studying

The AP-7 has not had tolls for four years. Now the Government is studying whether to recover them or spend 500 million to expand it

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The AP-7 is once again at the center of the debate on mobility in Catalonia. And just as share El Periódico, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has four projects underway to widen the highway with new lanes, a joint investment that exceeds 500 million euros. The works will affect almost a hundred kilometers spread between Vallès, Penedès and Terres de l’Ebre. Why it is important. Since tolls were eliminated in 2021the AP-7 has ceased to be a highway designed primarily for long journeys and has become a road that also supports a good part of the daily traffic of the Barcelona metropolitan area, in addition to an intense passage of trucks of all kinds. This has led to almost daily traffic jams in the most densely populated sections and recurring collapses every summer. In detail. The four projects are: Third lane between L’Hospitalet de l’Infant and Ampostajust over 38 kilometers. It is the most advanced, with the drafting of the project underway since 2023. Fourth lane between the B-23 and Martorellabout nine kilometers, in one of the main accesses to Barcelona, ​​with an estimated cost of 94 million euros. Fourth lane between Sant Celoni and Montornès del Vallèsapproximately 30 kilometers. Fourth lane between Martorell and Vilafranca Centerabout 25 kilometers. These last two are, as far as possible confirm ACN and El Periódico, which until now were not publicly known. Each project is in a different phase of processing, from preliminary studies to final drafting, so none of them yet have a closed execution date. Between the lines. The problem is not just with private cars. Of the 41,000 vehicles that cross the border through La Jonquera on average every day, 15,000 are trucks, according to data of 2025 collected by El Periódico. The Ministry and the Generalitat agree that the railway should absorb a greater part of this freight traffic, but the lack of capacity of the railway network and intermodal terminals, together with a Mediterranean corridor still uncompleted, leaves the road as practically the only competitive option. Meanwhile. Expanding lanes requires years of environmental and administrative procedures, so both administrations have chosen to also act where the highway loses fluidity without the need to build anything new. An agreement of 250 million euros Annually between the Ministry and the Generalitat will allow the remodeling of fifteen links (including Girona Nord and Sud, Maçanet de la Selva, La Roca del Vallès, Montmeló-Parets, the connection with the B-30 or Vilafranca del Penedès) to eliminate the so-called “braided”, the conflictive crossings between vehicles that enter and leave in a few meters and that generate a good part of the delays. And now what. It is also still on the table limit truck overtaking in some sections, an option that the Servei Català de Trànsit is studying to reduce accidents while the works have not yet begun. In parallel, the debate has also resurfaced about whether it is appropriate to introduce a toll or a vignette on high-capacity roads, although both the central government and the Generalitat have ruled out recovering any means of payment for now. The Minister of Territory, Housing, Ecological Transition, Sílvia Paneque, already claimed a few days ago in an interview with El Periódico to advance in these expansions to prevent the same image of collapse on the AP-7 from being repeated every summer. Cover image | Costa Brava In Xataka | “The recharging excuse has its days numbered”: the Government confirms that 90% of the main roads already have fast charging nearby

The US taught that access to advanced AI can be cut off. China is studying the same thing, according to Reuters, and Europe is watching from the outside

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When the United States activated export controls which ended up leading Anthropic to deactivate Fables 5 and Mythos 5 For all its users, a reality that was difficult to ignore was exposed: access to advanced AI may be cut off. Not because the model disappears, nor because it stops working technically, but because a national security decision can convert an available tool into a conditioned capability. Things have changed slightly since then: controls on Fable lifted after new safeguards and Mythos was limited to a few trusted American organizations, but the precedent is still there. Now that question returns from the other side of the board. Reuters reports that Chinese authorities have held meetings over the last month with the country’s major technology companies to study possible restrictions on foreign access to their most advanced AI models, including some that have not yet been launched. Alibaba, ByteDance and Z.ai participated in those meetings, according to three people familiar with the conversations. At the moment there is no approved measure, no fixed calendar, nor definitive scope. Perhaps more revealing, Beijing is discussing how far it wants to open up its most advanced AI products. What was discussed in those meetings goes beyond closing an API or limiting access to a specific product. According to the agency, participants talked about putting limits on the most advanced models, both closed and more open versions, and also about toughening the consequences for what they call leaks or thefts of proprietary AI technology. One of the sources consulted indicated that these leaks could be treated as crimes linked to China’s strict national security law. New restrictions were also raised on who can fund domestic AI startups. Advanced AI enters the logic of strategic control There are several reasons why what was mentioned does not remain solely within Chinese borders. Since the emergence of DeepSeek R1, remember, AI developed in China has gained ground outside the country thanks to a very attractive combination for many companies: low costs and increasing capabilities. Alibaba has Qwen, ByteDance features Doubao and Z.ai has attracted attention in Silicon Valley with GLM-5.2a model that comes close to leading American offerings at a fraction of the cost. If Beijing limits that access, many businesses and users could find themselves with fewer options and, presumably, higher bills. The Chinese AI sector also seems interested in developing cybersecurity-oriented systems equivalent or superior to those in the United States. Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360, a cybersecurity company with weight among government and enterprise clients, has said that China needs to develop its own Mythos. The company came to present Tulongfeng as a Chinese response to that type of system, stating that it is capable of detecting a large number of vulnerabilities. This is where the most delicate part of the debate appears when viewed from Europe. When the Anthropic case brought to the table the possibility that access to American models would be conditioned by Washington, some raised the Chinese models as a possible alternative: cheaper, increasingly capable and, in certain cases, available through API or with open weights. The new information from Reuters introduces an important nuance in that reading. Changing suppliers can reduce costs or open up new technical options, but does not eliminate the dependency if the critical capacity continues to live under a foreign jurisdiction. Europe, moreover, had already been thinking about this kind of risk before Anthropic and China occupied the center of the discussion. The Commission has defended the need to reduce dependencies on cloud, artificial intelligence and semiconductors, and has linked that agenda with the autonomy and digital resilience of the continent. In that discussion, Brussels has come to warn of the risk of “kill switches”: the possibility that a foreign supplier or a government with the ability to pressure can interrupt essential technological services. That is why Europe looks from the outside. The United States preserves some of the most advanced models in the world and has already made it clear that access to them may be conditioned by a political or national security decision. China, for its part, has gained ground with cheaper and increasingly capable modelsand now I would be studying my own restrictions. The Old Continent is in another place: it has regulation, sovereign ambition and promising companies, but it does not yet seem to have an equivalent in commercial weight, global adoption and strategic capacity to the products that today set the technological bar. Images | Xataka with Nano Banana | Arthur Wang In Xataka | Alibaba’s Qwen AI model is the new crown jewel. The only problem is that they don’t make money from it.

Gijón is already studying to install it

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In a matter of a few years, electric scooters They have ended up becoming an everyday element of the urban landscape in Spain. The problem is that road signs and regulations around this new type of mobility have taken longer to catch up. Since last year they have had their own signage, and town councils are already beginning to use it. What is happening in Gijón. Just like share the media El Comercio, the Gijón City Council has requested signs of the R-118 model to install them in different parts of the city. This was announced in the municipal plenary session by the Councilor for Traffic, Mobility and Public Transport, Pelayo Barcia. The sign, which prohibits access to personal mobility vehicles (VMP, which includes electric scooters, hoverboards and similar), does not yet have a definitive location. And the City Council has a pending meeting with the Traffic and Citizen Security service to decide on which specific streets it will be installed. The debate on the prohibition of this type of vehicles on certain streets came after an initiative by Vox to create a specific municipal ordinance for these vehicles, a proposal that was rejected. The councilor considered that there is already sufficient regulation: VMPs cannot circulate on sidewalks, they only allow one occupant, they must stop at a pedestrian crossing, and their maximum speed is 25 km/h. Chaff pointed out Furthermore, since January an internal instruction from the Local Police has been in force to act on these vehicles, and that the municipality has acquired a dynamometer to detect scooters manipulated to exceed that limit. In the first quarter, nearly 200 complaints have already been filed since it came into force mandatory insurance. Why does this signal exist and when did it arrive? The R-118 has been in the making for years. Since 2022, the DGT had been announcing the need to update the signage catalogwhich had not undergone substantial changes since 2003. The specific signal for VMP was one of the novelties that appeared in the drafts, although for years its entry into force was delayed due to the lack of legal support. And without modification of the General Traffic Regulations, there was no possible signal. The change came in June 2025. Royal Decree 465/2025published in the BOE on June 17, updated road signage and incorporated new signs, including a specific prohibition on electric scooters. The sign came into force on July 1 of last year, with the obligation to remove the repealed signs before July 1, 2026. It was the first major reform of the sign catalog in more than two decades. What exactly is R-118 and what does it prohibit. Visually, the R-118 follows the classic logic of prohibition signs: a circle with a red border and the silhouette of an electric scooter in the center, allowing its meaning to be understood at a glance. Although it is not only specific to scooters: it basically affects all personal mobility vehicles with motor propulsion. It can normally be found, for example, at the entrance to secondary roads or high-speed roads such as highways and highways, but also (as in the case of Gijón) in urban streets where the presence of these vehicles generates conflicts with pedestrians or other users. Failure to comply can have consequences, as skipping the sign carries a fine of 200 euros. Decision of the municipalities. The placement of these signs corresponds to each municipality, so their implementation will be progressive and adapted to the needs of each city. There is no nationwide deployment, so it is not unusual for there to be cities that have not incorporated it into their streets. Each council decides when and where to install them depending on the traffic in their area. Although the signal has existed legally for almost a year, there really aren’t too many cities that have used it yet. However, there are some municipalities, including Gijón, that have already begun to act. VMP park growth. This type of vehicle has grown brutally in Spain: from half a million units in 2020 to more than five million currently. This rapid growth has generated tensions that cities have no longer been able to ignore, including conflicts with pedestrians on sidewalks, accidents, scooters abandoned in the middle of the streets, and a general perception that these vehicles circulated without clear rules. Regulation has come in layers: first state regulations, then municipal ordinances, and now specific signage. In Barcelona, ​​for example, from February 1, 2025 it is mandatory to wear a helmet and driving on sidewalks is prohibited. Madrid has been imposing progressive restrictions, including the ban on scooter rental services after repeated non-compliance. Each city is building its own framework, within the limits set by the State. What is still missing. The R-118 signal solves part of the problem (knowing where these vehicles cannot circulate) but there are important drawbacks. The councilor of Gijón pointed out that measures such as the mandatory use of helmets at the national level “are subject to a state regulatory development that has not yet occurred”, and the municipalities that have gone ahead on their own see that the fines end up being successfully appealed. The issue of homologation is also pending, since models sold before the new regulations have until 2027 to adapt or stop circulating. Cover image | Belinda Fewings and assembly with Gemini generated by AI In Xataka | If you think that the DGT is issuing more fines than in its entire history, the data proves you right

what a new study has discovered studying flies

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The brain is an extremely energy-demanding organ, as it needs a large amount of glucose to function correctly. But sometimes not everything focuses on functioning to live, but also to accumulate new memories or knowledge, something that students who put themselves in front of books need above all. And now we know that sugar can be your best ally. A new paradigm. A priori, we may think that what we eat is like a large amount of gasoline that we pour into the tank we have inside us. However, a recent study published in Nature describes an unprecedented biological mechanism, pointing out that it is not sugar that magically improves memory, but rather it is consuming it after learning something new, such as a study session, that can consolidate it. All this along with a good rest too. What has been seen? Here the researchers subjected a group of flies to aversive learning that began to be spaced out over time, in this way a neutral stimulus was associated with an experience that was detected as unpleasant so that they learned to reject it. Under this pretext, the researchers observed that subjecting the flies to this learning system causes the “hijacking” of the fructose-detecting neurons, which is a type of carbohydrate, in the brain of the flies. There is more. The fascinating thing about all this is that it happens even when the flies are completely full, so the learning generates a kind of temporary “non-homeostatic hunger.” In this way, after the cognitive effort, if the fly ingests sugar, these neurons, which had been disinhibited by learning, become massively activated. And it is something fundamental because activation triggers the release of a hormone called thyrostimulinwhich acts as the definitive signal to consolidate long-term memory. It’s not just about the taste. This article does not come out of nowhere, but already in 2017 a research group showed that the brain is too smart to be fooled by the sweeteners that give us the sweet taste. Here the concept “caloric frustration memory” was introduced, which pointed out that the brain perfectly distinguishes between sweet taste and real energy value. That is why for certain memories to be optimally consolidated, the nutritional value matters as much or more than the simple taste reward. Furthermore, this same French team demonstrated in 2024 that diverting the flow of glucose to neurons plays a vital role in memory memory. fruit fly, and that the metabolic activation of certain areas of the brain is an essential trigger for long-term memory. In humans. Although this is something that has been seen in flies right now, it offers us an incredible window into evolutionary neurobiology. This is something that gives us hope that, at a fundamental level, brains have evolved to link energy availability with metabolic expenditure in order to create new memories. If we look at the literature, there are studies that have analyzed this same effect in our own brains. Specifically, it has been seen that administering glucose can temporarily improve certain cognitive aspects. This is especially noticeable in verbal memory, episodic memory, and in hippocampal-dependent tasks such as object-location binding. Although in no case should you gorge yourself on sugar to be able to learn much faster. Images | Marcos Paulo Prado Daniel Kraus In Xataka | The memory of young people is deteriorating at a record pace. Science thinks it knows why

BYD is already studying entering Formula 1, according to Bloomberg. And it is not a whim, it is a necessary step

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To understand a leak you have to imagine (or be clear about) who is behind it. But also how and when the information has been leaked. And in this case, of course, there is little that is coincidental. BYD is studying its entry into Formula 1, according to Bloomberg. In the week in which Formula 1 arrives in China and the sport seeks new markets. The rumors. BYD is studying its ability to compete in Formula 1 and/or the World Endurance Championship (WEC) according to Bloomberg. The media outlet points to “people familiar with the matter,” who point out that the company calculates how much money an investment could take where no success is guaranteed. For the information of Bloomberg It seems that internal investigations would be in their early stages. And the media points out that there would be two possibilities, from creating your own team to buying one already on the grid, a more common option. Because? On BYD’s side, the reason is clear: trust. The company needs to open up to new markets but, in addition, its plans for the next five years include a rapid expansion. The company has also seen how its sales have collapsed in China and there are those who anticipate a stagnation in sales if the State does not return the purchase aid of recently recalled electric cars. Entering one or both of the competitions would give the company a layer of credibility and confidence in the face of possible new competitors. Competitions continue to be a huge laboratory where solutions and ingenuity can be developed that can then be applied on the street, but they also help create history and brand image. Chinese companies need a boost in this last sense to give credibility to their proposal. At the moment they are doing it by following all the challenges that traditional manufacturers once set themselves. That’s why Xiaomi has sought its own record at the Nürburgring. That’s why BYD boasts of having the fastest car in the world. Jumping into competition is only a natural step in strategy. Formula 1. Why would BYD be interested in Formula 1 when the championship is not going through its best moment? For several reasons: With the change in regulations, the battery and electric motors are more important than ever. Right now, the type of motorization is aligned with a proposal with which BYD can take advantage on the street. Despite criticism, it remains the queen category of motorsports. Neither the World Endurance Championship (except the 24 Hours of Le Mans), nor the World Rally Championship, nor Formula E, nor the American competitions (Indycar or Nascar) attract so many viewers to television. Formula 1 has gained enormous weight among young people in the United States. Your documentaries Drive to survive They have increased interest in a population group that may be interested in their vehicles. The country also already organizes two Grand Prix, which would serve as a showcase where, at the moment, they cannot sell their cars. Formula 1 aims to once again attract the Chinese public. This weekend F1 returns to Shanghai, which has been sowing the seed since 2004 (with the 2020-2023 break due to the Covid-19 crisis). If Formula 1 is interested in gaining followers in the country, BYD would be a great tool. And the problems? The problems for BYD are also several and almost all of them are linked to the fact that it is impossible to guarantee the return of investments in competition in terms of success. And it is difficult to measure its social impact in the short term. Bloomberg points out that a year in a championship like Formula 1 or the WEC is equivalent to investing about 500 million euros. The company does not have a previous competition structure. That leaves two possibilities: create it from scratch with inexperienced engineers or buy existing equipment. Neither option is cheap. The future of Formula 1 is uncertain. The current regulations do not convince either drivers or fans. Some teams even supported freezing the change or not giving so much weight to the batteries and others like Audi, which had already made the investment to enter it, refused. The doubt is whether the sport will maintain the current rules as they are or if they will move away from a proposal that fits with BYD’s philosophy. Just as BYD has a lot to gain in image, it can also lose it. Both Formula 1 and the WEC are dominated by Western teams, failing could mean a step back in the communication strategy. The WEC. The World Endurance Championship could be a logical and alternative option to Formula 1 that seems to have fewer risks. The organizers seem willing to open their hand with the type of motorization used, so there are not so many regulatory restrictions in that sense. This has once again attracted brands such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ford or Genesis (Hyundai). In addition, it would allow him to grow and gain experience without having so many spotlights on him. Endurance races are an excellent opportunity to test the reliability of advances that can then be replicated to a greater or lesser extent on the street. A success would be excellent publicity and a failure would not attract as many eyes. Photo | BYD and Drew Bates In Xataka | From BYD to Xiaomi: all the Chinese cars that are already sold in Spain, Europe and those to come

“studying humanities will be more important than ever”

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When a student finds himself at the doors of the PAU (University Access Test) and considers what studies to start If you want to dedicate yourself to the development of AI, you will likely opt for computer engineering or a STEM career. In a way it would be the right decision and proof of this is the high job placement rates that, year after year, mark technical engineering. However, according to Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic, the humanities are the key to future of work with AI. To program Claude is already there. Less machine, more human. In a recent interview granted to ABC NewsDaniela Amodei, a graduate in Literature from the University of California in Santa Cruz and sister of the co-founder of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, argues that “studying the humanities is going to be more important than ever.” His argument is based on the same discourse that other AI executives such as Jensen Huang have been supporting for some time: “our job is to create computer technology so that no one needs to program.” Huang said. at a conference in 2024. “A lot of these models are actually very good at STEM, right? But I think this idea that there are things that make us unique as humans, understanding ourselves, understanding history, understanding what motivates us, that’s always going to be really important.” That is, what Amodei considers to be really valuable in the future They are not people who know how to programbut rather teach AI models to think like a human. At Anthropic they are already on that path. The president of Anthropic assured that at the time of hire new employeesalready prioritize profiles of “great communicators, who have an excellent emotional quotient and people skills, who are kind, compassionate and curious and want to help others.” For the directive, “the things that make us human will become much more important instead of much less important.” In fact, Amodei does not see the future of work as a scenario of human vs AIbut of humans plus AI. “The combination of humans and AI creates more meaningful, more challenging, more interesting and highly productive jobs,” stressed the president of Anthropic, “And I believe it will also open the door to greater access and opportunities for many people,” she added. The harsh labor reality in Spain. The job placement rate of the humanities branch in Spain paints a very different picture. According to data According to the BBVA Foundation and the Ivie, 77.6% of young university students obtain a job according to their degree. Students who study computer and software engineering obtain an average employability rate of 89.4%. Instead, according to the report ‘The employability of young people in Spain 2025’ from the Knowledge and Development Foundation (CYD), the branch of Arts and Humanities are the ones that offer the fewest professional opportunities with an average affiliation rate of 63.5%. A complicated present. Amodei foresees a very different future in which AI will liberate the technical to enhance the human. But the truth is that currently graduates in Arts and Humanities are the ones with the lowest salaries. Only 36.4% of graduates in humanities branches exceeds 1,500 euros per monthcompared to engineering companies that charge an average of 2,900 euros gross per year. In Xataka | Finding a job had always been a good way to escape poverty: in Spain it is no longer true Image | Anthropic, Unsplash (Tai Bui)

Insects have been traveling to space for decades. Now the ESA is studying putting them on the astronauts’ plates

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For years, many of us have thought of insects as something foreign to our table, but they have been part of space history for much longer than we imagine. Even before the first astronauts reached orbit, these small species they had already shown that could withstand the conditions of flight. Today, with long-duration missions on the horizon, the conversation has changed. Europe wonders if these animals, so nutritious and easy to maintain, could become a real option to feed those who live far from Earth. Why insects. Although they are still a culinary rarity in Spain, insects are part of the regular diet of billions of people. The FAO estimates more than 2,000 species consumed on different continents, valued for their contribution of protein, iron, zinc and beneficial fats. Their ability to develop with few resources and transform waste into useful biomass makes them an attractive candidate for controlled food systems. That is why several European teams are analyzing its nutritional potential and its viability in environments where every gram counts. What we know about microgravity. Research with insects in space has accumulated decades of datafrom early suborbital flights to tests at orbital stations. During this journey, different species have been tested, with very different results: some managed to complete essential phases of the life cycle in microgravity and others showed sensitivity to factors such as movement or radiation. This contrast has been useful to understand what biological mechanisms remain stable outside of Earth and what processes are altered even in very resistant organisms. What the ESA is looking for. The European team work with a specific idea: to know in detail how these organisms behave in key phases of their development when they spend prolonged time in orbit. The agency has brought together diverse profiles to study their ability to recycle nutrients and produce protein under controlled conditions, a line that already has candidate species such as the common cricket and the mealworm. This research aims to clarify what biological requirements should be met before considering its production in long-duration missions. Fruit fly habitat used for scientific research in space Although there is an extensive history of testing with insects, much of the results are scattered and come from short missions. The majority of experiments did not reach times that allow the complete life cycle of a species to be followed, an essential requirement to evaluate its use in long missions. Furthermore, many of these investigations are old and used different methodologies, making it difficult to compare them. That is why ESA is preparing new studies specifically aimed at measuring changes in reproduction, development and behavior in orbit. Drosophila model. NASA’s experience with Drosophila melanogaster has demonstrated its usefulness as a model organism to understand physiological changes in space. The agency highlights that it shares a good part of the genes related to human diseases and that its accelerated reproduction facilitates the analysis of several generations. He Fruit Fly Lab, installed on the International Space Station, it allows us to follow their behavior and freeze samples for study on the ground. It also incorporates a centrifuge that helps distinguish which effects depend on gravity and which are linked to space radiation. Astronaut James D. “Ox” Van Hoften examines a bee experiment From the laboratory to the menu. For now, the food use of insects in space missions continues to be a line of study and not an immediate application. Researchers need to check how they behave in prolonged phases and what it would mean to stably grow them in inhabited modules. Added to this is the challenge of transforming this biomass into safe, manageable and acceptable products from a nutritional and sensory point of view. Everything is moving in the direction of exploring options, not automatically incorporating them into the astronauts’ menu. Images | ESA | POT In Xataka | Astronauts’ food is not appetizing at first, especially in China

A guy has been studying the diets of the oldest people in the world for years and is clear about what a good breakfast is.

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Dan “Longevity” Buettner is a controversial guy. He was the one who popularized the idea that five specific regions (Sardinia, Okinawa, Icaria, Nicoya and Loma Linda) had two things in common: a very high longevity and a diet with particular characteristics. Over time, the idea of ​​blue zones has been harshly criticized and rightly so. However, studying what people over a hundred years old were like, what habits they had and how they ate, has given us very interesting reflections. The importance of breakfast is one of them. We already know that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. Although, of course, that doesn’t mean we can neglect it. Therefore, in a recent videoBuettner has given some recommendations. “The breakfasts of people who live longer do not include sugary cereals or greasy bacon,” he explained. On the contrary, the best breakfasts can be defined by three characteristics: it’s salty, it’s simple, and it’s rich in fiber. And it makes sense. For example, the evidence supporting fiber consumption. A diet with between 25 and 29 grams of fiber per day is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even “all-cause mortality.” This is especially recommended in Spain where dietary surveys show the majority of the population below the recommendations. Something similar happens with “simplicity.” It’s not that more elaborate breakfasts are problematic per se. The fact is that the current rhythms of life make it easier for us not to complicate our lives and the “quick breakfasts” that the market offers are usually accumulate very high amounts of sugar (and salt). If we do not find simple and healthy alternatives, the drift will lead us to worse solutions from a nutritional point of view. Just the kind of things that “shorten” our lives. And then? Buttner makes some suggestions, of course: things like beans with rice, bread with avocado or even minestrone. That is, except perhaps the avocado (and thanks to the millennials), all the options are proposals that are somewhat far away from us – culturally speaking. However, breakfasts with legumes, whole grains and vegetables are not impossible. On the contrary, there are things “very much ours”, like tomato toast, that with a little care, would work as a scandal. What is clear is that, beyond Buttner, the available nutritional evidence is clear: we have to abandon cookies, cereals and other sweet breakfasts and adopt cheap, satiating and fiber-rich options. It doesn’t matter if it’s avocado and hummus or tomato, bread and olive oil. The important thing, as always, is to be more aware of what we eat. Image | Leti Kugler | Mae Mu In Xataka | Eating late in the morning is a bad idea. Now science knows better why

We have centuries studying the different types of clouds. What tells us the shape and color of these atmospheric phenomena

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The atmosphere of the earth hides about 12.9 billion liters of watermore or less. And a good part of that water is in huge clouds that we see fly over our heads as if nothing. These huge atmospheric objects captivate our imagination in childhood, but we often stop thinking about them during our day. Knowing them can help us pay attention to them. What is a cloud The clouds are essentially water, a lot of water. Steam -shaped water, small drops and Even small ice crystals that remain in suspension in the atmosphere. This water becomes visible when condensed, generating a contrast with the blue of the sky. The clouds circulate in the atmosphere dragged through the differences in pressure and the wind that they generate. They also move as a result of the land rotation itself, since the solid surface of the earth does not rotate in the same way as the atmosphere. The clouds can be of very different types that we classify according to certain conditions, such as the height to which they occur. For example, when the clouds are formed at surface height, we do not even usually refer to them as such, but as a fog. But the fog is still a type of cloud. How a cloud is formed The atmosphere keeps water vapor, small H2O molecules that are mixed with the other gases that make up the atmosphere. The amount of water that the atmosphere can store in the form of gas depends on factors such as temperature and pressure. There is a threshold from which the atmosphere Water “sat”and that is when this water can begin to accumulate. This accumulation is good when the amount of water increases or because atmospheric conditions make the threshold reduce, and implies that the molecules go from being a gas in suspension to form microscopic water drops. When these drops, still in suspension, accumulate, the clouds are formed. Types of clouds and characteristics The clouds are usually classified according to two fundamental characteristics: Your altitude in the atmosphere and its appearance. According to its altitude, three types of clouds are distinguished (with an additional case), groups that the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) call of “high floor” (the highest altitude), of “middle floor” (intermediate altitude) and those of low floor (those of minor antura), to which we must add the clouds of vertical development. There are different terms with which referring to these clouds, for example we can speak sympleously of high, medium and low clouds. High floor clouds The high -floor clouds are those that are at heights between 5 and 13 kilometers on the ground, and include cirro, circoum and cirrostrates. Cirrus: According to Explain Aemetcirrus are clouds of the high floor, separate and “in the form of white and delicate filaments, or banks or narrow, white or almost white bands.” Cirrus. Piccolonamek, Commons. CIRCOUM: It is a thin layer of clouds, white and shadowless, “very small elements” in the form of grains or undulations. Circummers. King of Hearts. CIRROSTRATE: These clouds for their part acquire the appearance of a “cloudy veil”, also transparent and rather white, only that this type of clouds covers the sky, totally or partially, producing “halos.” Cirros and its characteristic halo. SeanMack Medium floor clouds The clouds of the middle floor are located at heights between two and seven kilometers, and can also be of various types: altocumulos, high, and nimbostratos. Altocúmulos: The altocumulus are already located at medium heights. It is a bank or cloud layer that can be white or gray. Its structure can varybeing formed by “tiles”, “rounded masses” or “rollers”, structures that, in turn, can be “partially fibrous or diffuse,” Explain Aemet. Altocumulos. Bidgee Altostrates: This layer of clouds usually has gray or bluish colors, it can also have a fibrous appearance, it is characterized by totally or partially covering the sky allowing to distinguish vaguely, but unlike cirrostrates, it does not produce halos. Altostrates. Famartin. Nimbostrates: These clouds form an already dark gray layer, with “appearance veiled by rainfall or snow precipitation”, rainfall that usually falls from it more or less continuously. Nimbostratos. Famartin. Low floor clouds The low floor clouds are those located at heights of up to two kilometers and can be of two types: strata and strata. Stratocumulous: Again clouds that can acquire a gray color, or, on other occasions, whitish with dark parts. Stratocumulous. DjClimber. Strata: Generally gray clouds, uniform base (relatively), which can produce drizzle. The halos in this cloud only occur when very low temperatures are reached. Strata. Couch-Scratching-Cats. Vertical Development Clouds Finally, vertical development clouds can also be of two types: clusters and cumulonimbos. Clusters: These are clouds that arise in isolation, dense and well -defined contours. These clouds develop vertically with the form of “protuberances”, “domes” or “towers.” Clusters. Piccolonamek. Cumulonimbos: Finally, the cumulonimbos are clouds that Aemet describes as “Amazacotadas and Dense”, of vertical development “in the form of a mountain or huge towers.” On his cusp, a top “smooth, fibrous or striated.” Cumulonimbos. NOAA/AOML/Hurricane Research Division. How much water is there in a cloud? The clouds are ethereal objects, “cotton” and with a density low enough to keep afloat at a certain height in the atmosphere. However, they are also huge, so the amount of water they can house is enormous. A few years ago, a group of researchers proposed answer the question How much water is in a cloud. The truth is that the answer can vary greatly since the volume of these atmospheric phenomena can be the most diverse. However, the team made an estimate based on a 0.5 grams of water per cubic meter of cloud. The team took as reference an average cluster, an cloud that would have a cubic shape and a kilometer long. The result: this imaginary cloud would contain about 500 tons of water. Larger clouds, of course, would be able to house an even greater amount of water. In Xataka | “We are changing the clouds”: … Read more

Studying a lot is fine, but there is another factor that influences that you approve or suspend: the exam time

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If you want to approve an exam, there is nothing more than study (well, or Use Chatgpt). Going prepared is the best insurance to get good note, but there is more. Some researchers have discovered That the exam time can also influence, and much, in the result. The study. It was carried out at the University of Messina, Italy. They took into account the exams that were made between the end of 2018 and early 2020. In total, more than 100,000 exams of 1,243 subjects. The approved rate was 57%, the curious thing was when they realized that there was a time slot in which the approved rate was greater. Better at noon. The exams were held from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. The time slot between 11:00 and 13:00 is where the approved rate reached its peak. If you are lucky enough to put the exam at that time, the chances of edges are higher. If on the contrary you have the exam at 8 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon, you may not take out outstanding. Because. The study does not delve into the causes, but researchers have a hypothesis: biological rhythms. One of the authors of the study affirms that the results show “how biological rhythms, often ignored in decision -making contexts, can significantly influence the result of high -risk evaluations.” Our cognitive performance is improving during the morning to reach a peak at noon and start its descent in the afternoon. The approved rate curve is clear: at noon better Fountain The chronotype The study also indicates that this could vary depending on the chronotype, something that has not been taken into account when obtaining the results. It refers to the natural predisposition of a person to have energy peaks and need for rest at different times of the day. Although we know that Genetics plays an important role in sleep cyclesit is also true that students usually study at night. A bad rest would explain that in the first hour the performance goes down. Exams and more. The researchers propose that the institutions concentrate the exams around the central hours of the day. Although the time of an exam does not depend on students, there are other evaluations where we do have some margin when arranging the time as a job interview, as They point to The Times. The researchers agree and leave the door open to study if the time also influences a better performance of the candidates and even the interviewers. Image | Flickr (University of Seville) In Xataka | The selectivity of 2025 promised to be more fair than ever: students feel that Pau is the opposite

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