【推荐2】Every year around the world some 2. 2 million books are published. For most of these authors the writing process has relatively been unchanged since Mark Twain’s day in the late 19th century. Plot outlines and ideas are written down to be deciphered (解读), developed and refined over time.

These days, however, technology is increasingly making the life of an author a little easier. For Michael Green, a novelist, the need to use technology to simplify and streamline the writing process came when he was in the middle of writing his first book.

“I had all these documents on the deeper aspects of the world I was creating. I was worried about being able to keep track of it all. That’s when I switched into my more data science-minded approach to solving a complex problem with a lot of different pieces.” The end result was that Mr. Green created Lynit, a digital platform that helps authors visualize, plan and weave (编织) together the various elements—such as characters, plots, themes and key events. Mr. Green says that many novelists begin their work with merely a general idea of a plot or a particular character. With Lynit he says that the process of adding to this initial idea is simplified.

Experts, however, still caution against being overdependent on technologies aimed at helping writers.

“Technology can also be distracting (令人分心的), particularly if you’re one step away from social media, or jumping down a research hole,” says Melissa Haveman, a writer and author coach. “A quick five minutes can sometimes lead to hours of lost writing time. Authors can sometimes fall into the trap of trying everything in the hope that it will be the magic piece, which really just turns into another distraction.”

Yet Michael Green says he believes technology will become even more outstanding as a new generation of writers becomes more outstanding. “What I'm finding with the Generation Z and even younger writers is that they’re looking for technology to give them guidance,” he says, “They see it as a tool to learn and grow with, rather than extra work.”

【推荐3】A Japanese candy company has been   making national news headlines for its idea to produce gummy candy that tastes like an “imaginary fruit” called Kiraspika.

Last year was a great one for gummy candy producers, and the market continued to expand throughout 2023, with fruit-flavored gummies being the most popular. While there are plenty of fruit flavors to choose from, companies arc still limited to the fruits available in our world. But what if someone broke down barriers and started making candy that tastes like imaginary fruits? That was the genius idea that Japanese sweats maker Kanro recently came up with. Two months ago, the company launched a new type of gummy candy that tastes like “Kiraspika”, a made-up fruit with an original flavor, design, and even an origin story.

According to the Kanro official website, the star-shaped Kiraspika only grows in the mountainous region of Blue Knife, where temperatures drop to -50 degrees Celsius in winter.   It is very difficult to obtain, as when the fruit ripens, on a full-moon night around the winter solstice (冬至), the fruit explodes as a mechanism to spread its seeds. Pieces of the fruit fly at a speed of 300 meters per second, and a direct hit can be fatal.

Everything about Kiraspika was invented in Kanro’s fruit lab where its flavor experts combined various existing flavors to create an entirely original one that tastes like nothing you’ve ever eaten. To some, the Kiraspika flavor can be compared to that of an energy drink, others say it tastes a bit like a spicy apple, while some compare its sweetness to that of cherry gummies, combined with a tongue-numbing spiciness.

It is the mystery of the flavor and the personal interpretations that make Kanro’s product so popular. Having been launched in September in the 7-Eleven convenience store chain,   Kiraspika gummies have been selling out like hotcakes, and the Japanese company is already working on new creations in its Fantasy Fruit Lab.

【推荐1】[1] What do North Carolina’s red wolves, the Eurasian beaver and Przewalski’s horse have in common?

[2] All of them went extinct in the wild — and all of them came back, thanks to reintroduction programs.

[3] Conservation scientists use translocation and captive breeding (圈养繁殖) to re-establish animal populations that have died out in the wild — either entirely or in certain areas. Reintroducing extinct-in-the-wild animals to their native territories can be a double win: helping to restore damaged ecosystems, as well as increasing population numbers.

[4] But setting a species loose in the wild is a risky balancing act. Reintroductions often take years and involve multiple stages. Before bringing back a species, conservationists have to evaluate the threat level — both to and from the animal — and the role it played in the ecosystem. In places where wild populations have died out more recently, there’s a better chance of success. The less time that has passed, the more likely that environment is the same as when the species went extinct. But scientists still need to address the reason why it went extinct in that environment to begin with.

[5] Reintroduced animals can have a positive impact on the landscape, but how fast this happens depends on the type of animal and how damaged the environment is. Herbivores (食草动物) can make a significant change relatively quickly, while predators tend to be reintroduced slowly and carefully. Although they can be useful for managing pest species, conservationists have to ensure they don’t overhunt or threaten other vulnerable animals.

[6] A 2020 study highlighted species reintroduction as one of the most effective ways to save endangered animals. The study estimates that conservation action between 1993 and 2020 saved up to 48 species of birds and mammals from extinction, and that the rate of extinction would have been three to four times higher, during that period, without those efforts.

【推荐2】Laura Madden is a small business owner and sustainable fashion advocate. “ReFashioned Art is a purpose-driven business, combining style and sustainability (可持续性),” Madden says,“I love fashion, but I also care deeply about the environment.”

She slowly built her network and became an influencer who ran a popular blog. She shares that her passion for sustainability came about in 2015 when she watched a life-changing documentary about the social and environmental issues brought up by the fashion industry. “My guilty pleasures－ shopping and fashion － that I assumed weren’t hurting anyone, were in reality hurting a lot of people,” she says.“I couldn’t stand the fact that something I loved so much was creating so much suffering on the planet. How could something that brought me so much beauty and joy be so dirty and destructive?”

With this realization, Madden became an advocate for sustainable fashion－including purchasing most of her own clothes second-hand and supporting sustainable brands. Although she was busy enough in 2019, she became a professional artist, creating pieces made from sustainable materials.

She notes that ReFashioned Art is first and foremost an art brand. “I am using my work to tell a story and create a narrative that style and sustainability can co-exist,” she says. “By repurposing old items into something more fashionable, elegant, and contemporary, I hope to inspire you to look for beauty where it is not normally found.”

For those interested in supporting sustainable art and fashion. Madden shares,“Get creative and look for beauty. Looking forward, I would love to partner with more designers.”

She adds,“We only have finite resources. The best thing we can all do is ask, ‘How else can I use this item?’”

【推荐1】The new staff at McDonald’s across Slovenia stand at just 1.3 meters. They have aviation-grade aluminium alloy (铝合金) bodies, a screen for a face, and cat-like ears. The innovation called “BellaBot” is of a commercial-service-robot firm, which is called Pudu Robotics. They deliver not only food to customers, but also a smile or wink whenever they receive a pat on the head.

Pudu’s robots have learned to navigate (导航) complex, unpredictable environments such as fast-food restaurants, says. Felix Zhang, founder of Pudu Robotics, which is based in Shenzhen, China. Like humans, the BellaBot and others-such as the SwifiBot and PUDU Al-can avoid barriers and swiftly stop when a child crosses their paths. These are not simple tasks for a machine.

To navigate-in & changing environment a robot navigation algorithm (算法) usually requires three steps: positioning, judging and route planning. In these three steps, positioning is a key issue. “We thought that the robots should distance themselves, ahead of time, whenever they encounter certain groups of people, such as young children or the elderly,” Zhang says. The team thus adopted deep-learning algorithms to accurately identify these groups, so that the robots would be extra careful, slowing down and maintaining distance.

The company’s SwiftBot specifically recognizes elderly people, enabling it to work safely in nursing homes in addition to environments such as restaurants, hospitals and hotels. One of their latest robots, the PUDU Al, also adopting deep-learning algorithms, has an arm with which it can deliver food, and collect used dishes, without the need for staff or customers to load and unload it.

With a strong ambition of Al techniques to build on, Pudu Robotics continues to innovate and come up with new-designs, Zhang says. His team hopes that their robots will be adaptable and pleasant workers, ready for the tasks that await them.

【推荐3】Our economy runs on consumption, especially during the holidays—we as consumers are overwhelmed by emails and ads about the newest holiday gifts. Buying a brand new gift for a loved one, we may feel generous and not feel the environmental impact. But with millions of people doing the same, the resources spent really add up.

Journalist Annalise Griffin recommends people rethink the value of gift-giving and shop in an effective eco-friendly way.

A gift doesn’t have to be expensive, says Griffin. In the holiday shopping rash, it’s easy to forget why we give in the first place. She thinks it’s wise to adopt a more open-minded approach. For instance, pack a gift box with homemade cookies or get the whole family in on the act of paring down by tie-dyeing（扎染）white clothes from a local secondhand store. They may not be pricey but the love behind it counts.

As for green shopping, Griffin practices her way of buying used items instead of new ones. She mentions several websites and online communities where people can buy, give away or trade secondhand items. Her go-to for shopping for clothes and housing items include the more familiar eBay and Poshmark. For vintage（复古）goods, she recommends shopgoodwill. com.

Whether we’re making a commitment to cutting out extra spending or showing concern for the environment, it’s vital to share our ideas with the loved ones. It may be hard to convince a teenager not to buy the latest iPhone, so having these conversations early on can go a long way.