useless

“Von der Leyen is very good at giving speeches, but he is useless in promoting competitiveness in Europe”

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Michael O’Leary does not hesitate. Aim and shoot. It seems that without giving much thought to the matter, although, it seems, he has thought long and hard about what he is going to say before going out in front of the microphones. This time the target of their criticism has been Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, for the air traffic control (ATC) service. “Useless”. Or “useless”, in Spanish. This is what Michael O’Leary called Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, in an event before the media where he criticized the delays that are occurring and air traffic charges (ATC). The insult is just the latest in a long list of grievances that Michael O’Leary has dedicated to politicians of all political stripes throughout the world. In Spain we have the attack against Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumer Affairs, whom he called a “clown”. The European Parliament has defined it as “a club of charlatan idiots” and Donald Trump has been called a “liar”among other cases. What has happened? In his attack, Michael O’Leary had gone before the media to point out what, for his company, is cause for complaint: Europe does nothing about the increase in airport taxes, delays due to lack of controllers and the general increase in costs. In his statements, O’Leary stated the following: “It is time for ‘Useless’ Von der Leyen to stop talking about competitiveness and start doing something about it. For many years, European airlines have been calling for effective reform of Europe’s poor air traffic control (ATC) services. At a minimum, this requires the Commission to require European ATC providers to be fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face real and punishing fines. We have also called for the protection of overflights during national air traffic controller strikes. Despite these repeated requests, “Useless” Von der Leyen has done nothing. He is very good at giving speeches, but he is useless when it comes to carrying out real reforms or boosting competitiveness in Europe. What is all this about? What Ryanair assures is that flights are growing but, despite everything, they are still 5% below those registered before the Covid-19 crisis. And, even so, ATC delays (those due to air traffic management) have increased according to the company that points out Spain as the second country with the most delays for this reason (11% of all those registered in Europe). Ryanair complains that airlines are being punished twice. In its statement it points out that while operating costs and rates rise, the service is worse and more delays accumulate. And is it true? From Enaire, a public company dependent on the Ministry of Transportation that manages air traffic in the country, They questioned this story last year when they claim that ATC delays were reduced in the months of July and August despite the fact that the volume of flights had increased. According to the airline, delays will grow this summer 20% if the controller workforce was not increased. A similar position defend in the Independent Professional Union of Air Traffic Controllers (SPICA) who claim that since 2010, 116 fewer air traffic controllers have been working in Spain, which increases the pressure on employees and the risk of delays. One of the problems is that the training of an air traffic controller takes two years, so it is not a quickly replaceable position. Much more than a criticism. If Ryanair is putting a lot of emphasis on this problem, it is because it knows that a good part of its business is based on punctuality. The company demands that the European Commission force countries to have the greatest number of drivers available in the early and late afternoons, fetish time slots for the company. But, in addition, the margins between flights are so narrow for Ryanair that a small delay in a first flight leaves subsequent flights out of play throughout the day. One by one, the dominoes fall, the delays accumulate and the risk of having to refund customers’ money increases. Photo | Polish presidency of the Council of the EU 2025 and Stenbocki Maja In Xataka | The big secret of Ryanair’s success is that it doesn’t make money for flying: it does so by squeezing you out of everything else.

The cold shower is as useless as the early morning

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In recent years, some of the wellness and productivity gurus seem to have taken it upon themselves to torture their followers with the most inhuman torments. First there was the fashion of getting up at five in the morning to complete an endless ritual. Now, the new trend is to immerse yourself in ice water every morning with the excuse of relieving stress, reducing inflammation and strengthening defenses. Science has already dismantled the supposed benefits of get up at five, and now it’s the turn of the ice water baths. Researchers from the University of South Australia they have not found evidence of the miracles that the gurus attribute to this practice. The influencers from the cold. In recent years, polar baths, also known as cold water immersions, have gained enormous popularity. Elite athletes and professional players like LeBron James soak in baths of ice water after competitions. Even Gwyneth Paltrow dedicated one of the episodes of his series The Goop Lab to show the supposed therapeutic benefits of immersing yourself in icy waters. That trend has become popular reaching all types of people who are just looking for general well-being or simply reducing stress levels. Social networks and influencershave attributed multiple benefits to these baths for physical and mental health. However, science wanted to check whether immersion in ice water is as beneficial as social networks have led us to believe. Bathing is okay, temperature is optional. Researchers at the University of South Australia decided to scientifically evaluate the supposed benefits of soaking in ice water. To do this, they carried out a meta-analysis of 11 global studies, the results of which were published in PLOS One. For the analysis, data from immersions and cold showers with temperatures between 7 and 15 ºC were used for a time range of between 30 seconds and two hours. Although some benefits attributed to this practice were identified in the results, the researchers found that the existing evidence focuses primarily on athletes and not the general population. A study carried out by Coventry University, reveals that, although it is true that baths with cold water increase energy expenditure in the short term by activating fat burning, it produces a rebound effect by increasing appetite, so the supposed benefit is neutralized. Forget the cure for stress. The researchers stated in their report that the effects of immersion in ice water against stress were not as advertised “we found that immersion in cold water could reduce stress levels, but only for about 12 hours after exposure.” That is, there was no evidence that immersion in ice water had an immediate effect on stress levels, nor an appreciable long-term effect. “We noticed that participants who took cold showers of 20, 60 or 90 seconds gave slightly higher quality of life scores. But again, after three months these effects had disappeared,” the researchers explained in their report. What doesn’t keep you awake makes you stronger. The results in improving sleep quality were also not conclusive. The study found links between improvements in sleep quality and cold water immersion, although this conclusion was based on data limited exclusively to men, which calls for more research in various population groups. The researchers did not venture to say that cold water immersion could have a positive effect on the immune system because, although it is true that a 29% reduction in work absences related illnesses among those who took cold showers, there were no significant improvements in the immediate immune response to cold exposure. These data indicate that, although there are potential advantages to exposure to ice water, the effects of this exposure are neither consistent nor long-lasting, calling into question the widespread effectiveness what the gurus attribute to him. The “straining effect” of the cold. Among the most surprising findings the Australian researchers made was the inflammatory response to cold water immersion. Contrary to popular belief, rather than reducing inflammation, ice water baths caused “significant increases in inflammation,” both immediately and an hour later. According to the researchers, this reflects an “acute inflammatory response” of the body to cold stress. In the words of study co-author Ben Singh, “this immediate spike in inflammation is part of an adaptation process similar to muscle damage caused by exercise, which subsequently strengthens the muscles.” That is, like soreness, this adaptive effect can be positive for athletes of high physical performancebut Singh highlighted that it could be harmful for people with pre-existing pathologies. In other words, unless you have just participated in an Olympic event, showering with cold water only will improve your productivity in the sense that it will take less time to shower and you will be able to spend that time to other tasks. The risk of ice baths. A study conducted by researchers at King’s College London on the phenomenon of “autonomous conflict” reveals that exposure to ice water baths can pose a risk even for people without previous pathologies. Research shows that when someone dives into ice water while holding their breath, two opposing reflexes compete to control the heart, which can cause arrhythmias even in healthy people. That risk is reduced as “thermal shock” is reduced, with a cold shower being safer than an ice bath. A version of this article was published in February 2025 In Xataka | In 1947 the Yukon reached -63ºC. So a scientist started listening to conversations five kilometers away. Image | Pexels (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen)

We have spent decades ignoring an organ because we believed it was useless. Now they have seen that it is crucial in our longevity

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In the center of the chest, just behind the breastbone, hides a small gland that has been systematically ignored by medicine when it comes to adult health: the thymus. Textbooks have long taught that this organ is vital in childhood to develop the immune system, but that It subsequently atrophies and turns into fat when we grow. But its role in the long run It’s not as irrelevant as we thought.. A turnaround. The paradigm that we were all taught at school has taken a big turn through a publication in Nature that has shown that the health of the thymus in adulthood not only matters, but is a determining factor in predicting how long we will live, the state of our cardiovascular health and also how we will respond to cancer. How it has been seen. The premise of this interesting study lies in a simple observation about people who did not have a thymus because it had been removed and the increase in mortality from all causes compared to those who have a healthy thymus. From here, a research team wanted to understand the true impact of a “sleeping” organ through different CT scans to calculate the thymic health of different people. The system analyzed the images of numerous people, including data from the National Lung Screening Trialwhich had more than 25,000 patients. By crossing the status of the thymus with the medical history and longevity of each individual, the results were so overwhelming that the researchers themselves they confessed It was the first time they had seen such spectacular results, since no one expected such a small organ to have such a clinical impact. Reduces mortality. This study has intensively analyzed the function of this gland in large groups of adults to discover that maintaining good thymic health is directly associated with lower overall mortality. But surprisingly, the study links having a healthy thymus with a lower incidence of cardiovascular mortality In oncology. This is where the finding takes on a revolutionary clinical dimension, since the data show a clear correlation between a healthy thymus and a lower incidence of lung cancer. But we can go further by pointing out that patients who undergo immunotherapy and have a healthy thymus respond greatly to the treatment, and even have a lower risk of suffering from cancer again. Preventive medicine. With this evidence, “thymic health” is positioned to become a very important parameter in the field of personalized medicine to gain insight into how a patient may accept a treatment. But in addition, monitoring its degradation could allow medicine to anticipate autoimmune diseases in those people who already have a higher risk. Images | kjpargeter in Magnific In Xataka | There are people who are 100 years old, but have an immune system of 30: a new study reveals how they manage to avoid cancer

from useless grass to the birth of fascinating life

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In 1995, several scientists who They studied ancient craters left by World War II bombs in Europe discovered something unexpected: Decades after the war, many of those holes filled with water had become small natural refuges where amphibians, insects and birds that barely found safe spaces elsewhere in the landscape thrived. A hole in the ground that ended up changing an ecosystem. In many gardens, the corners where water accumulates after rain are often seen as a problem: uncomfortable mud, grass that is impossible to maintain or small puddles that sooner or later someone ends up draining. However, in the midst of the global crisis that amphibians go throughthose spaces are beginning to look different. In fact, they had a few days ago in Economics a story that occurred on a small plot of land near a fish farm that demonstrates the extent to which something seemingly insignificant can be transformed into an unexpected refuge for wildlife. The idea of ​​building a pond that would disappear. Apparently, the owner decided to dig a shallow depression, barely about 60 centimetersright in an area where thaw and rain already accumulated water naturally before ending up being lost in a ditch. The key to the project was precisely that it was not a permanent pond. It was designed as a “vernal pool”a seasonal pond intended to fill during winter and spring and gradually dry out in summer. This detail is essential because it prevents the presence of fish, one of the greatest dangers for eggs and tadpoles. Shallow water also warms faster and accelerates the development of larvae before the pond disappears, something essential for species that live against the clock. The frogs are coming. The most surprising it was the speed with which nature responded. Just weeks after filling with rain and meltwater, five gelatinous masses of wood frog eggs appeared attached to submerged branches near the shore. Although at first glance they seemed like small isolated groups, each of these masses could contain hundreds or even thousands of eggs. The pond still had very little vegetation and just a few logs, leaves and accumulated mud, but that was enough for the amphibians to immediately identify the place as a safe breeding point. A corner of grass with no apparent use had just become a natural nursery for one of the most endangered species on the planet. The mud also attracted other species. The frogs weren’t the only ones to take advantage of the change. Part of the shore was deliberately left bare and muddy to favor swallows, which need wet mud to build and reinforce their nests. The previous year several had inspected the dwelling without remaining definitively, possibly due to lack of suitable materials nearby. Now the garden offered just what they needed. Plus: to that was added a bat box placed next to the pond, creating a small ecosystem where insects, amphibians, birds and mammals began to interact around the water. What was once a uniform surface of grass and pine trees began to transform into a much more vivid and diverse mosaic. The silent amphibian crisis. As they remembered in the middleall this occurs at a particularly delicate time for amphibians. Near of 40% of the species on the planet are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, disease and climate change that alter the rains and dry out entire breeding areas. In this context, small temporary ponds like this one are beginning to acquire enormous importance because they offer just the conditions that many species need to survive. The problem is that, being small and seasonal spaces, there are often outside the protections traditional legal systems and go unnoticed in the face of much larger wetlands. The idea that is changing many gardens. He experimentFurthermore, it leaves a powerful conclusion: a simple shallow hole can become a useful piece within a much larger network of refuges for amphibians and other species. Obviously, a single pond will not change on its own the global crisis of biodiversity, but thousands of small interventions distributed among gardens, farms, parks or schools can begin to create safe corridors for increasingly pressured animals. And perhaps the most striking thing is that a good part of these spaces already exist: they are precisely those corners of the garden where every spring a puddle appears that someone usually tries to eliminate as soon as possible. Image | Pexels In Xataka | Searching for dinosaurs in Argentina they have found a treasure that is 161 million years old. The oldest tadpole on the planet In Xataka | This frog screeches in ultrasound. We don’t really know why, but we just found out.

the one who has turned war into the most useless war in history

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In modern conflicts, the cost of operating an advanced air force can easily exceed the hundreds of millions daily, especially when they intervene clatest generation acesin-flight refueling and precision guided munition. Added to this is that some key systems, as strategic radars or early warning aircraft, require years to manufacture and they have no substitutes immediate. In this context, there are wars in which attrition is not measured only in territory, but in how much time can be held that rhythm before the accounts stop adding up. In Iran, for example, they had been shot. A show of force. The United States’ Operation Epic Fury on Iran began with the idea of ​​a rapid and controlled campaign, but very soon it revealed his true face after episodes such as the last downing of the F-15E and the complex rescue operation that has followed him, where the United States has had to deploy multiple media and take additional losses even destroying their own equipment to avoid capture. These types of incidents have shown from the beginning that the conflict was far from being surgical and that the level of operational risk was much older than expected. As the days progressed, the narrative of technological superiority began to take hold.face reality of a saturated, chaotic and increasingly expensive environment to sustain. Military wear. The accumulated figures show a significant wear on key platforms, from fighters like the F-15E or the A-10 to critical assets such as early warning aircraft and tankers, in addition to dozens of downed drones. Especially worrying for Americans has been the impact in support systems such as advanced radars or command infrastructures, the loss of which not only has a high economic cost, but also weakens operational capacity future in other strategic scenarios. Plus: added to this are errors such as friendly fire episodes and the vulnerability of apparently secure bases, which reinforces the idea that the campaign not only consumes resources, but also erodes capabilities that are difficult to replace. The number that explains everything. However, the real turning point is not only on the battlefield, but in the accounts: the war has reached a spending rate close to the 1 billion dollars a day only in air operations, a nonsense that shoots the total cost above of the 280,000 million in just 40 days. Add to this tens of billions in ammunition, damage to bases, loss of aircraft and a devastating impact in energy infrastructure key to the Gulf, the same ones that have paralyzed part of global supply and raised the bill even more. The result is an extraordinarily expensive and useless war, possibly the most economically, because in a few weeks a level of expenditure and destruction has been reached that in other conflicts took years, and that is unprecedented. Not only that. A war that, despite all this deployment, has not achieved any of your strategic objectivesbecoming an extreme example of imbalance between investment and results. Overflowing the military field. The impact is not limited to the military: attacks on refineriesgas plants, export terminals and industrial centers have turned the conflict into a regional economic crisis with global effectsfrom energy to inflation. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has amplified the damageaffecting a substantial part of the world’s oil and gas supply, while sectors such as aluminum, logistics and transportation have suffered multi-million dollar losses. In parallel, the need to repair critical infrastructure and replace scarce equipment adds additional pressure that extends the cost far beyond the conflict itself. The ceasefire: more economics than strategy. In this context, the ultimatum issued by Trump ensuring that he was going to end an entire civilization and his rear reverse A few hours before the deadline, they take on a new meaning: more than a purely strategic decision, the ceasefire seems to be understood as a response to a dynamic unbearable and unsustainable. International pressure, nervousness in the markets and fear of a total escalation coincided with a reality that is difficult to ignore: each additional day of war multiplied an already overflowing cost without bringing victory closer. Thus, the last minute break Not only has it avoided a further escalation, but it has exposed the logic that has ended up prevailing: in this war, the problem was not how to win, but how much more could one continue paying for not doing so. Image | The White House Egyosint In Xataka | Someone has analyzed the coordinates of the rescue of the pilot in Iran: not only do they not add up, they point to a very different US mission In Xataka | Iran has found a hole in Israel’s shield: turning a missile into an explosive “storm” in full descent

We have been believing for more than a century that the appendix is ​​a useless organ and an evolutionary error. We were very wrong

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If there is an organ with a bad reputation in human anatomy, it is the appendix. For the vast majority of people, this small worm-shaped pouch connected to the large intestine only serves one thing: to become inflamed, to cause appendicitis urgently and have us undergo surgery. But the truth is that it is more useful than we thought, since science has seen that it has a great impact on our immune system and also in life expectancy. An evolutionary success. Something that marvels me about evolution is that it does eliminate everything that has no use for humans, but if the phylogenetic branch has been maintaining it, it is for a reason. and here a 2013 study analyzed the anatomy of 361 species of mammals and the results were devastating: the appendix is ​​not exclusive to humans and great apes, but has evolved independently at least 32 times. And the question is: why? This theory was later reinforced with a 2017 analysis which identified between 29 and 41 evolutionary gains of the appendix, compared to the very few losses that stood at less than seven. And in biology, when a trait evolves repeatedly in completely different lineages, it means one thing: it provides a crucial adaptive advantage for survival. Its usefulness. If it doesn’t help digest leaves as Darwin believed, then… What does it do? The latest research, including a comprehensive 2023 review published in The Anatomical Record, confirm that the appendix acts as a microbial reservoir and a support for the immune system. This way we know that the appendix is ​​filled with lymphoid tissue and is strategically located outside the “main flow” of the intestine. And it works as a kind of bunker for our microbiome, and in this way, when we suffer a severe intestinal infection that “sweeps away” our bacterial flora, the appendix releases beneficial bacteria hidden inside to quickly recolonize the intestine. And tested. A 2023 study showed that primates with appendages have a relatively lower risk of severe diarrhea episodes early in life, reinforcing their vital role as a protective shield against deadly infections. Its relationship with longevity. The most fascinating discovery about the appendix came in 2021, where a team of researchers published in the journal Ecology and Evolution a study in which they crossed data from 258 mammal species. Controlling for variables such as body size and phylogeny, they looked for patterns between the presence of an appendage and the lifespan of the species. The conclusion they drew was none other than determining that the presence of the appendix is ​​directly correlated with greater maximum longevity. And the reason is in positive natural selection. In this way, by drastically reducing mortality caused by infectious diseases and diarrhea, species with an appendix have a clear survival advantage that allows them to extend their life expectancy. Image | Eugene Chystiakov In Xataka | We have been measuring death wrong: science now believes that our biological expiration date is more hereditary than we thought

The female pockets are so useless that they became meme. The serious thing is that they have centuries to be

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A trend a little less than two months ago on social networks call Claw Grip It showed how women held several objects – mild, keys, wallet – in one hand, because the pockets are so small that there are hardly any pañuelos package. What seems a fun occurrence is, in fact, a daily photo of inequality in clothing design. “Has pockets”. It looks like a pretty silly phrase, but among women finding pockets in the pants is an almost impossible mission. The expression has become the forced comment, already converted into a cultural meme. In social networks, frustration has become digital activism. With hashtags like #Wewantpocketsthousands of users denounce the absurdity that in the 21st century it is still exceptional to find a garment with useful pockets. The data reflects it. According to the pudding studywomen’s pockets are on average 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men. In fact, just 40% of female front pockets can save a smartphone. The consequence is in sight: pockets unable to put a phone, a small wallet or even the full hand. The contrast is even more ironic if we think that, in parallel, many men They start buying bags As a voluntary accessory, while women continue to claim pockets out of necessity. More than fashion: autonomy. The pocket is not a simple aesthetic detail: it allows you to leave home without a bag, with your hands free, without depending on loading an accessory to carry the basics. In a report for the BBC They have detailed that in feminist history it has been claimed as a tool of freedom. At the beginning of the 20th century, the British voters summarized it in a clear slogan: “votes and pockets”, Remember Caroline StevensonDirector of the Cultural and Historical Studies Program of the University of the Arts of London. “It is interesting that a pocket became one of the symbolic forms of counteracting the desire for women’s independence and freedom,” he adds Elizabeth Evitts Dickinsonauthor of a new biography about the American designer Claire McCardell, a pioneer in trying to solve this problem from fashion. For them, having their own space in the clothes equal independence, not to depend on a husband or a bag. The case of little Golden Cameron, eight years old, demonstrates it: indignant because girls’ school pants had no pockets, he wrote to the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain asking for a solution. After viralizing its letter, the company modified its designs. The episode, counted in another BBC report, It shows how even girls detect textile inequality from an early age. A problem with historical roots. In the seventeenth century men enjoyed pockets reited in pants and jackets, while women used Small little bags tied to the waist Under his skirts. That difference implied more than fashion: a woman’s value objects were hidden under layers of clothes, quickly inaccessible and dependent on the design of the dress. The situation worsened in the nineteenth century, when the tight fashion that directly eliminated female pockets was imposed. “Depriving pocket women was also depriving them of liberty,” Explain The Atlantic. In addition, after the years, fashion reinforced the stereotype that the female body should prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Christian Dior verbalized it in 1954 In a phrase that still resonates: “Men have pockets to save things, women for decoration.” The catwalks are pronounced. And it is that the debate continues to speak today. Some brands, such as Chanel or Saint Laurent, have been incorporating pockets as a gesture of modernity for some time. In the 2022 Oscar, Penelope Cruz surprised with a chanel of pockets, something that stood out as an unusual detail On the red carpet. In parallel, independent brands such as The Pockets Project o Sports clothing firms have made a wide pocket an emblem: leggings with mobile space, cocktail dresses with secret pockets. But in Fast Fashion reality is another: false pockets, useless seams or ridiculous sizes. The problem is costs, As the BBC points out: Adding real pockets implies more fabric and more preparation time, something that clashes with the tight fashion margins. The pocket as a social reflection. The debate, in reality, is not just textile. An interesting report by New York Times, deepens more than the absence of pockets is linked to bag dependence. In other words, the bag sector is a global market that moves more than 8,000 million dollars. Fashion seems to have pushed women towards mandatory bag consumption, while men leave home with their hands. It is no accident that in 1937, when Diana Vreeland assumed as editor of Harper’s Bazaar, proposed to dedicate an entire number From the magazine to the pockets. In his autobiography DV remembers that the idea was immediately discarded by the pressure of advertising: “Do you realize that our bags by bags are millions a year?”, Its director warned. The anecdote reveals to what extent economic interests also weighed in what seemed like a simple clothing detail. In itself, the pocket is a mirror: it shows how for centuries the male fashion privileged functionality, while the female sacrificed autonomy in the name of aesthetics. Everything remains the same. Five centuries after men released sewn pockets and women were relegated to hidden bags, the debate is still in force. What is expressed in networks with memes, hashtags or the uncomfortable gesture of the Claw Gripactually points to a deep issue: who has the right to dress with autonomy and who is still conditioned by designs that prioritize aesthetics and the market on equality. Therefore, when a woman proves a dress, pants or skirt, and exclaims: “He has pockets!”, He is not celebrating only a sewing detail. He is celebrating a small triumph in a long struggle: that of being able to keep the same, on the same. Image | Freepik Xataka | From six -digit liftings to a German Viper Serum: Hollywood’s new obsession is “liquid surgery”

Physicists believed that the neglect was a useless particle. Now they suspect that it is the key to universal quantum computers

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Experts Quantum computing with those who have had the opportunity to speak, such as Spanish physicists Ignacio Cirac either Juan José García RipollThey argue that quantum computers will be able to make great contributions when they are capable of amend your own mistakes. The main problem they face in this area is noise, understood as the disturbances that can alter the internal state of the cubits and introduce calculation errors. The strategy for which many of the research groups that are involved in the development of quantum computers are opting for monitoring the operations carried out by the cubits to identify real -time errors and correct them. The problem is that from a practical point of view This strategy is very challenging. Logical cubits represent a way to overcome the difficulty involved in the use of hardware or physical cubits, which are extremely noise sensitive, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Each logical cubit is constructed abstractly on several physical or hardware cubits, so that a single logical cubit encodes a single cubit of quantum information, but with redundancy. It is precisely this redundancy that allows to detect and correct the errors that are present in the physical cubits. Anyway, the researchers will have one more tool to deal with the errors of quantum computers. It can even be the most powerful resource that they currently have at your fingertips: the Neglectón. Universal quantum computers are one step closer One of the most promising research fields in this area is topological quantum computing. Its purpose is to protect the delicate quantum information that the cubits work coding it in the geometric properties of exotic particles known as ISING anions. An important note before moving forward: in condensed physics an anion is not the same as in chemistry. In fact, Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials. Its existence has not yet been demonstrated experimentally, so they are a theoretical result at the moment. It seems a complicated concept, and it is, but in this article we do not need to deepen much more. What we do need is that Ising’s anions They are presumably much more robustand, therefore, resistant to errors that traditional cubits. In practice this implies that moving some anions around others in a specific way should allow researchers to carry out logical operations with them. This is the reason why they are so attractive in quantum computing. And, in addition, they have another great advantage: this configuration is largely immune to external noise. Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials Currently, Ising’s anions are thoroughly investigating in the condensed matter laboratories of the entire planet because they are one of the main candidates to participate in the construction of universal quantum computers, and, therefore, immune to errors. Aaron Lauda, ​​professor of mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Southern California (USA), Holds the following: “By themselves, Ising’s anions cannot perform all the necessary operations for a general purpose quantum computer. The calculations they support are based on the ‘braided’ (branding), And they require physically moving anions around each other To carry out quantum logic. For Ising’s anions, this braided only allows a limited set of operations known as Clifford doors, which fall short with respect to all the power required for universal quantum computing. “ Fortunately, the research team led by Lauda has found a way to transform ISING anions into universal structures that are capable of performing any quantum calculation through braided. Its solution for the moment is only theoretical, but its potential is enormous. The surprising thing is that what they propose is to resort to a new type of anion known as Neglectón that was initially discarded when it was “discovered” in the theoretical framework. In fact, Neglelectón has gone from being a mathematical waste to be the new hope of quantum computers. In theory when combining Ising’s anions and neglect, universal quantum computing will be possible through braided. According to Aaron Lauda Only one neglect is needed because it remains in the stationary or static state while the calculations are carried out by braiding Ising anions around them. It is a surprising conclusion. One last note to conclude: The neglect is not a fundamental particlesuch as the electron or the quark; It is a theoretical quasiparticle that arises from the collective behavior of many other particles in a two -dimensional system. Let us trust that it is consolidated as the definitive tool that will allow researchers to carry quantum computing from theory to practice in a robust and efficient way. Image | IBM More information | Science Daily In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

His king was useless sexual

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In the France of the eighteenth century, the prerrevolutionarythat of Versailles and the social boiler, there was a very urgent state issue that worried diplomats, filled hours of debate in the European courts, desperate the powerful Habsburg-Lorena house and inspired jocular songs on Paris streets: the penis of Louis XVI. Or rather: what did he do with him. Or rather yet: what he did not do with him. Despite his youth and being married to one of the ladies who greater fascination He has aroused in the history of Europe, María Antonieta, Louis XVI It didn’t seem too interested In sex. Himself summed up clearly in his diary how was his wedding night with the young Austrian May 16, 1770: “Rien” (Nothing) Nothing happened that first night of Esponsal among the young French Dolphin, who was now 16 years old, and his even younger wife, who did not even arrive at 15. And “Rien” (Nothing) The next night happened again, neither the other, nor to the fourth … and thus throughout 2,500 eveningsseven long years during which, marriage between Luis and María Antonieta was not consumed as such. The French towards night visits to his wife. And with greater or lesser effort, I tried. We know among other things thanks to the correspondence of José II of Austria, brother of María Antonieta, who after visiting her brother -in -law wrote a desperate letter (and with a comic point) in which she spoke of the poor performance of Louis XVI in the things of love and flesh. “It has very conditioned erections, introduces the member, it stays there for two minutes without moving, withdraws without ejaculating and still erect gives good night,” confessed José II To another of his brothers, the future emperor Leopold II. “And he is happy, saying that he has only done it … and that he doesn’t like it!” The Austrian aristocrat is not the only one who left in writing His impressions or what he knew about the sexual life of Louis XVI and María Antonieta. The contemporary historian spoke on the subject Jacob-Nicolas Moreau and influential aristocrats such as the Count of Fuentes, who served as Ambassador of Spain, the Count of Aranda and before or after his own protagonists, the French Dolphin and María Antonieta. Of course there was also talk of the apparent awkwardness (or lack of interest) of Luis in the streets of the prerevolutionary Paris, which did not miss the opportunity to compose jocular satires and increases of all about the matter. “Everyone wonders under: Can the king or cannot? The sad queen loses hope. One says that he cannot spliced. The other that cannot enter it “, Ironiza A theme dedicated to the virile member of Luis. That the sexual life of Versailles awaken so much interest, in Paris, France and much further, among the foreign aristocracy, is more than understandable. That Louis XVI and María Antonieta consumed and had a good sexual life (or at least joint sexual life, without more) was somewhat a priority state issue. It depended on neither more nor less than the real succession. Proof of what extent worried the matter is that, in addition to José II, the María Teresa I of AustriaMother of María Antonieta, and Luis’s grandfather, Louis XV (The ‘well loved’), who ironies of history was known by On the contrary: his intense and controversial Sexual appetite It is counted That in October 1772 the old French monarch came to summon the two young people in a private meeting during which he wanted to check in person, without mediators, if the genitals of his grandson had some failure. It is not surprising. There are no indications that Luis was interested in men. And beyond the jokes and murmuring, the precarious sexual life of Luis and María Antonieta let a question: if the problem was him (about it Rumors ran On the contrary, they talked about sexual scandals), what happened to Luis? There were theories A few. Many. Of all fur. There were those who believed it was of a matter of magic and that the dolphin was under the influence of a spell. Other versions blamed the poor sexual life of French to their shyness, youth, a Puberty delayglandular problems, diabetes, the endocrine system or that was a being “indolent” Towards sex. The most widespread theory and on which it seems that the most was spoken at the time, within the circles closest to Versailles, it is very different: phimosis. Having sex (or trying) the young man would feel pain, which led him to give up and frustrated his desire. The Count of Aranda echoed that version detailed In a letter collection a few years ago by ABC: “They say that the frenulum compresses in such a way the foreskin that is loosen at the time of penetration and causes pain that forces its majesty to moderate the impulse.” “Others presume that said foreskin is so adherent that you cannot loosen enough to allow the exit of the penian limb, which prevents a complete erection from occurring,” He pointed out The Spanish aristocrat, who is allowed to even leave his own impressions. If the problem is the frenulum, he writes, it would not be something so exceptional and the real problem would be Luis’s character. “It is something that happens to many people in their first attempts, but since these people have a better carnal appetite than their majesty, because of their temperament or their inexperience, with the heat of passion, a groan and good will, the frenulum is broken in its entirety, or enough to continue,” He reported. A similar version must have handled José II, who It is counted that he convinced his brother -in -law to operate. If the problem was or not the frenulum is more complicated. María Teresa He received a report that he advised surgery, but after examining his grandson Louis XV, he concluded that It was not necessary. It was about waiting. And … Read more

The airlines will always let you carry a parachute inside the plane. The only problem is that it is useless

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There was a time when Mounting by plane was a luxury. Today, experience is more similar to that of tin. In addition, the organization It is not the most optimal And, although it is very safe, the anxiety to fly It can cause some passengers to consider measures as extreme as that of carrying their own parachutes. The short answer is: you can. The long one: you can, but with enough restrictions and reasons why it will never be part of the usual safety equipment on board. It is not realistic. Looking for information on the matter, it is curious that the first responses allude to commercial airplanes do not need parachutes because they are very safe and it is not necessary that the passage jump from the vehicle running. Inquiring a little more, we can find perfectly logical reasons why neither the crew carries parachute (no matter how much they have seen in some films). The first thing is that the height at which a commercial plane flies is very, very high. Jumping from about 10 kilometers high is not only risky, although the user has an oxygen mask: the temperature is so low that the remedy can be worse than the disease. In addition to the height, he plays against speed, also being high and turning the jump into something very dangerous. Well, and the pressure that can cause a loss of consciousness. AND Not to mention sparkling the cabin To throw us … Bad idea. To get an idea, a commercial flight is going to between 10,000 and 12,000 meters of altitude, already speeds between 800 and 950 km/h. On a flight prepared to jump in parachute, normal It is that the altitude is between 3,000 and 4,000 meters, with exceptions to a couple of more meters. And the speed is about 200 km/h. Jumping from a commercial plane on if it has a problem would cause, surely, the engines swallow us. And if we jumped from the tail door, the easiest thing is that we end up spoiled against the rear rotor or so unbalanced by aerodynamics that we do not know where we have to throw to act the parachute. It is still a backpack To bill. Those are the reasons why commercial airplanes do not carry parachute, but, as we said, we can carry a parachute in a plane of this type. And the airlines treat it as one more lump. Thus, a parachute (which is folded is camping backpack) has as a piece of luggage. In some airlines, we could not enter with the parachute and with a normal backpack, for example. But it could always be billed. And with restrictions. Now, it is not as easy as saying “ok, because I have only the parachute because I don’t need more luggage.” It is not so simple because they must be packed very precisely, the bag must be special for this type of elements and there can be no more clothes or any type of personal article. If the parachute has some safety element such as a smoke boat, it will not be allowed either. And if they have gas cylinders, pyrotechnic elements or any other type of prohibited article, more of the same. The airlines themselves They contemplate The possibility of carrying this type of luggage whenever what we have commented is met: “The bags and cases of sports teams should not contain clothes or other personal items. They should only be used to transport sports equipment. The entire team must be safely packed in a special container for paratrooper equipment or in a resistant bag, or canvas, for sports articles. ” Go with the lesson learned. Now, although the airlines allow and transportation administrations also They contemplateit is possible that we have to explain what we carry. Therefore, a couple of recommendations are: Pack the article separately to facilitate your inspection if necessary. Keep a copy of the authorities regulation so that the airport/airline staff not familiar with the issue has more information about it. And, as the team is very likely to attract attention, the recommendation It is that you arrive with a few minutes – more – in advance in case it is time to pass a control. If many times I have had to explain in the control that what I carry to take photos with my analog camera are reels that can be damaged in the scanner … as if to explain why I go with a parachute. And be careful, as many times in these cases, it is always better to go caught. Such as the TSA (the security body in the transport of the United States) Comment In this regard: “The final decision on whether an article is allowed through the control post corresponds to the TSA officer.” Images | Adam Reeder, Hunini, In Xataka | The crazy history of the airline that has operated for 34 years without success: it has not yet managed to climb a single passenger

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