toilet

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

by

We have been fighting all kinds of battles for centuries, and in some cases the response passed between disputes between each other. Among these debates there is one that never seems to disappear because both sides are equally clear about it. We are referring to toilet paper and correct way to hang it. If it takes us 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 there from the beginning. A “war” of a century and a half. The eternal dispute about how it should be hung toilet paper (with the sheet “above” or “below” the roll) has generated conflicting opinions, family debates and even heated discussions. Those who prefer the “over” method give practical and hygienic reasons: it is easier to locate the end of the paper, it reduces the risk of contact with the wall (and therefore with germs) and it is visually tidier. However, on the other side, supporters of “under” appeal to a more discreet appearance and the fact that, for example, it makes it difficult for pets or children to stay at home. unroll the entire paper. An illustrated invention. However, all this controversy seems to have found an official answer in an unexpected place: a document from more than 130 years ago. In 2015, writer Owen Williams rescued an image history of Google Patents file which showed the patent registered in 1891 by Seth Wheeler, none other than the inventor of perforated toilet paper. In it, it is clearly illustrated how the paper should be hung: above the roll (image below). The patent, registered by the Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, includes unambiguous diagrams in which the paper is unrolled from the front. Wheeler’s patent Wheeler’s reasons. The inventor not only patented the concept of perforated paper in 1871, but two decades later, he perfected the roll design, with the intention of minimizing waste and facilitating its use without the need for complicated roll holders. Your goal it was efficiencynot to fuel endless debates: “My improved roll can be used on the simplest supports”, wrote in the text of the patent. In its original conception, the paper should fall towards the front to facilitate individual tearing of the perforated sheets, thus avoiding accidental unrolling or unnecessary waste. Yes, Nokia made toilet paper before mobile phones Science to the rescue. There is more data that corroborates that the “pro-encima” are right. Science also supports this orientation for purely health reasons. According to explained doctor Christian Moroprofessor of health sciences at Bond University, hanging the paper with the sheet on top reduces the risk of users touching the back wall of the holder when reaching for the end of the roll, which can minimize that spread of bacteria. More remembered that among the potential contagion agents That can be found in bathrooms include streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and common cold viruses, all capable of being transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces. Preventing hands from coming into unnecessary contact with the wall or roll holder is therefore a simple but effective measure to reduce the risk of infection in shared spaces. An invention… to review? Beyond the debate about how it should be placed, in recent years others have appeared around the invention. The New York Times explained in a column that although its invention represented at the time a technical improvement over previous methods (which included, attention, leaves, seashells, sticks with sponges or even reusable ceramics), the persistence of its use reveals less a functional effectiveness than a cultural resistance to abandoning the familiar. Here the Covid-19 pandemic appears, when toilet paper acquired an unusual prominence: not for its medical usefulness, but as a symbol of control in the face of chaos. The mass hysteria led to emptying shelves, ignoring that neither the supply was threatened nor was paper the most hygienic solution. And despite this, experts agree that it is far from being the cleanest or healthiest 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 irritation and promote the transmission of diseases. Among the pathogenic agents that can survive in poorly eliminated fecal remains are those germs and bacteria that we mentioned before and that cause urinary infections. Traces of it were even detected coronavirus at the time in human feces. According to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey, a colorectal surgeon in Houston, many anal ailments he sees in his office come from excessive cleaning or with inappropriate products, such as wet wipes with perfumes and irritating chemicals. Water as a solution. Here a parallel debate opens, surely more bitter. The reason? The most hygienic method, according to many specialists, is rinsing with water, either using bidets or similar. In Japan, for example, smart toilets with warm water jets 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. The rejection of the bidet has historically been associated with prejudice of modesty, licentiousness or even ridiculous misunderstandings like the one that occurred during World War IIwhen American soldiers learned about bidets in French brothels, which made them “suspicious” objects. The anecdote of a North American tourist who he mistook it for a bathtub for babies illustrates the extent to which discomfort in the face of the unknown has slowed its adoption, even in France, where it was originally common. Or wipes. In recent times, a “plan C” has emerged against the fundamentalists from the roll or water: wet wipes. The problem is that it has been accompanied by environmental consequences. Its accumulation in sewer networks, combined with grease and waste, has led to enormous blockages (known in the world Anglo as “fatbergs“) capable of collapsing urban sanitation systems. From that perspective, instead of improving the situation, wipes have added a … Read more

Chinese electric cars already have massages, karaoke and even a refrigerator. The next step is an under-seat toilet.

by

If you can’t hold back the urge to urinate while you’re in the car, the normal thing to do is wait until you make a stop at the next gas station to relieve yourself. That’s normal, and then there is Seres, the Chinese manufacturer of Aito cars, which has patented a rather peculiar solution: add a toilet integrated into the cabin that unfolds like a drawer. Exploring other areas. China has one of the most saturated electric car markets and competitive on the planet. Dozens of brands fight for the same type of audience and differentiation has become a race without limits: from massage seats and karaoke systems, even integrated refrigerators, giant screens…If everyone is doing the same thing in infotainment, why not explore the next territory? And this seems to be the conclusion reached by Seres, the Chongqing-based company that manufactures Aito brand vehicles. A portable toilet. According to they count From CarNewsChina, the Intellectual Property Administration of China granted Seres authorization for this patent on April 10. The device consists of a toilet integrated under the passenger seat that is extracted using a system of sliding rails (something similar to a drawer) manually or by voice commands. When not in use, it is completely hidden under the seat, without taking up additional space in the cabin. How it works inside. According to collect The BBC, which had access to the original document presented to the Chinese authorities, the system includes a fan and an extraction tube to evacuate odors to the outside of the vehicle. The waste is collected in a tank that must be emptied manually. In addition, it incorporates a rotating heater that evaporates urine and dries solids. Is for when the car is stopped. Before too vivid mental images arise, it is worth clarifying: the design is designed so that you stop as soon as possible and start with the task. According to CarNewsChinaSeres’ own engineers specify in the patent report that the objective is “to satisfy the needs of users during long journeys, camping or during prolonged stays in the vehicle.” Endless traffic jams, overnight stops or campsites without facilities are the intended use cases. It’s not as crazy as it seems. Toilets in cars are very rare, but it would not be the first time they have been seen in a car. In fact, just as account BBC, in the 1950s, a special version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith already included a toilet under the back seat. There are also those who have modified their car to include one, such as this owner of a Toyota 4Runner. What Seres is proposing now is, in essence, a more technologically sophisticated version of an idea that already existed seventy years ago. Obstacles. Just because the patent exists does not mean that it will reach production. CarNewsChina points out several important technical obstacles, including integrating drainage pipes into compact chassis (especially in electric ones where the battery occupies a large part of the floor), guaranteeing the durability of the rails or achieving an airtight seal that prevents odor leaks. And then there’s the psychological barrier, which is basically convincing passengers that it’s perfectly normal to use the bathroom just inches from where the rest of the family sits. Seres is not going through its best moment. The company is going through a difficult time. According to data of China EV DataTracker, deliveries of Aito M9its high-end SUV, have fallen 44.2% year-on-year for three consecutive months. Seres and Huawei plan to soon launch a renewed version of the model to stop the decline. And in this context, these types of patents can help the brand, not even to make them a reality, but to try to generate conversation around its vehicles. Cover image | Polestones and Aito In Xataka | You buy a second-hand car, you pay for it and the police confiscate it: this is how the ‘twin’ car scam works

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

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.