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Neither ketchup nor bread, we have been using the refrigerator incorrectly for years and the experts clarify what should really go in: “we can end up with mold”

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More than a century ago the first electric domestic refrigerator appeared, the Domelreand it cost about $900: more than many cars of the time. For years it was a luxury reserved for fewbut it ended up changing our relationship with food forever… and also creating a new obsession: putting everything inside “just in case.” Today, a century later, we continue to discover that perhaps we over-braked. The cold war of the kitchen. Few domestic discussions are as universal as deciding what goes in the fridge and what is left out. For years we have put almost anything cold by instinct, convinced that preserving meant refrigerating. But the experts they have been dismantling that logic piece by piece. Ketchup is not always urgent, nor does bread improve when enclosed in yogurt, nor does olive oil become purer by solidifying. The refrigerator is not a universal solution: improperly used it can accelerate the loss of flavor, alter textures or even promote problems such as mold. Red wine and the first great heresy. The most striking cultural change is possibly cold red wine. What for decades seemed outrageous is becoming a trend, driven by younger generations who no longer respect the old rule of serving it “at room temperature.” In that sense, wine expert Tom Gilbey summed it up in the Guardian: “We serve the wine too hot… it accentuates the alcohol and makes it taste like soup”. Their conclusion is simple: almost all wines improve somewhat colder than usual, especially light reds such as pinot noir or beaujolais. The cold does not kill the wine, it refines it, illuminates its fruit and makes its acidity more lively. Bread, the great victim of the refrigerator. Here comes one of the great domestic corrections. Many people put bread in the refrigerator (be careful, not in the freezer) thinking that it will last longer this way, but the real effect is different. Kate Hall, household food waste expert and author of The Full Freezer Methodmakes it clear: “It will take longer to get moldy, but it will get hard much sooner”. That is, you delay mold, but accelerate the aging of the bread. Cold moisture alters the starch and makes it leathery and dry. If it is for toast it can survive, but for sandwiches the recommendation is simple: outside or frozen. Foods that can end up with mold. Mold appears as one of the great ghosts of many foods, but not always where one expects. The nutritionist Dominic Ludwig warns that onions and garlic should not go into the refrigerator because “it is too humid and they can end up with mold.” Jams, although loaded with sugar, are also vulnerable once openeds because crumbs or traces of butter contaminate the interior. Even ground seeds and natural nut creams can oxidize and go rancid if not sealed and cooled properly. The problem is not just rotting: it is slowly degrading without us noticing. The refrigerator also destroys flavor. Plus: many foods do not spoil when cold, but they do lose their identity. Olive oil is one of them. Yacine Amor, founder of Artisan Olive Oil Companywarns that putting it in the refrigerator “it does not provide benefits and can reduce the flavor.” The tomatoes also suffer: the cold breaks its texture and flattens its aromatic profile. chocolate is even more delicate. The master chocolatier Paul Young Remember that “it absorbs flavors very easily” and that condensation generates a rough layer of sugar that ruins its surface. Sometimes the cold lasts, but it takes a toll. Coffee and the great lie of freshness. Few habits are as widespread and as poorly planned as keeping coffee in the refrigerator. For the specialist Hannah Whittonesthe reality is blunt: “It is a unanimous no.” Reasons? Coffee is extremely porous, absorbing odors and condensation from coming in and out of the cold destroys its compounds aromatics. Paradoxically and as many other foodsYes, it can go in the freezer, but only vacuum sealed and intended for long-term storage. In short, not a refrigerator, a freezer, perhaps. The forgotten ones in the refrigerator. The map does not end with bread, coffee or tomatoes. Also there are gray areas that experts refine. Butter can live outside as long as it maintains consistency and does not become liquid. Bananas tolerate some cold if they are overripe, even if the skin becomes ugly. Avocados should ripen outside because the cold slows down this process and only then should they be stored, and the honey should stay in the pantry to avoid crystallizing. As for apples, they last better and longer. coldalthough some prefer its flavor at room temperature. Potatoes continue to generate debate, but the practical recommendation is a cool, dark place away from onions, because ethylene accelerates sprouts. Even ketchup, one of the great symbols of this domestic war, enters into middle ground: due to its sugar and vinegar it can survive outside, but if it is not consumed frequently, experts advise cold to avoid degradation and the appearance of mold prematurely. The real rule that no one taught us. If you like, the final lesson is not so much to make a rigid list, but to understand what exactly does it do the cold It slows down bacteria, conserves nutrients and extends shelf lives, but it also changes structure, flavor and ripening. That is why citrus fruits, green leaves or open nuts appreciate this environment, while bread, tomatoes, green avocados or olive oil suffer from it. The great truth is uncomfortable: we have been using the refrigerator as a catch-all for years, and experts agree that a good part of our food did not need cold… or needed it in another way. Image | Monika Grabkowska – Darrien Staton, Alexander Ljung In Xataka | Scientists have put kombucha to the test against stress. and has lost In Xataka | Fernando Sáenz, one of the best ice cream makers in the world, puts the dots over the i’s, “Mercadona has modified the palate … Read more

“The first forty years of our lives provide the text; the next thirty, the commentary”

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His status as a star philosophical pessimism and his most famous portraitin which we see him as an old man, disheveled, gray-haired, with a tired look and a severe rictus, has made us observe Arthur Schopenhauer with some suspicion. In an already difficult world, who would want to dedicate a few minutes to a 19th century Prussian who stood out for the crudeness with which he approached life? The reality is that in 2026 Schopenhauer is still a philosophical beacon that helps us understand issues as basic as the meaning of life. Even “the crisis of 40”. Life, like a book. Throughout his long life (he died at the age of 72) Schopenhauer dedicated himself to writing on issues as diverse as politics, aesthetics, morals, psychology, rhetoric or even about ‘the art of insulting’. Towards the end of his life, however, he published a monumental work, Parerga and Paraliomenain which he leaves a vital reflection that over the years has become one of his most famous aphorisms. And it’s normal. Ultimately, it sheds light on the meaning of life using a universal metaphor: books. What does it say exactly? That just as essays, novels or plays follow an internal structure without which they would be chaotic, life can be divided into parts that, in a certain way, explain each other. To be more precise, in his ‘Eudemonology’, Schopenhauer tells us: “In a broader sense, it can be said that the first forty years of existence provide the text and the next thirty the commentary, which then makes us understand well the true meaning, then the morality and all the subtleties (…). At the end of life there is something that reminds us of the end of a masked ball, when the masked men retire.” Is it the only quote on the subject? No. In his work, Schopenhauer, who was already over 60 years old when it was published Parerga and Paralipomenagives us many other phrases that point in a similar direction. For example: “In youth, contemplation dominates; in mature age, reflection. That is why the first is the age of poetry; the second, that of philosophy. In practice, likewise, one is determined by perception and its impression during youth; Later, by reflection.” “This comes partly from the fact that in middle age images have been presented and grouped around notions in sufficient numbers to give them importance, weight and value, as well as to moderate at the same time, for custom, the impression of perceptions.”. “Only he who reaches old age receives a complete and measured representation of life, since he encompasses it at a glance in its fullness and in its natural course, in a special way and not merely as others do, only from its beginning, but also from its end, through which he perfectly recognizes its vanity. What do you want to tell us? May your reflections have had so much success It’s not surprising at all. Faced with frustration, defeatism or even pessimism due to the passage of time, Schopenhauer basically reminds us that each period of life has its function in the story of life, just like the parts of a book. During the years of youth we ‘write’ the text, we make decisions, we accumulate experiences, we make mistakes and successes and, ultimately, we form our character and set a path for ourselves both at a professional and personal level. In the second half of life, as we mature, turning 40, it is time to look back and adopt a critical approach that gives us coherence. Beyond Schopenhauer. As remember in TrendsSchopenhauer’s theory connects with those of other actors, such as the psychiatrist Robert N. Butler, who in the 1960s described the tendency of people to review their own biography when they reach old age to make sense of it. After all, we are not just a concatenation of decisions and events, but the story that we ourselves shape and build with those pieces, a story that is in the process of being rewritten. Why at 40 years old? Schopenhauer wrote in the 19th century, the one in which he lived, and this is perceived in his essays. For example, he marks the turning point at 40 years old and outlines a life horizon of another 30 years ahead. The reality is that right now life expectancy in Spain is over 84 years old. That being true, it is undeniable that the Prussian had amazing aim. Today experts use a concept called reminiscence bump (reminiscence peak) that describes how when entering adulthood, at 30 or more years old, our autobiographical memory becomes especially active. The phenomenon connects in some way with Schopenhauer’s metaphor. “He reminiscence peak refers to the disproportionate amount of autobiographical memories dating from adolescence and early adulthood. It has often been attributed to the consolidation of the mature self in the period encompassed by that peak,” they explain researchers Jonathan Koppel and Dorthe Berntsen. Other authors they define it such as “the increase in the proportion of autobiographical memories of youth observed in those over 40 years of age.” Centering the focus. Does that mean that after 40 the past defeats us? Are we condemned to live chained to continuous memory? No. What Schopenhauer tells us is that when we reach adulthood the focus changes: beyond the experiences or decisions, the story matters. We discover the meaning of the path we have traveled and see things more clearly. We move from the age of poetry to the age of philosophy, paraphrasing Schopenhauer. The reflection of Qarerga and Paralipomena It helps us better understand Schopenhauer’s multifaceted and nuanced thought. To that and something more: understanding that, beyond the patina it may have, philosophical pessimism it’s not exactly the same than psychological pessimism. On the contrary, authors like Schopenhauer offer a path that can be followed with a positive attitude and helps to avoid the goodness that has made happiness an industry. Images | Wikipedia 1 and 2 Via | Trends In … Read more

“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

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