Science

We thought that sleeping in 90 -minute blocks improved rest and energy when you woke up. Science has its doubts

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As so many other viral trends In social networks, in recent years a seemingly simple formula has run like gunpowder for improve nighttime rest and wake up fresh like a lettuce: Calculate the dream in 90 -minute blocks To wake up just when one ends those blocks. This technique ensures that, when you wake up just when a complete sleep cycle ends, people They will feel more rested and with greater energy to face the day. However, scientific evidence questions the reliability of this method. The myth of exact 90 minutes cycles A survey of 2024 made by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine He revealed that almost one in ten American adults (9%) had tried this technique to determine what time they had to go to bed and wake up and have even been created Online calculators To make this calculation easier. The basis of this technique is based on Natural sleep cycles that are part of the set of cycles that regulate our body known as Circadian cycles. These cycles are the ones that determine the time of sleeping, of waking up, of eating, etc. According to this technique, a person who wants to wake up at 7:00 in the morning should go to sleep at 22:00 to complete six full -minute sleep cycles, or 23:30 to complete five sleep cycles. The concept is based on the idea that awakening at the end of a complete cycle, in phase V or REM, When the dream is lighterwould avoid the feeling of morning stun that occurs when we wake up in the middle of one of these cycles. Sleep cycles were first identified in the 1950s, when researchers They discovered These patterns called Ultradian cycles. During the night, the alternate brain between different phases: light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep (characterized by the most intense dreams). Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui, Medical Director of Sentara Rockingham Memorial Sleep Center, explained in Popular Science that each of these phases fulfills specific functions for physical and mental recovery. However, the popularization of this scientific knowledge has led to excessive simplifications that They do not reflect the real complexity of human sleep. The most important of them: that the sleep cycles last exactly 90 minutes. That is the biggest problem of this theory. Scientific reality dismantles promises Recent studies They have shown that the duration of sleep cycles is not a constant but a variable. That is, its duration varies depending on each personand even the same person You can record more or less long cycless during the same night or vary according to the day. An investigation He analyzed more than 16,000 nights of sleep in 573 different people found that the median duration of sleep cycles was not 90 minutes but 110 minutes, with 75% of the cycles ranging between 95 and 130 minutes. Another study based on 2,312 nights of polysomnography data determined that the average duration of the cycles was 116.9 minuteswith a standard deviation of 39.7 minutes. In other words, establishing the 90 minutes as a basis for calculating sleep cycles not only is not an inaccuracy, but in practice it can be counterproductive since there is also the risk of interrupting the sleep cycle before it ends. Dr. Andrea Matsumura, specialist in Sleep Medicine and founder of Sleep Goddesss Method, said In the article of Popular Science that “factors such as stress, Alcoholdiseases or even bedtime, impact on the sleep cycle, so this method does not really guarantee that you wake up less stunned. “ In addition, the studies identified that as night progresses, sleep cycles They tend to elong in a natural wayso that the former can last between 70 and 100 minutes, while the later range between 90 and 120 minutes. Making it impossible to predict at what point in the cycle You will find yourself when it is time to wake up. On the other hand, in a standard sleep session of a healthy person, it is very unlikely be ahead of a deep phase of sleep since phase 3 of sleep, the deepest and repairinglasts between 20 and 40 minutes and usually occurs in the middle of the sleep session, and then move back to phase 2 which is a relaxing but lighter dream. Therefore, unless you are sleeping very few hoursthe awakening occurs from that lighter phase, and not from a deep phase as the 90 -minute block theory supports, which would leave a greater feeling of stunning. That is, this theory is based on two real facts: that awakening from phase 3 leaves you more stunned and that sleep cycles last around 90 minutes, to set up an alleged infallible technique to wake up as a rosto. The problem is that sleep It is not an exact science And the only thing that really works is Ensure the Descaso Hours that the body needs … and there are not even certainties about How long is needed. In Xataka | I put myself in the hands of some “sleep headphones” in the hope of reconciling sleep. It has come out regular Image | Unspash (Shane, Greg Pupas)

We have been submerged in “High Protein” food fever. Science has enough doubts that it is useful

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In a quick visit to the supermarket, it is observed how the shelves no longer compete in flavors, compete in promises: High Protein, extra protein, muscle. We see it in yogurts, breads, tuna and even water, under the promise of the protein. Today we are immersed in the Era of chic proteinwhich turned an essential nutrient into an aspirational banner that jumped from the gym to the purchase cart. However, meanwhile container and slogans emerges the question that many ask ourselves: do we really need so much protein? No more is better. To begin with, protein matters, since it participates in the construction and repair of tissues, immunity and hormonal regulation, among other functions, as explained in the MedlinePlus Medical Portal. In addition, it has a satiating effect, which helps control intake, provided it does not derive in hyperproteic diets, Andrea Jarque nutritionist warns. However, to understand the jump to the shelves of the supermarket responds rather to a market logic. The industry, As always happenshe detected a “reef” in the protein claim and extended it from the cultural niche to the general public, with visual codes and messages that They associate protein By force, aesthetics and performance. Do we need “more protein”? It all depends on the person, but there is something in which almost all coincide Clinical guides: The reference figures change little. In an average and sedentary adult, the daily recommendation is around 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day. From the age of 40 or 50 – and especially in menopause – it is convenient to slightly raise the intake up to 1 and 1.2 grams per kilo. In other words, a 70 kilos person would need between 70 and 84 grams of daily protein to curb the loss of muscle associated with age: Sarcopenia. Athletes play in another league. Those who train strength or practice resistance regularly may need more: between 1.2 and 1.7 grams per kilo. Above 2 grams per kilo, the benefits are more than doubtful and, in predisposed people, problems could even appear, as they warn in May Clinic. In practice, most arrive – or even pass – from those amounts. In Spain it is not different: meat intake It is still very high. Hence the nutritionist Jorge Jaldón summarize it with irony in the zero habit podcast: “Shortly after breakfasts, lunch and cenes, you have plenty of protein.” Its example is clear: an egg (6 grams of protein), 100 grams of chicken (22 grams) and a plate of lentils (15–18 grams) are enough to meet the needs of an adult in one day. In other words, a combined dish already covers what many are looking for in a container with the High Protein label. Deficit and excess, the two faces. The shortcomings are unusual in the general population. They appear in cases of aggressive caloric restriction, eating disorders either use of slimming drugs that lead meals. Alert signals They are clear: Little satiety between meals and worse recovery after exercise or disease. At the opposite end, the body does not store protein. Once the needs are covered, the excess is used as energy or becomes fat. “The muscle is built by strength training, not the shake”, Clinic point out in May. In the long term, the effect of excessive chronic intake It is a reason for debate. Specialists from the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) They advise caution in people with kidney or liver disease. And what happens to supplements? And this is where the great parallel industry appears. It is not the same to train strength than to lead a sedentary life. Protein supplements can be useful in specific situations: greater with chewing problems, clinical contexts, recovery after training or simply by logistics. Three nutritionists They coincided in a report of this house: They are a tool, not universal shortcut. The Basic Council: Check labels. A good product should provide at least 70–80% real protein by ration, low in sugars, with few additives and reliable brand. And it should not forget the obvious: a shake also adds calories. In addition, many of these products cost more than their equivalent in real food. As some experts ironize, a surcharge is often paid so they already provide lentils or egg. The boom of the plant protein. The other great change is of origin. For decades the recommendation was to replace red meat with chicken or fish. Today the focus is in legumes, nuts, tofu or quinoa. A meta -analysis Confirm that following The so -called Planetary Health Diet (rich in plant proteins) is associated with 21% less mortality and lower carbon footprint. “The more the dish looked like this diet, the lower the risk of dying and the environmental impact,” summarizes the study. Along the same lines, vegetable proteins are also beginning to prioritize food guides, As Stanford professor, Christopher Gardner details: “The beans, peas and lentils would head the list.” Now, the vegetable protein has less bioavailability. “Those who follow exclusively vegetable diets need more quantity and combine different sources,” Remember dietitian Marie Spano. Despite this, as Isabel Martorell, dietitian-nutritionist of Nootric: “No deficits have been observed in vegans with well -planned diets.” Here enters a key concept, that of the Package protein, Popularized by Harvard: The important thing is not only the protein, but the set of nutrients that accompany it. It is not the same to obtain it from a fillet with saturated fats than from a dish of chickpeas with fiber, minerals and antioxidants. Beyond fashion. The evidence points to a simple route (and less expensive): it distributes the protein of the day, prioritizes quality sources – better if they are vegetables -, trains strength and distrust of the Atheat powder. The muscle is built by the gym and constancy. The rest is noise and labels. Image | Pexels Xataka | The greatest study on sustainable food confirms it: the vegetable protein wins the game

The science of sleep is clear about the ideal time to go to sleep

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Under normal conditions, six out of ten Spaniards sleep little and badly. What happens is that we are not “in normal conditions”, we are in September: a month in which the return to the routine and the autumnal asthenia They shake hands to immerse ourselves (hopefully temporarily) in a dreams of bad quality. And yes, that is a problem. Lack of sleep is related to immunological problems, Metabolic, Cardiovascular emotional and cognitive; With disorders such as diabetes or of the obesity. Not just that sleeping little causes us to be more tired and irritablebut Raise our stress levels And it makes us Assume more risks And make more wrong. But what is “lack of sleep? To get an idea, although optimal amounts change from one person to anotherall medical associations specialized in sleep recommend sleeping between seven and eight hours of sleep every night. Well then, According to the Spanish Sleep Societythe Spaniards sleep an average of 6.8 hours during the week. In addition, “75% of Spaniards wake up at least once At night, and 3 out of 10 directly affirm that they suffer from insomnia. “And, eye, the scientific evidence available tells us that we tend to think that we sleep better than we really do. Reality, surely, is much worse. And what do we do? The tips to improve “sleep hygiene” are known: Monitor food: A balanced diet, a light dinner and limited consumption of caffeine, alcohol or other stimulating substances. Create an adequate space: Quiet, pleasant, little illuminated and with a pleasant temperature. Exercise strategically: Fundamentally, playing sports regularly, but always a few hours before sleeping. And, above all, establish regular schedules: Go to bed and lift, as far as possible, always at the same time (including weekends). Although, of course, that leaves us a clear question: When are we going to sleep? That is, if we want to establish a clear and inflexible schedule, we need to know not how many hours we have to sleep, but what is the best time for it. And yes, this is hardly generalizable. Above all, because sleeping hours collide directly with things like our work, our family life or our leisure habits. However, we have some ideas that can help us. Let’s go to the data. The best study we have was carried out in 2021. In it, The European Cardiology Society used UK Biobank records, one of the most important medical and lifestyle information repositories in the world (with more than 500,000 volunteers between 37 and 73 years old). They selected 88,926 adults (with an average age of 61 years) that had taken some type of wrist device capable of registering the physical activity of the person for at least seven days. After analyzing a period of 5.7 years, they discovered that going to sleep between 22:00 and 23:00 at night is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease (already other related problems). In comparison, going to sleep between 23:00 and midnight entails 12% more risk of having this type of disease. Risk that rises to 25% for those who go to bed after twelve at night and stands at 24% for those who go to bed before 22:00. Can we move it directly to Spain? No, the truth is that no. It would be naive to think that the recommended schedules for a culture of copious and early dinners (such as English) are the same as those of a culture of light and late dinners (such as Spanish). However, they are the best data we have and, as María José Martínez Madrid saysCoordinator of the Chronobiology Working Group of the Spanish Sleep Society, the key relationship “comes mainly because of the mismatch that produces falling asleep late in the biological clock.” Therefore, it is a good indicator to reflect on our sleep guidelines. Especially now that, after summer, the world “starts again.” Image | Shane In Xataka | Thus influences the time to go to bed in the risk of developing a heart problem: these researchers believe they have found the exact time to go to sleep

Esnifar caffeine has become a tool to perform better. Science is not sure if it is safe

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One of the chemical compounds that coffee is is caffeine, and for years It has been subject to numerous myths. It is something that contributed to coffee to earn a certain bad reputation, but numerous studies In recent years they have helped us Understand coffee properties and the Effects of caffeine on the body. Moreover: caffeine has gained popularity as a supplement, so much that it is sold separately in the form of gum or strips. And yes, also in the form of caffeine dust to sniff. Coffee as a supplement. Like almost everything, caffeine has both positive and negative effects. Take coffee or food with caffeine in sleep times, It is not the best decisionbut as a sports supplement, caffeine has proven to be an ally. In certain situations, at least. For example: due to your effect In oxidation of fats, consume caffeine stimulates ‘fat burning’. In team sports such as football, An experiment demonstrated that players who took a dose of caffeine before training made more precise long passes. However, this study presented the counterpart Of the caffeine: when the player had to face situations of stress and thought very fast, as usually happens during a game, decision -making was something worse among those who had consumed caffeine. Therefore, it depends on the sport we do and our goal, but in what can be an individual strength and aerobic training, caffeine has certain effects that we can consider beneficial. One more supplement, go. Cocaffeine. However, caffeine is not only consumed to perform better at the sports level. There are students, drivers or people who simply need it at certain times of the day to feel more awake thanks to their stimulating effectand that is where products that do not seek to provide any more than the amount of caffeine enter. We don’t talk about energy drinks (With huge amounts of caffeine per can, yes, but also a lot of sugar), but of bars, gels, gum (used in the Military scope), pills and even caffeine aerosols. The key here is speed. While having tea or coffee causes caffeine to take half an hour to take effect, with liquid caffeine roads, gels or caffeine patches that dissolve in the mouth, the effects are much faster. There are already those who are offering both mouth and nasal aerosols that seek to activate sensors in the brain or a direct route for absorption in the lungs. The problem? There is no scientific evidence, for the moment, that supports these statements, but there is one more method. Energy sniff. In the image we can see the presentation of ‘Widkraut Energy sniff’, a product that clearly alludes to certain substances. That mountain of white dust or the product name itself is a clear wink. “A widkraut boat contains more than 20 doses of energy,” We read on the webwhere it is also detailed that it does not have tobacco, nicotine or sugar; which is driven by nature and has been clinically tested. Your uses? Work concentrated for longer, endure night shifts or long trips by car, gaming, party nights or pay more in studio and sports sessions. Has a lot of ingredients Different apart from caffeine and claim that, thanks to scientific confirmations by “three clinical studies elaborated by the German Institute most recognized in dermatological studies”, it is safe for the nasal mucosa. Because Energy Sniff, like caffeine aerosols, is consumed by the nose, but in this case, the dust is snorted. Careful. The 60 rations cost 48 euros, similar what costs a kilo of good coffee with more health propertiesbut what is sought here is, as we said, that caffeine arrives as quickly as possible to the bloodstream to begin to circulate through the body causing the desired effects. Returning to Energy Sniff, they clarify that it is harmful in case of ingestion and should only sniff, never exceeding the maximum dose of one gram. There are already studies that They point that these alternative ways of consuming caffeine are not entirely supported by evidence and that more information and analysis is needed. For example, bars and gels are under the magnifying glass to see what real effects they have on athletes, but as we say, it continues to investigate. About sniffing caffeine, it must be clarified that, although the brands (there are others, such as’Want a bump?‘ either ‘WP Energy sniff‘that are promoted the same) They clarify that everything is manufactured using legal ingredientsThey have caused some arqueen an eyebrow. And doctors? That lack of prolonged and conscientious scientific support on the effects not only of caffeine itself, but of the way of taking it to our body, since you have to be careful not to overcome the recommended caffeine doses (special attention in pregnant women) and stop taking it by this way if we feel any discomfort. At the moment, the investigation is focusing In gels, gum and bars as a useful strategy to assimilate caffeine in the shortest possible time. On the other hand, there are doctors who have spoken about it. Shaline Rao is the director of Cardiology at Langone Hospital in Long Island and Comment The aforementioned: “The key is to keep the amount safe and take into account the upper limit to avoid overdose, as well as the appropriate time between them.” Other voices are more criticismreferring to the ease of passing with the amount of caffeine, the possible development of tolerance that leads to increase the dose little by little harmful effects in the mucosa. For the American FDA, directlyconcentrated caffeine products are “a serious threat to public health” and in France, directly, His sale was prohibited In 2024. Viewing the boom in this form of consumption, it is now on the roof of science to check the risks and if it is worth against aerosols, gels or gum. In Xataka | The best trick to make coffee in the Italian coffee maker is not to make coffee in the Italian coffee maker

To the question of whether ultraprocessed foods are as bad as they have told us, science still has no clear answer

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When going to the supermarket it is easily being surrounded by fried potato bags with different flavors, cookies, soft drinks, frozen pizzas or chicken nuggets that are part of our shopping basket. They are the so -called ultraprocessed foods (UPF), products that have gone through multiple industrial phases and often contain ingredients that are not found in house kitchen, such as corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. A debate for a long time. The alarm was given in the early 2000s Brazilian researcher Carlos Monteiro. While trying to decipher The increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes in your countrydiscovered something paradoxical: people bought less sugar and salt than before. The explanation was in the Super cart: they had replaced the basic ingredients with precooked and ready products to consume that they were loaded with these same foods. Growing evidence. From that moment on, scientists began to put the batteries to try to demonstrate whether there was a link between the high consumption of these products with health problems, because they had increased at a vertiginous pace. From there, dozens of studies associate high diets in ultraprocessed with higher risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even depression and anxiety. A large -scale study with more than 110,000 adults in the United States found that those with the highest consumption of ultraprocessing were 4% more likely to die for any cause during the monitoring period. Variations between countries. The same amount of ultraprocessing in all countries is not consumed of our area. While in the United States and the United Kingdom Almost 60% of calories come from ultraprocessed In Spain the figure is around 26-30%. Despite being in the lower part of the table compared to Anglo -Saxon countries, recent studies, such as the one published by The BMJ, alert that the strongest evidence associates ultraprocessed exposure with cardiometabolic health problems, metal disorders and mortality in general. Is El Villano processing? Despite the overwhelming correlations, not the entire scientific community agrees to demonize the ultra -processed as a category. The main argument of skeptics is that The group is too broad and heterogeneous. In this way, the question is raised if it is logical to put some donuts, fried potatoes and a supermarket yogurt in the same bag. Some researchers wonder if the association with poor health is not due, simply, that these products are usually rich in fat, sugar and salt, and poor in fiber and vitamins. However, several studies have tried to clear this unknown. A clinical trial of the University College of London He compared two dietsone based on minimally processed foods and another with ultraprocessed, but both with identical levels of key nutrients such as proteins, fats, fiber and sugar. Surprisingly, participants lost twice the weight with the minimally processed food diet. This suggests that nutritional composition is not everything. Beyond calories. A breaker essay led by physiologist Kevin Hall in the National Institutes of Health of the United States (NIH) locked -literally -20 adults In a research center and gave them freedom to eat everything they wanted. For two weeks they followed an ultraprocess diet, and two others an unprocessed diet. The results were revealing: with the ultraprocessed diet the participants consumed 500 calories more a day and won almost a kilo. Hall and others investigations suggest that energy density and food texture are key. Many ultraprocess, having less water, concentrate more calories in less grams. In addition, its texture is often softer, which leads us to eat faster. By eating faster, our brain does not have time to register satiety signals, which facilitates excess caloric consumption. Ciaran Forde, researcher at the University of Wageningen, demonstrated that people ate much less when they were presented with hard texture foods (such as gofre -type fries) compared to soft texture foods (such as potato puree), regardless of whether they were ultra -processed or not. “What we saw was that the speed of eating and the texture properties of the meals boost consumption, not the degree of processing,” says Forde. What do we do then? Although the debate on the definition and the exact mechanisms continues, the general trend is clear: a diet with a high percentage of ultraprocesses is consistently associated with worse health results. The solution, however, does not seem to be a total prohibition. Kevin Hall himself, one of the most critical researchers, admits which consumes salad salads and dressings bought in the store. His advice for friends and colleagues is pragmatic: “Eat more vegetables without starch, legumes, fruits, integral grains and limits the intake of added sugars, sodium and saturated fats. Choose the ultra -processed that help you to be convenient and affordable, and avoid those that make it difficult.” Images | Alan Alves Xataka | Making rice of more is no longer a mistake: cooling it and reheating it can reduce your calories according to some nutritionists

Before the great fire wave in Spain, science already has a culprit of its propagation: climate change

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This 2025 It has been a devastating year for Spain and Portugal Because of the A large amount of forest fires that they have been giving, In many cases intentionallybut that were fueled without control. A new scientific analysis has concluded that the climatic crisis has played a determining role, multiplying by 40 the probability that the extreme weather conditions that fueled the flames would be given. Not just that. The study determines that these phenomena were 30% more intense than they would have been in a world without global warming. And this is important to highlight it: the study does not indicate that climate change causes fires, but they intensify their force of destruction when they make them uncontrollable more likely. Putting figures. The reportprepared by the World Weather Attribution network, put figures to a catastrophe of historical dimensions. On September 1, the fires had calcined about 380,000 hectares in Spain and 260,000 in Portugal. In total, 640,000 hectares, an area four times higher than that of London and represents approximately 1% of the surface of the Iberian Peninsula. In historical terms, for Spain 2025 it will close as the fifth year with the highest burned surface since there are records in 1961. If we are going to European, we can affirm that the worst year since The EFFIS system (European Forest Fire Information System) began registering data in 2006, with more than one million hectares calcined, being two thirds of those corresponding to Spain and Portugal. Impresses researchers. “The size of these fires has been amazing”, affirms Clair Barnes, scientist at Imperial College in London and co -author of the study. “Warmer, dry and flammable conditions are becoming more severe with climate change and are giving rise to fires of an unprecedented intensity.” And it is that the surprise is logical. According to the data they have analyzed, they point out that these extreme risk conditions for the propagation of fire will be given every 15 years with the current climate. This is something that only happened once every 500 years in the preindustrial era. An explosive cocktail. The fuel of these megaincendios was an unprecedented weather situation. The large amount of fires occurred during a heat wave in Spain that was one of the longest ever registered, with a duration of 16 days (from August 3 to 18). But it was not only the longest, but also the most intense, with an upper 4.6 ° C temperature anomaly compared to a pre -industrial climate. The impact of climate change in this extreme heat is even more pronounced. According to the analysis, a ten -day heat wave as intense as the lived is now an event that is expected once every 13 years. Before humans began to heat our environment, such a heat was extremely rare and it was only expected to happen less than once every 2,500 years. It is not just the weather. Although the report points to climate change as the great amplifier, it is not the only factor. Scientists highlight that both in Spain and Portugal, rural depopulation and population aging have left large extensions of forest land without managing, creating a massive accumulation of dry vegetation that acts as a perfect fuel. One of the examples that is put is in the decrease of traditional practices such as extensive grazing has reduced natural control over that vegetation. David García, applied mathematician of the University of Alicante and co -author of the study, points out that the public debate in Spain has focused a lot on the decline of these rural activities. It points to that “much less the effect of climate change has been discussed in these fires, which, as has been demonstrated, has been immense.” To this is added that human ignition, whether accidental or intention, is behind about 90% of fires whose causes are identified. With huge fuel loads and extreme weather conditions, minor human actions can trigger catastrophic results. The science behind. To reach these conclusions, the research team analyzed the weather conditions that the fires propitiate using the daily severity index (DSR), which is a metric derived from the Canada Fire Meteorological Index (FWI). In summary, this index combines long -term rainfall data, temperature, humidity and wind to estimate the probability and severity of a fire. In this way, the scientists compared the meteorological data observed in the current climate (which has been heated from the pre -industrial era) with a counterfactual of how these conditions would be in a climate without that warming. In this way, with the methodology used, the “footprint” of climate change in a specific extreme event can be isolated and quantified. The result. The climatic crisis is taking the ecosystems and response capacity to the limit. For the first time, Spain activated the EU Civil Protection mechanism to request help in the fight against forest fires, and now they are already raised to apply new regulations with the aim of preparing for the future that awaits our country. Images | Ume (x) Matt Palmer In Xataka | The plan to clean the air capturing as a blow of reality has just received: the earth does not have as much space as we believed

China has just told the world the place it wants to occupy. And he has done it with a parade of weapons that seem like science fiction

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During September 3, Beijing has become the stage of one of the Chinese military parades more elaborate that are remembered, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. An event that China has used to Promote nationalism through a parade where to show the world the place he wants to occupy. And according to the artillery that has seen the lightThere are no limits. Artillery as support. As we said, the imposing military parade in Beijing was conceived as An unequivocal message: Xi Jinping’s vision of a new world order with China in the center has a warlike vanguard apparatus that begins to be at the height, and even ahead, of its rivals. Among the protagonists highlighted the new intercontinental ballistic missile DF-61successor of DF-41together with missiles with hypersonic plankers capable of exceeding the speed of sound five times and complicating any antimile defense. The demonstration included a broad Drones repertoire (aerial, terrestrial and submarines) with functions ranging from direct combat to logistics, some designed to act as “faithful squires” of Chinese furtive fighters, consolidating the EPL’s commitment to the Autonomous War. DF-61 Directed energy weapons. Beyond the missiles, the true revolution was on the exhibition of Laser and energy weapons directed, in naval and land versions, capable of neutralizing sensory and drones enemy at ridiculous costs compared to conventional ammunition. If these systems are deployed in number, such as They hinted Official sources could suppose an unprecedented challenge for any force that tries to stop Chinese military movements in their region of influence. This technological turn, supported by an enormous industrial capacity, points to a strategy where the quantity and sophistication They combine to cement China’s strategic ascent. Set of laser weapons during the military parade Two versions. They appeared Two laser systems Air defense: a large one, intended for its installation in warships, and another mounted on an eight -wheeled vehicle, capable of hosting the necessary electrical power to overcome the limitations of previous versions. These systems, which do not depend on kinetic projectiles but on Electromagnetic energy To destroy objectives through heat, electrical interference or sensor blindness, they mark a turning point in the anti -aircraft and anti -anton defense. In front of them, high -power microwave systems (also in development) offer the ability to neutralize whole swarms of drones with simultaneous bursts. The logistics and economic advantage is evident: each shot costs a fraction of a missile and does not require transporting heavy ammunition, only energy. Submarine drone AJX002 The debut of underwater drones. China also showed for the first time Two submarine vehicles not large -sized (Xluuv), consolidating their leadership in a field where at least five different programs in the test phase already operate. One of the exhibited models, identified as AJX002measures between 18 and 20 meters long with a reduced diameter of up to 1.5 meters, while the second shares length but is considerably wider, between 2 and 3 meters, and carries two masts. Although their specific missions have not been revealed, analysts consider carry torpedoes or mineseither fulfill recognition functions in prolonged and high autonomy operations. With this presentation, the Chinese Navy confirms its intention to integrate underwater platforms Autonomous on a large scaleexpanding the unmanned war options in a domain traditionally reserved for conventional submarines. Some of the hypersonic missiles shown The YJ-17: hypersonic and “nuclear.” Among the most strategic revelations The YJ-17 wasa missile that combines the naval denomination of the YJ family with the technological inheritance of DF-17the first medium -range ballistic missile with a hypersonic planner (HGV) developed by China. If the DF-17 already demonstrated extreme precision in tests (capable of impacting a few meters from its target after performing evasive maneuvers), the YJ-17 supposes the adaptation of that system For vertical pitchers of warships. Although it is believed that it can carry conventional eyelets, its nuclear capacity cannot be ruled out, which reinforces its deterrent value. Non -manned wing aircraft of the Plaaf. Two different configurations were seen but no designation details have been provided The industrial muscle as an advantage. No doubt, the parade was also proof of the volume of production that China can sustain. According to analysts Like Malcolm Davisthe country demonstrates the ability to develop, manufacture and deploy faster and higher advanced systems than the West. In other words: it is a reminder that, while in World War II the American industry inclined the global balance, today is Beijing who You can manufacture in mass Military teams with efficiency that Washington can hardly match. The CSIS data They confirm this trend: Chinese military expenditure has multiplied by thirteen in 30 years and already exceeds its immediate neighbors, quintupllica that of Japan and septuming that of South Korea. Anti-Enlambre Training (MENGSHI Laser “OW5-A10”, “PLB-625” cannon of 6 x 25 mm, 30 mm cannon, “Mini dome CUAV FK-3000”, Laser HMV3 “OW5-A50”) The naval dimension. Already We count yesterday. The biggest difference with the United States is perceived in the sea: by 2030, the Chinese Navy could have a 48% more ships of war that the American, which revives the historical maxim that the largest fleet usually imposes itself. While in the West it is confident that technological superiority, such as drone swarms with artificial intelligence, maintain balance, the parade showed that China already has Advanced autonomous systems in active duty and in operational quantities. In addition, the introduction of laser defenses against drones and missiles reinforces Beijing’s narrative about an “intelligent war”, where autonomy and systems network dominate the battlefield. JY-17 The Arsenal per sea. The YJ-17 did not appear alone: ​​it was accompanied by anti-man- YJ-15, YJ-19 and YJ-20all conceived to be deployed from the largest surface fleet in the world, composed of destroyers and frigates with vertical pitchers. Here the strategic message seems clear: the American aircraft carriers, the cornerstone of Washington’s naval power in the Pacific, could be vulnerable at any point in the region before a coordinated rain Hypersonic missiles and cruise released from multiple platforms. With … Read more

Now the science ‘guilt’ to the origin of livestock

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For a long time it has been a suspicion, a logical hypothesis but difficult to prove: that our decision to Domesticate animals and live with them unleashed the great pests that have ravaged humanity. Now, the biggest study of ancient DNA of pathogens ever has confirmed it. An thorough analysis. Analyzing 1,313 human remains of up to 37,000 years old, a team from the University of Copenhagen has created a genetic map of diseases and has found the exact moment in which everything changed: about 6,500 years ago, with the arrival of livestock. A 37,000 years map. The study, published in the prestigious Nature MagazineIt is not a simple confirmation. It is a time trip at the molecular level that draws 37,000 years of the silent struggle between humans and pathogens in Eurasia. The results in this case demonstrates that the change to an agricultural and livestock lifestyle was the entrance door for the Zoonotic diseasesthose transmitted from animals to humans, which drastically increased the burden of morbidity and molded our history and our own genetics. How they did. To achieve this feat, the scientists analyzed sequencing data of 1,313 old individuals, covering from the upper Paleolithic to historical times. In their teeth and bones they found the genetic footprints of a true catalog of horrors of the past. What diseases they found. After performing this molecular analysis, they were able to determine the presence of several diseases that now heard them can enter normal, but the same did not happen at that time. To understand them better, they can be summarized as follows: Bubonic plague (andErsinia Pestis): They identified 42 cases, 35 of them completely new, greatly expanding the map of the plague in ancient times. Lepros (Mycobacterium leprae): It was detected in seven individuals in Scandinavia, appearing from the Iron Age, which supports the theory that the trade of squirrel skins could facilitate its transmission. Recurring fever (Borrelia recurrentis): A disease transmitted by lice with high mortality. The study points to 34 new cases, demonstrating that it was a much more common plague than was thought. Hepatitis B: 28 cases were found, confirming their presence for millennia. Malaria: nine infections located in three different species of Plasmodium, with the oldest case dated in the individual of the Bronze Age in Central Europe. The moment in which everything changed. The most resounding conclusion of the study is that although the human being has always lived with pathogens, those of Zoonotic origin They are not detected until about 6,500 years ago. Its appearance coincides with the generalized domestication of livestock and the beginning of large -scale agriculture. The peak of these new diseases was reached about 5,000 years ago, a period that coincides with the great migrations of the pastors of the Euroasy steppe, who, together with their herds, could have acted as transmission vectors throughout the continent. Why not before. “It is a beautiful idea that makes sense: livestock brought zoonotic diseases. But there really is very few overwhelming tests about it,” Martin Sikora saidauthor of the study. Until now, the evidence was scarce because most infections do not leave visible marks in the bones. But as they point out in the study, examining a large number of pathogens and looking for some temporal trend that will support that hypothesis has managed to find the necessary evidence. Older plague cases. The team has identified the presence of Y. Pestis In three individuals between 5,700 and 5,300 years ago, located in western Russia, Central Asia and Lake Baikal. This finding pulverizes the previous record (a woman in Sweden from 5,000 years ago, also discovered by them) and defies the idea that the first plague outbreaks were isolated events. An millenary coinfection. A hunter-gatherer who lived in Russia 11,300 years ago showed evidence of a double infection in his body: diphtheria (C. Diphtheriae) and Helicobacter pylori. This is a fairly unusual combination that demonstrates how complex the world of diseases is, even before agriculture. We are the children of the Neolithic (and its pests). For Carles Lalueza-Fox, geneticist of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Barcelona, ​​this work is a fundamental step to understand the pandemics not only as tragedies, but as “engines of social and political change” and factors that have modeled our genomes. In this way, the study provides the direct evidence that was missing for one of the most important transitions in human history. The Neolithic Revolution not only brought us agriculture, villages and eventually, cities; It also inaugurated a new era of diseases. Images | Stijn Te Strake National Institute of Allergy In Xataka | The ten most common (and deadly) diseases that we do not know, we cannot or do not want to cure

They also share mental illnesses, according to science

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“Two that sleep in a mattress, become the same condition,” is a quite heard Spanish saying with its many variations and the reality is that they are right. Or at least in the part of mental illnesses. This has been determined A great scientific study that has made it clear that couples share psychiatric disorders. A matter of probability. A team of researchers has discovered that people with a psychiatric disorder are more likely to marry someone who suffers from the same pathology as with someone who does not have it. A pattern, previously observed in Nordic countries, which has now been confirmed to a larger scale with data from Taiwan, Denmark or Sweden with different cultural contexts, which has been reflected in a study published in Nature Human Behaviour. What was analyzed. The study analyzed data of more than 14.8 million people in Taiwan, Denmark and Sweden, examining the prevalence of nine psychiatric disorders in pairs: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressionanxiety, attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (TOC), substance consumption disorder and nervous anorexia. Clear results. When one of the couple’s members was diagnosed with one of these conditions, the other had a significantly greater probability of being diagnosed with it or with another psychiatric condition. According to Chun Chieh Fan, co -author of the study and researcher of genetics and populations in the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma, “the main result is that the pattern is maintained through countries, cultures and of course, generations.” The trend is to share diagnosis. Another relevant point of this study is that the observation revealed that, for most disorders, the possibilities that couples share a diagnosis increased slightly with each decade from the 30s to 90, especially in disorders related to substance consumption. However, some cultural differences were found. For example, in Taiwan, married couples were more likely to share a diagnosis of TOC than couples in Nordic countries. What’s behind the trend. The first theory that arises in this case is the attraction for similarity. In this case, people could be attracted to those who look like them, surely because they are the ones who can better understand a suffering that is shared. But it also points to the possibility that a shared environment could make couples become more similar with time. Or even that the stigma associated with psychiatric disorders causes the options to be reduced by a person. The environment also contributes. Other experts, such as Jan Fullerton, a psychiatric geneticist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, add that social and environmental stress factors could contribute to a new diagnosis in a previously not affected couple, especially if they already had milder and non -diagnosed symptoms. There are genetic implications. Since genetics plays a role in the development of psychiatric disorders, the tendency to choose a couple with similar psychiatric symptoms increases the risk that these disorders appear in future generations. In fact, the study found that the children of parents who share the same disorder have twice as probabilities to develop the same condition compared to children who only have an affected parent. Images | Brooke Cagle In Xataka | Today couples get less and later. Now we know that they also form much more resistant marriages

Science puts the beta blockers in certain cases

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In the late 50s, Sir James Black Cardiovascular therapy revolutionized With your new treatment: beta blockers. A medication that has been the immovable pillar in current medicine for patients with an acute myocardial infarction in their history. But now, A series of studies They have arrived to change the idea we had about the administration of this treatment. A group of patients more affection. Studies published in the most prestigious medical magazines, such as The New EnglandThey arrive to draw a much more complex and personalized panorama of treatment administration. And he has reached such an extent that he suggests that for some people with a very specific clinical profile, and especially in women, their administration may not be necessary. Why are the beta blockers. To understand the magnitude of this change, you have to travel in time. The studies that cemented the use of beta blockers were carried out in the 80s, a very different era for cardiology. At that time, a heart attack was much less aggressive. There were no urgent angioplasties with stents to open obstructed arteries, nor the general use of High power statins either antiplatelet therapies dual In that context, the beta blockers demonstrated reduce mortality by an impressive 23%. A question in the air. Today, the standard treatment of a heart attack is radically different and much more effective. The question that floated in the air for years was: in this new era, are they still the universally necessary beta blockers, especially for those patients whose heart has not been seriously damaged? A concept that is key. To understand the great advance that has been made, you have to know what the left ventricular ejection fraction (FEVI). You can think like the “power percentage” that the heart has to expel the blood from the left ventricle to the aorta and by entity towards the coronary vessels of the heart. In this way, there are two scenarios right now on the table: Patient with a reduced fevi (≤40%): the heart has been weakened. In this group, no one doubts the benefit of the beta blockers since the evidence is solid. Patient with a non -reduced FEVI (> 40%): The heart maintains a good pumping force after infarction. It is here that the great debate has emerged around whether it is necessary to apply or not beta blockers so that they have a beneficial effect. THE REBOOT TEST. The first great protagonist of this new story is the reboot essaya massive study conducted in Spain and Italy with more than 8,500 patients. All participants had suffered an acute myocardial infarction, but had a FEVI greater than 40%. Half of these received beta blockers and the other half not. After a follow -up of 3.7 years, the results were overwhelming: there was no statistically significant difference between the two study groups. The Beta blocker group had an event rate of 22.5 per 1000 patients-year, compared to 21.7 in the group without them. Statistically, a technical draw. Beta blocker effect on women. Reboot analysis by sexwhich included 1,627 women, revealed a significant interaction. In men, the beta blockers showed neither benefit or harm. The event rate was practically identical, with or without treatment. In women, the result was radically different. Those who took beta blockers had a relative risk of 45% greater to suffer the main combined event with which they did not take them. Concentrated in two groups. This excess risk in women was mainly driven by an increase in mortality due to any cause. The study also discovered that this potential damage was concentrated in two subgroups: women with FIVI preserved (≥50%) and women who received higher doses of beta blockers. The researchers suggest that there could be pharmacokinetic reasons behind this. At equivalent doses, women tend to reach higher concentrations of the drug in blood due to physiological differences such as lower body weight and different metabolism. This could lead to adverse effects not seen in men with the same doses. Although it is something that will have to continue deepening. Studies that are opposite. The grace of science is that opposite results can be found on the same topic. And just when the reboot result seemed to sentence the debate, the results of the twin trials were published Betami and Danblock made in Norway and Denmark with almost 5,600 participants. With a similar design (patients with IAM and FEVI ≥40%) their conclusions were different. In this case, the treatment with beta blockers did demonstrate a benefit, reducing the risk of the primary objective (a death combined, major cardiovascular events, unplanned revascularization, stroke …). The incidence was 14.2% in the group with beta blockers compared to 16.3% in the control group. When the data broken down, the main engine of this benefit was a significant reduction in the incidence of a new myocardial infarction: 5% vs. 6.7%. Interestingly, and in direct contrast with reboot’s findings, its subgroup analysis showed that the benefit seemed more pronounced in women. A meta -analysis to find the midpoint. We have two mass studies, well designed and with opposite results. How do we solve this apparent contradiction? For this we use the most powerful tool of scientific evidence: a meta -analysis of individual patient data. An international team, led by the researchers of the previous essays, decided to combine strength. They combined the data of reboot patients, Betami, Danblock and a fourth smallest study (capital-RCT) to focus on a very specific group: those with slightly reduced FEVI (between 40% and 49%). This is the “gray area”, patients who do not have seriously damaged heart, but not completely normal. A surprising result. When analyzing the 1,885 patients who fit in this profile, the conclusion was clear: in this subgroup, the beta blockers are beneficial. A 25% reduction was seen in the risk of having a heart attack, heart failure or dying. In addition, the Hazard Ratio (a risk measure) was 0.75, indicating a clear and statistically significant protective effect. Beta … Read more

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