world

A millionaire went to bed one day being the richest man in the world the next day he was bankrupt… twice

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History is full of names that they lose their fortunes for an achievement of bad decisionsbut also of others who lost their assets due to a stroke of bad luck. The story of Nelson Bunker Hunt is one of the latter, who not only lost his fortune once due to a stroke of bad luck: he lost it twiceand neither time was the fault entirely his. The name of this millionaire is barely known today, but between the late 70s and early 80s, he was synonymous with enormous wealth: the richest man on the planet, owner of oil wells in the Libyan desert and such a large portion of the world silver market that he managed to twist the arm of Wall Street. A coup colonel and a bad Thursday in 1980 reminded him that no fortune, no matter how enormous, is safe from history. From Arkansas to the Libyan desert after the black gold Nelson was born in 1926 in El Dorado, Arkansas. His father, H. L. Huntwas already an oil magnate with fifteen children from three different women. Nelson wanted to match him, at least in terms of wealth, so he went looking for oil outside of Texas. His first attempts in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan They were a total failure. But the third time’s the charm and in 1961 he tried his luck in Libya. A stroke of luck led the young entrepreneur to obtain Concession 65, a huge area of ​​32,400 square kilometers of desert land to exploit the Sarir sitewhich still today continues to be the largest oil field of the country. That made him a multimillionaire almost overnight. As and how did he count the BBCfor more than a decade, Sarir generated billions of dollars for Hunt’s company. Muammar al-Gaddafi It all ended in 1973, when a colonel named Muammar al-Gaddafi took power and nationalized all its oil wells without prior notice. Over time, that same site served to amass the dictator’s personal fortune, which some researchers even valued at more than 200,000 million of dollars. However, Hunt lost the goose that laid the golden (black) eggs of his oil empire due to a coup d’état, and bad luck, that he did not see coming. Silver as an unexpected refuge Far from giving up, Hunt He reinvested what was left of his fortune on ranches, in breeding thoroughbred horses and in new oil businesses. Together with his brothers Herbert and Lamar, he began buying silver in the mid-seventies, as strategy to protect your fortune against inflation. What started as an investment in a safe haven soon became an obsession. By 1979 the Hunts controlled about a third of all the money deprived of the planet. The price of silver went from trading at six dollars an ounce to exceeding $49.45 thanks to the position of power over the silver market exercised by the Hunt brothers. Which implied that his fortune was also growing in the same proportion. The Hunt brothers’ control of the silver market reached levels that even Tiffany’s published an advertisement in it New York Times accusing them of artificially make any silver object more expensivefrom baby spoons to photo reels. “We find it unacceptable for anyone to hoard billions, yes, billions, of dollars in silver and therefore drive up the price so high that others have to pay artificially high prices for items made of silver,” the article read. According what was published for the BBCthe silver magnate reportedly told Time magazine in January 1980 that “silver seemed safer than oil concessions abroad. And precious metals were a good hedge against paper money.” Anyone has a bad Thursday Thursday, March 27, 1980 would be a day that would be burned into Hunt’s head. His arrived second major financial disaster. That day, known as Silver Thursdaythe price of silver plummeted below $11 in a matter of hours. The Hunts’ silver position, valued shortly before at more than $4.5 billion, was transformed into a debt of $1.7 billion, as detailed Britannica. A group of New York banks had to set up an emergency line of credit to prevent the Hunt bankruptcy from dragging down half of Wall Street with them. Years of trials later, the Futures Trading Commission fined them each $10 million and a lifetime ban to operate with raw materials. In 1988, Nelson Bunker Hunt officially declared bankruptcy. His assets, then valued at just 150 million, were completely liquidated to pay debts and back taxes. He had to sell up to his 580 purebred horses. When asked by Congress about his fortune, he replied with dark humor: “a billion dollars is not what it used to be.” He spent his last years in a modest house in Dallas, and died in 2014 in a residence, at 88 years old. His brother Herbert had better luck: sold his assets in Montana for $1.5 billion in 2012 and died in 2024 with a assets of 4.7 billion dollars, according to Forbes. Nelson, on the other hand, went down in history as the man who He was the richest on the planet and ended up with nothing… twice. In Xataka | In the 19th century, a US millionaire set out to invade countries on his own: he founded two republics of which he was president Image | Hall of FameUnsplash (Mohamed Fsili, Scottsdale Mint, Colton Sturgeon), Flikr (Esther Vargas)

the continent has just realized that its infrastructure lives in a world that no longer exists

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a tugboat approaching a dutch drawbridge and watering it with their hoses; stopped trams in Leipzig, British supermarkets without chilled products, melted roads… They seem like a bunch of curious anecdotes about how Europeans survive one of their first real ‘heat waves’. But they are not. Each of these failures is the symptom of a problem that, despite bombastic speeches and sickeningly detailed plans, we have persisted in forgetting: that climate change is serious. And here we are. A Europe that does not exist. For practical purposes, the event these days is the second heat wave that the continent has faced so far this year. We have seen incredible things: 37.3 in the United Kingdom, 37 in Denmark, 41.7 in Germany, 39.5 in Slovakia, 39.4 in the Netherlands… it is not only that the June highs have fallen in almost all the countries of Western and Central Europe, it is that absolute records have been broken (i.e. also July and August) in four countries. According to World Weather Attributionis the most severe episode ever measured in the region studied: in 1976, such heat would have been “virtually impossible” in June. And that is perhaps the most important lesson of these days: that the Europe of 1976 no longer exists. And we have begun to notice it in the worst possible way. Although we can make distinctions between what has happened these days (In Leipzig, the problem is that the sealant between the lane and the road surface softened to dangerous levels; while in Holland the bridges began to be refreshed by protocol without any problem being detected), the truth is that these are all signs that the European infrastructure is outdated. Many of Europe’s roads, bridges and highways were designed for maximums between 32-35. Before, exceeding that limit was something anecdotal (in the 119 years between 1881 and 2000 There was only one day in Germany that measured 40° or more), today is the ‘new normal’ (last week there were 4 days like this). It is important to note that so far I have not said anything about mortality. It will take some more time to have the complete data, but suffice it to say that France has already registered around 1000 deaths attributable to the heat wave. The obvious question is… what have we been doing all along? While all this is happening, no one can claim ignorance or surprise: in March 2024, the European Union itself recognized in its first European Climate Risk Assessment that “Europe was not prepared” for what was coming, that policies “were not keeping pace with the increase in risks” and that incremental adaptation “was not going to be enough.” I don’t want to say that nothing has been done. There are analyzes that say that without the adaptation of this century (things like heat plans, surveillance or the alert system) mortality would have been a 80% older. However, the data is there: no matter how much we have done, the deficit grows with each passing day. And that means we’re not doing enough. What can we expect? It seems like little or nothing. In recent years, public support for climate policies appears to have tempered. And there is a lot to do: we must not forget that estimates tell us that Europe’s air conditioning fleet will go from less than seven million devices in 1990 to more than one hundred million in 2030. That requires radical changes: an enormous reconversion that, given what we have seen, we do not know if we are going to want to undertake. Europe knows what is coming and knows what it has to do. You have it planned, signed and approved. The question is whether he will do it before this stops being an anecdote and begins to become an unmanageable crisis. Image | Bill Iliot In Xataka | ENT doctors agree: “Sleeping with air conditioning forces the nose to work excessively”

One of the most advanced yachts in the world keeps its biggest secret below deck: cryogenic tanks at -253 ºC

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At first glance, Breakthrough It could seem like another superyacht destined to attract attention due to its dimensions. It measures 118.80 meterswas built by Feadship and is part of that category of boats in which each meter is usually accompanied by swimming pools, terraces and private spaces. The difference is that here the real claim is not on the external postcard. The point that makes this project something exceptional is below deck: a cryogenic system designed to bring liquid hydrogen at -253 ºC in a luxury vessel. The project was not born as Breakthrough, but as Project 821, the name with which Feadship unveiled it at its Amsterdam shipyard in 2024. The Dutch shipyard defines it as the first superyacht with a hydrogen fuel cell system, a statement that should always be attributed to the company to maintain rigor. The idea was not only to build another large ship, but to explore how far a non-combustion electricity generation technology could be taken within a platform of more than 100 meters. The “secret” of the yacht is below deck Carrying liquid hydrogen on a yacht is not simply about changing one tank for another. Feadship details that Project 821 incorporates a 92 m³ cryogenic tank for about four tons of hydrogen, integrated into a dedicated and very isolated room. The problem is that liquid hydrogen takes up much more space than a conventional fuel when the available energy is calculated: the shipyard speaks of between eight and ten times more volume compared to a non-fossil diesel equivalent. That hydrogen does not burn like a conventional fuel. It passes through 16 PowerCell systems that function like small power plants: They combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, and the exhaust is water vapor. The resulting energy powers an architecture integrated by ABB, with direct current electrical grid, intelligent energy management and Azipod thrusters. This means that hydrogen does not directly move the yacht, but rather produces the electricity that allows it to move and keep its on-board consumption active. As we can see, its most ambitious part is designed not to be seen, but the boat does not give up showing itself as a large superyacht. Feadship highlights that it incorporates more hull openings than any other Feadship to date, with 14 balconies, seven platforms and nine hull doors. The Edmiston listing completes the picture with a swimming pool, three hot tubs, Nemo lounge, spa, cinema, hospital, touch-and-go helipad and three elevators. At this point, the question is obvious: Does Breakthrough always run on hydrogen? No. Feadship does not present it as a yacht capable of doing everything with its fuel cells, but as a hybrid boat that uses that energy in specific scenarios. The shipyard talks about a week of silent operation at anchor or sailing at 10 knots in protected areas without fossil fuels. It is an interesting figure, but it also marks the limit: hydrogen serves to reduce noise and local emissions in certain uses, not to completely replace the conventional system. The reason is physical, not commercial. Even on a 118.80 meter yacht, there is not enough space to carry the liquid hydrogen necessary for a complete ocean crossing. That’s why Breakthrough combines its fuel cells with MTU generators capable of running on HVO, a second-generation biofuel, within a hybrid architecture. The project was also an exercise in integration. Feadship maintains that there were no specific class, Flag State or IMO regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel cell systems on such a project, so it worked with Lloyd’s Register to develop specific equipment, protocols and safety procedures. ABB completes that part from the electrical side: it integrated the 3 MW system with the Onboard DC Grid network, energy management and Azipod thrusters. The other big challenge is outside the boat. It is one thing to design a yacht capable of using liquid hydrogen and quite another to create the infrastructure to safely supply it. Air Products announced in 2025 which had supplied Breakthrough with liquid hydrogen in what was the first bunkering of this type in the Netherlands. The data is important because it remembers that the technology does not depend only on the tank, fuel cells or propulsion: it also needs ports prepared to handle fuel at extreme temperatures. In Xataka The future of war at sea is hybrid: Navantia is clear about how to win it with its new ship for the United Kingdom Breakthrough demonstrates that a technology that is difficult to store, regulate, integrate and supply can leave the laboratory and enter a real ship. It may remain an exception for years, available to very few. Still, its value lies in having brought one of the most complex conversations in maritime energy to a hull that is already sailing. Images | Feadship In Xataka | Norway gives the green light to the construction of the world’s first tunnel for ships: a colossal engineering feat that has been waiting for 150 years (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 One of the most advanced yachts in the world keeps its biggest secret below deck: cryogenic tanks at -253 ºC was originally published in Xataka by Javier Marquez .

build the tallest statue of Jesus in the world

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If by chance you travel to Zovunia village in Kotayk, Armenia, you are likely to get one of those surprises that make you wonder if you are really in the middle of a dream. On the outskirts of the town, behind a metal fence, stands a huge figure of Christ of furious white. Although to be more precise, it is correct to say that what stands is only the trunk of the statue. Its other two sections are distributed throughout the same neighborhood, like pieces on a board. The picture is so strange that the aerial photos of the area seem generated by AI. However, it is about something else: the dream of an Armenian megalomaniac determined to raise the statue of Jesus Christ largest on the planet. One name: Gagik Tsarukyan. There are many ways to pass on to posterity. The Armenian Gagik Tsarukyan (69 years old) has it guaranteed by his status as a former athlete (he was world arm wrestling champion in the 90s), wealthy businessman and politician. However, he has decided that he wants to be remembered for another achievement: having erected the largest statue of Jesus in Armenia… and on the planet. What Tsarukyan has in mind is neither more nor less than erecting a huge sculpture of Jesus of 77.5 meters on top of Mount Hatis, in Kotayk. If the pedestal is added, the monument will total around 101 meters high. A new icon. Beyond its dimensions, the project draws attention for its symbolism and pretensions. Tsarukyan not only wants to erect a statue of Christ that surpasses the famous one in height ‘Christ the Redeemer’ from Rio de Janeiro (38 m) or the ‘Christ the King’ of Poland, which in 2010 was awarded the title of “tallest statue of Jesus Christ” by Guinness World Records. The Armenian magnate has proposed erecting his sculpture in a special place: in Hatis, on top of a 2,500 m mountain overlooking Yerevan and protected for its biodiversity and heritage. More than just an idea. The interesting thing about the project is that it is not just a more or less ambitious idea captured on paper or a handful of renders. As anyone who visits Zovuni can see, the sculpture is already well underway. Its authors have made of aluminum and divided into three sections to facilitate its assembly on the enormous pedestal that will rise in Hatis. Does a few months Reporters from Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE) visited the area and saw how the work on the base was progressing on the mountain while the three sections of the metal statue, already completed and awaiting assembly, appear behind the fence of a Zovuni workshop. The image is so surreal that it attracts curious people and some local guides have included it in their itinerary for tourists. How will those segments be moved to the top of Hatis? Some sources speak of a helicopter. Others point out that the final solution will be more orthodox and the pieces will be loaded in a truck. The oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan. With controversy included. That the work is advanced is explained by a very simple reason: the project is not exactly new. Tsarukyan announced it in 2022 and, at least initially, it seemed to convince the authorities, who saw in it a private initiative that could attract visitors to the country. In the summer of that same year (2022) the tycoon celebrated a ceremony of laying the first stone in Hatis, an event attended by the Minister of Economy. Shortly after, the project was marred, however, by the “irreversible damage” which, supposedly, caused to an ancient fortress in the area. Goal: 2027. That episode brought cold water to Tsarukyan’s plans, as he saw his project paralyzed for months. To save it, the magnate agreed to relocate the pedestal and move it several hundred meters. Thanks to this change, he once again received the green light from the Armenian authorities and continued with the foundation of the base, which was reactivated in September 2025. Photos taken on site by RFE/RL in March confirm that work is progressing with the goal of the monument being completed as early as 2027. The three sections of the statue wait while outdoors, in Zovuni. @armenianexplorer Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan has funded the construction of what will be the world’s tallest statue of Jesus, standing at 33 meters on a 44-meter pedestal. This impressive structure will be installed atop Mount Hatis, at an elevation of 2,528 meters. The statue is already completed, with the architectural design crafted by Armen Samvelyan. ——— #Armenia #ArmenianExplorer #JesusStatue ♬ original sound – Armenian Explorer “He does not consider it acceptable”. Tsarukyan’s project does not quite convince the environmentalists and the Monument Watch organization has raised his voice also to warn of “the destruction” of Mount Hatis that “is carried out with the approval and permission of the Armenian authorities.” There is another institution that also has shown his suspicionalthough for different reasons: the Church. Although supporters of the mega sculpture hope it will attract visitors to Armenia and activate religious tourism, the Armenian Apostolic Church warns that the monument does not quite fit with the religious and architectural heritage of the country. In fact, he made his position very clear in a statement launched shortly after the project was presented, in 2022: “The Church does not consider it acceptable.” This is not a simple aesthetic objection. Armenian tradition reject the statues of Jesus Christ because they are considered idols. His faith is expressed above all through other figures: the Khachkarcarved stone crosses. RFERL remember that the few statues of Christ in the country have ended up vandalized. Matter what… and who. The truth is that Tsarukyan is just as (or even more) striking than his project. Armwrestling champion, boxing fan and rich man, Tsarukyan has also tried his luck in politics. without much luck. In the last elections his party, Prosperous Armenia, nationalist and pro-Russian, did not obtain … Read more

who controls the most powerful AI in the world

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Just two weeks ago we had how the United States government blocked two of the most intelligent AI models in the world: Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 while Anthropic promised to be working on it to solve it. Just 15 days later, the situation has taken a first turn: the US Department of Commerce has authorized the reactivation of the Claude Mythos 5 model, but not for everyone: only for a closed list of US organizations considered “trustworthy.” It is an unlock, but with conditions. For now, no Fable 5 newsthe most general and closest model for the average user. what’s happening. As collects exclusively SemaforHoward Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce in the Trump administration, has sent a formal letter to Anthropic with the good news. The partial redistribution of Mythos 5 will reach a set of more than 100 US organizations that operate and defend critical infrastructure approved by the US government. Lutnick reported in its letter that Anthropic “has committed to working with the United States government on protocols, standards, and future releases” of its models. Or what is the same, that Anthropic has gone through the government hoop, which now has a voice to choose how and to whom its most advanced models reach. In return, Mythos 5 is partially back. Why is it important. Because never before has an AI model been subjected to such scrutiny and government approval requirement to be distributed, which establishes a dangerous precedent: converting the most advanced AI models as export technology subject to control, such as semiconductors. And it doesn’t just affect Anthropic. OpenAI has also launched in the last few hours versions of its new GPT-5.6 model with government-controlled restrictions, such as Sam Altman tells Xwhere despite expressing his predilection for a widespread launch, he shows his willingness to collaborate with the US administration in the authorization of future models. Context. The June 12 blockade occurred after a warning from Amazon of possible manipulation of Anthropic models for malicious purposes, although reports also weighed that indicated upon his hidden arrival in China. Before the ban, Mythos 5 was available on a limited basis to a number of organizations, among them the government of Spain. Following the blockage, Anthropic sent a team of professionals to work closely with the Department of Commerce and the Office of the National Cybersecurity Director to find a solution. In detail. Lutnick’s letter specifies that authorized organizations (the list is not public) can use the model in a kind of “white list”: whoever is part of it has access, whether foreigner or not. Curiously, all this is happening without the US having formal regulations to evaluate AI models, unlike the European AI law: The Trump administration blocked first and is building the rules as it goes. This partial unlocking does not solve the problem for those outside the United States: the list of authorized organizations is exclusively American and the exemption mechanism is based on export control, so any foreign entity wanting to use Mythos 5 would require a specific license that does not exist. So other governments, non-US companies, and foreign consumers still don’t know if or when they will recover these models because the United States is acting unilaterally. Yes, but. Obviously the unlocking is good news for Anthropic, but it leaves several fronts open. The first is what happens with Fable 5, the general use model, for which there is no return date. The second is that the list of authorized organizations is not public and it is not known what criteria have been used for the selection. In Europe several voices They have already expressed their frustrationalthough the problem of the old continent is another: technological dependence on third parties and the lack of an ecosystem of alternatives to match. In the background lies another problem that was revealed with the blockade two weeks ago and that the launch of GPT-5.6 has confirmed: the most cutting-edge AI companies and models in the United States have to go through the government filter and we do not know if this will be the modus operandi from now on. If so, this way of proceeding could be a liability in the AI ​​race precisely for the country that currently has the advantage. In Xataka | China has two ideas to win the AI ​​race: invest a fortune and leave NVIDIA with almost no margin In Xataka | Anthropic is at the most important moment in its history and has a warning: we must lift the AI ​​accelerator Cover | Xataka with Gemini

Jaén was the largest producer of lead in the world. Decades later, he wants to repeat the game with rare earths, but he has a problem: reality

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Somewhere between Linares and La Carolina there is a rusty derrick: the iron skeleton of what was, at the end of the 19th century, the largest producer of lead in the world. It is, obviously, the past, but in recent years many are completely obsessed with it being also the future. We have the latest example of this about 80 kilometers north of that derrick. There, in Aldeaquemada, an Australian company has just extracted a drill core and to announce that it is “a high quality area”. The question that hovers over Jaén these months is not whether there are minerals under its feet. We all know that. The question is whether all this dance of prospecting that we are seeing is something real or is it simply the expression of the desire of a province that continues to associate its ‘golden age’ with mining. What is happening? The last episode, as I say, stars Osmond Resources. In the SOR-08 survey has cut more ore than expected north of the province. We are talking about a project that covers 756 mining units between Aldeaquemada and Santiesteban del Puerto and search “titanium, zirconium, hafnium and rare earths” trapped in quartzites that hundreds of millions of years ago were beach sand. The ad has a trick, yes. What they have announced is a confirmation ‘during’ drilling. Laboratory analyzes (those that count) will take weeks. But, in reality, that is not what interests us. It is enough to do a small search on the internet to confirm that Jaén entire is being drilled with passion and enthusiasm for months now. And where does all that enthusiasm come from? In principle, three relatively independent engines. The first is geopolitical: in 2024, the European Union pressed the accelerator on ‘mineral sovereignty’ and approved a regulation on critical raw materials. The idea was to ensure that the extraction, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials carried out in Europe cover respectively 10%, 40% and 25% of EU demand. A project like Orión, oriented towards rare earths, is typical of something that in Europe (and in Madrid) sounds like glory. The thing about Madridor it is rhetorical. Just a couple of months ago, the Government approved a raw materials plan of 414 million euros which includes the largest mining prospecting campaign in Spain in more than half a century. Sierra Morena is expressly cited in it. Sara Aagesen he came to say that “with all certainty” rare earths will appear in the country. And then there’s the bag… That is the third engine. Companies like Osmond Resources live off the deposits, yes; but above all they live off the news cycle. After all, its market capitalization depends more on the ‘media battle’ than on the final results. In a field as complex as mining, failure is almost a given. And why is it important? Because behind all this noise there are a lot of small, aging towns those who are sold a new future. The mayor of Aldeaquemada It didn’t take long to celebrate Osmond’s results as a way to “generate jobs and wealth.” But the reality is that the Most exploration projects never produce. The energy transition has served as an alibi to look underground again, but the sector has changed so much that for the vast majority of actors, expectations are beginning to be more useful than reality. And that, in Empty Spain, is an existential problem. Image | Shane Mclendon In Xataka | Where there was lead before, now there will be rare earths: Jaén revives its mining past for the energy transition

The most powerful supercomputer in the world is in China. The other part of the story is even more interesting

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The biannual TOP500 list with the most powerful supercomputers on the planet has given a striking surprise in its June 2026 edition. The Chinese LineShine system, installed at the Shenzhen National Supercomputing Center, has debuted directly at number one. It thus displaces the American supercomputer El Capitan, which had dominated the ranking for years. China has not managed to lead this classification since 2017, thus breaking a decade of North American hegemony. Unprecedented raw power. The performance tests used to configure this list leave no doubt: LimeShine has achieved 2,198 exaflops of performance in the benchmark HPLcompared to 1,809 exaflops for its American rival. The Chinese machine is therefore 20% more powerful than the flagship of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. It is a whole new milestone in global supercomputing. Surprise: zero GPUs. The performance is extraordinary, but even more so is the way this supercomputer has been created. Most modern supercomputers rely heavily on GPUs, specialized graphics chips from Nvidia or AMD, for massive data processing. However, LineShine uses CPUs instead of focusing everything on GPUs, something that differentiates this supercomputer from its rivals and makes the feat even more striking. Heart ARM. The fundamental pillar of LineShine It is the LX2 CPU. The data they point because it has been designed by Huawei, and in each of those CPUs we have two dies HBM computing and memory. Each die It has 152 ARMv9 cores that have EVS and EMS supportwhich allows the system to process vectors and matrices in an exceptional way even without GPUs. In total LineShine has 304 of these processors with a total of 13,789,440 cores. Avoiding vetoes. One of the reasons that have undoubtedly contributed to this design decision is the US trade war with China. Tariffs and export bans on hardware and software have made things very complicated, especially when it comes to getting Nvidia GPUs for AI processing. Despite all this, China has once again demonstrated an astonishing ability to advance technologically. Another curiosity: the system has been built without public funds from the Chinese government. Source: TOP500.org AI clusters don’t compete here (but they would “win”). This prestigious list had always offered us that vision of the most powerful computing systems in the world, but today the panorama has changed. It has done so because the AI ​​clusters created by big technology are probably more powerful than any of these systems. As explains Jimmy Goodrich of the University of California, “if hyperscalers competed with their systems, ‘fastest’ in the world wouldn’t even be in the top five.” That phrase, yes, has crumbs. But it’s comparing pears with apples. However, the supercomputers on the TOP500 list and the AI ​​clusters that hyperscalers are building to meet global demand are very different. The root problem is in floating point precision. Classic supercomputers like El Capitan are designed for high-fidelity scientific simulations, where the slightest rounding error can be fatal. That is why they operate under the FP64 standard with which tens of decimals are calculated: it is a slow and expensive process in energy, but extraordinarily precise. AI rounds with joy. In contrast, AI models are very resistant to numerical “noise.” They don’t need perfect precision to recognize patterns or generate text. That allows AI chips to use reduced precision formats like FP16, FP8, or even FP4. By processing much shorter numbers, they multiply their speed and efficiency significantly. So when an AI cluster achieves tens of exaflops, it does so rounding up quite happily. These machines are exceptional for AI tasks, but they do not threaten the future of traditional supercomputers. Europe (and Italy) and supercomputing. If we look in detail at the list, we see great news for European supercomputing. The HPC7 system created by Eni has entered directly at number 6 on the list, while Jupiter Booster (Germany) is at number 5. Europe has four systems in the top 10 of the TOP500 list (two of them, from Italy), and eight in the top 20. Spain is still present on the list thanks to MareNostrum 5which yes, drops from 14th to 16th place. In Xataka | The EU wants to close the gap in the race for AI with 750 million euros. And it is good news for Barcelona

The World Cup has turned bar terraces into the big business of the summer. In Asturias this has opened a thorny debate

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The World Cup is much more than football. Each ‘La Roja’ match is also an event capable of paralyzing the country and a lifeline (wink, wink) for a sector, the hospitality sector, that deals with changes in consumption of alcohol and the growing competition from the merchants. However, bars do not have it equally easy in all cities when it comes to exploiting the World Cup gold medal. Although in much of Spain it is allowed to take TVs out to terraces to broadcast matches, the requirements of the town councils do not always coincide. In fact there are consistories that prohibit the use of screens outdoors. One figure: 30%. Spain is a football country. That is not debatable. When we talk about hospitality, however, football is much more than a sport or a passion: it is above all a powerful economic lever. The employers’ association of the sector calculates that the businesses that broadcast the World Cup will skyrocket their cash between 25 and 30% on match days. What’s more, Hospitality of Spain estimates that if ‘la Roja’ reaches the final it will inject 130 million extra to your billing. Terrace slopes. In view of these figures and in the midst of the dog days, it is easier to understand why bars in a good part of Spain have asked for permission to, exceptionally, put televisions on their terraces. Their proposal is very simple: given the interest aroused by the tournament and how overwhelming crowds in closed venues can be, they want to install screens outside to broadcast ‘La Roja’ matches. More comfort, more income. It’s nothing exceptional. What is striking is that this request has not received the same response in all city councils in Spain. While some councils They have given the green light to the installation of TVs on terraces, imposing only some restrictions, others they have closed in band to that possibility arguing that it would go against noise regulations. There are also town councils that allow the installation of screens outside the bars, but require that all matches be broadcast. no sound. The case of Asturias. Although the topic has generated headlines throughout the country, probably the most interesting case is that of Asturias. There the hotel management association OTEA headed to the town councils requesting permission so that customers of bars and restaurants could follow the World Cup matches from the terraces, through TVs. In cities like Oviedo either Gijon The restaurateurs received the green light (with certain conditions), but other councils have told them no. It is the case of Aviles and Langreowho have decided that the bars’ request clashes with other prioritiessuch as the “right to rest” of the neighbors. “It is not possible to authorize non-compliance with the Law 37/2003of November 17, of noise, since the exemption from compliance with the acoustic emission and reception indicators on terraces (…) would be an action null and void,” states a resolution published by the town of the Nalón region. Click on the image to go to the tweet. The law is made… cheated, as the saying goes. That the local authorities are not convinced by the installation of screens on the terraces does not mean that the hoteliers of Langreo or Avilés have not looked for a way for their clientele to enjoy the games from the terraces without breaking the regulations. So reveals it The New Spainwhich tells how yesterday in Avilés there were bars that placed their screens strategically, next to their windows and facing the street, so that customers sitting on the terraces could follow the game. “We always meet at this bar. What seems incredible to me is the City Council’s rule of not playing loudly,” commented one of the clients who followed the meeting of Spain and Saudi Arabia from outside a bar in Avilés. It is not the first time that an international football tournament is accompanied by controversy in the Asturian hospitality industry. It happened two years agowhen OTEA disgraced the Avilés and Gijón City Councils for their decision to install giant screens in public spaces to follow the Euro Cup final. Beyond the criticism for the loss of customers, in the case of Avilés the hoteliers recalled that shortly before the City Council had prohibited them from doing something similar on their terraces. One dilemma, several answers. The most curious thing is that, although the laws on noise pollution are common to the entire country, not all councils have responded in the same way to the hoteliers’ request. In Toledo, for example, they has given the green lightbut on condition that the equipment works without sound. The only exception is venues licensed for music installations. In Albacete, the City Council has also authorized outdoor screens during ‘la Roja’ matches, the semi-finals and the final on July 19, but with an important fine print: whether or not the matches have ended, the TVs must be silent at midnight and in the Special Acoustic Protection Zone (ZPAE) the devices will not be able to emit sound even in the afternoons. Something similar happens in Salamanca. In any case, for hoteliers these are better conditions than those imposed by Teruel. Over there, COPE chain advancesrestaurants have found a response similar to that of Avilés. World yes, but with control. In general, even the most permissive city councils impose limits on match broadcasts: screens on terraces are usually allowed only for ‘special’ events, such as matches played by Spain, the semi-finals or the final in July, and even in those cases limits on noise and time restrictions apply. In the case of the capital, Hostelería Madrid assures that article 11 of the evening terrace ordinance prevents the installation of televisions outside the premises, which makes it difficult for bars and cafes to make the tournament profitable. Image | Jorge Franganillo-Flickr (Image taken in Lisbon in 2024) In Xataka | 24 years ago Oliver Kahn sued EA and won. Then a new goalkeeper appeared in football games: Jens … Read more

While half the world wonders how to integrate AI into schools, Norway has found the answer: by not doing it

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The artificial intelligence has arrived like a meteorite, impacting practically all sensors and not only destroying the consumer technology segmentbut causing governments work against the clock to implement it in all possible places. Education is something that has not been left outimpacting from primary school to university studiescausing a search for ways to both regulate and coexist with technology. The one who is clear is Norway, which has just slammed the door on artificial intelligence in primary schools. The goal? That generative AI does not affect the early education of its young people. Back to school. This past Friday, the Nordic country advertisement a practically total ban on generative AI tools in schools. This is one of the first countries to impose such severe restrictions on young people and the Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, has detailed a little how the matter will be addressed, alluding that the measure is necessary because they are observing a decrease in grades. Starting with the new course, which will begin at the end of August, AI in the classroom will go at two speeds: Students from first to seventh (ages 6 to 13) will not be able to use AI. Those in lower secondary school (between 14 and 16 years old) can adopt these tools under the supervision of teachers. With nuances. There we talk about primary and the first years of secondary school, but if the question is how young people are going to emerge from their studies “isolated” from this technology, the answer is that at home it will depend on each family and that, in the regulated educational environment, upper secondary students (from 17 to 19 years old) will be guided to learn to use AI appropriately in order to be prepared for higher education and the world of work. Protect children. Støre argues that they have made the decision due to fears that the use of AI will cause children to skip crucial stages in their education. “The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write and do mathematics,” commented the prime minister, arguing that “research shows that the disproportionate and uncritical use of generative AI in schools increases the danger of skipping important steps in learning.” At Xataka we have already echoed several studies that put on the table how the use of AI for everything increases the boiled frog syndrome and they can even lead us to a state of cognitive surrender. In fact, the decision seems based on a recent report that revealed that AI tools were being used by three in four primary schools and more than 90% of upper secondary schools. Not just AI. Despite everything, Støre did not present the measures as a frontal opposition to technology, but as something focused on promoting traditional education without an easy search for answers, so that young people do not skip these stages of cognitive evolution. In other areas, the prime minister pointed out that they have “great ambitions regarding the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence”, but that in terms of primary and secondary education, there are other priorities. But, in the end, this frontal opposition to AI in early education is a measure that is in the same bag as the one taken in 2024 when the Government banned phones in schools and, in April of this year, they already commented that they were thinking about plans to prevent those under 16 years of age from accessing social networks. This is something that are studying other countries following the steps of Australia and, most recently, United Kingdom. Other approaches. On the other hand we have China. The Asian giant aims to become the first world power in the short term and, within those plans and the Five-Year Plan roadmap, They consider AI a pillar of the future of education. Instead of banning technology in the classroom, teachers will be trained to find ways to teach children to use language models to solve problems and think critically. The idea is that they know how to question whether the answers are correct, as well as verify information through multiple sources to achieve “AI literacy” from primary school. It is evident that it is another approach, of course, and one that comes not without controversy because the main criticisms focus on the fact that it is a position that will increase the social gap between families with different purchasing power. Image | Jessica Lewis (edited) In Xataka | AI is helping us solve problems. And it’s also reducing our ability to solve them alone.

how to enter this game to fly over any part of the world

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Let’s explain to you how to access the secret Google Earth video gamea flight simulator with which you can fly over any part of the world. This is a flight mode that until recently was exclusive to the desktop version, but now you can also use it in the web version. So that you can explore it, we are going to tell you step by step how to enter this mode through the web version of Google Earth. Then, the game controls are quite simple, you can play with the mouse or the directional keys on your keyboard. Flight mode in Google Earth The first thing you have to do is enter the Google Earth page, with the address earth.google.com. Sometimes a home screen may appear instead of the maps. If so, click Explore Earthand you will directly access the maps website. Now, you have to Click on the down arrow button in the top bar. It is the one that appears on the far right, and is used to display the Google Earth menu bar. Once the toolbar is displayed at the top, you have to click on the tab Tools. This will open a drop-down menu with several options, and in it you must click on the option flight simulator. And that’s it, with this you will open the flight simulator, and you can start flying over the area you want. Remember that The simulator will open in the area you are exploring within the maps, so it is advisable to first go to the area you want to fly over and then open it. Here, the game has controls that can easily get out of control if you have never used it. Just remember that you can crashand if this happens it will simply tell you that you can start again. In Xataka Basics | How to have the maps of your area downloaded on your Android or iPhone and be able to use them without an Internet connection

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