【推荐1】When parrots are kept as single pets, they tend to feel lonely just like humans. This is why researchers looked for a way to connect single pet birds by teaching them how to video call each other.

This experiment is not incredible since parrots are known to be very smart and easy to train. If they can be trained to talk, teaching them how to make a video call would be a piece of cake. However, what the researchers wanted to know through this study was whether birds would call each other when given a choice. The answer to this was a clear “yes”. Researchers from Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that virtual interactions could help with the behavior of a parrot and improve their communication skills.

In the first two weeks of the study, the birds learned how to make a video call by ringing a bell and touching an image of another parrot on the screen. The caretakers carefully monitored the birds’ behavior during this stage and ended the call as soon as the birds stopped paying attention or started to show signs of fear or aggression (攻击性).

The next phase, which they call the “open call period”, allowed the birds to make calls freely and pick the bird they wanted to call. The remaining 15 participants made 147 video calls over the period of three months, which was equal to over 1,000 hours of video footage.

The study had a few significant findings. First, the birds engaged in most calls and formed strong preferences. It also showed that the birds who initiated the most were the ones who got the most call requests from other birds, which is similar to human socialization. The birds also developed attachments with their virtual friends’ human caretakers.

The researchers warned owners not to do the same experiment on their own as it should only be done by trained caretakers. It may cause parrots to become aggressive, scared, or uncomfortable.

【推荐1】Recently, according to drug company Novo Nordisk, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved(批准)Wegovy for children who are 12 and over. This weight loss drug has been shown to-encourage weight loss in-people struggling with obesity(肥胖), and this approval smooths the way for teenagers tousle the drug as part of a weight loss way as well.

Teenagers that have a BMI(体重指数)in the top 5％ of their age group will become eligible for a once-a-week use of the drug to go along with a meal plan for reduced calorie intake as well as an exercise plan.

In June 2021, the drug was approved by the FDA for people aged 18 and up with obesity to use, Now, it will be available for teenagers from age 12 and up.

The teen obesity in the US continues to rise, affecting teens and their family. Now, more than ever, we need new choices to support teens. This FDA approval offers an additional tool to deal with this serious and long-lasting disease.

However, many experts have made it clear that while the drug can be a helpful additional tool, it should not be looked at as a cure-all medicine and neither should a weight loss drug.

Tom Sanders, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London shared, “While drugs like this may prove useful in the short term for achieving rapid weight loss in serious obesity, they are not a cure-all medicine for preventing or treating less serious degrees of obesity; public health measures that encourage behavioral changes such as regular physical activity and balanced diets are still needed. It is rather like the situation we are in with the vaccine(疫苗)-we still need to stick with public health measures and should not depend too heavily on medicines. ”

【推荐3】Fast fashion has been sweeping the whole world for its accessibility and price. However, these quick and easily accessible clothing brands aren’t as safe as they appear. As fast fashion grows, so does the environmental influence it leaves behind. Fast fashion brands search for the cheapest and fastest way to keep up with the latest trends, and many clothing items require large amounts of cotton, nylon and polyester (聚酯纤维). These materials may appear safe to the eye, but they have a greater impact on the environment than most people believe.

Cotton is the most profitable non-food crop in the world. The cotton industry makes up 7% of all labor in developing countries. Cotton, however, is not very safe for the environment once it’s mass-produced for clothing. Cotton planting, the process of putting the leaves of the cotton plants under the soil to grow new cotton, actually destroys the quality of the soil in which it is grown. Cotton production usually includes the use of fertilizers and pesticides, which not only pollute the soil, but also the water through polluted runoff.

Nylon, unlike cotton, is a fully synthetic (合成的) material. It is the first fabric (布料) to be made fully in a laboratory. Nylon is not biodegradable (可自然降解的) and its production is an energy-wasting process that creates unsafe gases and sends them into the atmosphere.

Polyester is made out of petroleum. This fabric is one of the world’s most popular and cheapest fabrics to make. Its whole production process sends unsafe gases into the air. Besides, once the polyester clothing is made, washing it sends microfibers into the environment, specifically in waterways. So polyester is considered one of the most perilous materials to the environment.

Despite various companies making clothing out of unsafe materials, it’s up to you to put a stop to it. Try shopping for more environmentally friendly materials. And when it’s time to get rid of old clothes, don’t throw them away. Instead of having your clothes become landfill, sell them, or even donate them to somebody else.