weapon

An ancient necropolis in England has revealed what was Rome’s great weapon in Britain. And it has little to do with his army

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The Roman Empire was forged with swords, strategy and hordes of legionaries, but the eternal city had an even more effective resource than its military power: its magnetism. Sometimes, before the soldiers, what reached the future conquered territories was the commercial influence of Rome. The clearest example has just been offered to us by Essex, United Kingdom, where archaeologists They have found a necropolis with several copper vessels, amphorae, nails, brooches and even a delicate molded glass bowl, an exclusive piece. The important thing, however, is not so much the ‘what’ as the ‘when’. Experts believe that those pieces that tell us about a connection with Rome are prior to the invasion of Britain in 43 AD, so they reveal a previous cultural, diplomatic and economic contact between both worlds. What has happened? What archaeologists have discovered an ancient necropolis south of the United Kingdom which confirms that, before the Roman invasion of 43 AD launched by Emperor Claudius, the region was already permeable to the influence that came from the other side of the English Channel. It is a key detail because it tells us both about the Iron Age in modern-day England and about Rome’s ability to extend its cultural influence beyond its military power. What have they found? A cemetery near Chelmsford, Essex. When excavating the area, researchers from UCL Institute of Archeology They located the cremated remains of more than a hundred individuals buried there about 2,000 years ago. To be more precise, the tombs appeared in an area surrounded by a ditch and, according to expertsdates for the most part from the 1st AD, so it “marks the transition towards Roman domination in Great Britain.” Why is it important? As they delved deeper, the archaeologists saw two clearly differentiated types of graves: there were the most common ones, which numbered in dozens and basically consisted of urns with the remains of the deceased; and then a handful of burials were identified that, due to their characteristics and decorations, reveal a higher social status. There are only five, but they have been revealing. Revealing why? Because, in addition to cremated remains, funerary trousseau was deposited in the tombs that reveal the social status that the deceased had enjoyed in the East Anglia of the Iron Age. Experts located vessels made of copper, ceramic wine amphorae, horseshoe nails, brooches and even a detailed molded glass bowl, an exceptional piece as it is probably one of the first to arrive in Britain. And is that important? Yes. Because of its origin and (above all) the history it suggests to us. “These exceptional grave goods are likely to reflect diplomatic contacts and economic exchanges between Iron Age peoples in Britain and the Roman Empire, which were already taking place before the Roman conquest of 43 AD,” reflect Angus Forshaw, one of the experts leading the UCL Archeology excavations. In the case of the amphorae, Forshaw believes they may have arrived in Britain filled with wine for local elites. As for the bowl, he believes that it was probably “a very prized personal possession” of the deceased, which is why it ended up in his grave. “The period surrounding the Roman conquest was a time of immense political and cultural change. These burials could have been a way for different Iron Age communities to signal their identity, their power and their supposed loyalty to Rome,” duck Samara King, from Archeology South-East. And now what? There is still a lot of work ahead. The experts of Archeologym South-Eastt are in charge of cleaning and analyzing in detail the different objects extracted from the necropolis. They also examine the Essex site and its dozens of tombs to learn more about the people who were buried there, especially those who occupied the most elaborate tombs. In principle, experts believe that the burials have certain parallels with others located in the area that are reminiscent of cremations discovered in Stansted and Stanway, as well as sites in Hertfodshire. Furthermore, its focus is not only on the graves. Excavations have revealed more Iron Age structures, including three previously unknown settlements with their moats, cultivation and wells spread over 11 hectares. Images | UCL and Wikipedia In Xataka | 90 years ago, archaeologists in Mexico encountered the greatest enigma of pre-Hispanic America: a Roman head

The US has put into service a new anti-satellite weapon. The most striking thing is that it doesn’t shoot anything

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For decades, when we talked about weapons against satellites, the mental image was almost always the same: a missile, an impact and more space junk. But space warfare doesn’t always need an explosion to be effective. Sometimes it is enough to act on what we do not see: the link that connects a satellite with those who depend on it. That is what makes the US’s latest step especially striking. We are not facing a system designed to shoot down an object in orbit, but rather one that aims at something less visible and much more everyday in any modern military operation: communications. Attack communications. US Space Force Combat Forces Command operationally accepted on June 8 to Meadowlands, a new addition to its family of electromagnetic warfare systems. It’s not an isolated program: the Space Force describes it as an upgrade to Counter Communications System 10.2 and says it can detect, deny, disrupt and degrade adversary capabilities in active defense of joint force objectives. Its operation remains in the hands of Mission Delta 3, Space Electromagnetic Warfare. The key is in the sign. A satellite is not just an object in orbit, but a chain of links, antennas, ground stations and users that need to communicate with it. Meadowlands acts on that less visible part of the system. L3Harris, program contractor, describes the Counter Communications System as a deployable ground platform aimed at denying communications from satellites in orbit, and presents Meadowlands as a more compact and mobile version. A change of era. Meadowlands fits into a broader transformation of conflict in space. The Secure World Foundation classify capabilities counterspace in several families, from co-orbital capabilities and direct ascent missiles to electronic warfare, directed energy and cyber capabilities. That distinction matters because not all of them seek to destroy a satellite. Some, such as electromagnetic warfare, seek to degrade services, limit communications or alter access to a space capability during a specific operation. Space Force itself places it in that first invisible line of the electromagnetic spectrum. Looking at the precedents. When an anti-satellite weapon physically destroys its target, the problem does not end with the impact: a cloud of debris begins that can continue orbiting for years. The US Space Command assured that the Russian direct ascent test against Cosmos 1408, in 2021, produced more than 1,500 traceable pieces. NASA had already documented something similar after the Chinese test against Fengyun-1C, in 2007, with more than 2,000 fragments of about 10 centimeters or more identified. Meadowlands belongs to another logic: act without adding more junk to the orbital environment. The paradox. The less Meadowlands looks like a conventional anti-satellite weapon, the better you understand why it matters. Its value is not in converting a satellite into orbital debris, but in acting on the layer that allows it to be used in a real operation. This difference helps explain the US movement and also the fundamental change that we are seeing in the military space. The battlefield is not only in the orbit or in the objects that travel through it. It is also in the signs, in the links and in the ability to maintain them when they are most needed. Images | United States Space Force In Xataka | “We are going to see more and more cases like this.” There are six mysterious spheres on a beach in Australia, and everything indicates that they came from space

We have just discovered that the lethal weapon to hunt mammoths was not what we thought

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More than a century ago, archaeologists were convinced that the so-called Piltdown Man It was the “missing link” in human evolution. It took more than 40 years to prove that it was a fraud built with a human skull and the jaw of an orangutan. Since then, archeology has learned an uncomfortable lesson: even theories that seem indisputable can crumble when new evidence appears. The great certainty that falters. For decades, archeology books have presented the Clovis culture like the great mammoth hunters of North America. The image was simple: groups of hunters armed with spear propellers, known as atlatlcapable of taking down huge animals from a relatively safe distance. However, two studies published recently They question this reconstruction and force us to reconsider one of the most iconic scenes in American prehistory. The weapon that never appeared. He first study puts the focus on the atlatl, that kind of extension of the arm that multiplies the speed and range of a spear. For years it was assumed that the Clovis used it to hunt mammoths, although there was a surprising detail: A single atlatl has never been found at a Clovis site. Using statistical models, researchers they conclude now that this technology probably did not appear in America until about 4,000 years later before this culture disappeared, a gap too great to continue supporting the traditional theory. Without direction. The consequence of this archaeological gap is so striking that the author of the study, the archaeologist Metin Eren, summarizes it with a sincerity unusual in a scientific article: “We have no idea what the hell they used.” Because if the Clovis did not use atlatls, only hypotheses remain. Perhaps they hunted with javelins or thrust spears, which would have forced them to get much closer to animals weighing several tons and take an enormous risk. Paradoxically, the more research is done on one of the best-known cultures in America, there are fewer certainties about the weapon with which he survived. Or they were not so “hunters”. He ssecond study takes that review even further. After analyzing the fifteen sites where Clovis points have appeared along with remains of mammoths, mastodons or gomphotheres, the researchers they conclude that none demonstrates unequivocally that these animals were killed by human beings. The same marks on the bones and the same broken tips can occur both after a hunt and when using the carcass of an animal that had already died, a problem known in archeology as equifinality. Hunters… or scavengers. Of course, the authors do not maintain that the Clovis never hunted mammoths. What they affirm is that current evidence does not allow us to rule out that, on many occasions, they acted rather as opportunistic scavengers. In fact, remember that a Clovis point has never been found embedded in a mammoth bone, evidence that does exist in much older Eurasian sites. They even reinterpret a famous isotopic study on a Clovis child, proposing that the elevated nitrogen levels could be explained due to the consumption of larvae coming from corpses and not necessarily from a diet based almost exclusively on mammoth meat. Archeology exchanges certainties for questions. Both jobs They reflect a change of trend in research on prehistory. For decades, it was enough for an explanation to be reasonable to become the dominant narrative. Today researchers demand much stronger evidence and are revising some of the ideas that seemed best established, from the weapons used by the first Americans to the role they played in the disappearance of the megafauna of the end of the Ice Age. Sometimes the greatest scientific advance is not in finding a new answer, but in recognizing that the old one was never there. really proven. Image | BioS. In Xataka | The company that is resurrecting the mammoth is creating the Noah’s Ark of the 21st century. And he is doing it in Dubai, of course In Xataka | The crater known as “the door to hell” hid a surprise: a 50,000-year-old mammoth calf

Air conditioning is the new great political weapon in France: why environmentalists and the extreme right are fighting over it

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The suffocating heat waves that are punishing Europe have caused something unthinkable a few years ago in France, since air conditioning has become a state weapon. In a country historically reluctant to artificial air conditioning, the extreme increase in temperatures has had the ceiling fans and blinds drawn are no longer enoughand in the face of the stress of a population not accustomed to temperatures around 40 ºC, promises have appeared. A debate. According to a recent analysis of the BBCthe debate on air conditioning has dynamited French political lines. On the one hand, the political party led by Marine Le Pen has put on the table a “climate plan” that defends almost universal air conditioning. On the other hand, the green block, historically opposed to these devices due to their environmental impact, has had to swallow saliva and admit that, in certain cases, air conditioning is already an “inevitable” measure. What is promised. To understand the magnitude of the debate, you have to look at the numbers. Le Pen’s party, called the National Group, has proposed a zero-interest loan fund of 20 billion euros so that between 30 and 40 million homes can install air conditioning systems such as reversible heat pumps and improve their insulation. And we are facing a great political strategy, because logically, in the midst of suffocating heat, promising aid to have a tool that reduces temperatures at home is a magnet for votes. However, these measures clash with the climate adaptation plans that are in force in the French country. In Xataka France has been determined to rob Spain of its position as a data center power in Europe The climate problem. The environmental bloc is at a crossroads, since massive air conditioning triggers energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions if the network is not 100% renewable or nuclear. But denying air conditioning to the vulnerable population, such as in hospitals, is political suicide and an unaffordable public health risk. Hence his speech has veered from prohibition to resignation to the “inevitable.” The poor adaptation. If we go to the more technical side of this debate, local media such as, for example, Le Monde or the Institute of Climate Economics have been categorical in classifying the mass adoption of air conditioning under the term “maladaptation”. This means that a short-term solution to climate change is being proposed that will end up aggravating the problem in the long term. Air conditioning is the textbook example, since, as experts point out, an air conditioner does not “destroy” heat, it simply removes it from the interior of the home and spits it out onto the street. A vicious circle. Climate models in dense cities like Paris have shown that if all buildings turned on the air conditioning at once during a heat wave, the temperature outside could rise by an additional 1°C to 2°C, further exacerbating the problem. But also, while people who can afford it cool off in their living rooms, people without resources find themselves on a much more aggressive “urban heat island.” In Xataka In the midst of an extreme heat wave, the French have started painting their windows with white chalk. It makes perfect sense France’s plan. Beyond the electoral promises that are made at a time when we are approaching the country’s presidential elections, France’s road map works under the premise of preparing the country for a +4 ºC warming scenario. To address this, the possibility of renewing the insulation of buildings, replacing asphalt with trees and creating urban cooling systems with centralized underground cold water networks that are more efficient and less harmful than having millions of individual devices on facades is being considered. In Xataka |AEMET asks that we prepare because “starting on Friday” a rise is expected that will put Spain “eight degrees above normal” (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news Air conditioning is the new great political weapon in France: why environmentalists and the extreme right are fighting over it was originally published in Xataka by José A. Lizana .

AI is not a product, it is a weapon. And Europe has none

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A few days ago the Government of Spain showed its chest announcing that the EU AI Regulatory Sandbox project had been a success. It is difficult to understand why, but while these efforts to regulate require notable investments (in this particular project, 4.3 million euros), there is a stark and forceful reality: Spain and the EU are light years ahead of the US and China in terms of innovation in AI. And in this situation, how will the EU survive? Chronology of events. That was already a problem before, but each new advance of the US or Chinese frontier models makes that hole seem bigger and bigger. We have seen it with what happened to Claude Fable 5which has been vetoed following the order of the US Government. The recent chronology allows us to explain what happened: April 8, 2026: Anthropic releases Claude Mythos Previewa model that according to them is so powerful in terms of cybersecurity that they avoid releasing it publicly. Your capacity is being confirmed by companies like Mozilla, which is one of the privileged to be able to use it. June 10, 2026: Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5a kind of layered version of Claude Mythos Preview. According to the benchmarks, the model is a qualitative leap, but it has several security measures to avoid being used maliciously. Its availability was initially public in the different plans (free and paid) of Claude.ai. As of June 22, it would only be possible to access it through the API. That was the plan, at least. June 12, 2026: The US Government forces Anthropic to turn off the tap and not allow anyone who is not a US citizen to access Fable 5. Anthropic then decides cut off access to absolutely everyone to this model. AI is already a weapon. All this development of events, still in full effervescencedemonstrates something important: AI has stopped being just a tool and has become a technological weapon. It is the confirmation of that Oppenheimer moment which we already alluded to in the past. Oppenheimer Moment. What happened with the atomic bomb – a technology that the US Government ended up appropriating – is partly happening now with models like Fable 5: it is the state that ends up having the power, whether we like it or not, so that the world can use it. Its creators, Anthropic, have practically no say even though they have already tried to defend their position. with the scandal of the Pentagon and the Department of Defense. I’ll see who I let use the AI. The US decision to cut off access to a commercial AI model is unprecedented. Hiding behind the protection of National Security, the Government of this country has decided that Fable 5 was simply too dangerous for other countries to use. He has exerted absolute control over a disturbing technology, and he has done it without anyone being able to do anything. That access to AI can be vetoed overnight due to government imposition once again makes it clear that those who invest in these models have a strategic advantage that can be definitive. China takes another stance. In fact, China is currently proposing a radically opposite strategy: open weight AI models are the norm among its large companies and its startups. DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi or Xiaomi Mimo are some of the clear examples of how it is possible to develop advanced AI models with another approach. At the moment China has not vetoed any of these models, and all of them have become a great resource for companies around the world to improve and use. Even North American companies do it: Cursor’s Composer 2.5 model It is nothing more than a derived version of Kimi 2.5. AI as a commercial weapon. What we are seeing is another episode of the great trade war that both the US and China are maintaining at a technological level. Both play with their resources to put pressure on the other party—or the entire world. But before, the pressure was exerted with things like advanced AI chips or rare earths. Now the US has also decided that the AI ​​software itself (the models) can be used in the same way. And the companies that develop them don’t seem to be able to do much about it. Spain boasts about what it shouldn’t. But as we said, in Spain what we have are announcements of regulatory efforts. It is true that the intention is surely good and that the idea is reasonable (to develop the technology responsibly), but that focus has proven to be a problem: while Spain boasts of being a pioneer in the application of AI regulation in Europe, our country barely has its own tools in this area. ALIAthe model focused on co-official languages, remains in a surprising background, and what is We have an agency, AESIAwhich once again demonstrates that ambition to regulate while neglecting the other part: that of innovating. Europe is not much better. What is happening in Spain is almost a reflection of what we are seeing in Europe. Only the French company Mistral is trying to advance with its own AI models, but for now its developments They are very far from the frontier models of the US or China. In Spain we have Magnificbut this startup is not so much a developer of its own models as an aggregator of those already existing in the creative field. Atomic bombs on one hand, forks on the other. It is probably an exaggeration to compare Fable 5 with the atomic bomb, but one thing is clear: the US has AI models that are effectively far above any European development. It is in a sense as if they had a bomb and Europe was trying to compete with a fork. What experts have been saying for almost three years is that the path chosen by the EU is a mistake. What is needed is investment in innovation, and not with government projects, … Read more

The secret weapon to cool cities is exactly the one that Spain uses the least: trees

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Madrid is not only one of the five cities with the most trees and green areas in Europe according to the European Environment Agency, but the FAO has been doing it for six years recognizing it as “Tree City of the World”. And yet, it is at the bottom of the continent in ‘useful cup’ (with only 9.4%). It has many trees, but they are useless. And that, far from being a Madrid curiosity, is the best possible summary of the great Spanish problem with urban trees. What happens to the trees? The short explanation is that they are the cheapest cooling tool available. It’s not a secret. However, the lesson we need to learn is not a crude “we need more trees.” That is what explains the ‘contradiction’ of Madrid. We need more trees, yes. But we need trees of the right species, covering the right layers, planted where they are needed and provide more, and well watered. That is, we need a comprehensive plan that stops seeing trees as inconveniences and begins to see them as opportunities. How do we know all this? The work of Mohammad A. Rahman, Senior Lecturer in Urban Horticulture at the University of Melbourne It is very useful to study how they really work the trees. The results are contradictory, but very interesting. According to their work, for example, the trees in Melbourne (a city with a temperate climate) reduce the radiant heat absorbed by pedestrians by up to 18 degrees compared to an open street with the same characteristics. In the cold climate of Munich, layered vegetation (the combination of trees, shrubs and ground cover) reduces heat stress in summer by up to 8 degrees. In Hong Kong, on the other hand, where the climate is subtropical and humid, dense vegetation increases the humidity of the environment and limits cooling. That is why researchers are beginning to agree that, even maximizing the use of trees, it is difficult for trees cut more than 20% of future urban warming. But be careful, 20% is a lot. Above all, because Spain has a lot to do. According to ISGlobalthe Spanish cities are at the bottom in canopy coverage on urban land: 5.5% in Seville, 8.4% in Barcelona or 9.4% in Madrid compared to 33.3% in Berlin or 23.3% in Frankfurt. To give us an idea, the average of the 93 cities was 11% and only Athens (with 3%) was below Seville. We need to take this seriously. Historically, Spain has bad care of its urban trees. And that “evil” can be summarized in very few words (“few resources, bad management and political decisions isolated from any current technical knowledge”), but it has a very difficult solution. Fundamentally because all this evidence translates into “planting more trees is cheap and saves lives”; but its implementation systematically fails. Image | Ch Photography In Xataka | In Spain, cutting down urban trees seems like a national sport. These Swiss have just proven it wrong

Europe’s secret weapon to win the electric battery war is not in the mines: it is in the garbage

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The race for European energy sovereignty is being fought far from the large open pit mines. The new battlefield is located in a much more unexpected place: the garbage heap. The companies Vianode and Cylib they have forged an alliance to convert old batteries from scrapyards into high-performance components for new vehicles, the continent’s latest attempt to achieve supply chain independence. However, this scientific advance collides head-on with a real political earthquake. As anticipated at the time Reutersthe European Commission is evaluating whether to reverse or delay its star measure for five or more years: the ban on selling combustion cars from 2035. While technology shows that stopping dependence on foreign powers is possible, economic fear makes Brussels hesitate. The “unsung hero” at the bottom of the landfill. To understand the magnitude of the project, you have to look at a specific material. How do you define it? Aqua Metals, This is the “unsung hero” of lithium-ion batteries: graphite. This material is essential to create the anode (the negative pole of the battery) that allows energy to be stored and released efficiently. Although it is light compared to metals such as cobalt, graphite represents between 10% and 20% of the total weight of a cell. The underlying problem is geopolitical. Global demand for this mineral has skyrocketed, but Europe depends almost entirely on imports of virgin material controlled by external markets. The situation became critical when China, the world’s largest producer, announced severe restrictions for export. The answer to this vulnerability lies in what the industry knows as “black mass,” the dark dust that results from crushing discarded batteries. In this mixture, graphite can account for up to 50% of the content. Recycling has ceased to be a simple green initiative and has become a matter of industrial survival. Urban water-based mining. How exactly is that scrap metal transformed into cutting-edge components? The German company Cylib has developed its own technology based on water, named OLiC. This system is capable of recovering 90% of critical metals (lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese) from spent batteries, reducing carbon emissions by 80% compared to traditional mining extraction. This development is not an improvised promise. By mid-2025, Cylib has already marked a milestone together with the Syensqo firm by producing high purity lithium hydroxide directly from this black mass using a proprietary selective solvent (CYANEX 936P). This achievement allowed different battery chemistries to be processed in a single operational line, preparing to more than comply with EU regulation, which will require recovering 80% of lithium by 2031. With the new alliance signed, the graphite recovered by Cylib will be delivered to the Norwegian firm Vianode, which will integrate it into the formulation of its advanced synthetic anodes. Its goal for 2030 is radical: emitting just 1.0 kg of CO2 for every kilo of graphite produced. As Dr. Lilian Schwich, co-founder of Cylib, summarized: “Circular does not mean making concessions. It means a competitive advantage for Europe.” The fracture of the industry in the mirror of 2035. Although recyclers demonstrate that material autonomy is technically viable, pressure from traditional manufacturers has fractured the automotive sector. Giants like Volkswagen or Stellantis They argue that the current goals They are not viable because consumers are reluctant to pay the extra cost of the electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure remains poor. Ford CEO Jim Farley himself publicly admitted that EU demands “are not a sustainable reality in Europe today,” pushing to save combustion engines through the use of synthetic biofuels. But this position is not unanimous. Purely electrical firms see this possible political delay as a strategic error that will give the market to China. Michael Lohscheller, CEO of the electric brand Polestar, was blunt in the face of regulatory uncertainty: “The technology is ready, the charging infrastructure is ready and consumers are ready. So what are we waiting for?” The great European paradox. Europe holds the key to its energy future in its own scrapyards. This year’s pilot plants and commercial agreements demonstrate that the circular ecosystem is a mature reality. The great paradox that remains in the air is evident: What will be the point of building the most advanced battery recycling technology on the planet if, out of fear of competition from foreign markets, Brussels decides to artificially extend the life of the exhaust pipe? European automotive independence may have been born in the trash, but it risks dying in the offices. Image | Pexels Xataka | Keeping combustion engines alive in 2035 leaves us with clear winners. Some called BMW, Porsche and Ferrari

A scientist wants to build a space shield against solar storms. Your secret weapon: lithium and barium

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Predict the arrival of very strong solar storms It is important for many reasons. Not only to keep an eye out and not get lost the most beautiful auroras. Also because these could affect satellites or terrestrial communications systems, so it is important to take precautions. The problem is that, no matter how much prevention methods have improved, we cannot do much more than be prepared for what is coming. Today there are no ways to stop these solar storms. However, a scientist from Boston University has announced that it is working on a method to strengthen the Earth’s natural shield against this type of phenomena. A stronger shield. The scientist in question is called Brian Walsh and is working in what he himself has called a wall against solar storms. Its objective is to send six ships to strategic points in a geostationary orbit, so that they release chemical elements capable of strengthening the magnetic field. These should be elements such as lithium or barium, since they are easily converted into positively charged ions when solar ultraviolet radiation hits them. At that point, the cargo released by the ships is converted to plasma. Precisely, what reaches Earth with solar storms is also plasma. However, there is a big difference. The one that comes from the sun consists of charged particles that move at very high speed, with great energy. On the other hand, what would be released into the magnetosphere would be cold, static plasma, which acts as a kind of wall, preventing this high-speed plasma from passing through the magnetosphere. A good shield when the activity is not too intense. The Earth has a great shield against solar storms. Generally, our magnetic field prevents these charged particles from the Sun from crossing into our atmosphere. This is because the magnetic field generally acts as a kind of rail on which the plasma circulates. The electrically charged particles are retained on these rails, but do not cross to the other side. They can only reach the atmosphere at the poles, where the inclination of the magnetic field lines acts as a kind of funnel. Even so, the charged particles that come from the surface of the Sun may already arrive somewhat weakened there. They interact with the gases in the atmosphere, exciting the atoms and causing the release of the light that makes up the auroras. But there are usually not very detrimental effects on communications. On the other hand, if the solar storm is very intense, the particles may be able to deform the rails of the magnetic field, filtering at the poles, but also in other places in the magnetosphere. Historical consequences. The consequences of these types of events have been seen numerous times throughout history. The most dramatic case was possibly that of Carrington eventwhich took place in 1859. It is considered the most powerful solar storm that has been recorded in history with consequences on Earth. Because of this large release of plasma from the Sun, auroras were seen in places as far from the poles as Hawaii and Cuba, but there were also less noticeable consequences, such as the burning of telegraph lines in many parts of the world. Another very notorious and dangerous case took place during the Vietnam War, in 1972, when a solar storm caused the accidental detonation of several magnetic underwater mines. And much more recent is the Gannon Storm, which in 2024 affected the GPS systems of planting tractors in several locations in the United Statescausing losses of 500 million dollars among farmers. But the situation could be worse. It is estimated that a major storm like Carrington’s could occur once a century. There hasn’t been one this big since then, so it could happen in the not too distant future. And today we depend much more on technologies than then. It is estimated that the losses could be more than 2 billion dollars. A natural process. This artificial wall that Walsh wants to create is inspired by a process that occurs naturally. And the thing is that, from time to time, small fragments of the Earth’s atmosphere break off and join the magnetic field, reinforcing it before the arrival of charged particles from the Sun. Lithium and barium would do something similar, artificially. Simulations only: For now, Brian Walsh has only made simulations of his invention, he has not tested it in space by any means. He himself recognizes that it is a complex process, so it must be done perfectly so that it causes more benefits than problems. Releasing ionizable elements at random could be harmful if not done in the right place. In addition, ways must be found to put ships in the correct place in their orbit before the storm arrives, so it is important to speed up the process while improving prediction methods. Handicaps. Although it may seem like a lot of mass is required to carry out this procedure, Walsh insists that the payload needs fall within current launch capabilities. However, he recognizes that it is an expensive process. Therefore, it would be necessary to look for ways to optimize it so that the necessary investment is not so large. For example, you want to work on pulsed release so that ionizable material is not wasted. In short, this method of controlling space weather is not at all something that will be used imminently, but it is clear that in the future we will need something like this. If not this method, another, but we greatly need something that protects us from the harshest elements of the Sun. Image | NASA | Walsh et al. In Xataka | A sunspot 17 times larger than Earth caused red auroras across half the world. It is a very rare event

There is a weapon of mass destruction against our ability to remember things: stress

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One Monday you see your coworker, Laura, leave the office with a striking bright yellow umbrella. The next day, you walk into a coffee shop and see that same unmistakable umbrella resting on a chair. Without thinking twice, your brain does a quick calculation and you deduce that Laura is in there having coffee. This mental agility, which neuroscientists call “memory integration,” is the invisible tool that allows us to weave together loose ends and construct deductions from experiences separated in time. However, when pressure kicks in, this internal compass goes out of calibration. People who suffer an episode of acute stress not only experience emotional distress; your brain loses the ability to connect past memories with new information. Put bluntly: stress not only erases data from your mind, it also shuts down your ability to deduce. To demonstrate this cognitive “short circuit”, a team of specialists from the University of Hamburg, led by cognitive psychologist Lars Schwabe, designed a thorough experiment combining psychological testing and functional MRI to observe the real-time brain activity of 121 adults. The trial was developed in consecutive and carefully structured stages to compare how a relaxed brain reacts to one under extreme pressure. On the first day, participants memorized pairs of images, such as, for example, an animal next to a landscape. The next day, half of the group was subjected to a high-stress situation through a simulated job interview and complex calculations, while the rest performed relaxed tasks. Right after, everyone had to assimilate new information: they had to connect the same animals from the previous day with 3D figures. The final challenge was pure mental agility, as they were asked to deduce the indirect connection between the landscapes of the first day and the 3D figures of the second. The verdict was clear: the stressed group saw their ability to make these deductions drastically reduced compared to the participants who remained relaxed. Why does stress sabotage the ability to deduce? The epicenter of this problem lies in the hippocampus, a brain region essential for integrating information but which, at the same time, contains a very high density of receptors that are extremely vulnerable to stress hormones. According to the research of Science Advancesbrain imaging revealed that acute stress directly interferes with the reactivation of previous memories. In other words, while the stressed participants tried to learn the new information, their brains retrieved the memories stored the previous day much less intensely. Representational similarity analysis shed even more light on the process: instead of integrating memories into a connected network, the stressed brain encourages the separation of memory patterns. Under stress, our mind prioritizes representing each episode as an isolated and distinctive event, sacrificing the formation of connected and flexible knowledge structures. The research has captured the attention of leading scientific communicators due to its serious implications. In statements to the magazine NatureUniversity of Oregon neuroscientist Brice Kuhl (who was not involved in the research), emphasizes the immense value of being able to visually see what’s wrong in the brain thanks to technology. Kuhl points out that, usually, when something new is assimilated, a “small flash” of past experience rises to the mind, and it is precisely that flash that facilitates the integration of information. In people under pressure, the expert points out, that flash is practically absent. For his part, Kai Schüren, first author of the study explained in Wiredwho insists that the effects of acute stress transcend the emotional: they mechanically alter a vital cognitive mechanism, which prevents the construction of knowledge in an agile way. The current epidemic of mental exhaustion The consequences of this cognitive block are not limited to a laboratory environment, but have a profound impact on various critical areas of our society: In legal contexts, a failure to integrate overlapping events can lead to false inferences by witnesses and, consequently, erroneous accusations. In education, this difficulty in weaving together information hinders the creation of solid memory structures, an essential pillar for academic performance. In clinical health, problems integrating related memories are a distinctive feature of severe disorders such as psychosis and anxiety. To this we must add the current climate of tension in which we live immersed, which turns this finding into a major public health problem. According to the Ipsos Mind Health Reportsociety lives in a state of almost constant alert and pressure. The data in the document reflects the daily wear and tear of the population: 77% of people report suffering from multiple factors that negatively impact their mental health. Uncertainty about the future in a changing world affects and worries 57% of those surveyed. Financial instability and job insecurity are positioned as a source of constant stress for 56% of the sample. Continuous exposure to negative news in the media harms 49%. This chronic pressure means that an alarming 56% of people rate their level of stress experienced in the last twelve months with a score higher than 5 out of 10, while 31% admit to currently suffering from a mental health condition. We often consider stress as simply an emotional backpack that exhausts the body and clouds the mood. However, scientific evidence shows us that its impact is much deeper: stress redesigns the way we archive and use our own lives. By blocking neural connections in our hippocampus, the pressure not only makes us forgetful, it robs us of our innate ability to connect the dots. The next step for scientists, who are already preparing tests with rodents, will be to unravel the exact mechanisms to find ways to reverse this effect on memory. Meanwhile, understanding that stress isolates us in a fragmented present is the first strategic move to protect our mind. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Something disturbing is happening with young Spaniards: cases of colon cancer are multiplying

Spain has been without an essential weapon for war for years. Airbus has found the solution in Seville, and fires torpedoes and sonobuoys

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One of the most outlandish ideas of World War II was to convert old B-17 bombers into giant loaded drones. with almost ten tons of explosives. The pilots would take off, activate the remote control system and parachute before the plane continued toward its target without a crew. The project it was a failurebut it left a curious lesson: finding submarines and destroying hidden targets has always required the development of some of the strangest and most advanced technologies of each era. The capacity that Spain lost. Modern warfare still relies on highly sophisticated technologies, but some capabilities remain as essential as they were decades ago. One of them is the surveillance and pursuit of submarines. Spain lost that tool in December 2022 with the withdrawal of veterans P-3 Orionleaving a void that was especially striking for a country with thousands of kilometers of coastline, a strategic position between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and intense naval activity in its waters. Since then, the Armed Forces have lacked an aircraft capable of locating, tracking and attacking enemy submarines, a situation that is now beginning to be resolved. thanks to a program developed entirely in Seville. Cockpit of the new maritime patrol C295 The answer comes from Andalusia. Airbus advances in the construction of the new C295 MPAa version specifically designed to return to the Air and Space Army a capability that had been missing for years. The program has already passed several important industrial milestones, including powering up systems and commissioning the engines of the first aircraft. The company ensures that the deadlines remain as planned and that flight tests will last for more than a year before the delivery of the first unit in 2028. Beyond a simple replacement, Airbus considers this development the most ambitious project carried out on the C295 platform and aspires to turn it into an international reference within maritime patrol. View of the interior of the warehouse from the airplane ramp The return of the submarine chaser. The characteristic that distinguishes this aircraft from the rest of the C295 versions is its ability to combat underwater threats. The device will be able to carry between two and four Mk46 or Mk54 torpedoes and deploy up to sixty sonobuoys, small floating sensors that listen to sounds underwater and allow hidden submarines to be located. The combination of both systems returns to Spain a fundamental tool for contemporary naval warfare. For years, the country has lacked a platform capable of searching for submarines at great distances, classifying them, tracking their movements and, if necessary, attacking them. The new plane recovers precisely that function, one of the more complex and strategic within any modern air force. An arsenal of sensors. Anti-submarine warfare depends on both sensors and weapons. Precisely for this reason, the C295 MPA will incorporate a very extensive set of specialized equipment. Among them are synthetic aperture radarselectro-optical systems, magnetic anomaly detectors capable of perceiving the presence of large metallic masses underwater, automatic vessel identification systems and an advanced acoustic system to process information collected by sonobuoys. Added to this are self-protection equipment against missiles, encrypted satellite communications and tactical data links that will allow information to be shared in real time with other naval and air units. An industrial project. Although Airbus leads the program, development has also become in a shop window of the Spanish defense industry. Companies such as Indra, SAES and Tecnobit participate by providing self-protection systems, acoustic sensors and encryption equipment. The contract also includes simulators, infrastructure, training and logistical support, consolidating a technological ecosystem that goes far beyond the manufacture of the aircraft itself and reinforces Seville’s role as one of the main military aeronautical centers in Europe. Much more than a new plane. The acquisition of eight devices of maritime surveillance and eight of maritime patrol is part of an investment greater than the 1.7 billion eurosto which other contracts for new versions of the C295 have been added. The program reflects the extent to which Spain is rebuilding capabilities considered essential in an international context where submarines once again play a leading role. In essence, the history of new C295 MPA It is not just about a plane that has just come off a Sevillian assembly line, but rather about how a country that had lost one of the most important tools to control its seas is recovering the ability to find invisible threats underwater and respond to them with its own means. Image | Airbus In Xataka | The S-82 is Spain’s second new generation submarine: it has just completed a critical test before delivery In Xataka | Spain is selling military technology for scrap: the latest was a Navy submarine for 130,000 euros

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