years

Brazil has been pursuing high-speed trains for 20 years. Now it will have the first in South America

by

If we see the list of countries with the most high-speed train linesChina is the one cut the codwith Europe and Japan also on the crest of the wave. However, South America is a territory that neither punctures nor cuts. That’s about to change and, although there are several projects in different countries, the first high-speed train in South America will be in Brazil. And it promises to revolutionize transportation in one of the country’s key corridors. It is not (fast) train territory. Connecting South America by train is extremely complicated. Not only do they have a complex topography with mountains and jungles to overcome, but also an enormous geographical dispersion, political instability in some countries and priorities that have changed with different governments. Currently, the territory is experiencing a revolution. There are countries like Mexico either Chili who are waging war on their own with internal projects, but also a project known as ‘Bioceanic Railway Corridor‘ which will unite the Pacific and Atlantic and connect the port of Santos in Brazil with that of Bayóvar in Peru. Apart from that line, Brazil has its own plans. The Brazilian TAV. The Brazilian high-speed project is not without controversy. The TAV (or High Speed ​​Train) began to take shape in 2004. Named ‘Bandeirantes Express’, the idea was to connect São Paulo with Campinas. It came to nothing and in 2007 it was shelved, but with the arrival of Lula da Silva and the perspective of Soccer World Cup 2014HE relaunched. It would have been the perfect setting, but the dates were not met either and, from lost to the river: we took it back to 2016 for the Rio Olympics. Spoiler: it went wrong due to financing problems, doubts about profitability and, evidently, a lack of interest from the private sector that was not clear about how to recover the investment. Chronology. It would have been the first high-speed train in South America, but it seems that it had not said its last word, because in 2023, the private company TAV Brasil got by the National Land Transportation Agency the authorization to link the main cities of the country: Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The 99-year concession allows them to plan, build and operate the line that, if all goes well, will connect the two cities with intermediate stops between Sao José dos Campos and Volta Redonda. The investment is not clear and is estimated at about 60,000 million reais, which is about 11,000 million euros, and points to a ticket price of around 85 euros for a complete trip. TAV Brazil has announced the following calendar: End of 2026 for the conclusion of feasibility studies. 2027 as the start of construction. 2032 as commercial commissioning. The train. The intention is that the machine reaches speeds of 320 km/h, which would more than meet what is considered the high speed standard (250 km/h) and will allow travel the 400 kilometers between the two megacities in just one hour and forty-five minutes. This is a considerable reduction compared to a current road trip that takes about six hours. Interests. The big question is who will build the system… and the trains. This is a high-stakes project and, as in other parts of the world, geopolitics plays an important role. Historicallythe project has attracted the interest of companies such as the Spanish CAF or the French Alstom (in contention right now for the train in Belgian), but also from Siemens and other leading companies in the sector. TAV Brazil has not closed its doors and is talking with both Spanish companies and Arab funds and, of course, with China, which is becoming a global touchstone in the railway segment. They are revolutionizing Africa, they have a presence in the deployment of the line that will cross South America from Brazil to Peru and getting a piece of the Brazilian high-speed pie would mean another lucrative hit on the table. In any case, the one in Brazil and other projects seem to be beginning to shape the railway future of a Latin America that has had plans for decades, but for various reasons they have not come to fruition. Images | Limongi, Danilo.mac, Mohamed SY In Xataka | The US has been dreaming of its first high-speed train for decades: the California project is being a real nightmare

Years ago we discovered that our ancestors’ dreams were not like ours. There are now thousands of people trying to introduce biphasic sleep into their lives.

by

It’s two or three in the morning and something clicks in your eyes. You wake up. There are five seconds of disorientation. You try to go back to sleep, but many people can’t. In fact, those early morning awakenings they become a curse. Therefore, when they see on social networks that there are experts who recommend sleeping in two blocks (either in more); What’s more, when they read that biphasic sleep It is ‘normal’ biologically speakingthey think maybe they don’t have a problem. Maybe, just maybe, society has the problem. What is true in all this? How human beings sleep. A few years ago, historian Thomas Ekirch discovered recurring references to “first dreams.” It was not something isolated: he found them in documents that covered not only the Middle Ages but also the modern age. Many centuries of “first dreams” that contrasted with the fact that, in short, he did not know what they were talking about. He decided to investigate it in detail and, with this, he managed compile a series of tests historiographical evidence of the existence of a biphasic dream in these periods: according to their research, the first dream lasted from 9 to 11 at night. Then there would be a period of wakefulness (which is dedicated to the most diverse activities: chatting, praying, visiting neighbors…) and, subsequently, there would be another period of sleeping again until dawn. It’s not just something historical. Seduced by Ekirch’s ideas, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr performed an experiment with 15 subjects who were left without artificial light. He found that under certain restrictions (basically limiting their leisure activities), participants adopted a biphasic pattern. This has triggered the ‘two-phase evangelizers’. And, in fact, it is increasingly common to find people who defend it. The problem is that this ‘natural’ pattern is highly debatable. Yes, in the pre-industrial European era many slept in two phases: but that is not ‘natural’. As Wehr himself discovered, it is, in any case, the natural adaptation to short days (around 10 hours). If we go closer to the equator, where the days are more stable, the anthropological evidence does not find the same patterns. What does this mean? That there are no magical ways. If we review the research on naps, for example, we will see cases in which there is a lower cardiovascular risk and others in which cardiometabolic risk skyrockets. Here we are defenders of the napbut only when it makes sense. The bottom line here is that lack of sleep or poor quality sleep has been linked to immunological problems, metaboliccardiac, psychological and cognitive. Not only that, the scientific literature is full of studies showing an increase in coronary heart diseaseof the diabetes and of the obesity. To make matters worse, social problems they are also on the agenda. The important thing, therefore, is to find a way of sleeping that works for us. And for this we have some tricks. a lot of tricks: turn sleep into a routine (whatever it may be), exercise throughout the day, do not consume substances that affect it, relax and use our physiology to our advantage. However, the central trick is not to overwhelm ourselves. As we said years agothe idea behind all sleep experts is that, we can use certain techniques to help us sleep, but the only way to cultivate restful sleep is to reconcile ourselves to it. Image | Mussi Katz In Xataka | When “dying of sleep” is literal: This is how not sleeping can kill us

Archaeologists have been fascinated by the largest temple in the Mayan world for years. Now we know that it is a map of the cosmos

by

Our knowledge about the first Mesoamericans they just widened. And in a big way. A team led by professors from the University of Arizona has published a study with new revelations about Aguada Phoenixa site located east of the state of Tabasco, Mexico, near the border with Guatemala. Said like that, it may not seem like a big deal, but Aguada Fénix is ​​not just any place. When it was discovered, about five years ago, showed up as “the largest and oldest Mayan monument ever discovered.” Now we know that he also had some surprises in store for us. What is Aguada Fénix? To answer that question we have to go back a few years, to 2017, when with the help of lidar technology A team led by two professors from the University of Arizona (UA), Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan, identified an ancient monument that until then had gone unnoticed in the state of Tabasco, very close to Guatemala. The laser beams, capable of passing through tree canopies and revealing three-dimensional shapes, showed nothing more nor less than a monument of more than 1,400 meters long, about 400 wide and between 9 and 15 high. That’s right from the start, because if you go beyond the central platform the set occupies much more spacewith roads and enormous pipelines connected to a nearby lagoon. Why is it important? Because of its reach. And historical relevance. When the archaeologists began to excavate and resorted to radiocarbon dating, they had another surprise: the complex had been built between the years 1000 and 800 BC, which was older than the archaeological site of Ceibalin Guatemala, considered the oldest ceremonial center. Aguada Fénix therefore left a double surprise for the researchers, as confirmed in 2020when announcing the discovery, the University of Arizona itself: not only was previous Ceibal, but stood out in size. In fact, it became the “largest known monument in Mayan history”, far surpassing the pyramids and palaces built during subsequent centuries. And why is it news now? Because researchers have not been content with presenting Aguada Fénix to the world. Over the last few years They have continued investigatingexpanding our knowledge of a complex that actually extends far beyond the central platform and the nine roads initially identified. Thanks to tools such as LIDAR, experts have found out that it extends kilometers further and detected an extensive hydraulic system with channels 35 meters wide and five meters deep with a dam. Have they discovered anything else? Yes. To begin with, Aguada Fénix probably served as a very special ceremonial center, a “cosmogram” that represented the order of the universe as its creators understood it. During the excavations they discovered a cross-shaped well in which they recovered ceremonial artifacts, pieces that offer us “unprecedented information about the first Mayan rituals.” To be more precise, they found jade axes and ornaments showing a crocodile, a bird and a woman giving birth. “It is like a model of the cosmos. They thought that it is ordered according to this cruciform pattern and that this is linked to the order of time,” adds Inomata. Ritual decorations? Not only that. When they reached the bottom of the pit, the researchers located another smaller cruciform structure with a new surprise. There they found mineral pigments, mounds of blue, green and yellow tones that mark cardinal points. “We knew that there are colors linked to directions, and that is important for all Mesoamerican peoples, even the Native American peoples of North America,” comments Inomata. “But we’ve never had pigments arranged this way. This is the first case where we found them associated with each specific direction. It was exciting.” And what were they doing there? Archaeologists believe that the different pigments and other materials were arranged as an offering and then covered with sand and earth. They also verified that radiocarbon dating dates them to around 900-845 BC. With all this data on the table, they do not rule out that people later returned to the monument to perform rituals and deposit objects. Another revealing fact is that the central axis of the Aguada Fénix monument seems to align with the sunrise on two very specific dates: October 17 and February 24, 130 days apart, which suggests to experts that it represented half of the Mesoamerican ritual cycle of 260 days. Inomata remembers that it would not be exceptional. The layout would agree with that of other Mayan sites. Why is it so relevant? Beyond the scope of the site itself, the new findings are relevant for what they tell us about the ancient inhabitants of the region. For a start, remember from the UAdebunks the old theory that Mesoamericans grew gradually and dedicated themselves to building increasingly larger settlements until they reached Tikal in Guatemala or Teotihuacán in central Mexico. Aguada Fénix is ​​long before the heyday of both enclaves, which does not mean that it is “as big or even bigger than them.” “What we are discovering is that there was a ‘big bang’ of construction at the beginning of 1,000 BC that no one really knew about,” reflects Inomata. With the discovery of the state of Tabasco it is confirmed that “from the beginning” there was large-scale planning and construction. Aguada Fénix is ​​so old in fact and anticipates so much of the Mayan apogee (around the 3rd-10th centuries AD) that experts are not sure whether its builders spoke Mayan languages. In any case they do admit “a strong cultural continuity” with later communities. How the hell did they build it? That is another of the most suggestive conclusions of the study that Inmoata and his colleagues have published in Science Advances. In it they slip a curious theory: although it is known that other enclaves, such as Tikal, in Guatemala, were governed by powerful monarchs, in the case of Aguada Fénix there are no indications that speak of powerful rulers with the ability to force their subjects to work. That does not mean … Read more

Five years ago, Airbus promised a zero-emission aircraft. Now it’s not so clear

by

The transport sector has been fighting for some years against a great enemy: its own CO₂ emissions. According to the European Environment Agency, this sector was the responsible of approximately 30% of emissions. And, of the total of these emissions, civil aviation represented 13.4%. The answer? The electrification in the case of land transportsomething that has been evolving at a good pace. In the case of commercial aviation, electricity was not opted for, but for hydrogen. The European Airbus was one of the companies that first jumped into the pool with a commitment to achieve the decarbonization goals with which the European Union seems to be very committed. Your proposal: hydrogen-powered zero-emission aircraft. That was the proposal in 2020 with a view to being achieved by 2035, and the prototypes of some companies they seemed hopeful. However, hydrogen has not done as well as many expected and the consequences are there: where it said “I say”, it says “Diego”, and now Airbus is not so clear that your zero-emission plane arrives on schedule. Airbus, its “green” plane and the turnaround of the industry Airbus’s proposal was extremely ambitious, since its hydrogen-powered aircraft would mark the greatest aeronautical revolution since the appearance of the jet engine. The idea was have hydrogen planes in the air by 2035for which presented three concepts: A turbofan for 200 passengers and 3,704 kilometers of range. A turbofan mixed wing model also for 200 passengers and 3,704 autonomy. A turboprop for 100 passengers and 1,852 kilometers of range. Its roadmap included the design of gas turbines with fuel injectors for hydrogen combustion to occur, but also models with completely electric systems powered by hydrogen fuel cells. They invested 1.7 billion dollars in the projectbut things began to go wrong both for Airbus and for the hydrogen industry as a vehicle “engine.” Germany is a good example of the difficulties of hydrogen as a fuel, at least for private vehicles. By the end of 2024, the main hydrogen station operator began to close facilities because there was no demand. The German Association of Energy and Water Industries itself revealed in a report that planned storage projects were significantly behind projected demand. For the private car, it seems that electrification has won the game, but in other types of vehicles such as trucks, buses or airplanes themselves, this fuel seemed to continue to be a valid option. At the beginning of this year, however, Reuters reported that Airbus was having problems obtaining green hydrogen. There is many types of hydrogen and their colors indicate how they have been obtained. What the sector needs is the so-called green hydrogen, which is produced thanks to renewable energies such as solar or wind. It is a process that needs a lot of investment and the company’s CEO doubted that enough could be produced to make commercial flights with hydrogen aircraft profitable. They did not shelve the project and, in fact, at the Airbus 2025 Summit reaffirmed their engagement, but soon after it seems they thought better of it. As we read in The Wall Street Journalthe company cut the budget allocated to green hydrogen airplane research by a quarter. Citing “technical challenges,” the company has reassigned staff other departments and the engineers responsible for the project appear to have gone back to the planning table. It is not a “never will arrive”, but it does seem to represent a slowdown in the plans that would imply that they would not arrive with that plane by 2035. In fact, in TWSJ they comment that Airbus defends that the money has not been thrown away and that delaying the project will allow the technology to be perfected. “Our destiny has not changed, but we need to adjust to reality to get there,” commented Bruno Fichefeux, head of future aeronautics programs. But it is not only Airbus that has taken a turn in its green policy. At the beginning of this year we saw that large oil companies began to stop or cut investment in their renewable energy programs to refocus on fossil fuel production. In this case it is not because the technology is green, but because there is an entity that has appeared on the board that requires large amounts of energy immediately: the data centers for AI training. Returning to hydrogen aircraft, although Airbus has put the brakes on its strategy, assuming a delay of five yearsthere are other companies that had a similar roadmap. For example, ZeroAviawhat’s next committed with hydrogen-powered flight and that has several models programmed in its roadmap, with 200-seat aircraft by 2040. Images | ZeroAviaAirbus In Xataka | The plan to clean the air by capturing CO₂ has just received a blow of reality: the Earth does not have as much space as we thought

The world has been wondering for years whether The Line is viable or a megalomaniac fantasy. The answer is becoming clearer

by

You will like it more or less, but something cannot be denied to The Linethe ambitious ‘corridor city’ that Saudi Arabia wants to build in the middle of the desert: it does not leave anyone indifferent. After all, it is not every day that a 170 km long, 500 m high and 200 m wide metropolis made up of skyscrapers is built from scratch. Since the country’s crown prince presented the project, back in 2021the world has wondered if it is feasible or an extravagance doomed to failure. The question has continued to rage ever since, despite the start of works. Now it’s starting to become clear. What has happened? That The Line goes through turbulence. Although Saudi Arabia’s flagship megaproject has advanced on the ground, something that its promoters have made clear by sharing aerial imagesin recent days they have jumped several news that suggest that dark clouds appear on the horizon. Recently the Reuters agency informed that the priority now is to complete a first section of 2.4 kilometers, far from the 170 km that the project aspires to (its idea is to accommodate nine million people) or the structure that they wanted to have ready. looking forward to 2030. Meanwhile, other media talk about challenges or change of course. What exactly do we know? This is not the first news that suggest that Saudi Arabia was optimistic when considering the magnitude and schedule of The Line, but now they seem to confirm something important: the project (actually NEOM or the entire Vision 30 plan) is not immune to economic ups and downs and challenges in financing the works. This is how he revealed it a few days ago Reuters, which assures that Saudi Arabia plans to reorient its sovereign fund (PIF) of 925,000 million, a strategic financing lever, away from real estate megaprojects. While NEOM advocates large constructions, such as The Line, a futuristic ‘corridor city’ 170 km long, 500 m high and 200 m wide with the capacity to house nine million people, the new strategy would focus the PIF on investments with more sustainable returns in the short term. This involves logistics, tourism, AI or data centers. As remember The Timesthe Vision 2030 plan was based on a scenario in which a barrel of oil was trading at $100. Now it is around 60 and has not reached triple digits since 2022. What does that mean? “We spent too much. We acted at full speed. Now we have a deficit. We need to redefine our priorities,” he acknowledged. a few days ago a Saudi official at an investment forum held in Riyadh: Other sources speak directly of “course correction” and a scenario that requires being “more conservative” in investments. Even the country’s Minister of Economy, Faisal Alibrahim, has explained that they are “reorienting priorities towards the sectors that need it most.” “And today that sector is technology, AI.” Does that mean that mega structures are shelved? Jerry Inzerillo, an American executive who advises the crown prince, warns that he can’t go that far: “Don’t forget that nothing has been cancelled. It may just take a little longer. The ambition is still intact.” For now, at the end of 2024 the sovereign fund placed its investments in Saudi megaprojects in 56 billiona notable sum, but 12.4% below the previous year. Does it only affect The Line? No. The Line is not the only one that has seen its original plans complicated. The Times keep it up that the Trojena tourist hub may not be in time for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, as expected. The project would not actually be completed until 2032, which would have led South Korea to prepare to serve as headquarters in four years. There are other large developments in the country, such as the island of Sindalah or the district New Murabba of Riyadh, whose completion is expected in 2040, although without ruling out delays. Do you know anything else? Yes. Perhaps the most detailed ‘photo’ of where and what challenges the NEOM megacity faces I gave it on Thursday Financial Timeswhich published an extensive analysis with an illuminating headline: “The end of The Line: how the Saudi dream of NEOM fell apart.” The newspaper points out that, although the promoters insist that the city remains “a strategic priority” and it is possible to see the result of the works in the desert, the authorities have chosen to drastically reduce the first phase. Furthermore, among those who participate or have directly participated in the project there would be misgivings about its viability, as specified by FT. All this between calculations that place the final budget well above what was planned and figures that (at the very least) invite you to raise your eyebrow. For example, the staff interviewed by FT speaks of an enormous need for concrete (just the first 20 modules would need more cement than France produces in a year) and millions of tons of steel. This is without taking into account the logistical, transportation and time challenges or the services that The Line would require to provide for such basic issues as water, mail delivery or waste collection. Is it a surprise? Since the Saudi prince presented the project, years agoThe Line has aroused above all two emotions. Astonishment. And skepticism. The works have started and its promoters have shown that the project will not remain on paper, but another thing is its tempo and if it will reach the ambitious scale that was initially proposed. There are experts who have already warned that, if fulfilled, the vertical megacity will be a kind of hell for its residents. a few months ago transcended In fact, the authorities commissioned several consulting firms to carry out a strategic review of the project to confirm its viability or propose possible changes, a decision that the promoters rejected. Images | NEOM In Xataka | Years ago Alicante opted for an artificial island with a luxurious restaurant and taxi boat. It hasn’t … Read more

Bar terraces have been colonizing the squares of Spain for years. Logroño is proving how difficult it is to change it

by

The terraces of the hoteliers have become a huge hot potato for town councils. It’s nothing new. Their coexistence with the neighbors, especially in the most touristic neighborhoods and with the greatest concentration of homes (as happens in many historic centers) led years ago to not a few town halls to take action and declare acoustically saturated areas. However cases like the one from Logroño They remember that the terraces continue to be a focus of debate. And above all, it is not always easy to balance the interests of bars and neighbors. There, in fact, they have generated a thorny controversy. Why Logroño? Because your City Council has proposed updating the terrace ordinance. In fact the document will pass today by the local plenary sessionheaded by Mayor Conrado Escobar and where the PP has a majority. The new standard will bring important changes for the sector and comes preceded by an intense debate. However, if there is something that stands out (or not) it is for having managed to be the target of criticism from both the neighbors of the historic center as well as the hoteliers. Both are suspicious of the rule, although for different reasons. What does the ordinance say? The Town Hall defend that “rearranges” the public space and “reduces” the hours and surface of the terraces. To be more precise, the municipal government highlights three points. The first, a significant cut in the hours of these facilities: from Sunday to Thursday their maximum time will be 00:00 and on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays, 1:30 a.m. “One daily opening hour is reduced from Sunday to Wednesday, two on Thursdays and a half on weekends with respect to the current norm,” clarify from the Consistory. And the other two objectives? They go through the “reorganization of public space”, restricting the surface that the terraces can ‘colonize’ to give “priority” to pedestrians and increasing the occupancy rate. Another of the guidelines that will appear in the ordinance has to do with the number of tables and chairs that each premises can install to seek “proportionality between the space occupied and the square meters that businesses have granted in their licenses.” The maximum allowable surface area will also suffer a snip: from 120 to 100 m2. What do hoteliers say? Which is a bad idea. And that will have consequences that go beyond the sector. In statements collected by Europa Press, Hostelería Riojana warns that the ordinance “destroys an essential part of the activity of bars, cafes and restaurants in the city” and warns that the terraces are “a hallmark” of Logroño, one that from now on “will be disproportionately limited and restricted.” “It puts Logroño’s tourism at risk and therefore the viability of the hospitality sector in the city, since part of its income comes from these spaces,” they insist. The hoteliers go further and point out that with the new ordinance the City Council “does not ensure the proper balance” in the coexistence between neighbors and businesses and leaves local hoteliers in a delicate position, “increasing legal uncertainty and encouraging arbitrary decisions.” In summary, the sector considers that the rule represents “a real setback” for tourism and demands that the City Council review it. In fact, in June he submitted more than twenty pages of allegations to the draft, although most of them did not materialize. And the neighbors? They’re not much happier. At least those in the historic center. The association Old Town Lawsuit already has shown his discomfort and they accuse the mayor of showing “feeling” toward “the lobby hotelier”, wasting in the process the opportunity to improve the current rule. “It is a cowardly ordinance, which has nothing to do with the one proposed by the municipal technicians a few months ago and which, in practice, means removing four tables and half an hour less than the one that is especially generous with the hospitality industry and anachronistic regulations of 2012, which had turned Logroño into the paradise of drinking and drunk tourism.” Is there any more lake? Yes. One of the keys to their anger is the differences between the draft standard and the final project. As you remember, the first document advanced the closing on weekends at 1:00 a.m., when the tables should have been cleared. The Government ended up incorporating an amendment that raised the limit at 1:30 a.m. the days of greatest demand, such as Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. Another of the most sensitive changes is related to the authorized size for terraces based on the surface area of ​​the premises. If the useful area was taken as a reference, it would have been transferred to the real area, which includes bathrooms, kitchen or warehouse. The Town Hall itself remember that the preliminary project was approved in February and later went through a phase of allegations before receiving a first approval in May. Does it only happen in Logroño? No. A year ago we told you how Seville wanted to review its ordinance to facilitate coexistence between the terraces of candlelights and the neighbors, which also sparked considerable debate there. Other locations, such as Madrid, Vigo, Barcelona either Malagato name just a handful of examples, have seen firsthand how complicated it is to regulate terraces. In the background is the enormous weight they have in the Spanish sector: a 2021 report published by the Madrid City Council estimated that terraces, “a substantial source of income”, provide between 20 and 25% of business billing. The calculation was made in the middle of a pandemic, but it is still revealing. Images | Logroño City Council and Chris Arnold In Xataka | The hoteliers promised themselves happy with the enormous business of the terraces. Until the new anti-smoking law arrived

Years ago Alicante opted for an artificial island with a luxurious restaurant and taxi boat. It hasn’t turned out as I expected

by

The idea was good. AND on paper It was fable. Set up a restaurant an artificial island in the heart of the port of Alicante, a benchmark in the Valencian hospitality industry where people could eat paella or have a drink with views of the Mediterranean (directly on it, rather), surrounded by sailboats. So that clients could reach the island, it was even thought to build a taxi boat. The idea sounded so good, in fact, that the Port of Alicante decided to invest heavily in it, dedicating millions of euros to it. Now instead of an idyllic island to drink mojitos and coffees in the middle of the mouth what it has is a huge mess. An artificial island? That’s how it is. To understand it you have to go back a few years, to beginning of 2022when the Alicante Port Authority awarded Vías y Construcciones (subsidiary of the ACS Group) one of its most ambitious projects, at least as far as the interrelation between the docks and the city is concerned. What the Port entrusted to the company was the construction of a large platform at the mouth of its inner dock, a sort of artificial island of 669 m2 (34.8 x 20m) that would be supported with the help of three large 14 m concrete piles anchored to the seabed. The contest was launched with a budget of 2.7 million (taxes apart) and aroused the interest of several companies. The AC Group firm ended up imposing itself on the rest with a project of 2.1 million. And what did they want it for? The platform was just a means, not an end in itself. Its objective was to support a future restaurant located in a privileged enclave, a place that would offer food and drinks not with views of the sea (many bars in Alicante already have that) but directly over the sea. If the island measured 669 m2, the idea was that the building dedicated to hospitality uses would occupy 393 m2 on the ground floor and rise two levels (ground and first floor). The remaining 260 m2 would be dedicated to public access, with a three-meter wide promenade. So that people could reach that privileged enclave, it was also planned a taxi boat. The idea was once again ambitious: a purpose-built, sustainable boat managed directly by the restaurant. Did it stay in theory? No. The Port of Alicante took important steps to make the project a reality. The main one was the awarding of the works for the island platform, which ended up being erected, as can be verified today on the docks. The problem is that what should have been a simple work in theory ended up becoming complicated in a bad way, as recently recognized the Port itself. In 2023 one of the support pillars partially sank, requiring reinforcement work to be carried out on the seabed. From there the project entered a loop that now threatens to condemn it. In fact, the Port insists that it “has never received” the work, which is why it has not considered it good. “Once the work was completed, the contractor company refused to carry out a load test that would allow its stability to be evaluated, as provided for in the contract, and as an essential procedure for the port to sign the acceptance of the work,” remember from the organism. What’s more, he claims to have a report of CEDEX (an entity linked to the Ministry of Transportation) that “strongly advises against” carrying out the tests due to “the high risk of collapse of the structure.” And now what? After years of the open platform crisis and after the latest CEDEX report, the Port has decided to make a radical decision. Its last Board of Directors has given the green light to activate the procedures to “resolve” the construction contract for the island. That is, the organism wants break the agreementsomething that has been communicated to those responsible for Roads and Construction. Now the company has ten days to present allegations. Once that period has passed, “and after years of technical and negative incidents”, the proposal will return to the Board of Directors, something that will probably happen before 2026. “In recent years the Port has commissioned audits and expert reports that confirm the irreversible deterioration of the structure and the impossibility of meeting safety standards to locate the restaurant proposed in the original project,” the organization argueswhich in its 2024 accounts already contemplated “impairment losses” of 2.7 million euros, which it has invested in the platform. Is there anything else? Yes. The Port does not only propose to terminate the contract. He also wants the original seabed to be “restored” to “recover the navigable conditions” that existed before the platform works. If the contract finally ends up being broken, it is not unreasonable to think that the conflict will reach court, but the Port Authority assures that it has already touched all possible sticks, so it sees “all avenues to remedy the situation exhausted.” Are there more affected? The Port of Alicante not only awarded the works on the platform. In April 2022 it launched another contest which completed the project with its second fundamental piece: the building that was to rise above the artificial island to act as a restaurant. The one selected for its construction and management was a business alliance between Alicante Gastronómica SL and Restaura Gestión Forty SL, which from that moment became co-protagonists of the project. In fact, they would not only be in charge of the building, an elliptical, glass-enclosed block with a large interior garden patio, a restaurant with views of Alicante and a terrace for cocktails. Another of its functions would be to assume the “maintenance and governance” of the taxi boat that would connect the island, a ship whose investment, precise Alicante Plazatook over the Port and was commissioned for 460,000 euros (taxes included). In January the organization started to try it. Now … Read more

After a love-hate relationship with cinemas that has lasted for years, Netflix has finally decided what it wants them for

by

Netflix finally seems to have assumed what its relationship with cinemas is: using theaters as promotion and as a way to create community with specific and very striking releases, which includes the theatrical release of the sumptuous ‘Frankenstein’ from Guillermo del Toro to the latest and highly anticipated episodes of ‘Stranger Things’. But although now there is complete calm, this relationship has gone through notable ups and downs: from the initial devotion and wanting to become a major of Hollywood to confront the old guard head-on, reaching this current middle ground that benefits both cinemas and the platform. Many moves. For more than a decade, Netflix has radically transformed the audiovisual industryfirst revolutionizing the home consumption model and then challenging traditional film distribution and exhibition systems. Currently, Netflix is ​​a giant available in more than 190 countries, with its own production that competes directly with the majors from Hollywood. And until reaching that point, Netflix has gone through very diverse stages: it tried to position itself as a conventional super-producer, there were controversies, triumphs at the Oscars, a certain cold phase of disagreement and, finally, a more pragmatic adoption of the theatrical space. Devotion and confrontation. In its first years of original production, Netflix wanted to play an important role within the conventional film industry. One of its first early milestones was the 2015 release of the film ‘Beasts of No Nation‘, both in selected rooms and on the platform itself. streaming. A bold move, since it involved challenging the traditional model of release windows that until then gave up an exclusive period of time in theaters before reaching other formats: Traditionally, this window could last between 90 and 180 days. The conflict begins. The powerful North American cinema chains and the most prestigious festivals began to openly reject Netflix moviessince they considered that the absence of a long theatrical window affected the overall profitability of the releases, and would end up damaging the theatrical experience. This situation led to public tensions given that Netflix excluded from some major film festivals for several years. Netflix he defended himself saying that their model prioritized the viewer’s experience at home and that they understood the theaters as a complement and not the core of their business. At the same time, it was generating more and more original production, of increasingly higher quality and budget. And COVID arrived. Netflix’s position backed by traveling companions like HBO (paradoxically, property of a majorWarner, which was beginning to see a clearer benefit in the streaming that in the rooms) had as its fruit a crisis of the film distribution model. The situation became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the decline in viewers, completely settled the streaming experience and gave rise to decisions that were, in a certain sense, the final straw for classic distribution: majors traditional companies such as Disney and Warner releasing blockbusters of the caliber of ‘Mulan’, ‘Black Widow’ or ‘Kong vs. Godzilla’ at the same time on their newborn platforms. streaming and the cinemas. Have a mania Significantly, in May of this same yearTed Sarandos, executive director of the platform, criticized the theatrical experience, which he defined as “outdated” and “restricted.” He stated that the long-running theatrical window, traditionally defended by cinema chains, is not compatible with their business model. And although Netflix recognizes the cultural value of theatrical cinema, for many of its releases, “streaming first” is what drives success and the construction of fandoms. Already then he stated that each film has a “tailored” strategy regarding its relationship with theaters, and that is what we are seeing now. Of course, without passing up the opportunity to say that Netflix is ​​not destroying Hollywood, but “saving” it. Change of strategy. In recent years, Netflix has begun to show an evolution in its strategy regarding movie theaters, adopting a more pragmatic approach. One of the milestones that mark this change, and which was already mentioned in the aforementioned interview with Sarandos, is the decision to make outstanding theatrical premieres for productions with a high potential for cultural and popular impact. Significant example: the premiere of the final season of “Stranger Things” in select theaters, a move that combines the platform’s drawing power with the community and promotional effect of the theatrical experience. Netflix knows well that the theaters are remnants of the past, but they still have an indisputable communal power of attraction: there are films that appeal to specific audiences and very juicy areas of the fandom, as was the case with ‘The K-pop Warriors’. This film was a milestone: the first Netflix title to reach number one at the US box office, which makes clear the company’s ability to use theaters not only as a traditional distribution channel, but as a space to amplify platform phenomena. Hybrid model. Netflix’s current strategy is a hybrid model: it combines the strength of streaming with the cultural and promotional value of the cinema experience. Instead of seeing the rooms as a distribution channel, Netflix uses them as a speaker. Not as competition, but as strategic promotion allies. It is clear that Netflix has discovered what it can get out of traditional exhibition: Now it remains to be seen if the theaters understand what they can get out of a hypothetical (and much-needed) symbiotic relationship. In Xataka | 13 premiere movies and series to watch in November 2025 on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and streaming

We have been wondering for years if we can put an end to tobacco once and for all. Maldives is convinced that yes

by

We live in 2025 and, as you have surely noticed, there are people who smoke. Many people, in fact: according to estimates that we handle, more than a billion people will smoke in the near future. And it is a bit infuriating because it not only shows the inability of our societies to put a stop to a habit that kills seven million people every year. But it shows that we don’t want to solve the problem either. The best example is what is happening in the Maldives. What is happening? Well, as just approvedfrom November 1, 2025, no one born on or after January 1, 2007 will be able to buy or consume tobacco in the Maldives. It’s something about what is being talked about for a long time: given the difficulties in prohibiting tobacco (due to the large mass of smokers there are), a large generational ban is proposed. Obviously, it is not an isolated event. In recent years, Maldives has hardened (and a lot) its tobacco policy. It has banned all electronic cigarettes, raised tariffs and increased fines for everything related to this product. It’s not a new idea. On the contrary, there was a plan like this in New Zealand (which ended up repealed) and in the UK They have been discussing it for years. However, the Maldives has become the first country to implement a nationwide generational ban. It is, therefore, the end of the road of a long social controversy about how to put an end to the tobacco industry once and for all: an imperative measure (on a health level), questionable (on an ethical level) and, until now, unviable (on a political level). That is why the Maldivian experiment is so interesting: because it is a gamble with a health, legal and tourism impact that we are only now going to begin to understand. Although that doesn’t mean we go blind. There are incontestable realities: when we talk about tobacco we are not only talking about the economic burden derived from health (cardiovascular diseases, COPD, cancer…) but also the social burden derived from the dependence of consumers and its negative effects on their quality of life (sleep disturbance, anxiety and other psychological problems). We must not lose sight of the fact that in the Maldives, for example, around half of men smoke. A radical measure that has been highly disputed for years. During the processing of the idea in UK the controversy was enormous. And it is logical: a priori, it is a measure that attacks one of the basic foundations of any rule of law, equality before the law. In this case, a social model is created with “differentiated rights” depending on the year of birth. Nobody doubts the savings and improvement in public health that it would cause; but many people believe that the proportionality of the measure, the loss of tax revenue and the difficulty of execution They turn it into a toast to the sun. Europe is not talking about any of this for now, but everyone is looking at the Malvinas… if it works, it will be a conversation we will have to have. Image | Ishan @seefromthesky | Mohd Jon Ramlan In Xataka | The two faces of the tobacco industry: This is how tobacco companies rely on technology to survive

Years ago someone dreamed of a floating megacity. The result is a 550-meter “terayate” for 60,000 people

by

The ocean is full of infrastructures that once sounded crazy. With his almost 400 meters in length the ship Ever Given would surely sound like science fiction to any 19th century engineer, as would the ability of the Blue Marlin to transport infrastructure the size of an aircraft carrier or the gigantic dimensions of the ship’s engine Emma Maerskwhich at 13.5 meters high and 27 meters long looks more like a mansion than a machine. In naval engineering the limit is your imagination. Or, if the technique still does not allow you to translate the idea into reality, wait long enough. The Italian designer must have thought something similar Pierpaolo Lazzarinifrom the Lazzarini studio, who in 2009 began to think about a crazy idea: building a floating megacitya gigantic structure capable of hosting tens of thousands of people, hotels, commercial spaces, parks and even facilities for aircraft and other smaller vessels in the middle of the ocean. Breaking the mold Not only that. Already starting to dream – Lazzarini must have thought – why not give it the appearance of a terayate, a boat format so large that it surpasses the super, mega or even “gigayacht” categories. And curling the curl a little more: Why not design that mass to look like a sea turtle? It seems crazy, but that’s what came out of the workbench of Lazzarini, a studio that has already made headlines for its designs. dream vehicles, luxury boats, flying devices either architectural proposals floating. Of course, without the caliber of his latest idea. His proposal is called Pangeos and was presented as nothing more nor less than an immense “itinerant floating city”a chelonian-shaped vessel of 550 meters in length and a beam of 610 m at its widest point, measurements that would make it a true titan of the seas, much larger than the Ever Giventhe transatlantic Wonder of the Seas or even the Seawise Giant. “At the moment it’s just a concept, but it’s starting to become more than just computer animation,” Lazzarini recognizedwhich launched an online dossier with images and videos. In an attempt to go further, in 2023 its promoters promoted an NFT crowdfunding to sell “virtual spaces”. All in all, it does not seem that Pangeos will become a reality in the short term. The studio estimates that shaping its project would cost around 8 billion dollars and the work that would last about eight years. Once finished it would become “the largest floating structure ever built”, with 60,000 accommodations. Its hull will be divided into 30,000 floating cells. Its wings are designed to get energy of the resistance and the waves that break against the hull and along its roof there would be solar panels that would supply it with energy. The vessel, with a draft of approximately 30 meters, would be capable of moving at a speed of five knots. Building a record structure requires record resources. Not only because of the enormous amount of funds and work that Pangeos would need. Giving it shape will require a huge shipyard—”tera shipyard,” he points out—in which they have also thought. The idea is to have a facility with a dock that can be flooded to allow it to float once the yacht is finished. The structure designed by the studio would 650 meters wide by 600 long and would have its own access to the sea. As for where, those responsible have opted for Saudi Arabia, a location located about two kilometers from the King Abdullah Harbor. Although Pangeos is fascinating and its structure seems straight out of a science fiction movie, it is not the first floating community project. Long before Lazzari, other studios embarked on the adventure of designing their own traveling cities. One of the most recent is the MV Narrativean exclusive residential ship of 229 meters in length and 547 “residences-cabins”. The crown of the projects, however, goes to another structure worthy of the most fertile imaginations: the enormous Freedom Shipa boat designed for 100,000 passengers. Norman Nixon launched the proposal in the 90s, but so far he has not managed to put his impressive infographics into practice. They all share the same basic ingredient: ambition and imagination. Images | Lazzarini Design Studio In Xataka | This is Freedom Ship, the megaship designed to become a floating city with 100,000 passengers *An earlier version of this article was published in November 2022

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.