You might consider writing a note, putting it in a bottle, and throwing it into the ocean. People(do) that for centuries, for these and all kinds of reasons. Some messages have made remarkable journeys in bottles through the ages, like the current titleholder for the world's oldest seafaring note. This one was dropped from a German ship into the Indian Ocean in June 1886, only(discover) in 2018 by a woman walking with a friend on a remote beach in Western Australia.
When the note dried, the woman discovered that the message contained the day when it was written, the exact place which it was sent, and who wrote it. it turns out, the bottle was dropped by the captain of a German ship who was investigating ocean and trade routes. He wanted to see where the bottle would end up, so the note asked was reading it to contact the nearest German officials.
Amazingly, researchers were able to identify the note they found the captain's original journal from 1886. One of the entries mentioned a drift bottle (throw) overboard on the very same date, from the exact same site as detailed in the note, and even the handwriting matched!
But the captain wasn't the first person interested in finding out where a bottled message might end up. In fact, the first known message in a bottle (launch) with the same intention. Around 310 BCE, the Greek philosopher Theophrastus dropped several sealed bottles into the Aegean Sea, (hope) to prove that the Mediterranean Sea was connected to the Atlantic Ocean. But is uncertain whether the bottles he dropped ever made their way to the Atlantic.
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A. advanced B. automatically C. bay D. boost E. contained F. exposed G. interacted H. randomly I. reaction J. sprayed K. spread |
Change Behavior to Prevent Infection
During flu season, frequent hand-washing is a must, as is avoiding co-workers or friends who are sick. But we humans are not the only animals that change behavior to keep diseases at , and so do ants.
Nathalie of the University of Lausanne and her colleagues observed ants to see their to the presence of a pathogen (病原体). "With the nurses staying inside and taking care of the young, the worker ants are all outside of the nest to collect food and defend the territory." Worker ants are at greater risk of getting to diseases because they leave the safety of the nest. So the researchers a common fungus (真 菌) on a small group of worker ants and then followed their movements to see the way other ants reacted. "We marked all ants in the colony with individual labels, which isdetected and recorded using a tracking system."
After the infection, the nurse and worker ants stayed within their small group and less outside of their work group. The researchers also saw that worker ants spent more time outside of the nest. "They increase that amount by 15 percent so by quite a long large amount." The researchers measured the amount of fungus on each ant and saw that it was almost completely to the worker group. Some nurse ants and the Queen only had trace amounts of fungus' spores (孢 子) on them. The study indicated that the group behavior effectively stopped the of the fungus. Something that's quite interesting in these ants is that the very small amount of the spores cantheir natural defenses and protect them against later exposure to the same pathogen. It seems that in their ability to avoid infecting other members of the community, ants may be more than we are.
When we clean the bathroom, we've got all kinds of stuff to help us out: a cleaning solution that removes dirty marks from the shower walls and something in a squeeze bottle that makes the toilet sparkling clean. When all is done, the room is neat and clean,1dirt and bacteria. There's just one problem—the2we used to clean can be harmful to people and the environment. For this reason, many people say that traditional cleaners should be3and replaced with less harmful "green" products.
The problem4the fact that some cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that just aren't healthy for humans, animals, or the planet. Think of the5coming from a factory and getting into the air. The smoke creates air pollution, which harms the environment and makes us feel ill when we breathe it in.6, the chemicals in cleaning products pollute the air and can hurt us when we breathe them in or when they get on our skin. However, not all cleaning products are harmful. Green products, which do not contain harsh chemicals, are said to be good7because they are effective at cleaning and are safe for people and for the planet.
8about chemicals has led many states to require schools and government buildings to use environmentally friendly cleaning products instead of products containing poisonous chemicals. Last year, 10 states required the use of green products and at least 5 other states were considering9in support of these products. A proposed bill would apply to bathroom and floor cleaners, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and etc.
Many green cleaning products are widely available at prices10traditional products. In some cases, manufacturers receive green certifications for products they have long had on the market, and the prices of these products remain low. But not everyone shares the view about the 11of green products. Toilet paper, trash bags and paper towel made from recycled materials can cost up to 20% more than traditional products, said Stephen, director of the Green Cleaning Network.
So,12of the proposed legislation are concerned about the potentially higher costs for some green products. These critics say that states should not determine which products13institutes and agencies must buy, especially if they increase costs, since many universities are already struggling financially. Some states have made compromises (妥 协) to help14concerns about costs. In Wisconsin, a recent adjustment to the bill would give schools and agencies three years instead of one to begin using green products. It would also15 them to quit if they could show that their costs would increase.
Feel the Music
We've all heard of smart phones, but how about smart clothing? The CuteCircuit company has stepped up the technology beat and invented the SoundShirt, which was designed specifically for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. How does this incredible shirt work?
First, let's talk about a little science. People who have either all or some hearing loss don't actually listen to music the way that hearing people do, but they can feel it. Sound is made up of vibrations, called sound waves, which hearing people can hear through their ears with the help of the brain. What's really cool is that deaf people sense vibrations in the part of the brain that others use for hearing!
So how is this remarkable technology able to function? First, CuteCircuit had to figure out a way to send signals to the body, kind of like how you can feel when your phone vibrates in silent mode. Those connections the body can feel are called haptics, a use of technology that simulates the senses of touch and motion. The SoundShirt has tiny sensors woven into the shirt to pick up sound and transfer signals to the brain and body.
To test this music-to-shirt-to-wearer's brain connection, CuteCircuit set microphones around the stage of a symphony orchestra. The shirt's computer system digitally received the sounds coming from the instruments. Then the sensors, working like little motors, changed the signals into vibrations and the shirt wearer's brain did the rest.
The SoundShirt lets people who are deaf or hard of hearing enjoy music in a unique way. The very deep musical sound, or pitch, of instruments like drums and basses vibrates in the lower part of the shirt. Higher pitched sounds from instruments like the flute or violin vibrate higher, around the neck and arms. As the music plays, the sensations combine while the brain gets to work putting together all the different vibrations, allowing the wearer to "hear" the concert.
You might think this innovation would look like something out of a science fiction movie, but in fact, these shirts are wireless! And the decorative laser-lined design on the shirt looks like an image of sound waves.
Technology's purpose is to help people and make life better. Think of all the amazing things designers, engineers, and producers of wearable tech will be able to do for humankind.
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WE COMBAT ANIMAL DISEASES TOGETHER! We want to prevent serious animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever from spreading to Finland. These and other animal diseases can be transmitted from one country to another by animals or by meat and dairy products even if they are packed for personal consumption or intended as gifts. Travelers like you play an important role in preventing the spread of animal diseases. Don't bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products from non-EU countries to Finland! A ban on personal imports applies to meat and dairy products brought into Finland by travelers or ordered and sent through the post. The ban applies to food stuffs intended for personal consumption or as gifts and to pet food. If you have food products of animal origin with you, throw them in a waste container in the point of entry or contact Customs! Bringing meat-containing products as presents and for personal use from an EU country to Finland At the moment, there are EU countries with cases of African swine fever. In those countries there are restriction areas and, as a rule, pork and wild bear meat or products containing these meats may not be imported from these areas into Finland. Import is allowed only under very strict criteria controlled by local authorities. However, the sales of these meat products within the country may be allowed. In the EU, the disease has been detected in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy (Sardinia), for instance. It is difficult for travelers to know and prove from which area meat products originate and whether the products on sale meet all criteria. This is the reason why we recommend that people avoid importing any meat products containing pork or wild bear meat as presents or for personal use from countries with African swine fever. PLEASE NOTE! Never leave any food waste or leftover in the environment or places where they may be eaten by wildlife. Never give food waste or leftover to production animals or to pet pigs. Thank you for helping us to prevent the spread of animal diseases. We wish you a pleasant journey! |
The sun shows its face every day, but an amazing new telescope is giving us a whole different view of it. And guess what? Our familiar friend in the sky has some impressive features! Seen from the earth without a fancy telescope, the sun resembles a pale disc, sort of like a big sugar cookie shining in the sky. However, in detailed photos and video captured by the new telescope, the sun's surface looks lumpy (块状的) and bumpy.
The incredible instrument responsible for these eye-popping images is the Daniel K. Inouye
Solar Telescope (DKIST), the most powerful solar telescope in the world. A project of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the telescope is named after a U.S. politician who represented the state of Hawaii, which is home to the high-tech, high-resolution wonder.
The DKIST is at the summit of Haleakalā on the island of Maui, which is…a volcano! While that might sound like a risky place for a $344-million observatory to perch, the volcano is extinct. What's more, the combination of high elevation, low air disturbance, and deep blue skies make it an ideal location to study the sun. Modern astronomers (天文学家) aren't the first to recognize that Haleakalā has a special connection to the sun—ancient Hawaiians were way ahead of them. The summit of Haleakalā is admired by native Hawaiians, who gave the place its name, which means "House of the Sun."
Now, after being under construction for about ten years, the DKIST is sunbathing in this storeyed spot. When the telescope's first videos and photos were posted, they blew up on social media like a superstar, but the NSF has much bigger goals than going viral. The astronomers want to study the surface of the sun to better predict solar weather.
Why on earth would people want a weather forecast for a place that's more than 145 million kilometers away? Because events on the surface of the sun can end up affecting us right here at home. Solar weather can disable satellite systems and GPS tracking systems and even cause blackouts, in which large areas temporarily lose electricity. In 2017, solar flares（耀斑）disabled radio communications as three hurricanes were bearing down on the Caribbean. As you can imagine, that was a huge blow to emergency response efforts.
By studying the images the DKIST captures, scientists hope to learn how to predict solar weather events in time for people to take precautions and prevent disasters. In the meantime, we can all enjoy getting an eye-opening new view of the sun!
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A. Kids know when your praise is sincere and when it's not. B. Still, don't go too far in the other direction. C. But in fact, it may be just the opposite. D. Experts say that the quality of praise is more important than the quantity. E. Children develop a sense of competence by seeing the consequences of their actions, not by being told about the consequences of their actions. F. But whatever it is, praise should be given on a case-by-case basis and be proportionate to the amount of effort your child put into it. |
Parents praise their kids whenever they do anything that seems to be something remarkable. Jenn Berman, PhD, a family therapist says, "We've gone to the opposite extreme of a few decades ago when parents tended to be stricter." Parents have come to believe that by giving kids heaping portions of praise, they improve their self-esteem and confidence.Too much praise can backfire, it seems, and, when given in a way that's insincere, make kids afraid to try new things or take a risk for fear of not being able to stay on top where their parent's praise has put them.
Not giving enough praise can be just as damaging as giving too much. Kids will feel like they're not good enough or that you don't care and, as a result, may see no point in stretching themselves for their accomplishments.
So what is the right amount of praise?If praise is sincere and genuine and focused on the effort not the outcome, you can give it as often as your child does something that deserves a verbal reward. "We should especially recognize our children's efforts to push themselves and work hard to achieve a goal," says Donahue, author of Parenting Without Fear, "One thing to remember is that it's the process not the end product that matters."
Your son may not be the best basketball player on his team, Donahue says. But if he's out there every day, shooting baskets, running drills, and playing hard, you should praise his effort regardless of whether his team wins or loses because it's above and beyond the norm. Praising the effort and not the outcome can also mean recognizing your child when he has worked hard to clean the yard, cook dinner, or complete a history assignment, Donahue adds.
Anyone who has searched for a job fresh out of college knows how difficult it is to get that first job. And if you're very lucky, eventually there's a job offer on the table. Should you grasp it, or wait for something better to come along the way?
It depends on whether you are a "maximizer" or a "satisficer". Simply put, satisficers are more likely to cut their job search short and take the first job offer. Maximizers are more likely to continue searching until a better job offer comes along. Which type of approach yields the better payoff? A maximizer. Specifically, quoting the results of a study of the job search of 548 members of a school, the maximizers put themselves through more difficulties in the job hunt. They applied to twenty jobs, on average, while satisficers applied to only ten, and they were significantly more likely to make use of outside sources of information and support. But it turned out to be worth it: the job offers they got were significantly better, in terms of salary, than what the satisficers got.
Satisficers were offered jobs with an average starting salary of $37, 085; the average starting salary offered to maximizers was $44, 515, more than 20 percent higher. The trouble is, however, that higher pay doesn't make maximizers a happier group than satisficers. In fact, maximizers were significantly more likely than satisficers to be unhappy with the offers they accepted.
Evidently, being a maximizer can help you earn more income, but that income doesn't buy more happiness, as the maximizer's likely to worry about the prospect of a better job offer out there he or she missed. Maximizers may have objectively superior outcomes, but they're so busy obsessing about all the things that they could have had, so they tend to be less happy with the outcomes they do get.
