thought

We thought that there would be no going back in the supremacy of AI. Then some kids arrived and an impossible test

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There is a place in the world where some of the young brains meet every year brighter on the planet. Not everyone goes for the medal: some just want to solve six problems that could despair more than one doctorate. It is the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), a competition that demands a highly capable mind. Until now, it was a land reserved for humans. But this year, two of the most advanced artificial intelligence models – developed by Google Deepmind and Openai – decided to enter the board. They achieved the unthinkable: A gold score. Even so, something unexpected happened. A handful of students managed to overcome them. And that has revived an inevitable question: will this be the last time someone achieves it? Machines gain ground. Until now, no artificial intelligence model had reached that brand in the IMO. Deepmind had stayed at a single point in 2024 with 28/42 points. This year everything changed. His new AI – an unpublished version of Gemini Deep Think– Solved five of the six problems in natural language and within the official limit of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Openai’s prototype matched the feat: 35/42 points. Gold, finally, is also a matter of machines. Even so, both of them were blank in problem 6: 0 points. {“videoid”: “x8jpy2b”, “Autoplay”: fals, “title”: “What is behind it like chatgpt, dall-e or midjourney? | artificial intelligence”, “tag”: “Webedia-prod”, “Duration”: “1173”} They made history, but they did not win. The results sheets revealed that 26 human students exceeded the two AI. Alexander Wang, a young American, reaped his third consecutive gold with 37 points. But the brightest were read Deng and Hengye Zhang, from China, who signed perfection: 42 of 42, including the dreaded problem 6 that the machines did not solve. Problem 6 raised a 2025 × 2025 boxes. A agreement with Aops onlinein general, the task was to place rectangles – of any size, always aligned to the grid and without overlapping – so that each row and each column has exactly a free box. The question was how many rectangles are needed to get it. NATIONAL RESULTS. With 231 points, China recovered the first position of the medallero – United States obtained 216 and South Korea 203—, According to official results. His six representatives hung the gold; Two of them reached 42 points. The rest added between 35 and 40. As SCMP points outamong them is Qiming Xu, who achieved 36 points competing with cerebral palsy. Above, the Chinese team that led the medal. Below, the American team that was second Rival or tool? Research teams insist that they do not seek to replace students. Thang Luong, leader of the Deepmind project, assures the Wall Street Journal that Its model can be “a new calculator for the next generation of mathematicians.” The reality is that the qualitative leap is enormous: to need days of computation and formal language in 2024, to generate legible evidence in hours. That improvement raises a new scenario for schools and competitions. The last human victory? Alexander Wang believes that in 2026 the AI will already resolve the six exercises; Qiao Zhang sees it to fifty percent; And Thang Luong himself believes this could be the last IMO with human advantage. Not everyone is convinced. Former Midralist Junehyuk Jung – a researcher at Deepmind – argues that problems such as 6 will remain out of reach of the models “at least for a decade.” In Xataka Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia: "I have created more billionaires in my management team than any other CEO in the world" For now, teenagers leave with more than a medal: the certainty that, for the moment, human intelligence still resists. 2026 will say if that margin disappears or if they bend the pulse to the machines with pencil, paper and an idea that no one had planned. Images | Google | Dave Michael In Xataka |Anthropic has seen that their users do not stop using the 200 euros plan a month of their AI. They had to stop their feet (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news We thought that there would be no going back in the supremacy of AI. Then some kids arrived and an impossible test It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Marquez .

We thought that the law against the so -called spam had not served at all. But we already have the first fine of 5,000 euros

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Facing telephone spam is complicated, it seems even impossible. Nor the Robinson list nor the Call filters They manage to eradicate them completely. In 2023 we thought we were close to the arrival of The antispam lawbut hopes were diluted today We continue to receive commercial calls. It has taken two years, but something could happen: already They have fined the first company to make unwanted calls. The case. It happened in July 2023, only one month after the law entered into force. The Digital Marketing company Adverbis Spain SL made a call to an individual, who was also registered in the Robinson list. So far as normal, except that this person decided to report him to the Spanish Agency for Data Protection that, two years later, has sanctioned the company with 5,000 euros. Notice a spammers. Although we have talked about Other telephone spam finesthis is the first that applies after the entry into force of the new law. For two years the feeling that the law had not served at all was installed among users and it seems that spammers also, since Calls increased shortly after. It has taken a long time, but this fine feels an important precedent and could be the change we had waiting. The law. The known as antispam law establishes that companies cannot make commercial calls without prior consent And it establishes fines that could reach two million euros, depending on the size of the company that commits the infraction. In the case of Adverbis Spain, it is a small company, so the fine is much lower, but if the offender is a larger operator can find a sanction of many more figures. How to report. We have already seen that, although they take, denounce the AEPD works. Yes too You receive commercial calls and want to reporton your website you have a section called “Receipt advertising phone calls” Where can you do it. You have to take screenshots in which the phone is seen from which they call us and record the call as proof. Image | Mikhail Nilov, Pexels In Xataka | Spam calls are a problem for everyone and Apple knows. Its solution with iOS 26 has been stopping braking

I thought I had a problem with the ABS of my car, but it caught me in surprise to see that it was something completely unexpected: rats

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The ABS light flashing on the dashboard is never a good sign. Almost none Witter of the dashboard It is, but when the engine witness also adds, you start imagining four -digit figures in the workshop budget. The funny thing is that when I took my car to fix it, I discovered something that I never imagined what would happen: The rats ended up biting several cables Internal of my car. The initial diagnosis. When I arrived at the workshop with the warning lights on, the mechanic, after an inspection of the car, assured me that I could change everything The ABS system. A new one for my Seat Ibiza TDI 1.9 of 2005 can be a rather important expense, one of those expenses that you think if you better pass it, since it is dangerously approaches the price through which I could sell the car today. The price of the second -hand and scrapping ABS system, the thing changes. One can lead normally if the ABS does not work, but it is a risk for security, since it compromises the emergency braking and we do not have that help that the car gives us at critical moments, allowing our brakes to end up blocking. The real problem. After almost a week in the workshop and a more detailed inspection, the mechanic discovered the authentic cause of the failure: the ABS system cables and some that communicate with the engine They had been bitten. It was not a normal wear or component failure, but the rats had been roying the car cables. For a rat, gnawing cables and objects that are in its path is their day to day, since their teeth do not stop growing throughout their lives and need some means to polish their teeth. What a pity they had to run into my car. Unexpected, but in a way, relieved. What seemed like a serious problem with the brake system and the emergency light of the engine was solved with a cable repair. The joke came out for about 120 euros. A considerable relief compared to the complete change of the ABS that initially the mechanic had raised. From the workshop they repaired the damaged cables and the dashboard warning indicators were turned off. The background problem. Now the real challenge is not in the car, but in the garage. It is a private garage under a floors building where several vehicles park. Days before I had already seen a rat that was shot from under my car to a hole that is right next to my parking space. From the workshop they recommended preventive measures such as spraying in the vain motor or placing camphor balls, especially useful when the car remains a long time stopped. Of course, this should be done with the car standing and cold. I bought the spray as a temporary measure until they finished solving the hole in the garage. And now what. The priority is to cover the garage hole where the rats access, since the alternative remedies will be of little if the problem persists right next where I appear. Fortunately, it seems that garage insurance will cover the workshop spending, which good news for that part. In addition, we are already mobilizing the community to solve the problem of rats. I could have changed their garage directly, although things are not currently to make this decision lightly. We will see what everything is left. Cover image | Michael Fusert and Svetozar Cenisev In Xataka | The best -selling cars in 2024 and 2025 in Spain

You thought they interrupted just by annoying. Psychology has discovered that it is more complex than that

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We all know someone at work or in the social sphere that, while Another person is talkingkeep interrupting or trying to monopolize the conversation. If you don’t know anyone like that, it is the same that this person is you. Although these interruptions are annoying for both those who are talking and for those who listen to it, they are not always the product of a lack of respect or bad education. Numerous psychological studies have studied this phenomenon and discovered that these interruptions may be influenced by psychological, social and even cultural factors. Conversation shifts and interruptions Conversation shifts are essential for verbal communication flows in an orderly and respectful way. When someone interrupts, there is a break in that flow that can negatively affect the group dynamics. According to a study published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior By researchers From the University of Rochester (New York), the people who interrupted conversations were considered as less sociable and more assertive than those who did not interrupt. They were also perceived as more dominant, which did not always win the sympathies of the rest of the group. The rupture of the shift system during conversation can generate frustration or feeling of injustice, since an imbalance is perceived in the exposure of ideas. According to collected The New York Times“For many of us, it can be perceived as a degrading and condescending attitude,” said Maria Venetis, associate professor of communication at Rutgers University According to an investigation From the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), not all interruptions respond to an act of bad education but are the result of a narcissistic personality or a demonstration of power and, as noted scientific evidencewomen tend to be interrupted more frequently. A study from George Washington University he put a figure: he discovered that the men interrupt 33% more women than other men. In the workplace, for example, interruptions are usually related to Hierarchies and power relations. Thus, the interruption can be a control or Authority statementmore than a simple lack of courtesy. On the other hand, the group’s cultural factors also influence the frequency and meaning of interruptions. An investigation of the Pablo de Olavide University of Seville reveals that, in some cultures, the superposition of shifts and the interruptions signs of enthusiasm and participation are considered In communication, such and as he points out The psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, while in others they are interpreted as disrespect that dilutes the rhythm of communication. What was I going to tell you …? Not all interruptions have to do with power or culture. According to a Published article by the American Psychology Association Some interruptions originate from difficulties in attention, neurodivergencia or due to Anxiety features of who interrupts. According to The essay Of the psychologists and humanists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson, “active listening requires that we understand, from the point of view of the speaker, exactly what is communicating to us.” This form of listening does not focus on responding or judging immediately, but on precisely understanding both the content as the feelings of the interlocutorand show him that he has been understood. People with paintings Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD or ADHD) or with anxiety, they may have difficulty Keep this active listening And they go to the preparation phase of their speech. That is to say, answer before your interlocutor ends Your exhibition. According to research of psychologist Russell Barkley, an expert on ADHD and ADHD, people with this disorder usually have control of the weakest verbal impulses and problems with working memory and metacognition. “They can interrupt and not remember to wait for their turn because they do not trust themselves to remember what they want to say later,” for that reason, they tend to interrupt during the conversations. Taking into account that, according to Facilitated data By Francisco Montañés, head of psychiatry at the Alcorcón Foundation Hospital and coordinator of the Group of Special Interest in Attention/Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (GEITDAH), “97% of adults with ADHD are not diagnosed.” Which means that, in all likelihood, those partners or friends who interrupt so much can be among that percentage of non -diagnosed population. Or that or that really They are not interested in what you tell them. In Xataka | Some neuroscientists believe they have found the trick to solve the most complicated problems: take a nap Image | Unspash (Yura Timoshenko), Pexels (Fauxels)

We thought that interstellar travelers were impossible to find current technology. Three have already been discovered

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Less than a decade ago, the idea of ​​detecting an object of another solar system through our neighborhood was science fiction material. Astronomers were clear that they existed, but believed that our chances of detecting them They were practically null due to the limitations of current technology. In 2017, everything changed. First appeared 1i/ʻoumuamua. An object that baffled astronomers. Not only because it was the first interstellar object discovered in our solar system, but because its nature was and remains a mystery. With A strange formas elongated as a cigar or flat as an album, and a size of just 100 or 200 meters, it happened fleetingly leaving more questions than answers. Was it a comet, an asteroid or something completely new? The debate continues while moving away from us. Then 2i/Borisov was discovered. When we still wondered if we would see something similar in our lives, the answer came alone. In 2019, astronomers They detected a second object of another star system That was unequivocally a kite, somewhat larger than its predecessor (about 400-500 meters) and with a very different trajectory. Borisov confirmed that ‘Oumuamua had not been an anomaly. Interstellar visitors were real and we are able to find them. And to confirm it, 3I/Atlas arrives. On July 1, 2025, the Telescopes of the Atlas Network in Chile detected the third known interstellar object. After confirming your hyperbolic trajectory, He was officially baptized as 3i/Atlas. It is a real giant compared to the previous two, and marks a before and after in the study of these bodies. Like Borisov, it shows a clear comment activity, with a comma and a tail that lengthens as it approaches the sun. Therefore, it is a kite. But it is much bigger. Although the measurements are refining, initial estimates place their diameter between 5 and 20 kilometers. A colossal size that makes it much easier to study. A giant who will pass through Mars. 3i/Atlas is incredibly fast. It moves at an exhaust speed of about 58-60 km/s with respect to the Sun. much faster than ‘oumuamua (26 km/s) and Borisov (32 km/s). His career is also unique. It will reach its closest point to the Sun (its perihelium) on October 29, passing between the orbits of Mars and the Earth. Although at that time our planet will be on the other side of the sun, which will prevent its direct observation, it will be only 31.4 million kilometers from Mars on October 3. This opens a fascinating opportunity: that some of the probes that orbit the red planet, such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, can capture images of the interstellar traveler. Three important findings. Each of these objects is a time capsule from another solar system. All planets, asteroids and comets of our system share a common origin, but these visitors are authentic outsiders. They contain clues about the formation and composition of worlds that orbit other stars. Studying them is like receiving a geological sample from a corner of the galaxy that would take millennia to visit. Until now, we could only observe his fleeting step. But this is about to change. ESA is already preparing THE MISSION INTERPECTORwhose launch is scheduled for 2029. The idea is ingenious: the probe will not have a predefined objective, but will “park” at a point in Lagrange (L2) waiting for a pristine kite of a long period or, with some lucky, a new interstellar visitor to be within its reach. It would be the first rapid response mission to intercept one of these mysterious objects. In less than ten years we have not known if they existed to actively plan how to send a ship to touch them. With new generation observatories such as Vera Rubin, which is expected to find dozens of them in the next decade, we are entering a new era of astronomy. The universe sometimes brings us its secrets at home. Image | The interstellar comet 3i/Atlas (ESA) In Xataka | There is a single opportunity in 11,000 years of reaching the planet Sedna. Some Italians want to use this nuclear engine

This is how Perplexity’s browser bets on the ‘fluidity of thought’

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We open dozens of eyelashes when we need to compare a price, read the news, send an email and consult the time you are going to do this week. Browsers are useful, yes, but not always friendly. You have to look for, read, copy, hit, go back, cross data, remember where we came from. Often, when we managed to do what we wanted, we no longer know how we got there. Perplexity wants to change all that. Your new browser, Comet, He has just left the incubator With a different proposal: less clicks, less eyelashes and more thought aloud. A different proposal. At first glance, Comet does not impose. It looks like any modern browser: an upper bar with tabs, navigation buttons, fast access to open a new page and a clean design. On the left side, yes, a fixed panel appears where his assistant of AI lives. Can remember to COPILOTbut what promises is something else. Comet In one of the examples shown by Perplexity herself, the user has a map of London. He asks the assistant, in natural language, to generate a walking route to visit the five main tourist places. Comet interprets the order, select the initial location – the Torre de London – and begins to build the point by point by point, directly on the map. Chrome That, that until now we did with clicks and more clicks, the browser executes it as if he knew what he has to do. And it is not limited to maps. He is also able to summarize a Reddit love, find a specific video or cross information between open tabs. All without the need to change window or install accessories. Wants to “think” like us. What Perplexity proposes with Comet goes beyond conversational search. Its commitment is to convert navigation into a kind of continuous mental flow, where tasks are chained by natural language orders. If we want me to summarize a text, it does. If we need to compare a product with similar ones, too. If we ask you to find something we read days ago, remember it. Everything happens without leaving the browser. It is as if each tab knew what we need and commissioned on their own. In one of the shared examples, you are asked to buy a forgotten product or write an email from the information present on the screen. Less noise, better decisions. Perplexity insists that Comet’s base is not only artificial intelligence, but precision. It presents it as a browser designed to answer well, not just fast. That is not limited to generating text, but provides reliable, verifiable, useful information. Because, According to the companymany of the decisions we make – especially what to read, what to buy, in what to invest or how to interpret a technology – depend on the quality of the answers we receive. Curiosity as an engine. Perplexity not only seeks to commit questions, but understand how we ask them. What interests us, how we think, at what moments we usually deviate. The idea is that the browser learn from our cognitive style to offer a more refined experience. Comet It works like this: we can highlight any text fragment and ask for an explanation on the march. It is also possible to explore related concepts without abandoning what we were reading. Ask for counterarguments, cross references, nuances. The problem, of course, is that every tool that adapts to us needs to know us very well. And that opens another conversation: that of privacy, tracking and limits of a browser that intends to think with us. Comet is already underway. Comet is now availablealthough not for everyone. Access has begun limitedly for subscribers of Perplexity Max (200 dollars a month), and will be expanded by invitation throughout the summer. Is it a threat to Chrome? What will happen when Google Integre ia browser? We will know it over time. Images | Perplexity In Xataka | Tim Cook’s right hand retires after 27 years in Apple. It does so in full crisis of the company

This city of China is the world epicenter of rare earths. The problem is that nobody thought of its inhabitants

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To get an idea to what extent It has control Of those precious minerals that form the set of rare earths, the greatest enemy that China has is not outside its borders. It is such a monopolization in the sector that the danger has in “house” through of the smugglers. And of all enclaves, one stands out greatly as an epicenter of the entire heart. His name is Baotou, and everything that shines for the surrounding inhabitants is not gold. A normal city in appearance. Baotouan industrial core of 2.7 million inhabitants on the border with the Gobi desert, seems to the naked eye a second category Chinese city like so many others: shopping centers with western chains, local restaurants overflowing and children playing late. However, a short journey to the outskirts is enough to discover His true nature: A landscape dominated by factories, smoking chimneys and an environmental legacy forged by one of the most strategic and persecuted sectors of the planet. The heart of rare earths. Yes, the enclave houses More than 80% of the Rare reserves of China. Since in the 30s they were discovered in the nearby Mining District of Bayan Obo elements such as Cerio, Lantano or Samario, its exploitation has turned the city on a chain axis on global supply on industries such as electronics, automotive and defense. We have counted before: During the 90s, China increased its production by 450%, while other countries, such as the United States, They closed their mines. This concentration made Beijin the almost exclusive supplier of these critical metals, and today, in the midst of the commercial war with Washington, its control has been transformed In diplomatic weapon. Economy vs Human Cost. The problem? The Guardian told that mineral wealth has favored the economic development of Baotou, whose GDP per capita It widely exceeds the national average. However, prosperity has Your reverse: Processing plants generate toxic (often radioactive) waste that are discharged into huge artificial rafts. The most infamous, the Weikuang dam, for years was the largest landfill of rare earth waste on the planet, without adequate coating and directly close to the Yellow River. In fact, official reports have confirmed that these activities caused a 87% decrease of ammoniacal nitrogen in a tributary between 2020 and 2024, although accumulated ravages remain visible. Yin mountains on the outskirts Cancer and poison. For example, numerous studies They have documented devastating consequences in the health of nearby communities: from bone malformations to a “Epidemic” of cancer. Exposure to these elements, capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, has been associated with motor and sensory disabilities, as well as alterations in fetal neurological development. Not just that. 2020 investigations revealed that the dust of the streets contains concentrations so high that the children of Baotou and surroundings are exposed to dangerous levels Just to breathe. Daily particle ingestion rates in mining areas far exceed the limits considered safe. A washing … halfway. Given the growing international criticism, China has tried to clean its image. In 2022, state media announced that Weikuang’s dam had been transformed into an urban wetland, now supposed paradise of migratory birds. The reality? Explained the medium British that when arriving at the place, what one is located is a concrete wall that hides a dry and desolate lodazal. Behind, ruins of ancient “villages of cancer” and oxidized industrial structures extend. New homes built for displaced are practically empty, and foreign journalists are It usually blocks actively to prevent them from talking to residents. Rural sacrifice. So things, Baotou exemplifies an uncomfortable truth: the China domain In the rare earth market it has been possible not only for its geological reserves, but for a political decision where rural communities have been allowed to support Toxic costs of a globalized economic boom. It is not an exempt problem from China, of course, the same thing happens in other sectors such as AI and its data centers (we recently counted it with the Elon Musk Supercomputer). Be that as it may, and although there are less polluting technologies to process these metals, they are rarely used: its implementation would make the low costs that have cemented the Chinese position. If you want, in a context of growing international pressure and commercial sanctions, the extractive model It reveals both the fragility of environmental balance and the rawness of contemporary geostrategic priorities. Image | 柏尔莫华, 天王星 In Xataka | The key to China’s success with rare earths are not the rare earths: it is the magnet In Xataka | China’s domain of rare earths has nothing to do with geography: it is born from 39 university programs

We thought that Japan’s tourist boom was an opportunity for AI. It has become an unexpected remedy

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Japan is one of those countries that one thinks knowing without having stepped on it. For his millenary temples, For their trains that exceed 300 km/hfor its technology and for its robots. That is why it does not strange that Millions of people Make the bags every year to travel their cities, their mountains and even its less known rural areas. What is surprising is this: how AI begins to break through where, until now, only human talent was accepted. The paradox is as Japanese as its culture: a country where hospitality is deeply valued, and, at the same time, where those who can practice it are scarce. Because if something has revealed the tourist tsunami that Japan is receiving is that the lack of bilingual guides has become a serious problem. It is not new. Many retired during the difficult years that the sector was going through during the pandemic, others changed from sector. But now the situation squeezes, and the country begins to respond. Where before there was a guide with smile, now there is an app with ia The scarcity of guides is not an anecdote. It is a reality that begins to leave a mark on the experience of thousands of travelers. As Nikkei Asia collectsJapan had something more than 46,000 bilingual guides. The figure included both licensed professionals and certified by local governments, and even people with sufficient knowledge and to perform that role. Four years later, the figure had fallen almost 20%. In 2023 there were about 37,700. The trend is still down. The reasons are understood quickly. The pandemia devastated the tourist calendars, froze reservations and left thousands of guides Freelance No stable income. Many looked for another way. Some retired. And although years have passed since those times, what has remained is an aging template: about 60 % of licensed guides are over 60 years old. If we talk about the official exam, in 2024 only 380 people approved it. The agencies notice it. Some recognize that they have had to Cancel or reprogram tours Because, simply, there was no one available to attend them. Before, when their workforce was at the limit, they could resort to independent professionals. Now, not that. And although Since 2018 Japan allows Make payment tours without the need for the official license, a good part of tourists and agencies continue to prefer authorized guides, with knowledge, accreditations and, above all, trust. Today, in places like Okinawa, there are tourists who prefer the robotic voice of applications such as the operator Cerulean Blue before running out of tour. The system detects its location by means of the mobile GPS, shows real -time information with augmented reality and active audioguías as the visitor advances. That gesture, almost imperceptible, says much of the present … and perhaps also of the future. Because AI still does not improvise jokesHe does not feel pride when talking about his city, he does not respond with a smile. But when the guide does not arrive, technology seems to be ready to respond. And the most interesting thing is that tourism is not an isolated case. What is happening with the guides is part of a broader pattern that begins to be noticed strongly in Japan. In agriculture, for example, Companies are using Apps based on AI capable of identifying plants diseases with just one photo. In schools, English teachers do not supply, so some already use virtual assistants who talk with students. In public administration, municipalities Like Yokosuka They have started using Chatgpt To summarize meetings and write documents. According to calculations of the Consistory itself, the time saving is counted in thousands of hours a year. All this responds to the same structural problem: the lack of hands. Japan is a technological power, yes. But it is also a country that is aging and has a very low birth rate. Images | Micah Camper | Angel | Geoff Oliver In Xataka | Japan has realized that to welcome 60 million tourists, something lacks: workers in the hotels

We thought to choose among more options would make us freer. The “choice paradox” has made us more unhappy

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White or blue shirt, coffee or tea, peach jam or raspberry, car or public transport, meat or fish, cinema or afternoon on a terrace, wine or beer, potato tortilla with or without onion. A study He estimated that we take Between 10,000 and 40,000 decisions a daybut our brain prefers not to make it too complicated. The paradox of the choice is its personal revenge that makes, The more options You have to choose, less satisfactory is the choice. When choosing becomes a problem Currently making decisions has become a Unexpected stress source and discontent. The funny thing is that this phenomenon is produced by having Too many options available to choose. The choice paradox explains why, despite having more alternatives than ever, those decisions are less satisfactory for those who perform them and experience greater anxiety after deciding. This phenomenon, studied and popularized By psychologist Barry Schwartz, he reveals that the abundance of options can be a psychological trap. As he says, “instead of becoming happier, an abundance of options tends to block, frustrate and cause the persistent feeling that it could have chosen better.” This paradox affects all aspects, both in personal life with everyday purchases, and Important decisions in the professional or work environment. A study Of the psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper showed that consumers were less likely to buy when they had to choose between 24 jam flavors than when they only had 6 flavors. Alternative overload not only complicates the decision, it also reduces satisfaction with the chosen. A study jointly carried out between different US researchers revealed that, although the variety in the election tends to be considered as a positive option, the excess options actually has negative connotations Emotional since it takes the brain to two states. The first state is a Excessive comparison effort of elements that generates a greater mental burden at the time of making the decision, and then moving to a state of anxiety and dissatisfaction at the doubt of whether the most accurate decision has been made. Something that people of success like Jeff Bezos They have had to learn To make your decisions. Maximizers and satisfiers: two styles of deciding A Psychological study Posted in American Psychological Association revealed that people They face decision making with two differentiated styles: maximizers and satisfiers. Maximizers always seek the best possible option, exhaustively comparing all alternatives before deciding. This group tends to experience more dissatisfaction, doubts and repentance, since “the process of looking for the perfect option can be endless and exhausting.” They are easy prey for analysis by analysis: Have so many options to choose from that they are unable to opt for one. On the other hand, the satisfiers are made up of an option that, although not fit in all requirements, meets certain criteria of sufficiency No need to analyze all possibilities. It is simply an option good enough As if to be the right, regardless of whether it is the “perfect.” The Research in this regard They have shown that satisfiers are usually happier and less anxious after making a decision, since they do not become obsessed with what they could have chosen and focus on enjoying their choice, while maximizing “tend to experience less satisfaction and more regret,” the authors of those investigations point out. Strategies to choose better The directors of large corporations, whose decisions depends on the future of thousands of employees and the money of their investors, must take into account this paradox when making their decisions. To avoid falling into the choice paradox trap, there are some strategies recommended by psychology experts. One of the most effective is to limit the number of options to considerfocusing only on those that really meet our personal needs or values. For example, it is one of the reasons that led Mark Zuckerberg to reduce the choice of your costumeslimited to a gray shirt and blue roofs. As Barry Schwartz points out, “by reducing options and focusing on what really matters, we can make more satisfactory decisions and live with less anxiety. “ Another useful strategy is to accept that it is not always possible to find the perfect option and that, in many cases, “good enough” is more than enough. Adopt a satisfactory mentality allows you to take most agile decisions and enjoy more about the result. This strategy is especially relevant in the business world, since dedicating too much time to make a decision It can lead to stop the company’s progress and let the competition take advantage. He world of technology And video games are full of examples of such decisions in which the decision has been made to launch a product that is already good enough, even if it is not perfect. The iPhone, without going any further, is one of them. In Xataka | Studying from memory seems good idea until you forget it. The Feynman method appeals to your understanding not to your memory Image | Unspash (Vladislav Babieko, Holigil 27, Victoriano Izquierdo)

We thought that gasoline cars were much cleaner than diesel. We did not have the effect of the sun

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For every 100 cars that are sold in Spain, just five are diesel. They are the latest data we have in Spain of registration, which reflects to what extent the diesel (despite having market niches in which It is still profitable) It has become an almost banished fuel in our country. And although it may be weird, it does not make 70% of the cars we bought were diesel moved. In fact, just over a decade ago. In 2014 the diesel lived his golden age. From its 70.06% market share It has plummeted. There are numerous factors that explain the rise and fall of diesel. For years, its price was so cheap (in fact it is still subsidized) than each buyer He poured liter calculations consumed For every 100 kilometers to know how long it would take to make investment profitable since they used to be more expensive motorizations. But over the years, emission regulations were drowning the diesel. Especially after the famous Dieselgate in which it was discovered that the Volkswagen Group (first defendant) and other companies trucan their emissions to offer data within the legality in the homologation exams to, outside them, contaminate more than allowed. With Euro 6, diesel were put much more complicated since 2015. For sample, the comparison between the demands made to diesel engines compared to gasoline and that You can read in this extensive article of Xataka in which all the normative change was explained: Limits for a gasoline engine CO (carbon monoxide): 1.0 g/km HC (total hydrocarbons): 0.10 g/km NOX (nitrogen oxides): 0.060 g/km HC + NOX (hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides): 0.160 g/km (approx.) PM (suspended particles): 0.005 g/km P (number of particles): 6×10^11/km (6×10^12/km for three years for direct injection) Limits for a diesel engine CO (carbon monoxide): 0.50 g/km HC (total hydrocarbons): 0.09 g/km (approx.) NOX (nitrogen oxides): 0.080 g/km HC + Nox (hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides): 0.170 g/km PM (suspended particles): 0.005 g/km P (number of particles): 6×10^11/km The problem is that, due to its own operation, A diesel is less pollutant in CO2 that a gasoline but expels many more particle emissions than They are very dangerous to the health of the human beinglike the Nitrogen oxides (NOX). Although the value was slightly higher for diesel, emission regulations were forcing manufacturers to squeeze the brain. With Euro 5 the particle filter. From Euro 6, the Adblue. These measures ended up banishing diesel engines of smaller cars. Well because they contaminated too much or because innovations to be installed in them It was more expensive both the product that did not make it viable. If we take into account the increase in the product, the bad reputation after the dieselgate and the innumerable statements On a rise in the price of fuel, now it is better understood The sudden drop in sales. All this explanation makes sense. Do you remember that Euro 5 forced to mount particle filters in diesel cars? And that with the Dieselgate the cars reflected some emission figures that were not real? A study now indicates something similar for gasoline cars. It is not that they are cheating, they point out that the emission regulations itself may not be enough to tell us how pollutants are our cars. A little effective particle filter In short, a particle filter is a kind of mesh that catches larger pollutant emissions before expelling them to the atmosphere through the exhaust pipe. Taking advantage of the heat of gases, the mesh takes temperature and burns the particles, reducing emissions. That is a problem in the cars that start and stop every time or those that do many kilometers by city because the engine does not give time to take the temperature enough to burn these particles and the filter ends up collapsing, causing a somewhat expensive breakdown. For some years, emission regulations have forced gasoline cars to also mont particle filters to get emissions not to exceed the allowed limits. However, as a gasoline engine works at a higher temperature, It is more complicated to fall into these types of situations. However, a study published in Science Advances He has pointed out a problem: they are not enough. The particle filter aims to reduce the Volume of fine particles that are expelled to the atmosphere, PM2.5. And they get it, according to researchers but that is not enough to ensure that their toxicity is lower. They point out in their study that it is not enough to measure emissions just after combustion, they should be studied how they behave once in the atmosphere. And how do they behave?: Bad. They point out that, once in the air, the experts expelled are exposed to sunlight and that they cause a series of transformations that make them remarkably more toxic to the human being. They explain in Phys.org that the modification of the particles caused damage to the human DNA and in cells that we find in our bronchi. It is what they call “photochemical aging” that causes particles to increase their toxicity generating “oxygenated volatile compounds, such as carbonilos.” In the article they point out that Dr. Mathilde Delaval, the first author of the study and researcher at Helmholtz Munich, says that “our study shows that we are missing a large part of the panorama by not considering How exhaust gases changeand become more harmful, after leaving the car. “ The study is partially financed by the European Union and in it they have intervened in one way or another universities and laboratories of Germany, Finland and Switzerland. Photo | Nursultan Abakirov and Romanov Nick In Xataka | Diesel or gasoline: what are the differences and which one is better to buy according to your use

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