One of the last things you want to do after a heated argument is sit down and have a meal with the person you’ve just fallen out with. But Spain may have found a surprisingly tasty way around that awkwardness, and it seems the answer could be sitting right in the middle of the table.

A new study has found that 90 per cent of people in Spain believe one particular meal can help bring people back together after a disagreement. And the findings suggest it may do rather more than simply give two people something to eat while they avoid looking at each other.

Spain has found its peace offering

The study, commissioned by Arroz La Fallera, asked 1,000 people aged between 18 and 65 about the role food plays in bringing people together. Across Spain, 85 per cent said sharing a paella can help people reconcile after a conflict, while in the Valencian Community, where the dish has particularly strong cultural roots, that figure climbs to 90 per cent.

The results also suggest this isn’t just something people like the idea of. More than half of those surveyed, 54 per cent, said they had already used a paella meal to smooth over differences with someone, while another 44 per cent said they had actually made peace with someone over a paella. So while nobody is suggesting that a plate of rice can magically settle every family feud, plenty of people apparently believe there is something about sitting down together that helps.

A meal that gets people talking

The survey also looked at what happens during the meal itself, and this is where the findings become particularly interesting. A huge 93 per cent of respondents said sharing a paella makes them more willing to listen without interrupting, followed by 92 per cent who said they would be prepared to discuss their differences respectfully. Another 92 per cent said they would be more willing to look for common ground. Perhaps that makes sense when you consider how paella is normally eaten. It isn’t usually a quick meal grabbed between two appointments.

The pan goes in the middle of the table, everyone gathers around it and the meal becomes something shared, creating time to talk, listen and, perhaps, remember why you liked the person before you started arguing with them. In the Valencian Community, 90 per cent also said sharing paella was a good way to reconnect with family or friends, giving the dish an even stronger connection with social occasions there.

Paella beats tortilla

The research also asked Spaniards to name their favourite dish, and paella came out on top. Forty-five per cent chose paella as their favourite, putting it comfortably ahead of tortilla de patatas, which was selected by 24 per cent. That gives paella a fairly impressive double role: it is not only the dish most strongly associated with bringing people back together in the survey, but also the one most people chose as their favourite.

Its connection with social occasions may help explain why. Paella is often associated with family meals, weekends, celebrations and gatherings where the food is prepared for several people rather than served as an individual plate. The cooking, the waiting and the meal itself all create reasons for people to stay together.

Could food really end an argument?

There is an obvious catch. The survey shows what people believe about sharing paella; it cannot prove that eating one will actually end an argument. The research was also commissioned by Arroz La Fallera, so the findings need to be viewed in that context. But the responses do show how strongly food is tied to socialising in Spain. The fact that 54 per cent of those surveyed said they had already used a paella meal to smooth over differences suggests this is not simply a theoretical idea.

And with 44 per cent saying they had actually reconciled with someone over one, there are plenty of people who can apparently point to a paella as part of a successful peace treaty. The study was released around World Paella Day on September 20, when the dish was already taking centre stage across Spain and beyond. Perhaps there is something to be said for a solution that requires neither a mediator nor a carefully worded apology. If you’re still refusing to speak to each other, someone just needs to make the first move and bring out the paella.

Scientists studying 3I/ATLAS have uncovered another surprise around the comet that captured worldwide attention. Measurements show gas escaping around the interstellar visitor is moving more slowly than expected, raising questions about what is driving its activity.

The findings published by IRAM on September 14 draw on observations made near the comet’s closest approach to the Sun in October 2025. They also reveal chemical proportions that differ from those found in comets belonging to our Solar System. For researchers, those differences offer clues about the distant environment where 3I/ATLAS formed.

What scientists found around 3I/ATLAS

A team led by Nicolas Biver used the IRAM telescope to examine the cloud of gas and dust surrounding the comet, known as its coma. They found that some chemicals were present in different proportions from those typically measured in Solar System comets. Hydrogen cyanide was depleted, while the ratio of sulphur to carbon was particularly low.

Another unexpected result came from the gas itself. Its measured speed was slower than researchers anticipated for the comet’s activity and distance from the Sun. One possible explanation is that heavier molecules, such as carbon dioxide, are driving the outflow. Another involves icy grains releasing water as they evaporate around the comet. The observations leave both possibilities open.

Why this visitor is so valuable

Most comets astronomers study formed within our Solar System. 3I/ATLAS arrived from beyond it, carrying material from a different stellar environment. As NASA explains, it is only the third known interstellar object discovered passing through our celestial neighbourhood. Its trajectory shows that it came from outside the Solar System.

That makes every measurement valuable. Astronomers can compare its ingredients with familiar comets and investigate how the building blocks of other planetary systems might differ. For the background to its discovery and journey, read EWN’s guide to the rare comet from another star system.

A telescope in Spain uncovered another clue

Separate research announced in September used the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma to examine charged gases in the comet’s tail. According to the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, the measurements suggest 3I/ATLAS formed in extremely cold conditions, likely below minus 240 degrees Celsius, far from its home star.

The team identified five different ions simultaneously, providing an unusually detailed view of the tail of an interstellar object. This adds to earlier work examining its history, including the research covered in EWN’s report on why 3I/ATLAS could be an exceptionally ancient comet.

Does 3I/ATLAS pose a threat to Earth?

No. NASA says 3I/ATLAS posed no threat to Earth. Even at its closest approach, it remained around 270 million kilometres from our planet. Its scientific importance comes from its origins and composition.

As researchers continue analysing the observations, the question is whether its unusual chemistry is common among comets from other star systems, or whether this visitor is an exceptional example. Answering that will require more interstellar discoveries. For now, 3I/ATLAS is giving astronomers a rare opportunity to investigate material formed around another star.

Good news is back for anyone heading across the Costa del Sol this autumn. Toll prices on the AP-7 have returned to their cheaper winter prices from October 1. Summer peak pricing ended on September 30, so the standard 2026 tariffs now apply at the Calahonda, San Pedro Alcantara and Manilva toll booths.

Standard prices for cars and light vehicles

Each booth charges in two ways. The “troncal” is the main toll on the motorway itself, while the “lateral” is a smaller charge for joining or leaving via a slip road. The light category covers motorbikes, cars, certain two-axle vans and two-axle minibuses. All prices include IVA, Spain’s version of VAT, and the summer price is in brackets:

Calahonda main toll: €5.70 (€9.25)
Calahonda slip road: €3.55 (€5.75)
San Pedro main toll: €3.85 (€6.25)
San Pedro slip road: €2.20 (€3.60)
Manilva main toll: €2.45 (€4.05)
Manilva slip road: €1.20 (€2.00)

Driving the full route between Malaga and Guadiaro now costs €12 each way, compared with €19.55 over the summer.

What about heavy vehicles?

Reductions are smaller for bigger vehicles. “Pesado 1” (Heavy 1) covers two- and three-axle lorries and some vans or minibuses towing trailers. Prices at Calahonda and San Pedro stay as they were in summer, but Manilva falls from €4.60 to €3.65 for the main toll and from €2.25 to €1.80 for the slip road.

“Pesado 2” (Heavy 2) includes lorries with four or more axles and several types of coach. These drivers pay less at every booth:

Calahonda: €11.35 main toll (was €15.25) and €7.05 slip road (was €9.50)
San Pedro: €7.70 main toll (was €10.35) and €4.45 slip road (was €5.95)
Manilva: €4.80 main toll (was €6.95) and €2.35 slip road (was €3.40)

Why are tolls cheaper from October?

Ausol, the company that runs the motorway, uses a two-season system set under national government regulations. Peak rates apply from June 1 to September 30, plus 17 days around Easter, running from the Friday before Holy Week to the Sunday after Easter Sunday. Standard rates cover everything else.

Summer prices sit roughly 63% above standard ones, which is why October feels like a relief even though this is simply the normal winter tariff rather than a new discount.

How do these prices compare with last winter?

Standard rates are a touch higher than a year ago. Calahonda’s main toll went from €5.50 to €5.70, San Pedro’s from €3.71 to €3.85, and Manilva’s rose by 9 cents to €2.45.