served

The first autonomous robot waiter in China served me. It’s nothing more than a glorified vending machine

by

A few weeks ago I was in Beijing. I went to take photos with a preliminary version of the Realme GT8 Probut there was time to walk around there. I was hoping to find things that would surprise me, like the external batteries that are in every corner of the citybut I came across something unexpected: the Galbot G1. It is a humanoid robot very different from the rest of humanoid robots. Because? Because this is already working. And not in a warehouse or factorylike so many others, but in a much more demanding position: facing the public. He is tending a drinks stand in a very large shopping center. It does this without any human intervention. And… the waiters can rest easy. The robot that serves you bottles of water Before we get into the robot, let’s go with some context. Galbot is another of the many Chinese companies that They are researching robotics. They are focusing not so much on the moving parts as on the ‘brain’ of these robots: the language models connected with a vision system that allows the robot to manipulate objects in a general way. This means you can break away from pre-programmed routines to react in real time. Your brain is powered by hardware NVIDIA Jetson Thorwhich is what allows you to execute that LLM in real time, and has two keys: Navigate without the need for markers on the ground. It does not do it with legs, but with a base that gives it less flexibility, but greater autonomy and stability. Your system allows you to perceive what is around you, “understand” it, and react based on that perception. In short: thousands and thousands of dollars invested in creating a robot with one objective: serving me a bottle of water. Image | Xataka When we stumbled upon the stall, it was by chance. There was no one ordering, all the rows of bottles were intact and it was even strange. But since science doesn’t do itself, I approached, determined to buy the cheapest bottle of flavored water available to do the test. The process couldn’t be simpler: You choose product. You pay with AliPay/WeChat. The robot does its thing. You leave. The problem is that I may be defining the work of a robot that has cost a fortune, but I may also be describing the process of purchasing from a Goya vending machine. There are two differences: the robot is cooler… and it takes much longer. How much? Here it is: As a bartender, meh. In a warehouse it makes sense The truth is that my feeling was strange and the first thing I thought was “the waiters can rest assured because this is not a threat.” But I also wondered to what extent the Galbot G1 that had served me was nothing more than a proof of concept in the real world and the company’s intentions are different. And, indeed. All that technology and reasoning in real time, with perception of physical space thanks to its numerous cameras and sensors located in various parts of the body, is not there to serve me bottles of a few cents, but to carry out work in environments in which it can really be useful: logistics. Because facing acrobaticsthis G1 (because the Unitree is also a G1) is committed to demonstrating its viability in real commercial uses today. One is “light” hospitality, such as the kiosk where I bought, but also logistics in controlled spaces in the last mile. Applications targeted by Galbot It is the video demonstration just above these lines, where we see the adaptability of the Galbot when they move the boxes. The response time in which it analyzes the situation is similar to the one I saw when I ordered my little bottle, and those sales stands in some areas of China are nothing more than training, or that’s what I get the feeling, for its artificial intelligence model. The queue that was set up just when I ordered. Before it was empty. Image | Xataka For now, curiosity, a Furbyan attraction, but in certain environments, it can be very useful. As a machine vendingNo, although it attracts a lot of attention, and a good queue formed not to buy… but to see how he bought. Images | Xataka In Xataka | A robot called “Sardinator” circulated through the streets of Malaga promoting a beach bar. Until the police arrived

The most expensive coffee in the world is Panamanian, it costs 850 euros and is served in the only place in the world where it makes sense

by

James Hoffman is one of the top authorities in the coffee world. Best barista in the world in 2007 and coffee popularizerwas surprised to try the exclusive Japanese coffee for 315 euros per cup. let it be expensive or cheap It depends on each one, but It’s like roasted coffee next to the new most expensive coffee in the world: 850 euros per cup. And it is served in Dubai, of course. Julith’s coffee. The Al Quoz neighborhood of the Emirati city has a new pilgrimage point for specialty coffee lovers…as long as they have 3,600 dirhams from those of the United Arab Emirates, not those of Morocco. In exchange, about 850 euros for a cup served at Julith Cafe. Serkan Sagsoz He is one of the founders of this cafeteria that consider that the price is more than justified. It is a coffee with notes of “white flowers such as jasmine, also with citrus flavors such as orange and tangerine and a touch of fruits such as apricot and peach”, comment. The barista got 20 kilos of very specific beans named ‘Nest 7‘. It is a Geisha coffee (now we’ll get into that) and the bidding must have been truly crazy: it lasted 12 hours, registered 549 bids and the final price was exorbitant. 604,080 dollars which translates into 30,204 dollars per kilo. Geisha with note. The price of coffee is something that depends on a huge variety of factors: the economy of a city, the coffee shop, the origins of the coffee and the roasting process. It is not the same robusta coffee with uneven roasting than a specialty arabica. Neither does the coffee excreted by a civet. Whether it is justified is another story, but what is clear is that Geisha is one of the kings when it comes to expensive coffees. It is a Panamanian coffee that comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. We have already talked about this specific coffeewhich has been establishing some of the records in the sector, and the reason why it is so expensive is summarized in that its cultivation is very complicated and production is low. These are the two factors that, added to the fact that the property is located in a enviable location for coffee cultivationthey make the price break ground every auction. Elitism also enters, since the variety has become one of the favorites in barista competitions. It is not unusual for it to win the “Best of Panama” award, but if in other years the kilo was around 10,000, the more than 30,000 that Julith Cafe has paid mark a new record. To contextualize, a “commercial” price that same day reached six euros per kilo. NASA production. El Geisha de La Esmeralda is not a specialty coffee, it is THE specialty coffee right now. This Nido 7, specifically, was harvested in April 2025 and immediately underwent a cold fermentation process for 48 hours. Subsequently, it was dried in a controlled environment to preserve its flavors and roasted, carefully controlling the process so that it was as homogeneous as possible. Limited. As we say, Judith got 20 kilos and they calculate that it is enough for 400 cups. It is not as quick as arriving with the money and drinking the coffee: you have to be prepared for an experience that they have designed and that includes a guided tasting through the entire production process of this coffee. Once the 20 kilos are gone, it’s over, but there are those who won’t have to worry about this: they have reserved some grains for the wealthiest palates. Sagsoz has commented that it would be “an honor to one day prepare a cup for the sheikh mohammed“With whatever you have loose in your pocket that day, you have something to invite. And…Dubai. Beyond the exclusivity of coffee due to everything that surrounds its production, it is evident that the Dubai factor comes into play. Sagsoz himself, whose cafe did not exist until he bought the Nido 7 cargo a few weeks ago, comments that “it was the perfect place for investment” because the Emirates is known for extravagance. They have some of the most ostentatious buildings in the worldhe Burj Khalifathe island for super millionaires, pharaonic works on the drawing tableand all kinds of extremely exclusive experiences. In fact, in September of this year, another coffee shop in the city had set the record for the most expensive coffee in the world by serving a cup of 2,500 dirhams, about 600 euros. With Julith’s 850, that record has disappeared and the reactions have been diverse: from the “It’s Dubai, what are you waiting for?” until opinions which allude to the fact that it is simply another experience for the richest to boast about. What is evident is that, although coffee is gaining a lot of ground in places where it did not have much prominence before –China, for example-, is also consolidating places like Dubai as part of the luxury coffee scene. And it is something that contrasts greatly with the so unfavorable situation of some farmers and the ambition that is leading to expand Geisha farms through illegal deforestation of protected areas. Images | Julia Coffee, Coffee with Joshua In Xataka | Coffee, tea or Coca-Cola: what is the most popular caffeine consumption in the main countries of the world

The “Rider Law” aspired to improve the delivery of Spain. In the sector there are those who believe it has served the opposite

by

Bit (Or very little) today has to do with today’s delivery sector, before the government approved the Legislative change that forced that Thousands of dealers stop being autonomous to swell the template of the platforms with which they operate. The known as ‘Rider Law’ He has marked the last years of the sector and has left a deep mark on both the service and in the hospitality. So deep, in fact, that in the middle of 2025 there are still voices that They question their effectiveness And they warn that it is harming Riders, websites, restaurants and customers. A “lose-lose ‘by quadruple”, They regret. What happened? That despite the over four years that have elapsed since its approval in Spain, The impact that he has had the measure at the community level and that his guidelines have been pending little by little Among companies, the ‘Rider Law’ still does not get rid of the controversy. A quick search arrives on Google to find news more or less recent than They question their effectsbut perhaps who has summarized its impact on the sector is Alejandro Hermo, CEO of the Hamburgueserías chain Goiko. Recently the manager, a voice with A certain weight In the guild, He exhibited on LinkedIn The blow that (in his opinion) is advising him the legislative change: “Delivery has been very complicated for a few months, impacting customers and restaurants.” What exactly has he said? More or less, that any past time was better. “We have gone from having a delivery system that worked as a clock, giving good service to customers and restaurants, to have a rigid, expensive and inefficient system that makes it almost impossible to cover with enough riders the peak hours, causing the restaurants to appear without service available or/and that the orders are late (if they arrive),” he laments in Your post The Goiko CEO. Is there more? Yes. Hermo assume that adapting to “such a drastic model” will require a certain “time”, but is also convinced that the service will never recover its “previous level.” “What is happening after the forced change of a model of autonomous Riders to 100% hired Riders is a ‘Lose-Lose’ by quadruple,” insists the manager before exposing why, in his opinion, the law harms both the distributors and the platforms, the restaurants and the clients themselves. Hermo warns that, when reconverting in wage earners, the first (the Riders) have seen how they diminished their income and the freedom to self -manage. Moreover, the manager is convinced that the change has “hindered” that they can access the most occasional the most occasional riders, those who only accepted orders to complete their economy, such as students. As for platforms such as Glovo or Justeat, Hermo warns that the increase in operational costs has subtracted flexibility to cover the ‘peak hours’. How does restaurants affect? In 2023, during An interview With the EFE agency, the businessman already warned that although the ‘Rider Law’ focuses mainly on platforms and hoteliers are only “a secondary actor”, in the long run they would end up being affected. Now confirm it. “Restaurants lose business and profitability,” summarizes its publication of LinkedIn, in which it slides that the legislative change has resulted for them in a less flexible and more expensive delivery service. “Thinking about our sector, we cannot afford at this time another torpedo in the flotation line of the restoration,” he remarks. The consequences for customers are from their obvious point of view: a less efficient delivery. “The service worsens because there are fewer restaurants available, it takes longer and reaches a worse condition. And it will eventually be more expensive per order to pay the model change party.” What does it propose? That platforms, distributors and administration “feel and be heard” to find a consensual exit. “The solution is not white or black, there must be intermediate points that approach the demands of both parties and serve as inspiration for other countries.” For Hermo the Delivery is only One more example of the new business model that do not have to be guided by the inherited guidelines of the twentieth century. “With their pros and cons, but they are less flexible than today is demanded.” Is it the only one to complain? No. And that’s why his reflection is even more interesting. Beyond the debate that accompanied the approval and entry into force of the ‘Rider Law’, in 2021, the discussion around the pros and cons of the measure have been maintained over the last four years. In August The newspaper asked To the spokeswoman for the RidersxDerechos Trade Union Platform, Núria Soto, if the collective is better today at work level than a five years. His answer was clear: “Yes, although it depends on who you ask.” “Riders have more rights, but also less income. And those without work permission who distributed renting accounts have been excluded from regularizations and have lost their source of income,” Soto warned. There are deeders that are even more blunt And they regret that the ‘Rider Law’ has sunk them even more in the “precariousness” that promised to free them. They have even been published academic studies that confirm how legislative change has had some unwanted effects, such as worsening of salaries or destruction of employment. Why that complaint now? The law is 2021, but it makes sense that the sector continues to pronounce today. After all, a good part of the Riders They were still not hired until not so long. This year however Glovo gave A key step by deciding that all their distributors become salaried. The decision was made after a few complex years, marked by large fines and The scrutiny of the authorities, and not without suspicion. “We will hire 20,000 workers, but they will gain less than as self -employed,” He warned in February Your CEO. According to The newspaperin August almost 70% of the packages that were distributed in Spain they did it through a delivery man with … Read more

NASA lost the best camera in Jupiter. A suicide plan has served to recover it successfully

by

It seemed the premature end of the mission. The Junocam, the camera that has given us the most spectacular images of Jupiter and his moons, was dying. The relentless radiation of the gaseous giant had degraded the sweat sensor Juno turning his photos into a noise knead and corrupt lines. We had to try. With an overfruit of the moon ío just around the corner, the NASA team played the whole for the whole with a risky maneuver: cook the camera slowly at 600 million kilometers away to try to repair it. Although all at the control center endured breathing, the play worked. And not only that, but the miraculous rescue has sat a precedent for future space missions. Jupiter’s best photographer. Trying it was worth it because Junocam is not any camera. Is responsible for those Jupiter images that seem impressionist paintings and that, curiously, they are prosecuted by a community of fans on Earth. But its location is priced: it is out of titanium “bunker” that protects the main electronics of the Juno probe. NASA engineers knew that their useful life would be limited in one of the most radioactive environments of the solar system. The Calvary of the Junocam. The juno probe, that arrived in Jupiter in July 2016was designed to last until 2018, but its success has led NASA to extend the mission several times. During the first 34 orbits, Junocam worked perfectly. From orbit 47, radiation ravages began to be evident. For orbit 56, in November 2023, the situation was critical. “Almost all the images were corrupt,” admits NASA In a statement. The planet Jupiter and the moon ío photographed by Juno before and after repair A repair to all or nothing. Diagnosing the failure of a component at millions of kilometers is a titanic task. Repairing is a miracle. The clues pointed to a damaged voltage regulator at the camera power supply. With few options, the team resorted to a process called annealing or Annealing. The idea was, in essence, to heat the material and then cool it slowly, with the hope that heat would repair microscopic defects at the atomic level. “The annealing can sometimes alter a material such as silicon at the microscopic level, but we did not know if this would solve the damage,” explains Jacob Shaffner, chamber engineer. Forged on fire. NASA sent a command to Juno so that the only heater in the Junocam raised its temperature at about 25 ° C, much more than usual. The result was a success … temporary. The camera sent sharp images for several orbits. But Jupiter does not forgive. As the probe entered the radiation belts, the damage returned more strongly. “After orbit 55, our images were full of stripes and noise,” says Michael Ravine, head of the instrument. With an upcoming one Near Iro of íoonly one option was left. The only thing they had not tried was to take Junocam heater to the fullest and see if a more extreme recovery would save us. The reward. The first week there were no improvements. The tension in the equipment was maximum. But just a few days after the encounter with ío, the images began to improve dramatically. By the time Juno went to just 1,500 kilometers of the most volcanic moon in the solar system, the camera worked almost as well as the day of its launch. The success of the maneuver allowed Juno to capture very unprecedented and unprecedented images of the northern pole. The images revealed mountains covered with sulfur dioxide frost and Lava rivers that allowed scientists to rebuild geological formations as fascinating as A lava lake with a glass mountain Inside. This achievement is the culmination of an extended mission that has led Juno to explore Jupiter’s great moons. First it was Ganímedes in 2021the largest satellite of the solar system, and then Europe in 2022. I was as follows on the list, and losing the main camera would have been a hard blow. The repair, of course, is not eternal. NASA informs that noise has begun to reappear in orbit 74. But the lesson learned is incalculable. Images | NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SWRI/MSS In Xataka | The NASA Juno probe sends six photos of its passage through ío, the most inhospitable moon of the solar system

We thought that the law against the so -called spam had not served at all. But we already have the first fine of 5,000 euros

by

Facing telephone spam is complicated, it seems even impossible. Nor the Robinson list nor the Call filters They manage to eradicate them completely. In 2023 we thought we were close to the arrival of The antispam lawbut hopes were diluted today We continue to receive commercial calls. It has taken two years, but something could happen: already They have fined the first company to make unwanted calls. The case. It happened in July 2023, only one month after the law entered into force. The Digital Marketing company Adverbis Spain SL made a call to an individual, who was also registered in the Robinson list. So far as normal, except that this person decided to report him to the Spanish Agency for Data Protection that, two years later, has sanctioned the company with 5,000 euros. Notice a spammers. Although we have talked about Other telephone spam finesthis is the first that applies after the entry into force of the new law. For two years the feeling that the law had not served at all was installed among users and it seems that spammers also, since Calls increased shortly after. It has taken a long time, but this fine feels an important precedent and could be the change we had waiting. The law. The known as antispam law establishes that companies cannot make commercial calls without prior consent And it establishes fines that could reach two million euros, depending on the size of the company that commits the infraction. In the case of Adverbis Spain, it is a small company, so the fine is much lower, but if the offender is a larger operator can find a sanction of many more figures. How to report. We have already seen that, although they take, denounce the AEPD works. Yes too You receive commercial calls and want to reporton your website you have a section called “Receipt advertising phone calls” Where can you do it. You have to take screenshots in which the phone is seen from which they call us and record the call as proof. Image | Mikhail Nilov, Pexels In Xataka | Spam calls are a problem for everyone and Apple knows. Its solution with iOS 26 has been stopping braking

We had been thinking that creatine served to train better. It turns out that the greatest benefit was in the brain

by

Creatine is the star sports supplement and one of the most studied. As with the coffee and caffeineis surrounded by Myths And we have been investigating its benefits for decades when practicing sports. AND studies More recent have placed up to creatine supplementation by pointing out that the muscles are not the only ones that benefit from their effects. The brain also appreciates it. Physical performance. Creatine is a nitrogen compound that occurs mainly in the liver and that humans also obtain through the consumption of meat and fish. Although there is controversial studies in this regardcreatine really is stored in the form of phosphocreatine, acting as a booking Immediate energy. This means that, when the muscles are subject to intense efforts such as a sprint or a weightlifting, phosphocreatine acts to regenerate the essential energy molecule for muscle contraction. This allows muscles to maintain high performance for a little longer. It also increases cell hydration and stimulates protein synthesis that leads to cell growth. Enhancing the brain. Being such an studied supplement implies that numerous ways have been found in which creatine benefits our body, reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and muscle catabolism. And, along the way, they have found benefits additional that have not to do with the growth of our most ‘visible’ muscles. It is increasingly recognized for its general health benefits, including cognitive function and healthy aging. Although the brain is not a muscle, it also stores creatine and can benefit from its energy effects, such as supplying energy quickly to neurons. A applicationfor example, it is the good brain function in times of lack of sleep. Essential. This is something observed in several investigations, being carried out by the team of Dr. Richard Kreider, director of the Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory of the Texas A&M Universityone of the last to contribute to the conversation about its benefits. According to Kreider, the regenerative paper and as a rapid “fuel” is relevant for both muscle and brain. “When the body is stressed, as in exercise or in metabolic conditions such as those caused by some diseases, phosphocreatine is needed to maintain cellular energy,” says Kreider. Neuroprotection. Others studies They point to added benefits, such as acting as a neuroprotective, helping in the recovery of brain injuries and showing potential to reduce mitochondrial dysfunction, key factor in neurodegenerative diseases. It also helps reduce the feeling of tiredness, maintaining alert and performance in demanding cognitive tasks. How much? One of the big questions when creatine begins to be taken how much is necessary to fulfill its function correctly. It has been experienced with several doses and there is a kind of agreement that would have to be taken between 0.07 and 0.1 grams per kilo of weight per day to optimize physical performance. For a 70 kilos person, this is equivalent to 5-7 grams per day. Kreider fits those accounts by resorting to that ‘cycling’ practice that was recommended a few years ago. Thus, the researcher indicates that about 20 grams would have to be taken daily for a week to “help load the muscle”, but later it could be taken between 5 and 10 grams a day to maintain creatine reserves that contribute both to the muscle and the brain. In Vegans and vegetariansIn addition, it is essential because for a omnivore It is difficult to fill the phosphocreatine reserves with your diet, not consuming meat or fish the difficulty is even greater. Security. Due to the myths that we commented before (such as hair loss or that it is an anabolic substance, among many other discharges about creatine), it is easy for people to not trust this supplement. Kreider states that “there is absolutely no data that supports any negative side effect reported anecdotally on creatine,” reaffirming that it is “safe and important to all, not only for bodybuilders and athletes.” Images | Xataka, Scientifanimations In Xataka | Tell me what color is your banana and I will tell you what it is for: the importance of maturation point at nutritional level

The April Fair has served for years for people to record drunken people. There is a problem: fines

by

The April Fair from Seville it is usually synonymous with party, music, dance, rebujito, costumes and fun, but also of another trend that It has been worrying time to the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia (Fall): The #Papagorda. That said hashtag may not tell you much (or yes), but if you usually move by X, Instagram, YouTube or especially Tiktok it is likely that its content is familiar to you. Basically it consists of the publication of photos and videos of people in more or less pregnant situations after having passed with the glasses. What has been a good #Papagorda. The trend arose in 2019, during the Seville Fair, and since then it has generated a huge amount of material that circulates through the networks. The problem, like It has just recoded the caais that that can have legal consequences. Who is not going to like a good #Papagorda? The trend is not new. Your hashtag neither. Before even pandemic, during The 2019 Seville Fairbegan to circulate on Twitter (now x) a label that accompanied photos and videos that show people with one (or several) more glasses. Which? #Papagorda. The concept and the trend triumphed and since then they have been replicating year after years. During the April 2022 fair the hashtag #Papagorda22 was popular, the following year was #Papagorda23 and so on until reaching the current #Papagorda25. And what is the problem? That as the CAA remembered A report Published in 2024 the intention of these videos and images is to “mock” its protagonists, which is often recorded without their consent. And that is a problem. So much that the CAA already launched in July 2024 A warning On the legal implications of sharing that kind of material in networks and has done it again Now taking advantage The beginning of the Seville Fair. In A statement Rotundo The organism warns that moving funny and sharing certain content can leave expensive to its authors, carrying legal responsibilities and fines. Why’s that? Because one thing is that the involved is recorded and then upload the video to Tiktok (or allow others to do) and another very different is to act behind them. “The use of networks for the distribution of videos of anonymous people recorded in a drunkenness or similar without their consent, on the occasion of different celebrations, can constitute an illegitimate interference in their rights to honor, intimacy and the image itself with the legal consequences that it can entail,” argues. Is it just a warning? No. The Audiovisual Council goes further and remembers a pair of key data. First, that these rights are recognized and covered by the Article 18.1 of the Constitution and regulate in the Organic Law 1/1982which details when you can speak of “illegitimate interference” in the honor and intimacy of a person. Second, that in Spain there is already at least one precedent, a sentence that gave the reason to the affected and derived a considerable fine. “There is already the precedent of a sanction of 10,000 eurosimposed by the Spain data protection agency (AEPD), for the mass dissemination on social networks of a recorded video without consent where a person who was on public roads appears in a state of drunkenness ” remember. On that occasion the video was recorded by a stranger who was in his car and he can identify the protagonist, who was supported by a paper to maintain balance. But is it so serious? Yes. Or at least so suggest The report Published last year by the CAA, dedicated precisely to “the dissemination of videos of drunk people at the Seville Fair or other mass holidays.” Perhaps who records (and shares) the images seems an innocent joke, but The Council warns than the Hashatg #Papagorda has ended up gaining amazing public relevance. After sweeping by Google and several social networks focus especially on terms related to drunkenness and fairs, CAA has achieved figures that reveal its scope. How relevant? “Searches have been made on Google and in the internal search engines of Tiktok, X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Tiktok has been one of the most used platforms for the dissemination of content with #Papagorda24 during the Seville 2024 In total. This hashtag was the 16th with more traffic in Spain as of April 2024 “, Add the CAAwhich notes that its impact on X or Tiktok has come accompanied by a “growing disapproval” by users. That’s all? No. The CAA slides also an important reflection. The problem is not just that images of drunk people are recorded and disseminated without their consent to make fun of it. The fact of sharing that material in networks also makes the final impact and the route of the videos uncontrollable. In fact, the Council recalls that the hashtag have become “viral” and have ended up attracting even media attention. “It is evident that, with the distribution of these short videos without consent, the fundamental rights of the people who appear can be violated. In addition, this risk is increased since they are distributed by platforms, with the multiplier effect of these,” ditch. Images | Channel South Media (Flickr) 1 and 2 In Xataka | In Tiktok there are men shaving the eyelashes to look more masculine. Science has bad news for them

We had been trying to know what neurostrogens served why they served. We have just discovered a clue: they regulate the appetite

by

In recent years we have seen progress in the study of the hormones responsible for regulating our appetite and the feeling of satiety, hormones such as those that transmit from the stomach to the brain the information that we have already consumed our ration of food and we can stop. However, now we just found one of these hormones in an unexpected place, in hormones that until now we associated mainly with reproduction. From the stomach to the brain. A Japanese researchers team He has found A relationship between neurostrogens and appetite regulation. Neurostrogen. The Estrogens They are hormones that we usually associate mainly with female reproduction. In this context, aspects such as the development and maintenance of female sexual characteristics regulate. But this “family” of hormones has a diversity of members that cover other contexts. For example we can find the phytostrogen produced by plants or neurostrogens. The latter are produced by the brain, as their name suggests and until now they represented a mystery in our biochemistry since we do not know which or what their exact functions are. Looking for an answer. The team I investigated precisely The role of these brain hormones. For this they turned to mice in a laboratory. They compared several groups of mice, including some without the capacity to produce estrogen; and others to whom the production of neurostrogens had been inhibited. The latter was eliminated by aromatase, an enzyme used by the brain to synthesize these hormones. They thus verified that the group of mice that lacked ovaries and those without aromatase showed a greater body mass and greater food consumption compared to the mice of the control group. The team Then he reactivated The gene linked to aromatase, returning the enzyme to its brains. They saw that the mice went on to consume less food. MC4R. The team found that these mice to whom the ability to synthesize aromatase had been returned and with it neurostrogens showed a “marked increase” in the expression of the melanonortine 4 (MC4R) receptor, a receptor known for its role in the regulation of food consumption. This led the team to conclude that the neurostrogens produced through aromatase were involved in the expression of the receiver and that it was through it that were able to “suppress” the feeling of hunger. The role of leptin. The study, explains the responsible team, also indicated that neurostrogens could also increase the ability of the brain to leptin, one of the hormones whose function we already knew related to the regulation of appetite. “We observe that mice with restored neurostrogens responded more effectively to leptin treatment,” explained in a press release Takanori Hayashi, co -author of the study. “This may be due to the fact that neurostrogen increases the natural response of the body to the mechanisms that suppress appetite.” The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine The Febs Journal. The eye put into treatments. The team responsible for the study Mention the possibility that this discovery opens new therapeutic paths focused on development detracts for weight loss. They also point out that understanding the physiological function of neurostrogen could also help us find ways to regulate estrogen more precisely in our bodies, for example in contexts such as menopause or postpartum. In Xataka | We already know where the microplastics get the lettuce that you eat in the salad: from the air Image | Milad Fakurian / Sander Dalhuisen

The “computer” of 2,000 years ago fascinates us for decades. A new study points out that it might have not served at all

by

125 years ago, divers who were collecting sponges in the Aegean Sea, in front of the island of Anticitera, They gave with remains of an old shipwreck. Among jewels, coins and ceramic remains, there was something that caught the attention: a copper fragment of something that seemed to be a gear. It was a compendium of gears that seemed to be part of something much bigger and was baptized as’Anticitera mechanism‘. For decades it was an ignored curiosity in the archives of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, until the researcher Derek de Solla He recovered it, studied and determined that it was an advanced Greek “computer” built at some point between 200 and 100 AC after many theories, a group of Argentine researchers have put the anti -life mechanism to see how the first computer in history behaves .. And the conclusion is that … it was nothing more than an ingenious toy. The main piece First computer For decades, this mechanism fascinated us due not only to its antiquity, but because ignorance about its function allowed the elaboration of all kinds of hypothesis. However, it was Solla who studied more in depth at the beginning, creating physical simulations about the complete state of the mechanism. Thus, and according to the researcher, the anticitera mechanism was a piece corresponding to a more complex object, composed of at least thirty bronze gears placed strategically in a wooden box with approximate dimensions of 340 x 180 x 90 millimeters. It was activated by a crank that allowed to move the gears and perform its function. Which? Well … predict astronomical positions. According to Derek’s studies, the anticitera mechanism was a planetary computer, a very cool name to describe a “computer” that allowed predicting astronomical positions, lunar phases, eclipses and, therefore, calculating cycles of the 354 -day lunar calendar or dates for sports games, among others The pieces found Through different discs, it showed the astronomical data and, supposedly, was designed to reproduce the irregular movement of the moon in its rotation thanks to specialized gears that compensated the anomalies in its trajectory. And, after that first finding, we found more and more pieces of the mechanism, which has allowed us to get an idea of ​​how it was. It was evident that it was A very advanced machine for its timebut it is also clear that it had a number of limitations. The first: however advanced Greek astronomers were, the mechanism embodied knowledge to date, so comparing it with subsequent techniques and tools is meaningless. The position of some planets is very diverted with respect to modern measurements, for example. This is logical and It does not remove merit To the device, but there were two factors that limited their precision: the mechanics itself and the manufacture of the gears. Due to wear, copper teeth could be increasingly inaccurate and, in addition, as they were manufactured by hand and not in series in a assembly chain, any deviation in the gears would affect their accuracy in the calculations. And that is what previous studies reported, such as those of Mike Edmundsbeing one of the few who has been able to directly investigate the device and lead the equipment that is responsible for your analysis. For what supposedly served Another representation of the Anticitera mechanism Testing Now, some Argentine researchers from the National University of Mar de Plata, have simulated by computer the anti -litera mechanism and their conclusion is … that it was useless. Esteban Guillermo Szigeth and Gustavo Francisco Arenas are those researchers, and have shared their conclusions in Arxiv. For their simulation, they were based on previous studies that already took into account the influence of irregular triangular teeth and the consequences of physical inaccuracies in its construction. When performing it, they realized that the triangular teeth did not seem to have a negative impact on the functioning of the mechanism, but of traffic jams in the gears when turning the crank. That, they point out, would have made it very not very practical in scientific use, practically impracticable, reducing the mechanism to an “ingenious toy.” Now, they also claim that it is the result of a simulation about what they know about the device that It was found in 1900 And that it is possible that, taking into account the necessary skill for its construction, the irregular space between the gears could be a fruit of corrosion, and not something deliberate in its design. The researchers propose that the wheels, given the slightest mismatch, would be stuck as it is extremely pointed, when we wear out or not being well balanced by the manufacturing of the time The researchers propose a series of improvements for the gears that would avoid this defect found, but also comment that it must be “cautious to assume that the measurements perfectly reflect their original values” due to what is commented: someone took too many discomfort to build that and it is unlikely that there would be something so complex, but not functional. That is why they also point out that more must be investigatedeven developing more refined techniques, to better understand the real precision and functionality of an anti -litera mechanism that still has room to fascinate us. On the fact that it was found among the remains of a wreck, the answer is much simpler: surely It was part of the loot for some Roman emperor, probably Julio César. Therefore, the anticitera mechanism remains a source of speculation and fascination due to the tremendous merit of its construction more than 2,000 years ago, but study after study, the conclusion is that the easiest thing is that it served little. Even so, researchers point out that its construction was a technological milestone. And that is something that nobody has questioned. Images | GRB16, Zde, Tony Freeth, David Higgon, Aris Dacanalis, Lindsay Macdonald, Myrto Georgakopoulou, Adam Wojcik, Mike Peel, GTS-TG In Xataka | The myth of the creative genius or why most … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.