When I was young, I loved visiting the library near my home. I read anything there, from comic books to classic novels. I made up stories, but I never thought about writing one down. They were usually daydreams, or continuations of books I had read, or stories about characters on television.   

One day my son came to visit. He flipped (快速换台) the channels and stopped on a show. “This one’s cool,” he said. Being a good mother who considers good conversations with children important, I decided to watch the show.

I found “Highlander” in the listings, set the recorder, and watched an episode. The show raised questions about what the roles could and couldn’t do. So I visited CompuServe forums (论坛). I found one about the show and discovered the world of fan fiction (同人小说). Meanwhile, I discovered one author who caught my attention.

We got in touch via email, she connected me with some of her friends, and I did some beta reading for them. However, not being a writer didn’t mean I wasn’t a good reader. I definitely used all my English skills to polish their stories.

Then, one day, I decided to see what would happen if I tried to write a story. After I finished it, I posted it to one of the fan fiction forums. I got positive feedback (反馈), and like any good puppy, I kept trying to please them.

Eventually, I found another writing group called iVillage, and thought I’d try writing some original fiction, just to see if I could. I recalled an exercise, where people were supposed to write a “hook” in under 200 words. I sent mine in, and got lots of “Wow, what happens next?” comments. So, I kept writing. That was how I finished my first book.

I became a writer by mistake and I don’t think I’ll go back to needlepoint (刺绣).

A pancake-shaped robot is putting jumpers like frogs and rabbits to shame by proving that legs aren’t necessary for an impressive leap. The robot, which weighs as much as a dried grape and is only 2.5 inches long, can jump six times its body length per second and nearly eight times its height, Sabrina Imbler reports for the New York Times.

In a new study, a team of engineers detail the design of the new, soft robot. “Most creatures need feet to jump, but some creatures, such as gall midge larvae, can leap by bending their bodies,” said lead author, Rui Chen, an engineer at Chongqing University.

Gall midge larvae are only a tenth of an inch long, but they can launch themselves three inches forward. They do so by bending their bodies into rings and squeezing(挤压) liquid toward one end of their bodies.

Similarly, the pancake-shaped robot redistributes(重新分配) liquid in its “body”. Within its frame, it has a ball of air, a bag of oil-like liquid and electrodes(电极) attached to it. With an electric attack, the liquid shifts forward; its body follows. When it lands, it’s ready to jump again in just a few seconds.

Generally, robots that walk or roll on the ground have trouble getting through objects. Jumping robots may be able to get through barriers better, but designing one is a conundrum—robots that can store energy jump infrequently, and robots that can’t store energy can’t jump high enough. Finding a robot that can do both is a big ask.

The electrode-powered robot designed by Chen and his team can jump high and far. It has successfully leapt over barriers, though the researchers note it has a tough time on smooth surfaces. The team will keep working on developing the robot, which they have high hopes for. It can be applied to the detection of pollutants in buildings, or it can be fitted with a tiny camera and used for search-and-rescue tasks in disaster areas.

Cetaceans(鲸目动物) are the longest-living animals in general, with some whale species surviving to over 200 years old. Given their size, their bodies contain much more cells than the human body. It’s a wonder how this is possible. “The more cells you have, the more likely one of those cells will become cancerous,” says Daniela Tejada-Martinez of Chile’s Austral University. “So, whether you’re huge or live a long time, you’ve got thousands and millions of cells that might be harmful.”

Despite being unbelievably huge, Cetaceans, on the other hand, have significantly lower cancer rates than most other animals, including humans.

Vincent Lynch, a professor from the University at Buffalo in New York, believes that there is a “super insignificant” reason for whales’ existence. He states, “They just developed improved cancer defense mechanisms(防御机制).” We need to know why and how they did so. The whole case is not as open-and-shut as many would assume. There is still so much to learn.

Tejada-Martinez and some colleagues have now looked at the evolution(进化) of 1,077 tumor suppressor genes(肿瘤抑制基因) (TSGs). They compared gene evolution in 15 other species and seven cetacean species in total. Positive selection was observed among the cetaceans for genes that control DNA damage, tumor spread, and the immune system(免疫系统). According to the researchers, cetaceans obtained and lost TSGs at a rate of 2.4 times faster than other species.

“It’s not like we’re going to take whale genes and implant them into humans and make them cancer resistant,” Lynch says. “However, if you can recognize the genes that play a part in tumor suppression in other species and find out what they’re doing, you may be able to produce a medicine that acts similarly in humans.”