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In 1950 two scientists wondered if possible a nuclear bomb of 10 gigatons. Its results are hidden locked up

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On October 30, 1961, a Soviet bomber furrowed the skies of the Arctic towards Novaya Zemlya. Under his fuselage he hung an artifact the size of a bus: an unprecedented nuclear pump. At 11:32, the called TSAR pump He released. A parachute slowed its fall, allowing the plane to move away. Then, a detonation illuminated the sky with a fireball of almost 10 kilometers in diameter and a fungus -shaped cloud that amounted to more than 65 kilometers. The show was surreal: the pump, With 50 megatones explosive (more than 3,300 times that of Hiroshima), became a symbol of the Nuclear madness. But it could be much worse. The awakening of a new era. With the atomic bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki In August 1945, the world changed irreversibly. Those bombs, 16 and 21 kilotons respectively, they marked the beginning of the destructive power without a paragon of Nuclear weapons. However, despite their fearsome capacity, these weapons were only the first step towards a much more sinister technological escalation. What would later transcend the most reckless imagination. The most powerful pump ever detonated would be That Soviet tsar of 50 megatones, although designed to reach 100. However, the most disturbing thing is that this was not the summit. In hidden, the United States had still planned More huge. The “Super” concept. Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were based In fission: A chain reaction in which heavy nuclei are divided releasing energy. But as we said, in parallel to their development, some scientists imagined a second stage: The fusion. This implied union of light nuclei (as deuterium and tritium) to form a heavier one, releasing even more energy. It happens that this reaction required an initial fission explosion to activate, which would give rise to the concept of the Hydrogen pumps. In the 1940s they were just a theoretical speculation … but everything changed very soon. Photograph of a replica of the tarum pump housing Communism comes. After the detonation of the First atomic bomb Soviet in 1949, the United States accelerated its thermonuclear programs. The fear of communism, enhanced by the revolution in China that same year, made the National Security Council recommend quadruply military spending. In that context, the figures of Edward Teller and Stanislaw Ulam appear, who devised The design that even today supports the H bombs. In 1952, the “Mike” test of Operation IVY demonstrated for the first time the Thermonuclear principle: an explosion of 10.4 megatones (500 times Nagasaki) that left a crater of 1,900 meters wide. Despite such force, that was not enough for Teller. The Soundy germ. Two years later, in 1954, the so -called “Shrimp” bomb during the Castle Bravo test. A powerful explosion was expected, but the result of 15 megatons (1,000 times Hiroshima) even surprised its designers, both by strength and by the devastating level of radiation released. However, Teller’s impetus did not stop there either. I wanted more, Much more. It was then that one of the most delusional and terrifying projects of nuclear history emerged: the Sundial Project. Designed by Teller and his colleagues from the Livermore Radiation Laboratory, the plan proposed a new destruction scale: no already kilotons or megatones, we entered In the gigatons. A couple of brothers. They were designed Two weapons: Gnomon and Sindial. Gnomon would act as “primary”, with a detonation of 1,000 megatons aimed at detonating Soundy, which would reach a power of 10,000 megatons, that is, 10 gigatons. For placing it in perspective, he thinks again The image of the beginning. Well, the figure exceeds 200 times the tsar bomb, and almost does not fit in the conceptual framework of the physics of conventional explosions. The potential apocalypse. The logic behind Sindial overflows any traditional calculation. To such powers, the laws of escalation of destruction They lose any validity: The heat, pressure and energy released would be so monstrous that, a priori, they would open a hole in the atmosphere. In fact, A report Del Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists pointed out that a pump like a sundial, detonated about 45 kilometers of altitude, could cause fires in an area of the size of France. The death toll would be unthinkable, not only because of the immediate explosion but by global radioactive sequels. Hiroshima, with 140,000 victims, would be a sigh against cataclysm that would represent Sindial. It was not science fiction. Although it might seem like a laboratory fantasy, the Sundial Project It was not a joke or an eccentric occurrence. Declassified documents and historical analysis indicate that Livermore’s team worked seriously For years in the development of Gnomon, with concrete plans to test it in the Redwing operation of 1956. That test was canceled, but the mere existence of the plan shows to what extent the fear, scientific ambition and deterrence had pushed the superpowers to border the abyss of the unacceptable. Echoes of Sindial. Suindial never materialized, but his mere conception forced A critical reflection In American politics. The growing destructive power of these weapons overflowed not only military strategy, but also ethics, logistics and land physics itself. While many ruled out their tactical utility for being impracticable (a pump of such dimensions was impossible to launch), its potential as an instrument of symbolic terror was enormous. As with The TSAR pumpits value was more political than operational: a floating threat that showed how far a nation could go if I wanted. Monster in the shadows. Finally, the Soundal project is It was diluting between political restrictions, international treaties and practical sense (without serving as precedent). The Ratification of the treaty Partial prohibition of nuclear trials in 1963 was a brake on atmospheric tests, which in practice made it impossible to continue advancing in the development of extreme performance weapons. The strategy then went on to favor smaller, portable and operational multiple eyelets, leaving behind the vision of total apocalypse that represented Sindial and its cousin Soviet sister. Imagine the unimaginable. What’s doubt, today sundial is just a footer … Read more

Some scientists have reviewed 99 studies on intermittent fasting. Its results are not very optimistic

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The popularity of intermittent fasting has grown over the last years, partly by a series of scientific studies that endorsed their potential when helping us lose weight. However, sometimes the results of individual studies do not agree with the global image of the matter. Not so effective. A new study has in doubt The ability of intermittent fasting as a superior way of losing weight. The analysis concluded that, although some forms of intermittent fasting could offer a slight advantage, the results obtained with these were not significantly better than those obtained with the simple caloric restriction. The intermittent fasting. The concept intermittent fasting It refers to a series of diets based on a temporary caloric restriction. We cannot speak of a single flash form since this temporary restriction can occur in several ways. Conventional forms of intermittent fasting imply not consuming any food during a specific time window, more or less broad, in certain days, which can be alternate or successive and in different proportions. It can also refer to drastically restricting the calories we consume in certain days of the week. Sometimes a non -intermittent hourly restriction is also included in these diets, that is, a more conventional fast. Review and meta -analysis. Evaluating the effect of these diets is not easy, but over the last decades, various teams of researchers have launched to it, obtaining very diverse results and sometimes even contradictory. Solving this type of discrepancies is what is sought with the tool we call meta -analysis. Metaanalysis start from a systematic review of literature in which the team compiles all studies in the field in a specific time interval. Metaanalysis consists in the statistical evaluation of the results obtained in compiled quantitative studies to obtain an average effect through a broader sample which allows strength to the conclusions. In other words, solve discrepancies. 6,582 participants. In this case the meta -analysis included 99 studies individuals that added in total 6,582 participants. As explained by the team responsible for the new study, among these participants, the average body mass index was 31 and about 90% had some health disease or condition. The results showed that fasting on alternate days (restricting our food consumption to alternate days) was the only option that showed an observable benefit in weight reduction. However, this reduction (1.29 kg on average) did not exceed the 2 kg threshold defined by the study responsible for the study. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine BMJ. 99 studies, and we still need more. Metaanalysis usually serve to settle scientific knowledge in one subject, but at least in this case it is still more to investigate, admits the responsible team. The heterogeneity of dietary strategies, the small size of the samples and the limited evidence are limiting factors indicated by the team. “The evidence today provides some indication that diets based on intermittent fasting have continuous energy restriction benefits for weight loss and cardiomethabolic factors. Explain the team. In Xataka | What if we are doing the bad intermittent fasting? Some experts propose to focus only on carbohydrates Image | Xataka with Gemini / I Yunmai

The OCU has analyzed about thirty Tarrina ice cream, the results are not excellent

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Summer is already here more than one awaits an ice cream binge. Ice cream are rich in sugars and fats, generally ultraprocessed foods and therefore Not especially healthy. Despite this (or perhaps precisely because of it), choosing the healthiest option can be a good idea. New report. Now the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has published the results of its analysis of the Tarrina ice cream that we can find in supermarkets. Your verdict is not optimistic: too many additives, “some not recommended”; and scarce in dairy fats. 32 ice cream. In its analysis, the OCU studied 32 Tarrina ice cream like the ones we can find conventionally in supermarkets. They chose “Family Format” of three flavors (vanilla, chocolate and caramel). The analysis focused on white brand ice cream although it also included specimens of two “first brands”. According to Explain the organizationthe analysis consisted of an assessment made from labeling, nutritional quality (including energy content, fats and sugars used and composition), degree of processing, and a tasting test. The latter represented 50% of the final grade assigned to each product. Bad notes. According to the organization, only 10 of the 32 selected products exceeded the tests, with four of them “highlighting for their quality.” The 28 that did not reach this category, continues to explain the OCU, exceeded the levels in aromas, concentrated, dyes or syrups, which “mask the lack of product quality.” According to the OCU, the low quality in the ingredients was reflected in the taste of the products in the tastings to the palate. “It is not for less, because these are ultra prosecuted products, poor in dairy fat and rich in aromas, syrups and additives, some not recommended,” The organization explains in its statement. Too many additives, few dairy products. As for additives, the OCU identified a total of 20 (an average of 4 per product). Of this twenty additives, the organization highlighted four qualified by OCU itself as “not recommended.” It’s about E442, E471, E472C and E14XX. Only one of the analyzed products was described as “additive free.” The OCU also paid attention to the fats present in the products. He noted that only eight of the ice cream analyzed used dairy or cocoa exclusively. Better chocolate, caramel worse. In the results published by the OCU, a pattern can be perceived, and that is that among the ice cream analyzed, those of chocolate presented Better scoreswhile the caramel scored lower. “Caramel ice cream are the worst valued (in addition to the most caloric)”, details the organization. A product not so healthy. There is no healthy ice cream and that is why it is recommended that this food so desired in summer is only consumed in moderation. Ice cream are foods rich in sugars and fat regardless of the type of sweeteners and fats used. Choosing one or another option can depend on our tastes and what we want to prioritize in our diet. In Xataka | The ice cream are going to get very expensive this summer. There are two guilty strangers: coconut oil and the Philippines diesel Image | Titopasini

You have to wait 17 years for a mine to give results. China already has two decades of advantage

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The new map of global power, It no longer happens with having oil. The true strategic value lies in the domain of critical minerals, such as lithium, nickel, copper or rare earths, considered the backbone of essential technologies. Therefore, whoever controls their access, production and refined is equivalent to having the keys to the energy and digital future. According to has estimated In an interview for the Wall Street Journal IEA director Fatih Birol, to have an operational mine, can take up to 17 years. While many countries just begin to move, there is already a country at the head. The arrival. There is an Italian saying that says: “piano piano if Arriva Lontano”, translated would be that little by little you get away. And it is not surprising that this premise comes as a finger ring for the Asian giant. Since the beginning of this century, Beijing adopted a deliberate large -scale investment strategy throughout the value chain of critical minerals. The result of this bet is that China is currently the main world refining of 19 of the 20 strategic minerals Evaluated by IEA. More recent data. Between 2020 and 2024, he was responsible for approximately the 80 % of supply growth Global lithium and copper. Control is even more overwhelming in certain key elements: The country processes 95 % of graphite which is used in lithium -ion batteries. 98 % of rare earths necessary to manufacture high -performance magnets, fundamental in electric motors, wind turbines and advanced military systems. Out of its borders. Many of the mines and processing plants in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia are owned by Chinese companies or have a large participation of Chinese capital, According to Wall Street Journal. Starting with Indonesia, where much of the nickel, mineral for high energy density batteries is refined. For its part, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the refinement of the cobalt It is in hands of Chinese companies. They have seen an opportunity. Not everything is extracting, knowing the current situation of the planet have seen an opportunity in recycling. More than two thirds of global growth in battery recycling since 2020 They have taken place in Chinawhich reinforces its leadership even in the final stage of the mineral life cycle. This power, based on sustained investment, low costs and an aggressive industrial policy, makes China not only a dominant supplier, but an actor difficult to replace. The clock against the West. The regions that seek to reduce their dependence, such as the United States and the European Union, have faced financial, regulatory and logistics barriers. In addition, the recent fall in the prices of many critical minerals has discouraged investment, making even more difficult for new actors to enter the market, such as He explained The Wall Street Journal. This has especially affected emerging companies, whose initiatives have been paralyzed by the lack of clear economic signals. The reactions. The United States has issued executive orders to accelerate permits and stimulate internal investment. The European Union has launched its Critical RAW Materials Actdesignating 47 strategic projects that will have priority in financing and authorizations. Both blocks seek to weave alliances with producing countries such as ArgentinaBrazil and Australia, with the intention of building more resilient supply chains. However, even if all these projects were approved today, the tangible benefits would not be seen until the second half of the next decade. The window of opportunity to reduce dependence is narrow; The risk of falling behind is real. The concentration of minerals. According to the IEA86 % of the refined production of key minerals comes from only three countries. In many cases, one: China. More than half of the 20 critical minerals are already subject to some type of export restriction. Since 2023, Beijing has implemented controls on Galio, Germanio, Bismuto, Antimony and various rare earths, many of them essential for electronic, energy and military industries. It brings consequences. These restrictions have caused abrupt price increases and have turned on alarms in governments and companies. The dependence of such a small number of suppliers converts the entire value chain into a fragile system: a climatic catastrophe, a geopolitical crisis or a technical accident is enough to trigger a collapse of the supply. IEA has estimated That a prolonged interruption in the flow of key metals for batteries could make global prices more expensive by up to 50 %. A silent threat. Of all minerals, copper emerges as one of the biggest challenges. Although it is not unusual or new, it is absolutely essential for electrification: it is used in smart networks, electric motors, transformers and loaders. The IEA report He has warned That by 2035 there could be a supply deficit of 30 %, due to the drop in the mineral law, the lack of new discoveries and the high development costs. Unlike lithium – new actors have emerged as Argentina either Zimbabwe-, the copper market It is still concentrated in a few countries and is subject to long regulatory processes. The delay in expanding the offer has direct consequences: without copper there are no cables, and without cables there is no electrification. The bottleneck is not theoretical: it is imminent. The new game of power. In a world that advances towards an electrified economy, critical minerals are no longer one more component: they are the very axis of the energy and technological future. The concentration of its production in a few actors, added to the long development terms and economic barriers, forces countries to act urgently and coordination. The energy security of the 21st century is not played only in the oil wells, but in the tunnels of the mines, the refining ovens and the laboratories of advanced materials. And in this new subsoil geopolitics, time is a resource as scarce as lithium. Image | Pxhere Xataka | China was for decades the largest CO2 issuer on the planet. Renewables are correcting what seemed impossible

The search as we knew it is over. Google’s AI Mode no longer delivers results, he talks

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In recent times, Perplexity has done something that seemed unthinkable: Make Google Search feel old. With its conversational interface, direct answers, linked references and a relentless update rhythm, has shown that a search engine with not only possible, but desirable. It is faster, clearer, more useful. And increasingly popular. Many already have it as FJA tab. Google has taken note. And he has responded. The most important announcement – although somewhat camouflaged – of the I/O 2025 It was not a new model or an ultra intelligent agent. It was this: Ai mode arrives at Search and Gemini. Or in other words: Google has begun to transform its search engine into something that looks a lot like perplexity. For now it is only for users of the United States –argh–, but the movement is clear. When AI Mode activates in the Gemini app, the user stops doing classic style searches and begins to receive direct answers generated by the model, with links to sources, relevant context and capabilities to go beyond: compare, ask for explanations, continue asking. The search engine no longer delivers blue link lists, not even a summary above. Find conversation. In this way, Gemini is not a conversational model. It is an active knowledge engine, A synthesis of LLM, browser and assistantwith the ambition to replace the habit of “google” with that of “asking.” You can search for flights, understand documents, ask for cross opinions or compare articles. And all that, without touching an external page. This is not The results with generative that we saw will arrive in Spain a couple of months ago. This goes much further. That were generative responses about classic results. Ai mode is something else: It is more perplexity, more direct, more useful. And more dangerous for the web ecosystem. Because here is the turn that nobody should overlook. In Perplexity, at least for now, the sources are visible, well prominent, and are central to the experience. In ai mode, on the other hand, ambition seems different: respond so much and so well that the user does not feel the need to leave. A closed, polished, self -sufficient experience. That changes things. Not only for the user, who can stop distinguishing between response and source. Also for the media, creators, forums, specialists. Everything that today feeds Gemini from the web becomes less visible in the process. Knowledge is preserved, but loses authorship On the surface. Perplexity Forced Google to advance. But in doing so, Google has changed certain rules. He has taken what works – the synthesis, natural language, speed – and integrates it into an ecosystem, broader, more fluid, also more opaque. If Perpleplexity was a pioneer in experience, Google now counterattacks with total integration. Therefore, the AI ​​Mode in Gemini is not just a technical novelty. It is a paradigm change in how we look, how we read, how we inform ourselves. The user no longer consults a database. Interact with a system that interprets, selects, synthesizes and responds. Google has caught where the search is going. And has decided to move. But in his style. In Xataka | Google has put a price on the future of AI: $ 250 per month Outstanding image | Google

Murtra’s first results are solid, but his story is still weak

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Telefónica has published The results of a first quarter That, on paper, I should satisfy the market: They rise income (+1.3% organic). They improve margins in their large markets: Spain, Brazil and Germany. Reduce debt. And reduces capex. But the net benefit of continued operations falls 26% and the free cash flow is negative. The result: a company that advances, but does not take off. Yes, but. The accounting collapse defines it almost entirely Argentina’s departure and The flight of Peru: 1,731 million euros less. It was something anticipated. However, it is not just an accounting issue: Telefónica grows less than cuts. And that weighs. The margin improves due to divestments, but not for a better exploitation of its assets. Of course, an important fact: Telefónica is winning more for each euro that invests, with a 0.4% growth in its operational profitability. Between the lines. It is a latent paradox: Telefónica is worth less despite being more efficient than before. Win less, but manages better. Its fundamentals improve, but not their story. Neither does your quote, which has returned to maximum of the last three years But it still does not reach vertical takeoff. The market seeks in a great telecus more than simple execution: wants vision, impulse, growth. Marking Agenda. Telefónica Tech, the Division of Technological Developments to which the company is entrusted to be perceived as a technological And not as a simple teleco, it has grown again above the group (+6.6%) and its annualized billing already equals a median Ibex: 2.1 billion euros. But Telefónica still does not break down its profitability or presenting it as an autonomous unit. So it is still relatively invisible. It is a promising active locked in an opaque showcase. It is its most aligned division with the future, but the least visible for analysts. There is a better showcase, or at least one clearer, for Telefónica Tech. Without an autonomous story or separate accounts, the market can hardly put a price. In detail. In Spain, Telefónica has managed to consolidate what seemed unlikely: grow. Thus the good inertia continues Achieved by Emilio Gayo, promoted to CEO. Income and margin have risen around 2%, The terminals take off with almost 18% more, and the Churn –cancellation rate– It remains stable at 0.9% despite Price increases. On the other hand, The agreement with Vodafone for FiberPass deployment It adds 3.65 million potential homes. The convergent ARPU (the average customer income of combined packages) rises to 92.3 euros, the largest in the group. That is the Premium user, the one who pays the most, and the one that costs the most. No other region where he has a telephone presence approaches an ARPU like this. Spain is no longer a ramora but an engine, the business breathes again at home. The ARPU is, in any case, a company’s commercial health thermometer. And of its ability to revalue from within. The big question. Why do you not revalue, if you run well? Possibly because execution without illusion is not enough. Because perceived growth matters as much as the real. And because without narrative, the numbers do not shine. And that’s what it is about: to shine. In Xataka | The EU has spent years fiercely fighting monopolies. Teresa Ribera has other plans for telecos Outstanding image | Telefónica

We have studied the bones of some mice that passed 37 days in space. The results are not optimistic

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In November of this year, if there are no unforeseen events, in November of this year humanity will celebrate an anniversary. They will be fulfilled 25 years of human presence continued in space. The exploration of the last border has advanced significantly and humans spend more time in space and aspire to get further. But that has a price. The cost of microgravity. A team of researchers has analyzed The effects of a spatial mission on mice and the results do not invite optimism. They observed that the stay severely affected the bones of these rodents, who lost bone density in parts of their body. The femur, great victim. This loss of bone mass was not given in all areas equally. The team observed, for example, that the femur was one of the bones where the most extended bone cavities. In contrast, the lumbar zone of mammalian spine were the least affected. This makes the study responsible for the study suspect that the main trigger for this loss of bone density is in the microgravity. For example, the team indicates an alternative hypothesis, radiation. As they explain, the mice in the ISS were not exposed to large doses of radiation from space, but if this had been the loss of bone mass would have occurred from outside, that is, that the bones closest to the surface would have been more damaged, while the most surrounded by muscle bones would have been more protected. 37 days in orbit. The experiment used mice to explore how long rooms in space affect. They were used Two groups of micesome that were sent to the space station for a mission of 37 days and others that remained on Earth as a control group. The team responsible for the study simulated flight conditions in the control group to be able to make the conditions similar in everything except in the space stay. Similar, not identical. Those responsible for the study explain in a video how mice and humans keep important biological similarities that imply the changes we see in some are probably also giving in others. There are also differences to consider. For example, the fact that humans are bipeds implies that the bones of our lumbar zone have a more important role in supporting the weight of the upper part of our body. This implies that these bones are probably more affected in humans than in mice. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Plos One. If you don’t use it, you lose it. The body often tries to optimize resources. That is why a possible explanation to this phenomenon is there, in the idea that, since the bones in microgravity do not need to endure the weight of our body, they lose mass and density. Other risks. The study points to microgravity as the main suspect of the loss of bone density but this is not the only risk to take into account when we devise long -term space trips. Radiation is perhaps the most important in this sense, to the point that it was considered as a candidate to cause bone mass loss in mice. Radiation implies an additional problem and that, although in places like the moon and Mars the seriousness of the bodies could reduce the deterioration of the bones associated with the microgravity conditions, the same cannot be said of radiation. Moreover, the radiation in these environments is greater since the International Space Station even protected by the Earth’s magnetic shield. In Xataka | The 24 most spectacular videos and photos from the International Space Station Image | POT / Rukmani Cahill, et al. (2025)

Some scientists have tested the “fasting 4: 3”. The results have been quite positive

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He intermittent fasting It is perhaps the diet that has won the most popularity in recent years. The idea in broad strokes is not to focus on limiting what we eat but to limit the hours to which we do it. From this basic idea, there are several ways in which to limit our consumption depending on the hours and days we dedicate to fasting. Positive results. The last study in finding evidence of the effectiveness of these forms of dietary restriction has made it focusing on fasting 4: 3. The team responsible for the experiment observed that this form of fasting, in the context of a broad intervention that also included promotion of physical activity, led to a higher average reduction of the body mass of the participants in the study. 4: 3. In this analysis, the participants of the experimental group underwent the call Intermittent fasting 4: 3 (4: 3 IMF). This form of fasting implies limiting our caloric intake by 80% for three non -consecutive days per week. The intervenion was accompanied by a high intensity exhaustive program for weight loss. This program included behavioral support and recommendations to increase the physical activity of moderate intensity up to 300 minutes per week, explained the team responsible for the study. 12 months. For the analysis, the participants, 165 adults overweight or obesity were divided into two groups. The experimental group, which underwent the restriction described and a control group that underwent a caloric but constant caloric restriction diet in which caloric intake was reduced by about 34.3%. Both groups had the support intervention and in both cases diet and program were carried out for 12 months. “Modest” results. Although the difference between one group and another was “modest”, the team in charge of studying it observed that the experimental group reduced its body mass to a greater degree compared to the control group. The experimental group reduced its body mass in 7.6% on averagewhile in the control group the reduction was 5%. In addition, a greater proportion of participants in the experimental group managed to reduce their weight by 5% or more. In kilos, the average difference between one groups was almost 2.9 kg. The details of the work were published In an article In the magazine ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE. More than a matter of weight. There are diverse reasons that can lead to a person to lose weight. Aesthetics usually weighs a lot but the fact that overweight and obesity are risk factors in various diseases and disorders may be the most relevant. The causal interconnections that unite both factor are complex, so a lower body mass is not a good indicator of a health improvement. Therefore, the team also examined the effect of the diet on cardiometabolic markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or fasting glucose levels. These markers showed an improvement, the team added. In Xataka | For many, skipping dinner is part of your intermittent fasting. It is not always a good idea Image | Xataka with Gemini

The effect of interest rates on their results

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Juan Roig has found in recent years a new and lucrative source of income for Mercadona that goes beyond the sale of products in its stores: the management of your treasury He reported 180 million euros in 2024, 13% of its total benefits. The context. The increase in interest rates has turned the Mercadona Treasury into a machine to generate benefits, going from contributing only 5 million in 2022 (0.7% of the benefit) to 180 million in 2024 (13% of the benefit). This phenomenon is directly related to the supermarket business model, where customers pay at the time of purchase, generating surpluses of liquidity that can be deposited in banking entities. Simpler: Mercadona charges its customers instantly but pays its suppliers to installs, allowing you to accumulate billions in the bank generating interest. In figures. Mercadona closed 2024 with benefits of 1,384 million euros37% more than in 2023, with 5,692 million in cash and liquid assets equivalent to the end of the year. The financial result has multiplied by 36 in three years: 5 million in 2022 to 180 million in 2024. The total turnover reached 38,800 million, 9% more than in 2023. What has happened. He End of the negative types cycle in 2022 It was a turning point in the financial management of the Valencian company. Although the Euribor ranged between 3.7% and 2.4% for 2024, Mercadona was improving its financial margin through more efficient management. Roig’s company has increased its financial benefits even when interest rates have shown a downward trend. That demonstrates active management. Between bambalins. This improvement in financial income coincides with the culmination of the process of transformation of its supermarkets. Mercadona invested 419 million in 2024 to adapt stores to Efficient model “Store 8” (Diaphanous spaces, prepared dishes section, term and acoustic insulation …), 231 million less than in 2023. The combination of savings in investments (231 million) and the improvement of the financial margin (additional 92 million compared to 2023) explains much of the increase in the benefit. Deepen. The Phenomenon of Mercadona is an example of a trend among large retail companies with a lot of cash generation: diversification towards financial activities taking advantage of their liquidity surpluses. This “hidden bank” within the supermarket company has become an extra competitive advantage against chains with lower financial muscle. By 2025, Mercadona provides for a more moderate growth in sales (3.5%, up to 40,100 million) and a consolidation of the benefit. If we read the latter between the lines we can intuit that they anticipate a lower interest rates scenario in the future. Outstanding image | Mercadona In Xataka | Mercadonia: What is it, what is it for and how to use this GPT trained with the prices and data of Mercadona products

NASA decided to bombard the moon with low -budget commercial missions. The results are being bleak

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The image above was sent by the Athena Machines lunar module before running out of energy. Like his predecessor, he was horizontal, which prevented him from deploying his loads. To top it off, he did it in an orientation and an orography that did not allow him to recharge his batteries. Athena (IM-2) is one of the many Missions of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload (Clps) Commercial Program. Announced in 2018, It is the return of the United States to the lunar surface after more than 50 yearssince NASA stopped doing lunar missions (manned or not) after Apollo 17. CLPS hires private companies to transport NASA scientific experiments To the moon. These companies develop commercial spaces that finance with NASA contracts and other agencies or companies interested in sending load to the Moon. For NASA it is a very low cost approach, since the contracts revolve around 100 million dollars per mission, while the alunizas of the Surveyor program of the 1960s cost 10 times more (adjusting their value from then on inflation). It is also a high -risk approach, how they are demonstrating the first results. NASA pays the agreed amount and does not cover cost overruns, transferring to companies a huge technical and financial challenge. For NASA a failure represents a manageable loss, so it is bombing the moon of CLPS missions. For companies, the pressure is increasing. A difficult beginning The CLPS missions had to start launching in 2020. The Orbitbeyond company canceled its contract in 2019 for financial problems, renouncing before starting. Masten Space, another selected, broke in 2022, canceling his mission planned by 2023. Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines ended up delaying their releases, but they are still in the race. However, of the four CLPS missions launched to date, only one has achieved a completely successful moon landing: ❌ Astrobotic pilgrim. The first CLPS mission. He received NASA 79.5 million dollars to transport 14 useful charges to the Moon. It was launched on January 8, 2024 with a Vulcan Centaur rocket of Ula. The ship suffered a propellant leak shortly after the launch that left it without possibilities to reach the lunar surface. He went down in history as First American attempt of moon landing from the Apollo missions, but the fuel escape left it unusable. First failure.❌ Odysseus of intuitive machines. The IM-1 mission received 77.5 million dollars from NASA to send six scientific instruments to the moon. It was launched on February 15, 2024 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Spacex. Unlike pilgrim, the Nova-C ship “Odysseus” reached the lunar surface, But it was sidewayswhich prevented deploying many of its useful charges. Even so, it continued to work for seven days before running out of energy.✔️ Blue Ghost of Firefly Aerospace. The mission received a contract of 101.5 million from the NASA to take 10 useful charges to the moon. It was launched on January 15, 2025 in a Falcon 9 rocket in Spacex. The ship alunicized smoothly and vertically on March 2, 2025. It was the first completely successful mooning of a private company on the moon. Among other instruments, the mission deployed a heat probe under the lunar regol.❌ Athena of intuitive machines. The second mission of Intuitive Machines received 47 million dollars from NASA to display the prime-1 ice prospecting experiment on the moon. It was launched on February 27, 2025 in a Falcon 9 rocket. Like Odysseus, the Athena ship managed to descend to the Mons Mouton region, near the South Lunar Pole, but it was left aside again due to problems with its navigation sensors. Consequently, he could not recharge his batteries and died prematurely after transmitting images and some initial data. The NASA trailblazer lunar orbiter ran the same fate launched next to Athena as part of another agency’s low cost program: the Simplex missions. NASA lost contact with the orbiter shortly after its deployment. Its predecessor, the Cubesat Lunah-Map launched next to the Lunar Artemis I mission, also ended in failure due to a propulsion failure. Another moment that dazzled the Clps missions was the cancellation of the Viper Rover when it was already built. NASA’s rover, designed to search water in the South Lunar Pole, was going to be launched with the Astrobotic Griffin module, but was canceled by NASA so as not to have to take delays and cost overheads. Of course, instead of dismantling it, the agency has ended up making it available to private companies interested in operating it. The following to try Astrobotic, with the Lunar Griffin module, scheduled for the end of this year Intuitive Machines, with the IM-4 missions (which will take the prospect drill of the European Space Agency to the South Lunar Pole) and IM-3 (which will travel to an enigmatic lunar swirl, Reiner Gamma), in 2026 Firefly Aerospace, with the Blue Ghost 2 missions, next year, and Blue Ghost 3, in 2028 (using an orbiter and a landing module to investigate the Gruithuisen domes, a lunar territory never explored) And Draper, aboard the Apex module of the Japanese company Ispace, with the aim of alunizar on the hidden face of the moon The half full glass Image: Firefly Aerospace Despite these setbacks, each ship of the Clps program has helped the development of the companies involved. Although the scientific value of these missions is much lower than that of more advanced programs, such as those of the Chinese space agency, CLPS offers NASA a more economical and flexible path to explore the moon and start energizing a lunar economy. The program has had a difficult start (after all they were high -risk missions), but has fulfilled the objective of involving private industry in lunar exploration, lowering access to the moon and delivering some scientific results to a comparatively low cost. If the next missions manage to improve the success rate, CLPS will be the scientific support that the artemis man -manned program needs. Image | Intuitive machines In Xataka | Elon Musk has … Read more

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