【推荐1】KFC has announced that it will partner with Russian company 3D Bioprinting Solutions to develop bioprinted lab-grown chicken. It is a part of the global fast food giant’s aggressive strategy towards alternative protein.

KFC’s new bioprinted lab­grown chicken made with plant material and cultured animal cells are a part of the chain’s mission to become a “restaurant of the future”. In the announcement, the fast food giant says that its laboratory-produced chicken nuggets (鸡块), which will be the world’s first, will reduce the environmental footprint of the product compared to using conventional chicken meat.

According to a paper cited in KFC’s press release, growing meat from cells reduces energy consumption by more than half, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 25 ­fold, and requires 100 less land when weighed up against traditional livestock farming.

“Our experiment in testing 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken products can also help address several global problems,” said Raisa Polyakova, general manager of KFC Russia & CIS, in a statement.

“The rapid development of such technologies will allow us to make 3D-printed meat products more accessible and we are hoping that the technology will help accelerate the launch of cell-based meat products on the market,” explained co­founder of 3D Bioprinting Solutions, Yusef Khesuani.

This isn’t the first time that KFC has dipped its toes into more sustainable meat alternatives on the market.In the United States, KFC is currently working with plant­ based food tech Beyond Meat to expand KFC’s Beyond Fried Chicken across the country.

Beyond Fried Chicken first appeared on the market in 2020 in Atlanta. The menu item — first available in a one­day consumer test in Atlanta — sold out in less than five hours, the company said.In the Netherlands, a Rotterdam branch of KFC went 100% meat-free for a whole week in 2021.

“I’ve said it before: despite many imitations, the flavor of Kentucky Fried Chicken is one that has never been replicated (复制), until Beyond Fried Chicken,” said Andrea Zahumensky, chief marketing officer, KFC US.

【推荐2】Sarah Park has known about the impact of music on the brain since a young age. The 13-year-old, who has been playing the violin since she was 4, says she noticed its positive effect on those around her, especially her grandmother, who suffered from mental illness.

Now, the Jacksonville, Florida, middle-schooler hopes to use music therapy (疗法) to help others struggling with mental illness. Her invention, Spark Care+, earned her the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge on October 19, 2021.

Spark Care+ requires participants to respond to a series of questions based on the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale, designed to assess the person’s mental state. The device’s inbuilt sensors record vital mental health indicators, such as heart rate and blood pressure. Spark Care+’s AI component analyzes the information and recommends the appropriate music to help lift the participants’ spirits. It also monitors its impact on the listeners.

Sarah Park hopes to make her invention accessible to all. The ninth-grader hopes to turn it into a wristband with inbuilt sensors, a heart-rate monitor, and Bluetooth. She also wants to build an app to make Spark Care+ accessible to everyone. “I hope to be able to distribute it around the world to people of all ages,” Park says.

In addition to being an inventor, Park is also a musical prodigy who has won several violin competitions, including the Florida state championship. She also plays the piano and is a math champion. The teen hopes to be an innovator and researcher in the medical field using technology and robotics. Her advice to other young scientists? “Dream big, ask questions, and anything is possible.”

【推荐3】Parents may fear that if their high school student isn’t motivated (有动力) to do well in classes, there’s nothing that will change that. But a new study found that students’ learning motivation often did change and usually for the better.

1,670 students from grades 9 to 11 took part in the study in two school years, during which they completed several surveys that assessed their motivation. After each survey, the students were placed into six different profiles (档案), from worst — those who were not motivated at all, to best — those who had an inner desire to learn.

The study found about 67 % students did change their profiles during the two years and there was an overall positive change in students’ motivation. For example, 8% of the students were in the best profile — autonomously motivated — in the first year, and that increased to 11.4% in the second year. The worst profile, the not motivated, described 2.8% of the students in the first year, dropping to 2.1% in the second year.

“The other good news in the study was that if we can find better ways to motivate students, if we can get them in a better profile, they tend to stay there,” said Kui Xie, lead author of the study and professor of educational studies at the Ohio State University.

Why did students move in a positive direction? One reason may be simply because they’re a year older and more mature (成熟).

But the study did find two factors that impacted how likely they were to become more motivated. One was the previous achievement. Students who had higher grade the first year were more likely to remain in better profiles in the second year of the study. The other factor was school belongingness, with students who felt they were more a part of their school in the first year being more likely to move to or stay in a better profile in the second year.

“This may be one area where we can help students become more motivated,” Xie said. “Belongingness is something schools can change. They can find ways to help students feel like they are part of the school community.”