tiny

A tiny Spanish town with 13 houses can’t take it anymore. A murder has turned it into the capital of crime tourism

by

High in the Catalan Pyrenees, among clouds, forests and cows grazing in the rain, Tor risesa village of just thirteen houses where three decades ago a crime occurred that forever marked its inhabitants. In 1995 appeared the body of Josep Montanéknown as Sansa, with an electric cable around his neck and the corpse dragged to his kitchen. It was the third murder in fifteen years in a place too small for so many deaths. Today it seems the decoration of the mythical “A crime has been written”. National myth. History recovered this weekend the new york times as an example of a type of tourism which has been added in parallel to that of sun and beach. What seemed like a rural reckoning became, over time, a a national story about greed, secrets and institutional abandonment. the mountain, shared since 1896 by the town’s families under an ancestral agreement, had become the object of dispute between those who dreamed of a lucrative ski resort and those who wanted to preserve their peasant life. The conflict, fueled by smuggling interests and disputes over ownership, culminated in the judicial grant of the mountain to Sansa and, five months later, in her death. Then came the cultural phenomenon. From tragedy to true crime. The Catalan journalist Carles Porta, then a young reporter, was the one who turned the Tor crime into a media obsession. It started with a television report In 1997, he continued with a book in 2005, a podcast very successful in 2018 and a documentary series in 2023 that transformed the small town into the epicenter of Spanish “true crime.” Porta, fascinated by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, found his own Holcomb in that Pyrenean valley and turned the story in an industry. Over the years, the public’s fascination with unsolved crimes attracted visitors from all over the country: curious people, mystery fans and hikers who wanted walk the stage of the murder, staying at Sansa’s old house or posing in the places where the police found evidence. Some even recreated the crime scene. with cables around the necka morbid parody that the neighbors watch with a mixture of bewilderment and resignation. Tor Municipality Crime tourism. The Times remembered that media notoriety brought money, but also disfigured life in Tor. In summer, the streets are filled of cars, the houses become scenery and the neighbors become involuntary characters in a story that never ends. In the Alins family hostel, at the foot of the mountain, phrases by Porta and bottles of liquor with quotes from his book hang, while the visitors ask relentlessly “who killed Sansa.” Merce Turallols, who was a girl when the body appeared, admits that fame has benefited the family business, but he confesses that the residents can no longer stand the circus: in the busiest months, you can’t even park and eccentric tourists tour the town disguised as victims. And more. “One arrived with a rope around his neck,” they remembered in the report. Porta himself, now producer of documentaries for Disney Regarding other cases, he recognizes that Tor’s has become his personal legacy, a phenomenon without end. The man assures have new clues (a possible hitman who lives in Miami) and the intention to close the case with a fiction series, but the people, who never saw justice or rest, feel that the journalist has exploded its tragedy to the limit. Town turned into a stage. Thus, going through Tor today is like going through a museum of rural crime: the local guide point out the places where the body was dragged, the house where a hippie committed suicide, the abandoned car of some smugglers, the meadows where neighbors charged tolls to those who crossed with goods from Andorra. Everything has become anecdote for visitors who seek excitement, while local people demand something as simple as mobile coverage or tranquility. Pilar Tomàs, who lives across the street from Sansa’s old house and was the one who found him dead, serves homemade food in her restaurant full of strangers. He appreciates the increase in clients, but would like a life without cameras nor curious. He joked in the media that if Porta has benefited so much from the case, he could donate at least enough for a telephone antenna. The rise of crime tourism. The call “dark tourism”sordid or thanatotourism has ceased to be a rarity and has consolidated itself as a global trend that turns tragedy into destiny. From the streets of Barcelona’s Raval, where the crimes of Enriqueta Martí either of the “Arropiero”even the towns devastated by the civil war like Belchitethe tourism industry has been able to capitalize on human fascination with death and evil, an interest as old as the shows of the Roman circus. According to the criminologist Vicente Garridothis attraction responds to the mixture of fear and curiosity in the face of the unknown, but today it takes the form of guided routes, theatrical visits and immersive experiences where the visitor seeks to understand (or feel) the echo of horror. New narratives to enhance it. Series and podcasts true crime have reinforced this phenomenon, generating a media aesthetic that romanticizes murder and transforms the victims and executioners into cultural characters. In Spain, theplaces like Torwith their story of unresolved deaths, symbolize that dilemma between memory and commodification: what for some is an economic opportunity and visibility, for others is the trivialization of a tragedy that is still alive. He crime tourism It grows, and with it the ethical question that accompanies it: how much knowledge and how much morbidity there is in looking head-on at the scenes of horror. Image | jqmj (Queralt) In Xataka | Sordid tourism: 17 places for those who travel looking for horror In Xataka | Italy’s tourism has a challenge worse than massification: mafia souvenirs. has started to ban them

The US believed it had an invincible aircraft carrier. Until Sweden “knocked him down” again and again with a tiny submarine

by

Exactly 20 years ago there was a fascinating scene which showed that brute force or dimensions monstrous They are not as fundamental as was believed when it comes to naval warfare. Shortly before that true story, the United States had announced to the four winds its most modern, heaviest and most grandiose nuclear aircraft carrier in history. So they took the most logical step: put it to the test. The exercise that turned out regular. In 2005, during maneuvers off the coast of California, the United States Navy allowed something unusual: Repeatedly engage a small, relatively inexpensive foreign conventional submarine to improve its anti-submarine doctrine. The chosen one was HMS Gotlanda Swedish diesel-electric submarine of just 1,600 tons. The objective was to train the aircraft carrier battle group USS Ronald Reaganone of the most powerful ships in the world, equipped with escorts, anti-submarine helicopters and advanced sensors. What followed it was unexpected: Time and time again, over two years of simulations, the Gotland managed to infiltrate the formation, position itself to fire, and “sink” the carrier without being detected. The result caused concern in Washingtoninterest in Moscow and Beijing, and a profound reassessment of the role of modern diesel submarines in contemporary naval warfare. The Gotland and the silent advantage. Gotland’s success was based on its system Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), specifically a Stirling engine capable of generating energy without needing to take air from outside. This allowed the ship to remain submerged for up to two weeks, maintaining a constant speed and extremely quiet, something that previous diesel versions they could not achieve. While nuclear submarines require cooling systems that generate detectable vibrations and noise, the Gotland could move almost without leaving an acoustic trace. Its hull was covered with materials that decreased sonar reflection, its tower included radar-absorbing materials, and the internal machinery was mounted on rubber shock absorbers to silence vibrations. Furthermore, it had with 27 electromagnets capable of reducing their magnetic signature before specialized sensors. HS Gotland Mobility and stealth. The Gotland maneuverability It was also decisive. Its design with X-shaped rudders and automated control systems allowed sudden changes in course and depth with great precision, making it suitable for operating in shallow coastal waters, where nuclear submarines are most vulnerable. In the context of the maneuvers against USS Ronald Reaganthe Gotland demonstrated that it could approach at great depth, obtain a firing position, and withdraw before American sensors will even detect alterations in the environment. Although in a real combat the aircraft carrier could survive several impacts, the essential fact is that it would have been knocked out of combat, which would change the strategic outcome of any naval operation. The US Ronald Reagan Economic and doctrinal threat. The Gotland cost about 100 million of dollars, which is approximately equivalent to the cost of two embarked F/A-18 aircraft. The USS Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, cost more than 6 billionwithout counting its escort or its air wing. In terms of cost-effectiveness, a relatively affordable submarine demonstrated that could neutralize an asset which represents the core of US naval projection. This revelation resonated especially in China and Russiawhich have since accelerated the development of AIP submarines. Today, China operates multiple submarine variants equipped with Stirling and Russia works on updated versions from the Lada projectwhile countries such as Japan, Germany, France, Israel, India and South Korea also develop or acquire submarines of this type. The challenge is not only technical, but also strategic: a small number of submarines of this type can make it difficult to use aircraft carriers near hostile coastlines, altering the way powers deploy their force. The “no” to diesel in the US. Despite the impact of the exercise, the US Navy decided not to repeat operate diesel submarines. Their reasoning is based on logistics and strategic reach: the United States deploys submarines thousands of miles from their bases, and needs units that can operate for monthspursue targets at long distances and sustain high speeds without the need to recharge batteries. Diesel-AIP submarines are ideal for defending territorial waters or coastal areas, but less suitable for prolonged ocean operations. For this reason, the US Navy has preferred to invest in nuclear submarines and, more recently, in unmanned underwater systems that could complement or replace escort and patrol missions. What the Gotland revealed. The history of HMS Gotland proves that naval supremacy is not guaranteed for size or cost of combat platforms, but for technological adaptation and understanding the strategic environment. Aircraft carriers remain formidable tools for projecting power, but their vulnerability to silent AIP submarines forces rethink doctrinesinvest in advanced detection and reconsider the type of forces used in environments close to enemy coasts. The key lesson was not the symbolic sinking of an aircraft carrier, but the realization that 21st century naval warfare can turn hierarchies upside down that seemed immovable. Those days showed that, in the ocean, silence is worth more than steel, and a small submarine can change the balance of an entire fleet. Image | WikimediaUS Navy In Xataka | The US has detected a naval advantage over China. The catapult of the Beijing aircraft carriers comes with a “factory” failure In Xataka | China has discovered an advantage to win the aircraft carrier race against the US: a “bubble” in its defense

It is a tiny Caribbean island with a unique asset

by

The AI ​​is A bottomless well of burning money. There is Very few companies earning money With this technological boom and the fear that everything will be A bubble about to explode The atmosphere flies over. In the midst of this uncertain panorama, an unexpected winner has emerged, a small British island located in the Caribbean Sea. Your secret? It has control of the domain .AI .AI The domain was created in 1995 specifically for Isla de Anguila. Like the .es. With the AI ​​boom, the use of domains. The boom. Perplexity.ai, x.ai, Google.AI… They are some of the AI ​​services that these domains use, but there are many more. According to This report From the Domain Technik hosting service, in 2018 there were approximately 48,000 .AI registered domains. The figure was growing over the years, but in 2023 the thing is triggered and the 354,000 domains are reached, which meant 145% growth with respect to 2022. There are currently 870,000. Taking into account that up to date an average of 1,500 domains are being recorded. Income. As reflected in the Annual Income, Expenses and Capital Report of 2024 of the Anguilla government, in 2022 the income derived from the domain registry. In the world of AI, they are ridiculous figures, but on a small island like eel, it is an important part of its income. Caution. According to the local medium Anguilla FocusJose Vanterpol, Minister of Infrastructure and Communications said that “in the years prior to the true advance of AI, income from domains. However, they are cautious. In statements A AP News Last year, Prime Minister Ellis Webster said that “we cannot predict how long this will last (…) I do not want our economy, our country and all our programs to be based solely on this.” Other cases. Anguilla is not the only case of a domain that unexpectedly becomes a gold mine for a region. He passed with Tuvalu, an archipelago between Australia and Hawaii who saw how The .TV domains became their second source of income. There has also been similar cases With the domains .ly belonging to Libya and. Me de Montenegro. Cover image | Wikipedia In Xataka | There are such monstrously high skyscrapers in China that a new job has emerged: those who take lunch to the last plants

How tiny models are taking the colors to the mastodons of the AI

by

AI does not seem to advance much. At least the “big” AI. The best market models are barely managed to make relevant qualitative leaps, and that despite being gigantic and the money, time and talent that companies invest in creating them. We have seen it with Call 4Claude 4 or the recent one (and disappointing) GPT-5. But while Esots gigantic models are less and less surprise, diminutos models are getting more and more. Something (small) is moving. Google moves file Fichita. Last week Google surprised us all with the launch of a small AI model. Well, not: tiny. It could almost be said that it is a “nanomodel”. Gemma 3 270m It is an extremely compact version with only 270 million parameters. How small is that? It is easy to understand when we compare that model with one of the most reputable Open Source models: Call 4: In its Behemoth version, 288b (1,066 times larger) Qwen 3 235b (870 times bigger) Deepseek R1 671B (2,485 times larger) A hyperefficient model. Google’s own ones made it clear that this model cannot compete with the great AI models, but that was not their goal. Its objective is to be hyperefficient and, attention, hyperspepecific. What is pursued here is to turn Gemma 3 270m into the pillar of many models adapted to very specific and concrete tasks. The secret is called fine adjustment. GEMMA 3 270M, insisted these engineers, is a perfect model for fine adjustment processes (Fine Tuning) in very specific tasks. A company (or developer) anyone can take a small model, like this, and train it with their own data and refine it For a specific task following Google instructions For Hugging Face. For example, for generate stories to read children at night (code), to convert confusing text into structured data, to Customize messagesto classify emails or support tickets, or even for Play chess decently. Small models to power. Google already opted for this type of small models when GEMMA presented 3 In March. At that time the versions presented were 1b, 4b, 12b and 27b, being the last one really “great” in absolute terms. The rest could be executed at local in machines with 16GB of graphic memory, such as a Mac Mini M4. It is precisely what we could check with GPT-Oss-20B (the download is about 12 GB), the Open Source model recently launched by OpenAi that behaved remarkably. But even the latter could be considered “great”, and in recent weeks and months we have seen more and more “tiny” models that encourage the market. Gemma 3 270m’s performance is surprising despite its small size. And yet, the best of all is not that: it is his ability to adapt it to a specific task. Examples everywhere. Microsoft has already opted for this type of models with Phi-3 and Phi-4 (14b), which in its launch competed with the Chinese model QWEN-2.5-14B, although these models again tried to raise “mini” alternatives to large models such as GPT-4O or call-3.3 70b. They could be used for fine adjustment, but they were already trained to adjust to various scenarios. Others, more unknown, have gone further: the startup liquid launched A model aimed at visual environments called LFM2 with only 440m parameters, and Nvidia has just launched Nemotron -Nano -9bthat achieves improve QWEN3-8B performance in various benchmarks. Perfect for mobiles and smart watches. Another advantage of these models is that thanks to their small size are able to run on many more devices, however modest. They are ideal to be able to be used for example in our mobiles, smart watches or even more limited products. Its efficiency is the order of the day: how Google highlightedin a pixel 9 pro a quantized version (int4) of Gemma 3 270m can manage 25 “conversations” (chats) using only 0.75% of the mobile battery. It is so small that it can even be executed in a browser tab as if we load a website (heavy) more, such as the example of the web application that generates sleeping stories to children or This other which shows us how the model begins to break, but in a fun way, and whose code is available. A promising future. The Google model, like similar ones, raises that other side that Google spoke. More than an off -road model, what they offer is a base on which to build “the right tool for work.” These types of small models, well refined and trained, can be the basis of the design of all types of small applications and AI agents that then end up interconnecting and that function very, very efficiently. Perhaps it was true that the best essences are sold in small bottles. Image | Amanz In Xataka | If the question is which of the great technology is winning the AI career, the answer is: None

Japan believes to have the largest deposit of rare earths hidden on a tiny island. And it is already date to extract them

by

The Rare earth They are an element of great economic and geopolitical value and China stands as the greatest power. To its Japanese neighbors He didn’t make any grace have to depend on them and, after an exhaustive search, a year ago they found the treasure: A huge site of rare earths at the bottom of the ocean. Japan has already set date to start extracting them. January 2026. It is the date on which Japan will begin with the first test extraction, according to Nikkei Asia. They expected to start this year, but the delivery of the necessary duct to reach the deposit did not reach last May and delayed the project for a year. The duct, manufactured in the United Kingdom, has cost 12,000 million yen (about 71 million euros) and will allow them to reach a depth of 5,500 meters. The Chikyu. The Japanese Marine-Terrestrial Science and Technology Agency or JAMSTECfor its acronym in English, will use the chiichyu, the name received by the Japanese drilling boat with which these valuable minerals will extract. In 2022 they already did a test at 2,500 meters deep In front of the coast of the Ibaraki Prefecture, but the challenge they face now is to drill more than double deep: 5,500 meters. If they get it, it would be the first time that rare earths are extracted to so much depth. In the first phase, Chikyu will extract 35 tons of mud. It is estimated that a ton of mud contains about 2 kilos of rare earths, so, in the best case, we could be talking about 70 kilos of rare earths. A key discovery. As we said, Japan found the site almost a year ago in front of the island of Minami-Torishima, located about 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The site is located in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, so their extraction corresponds to them. Among the minerals it contains, one of the most abundant would be gadolinio, used in the nuclear industry, and the disposium, used mainly in magnets for electric vehicles. It would also be rich in manganese, cobalt and nickel nodules, key components in the creation of batteries. The amount is not clear and is decisive. At first there was talk of a site of 16 million tons, which would place Japan in third place behind China (44 million) and Brazil (21 million). However, a Analysis of the University of Tokyo He pointed to the loot would be much more juicy: 230 million tons. If confirmed, Japan would overcome China and be placed as the largest reserve of rare earths in the world. Independence. Japan’s efforts to find rare earth date back to 2022 and had a clear goal: to be independent. Currently, Japan depends on imports to meet their needs of rare metals, with 60% of them from China. The Japanese government invested 6,000 million yen (about 42 million euros) in the first extractions and have made it a priority since then. Friction. As we said, China currently has the largest reserve of rare earth and that gives it A huge power. Just a few weeks ago something unusual happened: A combat fleet, headed by two Chinese aircraft carriershe entered the Japanese ZEE near the island of Minamitori. Japan He did not confirm If he presented a formal protest and just declared that he had sent “the appropriate message.” It is not the first time that China enters the Japanese area, nor are the friction between the two countries, But it is certainly a somewhat controversial maneuver given the economic importance of the area. Image | TNFSA In Xataka | Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

He returned his rental car and found an extra bill of $ 400. The reason: the AI ​​hunted a tiny scratch

by

During a trip, unforeseen events may arise. That is something relatively common, assumed and that must internalize anyone who considers making the bags to spend a few days away from home. Much less frequent is what happened to Patrick, a traveler who recently encountered a bill of More than 400 dollars When he returned his rental car at the Hertz branch of the International Airport Hartsfield-Jackson from Atlanta, in the US. The reason: A system with AI He analyzed the vehicle thoroughly and in just a few seconds he discovered that he had a scratch of several centimeters on a rear wheel. The story He has revealed it The Drive And more than one tourist who considers renting a car this vacation is probably removed. At least around Atlanta, in the US. Patrick recently, a client of Thriftya vehicle rental company linked to the international chain Hertz, found a surprise when he wanted to return the vehicle that had leased. Betrayed by algorithms The man did the usual one: he went to the company’s branch, delivered the vehicle (from the Volkswagen brand) and gave the procedure per setback. After a few minutes, however they told him that he had to pay a whopping $ 440. The reason? The company had identified a friction on the rear wheel on the driver’s side, a 2.5 cm scrape whose arrangement had to pay. Not just that. The company also broken down to him how he had calculated those $ 440. Of that amount almost half would be dedicated to repair. The rest corresponded to a series of expenses that made Patrick crawl the eyebrow. According to the company$ 125 responded to processing and 65 to administrative expenses. The man also found that the invoice came through a web application that contributed the damage test and allowed him to enjoy A small discountor as long as he paid at the same time. According to collect The Driveif it accepted the conditions and disbursed the money in 48 hours the company offered a bonus of 52 dollars. In case something else was delayed, but did not miss more than a week would be 32.5. The man chose not to pay. Moreover, when a few days ago He spoke with The Drive He had not yet paid the amount that the company claims for the wheel scrape. “Save 30 dollars to accept responsibility is not worth it,” says the driver, who after meeting the invoice first resorted to the Chatbot from Hertz (without too successful) and then sent an email to the company. So far the story is curious, but what makes the case of Patrick exceptional and has caught the media attention from other countries It is how the company detected the damage on the rear wheel of its Volkswagen. The merit was not of any operator or worker of the Branch of Atlanta International Airport especially diligent when examining the cars. No. The failure in the wheel was located by a New scanning system of cars that is based on AI. In April Hertz announced An alliance with Uveye, a firm specialized in the inspection of vehicles with AI, precisely to apply its technology in the US. “The camera systems with the Uveye and the algorithms of Machine Learning They allow automated inspections in real time of the body, the crystals, tires and low “, He claims Hertzwhich emphasizes that the new technology allows you to detect failures “with unprecedented speed and precision.” {“Videid”: “X91SZ26”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “This is the perfect shipment of an airplane and no airline does it ❌✈️”, “Tag”: “Webedia-prod”, “Duration”: “567”} Already then The company advanced That the system would be released in Hartsfield-Jackson, although its objective is to expand it in not much time to the main US airfields. The company also claims that by “complementing” traditional exams with Uveye technology, it can guarantee its customers “more efficient and transparent reviews”, the latter nuance that He stressed These days a The Drive. The app that informed Patrick in fact included A photo of the scrape and another of the same part of the car just when he rented. The service, yes, does not seem free to leave. Hertz He explained That the so -called processing rate, which at least in the case of Patrick represents a sensitive part of the invoice, corresponds to “the cost of detecting and estimating damage during rent.” As for the administrative rate that includes the invoice, “it covers part of the costs incurred by Hertz by processing the claim.” Images | Uveye Via | Motorpasion In Xataka | Car rental: what is important to look before hiring (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news He returned his rental car and found an extra bill of $ 400. The reason: the AI ​​hunted a tiny scratch It was originally posted in Xataka by Carlos Prego .

Sam Altman states that Chatgpt’s water and energy consumption is tiny. The problem is that it does not give evidence of it

by

An email of 100 words generated by GPT-4 Consume 519 milliliters of water. That was the conclusion to which researchers at the University of California arrived a few months ago after analyzing this OpenAi model. Sam Altman, CEO of the company, has just yielded its own estimate on the consumption of water and energy of each consultation of Chatgpt. And it is very different. 1,000 times less than what was said. According to Altman, an average consultation in Chatgpt consumes much less than what had been indicated in previous studies. Your data are strikingand to understand them makes interesting analogies: “As production automated in data centers automates, the cost of intelligence should approach electricity. (People are usually curious to know how much energy consumes a chatgpt consultation; the average consult (0.32 ml); A previous study of Epoch ai corroborates the data that Sam Altman has now wielded. Source: Epoch AI. And the tests? Those figures mentioned by the OpenAi CEO have a problem: they have no visible support. He throws them without citing sources or explaining where he has taken them out, something that makes it difficult to believe. A Meta executive answered the question of How much consumes the inference AI A year and a half ago, responding that “only two nuclear reactors would be needed to cover it.” But previous studies coincide with Altman. Although he does not mention any evidence, in February, Epoch AI researchers precisely They published a study trying to estimate the energy consumption of chatgpt. In their conclusions they indicated that on average a chatgpt consult Previous report of the researcher Alex de Vries. Since then, of course, many things have happened. Too pessimistic. And as they commented on the study of Epoch AI, the difference comes from the fact that the models are today much more efficient than in 2023, when VRies conducted their study. So is the hardware in which these models are executed, and that estimate was also used a “especially pessimistic” approach. In Openai’s study they also threw an especially pessimistic estimate and pointed out that “most of the requests (A chatgpt) are much cheaper (energetically).” More studies. Another independent study published by Andy Masey in January 2025 reached a similar conclusion and claimed that “using Chatgpt is not bad for the environment.” It was based on EPRI data May 2024 that also estimated a high consumption of 2.9 Wh by chatgpt consultation. Estimated water consumption In data centersfrom A SUNBIRD studyit was also very modest compared to other online activities. Water consumption in data centers for various online activities. Source: Andy Masley. Fifte. Precisely the data of water consumption was another striking in that estimate of Sam Altman. According to him, a chatgpt consultation barely consumed 0.32 ml of water, “a quinceava part of a teaspoon.” The figure suggests that the water needed to refrigerate data centers that process these requests is much less than what was thought only one year ago. And training, what? These estimates focus on the AI ​​inference section, that is, our use of chatgpt that receives a consultation and processes it inferring (generating) a text result. Although Altman does not clarify it, he does not seem to include here the energy and water cost of training AI models, which is very high and makes thousands of Gpus They work at full power For months, with the consequent water expense in data centers to refrigerate all those components that dissipate high heat amounts. As I pointed out The researcher Ethan Mollick, GPT-4 probably used more than 50 GW to be trained, enough to give energy to 5,500 homes in a year. We continue without definitive data. Altman’s claims are as always striking, but the lack of clear evidence makes it difficult to believe these data. Other recent studies are more useful when it comes to reflecting this increasingly lower cost both in energy and water from the use of AI, but there are no accepted standards or a consensus on the true impact of energy and water consumption when using chatgpt or other AI models. Image | Lukáš Lehotský | Village Global In Xataka | The light price is again negative: it is a sign that the system needs a redesign

This strategic and tiny island has been disputed for 200 years. And the US and Canada still are not clear to whom it belongs to

by

The recent one Donald Trump’s insistence on Annexar Canada as the 51st state He has given for reflections in the American political sphere. While the idea does not seem taken seriously in Washington and the Canadian government has made it clear that it has no interest in joining the United States, The New York Times performed an electoral code analysis of such a scenario revealing an unexpected consequence: the incorporation of Canada would guarantee a political advantage for the Democratic Party in future elections. Be that as it may, the only certain thing in this whole story is the eternal dispute over an islet between both nations. An island and its importance. WE TALK ABOUT MACHIAS SEAL ISLANDa small islet of 18 hectares located at the point of confluence between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine, which represents the last territorial dispute between Canada and the United States. Although its rock size and geography are little or rather liable, its strategic value and the wealth of its waters They have maintained the latent conflict for more than two centuries. A lighthouse as a symbol of sovereignty. The history of the dispute goes back to the war of 1812when both the United States and Great Britain claimed the island and its surrounding waters due to their location on an important navigation route. In 1832, Great Britain built a lighthouse on the island To consolidate its control, and since then, Canada has maintained a permanent presence in the place through Farros that, in addition to its maritime signaling work, act as symbolic guardians of Canadian sovereignty. In this regard, Russell and Anthony Ross, Farros brothers, turn every 28 days to keep the lighthouse in operation. Isolated on the island, their work goes beyond surveillance: they receive visitors who arrive in summer and, in winter, they support the extreme climate of the Atlantic without the possibility of returning to the continent until its allocation ends. For them, the island is more than a territory in dispute: it is their temporary home and a symbol of a tradition that few still keep alive. Frailecillos on the island A sanctuary for wildlife. Despite its uncertain geopolitical status, Machias Seal Island is recognized as a sanctuary of sea birds. The reason? Thousands of Atlantic Frailecillos, Common Mergles, Arctic Charranes and Common Alcas nest there every summer, making it a reference point for scientists and bird observers. In fact, the Canadian Wild Life Service protects access to the island, allowing only the arrival of two daily tourist boats, One from Maine and Another from New Brunswickwith a limited quota of visitors. Scientists like Tony Diamonddirector of Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, have studied these colonies since 1995, highlighting the importance of the island’s ecosystem as a thermometer of the state of the ocean. Tourism under surveillance. To avoid major evils, the experience of tourists is rigorously controlled. So much so, that to avoid damage to nests, They must remain in wood cattleway and use small observation structures camouflaged in the landscape. Although getting to the island is not easy, most of Visitors consider the effort to be worth itsince it is one of the few places where you can see these frailecillos in their natural environment without disturbances. The dispute: Waters of the gray zone. Beyond the small islet, the true conflict between Canada and the United States is not on earth, but rather in the sea. The waters around Machias Seal Island They are known as the “Gray Zone”an area of ​​approximately 700 square kilometers where both countries claim fishing rights. Moreover, in the last decades, The growing lobster demand has turned the area into a crucial economic resource. The price of crustacean has tripled, reaching values ​​of up to 4 Canadian dollars for 400 grams, which has promoted the prosperity of fishing communities Like Grand Manan, in Canada. Live in the conflict. For many fishermen, The gray zone represents a constant income opportunityand although there are no formal agreements, they have developed a coexistence system based on mutual respect. Of course, not everything is harmony. As the lobster demand has continued to increase, The pressure on marine resources is increasing. Sector veterans warn that The overfishing could exhaust the lobster populationfollowing the same collapse pattern that affected the herring industry, background fish and scallops in the past. Uncertain future. Be that as it may, and despite the territorial dispute, so far Canada and the United States have avoided an open conflict about Machias Seal Island and the gray areamaintaining that fragile balance between the symbolic presence of Canada on the island and the joint fishing exploitation in its waters. Yet, The recent political and commercial tensions between the two countries They have generated uncertainty about the future of this enclave. In that sense, Trump’s latest statements have not helped. The inhabitants of the island, whether beareros, scientists or fishermen, continue with their lives at the same time that international policy follows its course. While the frailecillos continue to nest in the cliffs and lobster ships they slaughter in the gray area, the islet is maintained as a tiny point on the map, although not any one: one with a geopolitical, economic and ecological influence much larger than its size suggests. .Imagen | Melissa McMasters, Melissa McMasters In Xataka | The longest dispute is a 500 -year -old mystery. Spain still knows if tiny lands belong to Tenerife In Xataka | China has been claiming as its islands from Japan 130 years. So he has made a decision: surround them with buoys

The new hope against Alzheimer’s is a simple protein. We have discovered it thanks to a tiny worm

by

Many of the processes that happen in our body depend on proteins. All if we take into account the processes that do it indirectly. Sometimes proteins fail. Then, the function of cleaning these “defective” proteins falls, yes, on other proteins. MANF. A new study He has revealed The importance of MANF protein (Mesencephalic Astrocyte-Derned Neurotrophic Factor) For our aging or, to be more precise, when avoiding some of the problems that arise at the cellular level and that we usually associate with age. Doing cleaning. In principle, that a cell badly codifies a protein does not have to generate major problems in our body. Cell homeostasis, the process that discards proteins after use, is a cellular “maintenance” process that deals with this type of problem. However, with age our cells lose efficacy when keeping the house in order. “Defective” proteins can end up accumulating and generating protein clots. This is What we believe occurs with diseases such as Parkinson or Alzheimer’s. When the cell detects these problems, it can stop synthesizing new proteins until the problem is solved. If it does not, the cell dies. Cleaning work. The new study has observed that MANF protein It plays an important role in this cleaning process inside the cell. His work consists in breaking protein clusters to facilitate the expulsion of these and thus maintaining our healthy cells. The team observed that this protein also served to “activate” the intracellular cleaning system. C. Elegans. In his work, the team turned to a unique worm, the Caenorhabditis Elegansa usual microscopic size nematode in laboratories around the world. The team altered the genetics of these worms to increase the presence of the MANF protein in their cells. The worms C. Elegans They are transparent, which facilitates the work of researchers when visualizing the changes that induce their genes. The team managed to see the effects of MANF on cells and tissues. Protein, They pointwas present in the lysosomas (some cell organelles linked to longevity and protein aggregation). In this way they could appreciate how the protein broke cell clusters and activated the cleaning system. The details of the experiment were published In an article In the magazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Beyond worms. What is true for the biology of a small worm does not have to be in that of humans, but the team points out that this would be a universal process, at least in animal cells since Manf is a common protein to all species of this kingdom. The fight against Alzheimer’s. The big issue is now how to transform this new knowledge into therapies to fight some of the diseases that we associate with aging, such as Alzheimer’s, or against aging itself. Alzheimer is an important since the dominant hypothesis to explain this disease part precisely of the appearance of intracellular clusters such as those that fight the Manf protein. As explained by those responsible for the new study, transforming this protein into a treatment will require better understanding its role in our body and other possible interactions between it and cellular functions beyond cell homeostasis. In Xataka | We have been listening to the benefits of Omega-3 for years. Now we know that it also rejuvenates us Image | McMaster University

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.