toilet

Artemis II has a toilet that evacuates the astronauts’ urine into space. The problem is that it has frozen

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The Orion capsule toilet It is being one of the most commented topics of Artemis II. It is no wonder, since it greatly facilitates the life of the astronauts who are on their way to the Moon. However, if it continues to generate conversation after the launch, it is no longer because of the novelty, but rather because of the incidents it is causing. The last of them has been so important that it has even forced some special maneuvers to be carried out with Orion. Background. Until now, no spacecraft had anything resembling a bathroom for astronauts. Yes, there are options in long-stay facilities, such as the International Space Station. However, there was no way to evacuate during space travel. The astronauts of the Apollo missions, for example, had to use something similar to a condom for urine and a kind of diaper with a hole for toilet paper in case they wanted to do major water. Luckily, the Artemis II astronauts They have a more advanced system. There is no room for so much urine. The Orion toilet uses a type of hose attached to a funnel that, through suction, draws urine into a tank. Thus, the problems of microgravity are solved. On the other hand, this tank has direct contact with the exterior of the ship, in such a way that the urine, once it is full, is released directly into space. urine slushie. Since the journey of the Artemis II astronauts began There have been some problems with the capsule bathbut almost all of them have been solved. Unfortunately, there is another one that is being more difficult to solve. And the low temperatures outside are freezing the urine, so it cannot leave the tank. Maneuver changes. Faced with this problem, it was decided to maneuver the capsule in such a way that the tank and pipes were exposed to the Sun for as long as possible. Thus, the urine should thaw and be released without problems. It wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, although this measure seemed to be useful at first, sun exposure is not enough to have liquid urine at all times. It spends a lot of time frozen, so for now, astronauts are having to put their urine in bags and store them, exactly the same as with feces. With the latter it was already established that they would be stored and taken back to Earth, but with urine the simplest thing would have been to let it flow through space. But for now it’s not an option, so these bags will have to take up some extra space on the ship. Ultimately it is good news. According to statements by the deputy director of the Orion program for NASA, Debbie Korth, collected by Ars Technicathe performance of the capsule in general is being remarkably good. The good development of all the ship’s systems has pleasantly surprised the engineers. Therefore, the fact that the biggest headache for the ship’s crew is that their urine freezes is still good news. It would be much worse if some vital system failed. In that case, no one would notice the capsule bathroom. That everyone is paying attention to him is also a triumph. Image | NASA | freepik In Xataka | The Artemis II astronauts will carry out experiments in what will be their own study models

Artemis II will make the Apollo that took us to the Moon look like a space slum: it will even have a private toilet

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If all goes well, Artemis II It could be launched on April 1 towards the Moon. It will be the first time that a manned spacecraft travels to our satellite in more than 50 years and, although this time there will be no moon landing, the capsule with 4 astronauts on board will make a lunar flyby, which will be the highlight of a 10-day space trip. A week and a half during which, logically, the crew will have to clean up and relieve themselves. But how do you go to the bathroom in space? Luckily, the capsule will have a comfort that they didn’t have in the Apollo program. A toilet. The complicated mission of going to the bathroom. From Apollo 10, in 1969, until Apollo 17, in 1972there were a total of 12 astronauts who traveled to the Moon. At that time, her only toiletries were a few wet wipes. to urinate They used devices similar to condoms that were changed daily. When it was time to evacuate, they were connected to a bag, with a kind of hose. It was not a very efficient system and there were often leaks. There was also no system adapted to the female anatomy, since all the astronauts were men. The greater waters. As for feces, a bag was used that stuck to the buttocks. Something quite similar to a diaper, but with a compartment to put your hands in and use toilet paper. Again, there could be leaks. In fact, there is a transcript of an astronaut from Apollo 10 in which he asked for a napkin to pick up a fragment of feces that was floating in the air. Once caught (sometimes literally), the bags were saved and stored for analysis on land. Added to all this is that the astronauts did not have the slightest privacy to go to the bathroom in space. The experience, and especially the smell, could not have been pleasant at all. The urine collection system of the Apollo missions was very rudimentary. Opportunity cost. Whether it is for personal hygiene or for urinating or defecating, going to the bathroom in space involves two major complications. On the one hand, microgravity prevents what should fall under its own weight from doing so. We return to the problem of floating feces from Apollo 10. On the other hand, water is needed. Transporting sufficient quantities of water into space would place excess load on spacecraft. Furthermore, precisely because of microgravity, it would move freely, so that some of the many devices that exist in the small space of a capsule like the Orion of Artemis II could get wet and damaged. For this reason, the use of water is reduced to a minimum and methods are sought to overcome microgravity as much as possible. Artemis II’s toilet. In Artemis II the astronauts They will use liquid soap and leave-in shampooas well as very small amounts of water that can be dried immediately with towels. As for the most difficult part, the Orion capsule has a system similar to that used in the International Space Station. It is a container with a hose connected to a funnel through which urine descends thanks to an air suction system. Each astronaut will have their own hose and, since the crew has three men and one woman, it will adapt to both male and female anatomy, as necessary. Where does all that go?. Once the urine is collected, it is released into space. Regarding feces, they are also collected by suction and stored in sealed bags that will travel to Earth on the return trip. Best of all, this system is isolated, so astronauts can relieve themselves alone. There is a curtain that can be removed if they need more space and a door in the floor of the capsule that allows them the privacy they craved on the Apollo missions. Image | POT In Xataka | Artemis II will take NASA to the Moon half a century later. He will do it with the help of the University of Seville

toilet paper 10% more expensive

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It may be better or worse, single or double layer, white or decorated, but there are usually two characteristics that are often repeated in toilet paper. Their rolls are voluminous. And cheap. Both peculiarities explain that right now there are a part of China where they fear that the price of packages will skyrocket between 10% and 20%. The reason is very simple: the iran war. We explain ourselves. What has happened? That Hong Kong is preparing for an accelerated escalation in the price of toilet paper. The news is reported by local media such as The Standard, South China Morning Post either Dot Dot News: in the region there are already those who believe that rolls will soon become more expensive 10%, even more. Right now the stores are working with stored stock, but it is feared that as this stock runs out, businesses will update their rates upwards, generating more pressure on the pockets of Hong Kong families. Why’s that? Because of the Iran war. The Middle East conflict the price has skyrocketed of oil until the brent barrel is located above 100 dollarstransferring the tension to the logistics and transportation industry. This increase has an impact on any merchandise that must be transported, but not all are equally sensitive to the fluctuations in crude oil, such as I remembered these days Shiu Ka-fai, a retail sector representative in Hong Kong. Does oil affect that much? “While the value of toilet paper is low, its volume is very large, meaning it requires considerable transportation space,” Shiu reflectswho compares as an example what happens with a ship container full of iPhones and another with rolls of paper. The rise in the price of oil (and transportation in general) affects both equally, but since the first shipment has a high value, the increase in freight will be less noticeable in its final cost. Things change when we talk about very cheap and voluminous merchandise, like a pallet full of paper. Does only crude oil influence? The million dollar question. That the rise in Brent is transferred to transport and threatens to directly infect merchandise, fully affecting our shopping baskets, is no surprise. Another thing is the extent to which oil justifies price increases. In Hong Kong in fact already there are voices which encourage you to pay attention to which items become more expensive in the coming weeks, how much they become more expensive and, above all, why they become more expensive. Pascal Siu of Our Hong Kong Foundation warned yesterday that one thing is goods dependent on oil, such as fuels or petrochemical products, and quite another is items such as toilet paper, manufactured with other raw materials. In the latter case, crude oil intervenes in only part of the production. To be precise in transportation and plastic packaging. As an example, Siu points out that if inputs related to crude oil represent between 10 and 20% of the total costs of producing a commodity, no matter how much the barrel of Brent becomes more expensive, the final footprint on the price of the items should be low. After all, he emphasizes, other costs, such as labor or rent, have not yet experienced increases that affect the price. Is this something that happens only in Hong Kong? At the moment the alarms seem to have gone off in Hong Kong, an economy with its own peculiarities and that stands out above all for its high dependency of imports. If we talk about toilet paper the “photo” It is different in Spain. That does not mean that the Chinese region is the only one who fears that the war will affect the prices of basic goods. Right here, in Spain, the OCU published a report a few days ago in which he warned that the cost of food is skyrocketing “as a result of the war” in Iran. Specifically, the organization warns that March threatens to leave “one of the biggest increases” since 2024, when it began collecting monthly data. The emphasis is on the prices of fresh meat and vegetable products. Hong Kong is also not the only region where toilet paper is in the news because of the Middle East. In Japan, supermarkets have found a curious effect: panic buying of rolls like those already seen during the pandemic or the 1973 oil crisis. The authorities they have made a move to ask citizens not to engage in compulsive shopping. Images | Marques Thomas (Unsplash) and Michael Marais (Unsplash) In Xataka | There is only one correct way to place toilet paper. A patent ended the debate in 1891

A Japanese toilet company has been manufacturing key parts in the chip industry for years. And now it is going to be key in AI

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Toto, world famous for their toilets with a trickle that we usually miss so much when we return from Japan, has been quietly manufacturing key components for the semiconductor industry for decades. Just like account Financial Times, an activist fund has focused on that part of its business, and the market is starting to pay attention. What has happened. Palliser Capital, a UK-based activist fund, has sent a letter to Toto’s board of directors arguing that the advanced ceramics the company works on are being ignored and underestimated by the market. The fund, which owns a stake among the 20 largest in the company, according to share from FT, calls Toto “the most underrated and overlooked AI memory beneficiary.” What is important. Toto is not just a bathroom company. Since 1988 it has been manufacturing the so-called ‘electrostatic chucks’ in series.‘ (electrostatic jaws), high-precision ceramic components used in the manufacture of NAND memory chips to hold silicon wafers during the production process, controlling temperature and avoiding contamination. This business, which they fit within their “advanced ceramics” division, already represents around 42% of the company’s total operating profit, according to data from Bloomberg. The connection with AI. He data center boom for artificial intelligence has skyrocketed the demand for memory chips. Companies like Meta, Amazon or large memory manufacturers (SK Hynix, Samsung, Kioxia) are accelerating their production to face a widespread shortage. That translates into more demand for the components that Toto manufactures. The company’s ceramic technology is also specially adapted for cryogenic etching, a process that is expected to gain popularity as memory chips become more complex and layered. Business tips. According to share The fund also criticizes that Toto is not explaining well to investors the importance of this segment and that the allocation of internal capital is not prioritizing this lucrative sector. The fund proposes that the company expand its ceramics business, sell cross-stakes in other companies and make better use of its 76 billion yen in cash (about $496 million). If Toto did all that, Palliser estimates the stock could rise more than 55%. The market had already started to move. Toto shares have accumulated a revaluation of more than 60% in the last year. Just like share Bloomberg, at the end of January, after the support of Goldman Sachs, which raised the value to buy pointing to the memory shortage as a tailwind, the stock rose 11% in a single day, its biggest rise in five years. Be careful with the warnings. The idea that Toto would have that competitive advantage before other competitors can be at that level comes from Palliser himself, who has an obvious interest in making that narrative credible. Tom’s Hardware points out that while electrostatic jaws play a real role in advanced manufacturing processes, whether that translates into sustained growth still depends in part on large memory manufacturers committing to expanding production and, for now, they are being cautious faced with the risk of oversupply if the AI ​​market cools. The phenomenon is not exclusive to Toto. Japan has a long history in chip production, which has led companies with very different profiles to develop businesses related to semiconductors almost without anyone noticing. Just like share Bloomberg, Ajinomoto, known for its broths and its mastery of umami, makes insulating films for chips based on its expertise with amino acids. Kao, a cosmetics company, has a silicon wafer cleaning business. The AI ​​business is revaluing companies that, a priori, had nothing to do with it. And Toto is the latest example of this. Cover image | Taylor Vick and Upgraded Points In Xataka | What future awaits artists with the rise of AI? In Ireland they see it so black that they are already preparing a basic income

We have been lowering the toilet lid all our lives for hygiene. Science has bad news: it is not enough

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Every time we flush the toilet, a small invisible “rash” occurs in the bathroom. It is not a literary exaggeration: science calls it ‘toilet plume’, or toilet plume: a phenomenon by which a Water discharge launches thousands of microscopic particles into the air loaded with everything you just deposited in the cup. A piece of advice. For years, it’s been pretty simple: lower the lid before pressing the toilet button. However, recent research suggests that this gesture, although useful, is not the definitive shield we thought. A microscopic volcano. When the water enters the cup with force to clean the residue that we have deposited, the impact generates bioaerosols. These droplets are so light that they can remain suspended in the air for minutes or even hours, something that can be quite dangerous for those people who have low defenses. A biological cocktail. According to the scientific reviews that have been done on the matter, the invisible clouds we are talking about are real cocktails with numerous biological agents. For example, bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Clostridium. This is something that is magnified when we say that in a single gram of feces there can be up to 1,000,000,000,000 viral particles. And this is something that is magnified in public bathrooms, as scientific studies have shown that bacteria are not only found near the toilet, but also on the floors and sinks, confirming that pollution does not remain stagnant in the air. The myth of the cover. A priori, lowering the lid should be a clear solution to prevent bacteria from escaping, and although it helps a little, the reality is that it is not perfect. According to science, Lowering the lid reduces the dispersion of visible droplets by 30 to 60%being a substantial improvement to prevent heavier particles from landing even on the toothbrush. However, there is a design problem: the gap between the cup and the seat. The finest aerosols (particles less than 1 µm) are expelled under pressure through these slots. In experiments with viruses such as MS2, it has been proven that up to 57% of aerosols manage to escape even with the lid closed. And once outside, their size allows them to avoid many conventional air filters. It’s not just disgust. As microbiologist Raúl Rivas explainsthis is not just a debate about aesthetic hygiene. Flushing the toilet without lowering the lid releases many viruses and bacteria that may even be resistant to antibiotics. But this is something that is greatly amplified in public bathroomswhere ventilation is poor and where there are a large number of people per day. Here there is a high concentration of particles that, due to their small size, can be inhaled or deposited on the surfaces we touch such as the doorknob or the paper dispenser. What should be done. Science doesn’t say to stop lowering the cap, as it’s still best for larger droplets, but it suggests it’s not enough. That is why the tips that we can apply especially in the domestic sphere are the following: The summary is quite clear: the toilet is a very efficient microbicidal aerosol generator, and lowering the lid is the first step although it does not replace good hygiene and ventilation. Images | Giorgio Trovato CDC In Xataka | We have been believing that bacteria are a weapon against tumors for 150 years. And finally we have discovered how

We are clogging the ocean’s carbon toilet and it is something that is only going to cause us problems

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The ocean right now is acting as a big ‘carbon toilet’. An essential natural system that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locks him in the deep sea, helping regulate global climate. However, the recent heat waves we have experienced at sea are altering this critical process, which could have serious consequences for the climate of the entire planet. The ‘carbon toilet’. On the surface of the ocean we can now find organisms called phytoplanktonwhich have the ability to absorb CO₂ and produce oxygen through a simple photosynthesis mechanism with the help of sunlight. The problem is that we live in a life cycle that constantly advances, and that is why these organisms are food for small marine animals. called zooplanktonwhich generate feces in the form of small pellets that they sink to the seabed. This phenomenon, called the “biological carbon pump,” transports carbon from the atmosphere to the bottom of the sea, where it can remain isolated for centuries. In this way, the seabed can be seen as a large ‘cemetery’ of CO₂ stored in the feces of these animals. Something that in the long term is helping us clean the atmosphere and mitigate global warming. Heat waves. In the Pacific Northwest, two major episodes of marine heat waves that occurred in the periods 2013-2015 and 2019-2020 are changing everything. Temperature increases drastically altered the composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton, generating a “clogging” effect on the carbon toilet we have in the ocean. The lack of deep mixing and nutrients, caused by warming and stratification of the water, favored smaller species that produce feces that tend to float rather than sink, slowing the transport of carbon to the depths. A new layer. If the feces float, this simply means that the organic carbon now accumulates in the superficial layers of the water instead of reaching the deep areas where it was sequestered. This is also added to a greater bacterial proliferation in warm waters that decomposed more organic matter, releasing CO₂ again into the water and subsequently into the atmosphere itself. This is something that weakens the role of ‘buffer’ to try to compensate for the concentration of CO₂ in our atmosphere. Consequences. These changes not only affect the carbon cycle, but also the very base of the marine food chain. The decline in large phytoplankton reduces oxygen production and limits the feeding of larger marine species, including whales and commercial fish relevant to humanity. Zooplanktons are also responding to warming with changes in size and distribution, further impacting the efficiency of the carbon cycle since the smaller their size, the less CO2 they will capture and the less O2 they will produce. How it was done. In order to draw these conclusions, the research was based on a decade of data that was obtained through Argo biogeochemical floats. These are autonomous devices that have the ability to explore the ocean layers by measuring chemical and biological parameters without the need for constant human presence. This has allowed changes in marine ecosystems to be monitored in detail during extreme events, revealing hitherto invisible patterns and providing an essential tool for future studies and mitigation strategies. The future. These episodes of marine heat waves are increasingly frequent in our oceans due to global warming, as we are also experiencing in Spain. This means that if greenhouse gas emissions are not quickly reduced, the ocean could lose much of its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. In Xataka | The question is not when it will stop raining, the question is how much more water will fall this fall

Kim Jong-un’s health has become a state secret. So on your trips something is never missing: your personal toilet

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When one travels normal, it is that a suitcase full of clothes, perhaps a camera, a laptop, a few books or a tablet to watch a couple of movies during the flight. In the case of Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea, things are somewhat different. His luggage incorporates something that the common of mortals does not usually carry with us: A trusted wader ‘. Sounds weird, but it has its logic. Visit to China. The visit a few days ago Kim Jong-un made China to participate in the ceremony of the 80th anniversary From the surrender of Japan, he left a good handful of photos and the occasional headline for the story. After all, he agreed with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, among others world leaders. The appointment allowed Beijing to make a blunt military power and (equally important) diplomatic influencebut it will be remembered for something else: the zeal with which Kim Jong-un assistants cleaned the chair in which their leader had sat down while chatting with Putin. In A video Disseminated by CNN and allegedly taxed by an accredited reporter in the Kremlin, an operator is seen passing a cloth to the table and the armchair that had used Kim shortly before. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Cleaning … and something else. The news about the zeal of Kim Jong-un to erase any trace of its passage (literally) by China coincided with another that goes in the same line. A few days ago Nikkei He revealed something curious: North Korean travels with personal toilet. One has one in Taeyangchothe luxurious train that usually uses to move and to which He has resorted too During his visit to Beijing, but it is not strange that when Kim must travel far, he does it with a ‘trusted’ bath. Beyond what happened in China, where Kim had the bathroom of his train-fortress, Nikkei assures that there are precedents. According to its sourceswhen the supreme leader visits factories or even military bases in North Korea, a personal toilet usually has available. Something similar happens on your trips abroad. When in 2018 he participated in A summit On the South Korean side of the border, his team took a toilet. And something similar happened that same year in The meeting With the US held in Singapore. A toilet for Kim was also mobilized. And why do you do it? The big question. Why does Kim Jong-un demand that wherever there is a toilet for his trust? Are you related to the zeal of your employees for meticulously cleaning the chairs in which you feel or the tables on which you support? The key was given It makes popco Reuters: where we see fingers, hairs, grooves and dust (also feces) North Korean power sees a valuable source of information that is not willing to leave available to intelligence services of other nations, no matter if friends or enemies. Is it something exceptional? No. such security measures (applied with greater or lesser rigor) are not exclusive to Kim. Reuters remember That the protocol dates back to his father’s times and in recent days have not lacked media that ensure that there are other leaders who share the same zeal. Financial Express assures That Putin moves with a team whose mission is to recover and eliminate his waste while abroad. And he is not the only one who has echoed that rumor, widely collected by means of everyone. The Latest news On the alleged team responsible for watching Putin’s detritus start from the summit he had recently maintained with Trump. The power of feces. Maybe it sounds crazy or eccentricity, but it has its logic. A button, a cup of dirty coffee or a hez are waste, but also a potential source of information that could reveal data on the physiology of its ‘owner’. Perhaps unknown diabetes, hypertension or perhaps a hobby not revealed by alcohol. And that, in cases like Kim’s, on whose health they have run ink rivers (and speculation), is something to take into account. “The special toilet and the garbage bags necessary for waste, waste and butts serve for a foreign intelligence agency, even a friend, cannot obtain a sample and analyze it” Explain A Reuters Michael Madden, expert in North Korea of ​​the Stimson Centerbased in the US. “It would provide information on any medical condition that affects Kim Jong-un.” “He worries especially”. North Korea seems to have taken that effort to erase traces (for small or more inconsequential that seems) to a new level. In 2019 it went viral A brief video in which Kim is seen smoking while the train on which he was traveling in Nanning, to the south of China. The reason? It shows how her sister holds an ashtray to allegedly prevent the ‘DNA) from the’ beloved leader ‘to end up in unwanted hands. During the summits It is not strange either See how your staff disinfects furniture or North Korean uses your own pen to sign agreements. “The health and biometric information of the supreme leader are a very well -stored secret and are associated with their safety,” Confirm to South China Morning Post (SCMP) Peter Ward, a researcher at the Sejong Institute specialized in North Korea, who is not surprised at the image that was seen a few days ago in China. “Probably what they were cleaning were sweat skin cells, in addition to other possible biomarkers that could reveal health problems.” Images | Trong Khiem Nguyen (Flickr) 1 and 2 In Xataka | We knew that North Korea has been infiltrating workers in companies in the West. Now we know how they do

that of a gold toilet of six million dollars

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The history of latrocinio is almost? as old as that of humanity itself, but few chapters have left as delusional, unexpected and embarrassing as the one that was lived more than five years ago in Blenheim Palacethe luxurious residence of Oxfordshire (United Kingdom) in which in 1874 the Premier Winston Churchill. The reason is very simple: in September 2019 a band of thieves took from there neither more nor less than a heavy toilet of almost one hundred kilos. Of course, it was not any toilet. The toilet in question was a work of art elaborated with solid gold of 18 carats and valued in six million dollars. To understand what happened in Oxfordshire in 2019, it is necessary to go back a few years ago and look to the other side of the Atlantic, to New York. There, in 2016, the controversial artist Maurizio Cattelan He decided to elaborate a piece with which he intended to offer a satire about the excesses of the American art and sleep market. He called her ‘America’ and the work itself (exact!) consisted of A gold toilet. Something more than a sculpture The most striking thing is that Cattelan not only manufactured his famous gower with 18 carat gold, which explains that the piece coasts the whopping of six million of dollars. That was provocative, but not enough for Maurizio Cattelan, author of Performance as controversial as ‘La Nona Ora’a sculpture that shows John Paul II hit by a meteorite, or the most recent ‘comedian’, a banana attached to the wall with adhesive tape that in 2024 was auctioned by 6.2 million. No. The most curious of ‘America’ is that it was a toilet Fully functionalthought so that people could use it just like the toilet of their home or any bar. Hence, the piece ended up installed in one of the sinks of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, where about 100,000 people They queued to see it … and experiment how it was to relieve solid gold. The performance liked it so much that in 2019 it ended up crossing the Atlantic to expose itself as a loan in the Blenheim Palaceone of the most solemn places in Oxfordshire County and throughout England. After all, it is one of the best examples of baroque architecture in Great Britain, is considered a World Heritage for UNESCO since the late 80s and is the place where Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born in November 1874. If in New York the work had caused sensation, in Oxfordshire things were not different. Between both place there was a crucial difference: those responsible for Blenheim They underestimated the risks that someone could take the toilet. “It won’t be easy to steal,” assured In 2019 Edward Spencer-Churchill, of the Blenheim Art Foundation. “It is connected to the network. And a potential thief would have no idea who used it for the last time or what he ate.” In summary, the toilet was connected to the piping and drains of the palace, weighed almost one hundred kilos and also people used it to leave their debris there. In addition, it was an avant -garde work of art, which eclipsed in some way its strictly material value. So … who would want to steal it? In Blenheim the idea sounded so far -fetched that surveillance had a weak point at night. When the palace closed its doors, the bathroom cubicle was left without supervision, outside the closed circuit of cameras. Crassus error. ‘America’ was art, but also gold, kilos and more kilos of 18 carat gold. It is said that only metal cost about those dates some 3.6 million of dollars. And that represented a caramel too appetizing for thieves. Result? It happened that it was expected. On the night of September 14, 2019, shortly before five o’clockA, a band of criminals broke into the farm of the palace, raided the building, the toilet started, loaded it in the trunk of a car and came out whistling. All in just five minutes. The ajar and close with an eye that left the security of the enclosure or the police without margin to react. ‘America’ has only two days on exhibition in Oxfordshire. Almost six years later, the recordings of the cameras and the investigations of the agents themselves allow us to better understand how the famous blow of the Váter of the six million dollars was given. The band, composed of five peopleused two stolen vehicles To sneak in the farm hours after the last guests left, then they broke a window and used decks and levers to start the lyric of the toilet and separate it from the palace pipe system. Once the task was completed, they loaded the piece in one of the cars and escaped. Recently Eleanor Paice, employee of the palace and slept that night in an apartment for Blenheim staff, related to the BBC How he lived that night more than five years ago: he woke up startled when he heard the noise of broken crystals and ran to the main courtyard when he felt the alarm. Once there I just gave him time to see the outcome of the robbery. “There were shadows and quick movements. I saw them approach the vehicle, get on … and go shot,” he recalls. At first the team did not know what thieves had taken. The first thing Paice thought for example was in a churchill relic. Only when examining the stays they realized what had happened and that the thieves had caused a small flood. “If the golden toilet that was there was beautiful, perfect, majestic and immaculate, this was the opposite. It was shattered,” confesses The executive director of the Palace, Dominic Hare. The institution knew how to react after the disaster. The staff covered the burst with police tape and decided that, in the absence of the famous solid gold toilet, that crime scene became part of the exhibition. The claim attracted the … Read more

There is only one correct way to place the toilet paper. A patent ended the debate in 1891

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We have been freeing all kinds of battles, and in some cases the response passed between disputes of each other. Among those debates there is one that never seems to disappear because both sides have it as clear. We refer to toilet paper and correct way to hang it. If we take decades to achieve a significant advance of the roll, it makes sense that the controversy has endured. The funny thing is that the answer was from the beginning. A “war” of the century and a half. Eternal dispute over How to hang up The toilet paper (with the “above” or “below” sheet) has generated opinions found, family debates and even discussions lit. Those who prefer the “OVER” method (above) Feel practical and hygienic reasons: it is easier to locate the end of the paper, reduce the risk of wall contact (and therefore with germs) and is visually more orderly. However, on the other sidewalk, the supporters of the “under” (below) appeal to a more discreet appearance and the fact that, for example, it makes it difficult for pets or children at home unwind the whole paper. An enlightened invention. However, all this controversy seems to have found an official response in an unexpected place: a document more than 130 years ago. In 2015, writer Owen Williams He rescued an image historical of Google Patents Archives which showed the patent recorded in 1891 by Seth Wheeler, nothing more and nothing less than the inventor of the perforated toilet paper. In it, it is clearly enlightened how the paper should be hung: above the roll (image below). The patent, registered by Albany Perforated Wraping Paper Company, includes unequivocal diagrams in which the paper unwinds from the front. The Wheeler patent Wheeler’s reasons. The inventor not only patented the concept of perforated paper in 1871, but, two decades later, perfected the roll design, with the intention of minimizing waste and facilitating its use without the need for complicated portarrolls. Your goal It was efficiencydo not feed endless debates: “My improved roll can be used in simpler supports,” wrote in the text of the patent. In its original conception, the paper had to fall forward to facilitate the individual tear of the perforated leaves, thus avoiding accidental unwinders or an unnecessary waste. Yes, Nokia played toilet paper before mobile Rescue science. There are more data that corroborate that the “pro-insane” are right. Science also supports this orientation for purely health reasons. According to Dr. Christian Moro explainedProfessor of Health Sciences at the Bond University, hanging the paper with the blade above reduces the risk that users touch the rear wall of the support when looking for the end of the roll, which can minimize that propagation of bacteria. Moro remembered that among the potential infection agents which can be found in the bathrooms are streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and common cold viruses, all capable of transmitting through contact with contaminated surfaces. Preventing the hands from entering unnecessary contact with the wall or roll support is, therefore, a simple but effective measure to reduce the risk of infection in shared spaces. An invention … to review? Beyond the debate on how it should be placed, in recent years others have appeared around the invention. Explained the New York Times In a column that although its invention represented at the time a technical improvement with respect to previous methods (which included, attention, leaves, marine shells, sticks with sponges or even reusable ceramics), the persistence of its use reveals less a functional efficacy than a cultural resistance to abandoning the family. Here appears the Covid-19 Pandemia, at which time the toilet paper acquired An unusual prominence: Not because of its medical utility, but as a symbol of control against chaos. The Collective hysteria He led to empty shelves, ignoring that neither the supply was threatened nor the role was the most hygienic solution. And despite this, experts agree that it is far from being the cleanest or healthier option. The evidence. The Times explained That researchers in infectious diseases and colorectal health agree that the exclusive use of paper does not guarantee adequate cleaning and can, in fact, cause irritations and favor disease transmission. Among the pathogenic agents that can survive in poorly eliminated fecal remains are those germs and bacteria that we comment before and that are the cause of urinary infections. Even traces of the same were detected Coronavirus at the time in human feces. According to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey, colorectal surgeon in Houston, many anal ailments that he observes in consultation come from Excessive cleaning or with inappropriate products, such as wet wipes with irritating perfumes and chemicals. Water as a solution. Here a parallel debate opens, surely more bitter. The reason? The most hygienic method, according to many specialists, is the rinse with water, either by drums or similar. In Japan, for example, smart toilets with jets of warm water They are the normwhile in the West adoption remains marginal. The reasons are not technical or economic (today there are compact and accessible solutions), but rather cultural. Bidé rejection has been historically associated with prejudices of modest During World War IIwhen American soldiers met the bida in French brotheses, which made them “suspect” objects. The anecdote of an American tourist who confused it with a bathtub For babies illustrates to what extent the discomfort in the face of the unknown has stopped its adoption, even in France, where it was originally common. O Tallitas. In recent times a “plan C” has emerged in front of the fundamentalists of roll or water: wet wipes. The problem is that it has been accompanied by Environmental consequences. Its accumulation in sewerage networks, combined with fat and waste, has given rise to huge obstructions (known in the world Anglo as “Fatbergs“) capable of collapsing urban sanitation systems. Under that prism, instead of improving the panorama, the wipes have added a new problem to another already existing one, fed by an industry that promotes … Read more

A company has achieved the greatest advance of the toilet paper in 100 years. And he is shooting his sales

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There are many sectors where the margin of improvement is very wide and others where it would be said that everything is almost invented. Let’s put the toilet paper market as an example. Since his invention more than a few century ago they have changed. Yes, a few years ago the arrival of A “Luxury” versionand has even been used for other purposes (the last putting it in the refrigerator), But, in essence, its virtues and defects have remained. And suddenly, something seems to change. Silent revolution. For decades, the toilet paper It has been one of the most unalterable products of modern home, a routine as natural as invisible. However, under that apparent immobility there is a fierce technological career: large corporations have been perfecting this essential object through small but sophisticated innovations for years. As explained a few days ago The Washington Postthe most recent is possibly the most important and comes from the hand of Charminwhich after five years of research has replaced the classic straight drilling line with a undulating, in what call Smooth teara solution that seeks to solve such a mundane problem as universal: The damn unequal tear of the leaves. The company ensures that this minutia has triggered a 5 % growth in its business and a “significant level of delight” among users, demonstrating that even the most banal gesture can be optimized to the further detail. Engineering applied to touch. Far from being frivolity, innovation in toilet paper is the result of highly complex development processes. Explained the post that in laboratories by Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clarkengineers and designers have tried hundreds of prototypes evaluating parameters such as resistance, texture and water response capacity and use in different positions of the portarrolos, even considering whether the user is left -handed or right -handed. The curves of the new pattern are not ornamental, but the result of millimeter calculations on strength, traction angle and adaptation to the industrial process, where the technical challenge consists in creating a non -linear rupture line that is effective for the consumer, but robust enough to survive to the vertiginous rhythm of production machines. To get an idea, engineering behind this humble product includes rotary cylinders, synchronized teeth and strategically positioned anvils, a precision gear that the consumer never sees. When Nokia produced toilet paper Role, culture and hygiene. Modern toilet paper is surprisingly invention recent In human history. Although the paper has existed for more than two millennia (thanks to The ancient China), its use for intimate purposes did not popularize until the end of the 19th century. Before that, what would be at hand: leaves, rags, cobs, even store catalogs. Was Joseph Gayetty who in 1857 introduced the concept of “medicated” paper, although it was ridiculed by the modesty of the time. The real milestone arrived in 1890, when LThe Scott brothers They popularized the perforated roll, contributing comfort and hygiene to the daily ritual. Since then, each advance (however it seems) has responded to a persistent search for balance between functionality, cleaning and experience (even sensory), gradually raising the daily product to a subtle form of applied design. Innovation without rupture. Barry Kudrowitzproduct design expert, defined these types of changes such as “Incremental innovation”: lowercase improvements that do not alter the essence of the object, but optimize their use within the frame that the user already knows and accepts. As opposed to more disruptive solutions such as bidé (which still generates cultural resistances), the wavy toilet paper fits perfectly in consumer habits and finds its force precisely in its familiarity. If you want also, we are facing a change that does not ask to relear anything, but it offers A tangible benefitand that is why it is precisely so effective. In a saturated market, where almost all consumers already use “their” toilet paper, the only real growth route is to convince them that their brand makes it a little better, a little softer, or a bit more intelligent. Improve the practical. In short, the history of New undulating edge Charmin is, in essence, a metaphor of modern obsession for technical perfection in everyday life. It is not about reinventing the toilet paper, but about turning it into a product worthy of scientific attentioncommercial and cultural. The art of finding complexity in the simple, of applying high precision technology to an object whose destination, ironically, is disappear instantly. In a world where almost everything essential is already invented, the idea is accurate: refine the ordinary, reinvent the minimum and remind us that even the most bland gesture (that pull a hung roll next to the sink and that it comes out “perfect”) can be the fruit of years of engineering, design and effort. Image | Erik McLean, CATLEMUR In Xataka | Putting toilet paper in the refrigerator seems an absurd idea. This is what we know about its advantages In Xataka | Save toilet paper is possible and very easy: the question is why you want to do it

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