【推荐1】As we know, it only takes about 3 minutes for the average house to catch fire and become fully lit. When it comes to a fire, 3 minutes is even scarier.     1     Here are some of the signs of electrical fire you can recognize, potentially saving yourself and your home.

    2     When you notice a burning smell and you don’t know where it’s coming from, this could be one of the signs of electrical fire. Taking a quick survey of the home, if you do know where the origin of the smell is, shut off electricity to this part of the home.

A burnt, discolored switch is a sign of danger. If a switch appears discolored, unfortunately this could mean there’s an electrical fire about to occur. Any discoloration or burning shows an electrical spark has already happened. It is best to call someone immediately to have them look at it. There are some ways to deal with the trouble.    3    

Old wires have been damaged.    4     That’s because old wires can be damaged as animals chew on them, from the wear and tear of the insulation around the wires, and through worn connections. This is an electrical fire risk that should be replaced or repaired by a professional.

Lights are going down for no reason. Do you ever notice your lights flickering without any reason?    5     If the lights are dimming too frequently, these could be signs of electrical fire happening very soon.

【推荐3】Although many of us may accept in theory that failure is a necessary component of all learning and growth, in practice,     1    . We may know that we need a growth mindset in order to develop, but failure remains an experience that is often associated with shame.

There are various reasons why we may fear failure.     2    . When we fail at something, our self-image suffers. We may feel worthless, and we may criticize ourselves for our failure. If we fail publicly, our failure will be visible to others. We may fear other people’s judgment. We may fear that our failure will impact or end our career, or else that it will damage our fame.

How, then, can we overcome our fear of failure so that we can truly benefit from what failing has to teach us?

    3    . Reminding yourself that there is no growth without failure — no learning, no development, no new experiences — can help you see what you dislike in a new light. Be open to learning from failure for overall development.

    4    . Try to learn a new skill or hobby — a sport, cooking, dancing, drawing, playing an instrument — and be kind to yourself in the learning process. Mindfully allow yourself to fail, to try again, to fail again but better, and try again, until you get somewhere.

Keep a little diary in which you record what your failures have taught you. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself when you fail, ask yourself: What can I learn from this experience? And remember:     5    .

【推荐2】Wireless sensors have many applications, but using sensors across a large area can be time-consuming and expensive.

Inspired by dandelions(蒲公英), a University of Washington team has developed a tiny sensor-carrying device that can be blown by the wind. This system is about 30 times as heavy as a dandelion seed but can still travel up to 100 meters in the light wind from where it was released by a drone(无人机). Once on the ground, the device, which can hold at least four sensors, uses solar panels to power its onboard electronics and can share sensor data up to 60 meters away.

The team published these results on March 16 in Nature.

“The way dandelion seed structures work is that they have a central point and these little bristles(刺毛)sticking out to slow down their fall. We took a 2-D projection of that to create the base design for our structures, ” said lead author Vikram Iyer. “As we added weight, our bristles started to bend inwards. We added an outer ring to increase the structure’s inflexibility, resulting in something that looks a bit like a 2-D wheel. “

To keep things light, the team used solar panels. The devices landed with the solar panels facing upright 95% of the time. Their shape and structure allow them to fall like a dandelion seed.

Without a battery, however, the sensors stop working after the sun goes down and need energy to get started in the morning. The team designed the electronics to include a capacitor that can store some charge overnight.

Since the devices are going to be spread, there’s a risk of them being mistaken for actual seeds by animals. There’s also another issue. Right now, these sensors aren’t designed to break down. Even though they’re tiny, long-term use of enough of them would create litter.

While these tiny, solar-powered, dandelion seed-like sensors still have to undergo some testing and improvement, they represent a new way to gather environmental data.

【推荐3】Thousands of years have passed since humans discovered silk, but scientists are still finding new uses for this remarkable material. Now researchers say it could help tackle a growing environmental and health concern: Micro-plastics.

Micro-plastics that are now found worldwide are increasingly recognized as a serious pollution threat, and have been found in the bloodstream of animals and people. Some of these micro plastics are intentionally added to a variety of products to generally protect some specific active components from being degraded by exposure to air. For example, vitamins are often delivered in the form of micro capsules packed into a pill or capsule,and herbicides(除草剂)are similarly enveloped. But the materials used today for such micro-encapsulation are plastics that stay in the environment for a long time. To date, there has been no practical, economical alternative available that would biodegrade naturally.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and chemical company BASF developed a silk-based biodegradable alternative to these capsules.

Silk is recognized as safe for food or medical use, as it degrades naturally in the body. The silk protein used in the new alternative material is widely available and inexpensive and the silk fibers can simply be dissolved(溶解), lead researcher Benedetto Marelli says. Besides, the processing is so simple and tun-able that the resulting material can be adapted to work on existing manufacturing equipment.

Replacing non-biodegradable micro-capsules with silk might not work in every case,but given the current and future challenges related to food insecurity, agricultural production, and a changing climate, the silk-based material is of great importance. Products using silk-based micro-capsules are expected to be commercially available in a few years. And the researchers will next try encapsulating active components that could require a different manufacturing approach, such as those that must remain in liquid or gas forms.

【推荐2】Marathon is the supreme discipline of long-distance running. They are not only attractive for top athletes, but also for hobby runners. The choice of events is almost endless. Now we have put together some most breathtakingly beautiful ones that you’ll be tempted (诱惑) to run holding a camera.

Ultra-trail Angkor, Cambodia

The newest of a series of Angkor marathons, this endurance test offers 32-km, 64-km and 128-km routes around the famous temples, including Bayon and Angkor Wat. Watch out for monkeys, and the gigantic tree vines that memorably hug some of the great buildings.

Dodo Trail, Mauritius

Crossing rugged coastline and tropical forests, the Dodo Trail is full of wildlife, although the famous dodo bird remains, sadly, extinct. While the demanding 50km Xtreme route covers 828m-high Black River Peak, a beginner-friendly Mini Dodo Trail (10 km) is easier.

Great Ocean Road marathon, Australia

Another well-known scenic coastal drive, southern Australia’s Great Ocean Road stages a footrace every May. Neck-ache could be a problem: in one direction lies the scenic South Sea, and in another handsome forest and, if you’re lucky, a koala or two. Be warned, however, that the series of steep slopes make this one of the toughest marathons.

Big Five marathon, South Africa

Marathon meets safari at the privately owned Entabeni Game Reserve every June. The start time is dependent on the race-day location of the Big Five members – African elephants, Cape buffalo, lions, leopards and rhinos – as organizers try to guarantee sightings.