size

The more we calculate the size of the Universe, the less sense it all makes

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We have known for a long time that the Universe is expanding. However, the speed at which it does so is a headache. Depending on which method is used to measure it, a different result is obtained. Now a much more precise way to measure it has finally been found, but it doesn’t really unravel much of the mess. It messes it up even more. An overlay of techniques. Through a superposition of different techniques, an international team of scientists has made the most precise calculation so far of the expansion speed of the Universe: 73.5 ± 0.81 kilometers per second per megaparsec. The figure coincides quite well with those that have been calculated in the past using data from the nearby Universe. However, it is quite far from what is calculated when data from the dawn of the Universe is used. This indicates that there is something in the physics of that furthest point in the cosmos that we have no idea about. Far from being solved, the mystery has become more complicated. A balloon that inflates. When we talk about the Universe expanding, we refer to the fact that galaxies are increasingly distant from each other. But not because the galaxies themselves move, but because the space between them widens. We can see it as a balloon on which a series of dots are painted. As the balloon inflates, the dots appear farther away, even though they have not moved from their place. Hubble voltage. Traditionally, the expansion rate of the Universe is calculated in two ways. Or by measuring the distances between stars and galaxies in the nearby Universe, or by measuring the cosmic microwave background. This is the electromagnetic radiation that remained as remnant of the Big Bang. That is, the oldest light that we can find in the Universe, since it was formed in the explosion with which it was formed. Therefore, the data is not taken from the nearby Universe, but from the most distant and ancient one, the one approaching the Big Bang. The figure obtained with both types of calculations should be the same. However, with the nearby Universe a speed of 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec is obtained, while with the most distant Universe a speed of 67 kilometers per second per megaparsec is calculated. This incoherence is known as Hubble tension. and indicates that, possibly, the Universe is expanding faster and faster. That’s why the closest one expands the fastest. This graph represents the tension that exists between measurements of the expansion rate of the late and nearby Universe, versus what would be expected based on measurements of the early Universe, specifically the cosmic microwave background. It could be a mistake. One of the hypotheses that seek to explain the Hubble tension is that, in reality, there is some error when measuring the expansion speed in the nearby Universe. There are many methods to calculate the distance between stars and galaxies and there could be an error. Therefore, an international team of scientists has decided to use a superposition of techniques to make a more precise calculation. Different types of stars. This method consists of simultaneously analyzing a large amount of data obtained from ground and space telescopes. These focus primarily on the brightness of Cepheid stars, red giants, supernovae, and galaxies of known brightness. The three types of stars mentioned are characterized by having a characteristic brightness, which is used to map the Universe and, therefore, also to calculate distances. With this superposition of techniques, the figure of 73.5 ± 0.81 kilometers per second per megaparsec was obtained. There is no mistake. When one of the superposition methods was eliminated, the alteration in the expansion rate of the Universe was minimal. The figure was practically the same. This indicates that the number has been measured perfectly. There is no mistake. So if the Hubble strain is not due to error, why does it occur? The mystery continues. After obtaining these results, the Hubble tension remains the prelude to a mystery. However, it is true that there are some hypotheses. For example, it is believed that the different figures in the distant and near Universe They may be due to the intervention of dark matter. There’s a lot we don’t know about her, so maybe it could explain what’s going on. On the other hand, there is the hypothesis that the Earth is in a place with spatial characteristics. It would be an area where there is relatively little matter, comparable to an air bubble in a cake. As explained in 2023 by one of the scientists who support this hypothesis, Indranil Banik“the density of matter is greater around the bubble, so gravitational forces emanate from this surrounding matter, attracting the galaxies in the bubble toward the edges of the cavity.” “That’s why they’re moving away from us faster than you would really expect.” Now we will have to solve that part of the mystery. At least we know that there is no error in the calculations and that the Hubble tension is a reality. Image | CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA/J. Pollard In Xataka | Refuting Einstein is one of the great challenges of physics. We couldn’t even achieve it by changing the scale.

We thought that the superpower of whales was their size. It’s actually the complex chemistry of your feces.

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When we think about the baleen whaleswe usually imagine giant animals that sail the seas and feed on huge schools of fish, without much relevance to us as humans. However, they have been more important than we can think, being crucial when it comes to talking about the survival of our marine ecosystems. And all thanks to their excrement. What we knew. For years science has known that whale feces acted as a natural fertilizer top level. Now, a new study has brought to light the sophisticated chemical mechanism behind this ‘floating gold’. To understand its great importance, we must look at the base of the marine food chain that is in the phytoplankton. These are nothing more than microscopic algae that have the function of being the lungs of the ocean and the basis of marine life. The ‘problem’ is that to thrive they need iron, since without this mineral these algae cannot grow and could spell the end of all marine life. The feces. This is where enter the classic and revealing study led by Stephen Nicol in 2010, where something astonishing was quantified: the fecal iron measured in the whales was about ten million times higher than that of the Antarctic water that surrounded them. This was important because the whales functioned as a “biological bomb,” recycling and releasing about 50 tons of iron a year into surface waters before industrial hunting depleted their populations. But we were seeing that adding iron to the sea was not enough, since it tends to sink or become inaccessible quickly. So we were asking ourselves a logical question: how is this whale fertilizer made so effective? We already know it. The answer has recently come thanks to research published in Nature which shows how a team analyzed five fecal samples from baleen whales. Here they were able to discover that the secret of being such a good marine ‘fertilizer’ is not in the amount of metals they excrete, but in how they package it, since the feces contain high concentrations of what are known in chemistry as organic ligands. Its function. We can find that it is twofold, the first being the enhancement of the bioavailability of iron. This means it acts like molecular ‘tweezers’ that trap dissolved iron, preventing it from precipitating to the sea floor and keeping it in a format that phytoplankton can easily absorb. But in addition to this, it neutralizes the copper that is present in the ocean and that in high concentrations is lethal for this phytoplankton. In this way, the ligands present in whale feces bind to copper, drastically reducing its toxicity and creating a safe environment for algae growth. Its importance. In addition to being a very curious fact, the reality is that this discovery has changed our understanding of the biogeochemistry of the ocean. And, although we think that whales are not only consumers at the top of the food chain, the reality is that they are gardeners of the sea, since they fertilize the surface waters and protect the phytoplankton that is essential for the rest of the animals that live in the ocean. But these blooms not only feed the entire marine ecosystem, they also capture millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change. In this way, whale feces help their environment, but also us indirectly. Images | Todd Cravens Annie Spratt In Xataka | China is making an “invisible ocean” of the planet: when it’s done, it will steal the last advantage the US had left

Science has been measuring whether size matters for years. A study with 3D simulation has the most complete answer

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It is probably one of the most recurring questions in the history of humanity and, yet, one of the ones that accumulates the most myths per square meter. Leaving aside popular culture and internet forums, scientific literature has been trying for years to quantify what is true about the importance penis size. Science to the rescue. A published study This year, PLOS Biology wanted to resolve a question that has undoubtedly generated many jokes and also some complexes in the male sex. And the truth is that the short answer to this question is that size does matterbut perhaps not for the reasons most men believe. The signal theory. Until now, many studies were based on simple surveys to answer this question. However, this study has gone one step further by using 343 3D figures to evaluate the response of more than 800 participants. The goal was to understand penis size not only as a reproductive tool, but as an evolutionary signaling trait. The results. In the investigationfemale participants rated men as more attractive, which combined three factors: greater height, a “V” shaped torso (wide shoulders and narrow hips) and a larger penis. But there is a very important nuance. Attraction doesn’t follow a line of “the more the merrier” ad infinitum. The study in this case detected diminishing returns, since after a certain size, attractiveness does not increase proportionally, but rather there is a ceiling. Competence. But men also went through this study to evaluate the size of other men. In this case, it was highlighted that they perceived those with larger genitals as more competitive rivals and with greater fighting capacity. This suggests that, evolutionarily, the size could have served as both sexual ornament and a signal of status or threat towards other males, similar to the antlers of a deer. What they prefer. If we move away from evolutionary theory and go to stated preference, the baseline study remains the one published by N. Prause in PLOS One in 2015. This work is key because it differentiated, for the first time with rigor, between the type of relationship sought. In this case, using 3D models on heterosexual women, a preference was specifically shown for a slightly larger size, averaging about 16.3 cm in length in an erect state and 12.7 cm in circumference. But in the case of stable couples, the preference dropped slightly to 16 cm and 12.2 cm in circumference. The key reading. The first point to note is that circumference matters more than length in visual choice. The second is that these measures are only “slightly” above the population average. A mechanical reality. This is where science busts most porn myths. A narrative review published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2023 analyzed the existing literature To answer the million-dollar question: does a larger penis give more pleasure? The answer is a very nuanced ‘it depends’. Science points out in this case that there are few high-quality studies that manage to directly link size with the organism, and the results are heterogeneous. But if we draw a clear conclusion, the truth is that the quality of the relationship such as trust or communication correlates more strongly with sexual satisfaction than the size of the penis. Male anxiety. If female preferences are moderate and satisfaction depends more on technique than size, why is there still so much anxiety among society? The studies in this case They point out that there is a great disconnection between reality and male perception, since approximately 38% of men report some degree of dissatisfaction with their penis. However, the vast majority of couples have a positive view of their partners’ genitals. Images | Deon Black In Xataka | Desire in times of stress and screens: this is how the era of programmed sex was born

South Korea has designed a rover with wheels that change size to explore them

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The dream of colonizing the Moon has been around since we set foot in it more than five decades ago. Settling on our satellite poses innumerable challenges; from how to get oxygen, what the food should be likeeven of course what is the best place to do it. We already have an answer to the latter: in caves. The problem is that you have to explore them first. A new rover. They count in Futurism that a team of South Korean scientists and researchers have designed a rover specially designed for the exploration of these lunar caves. The work has been published in Science Roboticswhich includes a video showing how the rover is capable of moving through difficult terrain, withstanding extreme temperatures and even being launched from a drone without suffering damage. The key is in the wheels. They are made up of metal sheets assembled to form a type of helix. The peculiar thing is that the wheels are soft and are capable of changing their diameter from 23 to 50 centimeters. This makes it much easier for you to overcome obstacles, enter smaller gaps when necessary, and also cushion falls. It is a very simple design, without hinges or bearings or complex parts; They simply fold or unfold by torsion, as if they were a spring. Moon cavesyes. As we said, there are many, but the main one is that the conditions are extreme. During the day, the temperature can reach 127ºC and at night it drops to -173ºC, which is not feasible. There is also the problem of long-term radiation. This is on the surface, but there is good news and that is that the Moon has a series of pits or caves where the temperature is much more stable, around 17ºC. A lunar tunnel. There is still more. By mid-2024 NASA discovered a huge cave in the Mare Tranquillitiatis crater, near the area where the Apollo 11 mission landed in 1969. It is estimated that the cave (actually a lava tube) measures about 45 meters wide and reaches up to 80 meters long, and the ground is also quite flat, so placing a settlement inside it could be viable. At the moment this cave has not been explored, although Solutions have already been proposed to do so. Artemis Program. Returning to the Moon is one of the most important space projects currently underway. Artemis It not only proposes setting foot on our satellite again, but also establishing our presence on it. The first unmanned mission was launched in 2022 and the plan is that Artemis II takeoff in February 2026. Artemis III will be the first manned mission, although this could still be missing several years. Image | Kaist In Xataka | We are sending cannabis samples to space. They are going to be key to knowing if we can colonize the Moon or Mars

four months at sea, kilometers of celluloid and a Trojan horse the size of a building

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We already have here the first trailer for ‘The Odyssey’ by Christopher Nolan, which, as expected, offers us an adventure that moves away from the environments that the director has frequented until now, but which nevertheless has a good part of the house’s trademarks: musical fanfare, impactful images and dense and solemn atmosphere. a genuine deli for devotees of the director. After releasing a six-minute prologue a week ago Exclusive to 70mm IMAX theaters, this new trailer takes us to the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War: a devastated battlefield where Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, kneels before a fully armored Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) and which some critics have already pointed out as unequivocal proof that historical rigor is clearly not going to be one of the film’s priorities. From there, pure icons of classic adventure: the hero and his soldiers crossing forests, navigating rough seas and entering dark caves. Damon’s voiceover tells that “after years of war, no one could come between my men and home. Not even me.” Significantly, we barely see Odysseus on screen. The trailer gives a good account of Nolan’s visual ambition: we see the Trojan horse being dragged from the sea by hundreds of unsuspecting Trojans, and how the warriors inside the gigantic structure experience it. We see a giant creature at the entrance to a cave, perhaps the cyclops Polyphemus. We see ships suffocatingly tossed about by real waves. An ambitious odyssey ‘The Odyssey’ represents an unprecedented leap in the use of the IMAX format. It is the first film in history shot entirely with IMAX cameras.something Nolan has pursued since he began incorporating the format into action sequences with ‘The Dark Knight’ in 2008. Until ‘Oppenheimer’, technical limitations (excessive noise, prohibitive weight, difficulty capturing dialogue) prevented its continued use. But for ‘The Odyssey’, IMAX developed a new generation of cameras 30% quieter and considerably lighter, making full filming viable. Principal photography lasted 91 days between February and August 2025touring Morocco (Aït Benhaddou to recreate Troy), Greece, Italy, Scotland and Iceland. The most reckless: Nolan spent four months in the open seawith the entire cast rolling on real waves. The budget amounts to $250 million, making it the most expensive film of his career. Nolan explained. that sought to identify absences in contemporary film culture. He concluded that Greek mythology had never received the big-budget Hollywood treatment with full dramatic credibility. Furthermore, he states, The Odyssey by Homer contains elements of horror, mystery, romance and thriller simultaneously. It is not a genre, it is the matrix of all genres. It is clear that Nolan wanted to put the emphasis on the physical: real ships almost submerged in the sea, armies of extras, the Trojan horse… at the moment we do not see the abundant mythological creatures that the story has (the Cyclops, the mermaids, the sorceress Circe), but possibly they have sought to contrast with the realism of the rest of the story. And we still have to see the bulk of the star cast (Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Mia Goth…). This Odyssey has only just begun.

The James Webb captures a lonely object of the size of Jupiter devouring like a miniature sun

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An international astronomer team has witnessed an extraordinary event: a lonely object, with a mass of just 5 to 10 times that of Jupiter, has entered a violent and prolonged growth burst. Using the combined power of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and him Vary Large Telescope (VLT) of the Southern European Observatory, scientists They have observed How this object, known as Cha J11070768-7626326, drastically increases its brightness and its “food” rhythm, behaving like a miniature star. The importance. This discovery represents the first time that a outbreak of accretion of type “exor”, a phenomenon so far associated with young stars, in a body of planetary mass. The finding is not only a milestone in astronomical observation, but also further blur the borders between what we consider a giant planet and a small star. The mystery. CH 1107-7626 is not a planet in the traditional sense that we all have in our mind. Although it has a mass comparable to that of a gaseous giant, I do not orbit any star and is 620 light years from the earth. Is what is known as an “free planetary mass object” or FFPMO (for its acronym in English). The existence of these lonely bodies raises a fundamental question for astronomy: are giant planets that were expelled from their solar systems, or are smaller stars that can exist in isolation? In order to solve this enigma that astronomers have right now on the table, you have to analyze the gas and dust disc that is around, as well as the way of accumulating the material. The fact that Cha 1107-7626 has an album and feeds on it suggests that its origin is more like that of a star. A cosmic feast. Astronomers observed Cha 1107-7626 in a state of calm in April and May 2025. However, for June, something had changed drastically. The object entered a “indulgence.” This means that its rhythm of ‘food’ began to increase, and in this way it reached a mass increase rate of 10-7 masses of Jupiter per year, the highest ever measured in a planetary mass object. As a result of this frenzy, the objective became between 1.5 and 2 brighter magnitudes in visible light and its optical flow increased between 3 and 6 times. This outbreak remained active for at least two months, since it was still on the end of the observation campaign in August 2026. But the most interesting thing is the speed it has. According to the observations made with the Vray Lark Telescope of the European Observatory, the growth rate is really aggressive, with a record rate of devouring 6,600 million tons per second of dust and gas. Great footprints. Beyond the increase in brightness, the telescopes captured detailed physical changes that reveal the nature of the event. A hydrogen emission line, known as Hα, developed a “double peak” profile with a red displaced absorption. According to the authors, this profile is a “distinctive brand” of the accretion channeled through magnetic fields, a process called “magnetospherical accretion” observed in young stars. But the most surprising finding was the change in the chemistry of the disc. At first, changes in the emission lines of the hydrocarbons molecules that came from the disc during the outbreak were seen. But water vapor also began to appear with a characteristic emission around 6.6 µm. This appeared during the outbreak where there was nothing before and is relevant because it is the first time that chemical changes of this type are observed caused by an increase in accretion. Relevance. This event classifies Cha 1107-7626 as the first “exor” of known planetary mass. Exor outbursts are significant accretion events that are considered key episodes in the early evolution of the stars. They can deeply affect the physical structure and chemical composition of the protoplanetary disk, potentially influencing the early stages of planet formation. Observing this process in such a small object demonstrates that the violent and fundamental mechanisms that the stars build also work at planetary scales. The study of Cha 1107-7626 offers an unprecedented vision of the accretion in the lower mass objects of the universe, providing a new window to understand how both smaller stars and the largest planets are formed. Images | Javier Miranda In Xataka | The most transformer of modern cosmology is just around the corner, according to the hypothesis of these physicists

The true size of the microplastics that populate our life, exposed in this disturbing graphic

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We have a gigantic problem with microplastics. These elements seem to permeate everything that surrounds us: From tap water, lettuce either Even in the testicles and in Archaeological elements with centuries behind them. The difficulty in fighting them is that we would have to Put our consumption habits up to deal with this almost invisible enemy. And this graph prepared by Visual Capitalist It allows us to put the size of microplastics in context when comparing them with more everyday elements. In short: small. Talking about microplastics, it really encompasses very diverse particles. The larger ones measure about 5,000 microns, which are five millimeters. They are small, but perfectly identifiable to the naked eye. At the extreme are those who measure a micra, and there the identification is complicated because we are talking about 0.001 millimeters. In the graph (which takes data From agencies such as the EPA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency) we can see an expanded comparison that allows us to put a microplastic of a microphone with a particle of dust, the diameter of a human hair (about 80 microns) or a grain of sand (90 microns). If a hair seems ‘fine’ and is 80 times thicker than one of the smallest microplastics, imagine the size of that particle. The nanoplastic. There is another category: nanoplastic. Here we are talking about those particles that measure less than one micra and that enter a totally different scale. Nanopathic They are the result of the breakage of larger plastics such as food containers, Plastic utensils or any element produced with this material that we use in our day to day. As they break, they become more and smaller pieces that enter the Nanoscale when they measure less than one micra. There they cannot be purchased with more family elements such as a grain of salt, but directly with particles such as the Coronaviruswhich measures between 0.1 and 0.2 microns. Problem. Its dimensions make microplastics be omnipresentbeing the most tiny particles those that are even together with other suspended particles, Like the dust we aspire. The estimate is that an adult can ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year only for the diet, but other sources such as that air exposure should be taken into account. And there are more and more studies that alert other sources of microplastics. For example, packages we all use like tuppers. Also those who detach when cutting food into a plastic table are “easy” to identify and even correct with a change in our habits, but there are other microplastics that already They are finding in bottled water. Spain is one of the European countries that More bottled water consumesso throwing accounts seems bleak. Health. For now, more than damage there are worrying indications. Blood microplastics, lungs, placenta, heart, brain and in the aforementioned testicles have been found. There are already associations between these particles and conditions such as conical inflammation, oxidative stress or immunological alterations. It is investigated whether the presence of microplastics in the capillary vessels can increase the risk of heart attack or cardiovascular problems, but something that adds more spicy to the equation is that these nanoplastic could penetrate The biological barriers. As? Crossing cell membranes as a virus would do. And ecosystems. And, obviously, they are particles that are present in virtually any corner. There are agricultural soils, lakes and The oceans. Apart from the conditions similar to the human that could have other organisms, we are what we eat and Animals feed on elements containing microplasticsso those particles then end within us. As we say, there is increasingly a greater concern about the state of microplastics around us, but the big problem is that eliminating them seems especially complicated when, we look where we look, there are microplastics. The positive note? How to change large -scale habits seems complex, there are already those who are investigating Filters to reduce the amount of microplastics That come to us. In addition to much more invasive practices, as filtered with human blood… if you have a money. In Xataka | Japan has found a formula to overcome one of the biggest environmental problems: plastic that falls apart

Two years ago, an asteroid exploded over France with unusual violence. What saved the French was their size

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February 13, 2023. It was 4:59 in the morning when a violent explosion illuminated the skies of Normandynorth of France. It was not a ray, nor a missile. It was the end of a travel of millions of kilometers for a small asteroid called 2023 Cx1. Seven hours of notice. The 650 -kilogram rock had just a meter in diameter, so it had been detected only seven hours before impact. But the most disturbing thing was not his surprise arrival, but his behavior when entering the earth’s atmosphere. An exhaustive analysis published two and a half years later in Nature Astronomy He has revealed that, if the asteroid had been larger, the consequences of his extraordinary explosion could have been devastating. A high -risk meteor. Most meteorites are fragmenting as they descend through the atmosphere, but 2023 CX1 endured intact until it reached a distance to the ground of only 28 kilometers. At that point, the pressure made it explode like a pump. After traveling through space for about 30 million years, the asteroid released 98% of all its kinetic energy in a second fraction. And in a very concentrated region of the atmosphere, when it reached a dynamic pressure of 4 megapascal. It does not compare with Cheliábinsk. The 2023 CX1 behavior was radically different from that of the car whose explosion of 500 kilotons He broke windows and caused hundreds of injured in Russia in 2013. The one in France generated a spherical shock wave instead of cylindrical, concentrating much more energy and greatly increasing the area of ​​soil affected by overpressure. According to researchers, this type of abrupt fragmentation could cause much more damage than the progressive fragmentations of similar size bodies. The French were lucky that it was so small. More firewood for planetary defense. The analysis was based on an unprecedented number of observations after mobilizing the scientific and citizen community in those seven hours of margin. The prediction of the fall by ESA and NASA had a margin of error of less than 20 meters between the planned and observed trajectory, which in turn facilitated the recovery of more than one hundred fragments of the meteorite in the commune of Saint-Pierre-Le Viger. According to the CSICwhich participated in the investigation, this event confirms the existence of a new population of asteroids, type L chondrites, capable of these violent explosions. “These asteroids must be taken into account in the Planetary Defense Strategiessince they represent a higher risk for populated areas, “says Auriane Egal, first author of the study. With what we know today, perhaps the authorities activate evacuation plans the next time an asteroid of this type threatens us. Provided that detection systems do not fail, and detect the threat in time. Image | THAT In Xataka | Tunguska: the explosion of 12 megatones that reminds us that space is full of wonders, but also of horrors

A neutron core of the size of a bus

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In the Ukraine War, nuclear It is not a purely arms issue. Among the most devastating scenarios that beat about the contest is the possibility of an error that leads to an unprecedented environmental disaster. We already knew that the Chernobil plant He had a hole And continue Without being able to repairbut the reach is much broader than the sadly famous plant. Under constant threat. The truth is that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only transformed the military map of Europe, but has put at risk an extensive network of nuclear facilities that were never designed to resist bombings. Although international attention has focused on Zaporiyia Centralthe largest in Europe and in Russian hands since 2022the country houses multiple reactors, research laboratories and spent fuel deposits that make up a delicate risk mosaic. Among them stands out Institute of Physics and Technology from Járkov, where is the known device as Neutron Sourcewhich contains several tens of kilos of enriched uranium capable of polluting vast areas if they were dispersed. Located just 14 kilometers from the front, the building has suffered More than 70 impacts Russian ammunition confirmed, which fears that Moscow’s goal is not accidental, but deliberate. Járkov, military white. The Institute, which in Soviet times contributed to the design of The first atomic bomb From Moscow, he agreed in 2010 withdrawing his uranium suitable for armament and sending it to Russia under pressure from the United States, in a non -proliferation effort. However, still custody materials of enormous danger, such as high radiation uranium contained in Neutron Source, built with US financing in exchange for that resignation. The installation combines a core of the size of a school bus with a particle accelerator about 30 meters, surrounded by metal shields, but the building that houses it It lacks protection in front of attacks. The bombings have left cracks, have dropped plaster of the walls and reached destroy a transformer In 2022, plunging the complex in blackout months and forcing scientists to improvise heating systems to avoid irreversible damage to fuel bars. Ukraine accuses Russia of echocideclaiming that a direct impact could release radiation on an area inhabited by 640,000 people. The nuclear installation of Neutron Source in Járkov on April 4 Chernobil’s spectrum. We have gone counting. Since the beginning of the invasion, the nuclear catastrophe scenarios have been present. In February 2025, A Russian drone pierced The steel structure covered by the reactor 4 of Chernobil, the most contaminated area of ​​the planet, breaking its hermetic seal, although without immediate leaks. In Zaporiyia, repeated attacks have put the cooling of the six reactorsespecially after destruction in 2023 on a dam that forced to depend on an emergency pond and two electric lines vulnerable to artillery. Each incident envives the fear of a radiological accident that, even without being of the Magnitude of 1986could disperse contaminating materials by large areas of Eastern Europe. The mere synchronization of certain attacks, such as Chernobil’s On the eve of the Munich Security Conference, it is played by kyiv and its allies as strategic messages of the Kremlin, which uses nuclear risk as a weapon of political intimidation. Collateral effects Plus: Not only Ukrainian facilities are in danger. At the end of August, remains of an intercepted Ukrainian drone They damaged a station Transformer in the immediate vicinity of the Kursk Central, in Russian territory, forcing to reduce its production. The episode illustrated how war turns civil nuclear infrastructures into collateral damage to a military confrontation in which drones, missiles and artillery operate increasingly closest to high -risk objectives. The experts Remember That no central or research laboratory in Ukraine was built to withstand direct impacts of modern ammunition, so the prolongation of the conflict multiplies the probabilities of an accident. Between resilience and constant threat. Had the New York Times In a wide report that, despite the daily danger, the Ukrainian scientists of the Járkov Institute They continue with projects of nuclear fusion and experiments with radioactive hydrogen, collecting data that they expect to present in international conferences. The paradox of continuing to investigate under bombing reflects both the resilience of the personnel and the fragility of a country that, in addition to resisting militarily, must guard materials whose release would have devastating consequences. In the words of one of the center engineers to the TimesRussian attacks seem to lack logic, but their repetition suggests a pressure strategy through radiological risk. Until now the catastrophe has been avoided fortune and technical contingenciesbut every day of war prolongs a pulse in which radiation could become involuntary or deliberate weapon, with effects that would overflow the borders of Ukraine. Image | Ministry of Defense of UkraineEnergoatom.com.ua In Xataka | The US has spent so much time developing its F-35 that has lost the career of the future: that of combat drones In Xataka | Ukraine has found the antidote to the Russian Kamikaze drones in World War

It is not that China seriously in the Pacific, is that the space has revealed the size of a vertiginous naval domain

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The satellite images From the rehearsals in Changjing, near Beijing, they are showing the magnitude of what China prepares for The military parade of September 3: an exhibition that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the war against Japan and that is emerging as a demonstration of naval and strategic power directed against the United States and its allies. Because China goes very seriously If we expand the focus. A missile showcase to deter. They counted the Insider analysts that among the images include the presence of mobile systems, advanced drones and, above all, a complete line of Antibheque missiles that It covers from Furtive subsonic models to hypersonic projectiles of great maneuverability, conceived to deny the access of the US Navy to the Western Pacific. Among the systems: The YJ-18Csubsonic and stealthy missile, The YJ-15Ramjet propulsion and supersonic speed, and The YJ-21capable of launching from ships or aircraft with hypersonic capacity against whites in motion. An even more advanced projectile would be added to them, The YJ-19of hypersonic planning superior to Mach 10. This missile deployment, which covers all possible categories, far exceeds what is necessary to face the Taiwanese navy and directly points to US and allied forces in the region, reinforcing the Power perception capable of controlling nearby seas. Unmanned platforms. Next to the missiles, the parade will include unmanned war systems. In the preparation zone, combat drones have been observed as The GJ-11 and the GJ-2as well as vehicles designed to transport naval surface drones. One of the most striking elements is the appearance of a small submarine drone to the Russian Poseidonpossibly destined for long -range oceanic surveillance or even attack missions. Although it is not clear if it is nuclear or if it can carry eyebrows, its mere presence indicates that Beijing explores the strategic weapons path unconventional In the maritime domain. The image of the place of the parade, taken on August 25, shows the complete extension of the vehicles parked in the testing place ICBM, missiles and scope. The deployment is not limited to the naval stage. In another section of the enclosure, at least 16 vehicles are appreciated carrying what would be intercontinental ballistic missiles Dongfeng-41solid fuel and with a range of up to 15,000 kilometers, capable of carrying multiple nuclear heads. They could also present land attack cruise missiles such as The DF-100designed to achieve targets at great distance at supersonic speed. With these weapons, Beijing projects the image of a power with the ability to hit not only in Asia-Pacific, but against objectives in US territory, including Guam or even the west coast. The sea as an instrument of ascent. I remembered this week The BBC In an extensive report that, in just two decades, China has transformed its naval industry into the most powerful in the world, absorbing More than 60% of the global orders of ships and producing at a rhythm 200 times higher than that of the United States. This domain is reflected in its navy, which already has 234 ships compared to 219 of the American fleet, although the American advantage still lies in the tonnage, in the large aircraft carriers and in the technological superiority of its submarines. For Beijing, the sea is The basis of its development economic (with seven of the ten most active ports on the planet) and the springboard to project Geopolitical ambitions increasingly explicit in the South China Sea and beyond. A new Chinese naval base with six nuclear submarines Dual shipyards and fusion. The key to this growth lies in the fusion between shipyards civil and military. Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Hudong-Zhonghua produced between 2019 and 2024 almost 550,000 tons of military ships, more than the British Navy Royal displaces. The “military-live” model driven by XI Jinping allows large commercial facilities to manufacture war or support their maintenance, which provides China from multiply assets In case of prolonged conflict. Thus, even without even having a fleet of aircraft carriers comparable to the American, Beijing has a strategic advantage in the speed of replacement and In versatility of his shipyards. Extended bases. The qualitative leap is reflected in the expansion of bases such as Yulin, in Hainan, where in recent years they have Added five docks To house Jin nuclear submarines capable of carrying twelve strategic missiles each. In fact, recent trials and social networks material show that the popular liberation army is incorporating submarine drones capable of deep surveillance, detection of cables and covert operations in international waters. Although much of these technologies remains experimental, the investment rate suggests a clear will of shortening distances With Washington in high sophistication areas. The historical memory. In addition, the Chinese naval project is loaded of political symbolism. Xi Jinping links its strengthening to the “humiliations” suffered between 1840 and 1949, when China suffered 470 invasions and lost its regional power position. In The military paradeswhich exhibit hypersonic missiles and antisatellite weapons, the idea of ​​a country that resurfaces after centuries of submission is transmitted. Thus, the slogan “we defend our ocean dream”, present In naval theme parks and in walls of port cities, seeks to instill national pride and legitimize the enormous military expense before the population. The Taiwan factor and tensions. With this “Naval” Map of Beijing, the biggest question is how the nation will use The growing power. Although he says he does not want to interfere in other countries, he holds the promise of “gathering” Taiwan, without ruling out The use of force. United States, forced by law to assemble Taipéi, perceives the risk of an open conflict dragging the region to a greater war. Chinese naval trials near Japan and the circumnavigation of Australia show that the Navy is no longer limited to its nearby waters. Meanwhile, the Pentagon Try to revitalize a naval industry weakened after decades of divestment, although recovering the initiative will be A titanic task. The decisive issue for the Pacific balance, therefore, seems clear: who can put … Read more

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