Tower

On the island of Djerba there was a ten-meter tower made of skulls for 300 years. Those of 5,000 Spaniards

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There are dozens of monuments in the world that should never have been erected. One of them stood for centuries on the Mediterranean island of Djerbain Tunisia. Yes, the region where The fictional city of Tatooine was recreated for the Star Wars saga, where George Lucas glimpsed a young Luke Skywalker discovering the path of the force. This mysterious place, beyond being an iconic place for fans of the saga, housed one of the most macabre constructions in history: Burj Al-Rus, a tower made with the skulls of 5,000 Spaniards. This is your story. In the 16th century, also called the “Century of Discoveries”, Spain rose as a world superpower and He assembled an empire so large that it dominated territories throughout the globe: Africa, numerous colonies in Asia, half of Italy, the Netherlands, Burgundy and much of America, from the current United States to Argentina. As his hand extended over so many regions, controlling and managing them became a problem. In fact, the management of the Mediterranean alone became a great headache for the Christian countries, especially for Spain, since the Ottomans and Berbers They carried out raids and they captured slaves wherever they could. It was also at this time that a fearsome figure emerged: Turgut Reis, also known as Draguta privateer, pirate and Ottoman admiral who has filled pages of historical literature ever since for his cruelty. Not only their fleets They attacked the ships of the empire dailyhindering trade routes, but managed to plunder even coastal areas and enslave their people. During this time, Jean de La Valette, general of Malta, was obsessed with defeating the Turks and reconquering the city of Tripoli, which was now under their power. So in 1559 he convinced Philip II to command a fleet of 28 ships and 50 galleys with 30,000 Christian soldiers. These forces would be led by Juan de la Cerda y Silva, fourth Duke of Medinaceli and Viceroy of Sicily. Hundreds of men left Syracuse, in present-day Sicily, for Tripoli. But when they arrived they saw something they did not expect. The enemy defenses were superior than thought. They turned around due to De la Cerda’s decisionwho pointed out that that battle was impossible win it without the relevant artillery equipment or, at least, cannons. Several troops were sent to Malta to warn of the situation and the rest of the fleet stopped on the island of Djerba (also called Los Gelves) to wait for reinforcements. The Djerba massacre and the construction of the tower There they fortified themselves as best they could and tried to build some defensive sites against a possible arrival of the Ottomans. And boy did they arrive. In less than two months, almost 90 galleys under the command of Piali Baja and its commander, Turgut Reis (Dragut). He chaos and fear It seized the troops, who were waiting for their commander’s decision. Between the choice of fighting or retreating, he chose the second when the Muslims had already landed and started a massacre. Pialí Bajá fought the Spanish, or what was left of them, for three months. While his generals managed to escape, 5,000 men led by Álvaro de Sande were isolated. Half of them were soldiers and the other half were simple sailors.. Without any help, they surrendered to the Ottomans, but Dragut showed no mercy. He didn’t even take them as prisoners. Directly ordered cut off the heads of the 5,000 survivorsclean their skulls and bones and, together with mud, build a tower on the beach built with Spanish skulls and adobe. This terrifying monument that could be seen from the sea dozens of kilometers away, would serve as a warning against future attempts at conquest. This tower was called Buj Al-Rus, which means “Tower of Skulls.” It was more than 10 meters high and stood for almost 300 years, until 1848, when the king of Tunisia ordered its demolition and buried the remains. Later, a monolith would be erected in its place in memory of the thousands of Spaniards who perished atrociously on that island. Turgut Reis, for his part, ended his days in the Ottoman siege of Malta, on June 23, 1565, at the age of 51, after being wounded during the siege of Fort San Telmowhen a cannon shot mortally wounded him in the neck. Image: Wikimedia Commons. Burj-er-Roos, engraving by Sir Grenville T. Temple, Bart. (1841). In Xataka | A group of archaeologists has discovered a new unknown language thousands of years old. The problem is that they don’t know how to decipher it.

Vigo Airport has released a digital tower “at the forefront of efficiency.” Has lasted four days

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Announced as “the avant -garde of efficiency and safety in the air sector”, Vigo airport has begun working with “the first digital tower of Spain.” Four days later, the work has stopped for a first problem. And, in the background, the doubts about its real effectiveness, the position of workers and the shadow of some layoffs. Vigo, now with Digital Tower. It was announced by Oscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, with the words we collected above. In a tweeton June 17, the politician pointed out that Vigo received a strong change in his way of working. The project started with a Vigo-Madrid flight and was qualified by bridge as “a technological milestone” that places the facilities of Vigo “at the forefront.” Four days later, the entire system has had to stop by a Error caused at 31 minutes to go into operation. What is a digital tower? A Digital Tower For air control, it comes to replace traditional control towers. In the latter, controllers work at great height to control by computer systems and their own view air traffic. In this way, it is always about choosing the best option to manage the entry and exit of flights into the maximum safety conditions. A digital tower uses all these computer systems but changes the “windows” of the screens control tower in which what the cameras see are recorded. In addition, it has a multitude of sensors and microphones to simulate with maximum precision the same sensations as an air controller has in a traditional tower. Is it better? According to the words of the Minister of Transportation, yes. AND According to Aenaalso. They ensure that the videoWall that forms 13 55 -inch monitors represent a 360º image of what is seen in the tower. This allows them to have visibility of areas that are covered in the traditional tower. The installation, as we say, has fixed cameras and two mobiles. As well as “speakers that reproduce the ambient sound of the microphones installed in the flight field.” In addition, AENA points out that “they provide a series of operational and security advantages” although it does not give examples of them. And emphasize, because it is important, “maintaining the same number of controllers.” War foot. That last part of the message is important. In social networks, numerous accounts that expose the feeling of aerial controllers have been radically opposed to the implementation of these “digital towers.” The well -known account @Controlerators in x He qualifies the digital tower of “basement with cameras designed to control several airports”. And that is the great reset that has raised among the workers. In the environment, the feeling that operations of the Airport of A Coruña can be replaced with the air management of the Viguesa Digital Tower. Alvedro (A Coruña) and Peinador (Vigo) share a company managing air control services (Saerco) so A reduction in the number of workers is feared For a remote control of both airports. In The voice of Galicia They even point out that AENA neither confirms or denies that A Coruña workers can be replaced by the new digital control tower. BNG and the Popular Party They are already working to paralyze the project. “Quite obvious defects”. In addition to the works that may be in the air, the Union of Air Controllers (USCA) ensures that Aena has rejected its request for include “high definition cameras” And they emphasize that the system does not improve the traditional because “They are not clearly appreciated Small aircraft. “They are, in the words of the” quite evident defects “union. They emphasize in words to Vigo lighthouse that the system presents operability restrictions in specific weather situations and that “would entail the imposition of time restrictions that would prevent the simultaneity of visual flights (VFR) and instrumental (IFR).” That is, for the union, a problem for “urgent health transport, customs surveillance, fire extinguishing services or maritime rescue, as well as schools or private flights.” Many doubts. Although Aena points out that “currently, more than 30 European airports have implanted that technology and is operating from a digital control tower. Outside Europe, initiatives are being developed in Australia, Canada and the United States airports,” the truth is that the operation of these digital towers raises doubts. In fact, tests in Spain are being carried out for years. In 2023 problems were already reported In the Vigo airport digital tower related to the imprecise detection of small aircraft. The project was approved in 2019, it was awarded in 2020 and until this year it has not been launched with the first flights. Something similar has happened in Menorca, where it is also being tested with a digital tower that At the end of 2022 he also reported problems security This air control system It should be underway in 2021 But for now he has not exceeded the evidence and has ended up being Vigo the city that has been awarded the first “digital control” of a flight in Spain. Joy, yes, has lasted four days. Photo | Enrique Dans and Aena In Xataka | We have been waiting for years at airports for years. Tiktok’s “airport theory” believes that it has been a mistake

A tower of 2,000 tons of sand

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In a town in southern Finland, a gigantic silo stuffed with powdered rock keeps an unexpected promise: clean, cheap and stored heat for months. The world’s largest sand battery has been put into operation, which began as an idea of ​​two friends in 2018 today It has become In a pioneer installation that seeks to solve one of the greatest challenges of renewable energies: its large -scale storage. A sand battery. In a place where the sun does not always shine and the wind does not always blow, the storage for renewable energies becomes prevailing. The thermal battery of Polar Night Energy, built next to the Urban Heating Plant of Pornainen and managed by Loviisan Lämpö, ​​officially launched on June 11, According to Euronews. This battery has a thermal storage capacity of 100 MWh, with an efficiency that is around 85 and 90%. Ten times bigger. The new cylindrical structure has a height of 13 meters high and 15 wide, filled with about 2000 metric tons of crushed steatite – a byproduct of the manufacture of Finnish chimneys. That powdered rock, stored in an isolated silo, becomes a gigantic thermal energy accumulator, capable of supplying the demand for heating of one week in winter or a month in summer, According to TechCrunch. How can it be of sand? Although it may seem sophisticated, the principle is relatively simple. Electricity is used – preferably of solar or wind origin – to resistively heat the air, which in turn transfers heat to the sand into the silo. The sand, due to its high density and heat capacity, retains that heat for days or even months at temperatures up to 500 ° C. So, when needed, the system releases hot air, which heats water for the urban heating network. In the case of Pornainen, he supplies thermal energy to public buildings, homes and even the municipal pool, such as has pointed out Euronews. All control and prediction of energy performance is managed by an advanced heat transfer model, which calculates optimal load and discharge in real time. To reduce the use of splinters. With this new structure we want to reduce the use of splinters in urban heating by 60% and eliminate up to 160 tons of CO2 per year. In addition, it could be added that construction sand is not being used, but a stoatita recycled a local by -product. Polar Night Energy co -founder Markku Ylönen, has explained in Euronews that the material used must fulfill certain thermodynamic criteria, but it is not necessary to be sand as such. Any high density granular substance can work. This opens the door to circular economy models and avoids pressure on river ecosystems. Connected to the electricity market. The battery is within the energy reserve service, and from the company they continue working on a pilot to convert the heat stored in electricity, which could further transform the energy flexibility of the system. In addition, he counts with an estimated storage cost much lower than that of lithium batteries, According to TechCrunch. A new paradigm change. In times of climate crisis, perhaps the future of energy does not depend only on lithium, hydrogen or large solar parks, but also for forgotten materials such as sand. From the heart of Finland, a silent battery already heats houses, libraries and schools. Image | Taro Kam and Pxhere Xataka | While Europe desperately seeks alternative to Russian gas, a Spanish province has already found it: Burgos

This bridge built by China is so high that two Eiffel tower fit under it. And they have built it in just four years

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We have been having bridges from prehistory. From that tree That someone would use to connect two sides to the majestic Roman bridges, humanity has evolved while doing the bridges he built. The more recent techniques They allow us to connect extremes that are separated by tens of kilometers, but Talk about bridges It is currently looking at China. They not only have The longest maritime bridgebut also the highest in the world. It is the Bridge of the Grand Canyon of Huajiang and the most surprising thing is not that under it two Eiffel Tower enter one over another, but that it has only taken four years to lift it. Necessary. The Gran Canyon of Huajiang is located in the province of Guizhou. It is an area that, traditionally, has been isolated from the rest of the area for a reason for weight: more than 90% of the territory is mountainous terrain that hinders communication. For centuries it did not have much importance for the rest of the empire, but China has been raising infrastructure (and also excavating) to demolish those geographical barriers. Puzzle. The objective of the government is to connect rural areas with urban centers and, in this case, you had to get the Liuzhi-Anlong highway to raffle the mountains to speed up transport times. The only way was through a bridge, and after an analysis period, in 2022 They started The construction of the great bridge. It was not going to be simple: it should not only be at a considerable height, but to have a length of almost three kilometers. And the problem was not so much to create the suspension bridge, but to raise the necessary materials. To do this, implemented Advanced technologies to raise steel beams by up to 215 tons of weight and, despite the difficulties in the field, the works have gone at a pone rhythm. To all fuse. That is what usually attracts the attention of these Chinese infrastructure that, weighing some exceptions such as half -building abandoned skyscraper For years, they are an example for the rest of the world. The works advance with speed and, if At the beginning of this year We already saw the two towers of 262 and 205 meters on both sides of the bridge, as well as the cables of 9,000 tons each, now we observe that they have already built the section that joins the ends. The length Total of the bridge is 2,890 meters and the main section, which is among the towers, has a length of 1,420 meters that positions it not only as the highest bridge in the world (it is 625 meters from the ground, reaching the end of the towers at 776 meters), but as the longest hanging section built in the mountainous area. The comparison with the height of the Eiffel Tower is interesting, but almost two Empire State Building would also enter. The technology used in construction is also interesting. For example, when the concrete pour, Guizhou Bridge Group builders devised a system of pipes that pump cold or hot water depending on the outer temperature to ensure that fresh concrete dried in the best possible conditions to avoid cracks. And, to guarantee maintenance, the cables have sensors that measure vibrations or wind intensity to offer reports on the state of the hanging section. Impact. In January of this year, it was reported that 75% of the project had been completed, but in recent months we have seen how they have advanced so much that it is practically only missing and installing the security elements. The idea is to open at some point in June this year and, once open, will allow Crossing the canyon in just a couple of minutes when before it was something for more than an hour. But beyond all this, the most impressive thing is that they have been able to build an infrastructure in a very complicated place and condense 439,000 m³ of concrete and 49,000 tons of steel in just four years. And the cost? In theory, 280 million dollars that are difficult to estimate whether they will recover by joining rural areas, but as infrastructure and demonstration of strength, the Huajiang Grand Canyon bridge is imposing. And will remove the record from the highest bridge Lege’s, also in China. Images | Xinhua (1, 2) In Xataka | With 526 meters in length, China has a new record of the longest glass bridge in the world

Starship flight 9 includes such a risky maneuver that will be tested at sea, not to destroy the tower

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After Two consecutive flights in which the Starship ship exploded shortly from separating from the propeller, a conservative approach could be expected by Spacex for the ninth launch. Nothing is further from reality. Double Tirabuzón without a network for the Super Heavy. Elon Musk’s company knows how to maintain emotion for flight 9, and the riskiest plans focus on The largest part of the rocket: The Super Heavy propeller. Spacex will not only reuse for the first time one of the three super heavy who have successfully landed in the arms of the launch tower. At the same time, plan to test With only two available engines For braking and landing maneuver. It is a deliberate resistance test to verify what would happen if a propellant engine fails during the reentry. Straight to the Gulf of Mexico. In this case, Spacex will not try to catch the propeller for the second time. The landing maneuver is so extreme (first super heavy used, with only two lit engines and without failure tolerance) that the rocket will discard. Instead of returning to the tower, he will make an essay of the maneuver in the Atlantic Ocean, finishing his mission with a shocking. Spacex already has a second Mechazilla tower in Starbase Able to catch rockets with his robotic armsbut he needs both for when, in addition to the 70 -meter Super Heavy propeller, the 50 -meter Starship ship begins to land in the other tower. Something that Spacex would have tried for the first time on this flight 9 if it had not been for the catastrophic failures of flights 7 and 8, which have delayed those plans. Even so, we are going to have fun. 29 used engines. Spacex has already done a proof of the propeller which will launch the Starship in this ninth launch: the Booster 14. He took off for the first time on January 16 and was successfully captured by the tower a few minutes later, while the starship lost control. The first time Spacex reused a falcon 9 propeller A year had passed Since its launch. With the Super Heavy just three months have passed. In addition, there is no trap or cardboard: 29 of the 33 engines that wears the booster 14 are used. Of course, Spacex is still far from rapid reuse type “Zero-Touch reflight“(land, load propellants and take off again) to which he aspires. Especially with the ship and its thermal shield. All eyes put on the ship. To land a used rocket of 70 meters high with a less engine is impressive, but the super heavy will not be the protagonist of this flight. It must necessarily be the Starship 35 because it is the third ship of version 2 that will launch Spacex. His two predecessors had an abrupt ending for excessive vibrations near the engineswhich led to leaks, fires and explosions. The S35 ship completed its cryogenic tests in mid -March, but has not made a long ignition like the S34, and there are doubts about how Spacex will face its launch, because the flight profile has not yet been published. Nor the results of the investigation on flight 8, nor the flight license of the Federal Aviation Administration, so it seems unlikely that Spacex takes off at the date initially scheduled (April 18). Mars does not expect. Yes, on the other hand, the investigation of flight 7 is closed, whose 11 corrective actions were implemented before flight 8. Without much success, since it failed again. Flight 9 is not expected to require a modification of the flight license, but the approval of the FAA is indispensable to schedule the launch. Spacex needs to accelerate the step to meet Elon Musk’s goal of an unmanned mission to Mars (with Robots Tesla Optimus) By the end of next year. The earth-marte transfer windows occur every two years, and Musk does not want to waste time. But Starship is already pushing the limits of technology and the last thing he needs is a third explosion about the Caribbean. Image | Spacex In Xataka | Elon Musk has revealed the plan after Starship explosions: v3 earlier than expected, but with half a capacity

Cut the Eiffel Tower elevator cables

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June 1940 was a month indicated in the heart of France. Also in the heart of an Adolf Hitler who could fulfill his dream of visiting Paris. At the dawn of the Second World Warand after eight months of tense calm known as’The joke war‘The Nazis attacked France. On June 2 bombed Paris, on June 10 the French government fled the city and on June 12, seeing that a resistance was useless that ended the city in ruins, it was declared that Paris was an ‘open’ city. On June 14, the first German guard entered, taking the city and ensuring everything for the triumphal arrival of a Hitler who had quickly conquered the mythical European city. What could not conquer was the sky of Paris: the rulers, with Charles de Gaulle At the head, they had abandoned the city to their fate, but the Parisians were clear that Hitler would not rise to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For the Insta. The Nazi expansion in Paris was fast. They occupied police and government posts quickly, hung a swastika in the Arch of Triumph and organized a parade through the Elysees fields within a few hours of entering the city, all for the press to immortalize the moment for propaganda purposes. In France a collaborative government was established, with Philippe Pétain (Hero of the World War I and traitor to the homeland in World War II) as the main puppet. That new government urged the army to stop fighting, which ends up opening the doors to the Germans. June 23 or 24 (the exact date is diffuse), Hitler arrived in Paris. He did it next to the Arno Breker sculptor and his right hand, the chief architect of the third Reich Albert Speer. Together, and with a tremendous entourage, they walked through some of the most iconic places in the city. Of the various famous photographs that the dictator and his collaborators were taken, perhaps the most famous was this, posing in front of the Eiffel Tower: A wonder. The tower, today icon of the city, opened in March 1889. From the first moment, the structure showed a pioneer installation: five elevators. Although not all were the same, the five were driven by hydraulic energy thanks to water deposits installed on each floor. The three water accumulators weighed about 200 tons each and maintained a pressure of between 40 and 60 bars. In 1899, They were modernizedwith hydraulic engines with high pressure oil. The most shocking thing is that two of the originals continue to work, passing security controls so that there are no mishaps because every year they travel about 103,000 kilometers. A real barbarity and a revolutionary engineering work in his day … that he could not enjoy Hitler. Hitler did not hug Paris. Up to the highest point of the Eiffel tower meant ’embrace’ Paris. From that point, we have an enveloping panoramic view of the city and, for the Nazi leader, it would have been as definitely crown the French pride. The Parisians did not allow it and, therefore, cut the wires of the elevators. In the occupation, accessing the tower was limited to German visitors, but in this way no one could rise. Not even Hitler, who chose to stay on the floor during his walk around the area. If I wanted to climb, I would have to do it on foot, and did not. Mine … or nobody. In August 1944, that triumphal atmosphere did not breathe in Paris, at least for the Germans. The allies approached the French city and, aware that the hours were told for the Nazi occupation in the city, Hitler ordered the general Dietrich von Choltitz That destroy the city, including the tower. The general disobeyed the order (either because he did not agree or because he had more important things than to do than destroy the city, leaving burned land), so construction, like so many others, remained in his place. Interestingly, Von Choltitz’s life has been taken to the cinema as “the Nazi who saved Paris”, although later historians have nuanced This story, stating that all he wanted was to save his skin and that he placed explosive loads in various parts of the city, but there came a time when he considered it useless to continue fighting. Ah! The elevators were repaired in 1946 and in the Spanish video game ‘Commandos 2’ we can not only climb to the highest point of the tower, but this is up to Nazis. In Xataka | Bundesarchiv, Bild In Xataka | The unfinished plan of the allies after beating the Nazis: choping Germany and turning it into the barn of Europe

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