stress

The extreme stress of the Spanish water network explained from within

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The images have flooded social networks this weekend: the Aldeadávila dam “turbinating at full capacity” with the Duero river descending with enormous force, or the Iznájar reservoir recovering its splendor in a matter of days. They are hypnotic images that hide a much more tense and calculated reality. While the citizen sees natural spectacles, the engineers see a fight against the disaster. In the midst of this “festival” of storms that has shaken the peninsula this month of February, One phrase sums up the situation better than any other. It is pronounced by José María Sanz de Galdeanodirector of Hydrological Planning and Works of the Basque Water Agency (URA): “The dams were not designed for floods, but today they are key to cushioning them.” These infrastructures, designed decades ago so that water comes out when you turn on the tap or to turn on the light, have become—almost by historical accident—the last line of defense between the perfect storm and the safety of the populations downstream. A winter concentrated in a few days. To understand the magnitude of the event, we must first look at the Basque Country, where the orography and intense rains have tested the system. As explained by Sanz de Galdeano in the SER ChainEuskadi has faced a winter marked by episodes of very intense rain concentrated in very few days. The situation has forced the activation of the two major Basque regulatory systems. On the one hand, the Zadorra system composed of the Ullibarri-Gamboa reservoir and the Urrunaga dam. On the other hand, the Añarbe system is responsible for supplying the Donostialdea area. It is not a local phenomenon. It is a symptom of a broader hydrometeorological pattern that has affected the entire peninsula. While in the Tormes system, reservoirs like Santa Teresa are close to 80% and release water preventively to defend the city of SalamancaIn the south the situation has been even more drastic. In Andalusia, the Iznájar reservoir—the giant of the community— has doubled its reserves in just two weeks, going from a critical 25% to exceeding 50%, something that had not been seen in a decade. The intensity has been such that the AEMET even warned of scenarios of soil saturation with impacts “some of the highest in the world”, causing water to gush directly from the ground in places like Grazalema (Cádiz). forcing preventive evacuations. From supply to “lamination”. The relevant thing about these weeks is not only that it has rained, but how we have managed that rain. Sanz de Galdeano puts his finger on the sore: “These infrastructures were built primarily for water supply, not specifically to laminate avenues.” However, its immense storage capacity has made it possible to change its function on the fly. Dams have acted as giant shock absorbers. “They have sufficient volume to play with reserves, create space and retain water at the most critical moments,” says the director of URA. Sanz de Galdeano’s warning has scientific support. A study on the effectiveness of dams in the face of climate change confirms that infrastructure designed with “historical data” They are operating blind to the new reality. Old models did not account for this extreme variability; under severe warming scenarios, the risk of large dams overflowing could multiply by up to 17 compared to historical records. The conclusion is technical but terrifying: the effectiveness of a dam decreases dramatically under extreme hydrological regimes if adaptive management is not applied. This excess water has had an unexpected side effect on the energy market: Spain’s “battery” it’s so loaded (117% more stored hydroelectric energy than last year) that nuclear energy is no longer competitive. The Trillo plant, for example, has been disconnected from the grid because, given such an abundance of turbineable water, the numbers simply “did not add up.” Choreography of floodgates. The precision mathematics that decides how much water reaches your home. The management of these crises is a precision choreography that Sanz de Galdeano graphically defines as working “with one eye on the river and another on the sky.” The technical key lies in the “reservoir”: the empty space that is deliberately left in the reservoir before the rain arrives in order to swallow the flood. The director of URA details how it is applied this differently depending on the capacity of each system: In the Zadorra (High regulation): These dams control 60% of the upstream basin. This allows for drastic intervention. The figures from Sunday night are the best example: 260 cubic meters per second of furious water entered the system, but the floodgates only let out 54. That difference (more than 200 m³/s retained) is the flood that was avoided. In Añarbe (Less regulation): Here the dam only controls 23% of the basin. Most of the river water circulates freely, so there is less room for maneuver. Even so, the strategy is the same: when the river goes high, floodgates are closed to retain “as much as possible.” All this is done under administrative coordination complex but fluid between URA, the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation and that of the Cantabrian Sea. Not all barriers are the same. In this context of saving dams, a reasonable question arises: why then are some dams on Basque rivers being demolished? Sanz de Galdeano makes a crucial distinction between large regulatory infrastructures and small weirs. “These are not large infrastructures like those of Zadorra, but rather low-rise structures that have no real capacity to manage avenues,” he clarifies. The elimination of these small obstacles responds to two logics: Environmental: they allow fish and fauna to ascend the river, improving ecological health. Hydraulics: Although it may seem contradictory, these small walls can raise the water table in local floods, worsening the problem instead of solving it. However, large dams have their own silent enemy: sediment. Experts and organizations like Greenpeace warn that torrential rains They drag tons of mud that accumulate at the bottom of the reservoirs, subtracting their real capacity (that “hole” that Galdeano spoke of) and … Read more

Science suggests that economic stress ages the heart

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For decades, cardiovascular medicine has operated under an almost immovable dogma: If you want to protect your heart you have to watch your dietexercise and control blood pressure. However, science has begun to see that there are other social factors that can also be very important, such as the status of personal bank accounts. The study. In order to reach this conclusion that aims to drastically change an authentic dogma of medicine, the Mayo Clinic has analyzed more than 280,000 patients thanks to the artificial intelligence application. To do this, the AI ​​has analyzed the patients’ conventional medical tests and their history. In this way, researchers have discovered that the factors that accelerate the biological clock the most of the heart is not always in the medical history, but in the bank account and in the shopping basket. The ‘invisible’ age. The technological core of this discovery is found in an AI algorithm applied to electrocardiograms. In this way, unlike the analysis carried out by a cardiologist who looks for arrhythmias or abnormalities in the conduction of the heart, this learning model analyzes changes in the electrocardiogram that are very subtle in the electrical signals that can go unnoticed by the human eye. In this way, the algorithm can estimate something that science calls “heart age.” From here, when the researchers compared the figure with the patient’s actual age, a cardiac age gap emerged. That is, there were people with a heart that looked older than it should, which is a much more accurate predictor of mortality than some traditional markers. The social impact. Now the question that science asks is why. The results of the study published in Mayo Clinic Procedures, place financial stress and food insecurity as the most aggressive social determinants of health (SDH). In this way, what the study demonstrates is that constant worry about payment, rent, mortgage or the increase in the cost of basic foods generates a state of physiological wear and tear that AI detects as premature aging of cardiovascular tissue. The reasons. At a biological level, this phenomenon is explained through the chronic stress response. Economic uncertainty keeps the body in a state of permanent “alert”, triggering levels of cortisol and adrenaline. This prolonged hormonal overexposure damages the vascular endothelium and alters heart rate variability, effects that the Mayo Clinic algorithm identifies as signs of an aging heart. Surprisingly, the study indicates that the impact of this precariousness can equal or even exceed the risk posed by physical inactivity or chronic diseases such as diabetes in terms of accelerated mortality. From loneliness to inflation. This work is not an isolated event, but the culmination of a line of research that the Mayo Clinic has reinforced in recent years. In 2024, the same team used AI to show that social isolation acts in the opposite way: having strong support networks and community ties works as a biological “brake” that slows down the aging of the heart. However, the new 2025 study is the first to prioritize economic factors over clinical ones. Change the rules of the game. This finding reminds us of the importance that in clinical practice, beyond seeing results of tests or electrocardiograms, we must also know that in front of the doctor there is a human patient. And not only is the high cholesterol in the analysis important, but there are also many social problems behind him that can interfere with his pathology and that doctors should be aware of. The relevance of this work lies in its ability to prioritize. While other previous studies already talked about social stress, this is the first to use AI models to quantify exactly how economic precariousness “rusts” the heart muscle compared to traditional medical factors. Images | Robina Weermeijer Christian Erfurt In Xataka | Half of employees say they work under constant stress: they would give up 21% of their salary to avoid it

“Cozy games” were going to save us from stress and productivity. They have ended up being true slaves of leisure

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The promise of relaxing and clearing your mind for a few hours is what attracts us of the cozy games: those games that surround us with cute little animals, calm us with a comforting visual palette and give us repetitive and friendly tasks that make us escape from stress. It all seems very bucolic; You inherit a farm, plant flowers, decorate rooms or make dream furniture, with the promise of escaping for a few hours from the daily routine. However, that kind of digital refuge has become the materialization of what you wanted to escape from; in a second Google Calendar full of meetings, in a clone of your 9 to 5 job. And ‘Tiny Bookshop’ reaffirms it to us. Released this summer,’Tiny Bookshop‘ quickly became a hit within the crowded category cozy. The premise is clear: you arrive in a small, charming town with your new traveling bookstore project, which you can decorate with hundreds of possibilities. Through your relationship with the neighbors you manage to sell and recommend a large number of books and, in turn, discover all the secrets of the town. This entire initial point is more than striking for fans of the genre (like yours truly). After more hours than I would like to admit, I realized that I had fallen into the gaming trap again. cozy: dedicate hours and hours at a job. Underneath the adorableness of being able to paint everything in pastel tones or recommend ‘Jane Eyre’ to your clients, in the end you find that you have been searching for objects for a while to increase your sales, check the opening hours for the next day and be on the lookout to replenish the shelves with the right genre. You can call this cozybut I call it emulating another workday; and what’s worse, enjoying it. Recommend all kinds of books at ‘Tiny Bookshop’ At the beginning of the 2010s it became quite fashionable, sponsored by the gurus of Silicon Valleya trend called “gamification of work“Through video game or board game mechanics, missions, points or rewards were added within the daily routine of monotonous work tasks. It is worth asking if the cozy games They have done the opposite path, “trafficking” video games. It is true that, as is often the case with these cozy gamesit’s easy to have fun with them and immerse yourself fully in the story. The interactions are adorable, the characters are cute and they have that air of “afternoon movie” that makes them irresistible; but in the end we cannot ignore the fact that we are replicating tasks that we are supposed to escape from, such as spending hours and hours working. And yes, it all depends on the type of player you are and how you manage the objectives of the game, but the cozy games They rarely have to do with something comfortable or warm. We’ve romanticized even paying a mortgage We are not talking about a specific thing that happens with this new release, completing or performing the daily tasks of this style of games can be the least relaxing thing there is. With the pinnacle of the cozy‘stardew valley‘, the day doesn’t last long between milking the cows, collecting the eggs, making jam and going to the mine to get objects. Furthermore, as if it were real life itself, after all these tasks, you have to put on a good face and interact with your neighbors. Something similar happens with another of the big names in the category such as ‘Animal Crossing‘: you have to give objects to your island companions, cut down trees, plant flowers, fish and be attentive to the day the character who is in charge of buying your collection arrives, in order to get money and pay the mortgage. Yes, a mortgage on a beautiful house, but Tom Nook does not forgive the deadlines. After all this, it would be interesting to check the players’ heart rate when their character goes to sleep after completing all those tasks. Spend the day cutting down trees in ‘Animal Crossing’ By becoming something more mainstream and produce some sales more than substantial Since its rise in the pandemic, there are countless games that adopt the “cozy” to capture the public, even when its dynamics move away from what characterizes the genre. It is worth asking if within this label, the greatest exponents should not be games like ‘Abzu‘ either ‘Unpacking‘, where the “you don’t have to do anything” is strictly followed and the objectives do not have a timer. The contemplative and the mechanical is what is essential in these examples, honoring that part “cozy” of mental refuge with peace, serenity and tasks that are repeated over and over again. In fact, there is even metacriticism within this world. ‘Wanderstop‘, a tea shop simulator created by the visionary mind behind ‘The Stanley Parable‘, Davey Wreden. The game ironizes this fact with a character who invites you to attend to customer requests when it seems right to you, without rushing, because the last thing the protagonist needs is it’s more pressure. It is curious that most games cozy They deal with mental health or anxiety, but some have mechanics in line with this and others offer ones that are radically opposite to the feelings they seek to create in the player. The perversion of language, or the excessive use of a label such as “cozy” to sell more copies ends up producing a very specific reality: something is broken when the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about these comforting games is taking care of a farm or a supermarket, watering parsnips or paying for an extension to your house. Productivity as leisure Beyond the mechanics and quality of each of them, the addiction and fanaticism that they generate for us does nothing more than put ourselves in front of the mirror and expose the reality of our daily life: even with our leisure we want to be productive, … Read more

records every excess, sleeplessness and stress in the cells for 20 years

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As we age, not only do we accumulate experiences and begin to observe the marks of the passage of time such as wrinkles, but something more silent happens in your body: an inflammation that does not hurt, but never completely goes away. Scientists call it inflammationand it is one of the keys to understanding why we age and how we could do it better. Your body remembers what happened 20 years ago. Researcher Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, from the University of Miami so he warns. For years, the modern lifestyle—calorie diets, constant stress, lack of sleep and a sedentary lifestyle—has kept the immune system on a kind of permanent “red alert.” Normally, inflammation is a useful response: it helps repair tissues and defend us from infection. But when that response is not extinguished, it becomes a slow fire that gradually deteriorates the body’s systems. From Mayo Clinic they describe it like an internal civil war: innate immune cells, which should act only when faced with a threat, begin to chronically release inflammatory substances. Meanwhile, adaptive defenses—those that “learn” from viruses—are weakened. The result is felt in practice: a simple flu that takes weeks to pass, wounds that heal more slowly or constant fatigue. Immunologist Jessica Lancaster sums it up in a simple way: “With age, the immune system ages and this constant inflammation can deplete defenses and damage healthy tissues.” An internal fire? The inflammation of aging appears to arise from a combination of cellular stress, metabolism, and lifestyle. According to researcher Alan Cohen of Columbia University, stressed cells release proteins that indicate that “something is wrong,” even in the absence of disease. However, we do not all age the same. a study, published in Nature Aging by Cohen himself and colleagues from several universitiescompared people from Italy and Singapore to indigenous communities from Bolivia (the Tsimane) and Malaysia (the Orang Asli). The finding was surprising: only populations in industrialized countries showed the classic pattern of increasing inflammation with age. The hypothesis is clear: the inflammation It could be, more than an inevitable consequence of the passage of time, a side effect of modern life. Assembling the puzzle. Because science has already found the pieces. AT Yale University, Vishwa Dixit’s team analyzed plasma from adults who reduced their caloric intake by 14% over two years. They found that this moderate calorie restriction markedly reduced levels of a key inflammatory protein, complement C3a, linked to immune activation. In other words, they found that inhibiting C3a reduces age-related inflammation and improves metabolic health. Furthermore, in mice, pharmacological blockade of the same component of the complement system increased longevity and improved metabolic function. In parallel, another team, led by Marissa Schaferidentified a new marker of cellular aging: the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R). This biomarker increases with age in both humans and mice and is associated with inflammation in organs such as the kidney or liver. However, there is hope: certain senolytic drugs—such as fisetin (present in strawberries) or venetoclax, used against cancer—managed to reduce these inflammatory levels in old animals. The idea is simple but powerful: eliminate poorly aging cells to relieve inflammation from within. Any plan to avoid it? While science searches for treatments, experts agree: lifestyle remains our best medicine. From Mayo Clinic they explain it simply: sleeping well, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and eating fewer ultra-processed foods are the most effective keys to strengthening the immune system. In fact, As Dr. Lancaster points out: “Sleep is probably the most critical factor for immunity, more so than diet or exercise.” During sleep, the body releases proteins that fight infections and eliminate brain toxins. For its part, in a report for the Washington Post They add that controlling blood pressure, visceral fat and blood sugar is essential to reduce inflammation. And Yale researcher Vishwa Dixit sums it up with ancient wisdom: “The same thing your grandmother and mine said: do things in moderation, don’t eat too much, and move more.” Towards aging without fire. Scientist Alan Cohen uses a perfect metaphor: “Inflammation is like a fire alarm. It’s not always pleasant, but it indicates that something is wrong. The important thing is not to turn it off, but to prevent it from ringing all the time.” For this reason, experts recommend not becoming obsessed with micromanaging each biological marker or pursuing eternal youth through supplements. Image | FreePik Xataka | The birth rate in Poland is a disaster and some hotels have had an idea: money for those who conceive during a stay

Spain, at the head in Europe in workers with stress or depression and we have the culprit: work

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In recent years, Spain has established itself as one of the European countries where they relate more workers Mental health problems with employmentstanding among the five countries With higher stress ratesdepression and anxiety linked to the work context, according to the latest survey OSH click 2025 that elaborates the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The data places Spain among countries with worse indicators In psychological well -being work related, only surpassed by Greece, Finland, Cyprus and Poland. In Spain, work with too much stress. The survey reveals that 40% of Spanish employees interviewed by the European Agency for Labor Safety and Health, pointed to their job as main reason for stressanxiety or depression. This percentage of stressed employees leaves Spain only behind Greece (49%), Finland (45%), Cyprus and Poland (both with 41%) and well above the European average located at 29%. In addition to stress, employees point out Other symptoms and pathologies which also frequently relate to the workplace. 45% indicate generalized fatigue related to work, 42% report headaches or tired view and 37% identify muscle pains or bones caused by their work activity, figures equally higher than the average recorded by the EU. Companies look the other way. The European report links this increase in work stress to the low implementation of preventive measures by Spanish companies. While 44% of employees in the European Union claim to be exposed to time or Work overloadin Spain this figure amounts to 49%. In addition, Spain is one of the countries where you least consult the templates on psychosocial risks, standing at 34% of employees who affirm that the companies where they work take into account their indications on mental illnesses, compared to 45% of the European average, and far from countries with best practices such as Germany, where 65% of respondents affirm that in their companies they have been consulted. In Spain we are not very psychologist. An important point that highlights the survey is that, in Spain, the culture of Mental health assistance to social level, much less at work level. A good barometer of this is that the psychological advice in the work environment is still very limited in Spain, where only 28% of the people surveyed say they have this resource in their company, compared to 40% on average in the European Union. Finland is headed in this regard, reaching 78% of companies that offer mental health advice and assistance for their employees. This deficit in access to psychological support from the company itself contributes to enching the impact of mental health problems on the templates, as the report points out ‘WHO guidelines on mental health at work ‘ Posted by the World Health Organization (WHO). An obstacle to professional careers. As a consequence of the lack of culture of psychological well -being in Spain that the European report indicated, the belief that reveal a mental health problem It will involve a social and professional stigma that will negatively affect the development of the professional career. However, that feeling, although on different scale, is common to all EU countries. That fear of stigma makes 48% of European employees say that revealing that they suffer a mentally affecting a problem of their professional career. In Spain, this percentage rises to 54%. The study indicates that this fear is especially high among younger employees or those who occupy precarious jobs, still increasing their vulnerability in the labor market. More stress, lower medical. According to the AXA 2025 Mental Health Studythe disabilities related to mental health problems have climbed into among the diseases with greater affectation since 2016 in the Spanish work environment. Taa and as stood out The countryPandemia marked a turning point In temporal disabilities due to psychological and psychiatric problems, with a 72% increase in casualties. This has put on the table the need for Review prevention strategies and support for mental health within companies, an aspect where Spain still shows important deficiencies regarding the European environment. In Xataka | Only one in four Spaniards has rested on vacation. The culprits: job anxiety and inability to disconnect Image | UNSAPLASH (Vasilis caravitis)

Stress for not running out of rare earth is dominating technological ones. Apple has just spent 500 million

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Apple has signed An agreement with MP Materialsa US mining company, to ensure the supply of magnets made of rare earths over the next few years. The company led by Tim Cook will invest 500 million dollars In this company with the purpose of eliminating its current dependence on Rare earth from China. However, the supply of rare land magnets of American origin will begin in 2027. This strategic decision is Apple’s response to two needs. The most obvious is that those of Cupertino need to have access to rare earth magnets without being conditioned by The iron control that China currently exercises on the global supply chain of these chemical elements. In addition, its investment in MP Materials has been very well received by the administration of Donald Trump as part of the commitment acquired by Apple at the end of last February. And is that on the 24th of that month the Cupertino announced that will invest 500,000 million dollars During the next four years in the US and will create 20,000 new jobs. In any case, this scenario invites us to ask us two questions. On the one hand it is important to identify why rare earth magnets are so important for Apple and other technology companies. And it is also crucial that we know how China has achieved dominate in such a forceful way the global supply chain of rare earths. Rare earths are essential to make advanced technology “Rare earth materials are fundamental to producing advanced technology, and our association with MP Materials will help strengthen the supply of these vital elements here, in the United States,” has declared Tim Cookthe Director General of Apple. Permanent magnets made with rare earths, such as neodymium or samarium-colto, are very attractive for electronic devices manufacturers because they have high magnetic force, great resistance to demagnetization and high thermal stability, among other remarkable qualities. In fact, they are not essential only for the electronics industry; They also have a leading role in the sector that is dedicated to the manufacture of electric cars, in the aeronautical and in the advanced armament production industry. The problem for the US and its allies is that currently the rare earth supply chain It is almost completely controlled by China. This Asian country produces 70% of rare earths and controls 90% of the processing industry of these chemical elements. Rare earth magnets are very attractive due to their high magnetic force, great resistance to demagnetization and high thermal stability On April 4, just 24 hours after Donald Trump announced the taxes that he was going to apply to the importation of most products from abroad, The administration led by Xi Jinping responded. And he did it forcefully. In early December 2024 He chose to prohibit The export of some critical minerals to the US, among which were three essential metals for the chips industry: Gallium, Germanio and Antimony. Shortly after the Chinese government added two more critical metals to its list of export restrictions: the Scandio and the Disposio. These chemical elements are probably less known than metals prohibited by China previously, such as Gallium or Germanio, but are at least as important as the latter because They have a fundamental role In the industries of integrated circuits, telecommunications and the manufacture of storage devices. The ability to put pressure from China had not yet been extinguished. Just ten days later, on April 14, the Administration did not hesitate take another step forward With the purpose of putting in check, in addition to the industries that I just mentioned, those of electric cars, aeronautics and advanced armament. To achieve this, it effectively suspended, in addition to the export of the most valuable rare earths, that of high -power magnets that have a critical role in the industries that I have cited in this same paragraph. This is the context in which MP Materials has erected as a crucial actor for the US. And this mining company is the owner of the only site in this country that contains some of the rare earths necessary to manufacture high -power industrial magnets. This is the reason why it has become A very valuable strategic resource For the country led by Donald Trump. The US plan pursues Develop your own supply chain of rare earths with the purpose of eliminating any dependence on the global market of these chemical elements. Image | Daniel L. Lu More information | Reuters In Xataka | The US will not be able to contain the technological development of China. Experts from the chips industry forecast it

The crochet was a quiet shelter away from stress and internet overinformation. Until the AI ​​arrived

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There is the way everywhere. The last viral success in networks is made with ia, we hear music made with iathe Wikipedia has been filled with the… despite the initiatives to label itwe constantly encounter content that It gets through Real, And this It is a problem. It is exactly what is happening in the crochet community, a small and harmless Internet corner where the patterns generated with AI are ruining everything. Patterns impossible to weave. Crochet fans or crochet They went to the Internet to find new patterns. Currently, platforms like Etsy are a mines field full of patterns made with ia. Dragons, unicorns, lions … all with complex designs and a suspiciously perfect appearance that, trying to recreate them, are impossible to weave. In other cases, what users receive is absolutely similar to the photos of the product and, when weaving them, they become the meme of “what you ask vs. what comes to you.” And the worst: many are sold. What you ask what comes to you (ETSY) The deception. It has not cost me anything to find several examples of crochet patterns made with ethsy. On the first results page there are a few and do not specify that they have been generated with AI; Rather, quite the opposite. For example, the pattern of This dragon It is sold for 3.40 euros and nowhere does nothing say. Nor do we see it in the seller pagewhere all your designs are clearly made with AI. In fact, in the description ensures that you design each pattern with love and with real photos. In the reviews, this dragon has an assessment of 4.3 out of 5, which is not bad. However, it is enough to dive a bit to realize that most reviews with five stars are from people who have not yet started. If we see the worst assessment, they are people complaining that what they have received is impossible to weave. Many ask for explanations to the creator and the answers continue to insist that the pattern is real and has even been “created by a true craftsman.” A full -fledged scam. Some user reviews that have fallen in this SCAM. A problem that comes from afar. In the crochet community They have been complaining years of the irruption of these false patterns. Two years ago It was already written about this problem And it was common to see images of crochet artificially generated On Instagram and other networks. There were even guides to help people differentiate a real pattern of one made with the. The thing has not improved. There are more and more examples made with AI and the tools have advanced so much that There are people who fall believing they were facing a real pattern. The garbage goes for your hobbies. Recently we talked about Phenomenon of ‘AI Slop’ that flooded the networks such as Instagram or Tiktok with videos of quite disturbing. With the case of crochet, we are seeing that garbage applied to a hobby, and is not the only one. Something similar happens with 3D impression, where more and more Suspiciously perfect models that when they print them, they seem rather little to the photos. Sewing fans too They denounce that ETSY has been filled with patterns AI. If you like the kitchen you are not safe, Facebook is full of recipes made with ia. Labeling the AI ​​content is not enough. Although many fans are able to detect an image generated with a real one, it is enough to read the comments of many of these publications to see the enormous number of people who believe they are real. Platforms like Pinterest, Instagram either Tiktok They are labeling the AI ​​content (although It is not infallible), but the problem of constant spameo or ‘slop’ . The volume of content generated is so large, that in some searches it costs to find images that are not made with AI (try to look for Haircut ideas on Pinterest). John Oliver said it in This great monologueand perhaps it is not disenchanted: “Not all the AI ​​content is spam, but all spam is AI contained.” Cover image | ETSYedited In Xataka | A study has discovered a much more efficient activity for your brain than writing by hand or walking: sewing

24.1% of stress rotation and burnout

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Detachment and job dissatisfaction have grown in a technological field shaken by changes of different kinds: template reductionschanges in working hours and changes in Labor policies. That has resulted in an increase in labor rotation in 2025. Stress and The lack of motivation They put the icing on a situation in which more and more employees look for a new job, according to survey data ‘Employee Experience Report 2025‘ of Nailted. Not just losing an employee. The last Employee Experience Report de Nailted, which includes the opinion of more than 32,000 employees in 126 companies. Such and As they point out From Manfred, this data reveals that the increase in template rotation is the direct consequence of a decline labor commitment and an increasingly deteriorated employee experience. “We are in a moment of emotional wear on the teams, and we must act with head (and with data),” warn the authors of the report. “When someone leaves, not only changes a name in a database: knowledge, relationships and part of the culture of the team are lost.” Employees do not find their place. In 2025, labor rotation They have reached 24.1% compared to the 19.19% registered in 2024. The authors point out this data as an alarming figure that reflects emotional wear in equipment that not only affects the stability of companies, but also puts at risk the continuity and quality of technological projects. Of this total, 8.73% of the outputs correspond to voluntary outputsslightly less than 9.39% of the previous year, motivated mainly by dissatisfaction and discomfort in the job. On the other hand, layoffs encouraged by companies have increased considerably, reaching 8.87% compared to 6.98% of 2024. These variations reflect a context of template settings On the part of the companies, and a scenario of uncertainty for cooling the labor market, which makes employees looking for a new job, think twice before changing. ENPS: A thermometer that alerts the commitment. One of the values ​​that the Nailted study calculates is the ENPS index (Employee Net Promoter Score), which measures employees’ emotional commitment to their companies on a scale of -100 to 100, being 0 a neutral assessment. The data suggests that this index has suffered a significant fall in 2025, standing at +17, which represents a drop of 9 points compared to the previous year and the worst data of the historical series. To put it in perspective, in 2021 the index reached +32 and in 2023, after a massive wave of layoffs in the technological sector, it remained in +36. This sustained descent reflects a clear loss in the satisfaction and emotional bond of workers with their companies. As the report points out, “less people would recommend your company as a good place to work”, a symptom confirming the Increase in labor rotation. Stress as a trigger. The increase in rotation is closely linked to the increase in work stress. In 2025, 18.12% of employees declare work Under high stress, while 29.7% experience it occasionally. This constant pressure contributes to emotional wear that directly impacts the motivation and job satisfaction. Consequently, aspects such as feeling satisfied with the work, speaking positively about the company or feeling proud of the work carried out have decreased in different percentages compared to previous years. Reading is aggravated when only 58.89% of workers feel that their company supports them to Manage stresswhich represents a decrease of 5.98% compared to 2024, evidencing an increase in the feeling of abandonment of companies in terms of well -being. This is not paid. To the fall in the perception of the welfare of the workers, the salary injustice is added. Barely 43.21% consider that Your remuneration is fair In relation to their experience and responsibilities, a figure that has dropped 4.22% in one year. This negative perception It is one of the main causes that feed the rotation, since it directly affects the motivation and commitment of employees, deriving in the Burned worker syndrome either Burnoutas well as in an increase in “Silent resignation“That is, just do what is strictly necessary not to be fired. In Xataka | The harsh reality of wages in Spain: the most frequent gross salary in 2023 did not exceed 16,000 euros a year Image | Unspash (Annie Spratt)

It is your body complaining about stress, according to an anxiety expert

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Have some healthy sleep habits and doing some physical activity – although it is not very demanding – contribute to reduce stress levels. Yeah No measures are takenstress is chronified and the body begins to adopt its own coping measures that can alter aspects such as sleep, social relationships and even the way of working. According to the therapist Miriam Salinasspecialist in disorders caused by anxiety, go to bed late per night, or fall into obsessions such as work perfectionism, are the neurobiological response with which our brain tries Protect us from stress and the trauma accumulated throughout the day. Understanding this link between what we considered only bad habits and stress is crucial for stop blaming you and start understanding Why do we get so late At night when, in reality, we are sleepy. A moment of peace and security According to The World Health Organization (WHO), stress can be defined as a state of concern or mental tension generated by a difficult situation. All people have a certain degree of stress, since it is a natural response to threats and other stimuli. It is the way in which we react stress that marks the way in which it affects our well -being. Miriam Salinas Explain that “if you go to bed late at night, it is because it is the only time when You feel peace and security“. During the day, anxiety and hypervigilance are the dominant mental states, preventing the body and mind from relaxing. Therefore, night tranquility becomes an emotional refuge, where it is finally possible to lower the guard. This pattern It is not a simple whim or a lack of disciplinebut a sign that the nervous system is trying to find a safe space. The deregulation of the autonomic nervous system (SNA), caused by chronic stress, can alter the natural rhythms of sleep and push people to seek comfort in the solitude of the night, causing what University researchers called sleep procrastination. One way to mitigate this behavior that, in turn, causes greater stress for not sleeping the recommended hours, is Reserve time during the day to find that tranquility and reduce cortisol levels walking or disconnecting the stress source. The impact of stress on our habits Stress is not only behind multiple sleep disorders. In your search, coping strategies for stress, our brain also finds refuge in excessive screens use. Such and as he published The avant -gardesome people spend hours using Social networks on mobile or in front of the computer to avoid face intrusive thoughts or uncomfortable emotions. According to Salinas, “you spend hours on the phone because you prefer that to face your thoughts.” This cognitive evasion It is a form of temporary distraction, but does not solve the discomfort, which is the anxiety caused by chronic stress. Expert anxiety therapist also holds the stress of certain Social isolation behaviorsby perceiving social relations as an insecure environment that the brain associates as the focus of stress. Although from the outside it may seem that They choose to be alonein reality it is a neurobiological adaptation to avoid situations that perceive as threatening or emotionally dangerous. Other behaviors That they can affect your daily productivity, it is the obsession that every thing you do is perfect. Salinas explains that perfectionism It arises as an attempt to control the interior emotional chaos. All these behaviors, Far from being defects, they are adaptations that the brain and body develop to survive stress contexts sustained over time. In Xataka | Half of the employees claims to work under constant stress: they would renounce 21% of their salary to avoid it In Xataka | Lack of motivation is a problem for productivity. The trick to avoid it is simple according to science: start Image | Unspash (Dipqi Ghozali, Sinitta Leunen)

The Z generation has returned to the office with a new strategy against stress: pretend to be very busy

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In general, all employees are suffering, in one way or another, their own process of Adaptation to the office. However, generation Z is the only one that has not had a Previous work experience Since that context since it has joined the labor market in the middle of the teleworking. That has generated that 36% of Genzers has adopted a new strategy for face the office: The “tasking”. A tactic, which consists in appearing to be superocupated, without really being to fill out the free time they have left after doing their job. Tasking Tasking: The art of looking occupied. If you have been sailing lately for the Instagram or Tiktok reels, they will probably have appeared Some videos (Medium in a half joke seriously), showing how to look very busy in the office, without really doing anything productive. This phenomenon has gained importance as companies require more time in the office, which leads some employees to find ways to demonstrate their worth without necessarily increase their real productivity. Actually, what is hidden after this practice is a deeper problem related to time management, workload and business culture. Returning to the office has no impact on productivity. According to A recent survey carried out by the Workuman Human Resources Platform among 3,000 US participants, the United Kingdom and Ireland, 36% of young people admitted to appear who worked, when in reality he had already finished their assigned work. 70% of them acknowledge that Tasking Tasking has had no effect on their rhythm to carry out their usual work and the tasks assigned in a time below their day have ended. But having to spend more time in the office, they must appear that they still work on them so that their bosses Do not overload them With more work. Yes, in reality, they are more productive. If you have reached this point, having read the two previous paragraphs probably your conclusion, they have managed to do your work in less time of the expected. That makes them more productive employees. Why mask that quality? According to experts consulted by Fortunethe lack of commitment to the values ​​of the company and the belief that their work is not being valued enough, is what could be leading young people to implement this variant of the Silent resignation. The young people only do the work assigned to them, filling the rest of the day with a show in the “productivity theater“That has brought the return to the office. It is not limited only to employees. Pretending to be very busy is not something that is limited to younger employees. The workhuman study has revealed that 38% of senior executives and 37% of intermediate managers pretend to be more busy for the gallery than they really are. Gene generation employees feel their worth It is measured by its presence in the office and their apparent dedication, instead of the real results they deliver. This perception is reinforced by the culture of some companies that The hours worked more value than efficiency. “Your career is not built on the hours you spend on your desktop, but about the results, relationships and reputation. If you do not see the value of being in the office, have an open conversation with your employer. If the culture continues declared to Fortune Victoria McLean, founder of the Labor CITY CV. The causes that cause it. According to the answers obtained by the workhuman study, the main reason for this behavior is to improve the balance between personal and work life, something that generation Z values ​​above all. If your bosses find out what they can do More work in less timethey will assign them much more. When they cannot face him, they must sacrifice personal time to get him forward. That is a red line that They do not plan to transfer. The stress cycle. However, pretending to be productive so that bosses do not assign more work and grow their stress, it contributes precisely to generate a new focus of stress: the constant mental burden involved in maintaining a credible appearance of being busy. Jenni Field, founder and executive director of Redefining Communications assured Fortune that: “If people must be in the office, there must be a clear purpose beyond just being seen, especially if the work could be done from home. If there is no that purpose, employees and managers should work together to define how the witness work should be and address the fundamental causes of the task masking.” In Xataka | Generation Z is being a challenge for companies: 95% of young people manage to escape Image | Unspash (RAD MINE)

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