symbol

How a disgusting organ became the symbol of the romantic heart

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A few years ago, Twitter decided that giving gold stars to favorite tweets wasn’t enough. That love had to make its way in the shape of little hearts. Regardless of the resultthat made us think of the heart icon itself: ♥ How the hell a piece of meat designed as a blood plumbing pump became that clean shape? And at what point did we turn it into the symbol of love? We have reviewed the history of the symbol and the organ, from the caves onwards, in search of love. The simplest answer? Human beings have a tendency to adopt our mistakes as symbols. Even when we have already discovered that they were errors. The shape of the heart The best example is Pandora’s Box. Since Erasmus of Rotterdam translated the Greek myth into Latin and he screwed up with a wordthe jar that contained all the evils of the world became a box. That was 400 years ago. And something similar happens with the heart. Dutch neurosurgeon Pierre Vinken studied the history of the heart as a symbol in The Shape of the Heartwhere he reviews how our ancestors began to wonder what that thing was inside us. We’re talking about a couple of millennia before we discovered what it was for. But the history of the symbol goes back even further: in three French locations, anthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger identified a recurring heart-shaped figure. And in more European caves he observed a few more symbols, in common use. For von Petzinger, symbols represent the first leap from representing specific figures (bison and other prehistoric rock art) to abstract ideas. Maybe a proto-alphabet. The first emojis come from cave times. Boom. In this image from their research we can see the cordiform symbol (and a hashtag!) of those French caves. That is, heart-shaped. But that certainly did not represent one. Neither von Petzinger nor the rest of the scientific community yet knows what this symbol means. It certainly wasn’t anatomical. And the closest thing there was at that time to that figure – except perhaps leaves – were some ax heads. But hey, say what you want: what we use today as a heart is one of the original emojis. Get over that, thumb I like on Facebook! The center of man But let’s go back to the heart. The Egyptians, very fond of touching corpses to make mummies, had the habit of removing the viscera and preserving them in various ways. In canopic glasses, for example. But the heart remained inside: the intellect and emotions resided there, and the dead person needed that organ for their journey in the afterlife. The Greeks also had similar ideas about the function of the organ, although for them the heart was rather the center of reason: Aristotle established that the heart was The Head, the most important thing in the body. He also described his form that way. And this is where it all begins. For the philosopher, the heart was where movement, sensations and reason. And the brain was there to refresh it. But hey, the man tried. And we were in the 4th century BC, there was not much more to it, especially because about testing crazy theories Empirically, he did not go much with the philosopher. Fast forward four centuries and Galen appears, whose ideas guided “Medicine” for more than a millennium. Galen disputed Aristotle about the importance of the heart, also anatomically: the heart was a more or less symmetrical thing divided into two in the shape of a pine cone. That is the basis of our romantic heart. Because it was a pear! Well, no. Not even the first time it was used as such, back in the 13th century. In a French romance called Roman de la PoireDitto of the Pera. In the illuminated manuscript an allegorical love scene appears in which the man offers his heart to his beloved. It is, as far as we know, the first representation of the heart as a romantic symbol. And, although the heart still does not appear as the icon we know today, we do see it as something clean, without ventricles or valves or anything. Since then, the giving of the heart became, in that and other romances, a symbol of love that has survived to this day. But this representation has nothing to do with the title of the romance (the beloved offers a pear that she has peeled with her own teeth to the beloved. Sexy), but with the usual anatomical representation of the heart at that time. More examples? The Charity that Andrea Pisano sculpted on the doors of the Baptistery of Florence in the 14th century. He held a heart in his right hand. A more stylized representation than the one his teacher Giotto di Bondone had made a few decades before, which did represent the heart as an organmore or less. However, during that same century (at least since 1320) several miniatures began to detail the heart with the slit: an iconography that, although erroneous, spread and also changed the position of the heart, with the point downwards. Its popularization spread throughout art, until it reached something more popular a century or so later. When playing cards appeared in Europe (last third of the 14th century), each country adapted the cards that came from Egypt in its own way. And it was the French who, towards the second half of the 15th centurywhich included the heart with that split shape in one of the suits of the deck. From cups, golds, spades and clubs they went to hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. With the shape and color we know today. And so on until you reach Twitter and all the heart tones on WhatsApp. Image | Unsplash In Xataka | The world has been speculating for decades about Hitler’s Jewish origin or his “micropenis.” DNA has given us the answer In Xataka | In 1878 a sultan of Borneo and … Read more

There is a national symbol that Japan has been invariable for generations: a very expensive school backpack

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No one forces them to use them. There is no decree, nor regulationnor order of any other type that requires your purchase. And yet every year (especially In May or August) The families of Japan with children about to start school are subjected to the same ritual: they travel stores to choose with great care the backpack that must accompany the child during their six years of primary school. They do it paying attention to colors, shapes, fabrics … but not to the model. That is taken for granted: the backpack must be a ‘raondoseru’. ‘Rondoseru’? Exact. The word may not tell you much, but if you usually read comics or watch Japanese series and movies it is likely that the article itself is familiar. THE ‘RANDOSERU’ (A style, not a commercial brand) are the backpacks used by Japan children during their early years in school, the equivalent of our primary. Large, rigid, usually of leather, they usually always share the same design: rectangular shape, straps and a huge flap. Where do they come from? The ‘Randosseru’ connects with its origins, at the end of the 19th century. The word is a kind of adaptation of the Dutch “Ransel”, which can be translated as “backpack” or “backpack.” And it is no accident. It is said that the first to use the ‘randoseru’ were the Japanese soldiers at the end of the EDO period, who used them for their luggage. The design must like the prestigious Gakushūininstitution created to train the children of the aristocracy, because Towards 1885 He decided to incorporate a similar model as an official backpack. Other versions They say that in those years, at the end of the 1880s, the Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi He gave the prince Yoshihito (eight years old) A backpack for the school made with leather and remembered the backpacks that the soldiers loaded behind the back. Whether or not, the ‘ramoseru’ ended up triumphing and established a tradition that has managed to survive the nineteenth to the twentieth and twenty -first century, with their wars, political swings and fashions included. A symbol of distinction? Today they are a community symbol. With the passing of the decades, the ‘ramoseru’ have become so popular, have extended so much by the schools throughout Japan, which have become almost a timeless icon. They were used by parents and use them children. In fact they are usually The grandparents Those who give them to their grandchildren and families spend time, resources and attention to choose the best backpack for their offspring. Mainichi Shimbunone of the most relevant newspapers in the country, defines it as something similar to “a rite of initiation” for children who are about to start at school. “Getting a backpack ‘ramoseru’ before the first grade is an important mile In June Moe Yamamoto. Maybe it sounds exaggerated, but families often choose backpack with a surprising anticipation, a year before the child is going to step on the classrooms (they get to work in May in the face of the course that will start in April) and pay attention to all the details. In the department stores Isetan It is even celebrated A special event with hundreds of models to choose designs, colors or materials. How common are they? In 2024 the reporter of The New York Times In Tokyo Motoko Rich He dedicated them A report It starts with an interesting experiment. Rich recounts the first day of the school year at a Koto school, in Tokyo, and then looks at how many of the elementary children carry the famous backpacks. His conclusion is resounding: “almost all.” “It is not a rule imposed by anyone, but a rule that we all comply with together,” confirms Shoko FukushimaDeputy Educational Administration professor at the Chiba Institute of Technology. But … what are the ‘Randoseru’? Although tradition has remained over the last decades, backpacks have not been alien to fashions. Before The usual It was that the boys carry black backpacks and the red girls, but that has changed. And we know it for sure because there is an association of ‘randoseru’ that Monitoring trends: Colors (L Lavender and Rosa triumph among the girls, more than red), sizes, materials or even dates and places of purchase. Unlike what happened a few decades ago, today the offer is wide and includes models of different shades and with cartoon characters, embroidery or linings of various fabrics. The objective: that each one has their ideal ‘raondoseru’. Comfortable and cheap? There are reasons to doubt the first. And objective reasons to deny the second. The ‘raondoseru’ are heavy. Vacuum, the classic model Round the kilo and a halfand Motoko Rich acknowledges that when books, notebooks, cases or even tablets are added to more than four kilos. In Your report He speaks, for example, of a student of the first course that one morning left for school carrying a three kilos backpack. It may not seem much, but it supposed more or less a seventh pass of his body weight. As for prices, Rich Explain That the average leather models is around $ 380, although that is just a reference. There are much more expensive versions, which go to more than 500 or even exceed The 1,000 barrier. Of course it is not necessary to resort to such heavy or expensive bags. Mainichi remember That manufacturers have created alternatives to traditional leather wallets, such as Nylon editions that weigh between 650 and 1,200 grams (far from the 900-1,500 g of the oldest models) and can be bought for less than 70 dollars. Another alternative is to pay for backpack subscription services that in exchange for a monthly payment allow the portfolio to be changed every so often. Are they used in Spain and Europe? The undeniable thing is that the ‘ramoseru’ have aroused interest outside of Japan, something that is found to see the amount of articles that the western press has dedicated to him in recent years. One of the … Read more

The aging of the population and a poor pension system has a new symbol in Japan: grandmothers are rented

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During the last months, the great drag crisis Japan with the aging of its population has been expressed in multiple formats. For example, in the field they are becoming Schools in hotels And more and more elderly for living in jail. In fact, the situation is such that the shortage of young labor has turned retirement into an aspiration of the past, with a large group of over 70 years keeping your work life Active The latest: the nation has begun to rent grandmothers. Grandmother for hours. As we said, in the context of a society that ages quickly and where loneliness and isolation They have become structural phenomena, Japan has witnessed the emergence of a unique and deeply revealing service: Ok obaachanan initiative that allows rent grandmothers For hours to fulfill as varied functions as teaching to cook, take care of children, accompany a loving break or simply provide emotional support. Behind this phenomenon, which might seem picturesque at first sight, underlies a series of economic tensions and social that clearly draw the fragility of the social contract in the Third Japanese age. With More than 9.3 million of people over 65 years old still active (That is, one in four elders continues to work after retirement age), many are forced to seek new forms of income against pensions that are barely enough to meet basic needs. For these older women, OK Obaachan represents not only an economic way, but also a form of Keep feeling usefulpresent and linked to society. A human catalog. The service, offered by the Client Partners companyis presented as a multifunctional female personnel (a kind of task and company company) and offers grandmothers to a cost of 3,300 yen per hour (More transport). The current template includes about 100 women between 60 and 94 yearswith diverse profiles and skills that cover From the kitchen, calligraphic writing or family mediation, to the simple ability to listen, advise or do affective presence. What began as a practical project has become an experience deeply human: Some grandmothers accompany people who want to leave the closet in front of their parents, others participate in academic research on social evolution in Japan, and there are those who simply help cope with everyday life. Some of the “rental grandmothers” Grandmothers of all colors. He Customer profile It is as wide as that of the grandmothers themselves: young people without family, lonely adults, people looking for a maternal figure, or even couples in the process of rupture that require a conciliatory presence. The range of services covers from functional to emotional, and in many cases the symbolic. Social reactions. What’s doubt, the appearance of the service has generated reactions found In Japanese society. While some value the possibility of receiving advice and affection from an experienced person, others express discomfort Before commercialization of human ties. In fact, they have appeared comments on networks social ranging from praise to the idea of ​​”feeling needy” to irony about the physical risk for the elderly or even the complaint about the lack of an equivalent service for men. Because, in effect, ok obaachan is exclusively feminineboth in its template and in its parallel services of “rental friends” or “rental relatives”, all managed by a company that It is defined as “Manitas company only for women.” They counted the media premises that, although there is a male version called Ossan Rental (Centered on middle -aged men, between 30 or 40 years), its approach is different and more informal, and does not reach the level of visibility or sophistication of the service focused on grandmothers. Grandmothers as a symptom. The proliferation of this type of services cannot be analyzed without attending the demographic backdrop that makes them possible. We have gone counting: Japan is one of the countries more aged of the world, with an inverted population pyramid, rates of minimal birth rate and a longevity that exceeds 85 years on average. Traditional family structures are They have eroded: Unipersonal households They multiplyintergenerational links They weakenand community fabric It is fragmented. In this scenario, older people not only face economic uncertainty, but also an existential vacuum. Initiatives like OK Obaachan They workas well as a kind of emotional economy, in which rent affection (either On the contrary), listening and the human heat that was previously given in the family. Far from being a marginal curiosity, the phenomenon embodies an adaptive response (and, of course, commercial) to a deeply structural need. Radiography of the present. If you want, although the boom Ok obaachan Point to the endearing, functional or even ingenious, deep down it is a sign of cultural transformation. The figure of the grandmother, traditionally associated with the home, the transmission of values ​​or the emotional refuge, has become a professionalized resourcenegotiable and temporal. What was previously free and spontaneous is now organized, is invoiced and reserved for hours. A RARE Av of professionalization of tenderness that speaks both of the spirit of resilience of older women and the void left by a Hyperravalized societywhere every need (even affective) must be covered For a transaction. Japan, as in so many Other trendsit is possible that anticipating a phenomenon that could be reproduced in other industrialized societies. In an increasingly individualistic world and agedperhaps the question is not why there is a grandmothers service for rent, but why the hell we need so much. Image | Miki YoshihitoClient Partners In Xataka | The aging of the population in the field has taken Japan to an unprecedented proposal: converting schools into hotels In Xataka | The aging of the population is causing Japan to make an unprecedented decision: welcome digital nomads

Everything to know, what each symbol means and how it affects you

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The day came. From today, Juniode 2025, all mobile phones and tablets will have to have the energy label. Yes, that same label that we are used to seeing In every small and large house appliance. This regulation entered into force on September 20, but it has not been until now that the validity has been full. From today, if a manufacturer wants to sell its mobiles and tablets in European territory, you will have to add the label in the box. It is an interesting change and that we will begin to notice sooner rather than later in the linear of electronics and websites. Thus, we are going to review everything that needs to know about this label, what each symbol means and what the regulation on ecological design that also comes into play. What devices affects. According to Regulation (EU) 2023/1669 of the commission of June 16, 2023this new regulation will apply to mobile phones (with a tactile screen between four and seven inches), wireless landlines and tablets (with touch screen between seven and 17.4 inches). Those devices will have to have their energy EPREL energy tag (acronym for European Product Registry for Energy Labelling). Energy label that we will see from now on mobiles and tablets | Image: European Union What is the label. Virtually identical to what you can find in any appliance and similar to the one you can see on these lines. There are several symbols and their meanings are as follows: A QR code with a link provided by the manufacturer to product -related information. The commercial brand of the device. If the mobile is Samsung, “Samsung”. The identifier of the specific model. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256 GB is the SM-S938BZBDEUB. The Energy Efficiency Scale: “A” is the maximum possible score and “G” is the worst. The device efficiency level according to the anterior scale. The autonomy of the battery per cycle measured in hours and minutes per complete battery charge. That is, how much the battery lasts for the mobile. The reliability of the device in free fall: “A” is the maximum possible score and “e” is the worst. The repair of the device: “A” is the maximum possible score and “E” is the worst. Load cycles supported by the phone until the battery reaches 80% of its maximum capacity. In other words, the battery degradation rate. Classification of Water Resistance, Dust and Subsibility. For this indicator the IP certificate. The regulation number. In this case, “2023/1669“ Where will it be shown? The label must measure at least 68 x 136 millimeters, so we will probably find it in the back of the device box. However, the label must be visible in the linear and exposed products, so we will surely find it printed near the plate with the information and the price of the terminal. On the websites, the approach is the same as with the appliances: upload the label as a more product photo and adopt the reduced format for the preview. This is seen the energy labeling in appliances in Amazon (really in any ecommerce, it is something standard). From now on, when we look for a mobile we should see the same | Image: Xataka How all this is measured. The European Regulation establishes that measurements and calculations will be made using harmonized norms whose reference numbers have been published in the Official Gazette of the European Union or other reliable, precise and reproducible methods that take into account the most advanced methods generally accepted. ” While these standards arrive, other transitory test methods have been established. For example, the assigned capacity and autonomy of the battery in cycles is measured with respect to the standard IEC in 61960-3: 2017Rayado resistance based on the standard In 15771: 2010resistance to accidental falls depending on the IEC 60068-2-31, repeated free fall-Procedure 2etc. All this is detailed In Annex IV bis of the Regulation. It is not something “random” or that each brand can do as they want. Fallen tests made to a OnePlus 13 | Image: Xataka What if it is rounded? In fact, the regulation contemplates the possibility that a falsea brand the data. Annex IV establishes that manufacturers should not design their devices to change their behavior if they detect that they are being subjected to rehearsal, ergo that are being investigated. If detected, the device would not pass the certification and could not be sold at our borders. How to measure that? With common tolerances. Suppose a country decides to check if what the X brand says about autonomy per cycle is true. When doing the test, we already know that it is standard, the value obtained cannot be less than the value declared in +3%. If the brand ensures that the battery endures 60 minutes, but the test determines that it endures 50 minutes, the device does not meet the tolerances (in this case the maximum acceptable would be 58.2 minutes) and, therefore, does not comply with the regulation. All this, again, comes detailed in the document. Fairphone 5 | Image: Fairphone That the devices hold more. Another interesting aspect is that the regulation establishes a series of minimums in the call Ecological Design Regulation. This imposes on manufacturers some figures that play in favor of the consumer, who put on the table not a few challenges and that, surely, to speak in the coming months. The main points are the following: Fall resistance: Mobile will have to endure 45 falls from a meter high without a case or protector. In the case of folding, 35 closed and 15 open falls (always with the pre -installed sheet). Rayados resistance: mobile phones must have a minimum level of level four on the MOHS scale. This obviously does not apply to folding. Water and dust resistance: mobile phones, all, must be resistant to objects of more than one millimeter already thickness and water splashes. It would be the equivalent of an IP42 or … Read more

The boom and fall of Blackberry, the status symbol that the iPhone turned into history

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Before the absolute domain of the format imposed by smartphones with any screen without space for the keys, in half the world who left the cod was nokia. In the other half was Blackberry. Its mobile phones, with a reliable QWERTY keyboard and technology to the last, were synonym for quality, even status. Not only public figures had a Blackberry, but their use in business environments was practically mandatory at certain levels, and the company got that His models were desired by the general public. In that area, they had a very special model: the Blackberry Pearl 8100. It was something similar to what is currently happening with the iPhone, but beyond ‘Fardar’, having a Blackberry allowed access to a free instant messaging service among its users. At a time when SMS kept costing money (unless they were included in the rate) and were not as immediate as a chat, Blackberry Messenger It was consolidated as a kind of Microsoft Messenger to talk to friends and family. In 2009, everyone wanted to have a Blackberry mobile and dominated the market with almost 21% share. However, nothing lasts forever and, as soon as the iPhone and the Android mobiles They began to popular, the company’s sales fell into dive. The reason for his success was that physical keyboard that had stopped making sense and to which the brand He wanted to cling without successeven testing hybrid alternatives and Systems like Blackberry 10 To compete against Android. Spoiler: They did not set. And that is only a tip of the Blackberry iceberg, a story that my partner Ana Boria tells perfectly in the video we leave to lead this article, with the perfect storm that led to the loud fall of the mythical Blackberry. And it is curious because, many years later and already in 2025, there are users who continue to remember the fantastic times of that innovative Blackberry and, especially its keyboard and touchpad with those who differentiated themselves from the competition. From outside, as someone who never had a Blackberry, I can only say that it is even sorry for the story of a company that, obviously, was buried by a progress that did not see coming and who did not know how to adapt. Although … well, it’s not like so many other companies that disappeared without a trace. Although their attempts to return to the mobile segment did not work, at least they managed to reinvent themselves in other fields. AND It seems that nothing is going to him. In Xataka | Commodore boom and fall, the giant of the 1980s who revolutionized computer science and fell into oblivion

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