【推荐3】Thanks to the pandemic, more people are or have been working from home. Multiple studies and surveys have shown that many would like to carry on doing so, even as the threat from COVID-19 fades. However, new research carried out in the USA suggests that in-person teams tend to perform better in creativity at certain tasks than those working through videoconferencing software.

The initial study involved 602 participants, including university students and staff. With half the pairs sitting face-to-face in one room, and half using videoconferencing software, subjects were asked to come up with novel uses for a product. The researchers found that the in-person teams generated a greater number and wider range of ideas than the virtual teams. But when it came to their ability to pick the ‘best’ idea rated by comparing the creativity scores of the ideas they chose with the scores of those picked by the judges, there was little difference between the two groups.

To make sure the study wasn’t specific to any given population group, the tests were then conducted again, with 1,490 engineers working for a large company from five other countries. For this second set of tests, participants were asked to come up with new product ideas for their real-life employer. Using a variety of methods, the researchers found that people in the in-person group looked around the room and talked with each other more, whereas those using videoconferencing software took it in turns to speak and kept their eyes on the screen. These things negatively connected to idea generation.

“This new research was an important first step. But this is a single study and the effects are somewhat small, amounting to a difference in one or two ideas between the groups. How much impact this has would depend on the company itself. ” said Dr. Jay Olson, who studies ways to measure creativity.

【推荐2】For archaeologists (考古学家) in Israel, eight prehistoric ostrich (鸵鸟) eggs-thought to be between 4,000 and 7,500 years old-proved as valuable as treasure when they were dis-covered near an ancient fire pit in the Negev, a desert region in the south of the country.

They were discovered during an archaeological excavation (挖掘) in the agricultural fields of Be’er Milka, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Thursday. The eggs’ location suggests that they were collected by the prehistoric (史前的) desert nomads (游牧民) who used the campsite, according to a press release from IAA, and further lab analysis will provide more information about their uses and ages. Although the nomads did not build permanent structures at this site, the finding allows us to feel their presence in the desert. The campsites were covered by sand, keeping the eggs exceptionally well-preserved.

Ostriches were common in the region until they became extinct in the wild during the 19th century. Their eggs were beautifully decorated and were prized items during the Bronze and Iron Ages (青铜和铁器时代). As well as being used as decorative items, ostrich eggs were also used as a source of food. One ostrich egg has the nutritional value of about 25 normal chicken eggs.

While ostrich eggs are not uncommon in excavations, the bones of the large bird are not found. This may indicate that in the ancient world, people avoided dealing with the ostrich and were content with collecting their eggs.

【推荐3】2023 was a good year for archaeological discoveries. Here are some of the most interesting new finds.

A moai

In February, volunteers unearthed a stone head called a moai on Easter Island. The statue is small for a moai — a little over five feet tall, while others of the roughly 900 statues on the island are up to 33 feet tall.

Most of the moai were created between 1250 and 1500, and local people regard them as the living faces of their ancestors. But nothing is known about this new moai, including which ancestor it represents.

Two mummy workshops

Archaeologists announced in May that they discovered two more workshops near the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. One of the workshops features stone beds meant for the preservation of human bodies, while the other one has smaller beds that were used to mummify animals.

A Maya city

In June, Mexican archaeologists discovered a lost city called Ocomtun. They thought it was a major center from about AD 250 until it was abandoned when the Maya civilization collapsed between 900 and 1000, possibly from drought and civil wars.

Ocomtun covers more than 120 acres and features well-preserved homes, raised platforms and pyramid temples. The remains of the largest pyramid are more than 80 feet high.

Roman jewelry

In June, dozens of precious stones were discovered by archaeologists in the ruins of an ancient pipe system that carried water away from public baths in the third and fourth centuries. It’s thought they were worn by wealthy bathers. Some of these precious stones are carved with images of Roman gods, such as Apollo, Venus, and Mars, while others show animals, such as rabbits and birds.

The public baths were found at Carlisle in England. The city was a regional center in Roman Britain, when it was known as Luguvalium.