strange

In a town of 2,000 inhabitants on the edge of Ourense something strange happens every summer: it is filled with millionaires

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Neither Puerto Banusnor the resorts Caribbean, nor the coast of Malta, nor the exclusive Palm Islands from Dubai. When the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú It’s your turn to plan your summer vacation, one of the destinations that is always on your calendar is Planea hidden town in rural Ourense. And he’s not the only one. In the summer, magnates such as Amancio Ortega or Olegario Vázquez Grañasenior managers of El Corte Inglés and Abanca or even the cardinal of Mexico City, Norberto Riverawho came to considered papal. On its streets it is also not unusual to find a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. And all in a municipality that does not reach 2,000 neighbors. Welcome to Avion Seen on the map, Avión does not attract particular attention. The town is located in the Ribeiro regionbetween the Faro and Suído mountains, in the province of Ourense. In summer it is common for maximum temperatures go over 35º and to enjoy the beaches of the Rías Baixas you need to get in the car, take the highway and travel a good handful of kilometers. Its statistical data does not stand out on the Galician map either. The demographic winter has not passed Avión by, which over the years has seen how his census was deflating until you stay in less than 1,800 inhabitants. The percentage of population under 20 years of age in the municipality is only 5.66% and its aging rate far exceeds that of the rest of the region. As far as economy is concerned, Macro data recorded In 2021, an average gross income of 16,410 euros, below the capital of the province, which was close to 26,800. And yet, for years it has not been strange to find great magnates spending the summer in Avión. And no, the term “great magnates” is not a figure of speech nor is it an exaggeration. newspapers like Vigo Lighthouse either The Voice of Galicia They usually cover in detail how the Augusts go by in the town of Ourense, so we manage a fairly long and detailed list of businessmen, senior managers and authorities who have been seen in its streets and bars. Of all, perhaps the most striking is Carlos Slima Mexican billionaire with Lebanese roots who sneaks in often in the TOP 10 of the wealthiest people in the world. Forbes estimates that together with his family he has a fortune of about 85.7 billion of dollars. He is not the only fan of Avión, a regular destination for Vazquez Grañaone of the richest men in Mexico. Through its streets has also been seen to the founder of Inditex, Amancio Ortegaclosely linked to Galicia and which also stands out as one of the fortunes more overwhelming of the planet. Are they the only ones? No. The Galician press leaves a good list of personalities who at some point have paraded through the streets of the town of Ourense. The list is long. And curious. Vigo Lighthouse explains how in August 2014, coinciding with the celebration of the local festival (San Roque) and the anniversary of Olegario Graña’s wife, one could see in Avión a Miguel Rinconknown as “the king of paper” in Mexico by the Bio Pappel firm; the captain Alberto Abedfrom FlyMex; Isidoro Alvarezformer president of El Corte Inglés; or the cardinal Norberto Riveraa powerful prelate who entered the pools to Pope in 2005. Carlos Slim, orange tie, in the center. (Commons) The most curious thing about Slim or Vázquez Graña’s summer vacations in Avión is that the tycoons do not seclude themselves in mansions to enjoy the isolation and move discreetly from their heliports. Not at all. They use their Rolls-Royce and BentleyTrue, but they are also seen in the town’s bars to sit at the table to eat seafood or play a game of dominoes. And no, again that’s not a figure of speech. In August 2013 could be seen Carlos Slim, Vázquez Raña, Rincón and the notary Daniel Goñi playing with the black and white chips on the rubber of the Moncho bar. The print was repeated a year later and in 2017 The Country I recaptured a similar quote at the O Luar bar. Of course, there is no lack either food and music. The town even celebrates a mexican partywith mariachis included. But… Why Plane? That’s the big question. Slim lands with his private jet at the Peinador airport, in Vigo, and travels to the small town of Ourense. Why there and not to some paradisiacal destination or some secluded beach in his native Mexico or Lebanon, from where were originally your parents? The key is in the history of Avión, to be more precise in its very strong ties with emigration: during the 20th century, not a few of its neighbors were forced to pack their bags, get on a transatlantic liner and cross the ocean to find a life in Latin America. Some did well, quite well. And they or now their descendants they keep the link with the town. The case more paradigmatic and that largely explains Carlos Slim’s time at Avión is that of Vázquez Raña. “Our parents left here when I was little. As in many towns in Galicia, there was no future. The mosquitoes ate us. And on the unpaved roads our feet sank in animal excrement,” relates to Vigo Lighthouse Ricardo Hermida, a hotelier who emigrated to Mexico. In Avión they not only reconnect with their roots. There, despite the increasingly frequent coming and going of television cameras, reporters and photographers in search of the best snapshot, they enjoy a tranquility and naturalness that is difficult to achieve in other destinations. “In Mexico I move around in an armored car with six bodyguards; in Avión I am free, otherwise I wouldn’t come here,” admits Vázquez Graña. The expression “the Airplane method” is not ours, but Alberto Dacasaa Mexican businessman with Galician roots and a regular summer resident in the town of Ourense. Last year he released a … Read more

In the nineteenth century, Spain made the strange decision to build its ways in Iberian width. Now they will be a gift for Renfe in Galicia

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Renfe can breathe calm. The company has a huge business in the Galician corridor. The volume of travelers Between Madrid and Galicia he has shot to the point that airlines are retreating. Time savings since high speed arrives is such that many are choosing to pass to the train due to pure comfort or time flexibility. The Galician corridor is part of the next package of liberalization of the roads, next to the trains with destination Asturias, Cantabria, Cádiz and Huelva. It will not be, at least, until 2028 when the competition is palpable on the tracks because Adif is not complying with the deadlines planned. But Madrid-Galicia has another peculiarity. It is very likely that in 2028 we will see competition on their ways. To find the reason we have to travel to the nineteenth century. The particular Spanish railroad Each new technology arrives with a good rosary of standards of all kinds. It has happened with electric cars and passed with electricity itself. Also with measurement standards or, as in this case, train tracks. The railroad had started in the early nineteenth century. Although the steam machine was already born in the 18th century, it was not until 1804 when Richard Trevithick built A prototype in which the concept applied to transport. The steam locomotive was born. That one of those huge irons with wheels will pull a kind of drawers and could move the goods faster than they had done seemed like a great idea. So great that it soon caught and in 1830 the first train line was opened with passengers. They were the famous 50 kilometers that separated Liverpool from Manchester whose first trip headed George Stephensonwho was the ideologist of the construction of those first route. Those first trains circulated through some roads of 1,422 millimeters, 4 feet and 8 inches. Shortly after, those same ways widen half inch until reaching the famous 1,435 mm. Then they did not know but they had just adopted the “international width”, which is mounted in most trains in the world. Those measures also served to establish Two categories: narrow path (below those 1,435 mm) and wide via (above). The good results of the first trains made the railroad make the leap to continental Europe and the United States. But, like everything in this life, there were those who thought the system could be improved and that it was worth trying. That person was Isambard Kingdom Brunelan excellent British engineer who would create the Great Railroad of the West, joining London with the southwest, western England and much of Wales. Brunel thought that the higher the width of roads, faster speed could reach a train because the greater the stability achieved. Thus, it extended the track width up to 2,140 mm. Then a war of standards began that ended up resolving the Commission of Railroad Widths in favor of Stenphenson and its width of 1,435 mm. It was 1845. In Spain, at that time, we were engaged in the same fight. Railroad yes, but … how? That doubt was the one that set fire in the middle of the 19th century. Observing the good results that were being achieved outside our borders, the Government began to receive requests for the granting of licenses that allowed them to exploit the roads. Aware that it was necessary to harmonize the matter, they consulted a commission of engineers led by Juan Subercase, number one in the Corps of Engineers, acting president of the Advisory Board and director of the School of Engineers since 1837. He was helped Calixto Santa Cruz, number one of his promotion of 1839, and José Subercase, who in addition to his son was also the number one in his promotion the following year, 1840. Together they drafted the report 17.10.1844, on the Madrid Railroad to Cádiz, which recommended to reject a concession to build a railroad from Madrid to Cádiz. This concession was requested by the French engineer Juqueau Galbrun, which was certainly ironic over the years. Explains J. Moreno Fernández in a document in which the whole story of that controversial decision tells that none of the mentioned engineers had left the country and known firsthand how the railroads were abroad. That, perhaps, was one of the reasons why it was omitted that France had opted for international road width. And it is that Subercase was a firm defender of a width of six feet Castilians. The 1,672 millimeters that would end up receiving the name of “Iberian Width”. The defense is that a higher track width forced to use more powerful locomotives. In those days they thought they could increase vaporization with a wider boiler and that this was essential to, in a mountainous country like Spain, to have sufficient power to move the train. They also defended that a higher track width allowed a more stable step per curve but the truth is that time showed that neither one thing nor the other were key. The international width has been versed enough to be used in mountainous areas and the largest boilers in the trains had the problem of increasing the weight so the gain was diluted. In the government they thought that Subarcase motivations They were correct and they didn’t care that in the neighboring country they bet on a narrower track width. To import, they did not care that our other neighbor, Portugal, also promoted their railroads with the international width. In 1844, it was finally decided that the Spanish measure of the six Spanish feet was the one that should be protagonist for its orographic peculiarities. However, that did not condition the government that gave the approval to two routes built on that international width that was quickly imposing. Portugal pressed to have a railway exit to France that Spain ignored. And that created an urban legend that remains until today First in a line between Barcelona and Mataró, projected from the beginning with that exceptional width for the Spaniards … Read more

It’s so strange that science has had to investigate it

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A sports fisherman in Costa Rica was surprised by his life by capturing something that seemed taken from a fantasy film: a two -meter shark of an intense orange yellow color and with completely white eyes. Something that I had never seen in his life, but that was not a new species, but A specimen of nodriza shark with such a rare genetic condition that has left fascinated scientists. A shark so special that it has deserved to be investigated. The finding, which took place near the Tortuguero National Park, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, has been documented in a scientific article Posted in the magazine Marine Biodiversity. And this shark was not any: it is the first case of xantism Total scientifically documented in a nodriza shark (ginglymostomacirratum) worldwide. And the first registered in the Caribbean Sea. A unique shark in its kind. On August 10, 2024, while fishing at a depth of 37 meters, a fisherman captured, photographed and released this incredible exemplary. The images revealed an adult shark of approximately 200 cm in length, whose skin, normally of a grayish brown color, was of a vibrant yellow-orange tone. What is Xantism. It is a genetic condition that causes predominantly yellow pigmentation in the skin of an animal. Although It has been observed in various speciesfrom reef fish to reptiles, it is a phenomenon considered ‘rare’, especially in the marine environment. The reason for its rarity could be in the natural selection itself: such a striking color could make the animal an easy target for predators. Why this shark is special. But what caught the attention of the researchers, led by Marioxis Macías-Cuyare, were his eyes. The animal had white eyes, without visible iris, which suggests an even more complex condition than simple xantism. Scientists have called it ‘albino-xantochromism’, a combination of xantism (excess yellow pigment) and albinism (absence of other pigments such as melanin in the eyes). The unknown is in its survival. One of the great questions posed by this discovery is How has such striking animal survive. As a general rule, animals with such striking colorations are easy prey, since their inability to hide makes them a perfect target for predators. However, this Nodriza shark was a two -meter adult. This shows that, despite its spectacular color, it has been able to survive for years, hunt successfully and no one has been able to hunt. The fact that it will reach maturity, suggests, according to the authors of the study, that “Xantism does not hinder the survival of this species.” The most plausible theory is that this type of sharks live in night environments, which could have helped him go unnoticed. The new questions that opens this golden shark. This sighting is not just a curious anecdote, but it opens a new field of research. This Nodriza shark is currently classified as ‘vulnerable’ species in The IUCN Red Listso understanding its genetics and adaptation capacity is crucial for its conservation. In this way, science now wonders if this can be an isolated case or if it can represent an emerging genetic tendency in the region. In addition, environmental factors are also on the table, since it points to the high temperatures of the Caribbean could influence the expression of different genes through epigenetics. In Xataka | The white shark is an exceptional swimmer. His secret is in his “denticles”

According to a new study, the holy sheet never covered Jesus Christ. The strange thing is that he has put defenders and critics in agreement

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Turin’s shroud, also known as ‘Santa Slack’, is one of the most important relics of Christianity. This 4.4 x 1.1 -meter linen fabric has been a historic controversy focus among those who defend that it was the blanket that was placed on the body of Christ at the time of their burial and those who believe that it is a subsequent fabric. Now a new study has been published to add more firewood to the fire by stating that the Holy Sheet is false. And what he has achieved is to unite both defenders and critics of the authenticity of the fabric. Short. Cicero Moraes is a Brazilian researcher specialized in three -dimensional reconstruction. I already warned in 2024, but in the recent study published in the magazine Archaeometry He has presented the conclusions that lead him to consider the holy sheet as a false relic. Using Open Source software and three -dimensional models, Moraes approached the formation of the image of the sheet performing digital simulations. He analyzed how a fabric behaves when covering different three -dimensional forms, observing the patterns of the sheet and concluding that they adapt much better to a solid model and without too much depth, such as a bas -relief, than to something more “soft” and in depth, such as human anatomy. This, for him, would already rule out that it was the sheet that covered the body of Jesus Christ, arguing that, in that case, the distortion of the image and the folds would be much more evident if a human body had covered. Here you can see the video of the simulation of Moraes: So? The researcher holdsbased on those 3D models such as those used in cinema and video games for Simulate objects of objectsthat the image of the shroud could only have been created if it had been placed on a bas -relief of a human figure, such as a stone or wood size. If a human body had covered, the image of the shroud would not be so perfect and should be more distorted due to the greater depth of the body, especially on the sides. Come on, that the royal sheet shows a “photocopy” of a sculpture or bas -relief, not a human body. Having covered a body, I would have presented the documented effect “Agamemnon mask“ Moraes’ study shows what the silhouette of Jesus Christ really would be if the sheet had been on a body, on the left, in the face of the perfect representation of the body that shows the shroud, to the right Previous studies. Moraes’ is just One of the many analysis which have been done to verify the authenticity of the relic. The most famous, perhaps, is the test carried out in 1988 by Laboratories of Oxford, Arizona and Zurich in which the Carbon-14 and determined that the fabric had occurred at some point between 1260 and 1390 AD Apart from the studies, to dismant Godofredo de Chany He exposed it for the first time in a French town. And there are also no writings of the Christian tradition that mention the sheet. Of course, on the other hand, defenders of their authenticity argue that The most solid testthat of 1988, It could have been contaminated with materials after the time of Christ, and that the sheet would be about 2,000 years old. Another recent study He pointed out that the spots of the shroud corresponded to the blood that could occur with torture and crucifixion, but there are also those to indicate opposite. The shroud Criticism. The problem of the new study is what you can be imagining: it is an extremely powerful statement based on a theoretical analysis with strictly digital data such as those of a 3D simulation. And criticisms have not taken to arrive. The International Center for Syndonology of Turin (who are responsible for the study of the sheet), directlypoints out that Moraes’ work does not provide direct evidence on the historical piece and, although the 3D modeling It is valuable from the perspective of visualization of the tissue on the body, does not take into account variables such as the elasticity of the fabric, among other factors. And that it is a visual representation of a theory with a century behind it without adding much more. Other experts have commented that, although the study is interesting, the simulations, by themselves, They cannot replace direct analysis of the object. Convulsive context. The First statements De Moraes in 2024 on his study arrived at a complicated moment, since the Santa Neck was going to be an important piece in the 2025 jubilee acts. Not showing the real element, but a series of Very precise digital representations. And what does the Vatican? Interestingly, they have not spoken. But not with this 3D study, but historically. The official position is to promote the interdisciplinary study of the piece, without issuing a conclusive judgment. And this is something that is valued in the scientific community, since it maintains the living and open debate, allowing new study approaches in future research. Therefore … Is the holy sheet false? Moraes defends that its origin is that of a medieval art work, but its research through simulations cannot be definitive. Therefore, it follows the debate on whether it is the original sacred relic or if it is a medieval creation and, like Matteo Borrini, one of the researchers who maintains that it is a medieval artifact, commented A few years ago, “our faith is not based on the shroud, but on the gospels”, so it would give the same if the shroud is original or something much later, since the faith is above it. In Xataka | Boadilla del Monte is not famous for many things. So now he wants to lift a statue of 37 meters

Chema Alonso has signed for Cloudflare and the RFEF after leaving Telefónica. This creates a strange situation for LaLiga

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Chema Alonso has converted His departure from Telefónica In March in the most controversial play of the year in Spanish football. In a few weeks he has formalized his total departure from Telefónica, He has signed as a technological advisor of the RFEF Arbitral Technical Committeeand now he has announced his arrival in Cloudflare as Vice President for International Development. Why is it important. It is a very peculiar role change. Alonso now works simultaneously for two organizations that maintain structural conflicts with LaLiga: The RFEF, historical rival for the control of Spanish football, with the battle intensified in recent years. And Cloudflare, a company that LaLiga accuses of “collaborating with criminal organizations” by protecting more than 50% of the websites that are illegally soccer. The context. For more than a decade in Telefónica, Alonso had privileged access to LaLiga antipiratry strategies. Telefónica is more than who issues LaLiga: it is their strategic partner, fundamental in the fight against illegal emissions and who technically executes judicial blockages. Audiovisual rights represent 40-50% of LaLiga’s income, and Movistar Plus+ is its largest buyer. The irony is that the man who helped to design antipiratía defenses now works for those who help to overcome them. The facts. Cloudflare maintains an open war with LaLiga. The company has implemented privacy protection technologies that also hinder illegal content tracking: dynamic IP changes, HTTP port blocking, anonymization systems … and above all, Ech. LaLiga got judicial orders in recent months to block Cloudflare IPS during the parties, which affected thousands of legitimate websites that were left without service. Cloudflare demanded from LaLiga for these blockages, but Justice rejected it And it was In the hands of the Constitutional. In parallel, LaLiga and the RFEF fight a constant battle for calendars, schedules, disciplinary jurisdiction and audiovisual rights. They are not partners that cooperate, rather they are institutional rivals who have starred several struggles for the control of schedules, that of the Super Cup or The institutional battle that starred Thebes and Rubiales. For his part, Telefónica spent months on the war between LaLiga and Cloudflare, but He ended up taking sides. Obviously, for the first. Between the lines. He Timing It does not seem accidental. Three strategic movements in a few months. Alonso is positioned as the only actor with direct influence on two fronts against LaLiga. And armed with privileged information about their strategies. Your appointment in the RFEF will give access to arbitral systems. And from Cloudflare, he knows how LaLiga operates after so many years in his partner: his possible technical weaknesses, internal processes, calendars of legal actions. In perspective. Cloudflare could well be executing a “regulatory capture” operation: place someone with technical credibility in the regulatory body, influence the technological policies of Spanish football from within, neutralize future antipirable regulations. For the company, hiring Alonso is recruiting someone with knowledge Insider As few have. And that makes him an extraordinarily valuable asset. Yes, but. The situation raises unanswered questions. Did Telefónica know Alonso’s plans when he said goodbye? Was your departure completely involuntary? Can LaLiga legally challenge your appointment in the RFEF for conflict of interest? What we do know is that the signing for cloudflare does not imply a conflict with Telefónica for possible agreements for exit, as we have been able to know by knowledgeable sources of the matter. From Xataka We have contacted LaLiga, who has declined to comment on this. The same has exposed Telefónica. We have also tried to contact Chema Alonso, without success: The ‘contact’ section of its website It only offers as contact methods a postal address and the possibility of sending previous messages using the platform Mypublicinboxa company of which it is a shareholder and promoter. In Xataka | What is cloudflare, how it works and why a fall or block makes half the Internet fail Outstanding image | Telefónica, Gregorio Cavana

Something strange is happening this year in the Svalbard archipelago

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February of this year, 2025, it is full winter, but some areas in the Svalbard archipelago do not seem to be aware: melted ice and green sprouts peeling among the rocks attract the attention of a group of scientists who work in these Norwegian islands in the middle of the Arctic polar circle. Something does not fit. A February too warm. The Researchers Team I recently caught attention About this fact, and did Through an article Posted in the magazine Nature Communications. In this piece it is pointed out that, for several days in February 2025, the temperatures recorded in this area exceeded 0º Celsius, the water freezing temperature. An archipelago in the eye of the hurricane. The increase in temperatures that we associate with climate change is not a uniform phenomenon: while some areas of the globe They coolabout hundreds of kilometers others are heated much faster than average. This is the case of the Svalbard archipelago. This set of islands belongs to Norway and is located in the middle of the Arctic Circle. The Svalbard archipelago is the place where we can find the most northern civil settlement on the planet, NY-work. From white to green. The exceptional warming in these islands was apparent to the team beyond the measurements captured by the thermometers. The snow in the area had backed away not only huge puddles of liquid water, but also suggesting the rock surface of the islands and the tundra’s own vegetation in summer. “Being on water swimming pools at the tip of the glacier on green, naked, was shocking and surreal,” described in a press release James Bradley. “The thick layer of snow that covered the landscape vanished in days. The team I wore felt like a relic of another climate.” Rain, no snow. These changes made almost impossible for the team to perform their work. First because its goal was to collect snow samples that rushed in this polar environment. In Words by researcher Laura Molares Moncayo“The objective of our field work campaign was to study newly fallen snow. But for a period of two weeks, we were only able to collect newly fallen snow once, since most of the precipitation fell in the form of rain.” The change also involved added difficulties, including more risks derived from the activity. The thaw hindered vehicles transit, making access to certain areas difficult, but also making the task of returning to the camp more complicated in the face of unexpected dangers, dangers that include, for example, the encounter with polar bears. Feedback According to the team, the implications of these changes can be very relevant beyond the difficulties involved for scientists working in the environment. According to the team itselfwarm events such as that registered in February can affect many different systems, “from the microbial carbon cycle to the survival of the Arctic Fauna.” In case it was not enough, these events can also generate a loop: by melting permafrost, soil that remains frozen all year, greenhouse gases are released that in turn aggravate heating. In Xataka | What is global warming, what are its causes and how we are trying to fight it Image | Bradley, Molares Moncayo, et al. (2025), Nature Communications

A man put an Airtag in his shoes and donated them to the Red Cross. And then discovered strange things

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The city doesn’t matter. Neither the country. Not even the time of year. In Europe it is difficult to visit a minimally large town and not be at least a handful of containers For the donation of clothing, especially at busy points, such as commercial areas, urbanizations or the surroundings of Iglesias. The idea is to make people easy to give a second solidarity life to those pants, that shirt, that dress or those shoes that no longer serve us, but … What happens to all those garments? Where do they end? Recently Moe.haaa German influencer, decided to answer those questions in an original way: with the help of an AIRTAG, some old sneakers and an international flight that has ended up generating a considerable controversy. Where does my clothes end? That is the question not much was asked Moe.haaan influencer that one day decided to approach a container of donations from the Red Cross of Germany and throw some sports shoes. The key is that Moe’s. Before the young man had made an incision in the rubber sole to insert An AIRTAG And then cover it with a template, so that the piece passed totally unnoticed. The Airtag, remember, are Location devices That thanks to Bluetooth and the vast network of Apple devices distributed around the world constantly report its location. They are not GPS locators as such, but they are very useful to find out where you have left the keys or portfolio, especially in areas where there are people with iPads, iPhones or Apple Watches. And that was precisely what Moe wanted. What did you find out? That those old shoes began to travel. Literally. On the influencer screen the device drew an itinerary of hundreds of kilometers that even crosses several borders. In Your video Moe.Haa shows how he leaves his shoes in a Starnberg container, Bavaria, and from there they travel first to Munich and then to Puch (Austria), Kranj (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia). The route does not end there. Before stopping, the influencer verifies that the footwear still makes another jump until Cazinin Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total about 800 kilometers. The trip was fascinating in itself, but Moe. To clarify the mystery, the young man climbed an airplane, flew to Bosnia and Herzegovina and then led to the canton of a-Sana. There he located the store in a matter of Cazin and (Bingo!) He identified the shoes with the hidden Airtag on a shelf. And what did they do there? The first thing that the young man checked is that the place is not dedicated to distributing free clothes among people in need. His shoes were on sale. They cost 20 frames, about 10 euros. Intrigued, Moe.Haa approaches them to the box to buy them and there the employee clarifies that her boss is a Bosnium who lives in Germany. The influencer asks then if the money is related to donations and the response of the dependent is sharp: no. “How can it be sold here, 800 km away, without employees reporting that it is a donation to the Red Cross,” He wonders At the end of the video. What does Red Cruz say? Moe’s video has generated such a stir that German Red Cross (DRK) He ended up resorting Also to Tiktok to give explanations and solve doubts. On its website the NGO also contributes Some clues. According to its estimates, the DRK collects between 70,000 and 80,000 tons of used garments, an immense amount of textile that is mostly unusable. The organization estimates that only half can be used. The rest serves only “as raw material.” Of the half that is reusable between 4,000 and 5,000 T they are dedicated to the purpose that donors have in mind when they deliver their clothes: it is destined for needy people. That, Clarifies DRKit is only 10%. The rest of the usable clothing is dedicated to another different purpose. “It is sold”, Confirm The NGO. The garments end in the hands of specialized companies and DRK receives funds that, insistsallow you to pay for your work and finance initiatives in Germany and Bavaria. Why don’t those pieces be sent in good condition to other places, such as African countries with higher poverty rates. The reason is very simple: logistics costs are “prohibitive.” Images | In Xataka |

The strange buzzing that you can only listen to at an age. The frequency that Japan, the US and Europe uses against young people

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In 2009 IHe listened to listen for the first time in the streets of Tokyo. For years, the Kitikahama Parkin the district of Adachi, he had been recurring white of acts of vandalism, especially in public facilities such as bathrooms and urban furniture. Damage, mainly attributed to groups of adolescents who frequent the area at night, had meant a significant cost for local authorities. And since then, a Imperceptible noise For much of the population has been recurring. A sound that has its origin in Europe. The mosquito. Years before, in 2005, the New York Times spoke of the arrival of an invention to the United Kingdom. What began as a child auditory discomfort was transformed years later into an unusual solution for a persistent urban problem. Howard Stapletona British engineer, he remembered how, at age 12, upon entering a factory with his father, he was forced to go out immediately by an unbearable sound that adults did not even perceive. Decades later, that experience led him to create The mosquitoa device that emits a high frequency buzz perceptible only by young ears (mainly around twenty) and practically inaudible for those who have passed thirty. Its purpose was as direct as controversial: drill teenagers that congregate in noisy in front of stores, generating discomfort, intimidations and even episodes of theft and violence, without the need for direct confrontation. Personal idea to experiment. The first real mosquito test took place in Barry in 2005, a town in southern Wales, in front of a spar grocery storemanaged by Robert Gough and his family. Before the installation, the place suffered daily La presence of adolescents They smoked, drank, insulted customers and broke into the establishment. Gough had considered resorting to classical music to large volume, but never implemented it. It was Stapleton who offered to install the device testing. In a matter of little time, the usual congregation of adolescents disappeared. Some tried to resist, entering the store with their fingers in their ears and asking to turn off the buzz. Gough, ingenious, told them that the device was to scare birds due to avian flu. The result was a Radical transformation: Before conflicting teenagers now entered, bought, and they went without causing problems. Mosquito installation in a Philadelphia store It hurts, but it doesn’t exhaust. We talk about a device that emits a kind of chirp pulsating by Above 17 kilohertzup to 75/80 decibels, comparable to a noise of tinnitusIt is not painful, but very irritating. Stapleton said he tested different frequencies with the help of his own children to formula That “I did not harm, but it would bother enough to want to leave.” His intention was never punishing, but Simply dissuadecausing an discomfort that pushes the adolescent to retire on its own. While some adults can still perceive the sound, the device is designed thinking about behavior patterns rather than strict age ranges: hardly a 30 -year -old person is around the entrance of a store for hours. Professor Andrew King, an expert in neurophysiology at Oxford University, I recognized years ago To the Times that although the hearing of high frequencies decreases with age, that loss is gradual and, therefore, some adults could also hear it. Stapleton will consider it irrelevant: “The mosquito is not for them.” Cross borders. After its appearance, the mosquito It generated great interest. Stores, railway deposits, shopping centers and British local authorities They requested units. Stapleton, at that time, already contemplated more powerful versions Activable by panic button, designed to repel crowds that enter into mass to steal, which in the United Kingdom is known as Steaming. Its logic It was simple: “It is difficult to steal with the fingers in the ears.” From Europe and the US to Japan. Four years after the invention was established in different cities from the United Kingdom, then Europe, and finally the United Statesthe mosquito made the leap to Japan. Given the numerous acts of vandalism, the district of Adachi decided to resort to the controversial technological solution, but growing in popularity. Pilot test In Japan, some shops and They had implemented Previously after receiving complaints about garbage, noise and concentration of youth groups, but 2009 was the first time it was installed in A public park. The Adachi administration, which had hired the device to the Melc Co LTD company, based in Chiyoda, installed it in the area as part of an essay that would last until March 2010. Background: Vandalism costs in the 470 parks and public areas of Adachi in the previous years had overcome the 3 million yenso any solution that could reduce non -invasive figures represented an attractive option. According to Melc representatives, the objective It was clear: generate an environment uncomfortable for offenders without altering the tranquility of the rest of citizens or provoking neighborhood complaints. And in the trains. Although today the number of facilities of this type is unknown in Japan, in the social networks They abound videos and comments of young people alluding To this type of sounds. Bloomberg had that even a version of the mosquito has also been installed in trains stations. In many of them ultrasonic devices had been placed that emitted a high frequency sound only noticeable for children under 25 years. The devices, designed to discourage merodeus without confrontations, caused obvious reactions In students: discomfort faces, accelerated steps and complaints, without most knew where the sound comes from. Meanwhile, older adults walk imperturbable, unable to hear the signal. The technology, originally from Wales, had found in Japan its most systematic and culturally accepted use. Between defense and stigma. Counted in a long NPR interview to Stapleton that the mosquito has generated a debate about the Technological intervention limits in public space. While some celebrate their ability to restore tranquility in commercial and school areas without violence or clashes, others consider that their indiscriminate use It can be equivalent to criminalizing the default youth. Stapleton responded That the true enemy is not adolescence, … Read more

We have found strange prehistoric spheres in the middle of the Amazon. Inside, human bones and animals

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Sometimes only coincidences can open the way to certain findings. A tree that falls and the eyes attentive to a place can be the spark that gives rise to an unexpected discovery. Spherical urns. A group of archaeologists assisted by local communities has been responsible for finding curious ceramic spheres buried in an alluvial plain in the middle of Amazonas. These are seven funeral urns, two of them of important size, which were found between the roots of a fallen tree. Within these polls, fragments of human bones were found, as well as remains of Fish and turtles that suggest funeral rites linked to food. These polls can reveal important data on the indigenous cultures that inhabited this region of the Amazon basin. “They are large, without visible ceramic tapas, which could indicate the use of organic materials to seal them, which would have already broken down. They were buried at 40 cm deep, probably under old houses,” explained in a press release Geórgea Layla Holland, member of the team responsible for the finding. Lake Do Cochila. The discovery of these unique polls was made in the surroundings of Lago do Cochila, in the municipality of Fonte Boa, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Located in the alluvial plains of the basin, this archaeological site was once part of a group of artificial islands built centuries ago (Maybe millennia) by the ancient inhabitants of the area. Archaeological remains found in this environment suggest that these elevations in flooded field would have allowed the construction of households and the development of social activities even in the flood time, explains the team. The artificial islands would have been created taking material from other places and transporting it to the plain. “It is a very sophisticated and ingenious engineering technique, which demonstrates land management and a significant population density in the past,” The archaeologist points out Márcio Amaral. A fundamental cooperation. The collaboration between archaeologists of the research group in Archeology and Cultural Heritage of the Amazon of the Mamirauá Institute and the local communities was instrumental in the development of archaeological prospecting, explains the team. The detection of these artifacts would not even have been possible without this collaboration: according to the team, it was the locals who initially detected ceramics Among the roots of a fallen tree. While initially they did not give importance to the finding, their photos caught the attention of archaeologists who got to work in the extraction and analysis of objects. Height excavation. The excavation of these polls was a technical challenge. The horizontal position of the tree that buried them left them suspended at height, which implied that their excavation had to be done in a not very conventional way. These local communities attended the team with the construction of a high structure that as a scaffold allowed access to these artifacts as well as their manipulation safely. Rumbo to Tefé. Among the challenges that the team had to face was also transport, which had to be done river. Depending on the river and transportation conditions used, traveling the 190 kilometers in a straight line that separate the deposit of the headquarters of the Mamirauá Institute may require between 10 and 12 hours of travel. We will have to wait for the polls to be studied at the facilities of the Mamirauá Institute to learn about new details about the finding. For now, the initial analyzes reveal the greenish color of the clay with which these urn were created, a clay that would have been identified in other contexts. A type of ceramic of great rarity that adds to the mystery of these strange funeral urns. In Xataka | The finding of a lot of garbage in a cave in Mexico has been something else: a fertility ritual 500 years ago Image | Marcio Amaral / Georgea Holland

The strange thing is not that Spain has opposed 5% of GDP for defense. The strange thing is that it was the only country

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At the gates of the Great summit From The Hague, NATO has seen how their debate on military spending had a Unexpected protagonist: Spain. Pedro Sánchez’s refusal to expand that chapter until reaching 5% of GDP has resulted in a strip and loosen between Madrid and the alliance that has resulted in a covenant in extremis which will give greater flexibility to Spain. The key will be that it meets the objectives agreed by the rest of the members, not whether or not you need 5% to achieve it. The position of Spain is interesting because it opens a background debate: should defense capacities be set based on a random percentage or based on the real needs of each country? Are general spending thresholds? A percentage: 5%. Beyond the capacities, objectives, pacts or the role of each country, over the last months the debate within NATO has revolved around a figure: 5%, the percentage of GDP that, According to the allianceeach member nation must allocate to the investment in defense. To be more precise, the idea of ​​NATO is that 3.5% is dedicated to basic expenditure, and the remaining 1.5% to “related investments”, which allows infrastructure or expense in industries. The figure is not accidental. Is exactly the commitment that He claimed Donald Trump, who in December, before even settling in the White House, already He complained openly of the low level of investment of the rest of NATO members and accused the alliance of “taking advantage” of the United States. A protagonist: Spain. With that backdrop and after months, emphasizing the idea that the allies had to increase their expense in defense, to early month NATO made it clear what its new requirement would be for the allies: to raise the 5% defense expense of GDP in 2035. The agreement was accompanied in addition to an investment plan and a list of new objectives that must be validated at the summit that will be held this week in The Hague. Before that date arrived, however, a voice that was not willing to comply with the 5%goal arose: Spain. “For Spain to commit to a 5% goal would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive,” said Pedro Sánchez in A letter Sent to NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte. In his letter he remembered that raising the investment in 5% defense of GDP would be “incompatible with our welfare state and vision of the world.” With its position, the Moncloa became A loose verse Within the alliance, which even annoying To Washington. The Giro: A letter. The disagreement between the NATO dome and Madrid did not last too long. Yesterday Sánchez revealed that both parties have reached an agreement that basically gives Spain wide to decide what percentage of its GDP dedicates to meet the objectives set by NATO. That is, the country undertakes to reach the new Capacity objectives military of the alliance, but without having to dedicate 5% of their GDP. The key is to get there, not how it gets. Sanchez even shared in X Mark Rutte’s letter confirming that NATO will be flexible in that last aspect. In it, the general secretary of the Alliance is clear: “I assume that Spain is sure that the new capacity objectives can be met with a spending trajectory of less than 5% of GDP,” Explain: “I confirm that the agreement reached at the next NATO summit will grant Spain the flexibility to determine its own sovereign trajectory to achieve the objective.” The agency, of course, will review its advances in 2029. New percentage: 2.1%. The million dollar question arrived at this point is … How much does Spain plan to invest? In 2014, NATO It was marked and the goal that the defense spending reached 2% of GDP, but many of its members were maintained last year far from that threshold that is considered today “insufficient”. Among the lags are Portugal, Italy or Canada, countries that, in some cases, have made a effort To get to the Hague Summit fulfilling 2%. In the list also appears Spain, whose investment in defense was around last year, according to The data from NATO, 1.3% of GDP. The Government It has moved token Already for the investment to reach this year in 2%, but they do not seem willing to go much further. In yesterday’s statement in which he announced the agreement with NATO, Sánchez insists that the country is in a position to comply with the rest of the allies without moving too much from the 2%threshold. “Spain will need 2.1% of its GDP to acquire and keep all personnel, all equipment, all infrastructure requested by the Alliance to deal with our abilities to those threats,” Sánchez wields. And emphasize: “2.1%, no more, or less.” “Going from 2 to 5% from here to 2035 would demand to spend about 350,000 million euros, which could only be achieved based on raising taxes at 3,000 euros per year, eliminating benefits, reducing pensions by 40% or cutting in education.” The substantive debate: capacity or percentage? The case of Spain is interesting both for what it represents within NATO and for the debate that opens: does it make sense to link the objectives of GDP expenditure percentages? What is that general threshold for? Is it only political, a mesurable consensus point, or is it really related to the capabilities of the different allies? Sanchez has gone to the background of that discussion and throws doubts about the usefulness of setting an expenditure objective such as 5%, shared by the 32 NATO members. “They think that, for example, in some countries the average salary of a soldier is three times greater than in others who are also NATO members, or that producing or acquiring these defense capacities in certain countries costs half than in others,” reason The socialist. It is not the only one in which it points in that direction. A WARNING: “Insufficient”. In A recent article Published by Andrew Horton and Putri Handrianti and … Read more

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