【推荐1】Climate change is not only a human problem; animals have to adapt to it as well. Some “warm-blooded” animals are shapeshifting (变形) and getting larger legs, ears, and beak s to better control their body temperatures as the planet gets hotter. Bird researcher Sara Ryding of Deakin University in Australia describes these changes in a review.

“It’s high time we recognized that animals also have to adapt to these changes, and this is occurring over a far shorter time than would have occurred through most of evolutionary time,” says Ryding. “The climate change that we have created is putting a lot of pressure on them, and while some species will adapt, others will not.”

Ryding notes that climate change is a complex phenomenon that’s been occurring gradually, so it’s difficult to determine just one cause of the shapeshifting. But these changes have been occurring across wide geographical regions and among a variety of species, so there is little in common apart from climate change.

Strong shapeshifting has particularly been reported in birds. Several species of Australian parrot have shown, on average, a 4% to 10% increase in size since 1871, and this is positively associated with the summer temperature each year. North American dark-eyed juncos, a type of small songbird, had a link between increased size and short-term temperature extremes in cold environments. There have also been reported changes in mammalian (哺乳动物) species. Researchers have reported tail length increases in wood mice. “The increases in appendage (附肢) size we see so far are quite small — less than 10% — so the changes are unlikely to be immediately noticeable,” says Ryding. “However, prominent (突起的) appendages such as ears are predicted to increase.”

Next, Ryding intends to investigate shapeshifting in Australian birds by 3D scanning museum bird samples from the past 100 years. Undoubtedly, it will give her team a better understanding of which birds are changing appendage size due to climate change and why.

【推荐2】A Spanish project is attempting to 3D print coral reefs (珊瑚礁) to provide habitat for fish and protection for beaches and coastal communities at risk from rising seas and other damage.

Coral reefs are massively decreasing globally, and some scientists say we could lose 70-90% of our reefs due to warming ocean waters. That has all kinds of serious consequences because a quarter of the world’s fish live in and around reefs, reefs are critically important protectors of beach communities threatened by high waves and tides, and they support a massive amount of biodiversity. That led marine biologist Lizzie Fane and her co-founder Alfred Martel, a computer scientist, to start Coastruction, a non-profit organization.

“Even if you start on a small scale (规模) ... a square kilometer already, it could have a great impact,” Martel says. “It could really protect a coast, a beach, or an area where there is a community living and they need protection because the sea is rising.”

Being able to 3D print is important, because you match individual sites. Every location is different with different coral species. “It’s like everybody has a different house,” Fane says. “You can take into account habitat requirements of not just the coral but also the fish that live nearby.”

Their current technology can print various shapes. The result can be an amazingly natural-looking man-made rock with plenty of corners for both coral and other fish to attach themselves and make homes.

The Coastruction founders don’t think they can possibly meet the global demand, so their goal is to provide the tools — like the 3D printer — for local people and design the technology to use cheap and locally-available materials to create the artificial coral reefs. No high temperatures or chemical additives are required, and any loose powder or sand material not used in one print will be used in the next. The 3D printer works on-site, so there’s no transport of finished blocks required.

【推荐3】No matter where you live, giving gifts is a common way for us to express thanks, concern or love. Although the reasons for giving gifts are about the same around the world, the traditions of giving gifts can be quite different from one another.

In Europe, don’t accidentally cut yourself out of someone’s life.

In the US, a set of kitchen knives seems like the perfect gift idea for a wedding or holiday. However, in certain European countries like Germany, superstition (迷信) defines that a knife presented as a gift will end your friendship. There is a way to beat this superstition: tie a penny to the knife or gift box. The receiver then returns the penny to you as a “payment” to drive away the bad luck.

In Native America, your host gives gifts rather than receives them.

The Native American gift giving custom is exactly the opposite to that of any other culture. Traditionally, during weddings and some big celebrations (birthdays aren’t always included), guests are the receivers of gifts rather than the host.

In Japan, presentation is paramount.

The Japanese place great emphasis on the act of gift giving, and presentation plays a big role in determining how your gift is received. For example, it’s considered unpleasant to uncovered cash. So whether you’re sending money as a gift or just leaving a tip, place your money in an envelope to ensure it’s received in a respectful manner.

In China, red envelopes and even denominations (偶数的面额) bring good luck.

Chinese New Year has a rich set of traditions. One of the most popular customs of this holiday is giving out money in red envelopes. Known as yasuiqian, these gifts are meant to bring good luck. In addition to how you give money, there’s also superstition relating to the amount you give. Giving an odd numbered amount of money is considered bad luck. It’s important to make sure that even the first digit is even as numbers like 30 and 50 are considered odd.