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“If a person over 70 years of age walks 20–30 minutes five days a week, benefits are already obtained”

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In 1965, a Japanese company launched a pedometer on the market called Manpo-Kei. That is, a “10,000 step meter.” That is the first time in history that the idea of ​​10,000 steps appears and, for years, many have wondered where that figure came from. The answer is, according to Japanese researchersfrom nowhere: they chose that number because in Japanese (万) is similar to a man who walks. That is, the most repeated advice about walking was born in a marketing meeting and not in a laboratory. Therefore, it is essentially a lie. Especially if you are over 70 years old. 70 years? What happens to those over 70 years of age? Not only has it dismantled the myth of 10,000 steps, it has shown that older people are capable of “capturing” the benefits with many fewer steps (around 6,000). Hence some coaches, as Rafael Hidalgoensure that it is enough to walk half an hour five days a week to obtain the cardiovascular, mobility and well-being bonus. and it’s true: at these ages there is a non-linear dose-response. Walking more does not bring more benefits. It is also true that, after 70, walking is not enough. The trend we fight against. Sedentary lifestyle in Spain is greater the older the person is. If we look the National and European Health Surveys (1987-2020) The highest prevalence of this sedentary lifestyle occurs among those over 65 years of age. In fact, if we analyze the data in detail we see that, even in those people who do not have limiting pathologies, there are high rates of sedentary lifestyle and overweight that lead to a poor perception of health. The bottom line is that it is something relatively easy to solve. Beyond accumulating steps. After 70, the goal cannot be adding steps. Or not only that. Any training or physical activity plan must optimize one thing: remain functional. That’s why, The WHO asks those over 65 years of age several linked activities: balance exercises, strength exercises at moderate intensity three times a week and 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity. Combine these types of exercises reduces the risk of falls by up to 23% (which are one of the main problems as we age). Additionally, as far as we know, it has positive impacts on mobility, mood, and sleep quality. Image | Age Cymru In Xataka | The trap of walking for the sake of walking: “Japanese walks” are much more effective than your daily hour-long walk

In the 16th century someone decided that Da Vinci’s notebooks had to be dismembered. It took us 400 years to solve their mistake.

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Upon his death, in 1519, Leonardo da Vinci He left more than just paintings and frescoes that crown him as one of the great references of Renaissance painting. Just as (or even more) important to understanding the depth of his genius are his personal notebooks, full of notesillustrations, graphics… come from his own handwriting and sprinkled with his characteristic mirror writing. By chance of history, in the 16th century this bibliographical treasure suffered a ‘act of editorial vandalism’ that has conditioned the way we understand Leonardo. Until now. An unfortunate legacy. The name of Francesco Melzi Maybe it doesn’t tell you much. And it’s normal. Melzi was an Italian painter of the 16th century whose memory has been eclipsed for posterity by geniuses of the stature of Michelangelo, Raphael Sanzio and Leonardo Da Vinci, of whom he was a disciple. However, Melzi does stand out for something, a role that has conditioned our way of understanding the author of ‘La Mona Lisa’: upon Leonardo’s death, Melzi became his executor, responsible for looking after his manuscripts. That enormous legacy made up of hundreds and hundreds of manuscript sheets ended up in the hands of Pompeo Leoni (1533-1608), a sculptor from Arezzo, in Tuscany, who one day decided to dismember Leonardo’s notebooks. The result was disastrous, although to be honest Leoni’s objective was not to destroy the notebooks, but to ‘reorganize’ them following an arbitrary criterion. And what was the result? Basically Leoni dedicated himself to separating, classifying and putting together sheets of Leonardo’s notebooks and loose pages in a whimsical way. Based on what he considered best. The result was that many of the annotations that Da Vinci had recorded in the same set of manuscripts between the mid-1470s and his death in 1519 were divided into two different codices. In one, the largest, Leoni included all material (drawings and writings) of a technical or scientific nature. The second, smaller codex was reserved for material that in his opinion had an artistic and figurative character. From Italy to England. Leoni’s ‘attack’ did not end there. At the beginning of the 17th century his son-in-law, Polidoro Calchi, decided to get rid of the material he had inherited from the sculptor, which caused Da Vinci’s old notebooks to end up scattered around the world, separated by hundreds of kilometers. The first codex, that of technical annotations, today known as Codex Atlanticusended up in the hands of Count Galeazzo Arconati, who in turn donated it in 1637 to the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana. The second codex traveled even further. Around 1620 he ended up in England and half a century later was integrated in the Royal Collection at Windsor. Righted the wrong. More than four centuries later that capricious dismemberment of Da Vinci’s annotations has been amended at last. At least in part. A few days ago the Italian embassy in the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Culture and representatives of the Galileo Museum, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana and the Royal Collection Trust presented in London a new tool named ‘Leonardotheka 2.0’. The name gives a clue to its approach: it is nothing more nor less than an immense ‘library’ digital of Da Vinci’s legacy, a resource that allows many of the manuscripts of the Renaissance genius to be consulted in an accessible and agile way. The Galileo Museum slide that from now on, whoever wishes will be able to explore the material by accessing the archives independently or with cross searches, in addition to “the results of more than 200 years of research” on Da Vinci’s career and work. 3,500 pages. Beyond that advantage, what is really important about Leonardotheka 2.0. is that, as remember The authorities of Florence have gathered around 3,500 manuscript pages by Leonardo that in some cases had been separated since the end of the 16th century. It is a virtual union, not a physical one, but it is still a milestone and helps to right the mistake made centuries ago by Pompeo Leoni. In total, the digital library brings together the 1,119 folios of the Codex Atlanticus and 550 pages from the Royal Collection of Windsor. Some sources specify that it is about one third of Da Vinci’s entire surviving legacy, which also includes the codices preserved in Madrid. Is it that important? Regardless of what it may mean for researchers, Leonardotheka 2.0 is important for several reasons. The main one is that it has allowed us, in words of the Galileo Museum, “reconstruct the original state of Leonardo’s manuscript legacy before Leoni’s disastrous intervention” in the 16th century. And that is not a minor detail. Although the separation between art and science might make sense to Leoni, the truth is that goes against of the Renaissance mentality that Leonardo embodied. “It offers a new perspective on his thinking, vision and working methods,” they underline from Florence. “The platform highlights the connection between scientific studies and the figurative drawings of the Tuscan genius.” Beyond Leonardo. “This project not only helps to recover the complexity of Leonardo’s work in its original form, but also contributes to the new interpretation, in development for several years, of this crucial period in European history. Using digital tools designed to analyze the original texts, Leonardotheka 2.0 will make this challenge possible,” highlights Michele Ciliberto, from the National Institute of Renaissance Studies. Filling gaps. The second reason why the project is so important is that it has allowed us to recover pieces that had been damaged when the notebooks were dismembered in the 16th century. To be more precise, those responsible for the Leonardotheka they assure who have been able to “reconstruct” 50 manuscripts “thanks to the insertion of fragments preserved in Windsor within the pages of Codex Atlanticus, restoring their original context.” One of the reconstructions carried out by the experts has made it possible to “reconcile” the drawing of a horse preserved in the British collection with a note on an equestrian monument preserved in the Codex Atlanticus. “The restored folio probably … Read more

BYD wants to dethrone Toyota in five years. The problem is that first he has to fix what is happening in China

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Wang Chuanfu, president of BYD, has full confidence that the next few years are going to be big for the company. However, the price of its shares is not following to the company’s exploits, and for that reason it has sent a message that is intended, above all, for its investors: the promise of becoming the world’s leading manufacturer in terms of scale. Wang spoke about the issue at the Chinese company’s annual shareholders meeting, held in Shenzhen on June 9. His words come at a delicate moment, since BYD’s actions have fallen more than 45% from its highs in Hong Kong in the last year, and 33% on the Shenzhen stock market. In fact, his promise failed to convince, as the next day, shares fell another 4.3% in Hong Kong and 1.6% in Shenzhen. This is how things are at BYD. Target: Toyota. BYD is already the largest electric car manufacturer in the world by sales, having surpassed Tesla last year. But Wang’s objective goes further, as he wants BYD become number one global in total vehicle volume, ahead of Toyota. And precisely, to achieve this, it would have to sell more than double what it is selling now. In 2025, Toyota sold 11.3 million vehicles; BYD, 4.8 million. The distance is enormous. Technology. At the meeting, Wang assured that the second generation Blade battery was the main growth bottleneck this year and has pledged to accelerate its production. He also highlighted the advances in ultra-fast charging, since this week BYD announced an investment of about 2,000 million euros in Europe to develop its Flash Charge infrastructure, with 1,500 kW of power and that would allow its cars to be charged from 10% to 70% in just 5 minutes. The firm showed it to us last April, when we were able to attend the official presentation of the Denza Z9GT. Along with this, the president of the company claimed that BYD has 3.15 million vehicles with intelligent driving already in circulation, accumulating 200 million kilometers of data per day, and that L3 and L4 level autonomous driving will arrive “sooner than expected.” “As soon as the regulation is ready, BYD will take off quickly,” Wang said. A domestic problem. The great tension of the moment is precisely at home. And the Chinese market, where BYD does most of its business, has become fiercely competitive. The price war between local manufacturers has pressured margins and hampered sales. Between January and May of this year, total deliveries fell more than 20% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to account Reuters. This internal bleeding is what worries investors, and no promises about Toyota have covered it up for now. Your business away from home. Exports are the other side of the coin, and there the panorama is different. In the first five months of the year, international sales grew 65% year-on-yearwith Brazil, the United Kingdom and Australia as the main destinations. In May alone, BYD sold more than 160,000 vehicles outside China, 80% more than in the same month of 2025. The goal for 2026 is to exceed one and a half million units exported, which would represent an increase of more than 40% over the 1.05 million last year. According to share According to CarNewsChina, Wang admitted at the meeting that the current trend aims to exceed even the initial goal of 1.6 million. Europe, opportunity and problems. The firm knows that to achieve its objectives, Europe is key to its expansion. Stella Li, chief international officer of BYD, confirmed to Reuters that the hungary plant will begin assembling cars in the fourth quarter of this year. Manufacturing locally is essential if you want to avoid the tariffs that the European Union has imposed on Chinese electric companies. However, the Hungarian factory is attracting some controversy, since organizations such as China Labor Watch have reported alleged violations of European labor legislation, and local authorities have sanctioned three companies linked to its construction for dumping excavation soils on surrounding agricultural land. The matter remains open. The shadow of the Pentagon. As if the problems in the stock market and the pressure in its domestic market were not enough, this week the United States Department of Defense added BYD to its list of “Chinese military companies”considering it a risk to national security. Beijing responded by calling the decision without a factual basis. BYD does not operate in the US market due to existing tariffsbut the label complicates its image and its possible future movements in that market. In Xataka | A German driver set out to discover how much he could stretch the tank of his old diesel car. And he has done 2,400 kilometers

If you fly with a child under 12 years old you have to sit next to them. UK suspects Ryanair of taking advantage

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It is not mandatory but for Ryanair it is. At least for children between 2 and 11 years old, as indicated in their own reservation conditions. The Irish airline requires parents to travel, no matter what, in the seats next to their children when they are under 12 years old. An obligation that Ryanair, assures, is free. The United Kingdom is not so clear. What’s happening? That Ryanair requires minors under 11 years of age to travel accompanied by one of the parents in the adjacent seats, as they explain on their own website. This seat selection must be made during the reservation and does not entail any additional charge. But the United Kingdom is not so clear. And the body in charge of ensuring competition in the country assures that the company would be charging an average of about nine euros for reserving “family” seats. That is, it would charge because parents and children sit together even though the rules prevent them from doing so separately when the children are under 12 years old. What does Ryanair say? The Irish company assures that this does not happen and refers to its reservation conditions. When you make a reservation on a Ryanair flight you have the opportunity to choose a seat, but this comes with a cost. If you do not do so, the seat is assigned automatically. When a reservation is made with a child under 11 years of age, the platform enables the possibility of reserving up to four adjacent seats (up to three children per parent) completely free of charge. Yes, but. What the British organizations point out is that this does not always happen and that the Irish company is charging for the seats. And, really, there is something tricky in the information that Ryanair presents. The company itself indicates that the allocation of adjacent seats will be “in specific rows (depending on the aircraft)” and that there will be a charge for changing seats. There should be no problem there. However, it makes it clear that if there is no possibility of combining seats in these specific rows, the customer must make a reservation for a different flight. That is, if the company does not have space available in the usual rows where parents and child travel together, there are two options: reserve seats upon payment or change planes. The mess. What they are investigating in the United Kingdom is whether the company can charge for seats when traveling with children. There, at this rate the company calls it “mandatory family seat” and may be enough to fine the company for applying an abusive rate. For its part, Ryanair defends itself by ensuring that the parent does have to pay for seat selection but that this does not apply to the four adjacent seats in which they can seat their children. That is, the adult would be paying but not the child and the company ensures that, in this way, the country’s legislation would not be breached. And in Spain? European regulations state that adults and children under 12 years of age must travel together and that the child seat must be offered free of charge whenever possible. To comply with regulations, airlines usually automatically generate a reservation with two adjacent seats in these cases, but they are not required to do so. That is, if the airline does not have two adjacent seats available on that flight, it will be mandatory to change them. But, in addition, the interpretation of the rule leaves open the possibility that, as is being studied with Ryanair in the United Kingdom, surcharges may be applied to the final price. one more fight. Ryanair has also taken advantage of the confrontation to ensure that all this controversy is only motivated because the country’s government wants to appear to protect travelers instead of lowering rates. Another open front for the company with a national government that, as happens in Spain, has open disputes with numerous European states in relation to the fees they must pay for providing their services at airports. Photo | Paul Hanoka and Nejc Soklič In Xataka | The Spanish Justice is unable to determine whether it is legal for Ryanair to charge for hand luggage. So he has already asked Europe for help

1,900 years ago the Romans knew that going barefoot in a public bathroom was a bad idea, so they wore bathroom flip-flops.

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The image above these lines illustrating the article belongs to the reconstruction of the Roman public baths in Bath, about 550 kilometers from one of the most prolific Roman sites: Vindolanda, also in Britain and next to Hadrian’s Wall. That’s where just found a fairly common item nowadays when we go to public bathrooms: bathing clogs, a kind of primitive bathing flip-flops. Of course, these are almost 2,000 years old. The Roman bathing slippers. The discovery dates back to between 140 and 180 AD. C. and is possibly the world’s oldest example of a shower shoe. The sole is a wooden platform with a leather strap on top to support the foot. Come on, a traditional flip flop, what the Romans called sculponeae. As explains Elizabeth Greene, an archaeologist at the University of Western Ontario, more than 5,000 Roman shoes have been found in Vindolanda and about 50 of them are bathing clogs. Most have platforms between 2.5 and 5 centimeters high and while some were smooth, others had geometric decorations or shapes. That they found so many clogs in that search implies that it was not something random, but rather the order of the day. And it makes sense: the Romans used these platform clogs to protect themselves from bathroom floors, slippery from steam and water, and hot from the heating system. hypocaust. Why is it important. Because Vindolanda It is UNESCO World Heritage and one of the most important Roman sites in Europe. The main reason why Vindolanda is a real treasure trove for archeology is that the organic remains of items such as clogs (made of wood and leather) have been moderately well preserved thanks to the layers of oxygen-free mud. On the other hand, it shows that preventive hygiene is not a modern invention: these primitive flip-flops constitute documented proof of the practice that dates back about 1,900 years, which is directly related to preventive medicine and the functional design of footwear. Context. The Roman baths were meeting places: whoever went there undressed and went from a cold room to a warm room to finally reach a hot room. When leaving, he finished with a cold water bath. To heat the rooms there was an underground oven that functioned as underfloor heating. Considering the estimated date of the clog, it falls within the period of the emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, when Vindolanda was an active military fort on the northern border of Britain. Who wore those bathroom clogs?. As a military fort that it was, what was abundant there were Roman soldiers and their families. However, the CEO of The Vindolanda Trust poses in the official podcast of the site a revealing question: why is there so little evidence that children used the bathrooms? (they have not found child-sized clogs), which suggests that access may have been conditioned by age, status or other social norms. It is known that at one time there were mixed baths, but it is most likely that men and women with children bathed at different times. The oldest bathroom flip flops ever known. It is true that there are much older samples of sandals, such as those of King Tutankhamun, from about 3,300 years ago; or those of the Etruscans of the 6th century BC But as nuance Elizabeth Semmelhack, director of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, none of these were intended for use in bathrooms. In fact, the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) public in 2025 the discovery of two wooden soles of the sculponae type in Izernore (France), slightly earlier than those at Vindolanda, although the official source does not specifically associate them with use in bathrooms. It is in the specific application that makes the difference. In Xataka | The Romans found a macabre and sophisticated way to use perfume: breaking pigeons’ necks (made of glass) In Xataka | Almost 2,000 years ago a Celtiberian soldier visited the most remote frontier of the Roman Empire. Then he returned to Soria with a souvenir Cover | Diliff

“When someone who is 91 years old still remembers, you know it’s something special”

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On August 12, the first of the solar eclipses that will make up the so-called Iberian Trio will take place. In 2026, 2027 and 2028 we will have solar eclipses that can be seen in Spain. The third will be annular, but the other two are total eclipses and their strip of totality crosses very different places. In 2026this strip goes from the north of Galicia to almost all of the Balearic Islands, passing through Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, the north of Castilla y León and the Valencian Community and a part of the Basque Country, Navarra, Madrid, Aragon, Catalonia and Castilla la Mancha. That of 2027, on the other hand, will be seen far to the south, especially in the area of ​​the Strait of Gibraltar. Something curious about the first eclipse is that it is expected to transport a large number of tourists to towns in what is known as emptied Spain. That is, to places that are not normally among the favorite destinations of national tourism. And much less from the international one. There are many people who have decided to organize their vacations this year around this astronomical event. August 12 has been marked on your calendar for many months. In some cases, even more than a year. After all, for astronomy lovers, having a total solar eclipse in your country is almost like having your favorite international singer come on tour in your city. I have talked about all this with Mabel Anguloone of those people who have decided to organize their vacations around the eclipse. Chatting with her it is inevitable to become infected with that illusion of seeing with your own eyes one of those shows that you can barely see once or a few times in your life. And, in reality, listening to it you understand that, two months before the big day, there are already so many hotels and rural accommodations full to the brim. What leads a person to organize their vacation around a solar eclipse? Mabel is a great lover of astronomy. In her work as a journalist for Canal Sur specialized in science, she especially enjoys communicating news that is related to space. Furthermore, years ago he became interested in astrophotography, a hobby that has helped him meet many other people with the same passion. Therefore, the opportunity to see a solar eclipse seems like a unique gift worth taking advantage of. “As an astronomy fan, I think it is one of the most amazing events you can witness.” Many of his colleagues have already seen one and only tell him wonderful things. “Everyone tells you that it is wonderful to see how day turns into night, to be able to see the crown, which is normally hidden from our sight… I am very curious.” Above all, he wants to see it with his own eyesto see if everything is as wonderful as they say. “Although I think so, because I see broadcasts from other places like the United States in 2024 and, honestly, those faces cannot be faked.” Plus, there is another very special reason why you want to see the eclipse. And he would like to be able to share with his mother the impressions of having witnessed one of these phenomena. “My mother saw the one from 1959. It is usually said that the one in 1912 was the last total solar eclipse in Spain, but no, gentlemen, it was the last one on the peninsula, in the Canary Islands there was one in ’59.” He had never told him this, but when she told him that she was planning her vacation to see this year’s one, he explained how she saw it then. “When a 91-year-old person keeps remembering that it was night and that it was incredible, you already know that it really is something special, that it will be part of the wonderful experiences of the life.” The only summer vacation For Mabel, this is going to be her only vacation. Although he also plans trips to see his family, the only leisure trip he will have this summer will be the one he has planned to see the eclipse. In your case, it will go to an area between Valladolid and Palencia. You have opted for a trip organized by a company called take me to the stars. Meet Heike Mai, CEO of the company, from the Jerez astronomy association. They told him that they were organizing trips and asked him about availability and prices. It was almost a year away, but there was only one gap left. Seeing that it was a “very good offer” he could not reject it. The accommodations were in double rooms, so he only had to find a companion. It didn’t take long for her to find it when she saw that a colleague from her astrophotography association was as excited as she was. The two friends will travel from Almería, where they live, to Valladolid by car. They will be in a rural accommodation for 5 days, during which they will take the opportunity to visit the surroundings and, of course, take many photographs. Of course, at the time of the eclipse Mabel’s plan is to enjoy, not obsess over the photos. “I’m going to live it,” he tells me. “I’ll set up the telescope and a camera and leave it on during the eclipse. If it comes out, great, if not, great.” Advance notice is essential Mabel began looking for ways to organize her vacation in September 2025, exploring possible offers and travel companions. Nevertheless, He left everything closed in January 2026. “In January we closed with Heike and she confirmed us in February,” he recalls. “She wanted us to close everything in time, especially for fear of the prices going up, because it already happened to her with an accommodation that they canceled it and then she saw it uploaded to another, much more expensive portal.” This is something that is … Read more

The “ice man” has been frozen for 5,300 years. There is still life inside

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In 1991, two German hikers they found each other with a corpse in the Alps, more specifically in the Ötztal Alps. At first they thought it would be a recent body, but nothing could be further from the truth: Ötzi, who takes his name from the place where he was found, died around 3255 BC. C. at approximately forty-six years of age due to hemorrhage caused by an arrow lodged in his left shoulder. Ötzi withstood the test of time thanks to glacial ice, becoming the oldest known natural human mummy in Europe. For science, the “iceman” has historically been a magnificent biological and archaeological record of the late Neolithic/Copper Age, bridging the gap, like someone who finds a painting in a cave. But a recent study It makes science look at it with different eyes: they have found life in Ötzi because the iceman is also an ecosystem. There is life within Ötzi. The Eurac Research research team has found yeast strains that could have been dormant for millennia, some of which are still metabolically active as they are especially adapted to the cold: Glaciozyma, Goffeauzyma, Mrakia and Phenoliferia. That is, living organisms have survived inside a human body for more than five thousand years. They also found anaerobic intestinal bacteria such as Romboutsia hominis, Clostridium moniliforme and Ruminococcus bromii, which when the Iceman was alive helped him digest elements of his diet at that time. Why is it important. The relevance of this discovery is enormous for both biology and archaeology, with implications that also point to space exploration: Biologically it is a real milestone: it is a before and after in what we know and can expect from microorganisms and their resistance. If microbes survive 5,300 years in alpine ice, they could potentially survive in similar inhospitable environments outside of Earth, such as the Moon’s south pole. And this has direct consequences for the search for extraterrestrial life. From an archaeological point of view, if a mummy contains microbial life inside, we must rethink how similar samples and other archaeological remains are preserved, stored and studied so as not to lose or degrade that valuable information. What the finding says about health before antibiotics. Some gut bacteria found in Ötzi are still present in modern humans, but others have disappeared from modern Western populations. Being able to compare your microbiome with ours allows you to have a photo of what the microbiota was like before antibiotics, ultra-processed foods and industrial agriculture and apply it to medicine. As already science has proventhe loss of this ancestral microbial diversity is associated with diseases such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis. In fact, Ötzi’s microbiome constitutes a good basis for designing more effective probiotics or improving fecal microbiota transplant therapies. How have they done it. Ötzi is available for visits at the South Tyrolean Archeology Museum in Bolzano, Italy, where he is kept in a cold room at -6°C and 99% relative humidity. After more than 30 years of studies, science has paradoxically introduced modern microbes into your body, so was essential use multiple samples and methods to differentiate which microorganisms were already present during Ötzi’s life and which colonized him later. From there, they combined genomic sequencing with laboratory culture and comparison with global databases, which for example allowed them to determine that the Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas bacteria found on the surface were introduced by modern humans, while Staphylococcus belonged to Ötzi’s original microbiome. Yes, but. The main limitation of the study is precisely contamination: handling a mummy exposes it to potential contamination by modern bacteria and fungi, which complicates the faithful reconstruction of its original microbial composition. On the other hand, the fact that a yeast shows activity in the laboratory does not prove that it has been active continuously for 5,300 years, since it could have been reactivated when the experimental conditions changed. To clear up doubts, more independent studies with other glacier mummies are necessary. In Xataka | In the 14th century, the “Little Ice Age” caught Europe completely off guard: this is how they managed to withstand the cold In Xataka | Getting up at 3:52 AM, putting your face in ice, rubbing a banana: the male “morning routine” taken to the extreme Cover | Museum of South Tyrol Archaeology, Eurac Research, Marion Lafogler and Andrea De Giovanni

It is the result of thousands of years of trial, error and Pasteur’s germ theory

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Nowadays, a baby bottle is an everyday object, a safety standard sanitary that is made up of BPA-free plastics, tempered glass and high-quality silicone. However, behind this simplicity hides a great medical story about the origin of the baby bottle and the dark times he has gone through over the years. The origin. For a long time, the history of infant feeding was based on assumptions, but modern archaeological science has shed light on our ancestors. Here anthropological and archaeological studies have shown that non-maternal feeding practices have existed since Antiquity, evidenced by ceramic containers found in Greece, Rome and Egypt. But the most interesting discovery came from the hand from a publication in Nature in 2019, where researchers analyzed small terracotta vessels found in children’s graves from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. What they saw. Thanks to the analysis of isotopes and lipid residues adhered to the walls of the ceramic, the scientists confirmed the presence of ruminant milk in these containers. This is, to this day, the strongest direct chemical evidence for the use of containers that resembled our baby bottles in prehistoric times. A dark time. Moving forward in history, when traditional breastfeeding was not possible and wet nurses could not be used to feed the children, artificial feeding methods were used. But logically there were no baby bottles today, and that is why rudimentary alternatives such as rags and animal horns were chosen. However, pre-modern artificial feeding had a terrible cost, since between the 17th and 19th centuries, the first attempts to manufacture artificial feeding containers resulted in very high infant mortality. Because? Historical medical literature documents a direct and indisputable relationship between the use of unsafe baby bottles and the massive deaths of babies due to enteritis and diarrhea. At that time, the lack of hygiene turned these first containers into death traps full of problems. And this was a big problem, since at that time society began to see the population as authentic productivity machines. This meant that, if children died, there would not be enough workers in the future to continue growing the countries’ economies. It was about solving. To avoid this high infant mortality, at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, “drops of milk” were established. They were charities created in France to distribute free sterilized milk to mothers who could not breastfeed their children and did not have the resources to pay wet nurses. They also arrived in Spain with the opening of the first center in San Sebastián in 1902, but they were also seen in Barcelona or Madrid to try to solve a very important problem. The new bottles. The transition to the modern baby bottle depended on materials technology, as the 19th century brought the transition to glass bottles, but a crucial element was missing to emulate breastfeeding: a durable, elastic nipple. But here industrial technology came into play, and in 1844 Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanization of rubber, which shortly after allowed the adoption of rubber nipples, representing an immense functional improvement compared to the horns and rags of the past. The triumph of microbiology. Having glass bottles and rubber nipples did not stop infant mortality immediately, as the real turning point came not from design engineering, but from microbiology. In the 1860s, Louis Pasteur’s original work on germ theory changed the paradigm of medicine, and Pasteurian bacteriology radically transformed hygiene practices, prompting public health reforms and the systematic sterilization of baby bottles and milk. So, the combination of three elements such as teats, glass and advances in microbiological hygiene laid the definitive foundations for the safe and modern baby bottle that we have in our homes today. There are myths around. There are some ideas around the baby bottle that are wrong, such as that it was invented by accident, and the truth is that the literature describes us a gradual evolutionary progress towards the result we have today. And although it is true that Charles Windship registered a patent of baby bottles in the American database in 1841, historians agree that there is no consensus to attribute the invention of the “first modern baby bottle” to a single person, since there were multiple patents for baby bottles throughout the 19th century. Images | Lucy Wolski In Xataka | One baby, three parents (biological): a promising fertilization technique that, for now, we will not see in Spain

A beach in Sardinia has banned umbrellas for people between 10 and 65 years old. The reason is simple: fire

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Summer yes, summer too, dermatologists they insist on the importance of protecting ourselves from the sun’s rays with creams, caps and umbrellas. In Molentis Pointone of the beaches most popular of Sardinia, the bathers they will have to conform however with the first two tools. If they want to plant an umbrella in the sand they will have to meet a series of requirements, beyond paying the 10 euros it costs to access the cove: the parasols will only be available to families with children or people who have already turned 65 years old. The rest have to burn. What has happened? Villasimìus is a commune of Cagliari, in the Italian region of Sardinia, where slightly less than 4,000 people. Despite this, it has been making headlines for days in the media throughout Italy and the rest of Europe, including headlines within the scope of Guardian, cnn either The Telegraph. The reason is not so much the spectacular nature of its beaches and its attractiveness at the gates of summer (which too), but rather the effects of that pull: faced with the avalanche of visitors, the local authorities have decided prohibit that the majority of bathers use umbrellas on the sandy beach. No umbrellas? More or less. Which have decided in Villasimìus is that the majority of the population cannot bring their own umbrellas to Punta Molentis. This privilege is restricted to only two groups: families with children under 10 years old and adults over 65. The large group between 10 and 65 years old that remains in the middle will have to make do with protecting themselves from the sun of the Sardinian coast with caps and a good sunscreen. Not only that. In a statement Posted on its official website, the commune of Villasimìus details other measures that bathers must take into account: the number of vehicles and people that can be simultaneously in the area is limited, as is the influx of bathers arriving by boat. The rules also include time guidelines and a warning: those who go to the beach should know that there is an “environmental ticket” of 10 euros for those who travel by car. If you go by boat the fee remains at 5 euros. But… Why? The authorities insist on the need to protect the natural environment and remember the serious forest fire that the region experienced last summer, when dozens of tourists had to flee in boats. The flames spread so quickly that they burned cars stationed in the area, they blocked land escape routes and caused serious environmental damage, environmentalists warn. “The Punta Molentis ecosystem is one of the most valuable in our territory, but also one of the most fragile. The forest fires of 2025 and exceptional weather phenomena have reduced the capacity of the dunes and put habitats and biodiversity to the test,” warns the commune. “It is necessary to limit the human impact and ensure the protection of heritage for future generations.” Part of the rules disclosed by the Villasimìus authorities. What do people think? The Government argues that it wants to protect the environment and preserve the natural wealth of the beach. Neither one nor the other seems to have convinced bathers, who were quick to use irony to question the ban on umbrellas. “How wonderful, a beautiful day at the beach and 20 hours in the emergency room for burns. I think they’ve tried this ordinance before and it went wrong,” comments sarcastically a user on networks. At stake would not only be the environmental wealth of the coast. A spokesperson for the Villasimìus town council assured this week to CNN that behind the veto of the parasols there are also security reasons: they want to reduce their number to prevent situations like those of 2025 from being repeated. “It is fundamentally because of that fire and the difficulties we had in evacuating the beach due to the large number of umbrellas installed that the city council has established this rule,” recognize from the Italian commune, who remember that in that area there are no paid ‘beach clubs’, so “people place umbrellas next to each other, blocking access, causing risks and obstructing the view of the sea.” The Telegraph precise that in the bathing area you can rent parasols. Does it only happen in Sardinia? Villasimìus’s decision has attracted attention because it is unorthodox, but the truth is that the use of umbrellas (and other beach equipment) on the sandy beaches has not only generated controversy there. In Italy the ‘beach clubs’ have generated debate after, according to Altronconsumo calculationsthe rental of sun loungers and umbrellas has skyrocketed by 24% in just five years. Beyond Italy, in Greece they have just expand your list of “virgin” sandbanks where the rental of umbrellas is prohibited. Here, in Spain, the use of furniture on the beaches (and that includes everything from parasols to tents and windbreaks) also has generated debate the last years. Images | Heather Cowper (Flickr) and Villasimius SRL In Xataka | It is increasingly common to find jellyfish on Mediterranean beaches before summer. And it’s a bad sign

An Air Canada pilot has been flying for 16 years without making a single mistake. And they have arrested him for one detail: he did not have a license

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Almost 20 years goes a long way, whether you are an airplane pilot or not. But if you are also one, you will have had time to accumulate almost a thousand international flights, take the controls of different types of aircraft and accumulate good money. It is the summary that Geoffrey Wall could make of his life when, once retired, he told this to his grandchildren or, who knows, told it to all of us in a book. One more story. Tasteless, without substance. But Geoffrey Wall may say otherwise. Yes, you can tell that He flew airplanes for decadeswho took the controls of the best-known commercial airplanes on more than 900 occasions and who accumulated millions of euros taking hundreds of lives from one place to another through the clouds. But he will also be able to tell how he managed to trick his airline into flying planes for 16 years without the relevant license to do so. Everything good, except for one small detail Because the future doesn’t look good for Geoffrey Wall. They count in cnn that the police knocked on his door and he was arrested. The reason: Air Canada notified authorities that one of its pilots was flying with a false license. Not only that, he had been doing it from 2009 until last year. The deception was discovered during a routine check. Nobody had reported irregularities in the controls, no aircraft had been put at risk. But in 2025, during a review of its documentation, it was found that there were some anomalies. By then, the pilot had been flying airplanes within the company for 27 years. However, the company points out that Wall began flying fraudulently starting in 2009. Then, the pilot was promoted to captain and was able to take command of the aircraft and direct operations. The small detail is that he falsified the ATPL-A, the highest level pilot’s license. At a press conference to explain what happened, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, of the Peel Regional Police (southern Ontario, Canada), pointed out that “It’s very similar to a doctor who is licensed to practice family medicine but is performing brain surgery in his office.” And he once again emphasized the importance of having the appropriate licenses to perform a job. Especially if in that job you have taken thousands of people through the air. The authorities have explained that the pilot left his job in 2025, just before “Project Icarus”, as the police work has been called internally, started rolling last January. months later They have managed to prove the falsification of the documents and on June 1 they arrested the pilot. However, Air Canada emphasizes that its pilots pass tests regularly and that at no time were passengers put in danger. They emphasize that Geoffrey Wall amply demonstrated his abilities to pilot the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 to which he had access during the last 16 years. During that time it is estimated that Wall earned more than two million dollars with his salary but will now have to face seven criminal charges, including fraud for money earned without a license and falsification of documents. In addition, it has already been fined by Transport Canada, the Canadian Government department in charge of ensuring compliance with all mobility regulations in the country. Photo | David Shypers In Xataka | Without a pilot or help from the ground: this is how the University of Munich has achieved the completely autonomous landing of a plane

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