The exciting biography of the co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection together with Charles Darwin is, in general, little known, since he is usually associated only with this scientific milestone. However, other equally important scientific contributions are usually forgotten, as well as his adherence to mesmerism and Spiritualism, issues that would end … Read more
Who hasn’t ever imagined enjoying the “superpower” of bats? These animals (as well as dolphins, various species of whales and some birds) emit sounds in the form of clicks that bounce off surfaces and bodies in the environment. The returned echo is picked up by specialized organs and processed by the brain. In this way, … Read more
The superstitions and the great respect that sailors show to the unfathomable ocean are understandable. It remains that great unknown containing unexpected surprises and dangers. It is true that some phenomena can be predicted in advance thanks to known physical patterns and processes, but others may manifest themselves more abruptly and unexpectedly. Ernest Shackleton, the … Read more
The monks Roger of Wendover, in his 12th century Chronicle, and Mathew Paris, in the early 13th century, relate that an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman of exuberant beauty and greater goodness rode naked on a beautiful snowy steed with her hair as her only covering with the mission of persuading her husband to lower the abusive taxes … Read more
Jägermeister is a herbal liqueur which has become quite popular for some time now, especially among the young public. There are some enigmas surrounding the famous brand, starting with its ingredients, jealously hidden by the company. As with Coca Cola, only some of the 56 herbs, roots and flowers that make up its formula have … Read more
Each nation has its own particular treasures, so considered for their symbolic and patrimonial value rather than for the superficial monetary value they may have (which is often invaluable). They are symbols that harbor the pride and historical essence of a country and, for this reason, are revered by the population. The crown of St. … Read more
It was the end of August 1859. Those who looked at the sky from certain latitudes saw strange lights, unusual northern and southern auroras that should not be there, while, at the same time, the Sun was progressively filling with “small” moles. The inhabitants of Cuba or Honolulu could see the spectral lights of the … Read more
The neurotic fear during the Cold War against enemy attack led the world powers to develop all sorts of extravagant projects to defend themselves and outdo each other. Hypocritically cloaked under the umbrella of scientific research, these preventive measures actually responded to a military emergency. It was in this context that the West Ford Project … Read more
It is overwhelming to see medieval knights in the movies, loaded with their heavy plate armor and fighting to the death in some crude battle. Canned in kilos of steel, they could at best move around like clumsy robots, right? Well, it’s time to abandon this distressing vision, because these armors were made to provide … Read more
Social panic is a great excuse, a subterfuge used by cowards to avoid disclosing sensitive information. Data that, if known, rather than generating collective fear, would help to save lives. From Saturday, November 7, 1970 onwards, one of these informative censorships spread, as much or more than the trail of harmful radioactive isotopes that leaked … Read more
1990 was a tremendously turbulent year for Madrid and, more specifically, for one of its neighborhoods: Cerro Belmonte. The residents of the humble but tenacious neighborhood were unwilling to comply with a speculative plan supported by the Madrid City Council to expropriate and evict 125 families in exchange for building luxury villas. Thus, the first … Read more
Human beings need to archive information. This may be due to his innate curiosity and his unstoppable desire to know and not to forget. This is why we invented data storage media, designed to replace the oral transmission of knowledge, which is imperfect and subject to alterations. We quickly think of hard disks or USB … Read more
Although space may seem a distressing and empty place, the truth is that it is full of millions of roaming travelers that, from time to time, can be seen from Earth. There are several types of them, and you’ve probably wondered more than once how to distinguish them. Here are some clues: Asteroids: rocky masses … Read more
It is the life of the hoax party. It has been an unprecedented success in social networks. Thanks to it, everyone now knows that messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines do all sorts of nasty things to our genetic material. Needless to say, everything they cause is bad. Yes, conspiracists are extremely pessimistic… The truth is that … Read more
Because of this peculiarity, they look like creatures out of some disturbed mind, but they are very real, both they and their bloody “weepings”. They do not “weep” blood because they have seen something horrifying, but because it is an extremely curious defense mechanism. This behavior has been recorded mainly in some species of horned … Read more
In crisis situations, fear and unease find a very pleasant niche in which to prosper. So do those who feed and promote those fears. Complexity is unpleasant, and our world, fortunately or unfortunately, is complex. All the events we experience involve a myriad of factors, so it is not easy to explain them or find … Read more
With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), our conception of intelligence has been slightly disrupted. After all, AI machines meet the requirements of some of the definitions of “intelligence”, such as solving complex problems. So, can machines think? This question was already proposed in the middle of the last century by one of the fathers … Read more
In a scene from the first episode of the acclaimed Disney+ series Loki (keep calm, there are no spoilers), the charismatic Norse god of deception played by Tom Hiddleston is on a plane smartly attired in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, sunglasses. Calmly, he gives a brief note to the purser who has … Read more
It seems that we are referring to the Pleistocene if we consider that 32 years ago, in 1989, the idea of the Bluetooth technology emerged, a wireless networking system designed to connect devices of all kinds with each other, to somehow unify technology. The Swedes Nils Rydbeck and Johan Ullman of Ericsson Mobile were the … Read more
I imagine you are all prepared for this unique night. What is going to be celebrated? Today is the “witches’ night”, one of the most important festivities of the witches’ calendar in Northern Europe. On this night, one of the most intense and frightening witches’ sabbaths of the year takes place at the Brocken Peak … Read more