【推荐1】Imagine that you are a superhero. Your superpowers are activated by a special suit. The suit communicates with your brain. It allows you to do amazing things with only a thought. By concentrating on strength, for example, you can kick a soccer ball across a field. By focusing on swift actions, you can jump to the top of a tree.

Such a connection between mind and machine may sound like a fantasy. To scientists, though, it is a very real goal. They are creating machines that let disabled monkeys walk. These machines may soon help disabled humans do the same. Unlike other bionic devices, these robotic “super suits” do not communicate with muscles and nerves. Instead, they have a direct line to the brain.

In 2005, doctors drilled a hole in the skull of Hutchinson, who had lost her right arm in an accident. Then they inserted a sensor onto her motor cortex (大脑皮层运动区). Wires connected the sensor to a receiver on her head. After she recovered, researchers plugged Hutchinson’s receiver into a cable that relayed signals from her brain to computers. Then they connected a robotic arm to the computers. The computers could interpret Hutchinson’s brain signals to move the arm.

Soon, Hutchinson, the computer, and the robotic arm became a team. Hutchinson was even able to lift her hand and drink from a cup. “She smiled when she put down that drink—that’s everything.” says Donoghue, a brain scientist.

Today other scientists are building on that success. One of those scientists is Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, who designed a whole-body bionic equipment. In 2014, a disabled former athlete kicked the first ball of the World Cup Games wearing one of Miguel’s full-body exoskeletons.

The exoskeleton was connected to brain signal sensors in the man’s cap. By thinking about kicking, he sent signals to a computer on his back. The computer then translated the signal into an exoskeleton-aided kick. Such designs may become common as scientists keep merging mind and machine.

【推荐3】Researchers believe they have accurately estimated Antarctica’s Weddell seal population for the first time—using images from space and the eyes of citizen scientists.

Previous estimates of their population were “more back-of-the-envelope type calculations”, said Dr. Michelle LaRue, a professor of New Zealand’s University of Canterbury. “The previous research was done by traditional surveyors, but you can’t physically get to the entire Antarctic continent all at one time,” she said.

The results were “inaccurate”, so in 2016 LaRue created the first estimate of the seals’ baseline population, using satellite imagery and the keen eyes of 330,000 curious volunteers. “We combined the imagery with a web platform to conduct a citizen science campaign to find out where seals are present, their abundance, and the environmental factors that influence their habitat preferences,” LaRue said.

They discovered that, at the time the satellite images were taken in 2021, the global population was actually just 40% of the 800,000 animals previously estimated. The study, published in late 2021, estimated that there were about 202,000 sub-adult and adult female Weddell seals in Antarctica. Male seals were generally not captured in the satellite images because they were typically under the ice, guarding their territories, LaRue added.

The study also found that Weddell seals lived on about 1% of the ice and were picky about where they settled. The project relied heavily on volunteers to search the satellite images for signs of seals. Participants were given images of an area in Antarctica to scour and asked to tick a box saying if they believed they could see a seal or not. The more people to click yes, the more efficient the narrowing down of habitats became.

“The method is now being employed by other scientists to help determine the population of walrus(海象) in the Arctic,” LaRue said, “Looking at broader ecosystems and the relationships between animals and their environment was important in the long run, but to do that, it was helpful to have population guides for single species.” Once scientists have that information, they “can start adding it all together and putting together the puzzle a little bit better”.

【推荐1】Andie Ang's personal interest in monkeys was awakened when she was a child. In 1995. Ang's father saw some sailors mistreating a small young African monkey and brought it home.

Just ten at the time, Ang clearly remembers her excitement on first seeing the golden-furred little monkey. She named him Ah Boy and they soon became close companions. “I would cycle through the neighbourhood and Ah Boy would always follow me,” recalls Ang. “Neighbors would stop to look and comment, ‘Oh, so cute!’”Ah Boy quickly developed a daily routine of climbing onto Ang's shoulders to pull her hair apart in search of anything that shouldn't have been there.

But as the years passed, the family became unable to care for the monkey, so Ang turned to the internet for help. After a complicated and costly process, the day arrived for Ang and Ah Boy to say goodbye. It was a tearful parting for her. Later that day, Ang made up her mind to study monkeys. "The time we spent together made me want to know more about monkeys, the threats to them, and how we can help," she says.

After getting a Life Sciences degree, Ang went on to complete a PhD in Biological Anthropology with a specialty in Raffles' banded langurs (黑脊叶猴), a critically endangered species which hadn't been studied for 15 years.

Today, she spends hours in Singapore's Central Catchment Nature Reserve, where the entire local population of Raffles' banded langurs can be found, doing field research in the forest. Her group has done lots of things to preserve this species, identifying and naming every monkey living in residential areas. They enjoyed discovering their individual personalities. As a result of Ang's work and growing support among locals, the community has come to better understand the value of native wildlife. The future of this small population of Raffles' banded langurs has become a lot more certain.

【推荐2】Once when I was four, Mom attacked a keyhole with a paper towel, wiping a spider out. “Stop!” I shouted, “She’s somebody’s mother!” I believe people shouldn’t harm other living things and that even the tiniest creatures must be honored.

One summer day, Mom and I planted a grapevine (葡萄树) in the yard. By the end of the summer, the longest branches had spread over the wall.

Then one day, as I was watering, the most magical thing happened. A beautiful midnight blue bug landed on my white T-shirt just below the shoulder. “Hello, pretty one,” I whispered. She didn’t move. Beautiful wings spread into a Y shape. She stuck to my shirt, unwilling to fly away. Ever when she left, I was still excited. That evening, I told Mom what had happened. “It was amazing.” Mom said.

One morning, weeks later, I went to feed my turtles. In the purple light of dawn, the grape leaves appeared brown and lacy (网眼状的). Something was wrong with my vine! I ran in to my Mom. We turned to a gardener nearby for help. He called the culprit (罪魁祸首) the Western grape leaf moth, who feeds on the leaves in her caterpillar (毛毛虫) stage. I was shocked. The moth had laid the eggs. Her babies were destroying my vine! Bacillus thuringiersis, a product widely used by grape growers, was recommended for exterminating the moths.

I had intended to use the liquid, until I read the warning instructions. “Mom, we can’t do this. The poor bugs!” She nodded. The next afternoon, I had an idea. I got a jar and cupped it over the moths, cutting off the leaf they lay on. “I know where I’ll take you.” I whispered.

The next morning. I rode a bus to the desert. I placed the jar near some bushes and opened it “Be safe,” I said. It was my wish for them. Back home, the caterpillars continued their work. I cut off the leaves and placed them in bags. They went to the desert as well. Could the desert handle them? I wondered. Was I doing the right thing? Would I have to continue this for the rest of my life? Sure.