【推荐2】Scientists believe they could bring the likes of dodos(渡渡鸟)back from the dead through cloning experiments in the near future which could see the flightless birds revived from their extinction.

The big bird, which was about a metre tall and weighed up to 18 kilograms, was native to Mauritius but became extinct in the 1600s, shortly after humans discovered the island. However, 400 years later, scientists now believe that they could bring the dodo back to life through cloning of some of its closest living relatives.

Scientists recently published a paper which identified the overall genomic structure of dinosaurs. The team achieved this by tracing the ancestors (祖先)of birds — the dinosaurs closest living relatives — to create the genomic structure. Researchers involved in the study say it is an emphatic ‘no’ when it comes to the possibility of ever being able to clone dinosaurs, but they do say that more recently extinct birds like the carrier pigeon and the dodo could be brought back due to the fact that they have such close living relatives.

University of Kent scientists Darren Griffin and Rebecca O’Connor wrote in an article for The Conversation: “We discovered that birds and most flightless dinosaurs had a lot of chromosomes (packages of DNA). Having so many allows animals to generate variation, the driver of natural selection.”

“However, though it is a long shot, it may be possible in future to use Jurassic Park technology to help avoid some of the harm that humans have caused. Mankind has seen the extinction of well-known avian dinosaurs such as the dodo and the passenger pigeon.”

“Recovery(恢复)of DNA that is a only few hundred years old from these birds is a far more realistic way. It may also be that eggs from closely related living species might just be good enough. In the right conditions we may be able to use them to resurrect some of these species from extinction.”

【推荐3】A new study looked at more than 9,000 12-to-13-year-old students of 139 UK secondary schools taking part in “separated” maths and English classes which are set up by children’s ability. Researchers found that not only is there a “worrying” self-confidence gap between students in the top and bottom sets, but, for those in maths sets, the gap in general self-confidence in fact widens over time.

The study has potentially important meanings for social justice, with the growing gap risking enlarging existing inequalities rather than reducing them. Students with low ability are being ill-served in schools that apply setting, and they are shown to be disproportionately (不成比例地) populated by pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds and from particular racial groups. The results have important meanings for measures directed at addressing disadvantage in education.

The analysis shows that there was a general trend that students had higher self-confidence in the subject area of mathematics or English if they were placed in the top set and a significantly lower self-confidence when placed in the bottom set in mathematics when compared with an average student in the middle set. This trend in self-confidence remained for general self-confidence in mathematics and those in the top set in English. In other cases, the trend was reduced, though in no case was reversed (逆转). Researchers added that the labels associated with ability-based classes impact children’s self-perception (自我认知) as learners in relation to their learning, subject identification, and feelings about themselves and their place at school.

Researchers do not think it unreasonable to suppose that these trends in self-confidence likely impact on pupils' associations with schooling, and in turn on pupils’ perceptions of their futures. The “ability set” label snowballs as it builds motivation and impact through the various practices, understandings and behaviors on the part of the pupil, on teachers, parents, peers, and therefore the school and its practices. The report acknowledges more research is now needed to further understand how self-confidence impacts children’s futures, and recognizes that there may also be a range of different psychological factors and processes which can balance the effects between the receipt of an “ability label” through tracking and self confidence in learning.

【推荐1】On paper, hydrogen（H2）looks like a dream fuel. Coal, oil, and natural gas produce carbon dioxide, which warms the earth when burned, Hydrogen produces pure water. Hydrogen packs more energy into less space than a battery（but certainly less than petrol）. Also, empty tanks（燃料箱）can be refilled with hydrogen much faster than refilling empty batteries with electricity.

While in practice, things are trickier. Storing a meaningful amount of hydrogen gas requires pressing it several hundred-fold. Changing it into the liquid form is another option, but it should be cooled to-253C. Both processes require a heavy and strong tank. While a 700 bar tank is acceptable for a city bus or a truck, adapting it for use in small vehicles is very difficult because the pressure during refilling would be too great.

The solution? Powerpaste.

A German team of researchers, led by Marcus Vogt, have come up with an interesting "powerpaste", which can store hydrogen energy at atmospheric pressure, ready for release when needed. It is so named because it comes in tubes and looks like toothpaste（牙膏）, not in its traditional form of gas.

The main ingredient（原料）of the paste is magnesium hydride, a substance that reacts with water to form hydrogen. The escaped hydrogen can then be directed into a fuel cell, where it reacts with oxygen from the air to produce electric power.

Refueling is very simple, as instead of going to a filling station, drivers and riders can simply replace an empty tube with a new one and refill the water tank.

Given that powerpaste only begins to break down at temperatures of around 250℃ it remains safe even when a vehicle stands in the baking sun for hours.

However, we will have to be patient. Just because researchers have succeeded in developing a new fueling way does not mean that we can expect to see such vehicles on the road anytime soon. It will indeed be several years before this concept is turned into reality.

【推荐3】With news that many countries in Europe are reopening to tourism in time for summer, travelers with their sights set on Asia are anxiously awaiting word on when they’ll be given the green light to visit their favorite destination. As of now, those with Thailand in mind will need to wait at least a few more months before packing their bags.“It is still dependent on the outbreak situation, but I think at the earliest, we may see the return of tourists could be the fourth quarter of this year,” Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said.

And even then, he says, there will likely be restrictions on who can visit and where they can go. “We are not going to open all at once,” he adds. “We are still on high alert, we just can’t let our guards down yet. We have to look at the country of origin (of the travelers) to see if their situation has truly improved. And lastly, we have to see whether our own business operators are ready to receive tourists under the ‘new normal’.” Basically, a country will open borders with destinations that also have their coronavirus(新冠病毒) situation under control. Once Thailand does open to international tourists, they’ll likely only be able to visit certain spots, says Yuthasak. “We have studied a possibility of offering special long-stay packages in isolated and closed areas where health monitoring can be easily controlled -- for example, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui. This will be beneficial for both tourists and local residents, since this is almost a kind of quarantine(隔离).”

Yuthasak says they’re finishing up a framework to restart tourism, but baby steps are needed to relight international tourism. “The next step is bilateral agreements between countries,” he says. “Thailand’s good standing in the face of the crisis with China, along with strong demand, make it a logical short-term solution for overseas tourism to return to the Kingdom.” For now, Thailand isn’t taking any chances and the country’s borders are firmly shut.

【推荐1】Female Scientists Who Have Changed the World

There are still hundreds of relatively-unknown women who have changed the world with their research throughout history

Tiera Guinn

This 21 -year-old scientist hasn't yet graduated from college, but Tiers Guinn's already doing rocket science. The MIT（麻省理工学院）senior is helping build a rocket for the United States that could be one of the biggest and most powerful ever made. She's an aerospace major with high credit points who also works as a Rocket Structural Design and Analysis Engineer for the Space Launch System that aerospace company Boeing is building for the US.

Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell,who was born in Bristol, England in 1821,was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States, became an activist for poor American women's health, and went on to found a medical school for women in England.

Jane Goodall

The most famous primate (灵长目）scientist in history, Jane Goodall was known for her work with chimps and as a champion of animal rights. And Goodall wasn't just working in a lab; she climbed trees and imitated the behavior of chimps in Tanzania to gain their trust and study them in their natural habitat.

Rachel Carson

In the 1960s, one environmental scientist's voice rose above the rest to become central to American politics, culture, and foreign policy: Rachel Carson's. Her article, "Silent Spring," warned of the dangers of pesticides（农药）and chemicals to humans, plants, and animals, and was a landmark in the nation's environmental history .

【推荐2】Three weeks ago, we were living paycheck to paycheck. We survived on my husband’s low-paid job and my disability. We have kids. Also, I was experiencing a terrible tumor (肿瘤)on my neck, leaving me staying in bed in extreme pain, but the operation was to be $8,000, out of pocket, because Medicare only covers 80%.

To take me to the hospital, my husband took a day off work. At 7 am, his boss called. He was being placed on paid leaving, waiting for an investigation into a mistake he had made at work.

We both panicked. Having slowly worked our way out of poverty (贫穷) for 8 years, we were so close to being OK and it was ail falling away. As my husband was a great worker, we decided to stay positive and hope for the best. However, two days later he received the official phone call-he was fired.

Having no savings to pay bills, we cried hopelessly. We went to the welfare office only to be told that he couldn’t collect unemployment for 8 weeks, meaning he had the possibility of having $0 income for two months. It was terrifying.

With only enough food to last for about a week, we applied for food stamps and Medicaid. Then we worked together- diving into job applications. After sending out resumes (简历)to everywhere in the field, he came across some promising companies. We kept our fingers crossed. Hopefully, we could get out of trouble as early as possible.

Soon I got a phone call-my neck operation was going to be free now that we were poor again. And my husband got an email invitation for a video interview and it went great. He would be paid $3 more an hour than his last job. What a roller coaster ride!

【推荐3】There are many things that we can do in our own ways which will help save the environment. What are some of these ways to save the environment? Let’s take a look at a list of them.

There won’t be enough water before we need to fight for clean and fresh water. That is why saving water and preventing water pollution becomes very important. Keep simple things in mind like turning off the tap when you are brushing teeth. Don’t often take a shower. Don’t pour oil into the drains. Don’t throw rubbish into the river.

Save paper to save trees. Make sure that you use both sides of paper before throwing it away. If you can, try not to use paper as possible as you can and do not forget to recycle paper. Also, using cloth bags instead of paper bags can save much Paper. This is one of the best ways to save our environment.

Recycling is important. It makes sure that the environment is not more polluted. Recycling does not simply include recycling paper, but things like plastic, metal and office supplies like pens, ink and more. This makes sure that they are changed into material that is reusable and also puts less pressure on the environment.

What are the ways to save energy? Turn off the lights and computers before you leave. Use cold water instead of hot water to wash clothes, use the stairs instead of the lift and keep the air conditioner on moderate setting(设置)to save energy.

In a word, try our best to do something to save our environment, and we will do something helpful to save ourselves.

【推荐2】I have learned something about myself since I moved from Long Island to Florida three years ago. Even though I own a home in Port St. Lucie just minutes from the ocean, an uncontrollable urge wells up to return to Long Island even as others make their way south. I guess I am a snowbird stuck in reverse. Instead of enjoying Florida’s mild winters, I willingly endure the severe weather on Long Island, the place I called home for 65 years.

I’m like a migratory bird (候鸟) that has lost its sense of timing and direction, my wings flapping against season.

So what makes me fly against the tide of snowbirds? The answer has a lot to do with my reluctance to give up the things that define who I am. Once I hear that the temperature on Long Island has dipped into the range of 40 to 50 degrees, I begin to long for the sight and crackling sound of a wood fire. I also long for the bright display of colors -- first in the fall trees, and then in the lights around homes and at Rockefeller Center. Floridians decorate too, but can’t create the special feel of a New England winter.

I suppose the biggest reason why I return is to celebrate the holidays with people I haven’t seen in months. What could be better than sitting with family and friends for a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, or watching neighbors children excitedly open gifts on Christmas? Even the first snowfall seems special. I especially enjoy seeing a bright red bird settling on a snow-covered branch. (My wife and I spend winters at a retirement community in Ridge, and I’m grateful that I don’t have to shovel.)

While these simple pleasures are not unique to Long Island, they are some of the reasons why I come back. Who says you can’t go home?

【推荐3】China is recognized as a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence and facial recognition systems. A Chinese company says it has created a new facial recognition system that can identify people even if they are wearing masks. Engineers at the Beijing-based company say their system is the first to be created to effectively identify people wearing face masks.

The company told a news agency that a team of 20 people built the system in about a month. The system is based on existing technologies developed over the past 10 years. The process involved adding a collection of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller collection of masked faces, the company said.

The company is now selling two main kinds of products that use the new technology. One performs “single channel" recognition, which is designed to be used at the entrances to buildings.

The other product is a “multi-channel!” recognition system that uses groups of surveillance (监视) cameras. It can identify individuals in a crowd of up to 30 people within a second.

“When people are wearing a mask that covers the mouth and the nose, the recognition rate can reach about 95%, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” said Huang, vice president of the company. He added that the system's success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5%.

However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. "In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough." Huang said.

People were reacting differently to the new technology. While some citizens have been against using such tools, the majority have accepted the technology as an elective way to decrease crime and catch criminals.