Just as with any other subject, people who learn sign language are learning a new skill and using their brains to do this, thus expanding their minds in a new field.

A research has been carried out which proves that deaf children who learn sign language at an early age are more likely to do well academically. This is partly due to their increased ability to communicate with those around them. However, it is also because sign language is not, as many people mistakenly think, a system of gestures representing words, but a complicated language system, just as the English which is used in this article. Thus, children who learn sign language have already learn about the way language works and is made up, which will help in future studies especially if they decide to learn to speak English, or any other spoken language.

A deaf child who can use sign language develops a sense of identity. This will lead to a happier and more confident child because they know their place in the world is secure.

Again, for non-deaf children and adults who learn sign language, the academic advantages spread into social and cultural ones. Learning a language gives rise to greater confidence for those people, as they are able to communicate with someone whose peers may struggle to do so. And the skills of language learning are easily transferable into learning other languages but also into other academic pursuits.

There can be no doubt that learning sigh languages is a useful attempt for anyone — whether they are deaf or non-deaf. The social and cultural advantages should not be taken lightly. And, especially with children, learning a language which helps people with a disadvantage may encourage them in the future to do more volunteering and other such work. They can be taught to hug all people regardless of their differences.

Agriculture may feed the world, but it is also contributing to environmental problems. Agriculture production uses about 70% of the Earth’s fresh water and makes up about a third of greenhouse gas emissions. But it doesn’t have to. Farming is moving inside, and farmers aren’t exactly what they used to be.

Take for example Grover and Phil, two robots, or farmers of the future, working at Iron Ox, a farm tech company in Silicon Valley, planning to set up farms around the country in order to grow crops closer to consumers in a greener way. “We have different robots that are looking after the plants. They can check and scan them for issues, and change the amount of nutrients plants get and the amount of water they get, explained Brandon Alexander, CEO of Iron Ox.

Iron Ox’s method is very different from what Alexander calls the “spray (喷洒) and pray” applying to agriculture on a Texas farm, where he grew up and more chemicals create more quantity at the expense of quality. “Besides, a lot of the water in field farming gets just washed out and never actually reaches the plants. And when 70% of your fresh water is going into farming, only 10% of that actually reaches the plants. It’s just generating a lot of waste,” he said. However, the indoor farming allows farmers to grow any crop at any time, regardless of climate change. It also uses hydroponics (无土栽培), growing crops without soil so water goes directly to the roots.

“In the indoor farming industry today, even with all the investments into it, these investments are a drop in the bucket in spite of the great potential of this new industry,” he added.

Iron Ox is now magnifying its business in more states. Alexander says the company will produce about 100 times more produce over the next 18 months than it’s currently producing to satisfy greater needs.

Watching the behavior and body language of zoo animals could be the key to understanding and improving their welfare, new research suggests.

The new review, by the University of Exeter and the University of Winchester, says closer observation of animal behaviors — a method called Qualitative Behavioral Assessment, developed in farming — could show even more about animals’ state of mind.

An animal’s positioning of its body, facial movements and activity levels are among the things that might tell whether it is excited, calm, interested, nervous, relaxed, etc.

“Zookeepers are knowledgeable about their animals, and they will often recognise an animal’s state of mind by its behavior and body language,” said Dr. Paul Rose, of the University of Exeter.

“What we are suggesting is a more scientific method of this, carried out over time.”

“Certain behaviors will show certain moods in an animal, and we should build our knowledge of this for different animals that live in zoos. For example, lions have a lot of facial expressions, and research on these expressions could help zoos understand the animals’ state of mind. This information could then be used to improve welfare by changing diets, feeding times or any number of other aspects of the way animals are kept.”

Dr. Rose carries out much of his research at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, and is now examining how the swans there might show their state of mind through their behavioral expression.

“We’re looking at how much time they spend exploring their habitat, which could show what they’re feeling,” he said. “When they’re unsure, they appear to move less and be more careful, and draw their feathers close to their bodies.”

The study suggests research opportunities for Qualitative Behavioral Assessment and practices that could be used by zoos. “Animal welfare in zoos has improved greatly in the last 10 or 20 years, and this method gives zoos another way to recognise and improve the welfare of animals,” Dr. Rose said.