Walk

We thought that human beings began to walk in Africa. This 7.2 million-year-old fossil says otherwise

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The scientific consensus has been telling us for decades that the cradle of humanity and the origin of our ancestors who began to walk on two legs was in Africa. However, a new paleontological discovery in the Balkans just launched an order to this official story. More specifically, a fossilized femur that suggests our earliest ancestors may have started walking on two legs in Europe. A bone. The centerpiece of this discovery is a femur cataloged as FM3549AZM6 and found at the Azmaka site, in Bulgaria. From this, the research team began to analyze the bone down to the millimeter, highlighting above all the anatomy it had. Researchers here have identified key biomechanical traits that point to partial bipedal locomotion, meaning that our ancestor could walk on two legs. Specifically, they have seen that the neck of the femur is unusually long and it has specific muscle insertion points that strictly arboreal primates do not have. These characteristics suggest that Graecopithecus He spent considerable time walking upright on the ground. A new hypothesis. This finding does not come out of nowhere, since in 2017 this same team of researchers already raised eyebrows in the scientific community by suggesting that the evolutionary divergence between humans and chimpanzees could have occurred in the eastern Mediterranean, and not in Africa. That hypothesis was based on analysis of a jaw found in Greece and a tooth from Bulgaria attributed to Graecopithecus freybergi. Now it comes to light again. At that time, definitive proof of locomotion was missing, but Azmaka’s femur fills that gap that we needed to begin to reach clear conclusions. Why did they stand up? Evolution rarely occurs without a strong environmental push, and the Europe of 7 million years ago looked nothing like it does today. Here investigations at Bulgarian sites, such as the Struma Valley, show that the landscape was dominated by a savanna environment very similar to the African one, caused by a global confrontation and severe droughts in the Mediterranean. This loss of dense forests would have forced the region’s primates to come down from the trees and adapt their movement to travel long distances in open fields in search of food. In this way, it was geography and not the continent that forced bipedalism. The debate. The new Bulgarian femur revives one of the hottest debates in paleontology, since until now, the title of the oldest bipedal hominin was held by Sahelanthropus tchadensisabout 7 million years old and found in Africa. But now, if this team’s dating and analysis are accurate, Graecopithecus would not only equal, but slightly surpass in seniority Sahelanthropusmoving the “kilometer zero” of bipedalism to the Balkans. But at the moment it is too early for the textbooks to change definitively, since, as with previous discoveries, the scientific community will demand more independent analyzes and will seek to debate every notch of the femur. What is undeniable is that the African monopoly on the origin of our lineage now has a serious European competitor. In Xataka | Humans are evolving live on the Tibetan plateau. And understanding what happens there will be essential in space

Now the “therians” arrive, people who walk on all fours

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They wear animal masks, move on all fours and publish tutorials on networks to perfect the gallop or feline jump. Therians are not a new phenomenon, but social media has catapulted them into the digital conversation. Who are they, where do they come from, what differentiates them from the fashion of the furriesDo they have the right to their own veterinarian? What is a therian? Perhaps the easiest way to understand it is by going to the community’s own definition: “species dysphoria”, a discomfort analogous (in structure, although certainly not in clinical recognition) to gender dysphoria. A therian does not wear a disguise: the term (which abbreviates therianthropefrom Greek therion -wild beast- and anthropos -human-) designates people who identify themselves psychologically or spiritually as a non-human animal. The Therian Society He assures that it is not a cosplay or costume, but rather a lifelong identity. The animal with which each therian identifies is called theriotypeand canids and felines are the most common, although videos of reptiles and extinct species have already been seen. There is a whole vocabulary around the phenomenon: shifts or changes of state are the moments in which the person experiences instincts, thought patterns or sensations typical of their animal nature. and the phantom shift It is the perception of non-existent limbs or appendages (tail, ears, claws) that have a clear correlation with the well-proven phenomenon of phantom limbs. Therians: Origins. In the infinite Usenet groups (the first forums) of the nineties is where the topic began to be talked about. The forum alt.horror.werewolvesoriginally created for fans of fictional werewolves, led to debates about what it meant. be a werewolf, not just consume fiction on the subject. Soon the therians were separated from otherkin, a term that grouped those who identified themselves as non-human beings (elves, dragons, vampires). Therians limit their identification to animals that exist or have existed and Its symbol is Theta-Delta (ΘΔ): Theta represents the first letter of therian and delta symbolizes change or transformation. Does it have a scientific basis? Let’s just leave it at that academic psychology has not recognized species dysphoria. But there are attempts at recognition: a Lake Forest College thesis He spoke of it as a transversal theme between therians who manifested themselves in very different ways. In ScienceDirect was distinguished between therianthropy clinical (delusional disorder in which the person believes they are transformed into an animal, and which is historically linked to psychosis) and therianthropy as a non-clinical identity, which is not included as a disorder in the DSM-5. One thing is clear, and also investigated: Therian identity acts as a protective factor for those with higher levels of autism or schizotypy, suggesting that the community plays a real psychological support role for certain profiles. TikTok, engine of subcultures. This seemingly specific group has found a meeting point and expansion on TikTok, which has the prepared algorithm to connect statistical neighborhoods of people grouped by common behavior and interests. The result is a unprecedented acceleration of the visibility of subcultures previously confined to forums and Discord servers. For example, in the case of the therians, they are interested in quadrobicsa discipline that makes it possible to move, trot, jump and gallop on all fours (and about which there was already videos on YouTube in 2015) : its practitioners publish tutorials that the algorithm triggers because it is visually striking content that generates polarized reactions. Furry precedent. To understand therians, you have to go back at least four decades, to a fandom that went through a very similar cycle: it emerged on the margins, was distorted by the mainstream media, and ended up being the subject of academic research. The furry fandom took shape at a science fiction convention in 1980, when a drawing from Steve Gallacci’s ‘Albedo Anthropomorphics’ comic sparked a discussion about anthropomorphic characters in speculative fiction. In 1986 the first “furry party” took place and in 1989 they had specific conventions. Although both communities overlap in many aspects (approximately 15% of furries They also identify as therians), a furry relates to anthropomorphic animals, building a fursona that works as a character or avatar; a therian, on the other hand, identifies with a real, non-anthropomorphic animal. However, the media stigma that the furry fandom suffered in the late ’90s is comparable to the scrutiny that the therian community faces today. The furries were identified (mainly due to an unfortunate episode of CSI 2003) with sexual deviants, but the community ended up denying itdemonstrating that the main attraction for fandom was belonging to a community, not any fetish component. llegacy to Spain. There have been no defining moments of the arrival of the therians to Spain, beyond descriptions in the media, simultaneously with what has happened in Mexico or Argentina, of hangouts in parks such as the Retiro in Madrid or the Ciutadella in Barcelona, ​​or groups practicing quadrobics in public places. Many of these media go into topics such as liquid identity in digital times and also in the aggressiveness that they awaken in their detractors, who begin to organize far-right attackspossibly because of the parallels with gender dysphoria. In Xataka | What are urban tribes and how have they evolved until today?

A beach bar in Malaga had the happy idea of ​​taking its ‘Sardinator’ robot for a walk. Until the police found out

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An establishment in La Malagueta decided to innovate when it came to attracting new customers with an advertising robot that wandered along the seafront, advertising mojitos, caipirinhas and espetos for four euros. Although the idea was striking and made heads turn among the local residents, the Malaga City Council has stopped the initiative. ‘Sardinator’ does not comply with municipal regulations and the Local Police have already reported the beach bar. The beach bar play. The robot, named Sardinator, walked along the La Malagueta promenade inviting people around to follow its voice to the beach bar. It wasn’t a waiter robot of those that serve inside the premises, but an autonomous device designed to advertise in the middle of a public street. It advertised drinks and food as it moved, although according to MálagaHoyhis ability to avoid obstacles left a lot to be desired: “he avoids trash cans, but he is not so skilled with people”, even tripping over a pedestrian. Why did the police intervene? Just like has shared The medium, Elisa Pérez de Siles, Councilor for Public Roads of the Malaga City Council, assured that this type of robots “are not authorizable” in the city. The use of the device on the promenade violates the municipal ordinance, which is why the Local Police were ordered to draw up a report and report the establishment. Although in other cities they are quite popular devices, in Malaga “there is an ordinance that must be complied with,” said the councilor. The political reaction. The municipal group Con Málaga has also focused on the issue. Its councilor, Toni Morillas, submitted a letter to the mayor asking about the robot after receiving complaints from neighbors who observed the advertising device “with astonishment.” Morillas even described the situation as “Málaga, the lawless city” on his social networks, according to inform MálagaHoy, highlighting the concern over the lack of control over this type of initiatives on public roads. The legal loophole of advertising robots. The case of Sardinator is something very specific and Spanish legislation does not yet specifically contemplate autonomous advertising robots on a public road. Municipal ordinances regulate outdoor advertising through urban planning licenses, but these regulations are designed for static elements such as fences, signs or posters. Many ordinances expressly prohibit the distribution or delivery of brochures and advertising on public roads, and even advertising in circulating or parked vehicles except for very specific exceptions. The boom of robots in hospitality. Sardinator does not seem to have had the same luck as other robots that have had growing popularity, such as those who work inside serving at the tables. In Spain, waiter robots are being introduced mainly in fast food restaurants, chains and some fine dining restaurants. Cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia or Seville have already seen the introduction of these robots in several establishments. The fundamental difference here is that these robots move in controlled private spaces, not on public roads, which avoids conflicts of this type. Without going any further, in Malaga, there are several establishments that have incorporated this type of robots, although never outside the premises, as is the case of Sardinator. How they work. Waiter robots are designed to take orders from the kitchen to the customer’s table, following already marked routes and avoiding obstacles. The manufacturers are mostly of Chinese origin, including PUDU Robotics with its Bellabot and Kettybot models, Orion Star with Lucky, and Keenon, although there are also Spanish companies such as DAX Robotics with its Delibot and Slimbot model. The prices of waiter robots range between 6,000 and 15,000 euros, and they can support up to 60 kilos of load. They are equipped with LIDAR laser sensors and 3D cameras to move autonomously and safely. Robots as an alternative to labor shortages. The labor shortage in the Spanish hospitality industry, which affects more than 60% of businessesaccording to the Bank of Spain, means that this type of device could end up being an effective alternative. This is not about replacing staff, but about easing the burden due to the difficulty in finding waiters and qualified staff, which is why many establishments are turning to service robots as support. Although they are not yet a complete substitute for human interaction nor are they profitable for all establishments, these robots may end up representing a pragmatic response to a structural problem. And now what. The La Malagueta beach bar will have to return to traditional advertising methods or look for alternatives that respect the regulations. Meanwhile, ‘Sardinator’ has stopped touring the promenade and his catchy “mojito, caipirinha, daikiri” promotion is no longer heard in the area. Let’s give a minute of silence for our friendly friend. Cover image | Javier Albiñana In Xataka | The crazy story of the Galician woman who registered El Sol before a notary, sold plots online and then took eBay to court

If you have ever wondered what the pride of the Spanish Navy is like, this virtual walk puts you in the S-81

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Although the Spanish Naval History is rich and prolificfor years, Spain built submarines under foreign license. Giving life to one of these vehicles is not an easy task, but at the beginning of this century, something changed and the Navy decided that it was time to have its own model: Class S-80. After years of development, delays and some problems, in November 2023 the S-81 was delivered, aka “Isaac Peral” It is a submarine with some of the latest technology innovations and A “unique” propulsion system (which will work at some point). And, if you have ever wondered what life is like within a submarine or how its operators train, the Navy has published a 3D video in which we can see some of the S-81 rooms. What needs to be done to enjoy the video is to give the ‘play’ and rotate with the mouse, turning the camera to see the first details of the roof and, then, of the interior. The first thing we see is the upper area of the submarine, which in some works has been indicated as the entrance zone to it, but that it is an ‘watchtower’ from which the commander performs the work of approach to port. It is the best point to control the operation and has manual controls and a huge compass. At the bottom of the bow, the submarine entrance hatch can be seen, as well as a series of countermeasures in the foreground. Apart from the torpedoes, the S-81 has electronic and acoustic countermeasures as part of its defense and survival suite. In the offensive weapons, it has torpedoes, missiles and mines. As countermeasures, an acoustic lally system is helped that Imitate the submarine signing To divert enemy torpedoes. It also has the possibility of launch mobile countermeasures, luresand the electronic system allows both the detection of enemies and the disturbance of adversary signals to increase their ability to perform furtive operations. In the final bow we see the hatch through which the crew enters the submarine. In the central hall, a plaque remembers the main characteristics of Isaac Peral, as well as some historical data. On both sides of the hall, we find dependencies for the crew. These are six or three beds cabins and each of the 48 occupants of the submarine has its own bunk. In other submarines, especially in the oldest, there was something called “hot bed”, beds in which the crew slept in shifts. Only the commander has his own cabinless than 3 m². Now, although the crew can be rested by having its own bed, there are bad news: there are only two toilets and three showers for the entire endowment. Under the candle, the highest part of the submarine that is from which the commander controls the entrance to port, is the command platform. This is the brain of the submarine and in the image below we can see operators training in the simulator found on the mainland. Also on the mainland, operators can train with a simulator to learn to keep the ships of the ship through ‘avatars’. It is very widespread, but it is always curious to see how they handle similar systems with Xbox’s command. The truth is that the virtual walk of the Navy is short and would have been great to see some non -confidential units under the optics of that 360º camera. Currently, Isaac Peral will be a few months stopped in port because it will undergo a new maintenance round. As they detail in The confidentialwork will be carried out in Mechanics, electricity, hydraulic, electronics and cooling areas With the intention of calibrating systems such as communications, analyze the operation of the drinking water production system and check the state of missile throwers. The S-81, the unique of the S-80 fleet at the moment, due to a postponement In the afloat of the S-82 Narciso Monturiol until the end of summer, it will be three months stopped in port for this maintenance. Images | Navy, Navantia, Rubén Somonte Mde In Xataka | That time Spain bombarded Istanbul: nine ships, a film flight and the Obsession of Octavio de Aragón

Back to V8 or walk to the electric car. And that says everything about how the industry is

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“The electric is the future” The words are from Koji Watanabe, head of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation), the division of the Japanese firm in charge of developing the technologies that their teams (and those that hire them) use in the competition. Yeah Formula 1 goes back To the V8 engines, they leave. That is what the Japanese wanted to make clear. Right now, the company does not have an official car inside the championship but supply its engines to Red Bull. In 2026, They will do the same with Aston Martin And they have not ruled out having more customers for the future. But his role in the historic competition can have an expiration date. It all depends on the direction of the sport. The FIA (International Automobile Federation) wants to back the path to the electrification that took formula 1 in 2014. Its bet: Back to Combustion Motors V8. Some teams are for the work but others like Audi or Honda (this as supplier) do not want to hear about the matter. And the dispute threatens to put the sport up. “We didn’t come for this” The first thing we have to know is what is the current situation. The 2026 season will be a year of changes, we will have new chassis in cars and new power units. These power units will finally be maintained as a hybridized turbo. Of course, the weight of the electrification will be greater and the fuel will have to be 100% sustainable from 2026. This regulation should be in force until 2030. The problem is that since the arrival of the V6 Turbo hybridized in 2014 Fans have been complaining that something has died with The end of the V8 and V10. In 2021, despite everything, the regulations of these engines froze to prevent that Honda’s exit will leave Red Bull behind. The background problem is that new engines are giving bad results in simulations. To the point that There is spoils slower than those of Formula 2. The reason is that electrification will become 45% of the total power that a car can deliver (it is currently in 20%) and it is even believed that in a circuit like Monza, the pilot would have to lift the foot at the end of line so as not to end the battery and run out of electrical power for much of what remains circuit. That is especially important next year, since the electric motor will go from delivering a maximum of 120 kW (163 hp) to 350 kW (475 hp). Run without power electric at the end of a line is to be sold for the rest of the return with a very slow car. The way of driving and understanding the car changes radically. “The engine changes completely when braking and curves to produce additional energy, directly feeding on the battery. Therefore, the engine assumes the task of a generator at specific times,” explains Hywel Thomas, responsible for the development of Mercedes engines to Auto Motor Und Sport. That is, at times, the car will act as a series hybrid. That is why some manufacturers have long been moving threads to return the sport to larger engines and reduce the electric weight. He came to talk about returning to the V10whose devastating sound is iconic. Finally, they are pressure to return to the V8. That movement has not liked Honda, who consider that “electrification is a fundamental element To move towards a sustainable future, “making it clear that they do not wait for them if this happens. And he didn’t like Audi either. The company of the four hoops will have a car next year on the grill but the Germans say that ” Hybrid power units It was a key factor “for the company to launch into the pool. They have stressed that “the new regulation was planned for 2026 and beyond”. Returning to V8 is a setback for brand investments just over two years seen. And his message was clear: the V8 “was not for what we came here.” A message that clashes frontally with a good part of the manufacturers. In Motorpasion They collected months ago Ferrari, Ford and Cadillac (Ford will supply Red Bull engines and Cadillac will have its own equipment) They already supported the idea of returning to the V10 engines. And, without committing, Mercedes launched the message in China that “we have an open mind. We are prepared for any engine.” Everything this mess tells us about the industry What is being played with the next big change of regulations is much further than simply, the engines that the cars will use in the competition. It is no accident that Honda and Audi, firms that in their street cars are betting on the electrificationoppose the return of large V8 engines, in the worst stage for them, V10. Nor is it accidental that firms such as Ferrari, Ford and Cadillac support this second scenario. Or that Mercedes does not see him with bad eyes. Already in 2023Christian Horner, Mandamás de Red Bull that recently has been firedhe said that “maybe we return to some V8 or V10 that are totally sustainable. It would be fantastic!” This supposed sustainability goes through the use of 100% synthetic fuels, an idea that would have to go hand in hand if you want to reduce the electrification volume. The key here is that F1 is still seen as a laboratory. The jump to hybridization with the V6 Turbo was designed for manufacturers to explode what they learned with the MGU-H in its street vehicles. However, this component is really expensive and has barely had development out of the competition. With this failure in mind, Ferrari, Ford and Cadillac press to return to the V8 engines. The Italian company aspires to Synthetic fuels are part of its essence in the future. And it also has in mind continue developing large engines combustion since they will allow you to continue selling … Read more

The debate about whether it is better to walk quickly or walk slowly is settled. At least if what we are looking for is our health

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Walking is an exercise that not only has the advantage of helping us maintain good health, it is also affordable for people with difficulties to exercise in other ways due to circumstances such as age or rhythm. However An old debate persistsSI for extract the benefits of this exercise We can go with a relaxed step or if on the contrary a prescription rhythm is essential. If there are no reasons such as injuries that can be aggravated with sports, physical activity, even in “small doses”, it will always be better than inactivity. That is why the debate about the ideal of walking slowly suits us is easy to settle: walking slowly is better than not walking. Of course, experts tend to agree that, if we have the possibility, better to accelerate the step. Walking can help our health in different ways. Our heart health is, surely, the one that can be appreciated most to wear comfortable footwear and go for a walk, but it is not the only one. Walk has been related to a lower impact of diseases such as diabetes but can also have psychological benefits such as stress reduction or help Improve concentrationespecially when we walk through natural environments. But then what about the Benefits of walking quickly? Again, cardiovascular health is in the center of the debate. A study Recent in highlighting this is the one published in 2024 in the magazine Atherosisclerosis. The study, which had almost 20,000 participants, analyzed their mortality in a period of 9.4 years. The team responsible for the analysis detected an inverse relationship between the rhythm with which they used to walk and the risk of death and suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Studies that relate the rhythm of our gait with the benefits that walk gives our health They are diverse. Some also cover the relationship between speed and cognitive deterioration. Some examples are found in The review published in 2016 In the magazine Ageing Research Reviews. The team responsible for the analysis found a relationship between the speed of the passage when walking and the cognitive deteriorationalthough it was not conclusive about the existence of a direct causal relationship since it could also be cognitive deterioration that makes us walk more slowly. Lose weight Weight is an important risk factor in many diseases. That is why, although thinning does not have to imply that we will be healthier, it can be useful to reduce this risk or as a simple motivation towards healthier habits. Among them, exercise. If our goal is to lose weight, accelerate the step It can also be helpful. Of course, the context can be important, as a group of researchers recently discovered. In Your studypublished in 2024 in the magazine Sports Science & Medicine, They detected that Genetics could be decisive when reducing our weight through this type of exercise. Walking is an affordable and healthy exercise, but science finds more and more evidence that it is best to accelerate the step if we want to make the most of the benefits of our walks. Walking, even at a leisurely rhythm, can help our health, but can also help us take the habit necessary to direct us, little by little, towards a more active life. Step by step. In Xataka | The 10,000 daily steps were always a myth. Science already knows what the optimal number is Image | MARTINDALSGAARDSØRENSEN

If “Fast Walk” serves for yourself to lose weight

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Is it possible to lose weight walking? It is a recurring question and is logical. After all, physical activity facilitates the consumption of calories that our body stores as fat. But it also turns out to be a form of Exercise available to almost everyonesomething important if we take into account that constancy is usually key when we talk about thinning. However, the answer to this question is somewhat more complex than it might seem. Yeah, walk It is a good way to burn calories, and much more: it is also an exercise that provides benefits to our cardiorespiratory and muscular health, and also helps prevent the appearance of diabetes, among other varied effects. That is why it is usually remembered from time to time that, although walking it can be very useful, it may not be the exercise that best suits our plans, and could be seen more as a complement that as the main resource to which we stick to. Now, let’s investigate why. As experts remember, exercise is not always the best strategy if what we are looking for is to reduce our body mass. “For weight loss, The diet seems to be more effective that physical activity “ Donald Hensrud explainsof the Healthy Life program of the Mayo Clinic. Rather, it is usually considered that, in general, the exercise is more effective when maintaining the weight; While if we want to lose weight, control our diet is usually considered a more effective strategy. Of course this does not mean that we should forget this part, even if only for The positive impact That an active life has in our health. The problem is that we tend to Overbear the impact of exercise and physical activity in general in the caloric consumption that our body performs. Alternatively, we can express it in a different way: we tend to underestimate (or directly to ignore) the enormous caloric consumption that our body performs only by being, to keep ourselves alive throughout our day to day. Some estimates place the relative weight of physical exercise Between 10% and 30% of caloric consumption. Imagine a situation in which physical exercise represents 20% of the calorie expenditure that our body performs. This implies that if we folded the exercise we do (100% more activity), we would only increase the caloric consumption of our body by 20%. Combine strategies Leaving weight loss in the hands of a simple strategy is not usually recommended. Constancy is important and use the Exercise as a complement To the diet when we want to lose weight, it can be helpful in various ways. First and perhaps more important, for being a healthy habit to incorporate in our day to day. Secondly, exercise can make changes in the diet more, “distributing” the effort we put to change towards healthier habits. Since constancy is important, a small help never hurts. Third, the exercise, we pointed out before, is a good way to keep us in our weight. The sooner we get the habit, the better. Walking can help us with these three purposes, so it is a perfect complement if we want to lose weight and want to do it in a healthier way. It is a good complement but is it the best? Walking has the advantage of helping us build Routines without great efforts and minimizing the risk of abandonment; But if what we want is to increase the caloric consumption of our body, for example to be able to resort to less strict diets, there are alternatives that perhaps better adapt to our needs. Finally, it is never worth remembering that each body is different, even our own body changes over the years. Formulas and weight losing recipes are not universal, so it is always useful (when not absolutely necessary) consult with experts who can guide us in the process. In Xataka | Do not tell me your age, tell me your grip strength: how simple gestures tell us how good we are aging Image | Arek In addition

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