【推荐1】Tesla’s self-driving cars have recently come under investigation as a report on crashes raises questions about their safety. Despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s claim that their Autopilot capability makes their cars “ extremely safer,” data suggests otherwise.

According to The Washington Post, the number of deaths and serious injuries associated with Tesla’s driver-assistance technology is higher than previously reported. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 736 crashes since 2019, with at least 17 of them being fatal. These figures include crashes involving both Autopilot, which allows cars to drive on highways without human intervention(干预), and the newer Full Self-Driving feature, which extends automation to city streets. However, these statistics can’t record incidents that were avoided due to the cars’ safety features. Additionally, when compared to the total number of car crashes that occurred last year, the number of crashes involving driver-assistance vehicles appears relatively small, but actually it’s not.

Tesla’s safety claims lack context as Autopilot is primarily designed for highways, while most accidents occur in more complex environments with cross-traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists. Moreover, Tesla’s customer base consists mainly of wealthier individuals who live in communities with lower accident rates.

Concerns are raised by Tesla’s request to the NHTSA not to reveal whether Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was in use during fatal crashes. This lack of transparency (透明) prevents a comprehensive analysis of the incidents and raises questions about responsibility.

Safety exaggerations combined with Tesla’s aggressive marketing have led to accidents caused by drivers relying too heavily on the system. Full Self-Driving does not allow the car to fully drive itself, and drivers are expected to remain attentive and ready to intervene at all times. However, Tesla’s messaging may mislead some users into believing otherwise.

While a driverless future has the potential to be safer, it is crucial not to convince the public that underdeveloped capabilities are ready for widespread use. Tesla should address past problems, ensure their automation set can detect(检测) emergency vehicles, and be transparent with the public about the limitations of their technology.

【推荐3】Lisa Gautier receives nearly a dozen parcels of human hair every day. With her San-Francisco-based non-profit organization Matter of Trust, Gautier turns donated hair into mats used to soak up oil spills on land, and booms (long tubes) used for spills at sea.

A standard way to clean up oil from land is to use mats made from polypropylene (聚丙烯). But polypropylene is a non-biodegradable plastic, and producing it ultimately means more drilling for oil. Hair, by contrast, is an environmentally friendly resource that can soak up around five times its weight in oil, according to Matter of Trust, and it is abundant.

Oil spills can pollute drinking water, endanger public health, harm plants and wildlife, and damage the economy. According to Gautier, the spills that hit the headlines only make up 5% of global oil pollution.

Megan Murray, an environmental biologist at the University of Technology Sydney, develops sustainable technologies to tackle oil spills. Her research indicates that as well as being biodegradable, human hair is often just as effective as polypropylene, and in some circumstances even better. “The hair mats are very beneficial to land spills,” says Murray but adds that when raw oil is spilled on beach sand, it is very difficult to absorb it using any of the materials she has tested. Another advantage of hair is that it costs less than conventional materials and is “globally accessible as a recycled material,” she says.

However, Murray cautions that hair mats are not a perfect solution, because they are single-use, and can only be dealt with by burning or by burying into soil which then isn’t suitable for growing food. She is now researching methods to extract the oil from a used hair mat, meaning both can be reused.

As the hair mat designs aren’t under patent, other groups have begun producing their own mats and booms. Gautier is pleased to see the movement growing. “Anyone can make a hair mat,” she says. “It creates green jobs, it cleans water, it reduces waste in landfill, and it’s promoting renewable resources.”

【推荐1】More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake is also the country's biggest saltwater lake. Located in Northwest China's Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island. The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise(天堂) for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called"Bird Islands".

Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs. During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.

To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.

Inspection(视察) officials and management employees often patrol（巡逻） the lake, improving local residents' knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds. At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous(食肉的) animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’nest building,egglaying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.

【推荐2】Teenagers who spend more than six hours online on school days are more likely to be lonely and skip school, according to an international study.

The study examined the home Internet use，well-being(幸福)and behaviour of 296,000 15-year-olds in 41 countries. More than one in four spent more than four hours per day online outside of school. The study found lower levels of well-being among students who spent more than six hours per day online. They were twice as likely as teenagers spending one and two hours per day online to report that they felt lonely at school. These ''extreme Internet users'' were also especially at risk of ''behaving in problematic ways at school, such as arriving late or skipping class''.

The report said, ''Lower levels of engagement(密切关系)with school may be connected to less sense of belonging at school. It is also possible that skipping class and arriving late for school are the consequence of lack of sleep among extreme Internet users. '' It adds，'' Parents， schools and health professionals can work together to watch and plan children's use of new media. ''

The study also found that countries that invest (投资)heavily in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools have seen no ''considerable'' difference in 15-year-olds5 achievement in reading, math or science tests. The study results suggest ''limited'' use of computers at school ''may be better'' than not using them at all. However, students who use computers ''very frequently'' at school ''do a lot worse in most learning outcomes''. The report says，'' In the end，technology can strengthen great teaching，but great technology cannot replace poor teaching. ''

【推荐1】A new kind of rice, golden rice, may soon make its way into the world’s food supply by the year 2021, reports Science magazine.

Golden rice was actually first developed back in the 1990s by German scientists who were looking for creative ways to reduce rates of Vitamin A deficiency(维生素A缺乏症) in human body, which continues to be a major concern throughout the developing world. Beta-carotene(胡萝卜素), which exists in some plants, can change into vitamin A in our body.

In view of beta-carotene’s characteristics, German scientists tried and managed to make rice filled with additional beta-carotene, which has a strong red orange color. The beta-carotene that is added to this rice is actually what conduces to its special golden color.

To German scientists, developing this rice was meaningful. But as with all GM(转基因的) crops, some people warn that the golden rice may be unnecessary and even harmful, possibly having some environment consequences. Until now, those voices have prevented golden rice from being planted anywhere.

However, that’s about to change. Bangladesh now plans to become the first country to approve golden rice for planting. Recently, golden rice is receiving a series of tests before the final approval of Bangladesh. Tests conducted by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) found no new farming challenges with golden rice and no big differences in quality between the crop and the traditional varieties, with the exception that golden rice is more nutritious. Some other organizations are still doing tests about the environmental influences of the crop. If those results are also good, then golden rice will have received all the approval it needs to move forward with planting.

As for the future market for the golden rice, the crop will need to gain the public’s trust. And it remains to be seen whether golden rice will offer a better nutritional and economical choice compared to other sources of vitamin A, such as other vegetables where it occurs naturally.

【推荐2】Top Music Festivals

The festival season is just kicking off, and there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Anyone who likes indie (独立的) music and up-and-coming artists will have an amazing time at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. It is an indie rock heaven where you can explore more underground and lesser-known bands than at the other big Chicago summer festival, Lollapalooza.

Date: July 14-16

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Music Type: Indie rock

Price: $126-$2,700

Essence Music Festival

No matter what time of the year it is, New Orleans is an amazing place if you love live music. The Essence Music Festival is a celebration of well-known artists like Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Mary J. Blige.

Date: June 29-July 2

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Music Type: R& B, soul, rock

Price: $75-$365

Sziget Festival

Budapest knows how to hold a party, and Sziget is one of the biggest celebrations of music and culture in all of Europe. You can expect to find favorite artists like Bad Religion and Mac DeMarco playing here during this three-day festival.

Date: August 9-11

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Music Type: Eclectic, Indie rock

Price: $70-$296

Flow Festival

The Flow Festival is a great excuse to explore the city of Helsinki. Artists including Lana Del Rey and The XX will be playing, among many others. Come to this festival to enjoy yourselves with an earth-friendly belief.

Date: August 11-13

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Music Type: Rock, soul, jazz

Price: $106-$199

【推荐3】I have been dancing since I was 14 years old, when my best friend dragged me to an after-school dance class. I enjoyed that dance class so much that I have been dancing ever since. After every dance class, however, I always have to stretch out my legs and back to make myself relaxed! It feels like as much exercise as going to the gym— but dancing is not widely considered to be a sport. Does that dancing is expressive and artistic mean that it is not a sport?

Some dancers would argue that dancing is a sport, as it requires great physical stamina, strong muscles and impressive flexibility. No matter what style of dance you are participating in, you will always be using all of your muscles while dancing and this can often be for several hours a day. Additionally, in the more traditional dance style (like ballet), men often lift their female dance partners high in the air. That means the dancers are often just as athletic as footballers, runners or swimmers.

On the other hand, many people argue that dance is an art form. Dance often exhibit emotion, represent characters and tell stories. Dancing to music is creative and visually appealing to the eyes and ears, just like watching a play or a professional show. The shiny costumes, the stage make-up and the big hairstyles are artistic and imaginative. It is easy to see why many people consider dance to be an art form.

I personally believe that dance is both a sport and an art. I believe that a great dancer will be a mixture of an athlete and an artist. You could have the strongest muscles in the world but not necessarily be a great dancer. Likewise, you could be a great actress who can express emotions easily but you still might not be able to dance. However, whether you consider dance to be an art or a sport, the important thing is to enjoy it! Dancing is a great way to make new friends and it's a really fun way to exercise!