Scotland

Scotland has grown tired of tourists on its difficult inland roads. So he put a special plate on them

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Every year hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of British tourists travel to the Canary Islands to enjoy a relaxing holiday on their beaches. It was not the case of Robert Marshall. From his visit to Tenerife he came back with a much less pleasant experience, the “horrible” feeling he had when he sat behind the wheel of a car and wanted to drive around the island without being accustomed to its signs, its roads or something as ‘simple’ as drive on the right side. From that trip Marshall returned home with something more than “stress” of the experience: an idea so that the same thing would not happen to any other tourist. Marshall is neither a politician nor an expert on mobility, but he does know about tourism. After all, he is the owner of a hotel located in the Highlands, the Scottish Highlandsa region that has experienced its particular tourist boom in recent years thanks to its mountains, castles and coast. When Marshall traveled to Tenerife some time ago and drove around the island, he understood much better the difficulties that foreign tourists encounter when traveling on the roads of their homeland. Added to the challenge that driving a new vehicle, in a new country, with unknown roads, customs and perhaps even rules, is the change of driving direction: on the left in the United Kingdom, on the right in most countries (including Spain). In his case, the result was a “horrible” experience that left him “completely stressed”. “When I reached the roundabouts, the intersections, as soon as I started the trip, I was going in the opposite direction to the one I usually drive. All the controls and buttons were in a different place. I kept shouting at my partner: ‘I wish these people knew that I was a tourist,’” remember. The sensation was not entirely unknown. He himself had seen how stressed foreigners get when they have to do the opposite and get behind the wheel of a car on the narrow, winding roads of the Highlands. To solve it, Marshall had an idea: What if drivers could actually recognize tourists? What if there was a simple way to identify the cars of travelers who do not know the area or are not used to the way of driving in a certain place? Would it help the rest of the vehicles you share the road with to be more understanding or even more cautious? The result of those reflections is the Tourist Platea registration for tourists. The idea is similar to that of the plate that identifies new drivers: a sign that warns other drivers that whoever is behind the wheel is not used to the area, something that the Tourist Plate achieves with an adhesive rectangle designed for the back of the car. White background, a large green T for “Tourist” and reflective surface to ensure that the plate is visible also at night. “It’s a simple idea, but it has generated conversation about road safety,” celebrates Marshall. And so much. The proposal has aroused the interest of media such as BBC, cnn, The Telegraph either The Timesamong others. And although a priori the plates have not been approved by any authority, Transport Scotland recently suggested to the cnn and BBC that in his opinion there is no problem in showing them. Stickers are sold by £9.99 on the Tourist Plate and Marshall website assures which already has orders from countries like the US, Pakistan or India. That the idea arose right in the Highlands is no coincidence. The region is experiencing a particular tourist boom thanks in part to the success of the route North Coast 500where visitors circulate who (like what happened to Marshall in Tenerife) are not used to Scottish roads, single-lane roads and driving on the left, which has resulted in a higher accident rate. Official figures show accidents in Scotland caused by drivers traveling on the wrong side they shot up 46% in one year: from 24 collisions attributable to “inexperience of the driver on the left” in 2022, the following year it rose to 35. The balance of recent years also leaves victims and accidents caused by Italian, German or American travelers. The Scottish police have even worked with the US embassy to raise awareness tourists about the importance of being cautious behind the wheel. For now, the Tourist Plate seems to have worked for Laura Hanser, activist of A9 Dual Action Groupa group that calls for improvements to road safety in the A9 road. Hanser recently decided to go from theory to practice and tested the ‘tourist license plate’ by adhering the sticker to his own car. “I drove down a single lane road at 80 km/h. I let different vehicles catch up with me. You could clearly see that it took them a couple of seconds to notice and then they slowed down when they recognized that I had that license plate on the car,” Hanser relateswho trusts that the sticker will help foreigners “acclimatize to your environmentthe car and the environment in which they are. “The infrastructure of the Highlands is under great pressure from the influx of tourists. Anything we can do to help, prevent or raise awareness can only be seen as positive,” he concludes. In Xataka | Ibiza is fed up with the waves of tourists every summer. And it has begun to limit them by leaving them without a car Images | Tourist Plate, Robert Bye (Unsplash) and Bo&Ko (Flickr)

Not even the world championship of stones in Scotland escapes scandals: they have brought false stones

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The world championship to throw stones into the water exists and, curiously, is not in a United States in which its competitions are “worldwide.” If there is Mobile repairthat of collect trash from the street or that of Microsoft Excelof course there was going to be something like that. It is celebrated in Scotland, and hundreds of participants demonstrate their expertise every year as you expect: throwing stones into the water to see who gets more rebounds. The problem is that there are those who even cheat. And it has been a scandal. Tradition. He World Stone Skimming Championshipsby its official name in English, it is a tournament that has been held since 1983 on the island of EasdaleScotland, after two people came up with the idea … taking something in a pub. As usually happens with picturesque quotes, the event was born as a punctual celebration, but little by little the thing became serious until it was institutionalized in 1997. Since then, it has become an annual tradition and an attraction that attracts hundreds of tourists. There are rules. Traditionally, the appointment is celebrated in September in a flooded quarry that was an exploitation of slate. The island It has a population of about 60 people, but during the competition, it is multiplied by both the participants and the curious. And although it consists of throwing stones, there are rules and categories. The first thing is that it is divided by sexes and age, where they can participate to over 60 years. Each participant has three releases to make only natural slate stones that find the island. They cannot exceed three inches in diameter (just over seven and a half centimeters) and the competition is simple: the stones must throw two or three times (something that is marked at the beginning of the competition) on the water without leaving a specific area. There are few jumps because the rebounds are not measured, but the distance traveled by the stone. Seeing them throwing is a true show, especially because of the huge distance traveled between the first rebound and the next. A party. And the competitors take it seriously: they train for it and the releases are prepared well, but in the end it is a great party with an atmosphere in which there is music, food and the awards are commemorative, but not in metallic. It is an event to, above all, generate funds for the local community. 15,000 pounds last year. Remember those Activities that villages of empty Spain are taken out of the manga to value its surroundings and generate funds that allow covering expenses in the town. Cheats. That is why he has caught the attention that, in this year’s edition, some contestants cheated. And you will wonder “How can you cheat in something like that?” In an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ Of the last seasons, Homer uses stones tied to a rope that Bart drags from the other side. It is nothing so elaborate. To enforce the stone diameter limit, the organization has something baptized as the ‘ring of truth’, a tool through which the stone with which it will compete to verify that the size is correct is passed. That tool has a skinny point: it measures the diameter, but not the shape or any possible modification. During the competition, Thursday and other players They detected Something weird in some stones: they were too perfect, so they began to review more exhaustively, discovering that several had been polished to achieve more symmetrical forms and improve the physical characteristics of the rock. First of all, it’s a party Uneasiness. That has sat as a jug of cold water both among the honest competitors and between the attendees and the local community, precisely, so we commented on some lines: the atmosphere is, above all, festive, so they did not imagine that someone began to polish stones that were, they were from Easdale, but illegal. Kyle Mathews is one of the organizers and “official teacher” of stone launch and commented to The New York Times That there was something ‘honest’ in this story. When he contacted the suspects, they all immediately admitted what they had done and accepted the punishment of disqualification. He also removed iron into the matter by commenting that it was “flattering” that someone took the competition so seriously. Note for the future. And the truth is that it has not been badly resolved. Lucy Wood has the Guinness record The one that accumulates the most victories in this World Cup, also told NYT that it was surprised by how well the matter had been resolved. “You wouldn’t see something like that in many sports,” he said. And the truth is that people do take the competition seriously: only last year, 2,000 people registered online to get one of the 400 seats, which sold out in less than three minutes. This year, more than 2,000 attended to contemplate the event (imagine the life they can give to the island) and there are players who point to growing competitive pressure due to what is growing. The question of what they will do if this happens again has an easy answer: to grant pre -approved stones to the competitors. So, you know: if you have a lake nearby and discover that you are good by throwing stones, maybe next September you can find the glory in Scotland. Images | Stoneskimming In Xataka | The World Cup, paper, scissors exists. And it is a very serious thing

In 2015 Scotland launched a route to revitalize highlands through tourism. Ten years later they have a problem

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The story dates back to 2015. Those who know the details that with the support of the then Prince Carlos already through the North Highland Initiativean ambitious project was launched to economically reactivate remote highlands from northern Scotland. To that route the They called North Coast 500but they did not measure the impact it was going to have an “old acquaintance”. The birth of myth. He project A very clear lines had a decade ago. On the basis of existing roads, a circular route of 830 kilometers with start and end in Inverness, conceived as a Scottish version of the mythical American Route 66 Route. The promise It was double: To energize the economy of small forgotten locations and offer the traveler an unforgettable experience between castles, abrupt coasts and virgin landscapes. In their early years, the numbers confirmed success: a 26% increase in visits to tourist information centers and up to 30% in local attractions. In 2018, a study calculated that the route generated more than 22 million pounds per year For the region. That comes tourism … mass. Success, however, brought consequences unwanted. The massive arrival of caravans, motorhomes, sports cars and motorcycles overflowed precarious roads and little prepared peoples, turning them into a sound hell. What was initially presented as an economic impulse ended up being perceived by many residents such as An invasion: Prairies razed by barbecues, paths turned into improvised toilets and fragile ecosystems, such as the habitats of Atlantic Frailecillos, disturbed by reckless tourists. The route Untenable. The lack of basic infrastructure (parking lots, toilets, wastewater discharge points) derived from garbage spills and human waste in private properties and in constant interference in those fragile habitats such as those of the frailecillos. The accidents increasedaggravated by visitors little accustomed to a single lane roads or to the fact of driving on the left. In fact, the official data They show a rebound of serious collisions caused by American tourists. Meanwhile, the mythical port of Bealach Mountain Na Bàwith its curves closed to more than 600 meters high, it became a dangerous funny for Motorhomes oversized. The massive tourism paradox. The prosperity provided by the NC500 is unquestionable: thousands of Linked jobs to tourism and the rescue of rural business that would otherwise have disappeared. Accommodation owners recognize that without the route their companies would not have survived, especially after the pandemic. But that economic bonanza lives with the perception of an authentic “Seasonal invader” that alters the rhythm of life of the communities. Daily coexistence with caravans parked in the windows of the houses, rallies at high speed or campists carving trees to make fire has fed an increasing discomfort, channeled in Facebook groups such as NC500 The Dirty Truth. For many, the brand has become Hostage of large companies that explode it without responsible for cultural and environmental damages. Local and future responses. The situation has led to the NC500 already appears on the blacklist of Fodor’s Travel destinations, which He advises it for “unsustainable popularity.” Given this, authorities and promoters try to recover balance with campaigns Like Press Pausewhich seeks that the communities themselves decide how to promote their territory, and with the hiring of rangers that patrol and educate tourists. The company NC500 LTD. has introduced In addition a “traveler commitment” on its website, with More than 4,000 signaturesto promote environmental and social respect. However, the background It is complex: How to make the appeal of a route that has placed north of Scotland on the world map with the need to preserve its identity, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants? The Highlands dilemma. If you want too, The NC500 Encarna a global dilemma which we have spoken a lot: the tension between the economic benefit of mass tourism and the erosion of what makes it desirable. In this case, the risk is that the “last wild border” of Scotland becomes a saturated showcase, unable to support either its visitors or its communities. For some stores, the answer goes through Limit the flow of tourists and reinforce infrastructure. For others, for accepting that the Highlands culture It will inevitably change under the weight of international tourism. Between the enthusiasm of the business and the frustration of the residents, the NC500 remains an uncomfortable mirror: a dream of rural development that threatens to destroy what made it possible, the majestic serenity of some lands that everyone now wants to travel. Yeah William Wallace looked up would not give credit. Image | Fabian to Scherschel, Lauren Friedman, ThincatNC500 The Dirty Truth In Xataka | After expanding throughout the planet, touristification has reached Antarctica. And it is already taking its toll In Xataka | Decades ago the cities of Europe joined to capture tourists. Today they allied to the opposite: throw them out

We have been knowing where a strange sound has been coming from. Now he has returned strongly to an island of Scotland

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There are phenomena that challenge not only reason, but even perception same of reality. One of them is remembered in Scotland Since the end of the 90s, a low frequency buzz that is heard in different parts of the world and that, although for the majority it goes unnoticed, for those who perceive it is as real as it is unbearable. The buzz has been called The Humand on a Scottish island it seems that it has returned strongly. Breaking calm. In the apart Lewis Islandin the Scottish archipelago of the Hebrides, a persistent and strange low frequency hum has begun to disturb the life of its inhabitants, generating confusion, anxiety and health problems among those who claim to listen to it every night. It is a serious, pulsating and penetrating murmur, which prevents the sleep and causes vertigo, headaches and even alterations of concentration, according to testimonies collected by the British media. Despite its intensity for those affected, the phenomenon lacks a clear source and remains out of the reach of consensual explanations. The person responsible for documenting this disturbing anomaly is Lauren-Face Kirtley, founder of the support group “The Hebridean Hum”which has compiled dozens of complaints citizens and acoustic records in different areas of the island, in which a persistent signal of about 50 Hzvariable in intensity, but present in all cases. This data has allowed to rule out local sources such as port infrastructures, wind turbines or industrial facilities, and has redirected the search towards a possible origin … marine. Between the physical and the perceptual. Although some members of the group have considered physiological hypotheses such as otacoustic emissions (Sounds generated in the inner ear), the geographical disparity of the experience weakens this line of explanation. Pamela Weaver Larson, one of the group’s participants, said Do not listen to the buzz When he moves outside the island, which would indicate a Located environmental source more than a subjective phenomenon. This contradiction reveals the complexity of the case, which is registered in a much broader pattern: the call “Worldwide hum”an acoustic phenomenon documented for decades in various regions of the world, whose causes remain enigmatic and their simple existence remains questioned by scientific sectors. Glen Macpherson, founder of the World Hum Map and Database Projecthas compiled hundreds of testimonies that describe a buzz similar to the engine of a parked vehicle, more noticeable at night and in closed spaces, although generally described as omnipresent. The Hum, the beginning. As we said at the beginning, at the end of the 1990s Scotland began to perceive these hum. This was lived by Georgie Helop, a Scottish woman who after the death of her husband moved to the coastal town of Largswest of Glasgow, looking for peace of mind. What he found was the beginning of a sound nightmare: a constant buzzserious, similar to that of a truck in idle, which seemed to have no visible source and that was even more intense inside his own home. It wasn’t just an annoying noise. With the passage of time, the phenomenon began to cause physical ailments: headache, nasal hemorrhages, ear pain, chest oppression. As a desperate measure, Helop came to sleep in a tent in the garden, looking for peace that he did not find inside the house. Your case It was not isolated: Over time he discovered that not only in Largs, but in other parts of the United Kingdom, the United States and the world, many other people also reported to hear the same inexplicable buzz. Bewilderment. So and look back, Since 1973 similar cases have been documented in Very different towns: Taos In New MexicoHueytown in Alabama, Rome in the seventies, Bristol board In the United Kingdom. In many of these places, only a small fraction of the population, often middle -aged womendeclares to listen to the noise, which has led to multiple speculation about its origin. Some theories point to Physiological conditions as Tinnitusa sound perception without external stimulus. In the 1990s, hearing experts suggested that those who heard the buzz simply did not accept their clinical diagnosis. But over time, and thanks to the advancement of technology, some scientists have managed to detect real emissions, of such low frequencies Like those 50 or 60 hertziosand even others higher in the range of the Megahertzios, which has opened the door to explanations that go beyond the inner ear. Another explanation. Some hypotheses point to Combined frequencies which generate a kind of “milkshake” only perceptible to a minority with extreme acoustic sensitivity. Others suggest that the buzz originates in modern infrastructure (telecommunication towers, wind turbines, gas pipelines, military facilities), or even in electromagnetic or acoustic phenomena not yet understood. Project map started by Macpherson The map of an invisible sound. As we said, in 2012 a Canadian professor named Glen Macpherson began to listen to the buzz in his home in Sechelt, in the British Columbia. His personal experience led him to found the World Hum Map and Database Project, a collaborative platform where affected people can Register your location and share your experiences. Over the years they had already been reported More than 5,000 points of the planet where it was claimed to hear the buzz. The project has contributed to visible an experience that for decades was discredited or attributed to psychological causes. In the case of Helop, scientists who analyzed their home could Register anomal frequenciesconfirming at least partially that something physical happened in that environment. New explanations. Like those with the most recent cases, one of the explanations that has gained more strength associates the phenomenon with the geography of coastal areas. Largs, like many other points where the buzz is recorded, is located near the ocean. According to This theory exposed at the time In the Washington Poststorms in the sea generate waves whose impact is transmitted to the ocean bed, causing vibrations that extend through the earth’s crust. These oscillations could travel at great distances and be detected by those with … Read more

Scotland has a plan to overcome one of the great challenges of renewable energy: a storage megaplant

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Thanks to strong winds, Scotland has become an ideal place to install wind turbines. The data speak for themselves With an exponential increase In these almost 15 years. However, as a bagpipe, energy also goes like that air, so they have designed what will be the largest storage megabatism in Europe. And there is even more. European megabattery. The British company, Zenobē, has announced That the energy storage plant (Bess) has begun to operate in Blackhillock, Scotland. In addition, it is the first in the world that provides complete services of active and reactive energy. With a capacity of 300MW/600MWh at the moment it is placed as the largest in Europe. However, in the Scottish territory a struggle has opened to see who leads it. It is not there. In its ambition, Scotland will house the three energy storage systems in largest batteries in Europe After an investment of £ 800 million by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The projects are Coalburn 2 in South Lanarkshire and Devilla in FIFE, which will be added to Coalburn 1. Currently, the latter is under construction and with an operating date planned for October. Each battery will have a capacity of 500 megawatts, allowing total storage of 3 GW/h to supply 4.5 million homes. Coalburn 2 is expected to enter into operation between 2027 and 2028. The current largest on the continent. The Blackhillock plant has been launched in two phases: 200 MW of initial capacity began operating in March 2025, and phase 2 of 100 MW will be completed in 2026. This installation seeks to improve the reliability of the electrical system, taking advantage of wind energy and storing excess electricity in batteries for use at high demand. The first in the world. As a little above, the central in operation provides complete services of active and reactive energy. In other words, since the United Kingdom He said goodbye to his gas plants They have had to find another way to generate these services. This BlackHillock Bess plant provides them and you will ask what it is. On the one hand, active energy is what is used directly for electricity consumption, while reactive energy helps keep the network tension and guarantee its stability. In summary, it helps to balance the network, especially in times of fluctuations in the supply and demand of electricity. For this reason, they have also found their light bill will benefit. They already noticed that, independent of coal, They had to pay a high pricebut with the new storage system, they expect this to generate a positive impact. Let’s not forget this controversy. More than a year ago, It was discovered that several wind turbines were working with diesel generators for days. This happened because network infrastructure is not always ready to handle fluctuations in renewable energy generation and distribution. For this reason, having a storage system helps prevent this situation from being repeated. The challenge for Europe. The intermission of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, remains one of the biggest challenges globally. The phenomenon of “Dunkelflaute” Because of this situation and an aged network It positions the storage system in one of the first objectives of the European agenda. In addition, in these types of situations we must look for a solution that allows the integration of stable and accessible renewable generation. There are some European countries that have already begun to invest in energy storage such as the case of Finland or Spain. In the latter, it has been used by a more unique system as They are the reservoirs. Forecasts Scotland, with its renewable wind excess and its limited network infrastructure, has become a strategic point for energy storage. By 2030, it is estimated that 60% of the United Kingdom’s energy will be generated by the wind, with 31% from Scotland. However, these projects have generated some opposition in local communities, concerned about safety, noise pollution and landscape industrialization. Despite this, the Scottish government highlights the importance of these systems to reach zero net, according to collect the Financial Times. Image | Zenobē Xataka | A United Kingdom project has found the easiest way to maintain offshore wind farms: AI and submarine robots

The crazy plan of Scotland to save forests

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If science is not wrong, and We have decades of examples To believe that does notthe climatic emergency is increasingly important to try to go some step ahead of that elephant in the room that is made to us with the climate of our planet. In recent years we have seen proposals of all kinds, since Fill the diamond dust stratosphereuntil cause desert rains with solar farms. The United Kingdom has just added one that nobody saw coming. Reintroduce the wolves in the highlands. Now, A study by the University of Leeds suggests that The reintroduction of wolves in the highlands of Scotland could promote the expansion of native forests and contribute significantly to carbon capture. According to researchers, this process It would allow to store up to 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per yearwhich would represent approximately 5% of the carbon elimination objective of the United Kingdom in its forests. Context: The impact of running out of no wolves. Over the centuries, the wolves have been persecuted throughout Europe due to its impact on livestock and the direct orders of monarchs. Namely: in England, King Eduardo I (1272-1307) ordered his total eradicationprocess that culminated under the reign of Enrique VII (1485-1509). In Scotland, due to its mountainous geography and low population density, The wolves managed to survive until the seventeenth centuryalthough with constant persecution. Already in 1283, rewards were paid for lobos hunters in Stirling, and In 1427, King Jacobo I of Scotland promulgated laws for extermination. However, His final disappearance occurred approximately 250 years ago. For all these reasons, the eradication of the wolves generated ecological consequences, one of the most serious being the overpopulation of red deer, a creature out of control right now. In fact, Today it is estimated that there are 400,000 red deer in Scotlanda figure that has grown without control in the absence of natural predators. This increase has led to A serious overpair problemsince deer feed on young tree shoots, preventing the natural regeneration of forests. How can the return of these creatures help. The study used A Markov predator-prison model to analyze the effects of the reintroduction of wolves on the ecological dynamics of Scotland. The findings suggest that A population of approximately 167 wolves would reduce the density of deer to less than four deer per square kilometerallowing trees to grow again naturally. They count on their study that among the ecological and climatic benefits of this measure they include The expansion of native forestswhich currently cover only 4% of the Scottish territory, making it one of the less forested regions in Europe. Also carbon capture, with a potential of one million tons of co₂ per year Thanks to the increase in forest mass. And finally, the economic value of reintroduction, since Each wolf would contribute to the absorption of 6,080 tons of annuals, which is equivalent to 154,000 pounds per wolf in terms of carbon capture value. The main author speaks. In this regard, Professor Dominick Spracklen, principal author of the study, stressed the need to address the climatic crisis and biodiversity crisis jointly. He stressed that natural processes, such as species reintroduction, can play a key role in the recovery of degraded ecosystems and generate benefits for both biodiversity and climate. Challenges of the proposal. Of course, such an idea is not new. In fact, now We have seen other cases in the past where it was sent to predatory enclaves to tartar to limit or exterminate other animals, Sometimes with disastrous results. In addition, although the proposal has great ecological potential, the reintroduction of the wolf in Scotland remains a controversial issue and would require careful management, especially in areas close to human settlements and livestock areas. The authors point out how problems to take into account Conflicts with farmers and farmerswho fear attacks on cattle, The resistance of deer hunterswhose activity could be affected by the reduction of the population of dams, and Public perception and social acceptancesince the presence of wolves generates concern in some rural communities. In this regard, the study co -author, Lee Schofield, emphasized that before considering any reintroduction, It would be essential to carry out a public consultation and involvement process of the parties interested. He also stressed that conflicts between humans and predators are common, so any strategy must include policies that mitigate the impact on the population and economic activity. The future of the wolf in Scotland. At European level, the wolves have managed to recover part of their historical territory, with an estimated population of 12,000 individuals in Western Europecurrently occupying 67% of its original area. In countries such as France and Germany, the reintroduction of the wolf has generated intense debates, and in some cases, Compensation programs for affected farmers have been implemented. That said and how we indicate, if Scotland decides to move forward with the measure, it would join a growing global movement that seeks to reintroduce predators stop as a tool to restore ecosystems and face climate change. The success of this project would depend on the implementation of adequate management strategies that balance ecological conservation with the needs of local communities. Image | Pexels, ISK In Xataka | Japan sent the wrong creature to eradicate the snakes of an island. The disaster was so great that it has taken half a century to solve it In Xataka | In 1940 Japan eliminated this island from the maps to keep their activities secret. Now his creatures are dying

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