【推荐2】Students at Eindhoven University of Technology didn’t just want to build a car that wouldn’t pollute the air; they wanted to create one that could actually clean it up.

The college team has just exhibited a battery-powered car that absorbs CO₂. Their car, called the Zem, is equipped with a special filter (过滤器) that cleans up the CO₂ produced by other cars on the road.

The Zem was born out of a challenge to build a completely carbon-neutral vehicle. Its body panels (金属板) were 3D printed to reduce waste and minimize the production of CO₂. Recycled plastics were also used throughout the outside and inside. The car’s powertrain, which consists of small battery packs and a 22-kWh motor, also makes use of regenerative braking to increase efficiency.

The real difference maker, though, is the vehicle’s special CO₂ filter. The Zem purifies (净化) the air through the special filter while driving, capturing the CO₂ and storing it. It is able to absorb two kg of CO₂ for 20,000 miles a year, meaning ten cars could store as much carbon dioxide as an average tree — a significant amount when considering the world’s billion cars are currently one of its leading sources of emissions.

Even if the technology isn’t adopted, the team hope that their car can inspire automakers to start making cleaner vehicles. “We want to encourage the industry by showing what is already possible,” the leader of the team said. “If 35 students can design, develop and build an almost carbon-neutral car in a year, then there are also opportunities and possibilities for the industry.”

The Zem is the second zero-emission vehicle we’ve seen come out of the Eindhoven University of Technology. Last year, another team of students created the Stella Vita, a solar-powered vehicle that could travel up to 450 miles a day. We can’t wait to see what the school’s students come up with next.

【推荐3】Mount Qomolangma, meaning “Holy Mother” in Tibetan, is the world’s highest mountain above sea level. No wonder most people consider climbing to its top as one of their biggest achievements. More than 4, 000 climbers, ranging from 13 to 80 years old, have managed to reach the top. Three people from the Sherpa community hold the current record at 21 times each!

You may be surprised at these numbers but that’s just the start of it. Last year, cleanup crews collected as much as 8. 4 tons of garbage from Mount Qomolangma’s North Base Camp in Tibet at 5,150 meters. And in the regions below that level, more than 335 tons of waste was collected. What a sad fact it is that the highest mountain in the world is turning into the highest mountain of trash!

To reverse the trend, the Chinese government recently announced that it had closed the North Base Camp to tourists. From now on, ordinary tourists will only be able to travel as far as Rongbuk Monastery, about 5, 000 meters above sea level. No more than 300 climbers with special permits will be allowed to climb Qomolangma each year. They are supposed to follow stricter rules, including carrying all their waste out with them and only climbing in spring.

Despite these tough measures, it is clear that tourism has caused enormous damage to the natural environment. Mount Qomolangma is not alone. Some popular parks around the world are also struggling to preserve their environments and keep up with increased tourism. Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. has long been troubled by the overflowing trash piles. Joshua Tree National Park suffered a wave of vandalism (破坏), with graffiti sprayed on rocks and ancient trees destroyed. In order to protect the environment, the National Park Service had no choice but to close the park temporarily.

As we can see, the natural environment can be destroyed by human activities in less than five minutes, but it might take hundreds of years to recover. Now it’s time for ordinary tourists to leave “Holy Mother” alone and wait for her to restore her beauty.

【推荐2】Most of us are aware of “Is the glass half full or half empty?” test. If you pick the former, you’re an “optimist”; otherwise, you’re a “pessimist”. It’s not a black-or-white test, but it can measure how one sees life.

According to psychologist Lissy Ann Puno, most of us grow up wanting to be an optimist-a person who can see the good in any situation and can stay hopeful when facing challenges. For some people, though, life happens and they start to see the glass half-empty instead. Pessimists tend to see the wrong in every situation, and blame external factors and circumstances when things aren’t going their way.

Being continuously fed with bad news and disappointments can turn optimistic children into adults that are critical of almost everything. For some, the shift becomes easier,being raised by pessimistic parents. Others still remain optimistic, thanks to a positive household growing up.

“This is why developing optimism in young children is significant for their development as adults,” said Lissy Ann. If adopted at an early age, this powerful personality quality can help children grow into strong adults capable of handling life’s circumstances with confidence, courage, and hope. What parent wouldn’t want that for their children?

“Children are seen as natural optimists,” Lissy Ann said. They come into this world with unbiased (无偏见的) eyes and a pure heart that hasn’t been influenced by social expectations, life experiences, severe mental shock, or authority figures yet. Whether a child grows up to be optimistic or not is part genetic and part environmental. “Childhood experiences, parent-child connection, or authority figures will all have some influence,” she said. Although optimism (or the lack of it) could be passed down genetically, it can also be taught.

【推荐3】Last week, three days of cold rain had everyone in our house feeling a bit bad-tempered, especially my kid, who couldn’t go out to play. Then the music app on my phone recommended a station called “Rainy Day Jazz.” As the soft piano played, my daughter and I hugged closely, feeling comfortable and relaxed. Suddenly, our day was enjoyable. It turned out that Rainy Day Jazz was just the thing we needed.

Life — especially life with young children — can often feel very busy and rushed. One of the great benefits of music is that it offers a safe and dependable place to feel our feelings. When we are afraid, sad, or happy, we can invite music in. Kids can be great at expressing their emotions, but they don’t always have the ability to regulate them and move through them. When kids engage with music, a sense of emotional security is increased, allowing them to feel safer to fully experience their feelings.

Music has been a community practice throughout human history. Studies show that in early childhood, playing music in groups can increase cooperation skills and a sense of social belonging. In Pinkalicious and Peterrific, an educational children’s TV series, Peter is eager to share his musical experiences with others. Together, Pinkalicious and Peter make up their own happy song to sing and play, which cheers up the whole town.

Music is for everyone. Lots of parents feel like they don’t have enough talent for music. Actually, they should let go of their insecurities about what they think music should be. Kids will love singing, dancing, and playing music with you no matter how it sounds. What’s the most important is to get them emotionally engaged.

Ready to rock and roll? Here are some ways your family can interact with music. Make music accessible. You can empower your child to use music as an emotional support by giving them access to the tools they need. Talk about music. You can help your child explore the relationship between music and emotions by talking openly about your own relationship with music. Get your bodies moving. Children experience music in their bodies — not just in their minds! Music and movement are partners.