【推荐1】Solar power is one of the fastest growing sources of renewable power globally these years. Solar photothermal (光热) and solar photovoltaic (PV光伏)are both technical forms.

The thermal power station adopts the generation mode of “light--heat--electricity”. Thousands of heliostats (定日镜) reflect the sunlight to the surface of the heat absorber on the top of the solar tower. The concentrated sunlight is then used either directly as a source of heat, as in solar water heating, or to drive a heat cycle such as a Sterling Engine. PVs use semi-conductor technology to directly convert sunlight into electricity. The PV line is connected to the direct current (DC) distribution cabinet in parallel through the DC combiner box. After confluence (汇合), it is connected to the DC input end of the inverter to convert DC into alternating current (AC). The AC output end of the inverter is connected to the AC distribution cabinet and directly connected to the user side through the AC distribution cabinet.

Additionally, since solar thermal directly produces heat, it can store thermal energy into various media. Therefore, solar thermal can potentially generate power 24 hours a day. On the other hand, PVs only operate when the sun is shining, and must be coupled either with other power generation mechanisms to ensure a constant supply of electricity.

The scale of PV power generation can be large or small, ranging from thousands of watts to hundreds of megawatts, but photothermal power generation is typical economies of scale. With the increase of scale, the lower the power generation cost.

PV power generation is less limited by region, for the sun shines on the earth. Compared with other sources of renewable power, the PV system is safe and reliable as well as eco-friendly. Since it can be convenient for local power generation and power supply, you do not worry about consuming fuel or erecting transmission lines. A small PV power can be constructed in a short period with no noise or low pollution.

【推荐3】In rural Tabasco, Mexico, a community of 50 3D printed homes is now under construction.

The US-based nonprofit New Story has teamed up with the tech company ICON to build the world’s first 3D printed neighborhood. It’s part of their project working to fight global homelessness.

Brett Hagler, the company’s CEO and co-founder, says the machine starts at the very bottom of the home, laying the cement (水泥) all the way to top where a roof is then placed. Start to finish, the entire process takes just 24 hours to print. The company hires local workers to attach the roof and doors, Hagler says.

Each 3D printed home will have two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. Families there are living for less than $3 a day. Each home can stand hurricanes and medium-level earthquakes, Hagler says. Being strong enough to stand natural disasters has a “generational influence,” he says, because families can pass the home down from generation to generation.

New Story started in 2010 after a disastrous earthquake ruined Haiti, leaving millions injured and homeless. Seeing the damage “broke my heart,” Hagler says. Therefore, he founded New Story to be able to face large disasters with new robotic technology that can quickly rebuild communities.

Now, using New Story’s printer, known as “Vulcan 2,” they are able to quickly build safe shelters. “Besides, we are free of exorbitant operation costs. We bring in the technology to make it faster, cheaper and eventually a better product,” Hagler says, “and then be able to have local labor to do other necessary jobs.”

Hagler says they don’t want to keep this innovation to themselves. After their project in Tabasco, they hope to service other nonprofits who are working toward ending global homelessness.

【推荐2】Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara were selected as the 2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates (获奖者), announced Tom Pritzker, Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation which sponsors the award that is often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel”. Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have practiced architecture together for over forty years in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the Pritzker Prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work.

They were awarded for their generosity toward their colleagues, commitment to excellence in architecture, responsible attitude toward the environment, ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, according to the 2020 Jury Citation.

As architects and educators since the 1970s, Farrell and McNamara have created spaces that honor history while presenting their mastery of the urban environment and craft of construction. Their works never repeat or copy, but are decidedly of their own architectural style.

Their native Ireland, an island dotted with mountains and hills, breeds their acute sensitivities to geography, such as the changing climate and nature, in each of their sites. The campus of UTEC Lima, one of their works, for example, is located on a challenging site with a highway sunk in a valley on one side and a neighborhood on the other. The result is a vertical building responding to both site and climate needs. Its open spaces are designed to deliberately welcome the cool wind from the ocean and minimize the need for air-conditioning.

According to McNamara, architecture anchors us and connects us to the world as a framework for human life. She adds that possibly no other space-making discipline(科目) can do this. Farrell continues, “At the core of our practice is a real belief that architecture matters.   It is a cultural spatial phenomenon that people invent. ”

【推荐1】I’ve been wondering how kids themselves, especially young ones, define(定义) play. It turns out that there have been quite a few research studies in which young children are asked in various ways to distinguish between play and not play. In a review of 12 such studies, Natasha Goodhall and Cathy Atkinson (2019) concluded that even very young children have a rather clear idea of the difference between play and non-play. Most important for the present discussion, a key characteristic of play for children is that it is chosen and directed by the children themselves.

As one example of such a study, Justine Howard and her colleagues (2006) showed children pictures of other kids involved in various activities and asked them to judge each as “play” or “not play.” It turned out that the most reliable indicator for the children was the presence or absence of an adult. If an adult (generally seen to be a teacher) was present, the activity was most often judged as “not play,” even if the children looked happy and involved. Children were also more likely to judge an activity as play if there was more than one child involved than if a single child was doing something alone.

Howard and her colleagues (2006) also reviewed previous research on children’s understanding of play and concluded that, all in all, children consider an activity to be play if it (a) is controlled by the children, (b) is enjoyable, (c) has no preset goal, and (d) involves pretense. Yay! This list matches reasonably well with the list I generated based on the work of other play researchers and my own observations. I’m apparently not too far off the mark.

Unfortunately, many education specialists who have heard that play is good for children’s learning don’t understand what play is. They develop “play-based learning” programs that go against the first characteristic of play because they are chosen and set up by the teacher and are more-or-less forced upon the children rather than freely chosen by them. Once the first characteristic is destroyed, the others are also generally destroyed.

I think it is hard for teachers to provide much real play for children, because that means giving up control. Moreover, stepping back and letting the children do their own thing may look like laziness or negligence(疏忽) to adult observers.

【推荐2】A quiet space is often considered essential for achieving the concentration that leads to academic success. But research shows that some students may benefit from breaking the silence with certain kinds of music while they study. Music has a powerful influence on both the body and the brain, in ways that can help students navigate the physical and emotional barriers that come with academic challenges.

One U.S. study compared students who took a test to soft music with those who took the test under silent conditions. The study found that students taking a test to music not only completed more questions within a set time but also answered more questions correctly. Music has been further linked to improvements in memory and recall. Experts have found that when music stimulates mood and motivation, students are able to learn more and to better demonstrate their knowledge.

A bit of mood music affects more than just memory and recall when students hit the books. Music can also relieve stress associated with school. Scientists have learned that music engages the autonomic nervous system, which not only controls the unconscious functions of the body but also influences emotions. So it’s no surprise that researchers from the Group Health Research Institute concluded that certain kinds of background music can be just as effective at reducing stress as a massage. Furthermore, while the brain feels better with music, the body may as well. Research shows that certain types of music can make physical pain feel less intense. What’s more, calming music with a steady, meditative rhythm can help people sleep longer and more deeply.

However, some educators express concern that listening to music while trying to concentrate may do more harm than good. Loud music may have a negative influence on a student’s mood or act as a distraction. Actually, the best approach may depend on the students themselves. Listening to music during study time may not mean a guaranteed A for all students, but those who find it helpful should be allowed to plug in their headphones.