the political parties that these potential customers vote for. According to this data, Tesla is the last option in four of the six political parties studied, even behind Chinese cars as the first option. The latter always surpass him except among CDU and SPD voters (although in both cases a greater percentage considers it possible to buy a Chinese car over a Tesla if we add the second level of predisposition). Tesla reaps the worst results among the Greens and Linke (The Left) and the absolute rejection is greater among the supporters of the latter political party. Chinese cars are, in all cases, the second option chosen when considering those who are willing to buy an electric car and those who value it as a possible purchase. The Germans are the ones who obtain the most support and the first option in all cases, with the greatest support among Green voters and with the AfD as the party with the greatest reluctance to buy it. Photo | Elon Musk in X and German Institute of Economics In Xataka | Tesla is discovering in real time that the most difficult thing was not to build a car brand from scratch: it was to maintain it

the Stadler plant will be responsible for building 200 hybrid locomotives

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Stadler, a well-known Swiss manufacturer responsible for producing railway equipment, has announced a historic contract with the Luxembourg locomotive rental company Nexrail. The idea is to build up to 200 hybrid locomotives EURO9000. Although the company has not revealed official figures, according to According to Expansión, the order could reach 1.4 billion euros, taking into account that previous similar contracts have been around 7 million per unit. And why is all this important? Precisely because all production will be carried out at Stadler’s plant in Albuixech, Valencia. A boost for the Valencian industry. This mega order represents a fairly important injection of work for Stadler’s Valencian factory and consolidates its position as a strategic production center within the Swiss group. The Albuixech plant will be responsible for manufacturing the most powerful locomotive which is currently produced in Europe, a great recognition of the technical and industrial capacity that the Valencian factory provides. Hybrid technology. The EURO9000 hybrid It combines pantograph and batteries on a six-axis platform already proven on the market. With its multi-system design it allows it to operate without problems between borders of Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. In addition, it can transport goods completely emission-free from terminal to terminal, which leaves aside diesel, a fuel that still predominates in many European corridors. Power. According to Stadler, these locomotives can operate alone even on the most demanding routes, such as transalpine corridors, without the need for an additional thrust locomotive. In direct current networks, the battery system provides extra power that improves performance and allows more load to be transported. It also offers an intelligent battery management system that optimizes regenerative braking, which reduces costs during peak electrical consumption and allows energy to be purchased at times of lowest price. The client and the first operator. The first user of these locomotives will be Hamburger Rail Service (HRS), according to has confirmed Stadler. “The EURO9000 with pantograph and batteries offers HRS a unique combination of flexible traction on lines with or without catenary, high traction capacity for our heavy loads and zero-emission operations,” explained Adem Gülaz, CEO of HRS. Decarbonization. Iñigo Parra, president of Stadler Valencia, has underlined that the order “reveals our joint commitment to sustainable innovation in rail freight transport.” For his part, Luuk von Meijenfeldt, CEO of Nexrail, highlighted that the company is “excited to lead the European locomotive market towards a zero-emissions future” and that this order marks “an important step in that transition.” Europe’s goals. The rail freight sector is immersed in a transformation process to meet European climate objectives, similar to what’s happening right now in the automotive world on the continent. Complete electrification of all lines is still economically unfeasible, so hybrid locomotives with batteries are now emerging as the most realistic solution for decarbonize the sector without giving up the operational flexibility that diesel locomotives still offer on non-electrified sections. Cover image | Stadler and Ivan Arlandis In Xataka | The lack of generational change has opened a job opportunity for thousands of young people in Spain: bus driver

China’s technological development is unstoppable. It is accelerating and the responsible country is the USA

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Jensen Huang, the co -founder and general director of Nvidia, made it very clear in one of the statements he made during the already distant 2023 computer: “China is dedicating mass resources to the implementation of emerging companies specialized in the development of GPU. Do not underestimate them. “This warning was directed to the US government in a clear attempt to prevent you from the consequence that They will have the sanctions that seek to stop the technological development of China. However, this statement is not the only one that Huang has made with the purpose of describing the strategy of this gigantic Asian country. This executive too assures that “if China can’t buy chips for artificial intelligence (AI) To the US she will simply manufacture them. ” Huawei, Cambricon Technologies either Moore Threadsamong many other Chinese companies. It is likely that in 2026 China reaches technological self -sufficiency Jensen Huang is not at all the only expert who has warned the US government and his allies that his sanctions are promoting a flight forward. This statement by Marc HijinkDutch journalist expert in semiconductors and author of the highly recommended essay book ‘Focus: The Asml Way’expresses very strongly the impact that the USA and the Netherlands can have on the ASML business and the technological development of China: “I think that the great frustration that Asml feels is that by restricting the sale of their machines, not just those of extreme ultraviolet lithography (UVE), but also those of immersion, an opportunity opens for a Chinese competitor to enter the market. This could create a very powerful rival (…) if ASML entry into China is completely restricted The Chinese are forced to use their own technologywhich eventually drives its innovation. We see the same in the field of AI or with Huawei, which creates chips even with its limited lithography options. “ Its purpose is to transfer their knowledge to China because they are convinced that despite their efforts the US government will not be able to stop the technological advance of China Let’s change third. Liguo “Recoo” Zhang is Chinese, but has lived for several decades in the US and has worked in Siemens Eda, the US subsidiary of this German company that dominates the chip design software market in China. Zhang currently directs the Chinese Seida company, and in the business plan that he presented in 2022 with the purpose of capturing new investors, he collected that his company would have its chip design software ready in early 2024. However, this is not all. And is that in that document Seida defended that his plan went to “break the foreign monopoly.” Presumably the software developed by Seida is already being used by SMIC, Hua Hong semiconductor and other Chinese manufacturers of integrated circuits. In fact, SMIC is one of the investors of this company. Peilun “Allen” Chang, the director of Operations of Seida, assures that Zhang and other former employees of Siemens EDA left this German company as a result of US sanctions. Its purpose was transfer their knowledge to China because they are convinced that despite their efforts the US government will not be able to stop the technological advance of China. In the field of Chinese scientific development, it has also reached notable achievements in recent years. In fact, in the cover image of this article we can see the ambitious experimental reactor of nuclear fusion CFETR (Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor) that is being built in this Asian country as an alternative to ITER. In any case, before concluding this article it is worth returning to the domain of technology to make a bet: it is likely that In 2026 China already has its own UVE photolithography teamswhich are the machines you need to produce avant -garde chips. If this prognosis is fulfilled by the country led by Xi Jinping will reach its longing for technological self -sufficiency. Image | Xinhua News In Xataka | Xi Jinping’s “Made in China In China” In Xataka | ASML’s “invisible monopoly” is indisputable. Although without the technology of these companies would not have reached the top

Someone cut five submarine cables in the Baltic. Finland already points as responsible for a ship of the “shade fleet”

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In the middle of Christmas, five submarine cables that connect Finland and Estonia were damaged. According to the Finnish Prosecutor’s Officeit was a deliberate act: an oil tanker dragged its anchor for about 90 kilometers and cut the electric interconnection Estlink 2 and four telecommunications cables. More than seven months later, on August 11, 2025, The Prosecutor’s Office presented positions For aggravated damage and aggravated interference in communications against the captain and two officers of the Eagle S ship, a ship linked to the call “shadow”That the European authorities associate with the elusion of restrictions on Russian crude. On the night of December 25, 2024, the Estlink 2 link stopped operating suddenly and, shortly after, failures were detected in four data cables that cross the same section of the Gulf of Finland. The service did not collapse thanks to alternative routes, but the technical impact was immediate and the authorities opened an investigation focused on the trajectory of a ship that sailed near the affected area. 90 kilometers groove at the bottom of the Baltic. The damage pattern was unequivocal: a prolonged groove in the seabed that coincided with the passage of the Eagle S. The researchers point out that The trajectory of the ship registered in the navigation data flashes with the damaged areas. Police recovered an anchor whose location coincided with the Eagle S route and with the detected groove, information between the evidence that motivated the accusation against the three officers. A cable that transports 650 megawatts under the sea. Estlink 2 is a high voltage electrical interconnection in direct current that joins Finland and Estonia for the seabed. He entered into market operation in December 2013 and was inaugurated in 2014; Its capacity reaches 650 megawatts and its function is to balance the electrical demand between the two countries. After the cut, Fingrid and Elering activated contingencies to maintain stability, and the link returned to the market at 01:00 of June 20, 2025 after repairs. In addition to the power grid, Four telecommunications cables were damagedaffecting part of data traffic between Finland and Estonia. Among the impacted operators are Elisa, Cinia – of public majority ownership – and a cable managed by CITIC. The repair work began days later and extended several weeks; According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the owners have assumed at least 60 million euros in direct repair costs, without relevant impacts on end users thanks to the alternative routed. An old acquaintance under magnifying glass. He Eagle s It is an oil company registered in the Cook Islands that sailed from the Russian port of UST-Luga with oil products and was detected in the vicinity of the affected area. Several media place their property in Caravella Llc Fzbased in United Arab Emirates. The ship appears in the so -called “Shadow Flot”, formed by boats with opaque structures that have continued to operate despite the restrictions. The European Union included Eagle S on its list of ships sanctioned on May 20, 2025. Can Finland judge it? The debate on jurisdiction. The defense claims that the cuts occurred outside the Finnish territorial waters. Because of this, Reuters pointsthe country would not have competence to prosecute the crew. The Prosecutor’s Office appeals to the territorial effect: the consequences occurred in Finland, in the electricity and communications, and that would justify the criminal action. Helsinki’s court now has the task to decide on competition and, where appropriate, set procedural deadlines. The result of the judicial decision will mark the next chapter of the case. If the Court accepts Finnish competition, the process against Eagle S officers will be a milestone in the European response to attacks against critical infrastructure. Images | HTM (Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | The USA opened the way and China took note: it is updating its fleet with ships that have electromagnetic catapults

Superconductor quantum computers are being sabotaged. Fortunately, several Chinese scientists have found those responsible

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Superconductor cubits are extremely fragile. Even so, if we stick to the number of companies that are working on this type of quantum bits it is reasonable to conclude that this is the technology that has greater support and greater investmentso, somehow, is the one that goes in the lead. This strategy is probably the one that will help us to have more cubits, but also It is more prone to make mistakes That ion traps cubits, which are one of the alternatives to superconductors. In addition, these last cubits are characterized by working at a temperature of about 20 millikelvin, which are approximately -273 degrees Celsius, with the purpose of operating with the greater degree of isolation of the possible environment. IBM is one of the companies that have opted to set Quantum computers With superconductor cubits, and plans to make available to its customers in 2029 ‘Starling’, its first large -scale quantum computer equipped with the capacity to amend your own mistakes. However, something happened that can complicate the plans of this and other companies involved in the development of quantum computers. And is that a group of researchers from the Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (China) has discovered that Cosmic rays and Gamma radiation They have the ability to cause errors in superconductor cubits. This discovery is very important because it justifies the need to develop technologies that allow building reliable quantum computers despite the interference of cosmic rays and gamma rays. These scientists have published the result of their research in Nature Communications. Cosmic rays are putting quantum computers in trouble Researchers from the Academy of Quantum Information Sciences of Beijing have carried out this discovery using a 63 -cubits superconductor quantum processor. However, their most ingenious idea led them to install muones detectors within the quantum computer cooling system. This strategy allowed them to realize that gamma rays and cosmic radiation were inducing the appearance of errors in the extremely fragile superconductor cubits, thus weakening their ability to maintain coherence. It is evident that to solve a problem it is essential to identify it and know its origin, so it is good news that these scientists have made this discovery. However, before concluding this article I propose that we review briefly What are these two forms of radiation. Cosmic rays are constituted by high -energy ionized atomic nuclei that move through space at a speed very close to that of light (which is approximately 300,000 km/s). Cosmic rays are constituted by high -energy ionized atomic nuclei that move through space at a speed very close to that of light That they are ionized indicates that they have acquired electric charge because they have been stripped of their electrons, but, curiously, these atomic nuclei are made of the same matter that constitutes us and everything that surrounds us. However, and here comes the first surprise, the atomic nuclei that constitute the cosmic rays are distributed in a different way to the subject that shapes us. Hydrogen and helium are much more abundant in our solar system than in cosmic rays, while other heavier elements, such as lithium, beryllium or boron, are ten thousand times more abundant in cosmic radiation. One of the most important characteristics of cosmic radiation is its essentially perfect isotropy. This parameter reflects that the rays arrive from all directions with the same frequency, which indicates that they must coexist simultaneously numerous sources capable of generating them. And this invites us to ask ourselves one more question: where cosmic radiation comes from. A good part of the cosmic rays we receive proceed from outside our solar system. Of other stars. And travel through space with enormous energy until impacting with the atoms present in the upper layers of the atmosphere of our planet. Finally, Gamma radiationwhich is the most energetic and the most penetrating of all, requires the emission of a high -energy photon, usually known as Rayo Gamma, so the atomic nucleus maintains its original structure. Some of these high -energy photons are able to cross very thick concrete walls and lead plates, so this is the most dangerous radiation form of all. More information | Nature Communications In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

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