Science

science has solved the mystery of plasma rain

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Although it may seem incredible, it rains in the Sun. But it is not a rain of water like the one we know on Earth. It’s a rain of incandescent plasmaa phenomenon that for decades has baffled scientists by not understanding it. Now, a team from the University of Hawaii has solved the mysteryand the answer is completely changing our way of understanding the atmosphere of our ‘reference’ star. The discovery. Published in the prestigious magazine The Astrophysical Journal, not only explains why these spectacular plasma condensationsbut also gives us new tools to predict space weather that affects our technology here on Earth. The mystery. The “solar storm“, or more technically coronal rain, occurs in the corona, the outermost and hottest layer of the Sun. There, masses of denser and relatively “cold” plasma condense and fall back towards the solar surface, creating bright arcs and loops. And although we talk about ‘cold’, the reality is that we are talking about tens of thousands of degreescompared to the millions of degrees in the surrounding plasma. Although for us it would be something unthinkable. The big enigma was speed. Solar models predicted that this cooling and condensation process should take hours, or even days. However, observations showed that rain formed within minutes during solar flares. Something didn’t add up. Now the problem has been located in the models that were used. And they assumed that the chemical composition of the corona was static and uniform, a simplification that has undoubtedly resulted in us calculating the phenomena that occur in our star much worse. The key. The key breakthrough came when the researchers, led by graduate student Luke Fushimi Benavitz, decided to abandon that old assumption. They introduced into their simulations a factor that until now had been overlooked: the abundance of chemical elements varies in space and time without being static. And this is where physics gets very interesting. The mechanism. The first thing that happens in this case is a solar flare that heats the chromosphere (the layer below the corona). This impulsive heating causes a large amount of plasma in the chromosphere to “evaporate” and rise at high speed towards the coronal loops. This ‘new’ plasma will have a composition similar to that of the photosphere, which is the surface we see of the Sun. Once the plasma was already in the coronal loop, rich in materials such as iron or silicon, it is pushed and concentrated at the highest point of the arc, creating a ‘peak’ with these elements. One property of these elements is that they can radiate a lot of energy quickly and this causes the plasma to cool. And this sudden concentration at the apex of the loop acts as an ultra-powerful radiator, causing localized and very rapid cooling. Finally, this sudden cooling causes a pressure drop. As a result, more plasma from the surrounding area is sucked into that area, increasing the density. The most interesting thing is that the higher the density, the cooling becomes even more efficient and a ‘thermal runaway’ occurs. As its name indicates, the temperature will plummet and the plasma will condense, forming rain. The importance. For the first time, this model has done something that had not been achieved before: simulate the formation of rain on the Sun. And understanding it goes far beyond solving an old riddle, but it affects us completely. Most importantly for us, it improves our ability to predict space weather. solar flares They can launch enormous amounts of energy and particles into space which, upon reaching Earth, can damage satellites, disrupt communications and overload electrical networks. More precise models of the Sun’s behavior allow us to better anticipate these events that until now gave us very little preparation time. Rewriting. This discovery forces us to rewrite a fundamental part of solar physics. The idea that the composition of the solar atmosphere is dynamic and not static opens a large field of research ahead to understand exactly how energy moves through the star. Images | Javier Miranda In Xataka | As if nothing were going on, the Sun has just caused a radio blackout with its most powerful eruption of 2025

When it comes to meat, science knows there’s something better than protein shakes: lean pork

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If you are one of those who he takes his gym workouts seriouslyyou will know that the post-workout window It is almost sacred. It’s time to give the body what it needs to repair and build muscle, and protein is the undisputed queen. This is where the big question comes in: does the type of protein we provide to the muscle matter? This is exactly what the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign wanted to answer. with a new study. What we think. Within this world of wanting to be as ‘masked’ as possible, without a doubt one of the diets that has transcended the most into the annals of history is the chicken and rice. In this way, chicken has almost taken first place in the type of meat that best suits us after training for its amount of protein and its low fat content. But in the case that we eat pork, it is important to make several distinctions according to science. The study. The research that has been published in the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that when eating pork after a weight training session, the lean version is significantly more effective in stimulating muscle growth than its counterpart with more fat, even when both provide the same amount of protein. The experiment. To reach this conclusion, scientists, led by Professor Nicholas Burd, designed a rigorous experiment with 16 young, physically active adults. The goal was to compare how the body responded to three different “meals” after a hard leg workout with press leg and quadriceps extension. A routine that would leave many shaking. In this case, participants consumed one of the following diet options: Low-fat pork: a burger with 20 grams of protein and only 4.4 grams of fat. High-fat pork: A burger with the same 20 grams of protein, but only 20.6 grams of fat. Carbohydrate drink as a control measure without any type of protein to measure only the effect of exercise. The measurements. Once the dietary intervention was applied, muscle construction had to be measured. To do this, they used an advanced technique based on the administration of a ‘labeled’ amino acid, specifically L-(ring-13C6)phenylalanine. By marking it, it could be very easy to follow this ‘brick’ that was going to constitute part of the muscles that were hypertrophying. To follow up, a blood sample was taken as well as a muscle biopsy before and after exercise and food. And this allowed us to see in real time how quickly the body was generating new proteins that would end up in the muscle, in a process known as myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS). The results. As expected, both types of pork increased muscle protein synthesis above resting levels. However, lean pork did so much more potently, despite having the same protein levels. The difference between the two groups was so marked that the anabolic effect of the high-fat hamburger was not statistically significant to that of the carbohydrate drink, which did not contain any protein. In other words, the high concentration of fat seemed to negate the benefit of the protein consumed. Because. The reason for everything seems to be the speed of digestion and absorption of macronutrients. The blood analysis revealed that participants who ate the lean burger experienced a faster and more pronounced spike in essential amino acids and specifically leucine in their blood than those who ate the fatty version. This is fundamental for the leucine “trigger” hypothesis. This theory postulates that a rapid and high increase in the amino acid leucine in the bloodstream acts as a powerful signal for the body to initiate the muscle-building process at that time. The lean pork activated this trigger effectively, while the pork fat probably slowed down gastric emptying and, thus, the arrival of amino acids into the blood and muscles. In fact, the study found a direct correlation between the magnitude of the leucine spike and increased muscle synthesis. The decision. In a time where protein shakes are the ‘norm’, the question may be asked whether it is better to eat food or drink protein. There is scientific literature that points Because it is always best to have a protein diet with food, since they not only provide protein, but also other components such as lipids, carbohydrates, micronutrients and bioactive compounds that can enhance muscle protein synthesis and improve the overall quality of the diet. In this way, drinking a protein shake can be a good way to complement the diet, but without forgetting about real foods like meat. Contradicting. This study has also come to ‘fight’ with the rest of the research teams that pointed out that naturally fattier whole foods such as whole eggs or salmon showed a superior anabolic response. The difference, according to the researchers, could be in the “food matrix.” The pork in the study was processed (minced and blended), which could alter how its nutrients interact, unlike an unprocessed whole food. Conclusion. This study has come to show that not all sources of animal protein are equal. If the goal in this case is to maximize muscle gain and you want to eat pork, opting for the lean version will give a clear anabolic advantage. This way, it’s not just about how much protein you eat, but how it is packaged and how quickly it gets where it needs to go. Images | Alora Griffiths Cindie Hansen In Xataka | The largest study on sustainable eating confirms it: vegetable protein wins the game

We have been talking about microplastics for years without being very clear about how they affect us. Science is close to solving it

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Plastic no longer only wraps our food or makes up the clothes we wear, but it has silently colonized our body. And microplastics have been found almost everywhere in the body: placenta, blood, lungs, testiclesbreast milk, brain human… But when faced with the big question of What effect does it have on the body?we are already having answers. The measurements. Studies already suggest that we could hold up to five grams of this material in our own brain. The image is shocking: the equivalent of a plastic teaspoon lodged in the deepest part of our being. Microplastics are particles, in this case they are very tiny, that come off from packaging, synthetic clothing, tires, cosmetics and countless everyday objects such as lettuce. But some are so small that they are able to cross the barriers of our lungs and intestines, travel through the bloodstream and deposit in our internal organs. What happens once there is the great unknown that scientists strive to clear up. The studies. Dr. Christian Pacher-Deutsch, from the University of Graz (Austria), recently presented a study in which he exposed human intestinal bacteria to five types of common microplastics. The result was quite clear: bacterial populations were altered, producing chemical changes, in some cases reflecting patterns observed in patients with depression and colorectal cancer. Although the researcher himself was cautious in pointing out that “although it is early to make definitive statements, reducing exposure to microplastics is a sensible precaution.” But the effects don’t stop in the intestine. Dr. Jaime Ross, a neuroscientist at the University of Rhode Island, conducted a revealing experiment: gave a group of mice water contaminated with microplastics to drink. Soon, the mice began behaving strangely, anxiously venturing into open spaces, an atypical behavior that is associated with aging and neurological diseases. Analyzing their brains, Ross found plastic in all organs and a reduction in GFAP, a key protein for brain health. This same pattern of exhaustion is seen in humans with depression and dementia. Caution. In this case, microplastics have been detected in arterial plaques, and an analysis concluded that people whose plaques were loaded with plastic were almost five times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or die within three years. The practice. Faced with this avalanche of data, The Guardian wanted to move from theory to practice. The British journalist herself decided to undergo a test from the company Plastictox which, for £144, promises to reveal the amount of microplastics circulating in the blood. The test result indicated a concentration of forty microplastics per milliliters of blood. And although this figure placed her in the 25% of people with the least exposure, the laboratory gave her the total result: about 200,000 plastic particles in the bloodstream. However, other experts urge caution. Professor Stephanie Wright, a researcher at Imperial College London, calls this evidence “very premature.” He points out that although an analysis shows that there are 40 particles per ml, it is unknown if this is good or bad or if it will depend on the type of plastic it is or its origin. We live in real uncertainty. The advice. Although it is impossible to avoid exposure completely, there are a number of tips to avoid consuming this type of microplastics. For example, you can choose not to use plastic kitchen utensils or drink hot liquids from plastic cups. Even with the tap water either bottled we can have the same problem. Outside of food, the material composition of bedding or pajamas should also be reviewed, as they can release these types of particles, making cotton the best. Images | FlyD Chad Montano In Xataka | When Tap Water Tastes Like Hell: The Invisible Chemistry of Drinking Water That Explains Why It Tastes How It Tastes (And Why It’s One of the World’s Greatest Inventions)

Our grandparents even poured vinegar on lentils and fried eggs. Science is now legitimizing them

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I don’t know if it’s out of habit or memory, but I’m also one of those people who puts vinegar on lentils. It is an automatic gesture, inherited from my grandmother, who said that “they rested better this way.” For years I thought it was just another hobby from another era, one of those routines that survived more out of nostalgia than science. But it turns out no: vinegar is back, and not just in salads. Networks recover tradition. In both viral videos and cooking shows, vinegar has gone from being a forgotten ingredient to becoming a protagonist. In tiktok either YouTube There are plenty of clips in which users teach the “drip trick” on fried eggs or lentils. Some well-known chefs they have turned it to become fashionable for its ability to balance flavors, just as our grandparents did: to “kill the flavor” of what they didn’t like and enhance what they did. In French cuisine there is a classic dish, oeufs à l’assassin, in which cooks add a splash of vinegar when frying the eggs to intensify the flavor and give creaminess to the yolk. And if we look towards home, in Castilla it was common to add vinegar to both the lentils and the fried egg, a custom that, according to researchers from the Río Hortega Hospital in Valladolidcan even reduce the allergic response to these foods. Acetic acid modifies gastric pH, improves digestion and transforms the allergenicity of certain compounds. So were our grandparents right? What was previously done by intuition — to “kill the flavor” or “settle the stomach” — today has a scientific explanation. Nutritionist Luis Zamora has explained “A splash of vinegar on lentils or having an orange for dessert helps absorb vegetable iron.” The reason is in vitamin C and acidity: both protect non-heme iron—that of plant origin—and facilitate its assimilation. Along the same lines, dietitian Diego Ojeda has assured: “Your grandmother was absolutely right: to help the body understand vegetable iron, you must add vitamin C, like that provided by vinegar or lemon.” In addition, this acidity helps break down antinutrients such as phytic acid, present in legumes and responsible for some of the iron being lost during cooking. In fact, scientific publications match: adding a source of acidity to a meal rich in legumes can multiply up to three the amount of iron absorbed. In studies carried out with cellular and animal modelsvinegar or lemon juice showed similar effects when added to dishes rich in vegetable iron. But nowadays it has become abused. From a minimal splash to a shot. On social networks, thousands of people began to drink “shots of apple cider vinegar” on an empty stomach with the promise of losing weight or “detoxifying” the body. However, the study that popularized that practice It was retracted due to statistical errors, and science has found no solid evidence that vinegar causes weight loss. Experts also warn that excessive consumption of vinegar on an empty stomach can irritate the stomach, damage tooth enamel and cause digestive discomfort. It is not, therefore, about drinking it as if it were a miraculous elixir, but about using it with common sense, as grandparents did: a few drops to enhance flavors, balance dishes and help digestion. The gesture that never left. Perhaps our elders did not talk about antinutrients or bioavailability, but they sensed the essential thing: that vinegar, in addition to giving flavor, helped the body feel better. Today science confirm They weren’t so wrong. That acidic touch that gave character to the lentils or softness to the fried egg has a chemical explanation, a nutritional basis and, above all, an enormous cultural load. Because in the end, between the laboratory and the kitchen, there is the same principle: good traditions do not go out of style, they just needed a good explanation. And every time the vinegar sparkles in the pan or perfumes a stew, we are not only cooking: we are also honoring a way of understanding food, time, and memory. Image | FreePik and FreePik Xataka | Thousands of people have been drinking apple cider vinegar before eating to lose weight for years. An erroneous study is to blame

Speaking in English to a baby still in the womb seems like an absurd idea. Science has just discovered that it is effective

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We have long known that Babies recognize their mother’s voice from the womb and who show a preference for their mother tongue a few days after birth. However, now we know a little more thanks to studies neuroimaging studies that have confirmed something we intuited: the brain of a newborn is prepared to recognize foreign languages ​​if it has heard them in the womb during gestation. The experiment. To reach this conclusion, a team from Sainte-Justine University Hospital in Montreal recruited 60 pregnant women from monolingual French-speaking families. From here they did two different phases: prenatal exposure and brain analysis after birth. Prenatal exposure. In this case, a group of 39 fetuses was selected and exposed to recordings of a story during the last month of gestation. To do so, the mothers placed headphones on their abdomen so that the fetus could hear the story in its native language, which was French, and also in a foreign language, which was German or Hebrew. These languages ​​were chosen specifically because their rhythmic and phonological properties are very different from those of French. The second group, of 21 fetuses, acted as a control and did not receive any experimental exposure, hearing only the French of their natural environment, which is what happens in any type of normal pregnancy. Brain analysis. A few days after birth (between 10 and 78 hours), the brain activity of all these newborns began to be monitored while they listened to the same story in three languages: French, German and Hebrew. To do this, they used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive technique that measures changes in blood oxygenation in the brain to see which areas are activated. The results. They were certainly surprising. The brains of newborns reacted almost identically to their native language and the foreign language they had been hearing in the womb. In both cases, an increase in activity was observed in the temporal regions of the left hemisphere, which is a key area for language processing with Broca’s area, among others. In contrast, when these babies heard the completely new foreign language (the one they had not heard before), their brains showed a different response, with less activation in language areas and more activity in general sound-processing regions. The conclusion. This finding suggests that the fetal brain not only hears, but “learns” to recognize the patterns of a language, which causes a specialization of the left hemisphere. One of the authors point specifically that “Our results provide evidence that even brief prenatal exposure to a foreign language could make it recognizable to neonates, leading to brain activation patterns similar to those observed when listening to their native language.” Anne Gallagher, a neuropsychologist at the University of Montreal and lead author of the study, qualifies the concept of “learning”: “We cannot say that babies ‘learn’ a language prenatally. What we can say is that neonates develop a familiarity with one or more languages ​​during gestation, which shapes their brain networks at birth.” Understand development. These findings reinforce the idea that a newborn’s brain is not a ‘blank slate’, but that the gestational environment contributes a lot to its brain development, since its brain processing begins here to be shaped before birth. However, experts caution that this study should not be interpreted as a guide for parents to expose their babies to multiple languages ​​in order to make them more intelligent or multilingual. But it does give us an idea of ​​how this important characteristic is developing. Limitations. The study, while revealing, also has its limitations, such as a relatively small sample size that prevented, for example, directly comparing responses to German versus Hebrew. Still, it shows that even brief, repeated exposure to linguistic stimuli can modify a newborn’s language brain networks, laying the foundation for future development. Images | Volodymyr Hryshchenko In Xataka | When the first meal is not porridge, but a chop: the rise of carnivorous babies

In 1990, the Internet was science fiction for half the world. And in Japan they already played the Sega Mega Drive online

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We live in a highly connected world in which the Internet is present on our computers, mobile phones, consoles and even refrigerators. Never in history has it been so easy to access information, play online or control devices from a distance. However, as we all know, this has not always been the case. The year is 1990. It may be a little surprising to think that in 1990 Japan not only were already connecting to the Internet, but some people were connecting modems to their video game consoles to play online. And the most curious thing about this service is that the country was not even among those that had the most developed connectivity offer. The data. To give a little context, according to Worldmapper dataAbout 3 million people had access to the Internet in the inaugural year of the 1990s. Most of the users were distributed between the United States and Europe. In the connectivity ranking, Japan was far behind, outside the top 10 positions. Pioneers. However, the Japanese company Sega did not hesitate to embrace the network of networks with its Mega Drive console (known as the Sega Genesis in other markets). It was its fourth-generation 16-bit console that had been launched in 1988 and had been a success. The device had a 7.6 MHz Motorola 68000 microprocessor to run the games and a Zilog Z80 coprocessor. The console thus had 64 KB of RAM, 64 KB of VRAM, 8 KB of audio RAM. Two years after its launch, specifically on November 3, 1990, Sega launched the Mega Modem in Japan. It was an accessory that connected to a DE-9 port located on the back of the console and that allowed it to connect to the Internet. Dial-up. As you can surely imagine, the offering of online services back then was very primitive. However, the Japanese company was encouraged to distribute games through dial-up connection as well as to allow online play in some of its titles. All this was done through a telephone connection whose speed was around 1200 bauds (1.2 kbit/s). And, since there was no additional storage device, all downloaded games had to be stored in the Mega Drive’s memory. Variety of games. At that time, Sega offered two options to access the Mega Modem. On the one hand, players could purchase the accessory with a cartridge for 12,800 yen. This enabled the aforementioned connectivity and gave access to a range of included games. Titles included ‘Nikkan Sports Professional Baseball VAN’, ‘Cyberball’, ‘Advanced Grand Strategy’, ‘TEL/TEL Stadium’, ‘Forbidden City’ and ‘TEL/TEL Majan’. The last one was a mahjong game with individual or online play capabilities. Mega Modem Purchasing separately. On the other hand, the company only offered the Mega Modem for 9,800 yen. In this case, users should purchase compatible cartridges separately to take advantage of the connectivity benefits of the accessory. One of the most successful cartridges was Sansan. It was a Go strategy game with online play capability. The developer, White Box, allowed owners of the cartridge to play through the Mega Modem with others using their Sansan ID. The proposal, without a doubt, was enormously interesting. However, it did not have the expected success and the Japanese company decided to discontinue it at the end of 1992. The new versions of the Mega Drive, in fact, were launched on the market without the modem port. Images | SEGA | boffy_b | In Xataka | The PS5 Slim has removable Blu-ray drives. This modular option carries a penalty called DRM

Marcos Llorente has an eccentric and disturbing relationship with light. And science has things to say about it.

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Marcos Llorente is news. Again. And not because of football or anything remotely related to sports. It is because a video of almost four minutes recorded (and published) by the RFEF during the Red concentration in which the man from Madrid reveals some of his “healthy” habits, practices that include the use of red lights inside the house or glasses with yellow lenses to filter blue light. Opinions that highlight its eccentric appearance and raise the eyebrows of the experts. What has happened? That Marcos Llorente has become news beyond the sports pages. And he has done it on account of a video published by the RFEF in which he does not talk about techniques, his play on the field or how he sees the National Team facing the next World Cup. No. What he’s talking about is his personal health routines. More specifically those related to light and sight. What exactly did he say? First of all, at home you only use certain lights. “During the day I don’t turn on the light because either I’m always in the garden or, if I go into the kitchen or living room for anything, light comes in through the windows,” explains in the video under intense reddish lighting. “When the sun goes down, this is the light I have throughout the house. What this lamp does is bring that red and infrared into the room and makes it more similar to the light outside.” Click on the image to go to the tweet. Is there more? Yes. The man from Madrid elaborates on an accessory that has been seen on him on other occasions and it has also caused people to talk: the yellow lens glasses. “They are for when you are, during the day, indoors. Outside you should never wear glasses of any kind. They should always give you the sun’s rays in your eyes and skin, without anything interfering. And red glasses, with the red lens, what they do is filter all that blue light that lamps and televisions or telephones have.” And why all that? For health. Or at least that is what the footballer maintains, who defends that what he does transcends his role as a footballer. “I feel very good. All these things I do are for health, not for football. What happens is that in the end one thing is linked to the other. I think that when I leave football I will continue with this and surely I can do it more perfect,” concludes the man from Madridwho during the video shares other of his habits, such as going outside before dawn or starting the day with coffee and “two or three tablespoons” of butter. What do the experts say? Whatever Marcos Llorente says, the effectiveness of the filters is debatable to say the least. In an article Published a few years ago, the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology already insisted that “blue light from screens does not affect the eyes or cause blindness.” The report was actually launched after a study “of dubious scientific origin” created alarm with “unfounded conclusions” about the supposed impact that this light can have on eyesight. “Although blue light is often associated with computers and phones, the largest source of blue light is sunlight. Exposure to blue light from screens is much less than the amount of blue light we are exposed to from the sun. Additionally, it is no more harmful than sunlight,” comment Dr. Rahul Kurana, spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Do the lenses work? Ophthalmologist Sara E. Hernández is blunt in statements collected by The Vanguard: “There is little or no effect of lenses or glasses with a yellow filter on visual performance, measured in terms of best corrected visual acuity, compared to lenses without a blue light filter.” There are studies, such as It is published in 2013 in Journal of Human Kineticswho after carrying out tests with colored lenses found that there are no “significant differences” in issues such as visual acuity or depth perception. Where does this come from? Concerns about blue light and the benefits of filters are not new, as remember the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology itself, and have been expanding as the use of screens and LED lights spread. They have spoken on the subject users, academics and collegiateincluding the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which in 2017 published an article written by Celia Vilmont and reviewed by Dr. Khurana that begins with a blunt statement: “There is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices can cause damage to the eyes.” Now Marcos Llorente becomes the new greatest exponent of these theories, despite the paucity of evidence scientific. Is it something new? More or less. The RFEF video is new, but it is not the first time that Llorente has made headlines for his opinions on topics that have nothing to do with football. In his day it was for the use of glasses and now it is also for his statements about the chemtrails. His words achieve notoriety for several reasons. The first, his status as a footballer. The second, the speaker that you have beyond your personal networks, such as the official account of the National Team or media in which share his extra-sports comments. Images | RFEF In Xataka | Some Nordic cities are putting red lights on their streetlights. It looks like a horror movie, but it makes sense

Science has reviewed everything we know about sleeping well. The most important thing is the most obvious: light

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In a saturated world of ‘life and gadgets that promise a perfect break, since face mask until Mantas with weightscience reminds us that the key to have a good sleep quality It is not in the product that appears in Tiktok, but in have a good sleep hygiene. And this happens to synchronize with our internal biological clock, what we know as the circadian rhythms. A concept on which it continues to be investigated and that allows us to know how our body is scheduled to sleep. The issue in this case is that modern life, with its artificial light and its chaotic schedules, It is the main enemy of these rhythms. And therefore of ourselves. A business. The market that exists around products that promise to help us have a better rest, the truth is that it generates billions of dollars a year. A figure that is logical, since nobody wants to spend the night and be the next day asking for coffee for the corners. And to avoid this we many times turn to whatever we see that they tell us that it works. However, many of these remedies are not only ineffective, but can be counterproductive. Andrew Mchill, a scientist specialized in circadian rhythms of the Oregon Health & Science University, warns That failed attempts can discourage people to seek professional help, worsening the situation. The solution. If we stick to science, the solution is completely free. The key is in Understand and respect our internal biological watches. A system of ‘watches’ that is present in each cell of the organism and that needs to be synchronized with the ‘central clock’ of the organism that is in the hypothalamus and specifically in the supraquiasmatic nucleus. To do this, this nucleus receives light signals that come through the eyes by the optical nerve that allows you to synchronize vital body functions such as the sleep-vigilia cycle and the production of hormones such as melatonin, which, which it is increasingly important Beyond allowing us to reconcile the dream such as repairing the data in our body. With a small nuance of basic physiology, Melatonin production It is suppressed or inhibited due to light collection. At the time the environment darkens, the pineal gland begins to release melatonin. And his mismatch has consequences that go beyond morning fatigue by affecting cognition, mood and reaction time. The contrasts. One of the keys is in the light as we have said, especially in the blue wavelength. This makes the daytime light rich in these blue tones, Synchronize our circadian rhythms throughout the day. But when the night comes and we are on the couch watching the last Instagram or Tiktok reos this blue light of the screens makes our body end up dislocating. Literally, with this constant exposure to the blue light we are indicating the body that is still daytime and that has to be underway and not decay. Something that ultimately triggers the hated insomnia. A study of Global Health Institute of Barcelona (ISGlobal) He warns that overexposure to the “blue light” of electronic devices alters our sleep-vigilia cycle when interfering with melatonin production. The solution, according to experts, is to seek contrast: expose ourselves to natural light during the day and reduce exposure to artificial light at night. A simple outdoor walk or work near a window can make a big difference. At night, it is advisable to lower the intensity of the lights, turn off the screens or use applications that adjust the color temperature to warmer tones. Or even bet on red lights that does not interfere with melatonin production. Meals. Our digestive system also has its own schedule, causing hormones that cause or inhibit hunger, digestive or even Insulin itself also works by rhythms. This makes eating on the undo, especially late at night, alters these watches and can cause digestive problems, an increase in body temperature and an increase in glucose levels, which makes sleep difficult. And it makes enough sense. When the end of the day is approaching and the sun begins to wear, the body begins to prepare to sleep, reducing insulin, which is a fundamental hormone to control blood glucose levels. In the event that we give us a binge during the night, we are causing these insulin levels to have to rise compulsively when the body is going down. Something that completely dislocates to the body. The recommendation is to follow what you have surely heard: “Breakfast like a king, eats like a prince and dinner like a beggar.” The last meal of the day should be at least three hours before bedtime. The consistency. Sleep The right time is as important as the amount of hours we sleep. Our body has an optimal sleep window, which varies according to our chronotype (if we are “evening” or “morning”). However, work and study schedules often force us to ignore our biological clock. The Spanish Sleep Society (SES) He insists on the importance of maintaining regular sleep schedules, even on weekends, to keep our circadian rhythm synchronized. The generalized use of alarmrs is proof that most of us live in conflict with our constant biology. Seek help. Something very important in these cases is to seek help from professionals in the event that the biological clock is completely uncontrolled. In many situations, exogenous melatonin can be administered at high doses accompanied by a plan to improve sleep hygiene. But beyond this, Mayic Mayic It offers different tips that can be obvious how to create an adequate rest environment, exercise regularly, control food and especially establish the most appropriate relaxation routine. Although clearly getting away from the screens and maintaining an adequate schedule is the most recommended so that we can finally sleep peacefully. Images | Shane In Xataka | Something is stealing our dream and they are not just the screens. A neurologist helps us understand what is really happening

In 48 hours the Gaza conflict will take a 360 degree turn. And some options were science fiction just a few days ago

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Trump, accompanied by Netanyahu, has presented An ambitious plan of peace that seeks to end almost two years of war in Gaza, releasing Israeli hostages and opening a reconstruction process under international supervision. Its scheme demands the surrender of Hamas, the total disarmament and its political exclusion, offering in return the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the massive entry of humanitarian aid. TO Your ultimatum He has hours left for the conflict of a 360 degree turn. An unexpected plan. Unlike previous proposals that were limited to partial truces, the one now intends a definitive cessation of hostilities, with a period of just 72 hours (now about 48) so that Hamas delivers all captives. Israel would keep troops in A safety corridor Within Gaza and in damping areas, but it would commit to partial replication, while a Palestinian Technical Committee Under the tutelage of A “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and with Tony Blair in a prominent role. The project, prepared in consultations with Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been qualified by the White House as the most realistic route to close the war and redraw the future of the strip. The concessions to Netanyahu. Netanyahu achieved, to a large extent, Impose your conditions: Hamas would be out of any future administration, the Palestinian authority would only have a hypothetical role subject to drastic reforms, and the creation of a Palestinian state would be deferred to an indefinite horizon. If you want, for the Israeli prime minister, internationally cornered after European recognitions of a Palestinian State and after the Boicot in the United Nationsit was a kind of Rare Diplomatic Victoria: together with Trump he was able to show that he still controls the times and that Washington supports his “total victory” strategy. The right. However, this same position opens cracks within Israel, where the radical right accuses the government of Claudicar by accepting a plan with Symbolic concessions to the Palestinian cause and with the introduction of foreign forces in Gaza. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir They have warned that could demolish the coalition if the agreement becomes a definitive peace that freezes the military offensive, which predicts political turbulence that Netanyahu tries to dodge with procedure maneuvers, such as avoiding taking the entire plan to the vote of the security cabinet. The pressure on Hamas. For Hamas, The proposal is lethal In political terms: he would mean the end of his domain in Gaza after almost two decades, the disarmament of his brigades and the delivery of his last hostages without guarantees of future influence. Even so, the group faces an unpublished pressure: Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt have expressed support for the plan and warn that Hamas’s time runs out. Many analysts They point that the direction of the militia seeks a “decent landing” that saves part of its paintings and avoid total annihilation, but any acceptance of the agreement would mean cross the red lines He has always proclaimed, especially the maintenance of his armed arm. In that context, Trump launched that public ultimatum: “Three or four days” to answer, accompanied by the threat that Hamas will “pay in hell” if he rejects the offer. The dilemma for Islamist leaders is clear: giving and surviving politically in exile or resisting and risking that Israel resumes an even more devastating offensive. The Arab mediators. In this case, Arab countries have gone from rhetoric to direct involvement. Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar have transmitted to Washington and Israel A list of conditions: No to the annexation of Gaza, not to the forced displacement of Palestinians, not to new settlements, and yes to a horizon of Palestinian self -determination. Although Trump’s plan does not fully satisfy these demands, he has incorporated concessions as the mention of a possible “credible route towards Palestinian self -determination” if the Palestinian authority undertakes reforms. The paradox is that the authority itself, weakened and discredited, has Backed the plan With enthusiasm, accepting to review your textbooks, eliminate payments to prisoners and open to international scrutiny in order not to be excluded. For Arab states, the priority is close the war frontcontain humanitarian drift and keep the prospects for the solution of two states alive, even in a rhetorical framework. Internal risks in Israel. We said it before, the agreement threatens to fracture The Israeli coalition. While the centrist opposition supports him as a realistic basis to recover hostages and stop the war, the ultra -nationalist parties perceive it as an inadmissible assignment. The fear of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir is that to accept international forces and a Palestinian administration, even if it is technocratic, EROSIONE ISRAELI CONTROL and leave the door open to a future Palestinian state. Netanyahu tries to keep the Delicate balance: Present the agreement as a triumph in Washington and before the international community, but reassuring its right -wing base ensuring that Israel will retain military presence in Gaza and will never allow a sovereign Palestinian state. This double discourse reflects the fragility of your government, increasingly dependent on maintaining the security narrative against external demands. Trump’s disappointment. The change in tone of Trump himself to Israel does not cease to be striking. In private And in recent statements, the US president has shown An unusual anger with Netanyahu for unilateral attacks that have put the mediation of Washington, such as the bombardment in Doha against Hamas leaders when a fire was discussed. Trump se Feel disappointed So consider a lack of reciprocity: while he has sustained Israel in the international arena, Netanyahu has acted so that weakens the strategy North American diplomatic. This disenchantment, also applicable To the “Russian friend” In the Ukraine War, explains the Plan turnwhich is no longer just a blank check for Israel, but a frame with commitments and deadlines, in which it is even mentioned, even if it is vaguely, the perspective of a Palestinian state. Gaza under international administration. Thus, things, the plan also opens the … Read more

Science has discovered what is the best time of day to be more concentrated and T0mar better decisions: at noon

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As with the muscles, the brain offers its best version the more rested it is. For that reason, the experts recommend Identify the most productivity hours According to the chronotype of each person to carry out the most demanding activities and tasks at that time and have a better cognitive performance. Recent studies have revealed that fatigue affects remarkably when it comes to being more productive and even in decision making. Understanding this relationship helps to better plan schedules and improve performance. An example: Jeff Bezos never program meetings Beyond five in the afternoon Because doing so would imply raising the risk of making erroneous decisions. The moment of higher performance: noon. A study carried out by researchers from the universities of Messina and Bologna (Italy) analyzed more than 104,000 oral exams and found clear patterns at the time of the day when the students had more likely to approvehighlighting a peak that was not related to the difficulty of the exam but to the time in which the exam was taken. The researchers found that the global approved rate was 57%. However, the chart of probabilities to approve drew a bell shape, reaching its maximum point in the hours near noon, especially between 11:00 and 1:00 p.m. In comparison, the approved rates were remarkably lower early in the morning (between 8:00 and 9:00 hours) and the first hour of the afternoon (between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.) without finding outstanding differences between those two moments. Without realizing it, we lose capabilities. To rule out that the downturn registered by the students at noon is conditioned by Knowledge of the subject of the examThe researchers also studied the behavior of teachers. The results of both groups led to the same conclusion: both students and evaluators experienced changes in their mental state and fatigue levels in the same time strip. This could contribute to the afternoon of the approval rate in exams is lower, since both the evaluator and the examinee are more fatigued and the teachers become more irascible and intolerant due to tiredness. If it’s 16:00, you’re guilty. The same conclusions arrived A group of researchers of the University of Columbia and the Ben Gurion University of the Neguev on the importance of the schedule in which judicial sentences and the increase in the severity of judicial decisions are issued. The investigators analyzed the behavior of several judges during the day and found that the favorable sentences to the defendants reached their peak as the pause to eat was approaching, reaching up to 70%. However, as the early hours of the afternoon progressed and the judges approached the next recess, this percentage progressively decreased to almost 0% by increasing the hardness of the sentences imposed. The “Baba” after the meal. This pattern suggests that our brain works best in mid -morning, and maintains that performance until eating. The explanation is found in the combination of biological factors such as Circadian rhythmswhich regulates energy and alert states during the day releasing more or less melatonin to the body to induce sleep state or activate alert and attention mechanisms. Researchers hypothesize that cognitive function continues This time curve naturallyimproving until noon and decreasing after eating, which coincides with the feeling of support after food. After lunch, there is a small increase in melatonin that can cause drowsiness and lower performance. Revitalizing naps. According to The published by Harvard Health Publishinga short nap after eating can improve the concentration and alert state if it lasts between 10 and 30 minutes. According to research in this regard, this type of naps increase the alert by more than 50% and competition by more than 30% compared to those who do not. However, the duration is key, and sleep more than the account It can be counterproductive. The study analyzed the behavior of Mediterranean adults and observed that making a short nap of less than 30 minutes is associated with a lower probability of high blood pressure (21%), while long naps (more than 30 minutes) are linked to the highest metabolic and cardiovascular risk (41%), as well as the higher perimeter of waist and blood glucose. Therefore, a brief nap after food, contributes to energy and maintaining mental acuity in the afternoon. In Xataka | Some neuroscientists believe they have found the trick to solve the most complicated problems: take a nap Image | Unspash (Sinitta Leunen)

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