【推荐1】Many people think that communication is the source of most of their work-related conflicts but they'd be wrong. In a work context, more conflicts come from structural relationships and personal differences than communication itself.

Organizations create job descriptions, specialized work groups, and authority relationships, all with the intent to improve coordination (协调). But in doing so, they separate people and create the potential for conflicts. For instance, departments within organizations have diverse goals. Purchasing is concerned with the timely acquisition of materials and supplies at low prices; quality control's attention is focused on improving quality and ensuring that the organization's products meet standard…When groups within an organization seek diverse ends, there is increased potential for conflicts.

Have you ever met people to whom you took an immediate disliking? Most of the opinions they expressed, you disagreed with. Even insignificant characteristics-the way they cocked their head when they talked or smirked when they smiled-annoyed you. We've all met people like that, and many of us have to work with people like this.

Today's organizations are increasingly diverse in terms of age, gender and race. So, not surprisingly, employees differ on the importance they place on general values such as responsibility, equality and ambition. They also differ on job-related values such as the importance of family over work or freedom against authority. These differences often surface in work-related interactions and create significant interpersonal conflicts.

The above doesn't mean that communication can't be a source of conflicts. It can. Differing word connotations, insufficient exchange of information, poor listening skills, and the like, create conflicts. But the belief that “we can deal with our differences if we just communicate more” is not necessarily true. The evidence actually shows that the potential for conflicts increases when there is too much communication as well as when there's too little.

So when you're trying to manage conflicts, take a thoughtful look at their source. It's more likely that the conflict is coming from work-related requirements, personality differences, or dissimilar values, it is from poor communication. And that might influence the actions you take to resolve the conflict.

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【推荐2】Think you have already reached your peak in life? You might want to think again. According to a new research, we're happiest at two periods in our lives — not just one. Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science asked 23,000 German volunteers aged 17 to 85 to rate their life satisfaction. Participants predicted how happy they would feel in five years, and then, after five years' time, reported back on how they actually felt.

Their results? Anything but unpleasant! The study found that happiness tends to follow a U-shaped curve over an individual's lifetime, with satisfaction reaching higher levels during the extremes of the study’s age range and swinging down in middle age. Plus, the researchers noted the two most important years when happiness peaks: ages 23 and 69.

As is shown in our daily life, it makes a lot of sense. In our early 20s, we're energetic and excited about the changes that come along with young age: new jobs, new places to travel, and new people to meet. By the time we reach our 60s and 70s, though, we have likely retired and can now find the time — not to mention the money — to book a flight to Hawaii at a moment's notice. After all, your 40+ years are a busy time filled with raising families, climbing the corporate ladder, and you know, it's the life in general.

Of course, that's all the more reason to find easy ways to be happier without really trying, regardless of your age! Experts recommend prioritizing (优先考虑) small yet rewarding tasks like taking a walk or spending time with family. Just remember, now you have one more reason to look forward to getting older: an increase in happiness!

【推荐3】

NASA will crash a spacecraft into an asteroid (小行星) to try to change its orbit, attempting to prevent humans going the same way as the dinosaurs.

Earth is constantly being disturbed by small pieces of debris (碎片), but they usually burn up or break up long before they hit the ground. Once in a while, however, something large enough to do significant damage makes impact. About 66 million years ago, one such crash is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs. Someday, something similar could end human beings-unless we can find a way to tackle it.

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission is the first attempt to test if such asteroid redirection is a realistic strategy: investigating whether a spacecraft can autonomously reach a target asteroid and intentionally crash into it, as well as measuring the amount of redirection. “If it works, it would be a big deal, because it would prove that we have the technical capability of protecting ourselves,” said Jay Tate, the director of the National Near Earth Object Information Center.

The 610kg Dart spacecraft is scheduled to be launched at the target—the Didymos system-a harmless pair of asteroids consisting of a 163-metre “moonlet” asteroid called Dimorphos that orbits a larger 780-metre asteroid called Didymos (Greek for “twin”). The plan is to crash the spacecraft into Dimorphos when the asteroid system is at its closest to Earth-about 6.8 million miles away.

About 10 days before the impact, a miniaturized satellite called LiciaCube will separate from the main spacecraft, enabling images of the impact to be relayed back to Earth. Combined with observations from ground-based telescopes, and an onboard camera that will record the final moments before the crash, these recordings will enable scientists to calculate the degree to which the impact has changed Dimorphos’s orbit. The expectation is that it will change the speed of the smaller asteroid by approximately 1% and reduce its orbit around the larger asteroid.

Then, in November 2024, the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft will visit the Didymos system and conduct a further close-up analysis of the consequences of this snooker (斯诺克) game, recording details such as the precise makeup and internal structure of Dimorphos, and the size and shape of the hole left by Dart. Such details are vital for transforming asteroid redirection into a repeatable technique.

Even then, it is impossible that any single redirection strategy would be enough. “The problem is that no two asteroids or comets are alike, and how you redirect one depends on a huge number of variables. There is no silver bullet in this game. What you need is a whole folder of different redirection methods for different types of targets,” said Tate.

So, while this may be one small step towards planetary protection, many more are likely to be necessary to avoid destruction.

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【推荐1】Police Officer Tidwell left the station just after 8 a.m.on Sunday June 4. He had spent a boring night on duty and was looking forward to his day of rest. By habit he took a short-cut down the path behind Dugby Hall road and after a minute or two he saw a man climbing down a drainpipe(雨水管)from an open bedroom window of Number 29. In silence, Tidwell crept into the garden.The man reached the ground and was dusting himself down when he felt his arm caught.

"It's 8:15 on a Sunday morning," said the officer,"and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure at such a time. Would you mind explaining?"

The man was obviously scared but tried to keep calm. He said, "I know what you are thinking, officer, but it isn't true. This is a funny mistake."

＂It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events. I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one. That may be quite innocent, but I'd like to make sure." Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and occupation and then, please, tell me your story..."

＂Charlie Crane, lorry driver, from Nottingham, 51 Breton Street. My story...”

"Yes. What were you doing like a fly on that wall, Mr. Crane?"

"Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here. Bed and breakfast. The land-lady's name is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out of here right way and down at the lorry by half past seven. Only when I felt around for a cigarette did I realize I'd left $80 in my envelope under the pillow here at number 29. I always put it under my pillow at night. It's a habit I've got into. I even do it at home...

"I see. Why didn't you miss it when you went to pay Mrs....What's her name?"

"I'd paid her last night. You've got to pay when you take the room, see? So I came rushing back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed, and could I wake her? I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here to the back and spotted my bedroom window still open. Up I went, then, up this pipe. It's a trick I learned in the army. She didn't make the bed and money was still there. You know the rest, I hope you believe it because..."

"Mr.Crane, whatever are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs. Fern, speaking from the kitchen at the corner of the house.

【推荐3】The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Hours:   9:30 am—5:00 pm daily

Closed:   January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day

Driving

Plan extra driving time for your visit. The area surrounding the museum will be busy before being opened. We advise you to arrive a few hours before or several hours after the opening time to avoid high traffic times.

Directions

From the 110 Freeway, take the Exposition Boulevard exit and head west toward Vermont Avenue. Turn left on Bill Robertson Lane. The museum’s newly opened Car Park will be on your left hand side and cost $12.

Parking

The museum’s parking lot fills up quickly on game days. We suggest arriving early in the day. All guests and members who plan to visit the museum may park in the museum’s Car Park. If the museum’s Car Park is full, parking is also available in the state-run Lot 3 across the street. Parking in this lot will cost $12 (cash only). Remember that cars parked in Lot 3 after 5: 30 pm will be issued a parking citation (罚单).

Where to eat

If you are bringing your own food, we invite you to picnic under the trees on the grass in front of the museum. Food and drinks are not allowed inside any of the museum halls and exhibits. We appreciate your help in preserving our museum.

At the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, you can see more than just walls and fossils. We provide not only a typical museum experience, but also hands-on exhibits. You can stay indoors, outdoors, and all over Los Angeles. We inspire the widest possible audience to become keepers of the living Earth.

【推荐1】Aberdeen

Lying along the northeast coast, Aberdeen is bordered by Royal Deeside and Cairngorms National Park to the west and wonderful sea views to the east.

In Aberdeen you can feel the richness of the city’s history all around you, from the traditional Doric accent of local residents (居民) to the beautiful granite (花岗岩) buildings along the streets.

Impressive architecture

Aberdeen is well-known all over the globe because of its granite buildings and monuments. To the north of the city center, the stone streets and historic university buildings of Old Aberdeen are steeped (浸透) in history, while to the east — by the harbor — the fishing quarter is packed with tiny cottages and colorful gardens.

At the harbor

This is a city where you can walk from the city center to the harbor in minutes — and you have a high chance of seeing dolphins (海豚) playing in the waters when you get to the harbor.

The sandy beach is a must visit. Walk along the sands before stopping to enjoy an ice cream in the fresh sea air. You might spot people surfing in the water too.

Getting here

Aberdeen has fantastic transport links with the rest of the UK and Europe. Whether flying, taking the train, catching the ferry or driving, reaching the region is straightforward.

Getting around

Aberdeen city has an amazing public transport system, both day and night, although exploring the streets by foot is a great way to experience the atmosphere of this dynamic city. Driving around is easy, but if you don’t have a car, buses and trains will easily take you to your destination.

【推荐2】As you move out of your teens and into your 20s and 30s, your musical tastes start to solidify and you likely quit keeping up with popular music. Now, research has found the average age at which your music library is unlikely to change: 33.

The study's author reached this conclusion by analyzing data on U.S. Spotify users and comparing it to artist popularity data from music intelligence company The Echo Nest.

To determine the age at which we stop seeking out new tunes, the author gathered self-reported age data from Spotify and looked at users' "Taste Profiles," which tacks how many times listeners have streamed individual artists. These artists were then: matched to their popularity rank on The Echo Nest.

The average teen listens almost only to music among the Billboard, the 200 highest-ranking albums in the country, but this music represents a smaller part of their steaming as they age. In their teens, they listen to a lot of the same music, over and over again. Frank T. McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox Coll explains that's the "mere exposure effect" at work, and it basically means, the more we're exposed to something, the more we like it.

There are many reasons why a person may stop streaming the current top musical hits, and the author looked into one by identifying Spotify listeners with large amounts of children's music and nursery rhymes in their libraries. In other words, when users may have become parents.

But the study concludes with some good news for parents: “If you're getting older and can't find yourself staying as relevant as you used to, have no fear — just wait for your kids to become teenagers, and you'll get exposed to all the popular music of the day once again!”

【推荐3】Living in the USA today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf’s words there are social changes everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.

Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally. A spear(矛) or a robot is much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the Russian nuclear accident Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology; they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went wrong and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists(悲观主义者) worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades, and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.

Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do. There are those who say that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was a revolution is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.

In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the structure of American life, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of human and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. It is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society.