【推荐2】Unusually bright light in the sky that appeared suddenly last June has got astronomers in great excitement, After months of study, they still aren’t sure what the object — university referred to as the “Cow” — is, whatever it is, says astronomer Lilian Rivera Sandoval or Texas Tech University in Lubbock, “It’s super strange and we are obsessed with its study.”

The Cow first appeared in telescope observations on 16 June 2018, in what turned out to be small galaxy about 200 million light years away. “When we saw that we thought, let’s get on this.” says Daniel Perley, an astronomer at Liverpool John Moore University.

The early observations confirmed the Caw was truly strange. It didn’t show the obvious changes in its light output that an exploding star would make. Sandoval ways as soon as she and colleagues Anew the Cow was truly distant, they requested time on NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to see what the Cow was doing in X-rays. Although the X-ray brightness varied over the early weeks, “the spectrum didn’t change, which is very unusual,” she notes. After 3 weeks, the X-ray signal began to vary more wildly while also dropping off in brightness.

Many astronomers agree that the long and steady duration of the event means that it was powered after an initial explosion by some form of central engine. But what that engine may be is also far from clear. Some argue that it could be a very unusual star whose central part has collapsed inward after it exploded. Others say it is a tidal disruption event — a star being torn apart by a black hole. But that usually requires the supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, and the Cow is situated in its galaxy’s arm. So, some say, il could be a tidal disruption event generated by an intermediate mass black hole, although evidence for the existence of such smaller black holes remains controversial. “All explanations have problems,” Sandoval says, “I hope there are more Cows.”

【推荐3】Name-calling, teasing, pushing and fighting — whether you have experienced it or not, the chances are that these are the things that appear in your mind when you hear the word “bullying”. Yet, many of us know little about the serious, lasting harms bullying could cause.

If you’ve watched 13 Reasons Why, you’ll understand the impacts that bullying can have. The second season of the popular US teenage drama was released on May 18. It tells the story of Hannah Baker, a high school student who takes her own life after she’s picked on by fellow students, while others stand by and do nothing to help her.

One of the important messages audiences could get from the show is to treat people with kindness and respect. “It teaches us that every single thing we say and do has an impact on others,” news platform Odyssey noted.

Some may think 13 Reasons Why exaggerates(夸大) the seriousness of school bullying, but according to the US National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 20 percent of US students were bullied in 2016, and only 36% of this group reported it.

NBA player Gerald Green opened up about being called “alien hands” during his teenage years due to his big hands. “Being bullied was embarrassing,” he said. “I still remember shying away from crowds and walking around with my hands in my pockets to evade the attention from my peers.” To get away with the teasing, he found his motivation by playing basketball and making a career out of it. But not everyone is so lucky to discover a release.

According to statistics released by the US government, if someone prevents a bully, there’s a 57% chance that the bullying will stop within 10 seconds. So if you ever witness bullying, consider stepping up and supporting the victim. As US actor Brandon Flynn, who stars in 13 Reasons Why, said, “Just because you’re not the one getting bullied, it doesn’t mean it’s not your problem.”

【推荐1】Wang Yaping went into space aboard the Shenzhou Ⅷ on October 16th, 2021. She became the first Chinese female astronaut (女航天员) to enter Tiangong space station.

Wang’s space dream started in 2003, when China sent its first astronaut Yang Liwei into space. After having safe flights for 1,600 hours over nine years, Wang was a strong candidate (候选人) to become an astronaut in 2010. She pushed herself hard, getting the same training as men. “The space environment won’t change because you are a woman,” she told Xinhua.

The hardest part is the high-G training. Sitting in a spinning (旋转的) machine, Wang would become blind for a while because her brain was short of blood. But she didn’t give in. That strong spirit finally made her dream come true in 2013.

Wang said that as astronauts, women have their own advantages (优势). “Women may be more patient and can better deal with loneliness. Women’s hearts are also easier to adapt to the weightless environment, making them more suitable for long-term missions.”

Wang Yaping sets a good example for all women who dream of going to space.

【推荐3】Chinese scientists have discovered a new water reservoir (储备) on the moon in the form of glass beads (珠子), which could have major significance for finding out water of the earth’s only natural satellite and potentially obtaining them to support future lunar missions.

A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience last week revealed soil samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe contained glass beads that held water in the form of hydroxyl. These glass beads are created when meteoroids (流星体) hit the moon’s surface, throwing up hot molten droplets which then cool and turn solid. They function like a sponge, taking in hydrogen atoms carried by the solar wind to form hydroxyl, thus playing an important role in the water cycle of the lunar surface.

While each bead only holds a tiny amount of water, these glass balls can be seen everywhere on the moon and researchers estimated lunar soils could store as much as 270 billion metric tons of water. For decades, scientists thought the moon was completely dry until discoveries in recent years revealed its soil could hold water. “The moon potentially holding 270 billion metric tons of water is quite substantial, though it pales in comparison to the amount of water in the earth’s oceans,” said Hu Sen, a researcher from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one of the key scientists behind the study.

These findings not only provide insights into the origins, storage, and transportation of water on celestial bodies without atmospheres, but they also may prove helpful for planning and building a sustainable human habitat on these planets, he added.

However, the specific origins of the water on the lunar surface remain a mystery. The study presented several potential sources, including solar wind implantation, the release of trapped gas when the moon was hot and volcanically active, and so on.