【推荐2】Although we’re often told that procrastinating (拖延) in college is harmful and that leaving our assignments to the last minute can lead us to feel more stressed, I like to wait before starting any assignment, since I tend to overthink and want to make it perfect. When I procrastinate, it’s not out of laziness, but rather, a desire to be efficient.

In an op-ed, Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology, explored the connection between performance and procrastination habits, and cited an experiment conducted by one of his former students. In the study, procrastinators’ ideas were found to be 28% more creative than the ideas of those who didn’t procrastinate. As it turns out, procrastination might help generate creative ideas — which may explain why some students perform well at the last minute.

While procrastination might work well for some students, it may lead to increased levels of anxiety for others. One college student, Amanda, says, “If I procrastinate or struggle with assignments, it affects my mental health by making me feel trapped and anxious.” Not only can procrastination cause anxiety for students, but trying to finish an assignment in a hurry can also negatively impact their grades — and lead them to make small, careless mistakes — which can lead to even more anxiety.

It’s important to point out that there’s a difference between casual procrastination and chronic (长期的) procrastination. Chronic procrastination, distress over academics, or lack of motivation can often lead to more serious mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. If you struggle with managing schoolwork to the point where it affects your grades and interpersonal relationships over a long time, you might have to visit your school counselor or the academic resource center.

Everyone has different styles of working and managing their time, and when it comes to procrastinating in college, it’s always good to reflect on whether it’s helping or hurting. Figuring this part out can take a while, so make a note of how you’re completing your assignments and start writing down how you feel. Prioritize self-care whether you start your assignment the week before its due date or the day before.

【推荐3】Some scientists have found that the long-term use of chemical pesticides (杀虫剂)and fertilizers(化肥)can harm both the land and people’s health.

Pesticides can damage the land by killing not only harmful insects, but also helpful ones. In addition, these chemicals can stay in the soil and underground water sources for a long time. This affects the crops grown on the land and, in turn, the animals and humans who eat them. As for fertilizers, crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition(营养). They may look beautiful on the outside, but inside there is usually more water than necessary minerals, which makes them less tasty.

Therefore, some farmers have turned to organic farming, and many customers have turned to organic food when they shop at the local grocery. Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. Organic farmers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease through natural means. For example, many organic farmers use natural waste from animals as fertilize. This makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals. It also keeps the air, soil, water, and crops free of chemicals.

Organic farmers also use many other methods to produce rich soil. They often change the kind of crop grown in each field every year. For instance, they may grow corn or wheat in a field one year, and then grow beans there the next. It can help to put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready for the next crops. Organic farmers also plant different crops that use different depths of soil to help keep it rich. For example, peanuts grow on the ground’s surface, but many other vegetables put down deep roots.

Nevertheless, organic farming is far from meeting the high demand for food around the world. It still has a long way to go to provide enough food while keeping people and the environment as healthy as possible.

【推荐1】Chinese researchers say they believe a group of rockets could be used to change the path of asteroids that might pass near Earth.

A team at China’s National Space Science Center carried out simulations (模拟) on the proposed asteroid defense system. The scientists said their research suggests 23 rockets of China’s biggest kind of rockets could force a large asteroid to change direction. Most experts agree that there is only a small likelihood that a large asteroid or another space object will crash into Earth and cause great destruction. However, many organizations do recognize the real risk of such an event.

The Chinese research was based on defending against a specific asteroid, Bennu, which orbits the sun. Bennu is about a half-kilometer wide. It is considered a near-Earth asteroid. Bennu reaches its closest distance to Earth every six years. The researchers recently reported on their proposal in a study in a planetary science magazine called “Icarus”.

China’s Long March 5 rockets are a central part of the country’s space program. They have been used to launch space station elements and carry spacecraft to the Moon and Mars. China has successfully launched six Long March 5 rockets, since 2016.

Alan Green is a professor of astrophysics. He said he finds the idea of using rockets to act as an asteroid deflector (偏转器) “a rather nice concept”. Green continued, “By increasing the mass hitting the asteroid, simple physics should ensure a much greater effect.” He added, however, that the actual operation of such a mission needs to be studied further. Scientists say deflecting an asteroid’s path presents a lower risk than blowing up the rock with nuclear explosives, which may cause it to break into pieces without changing direction.

【推荐2】Do you get nervous thinking about geometry, equations (方程式) or a coming math test? If your answer is “yes”, you are far from alone. Math anxiety has become a common psychological (心理的) condition among students around the world. Students in countries with higher levels of math anxiety tend to achieve lower math grades, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Feb. 15.

Math anxiety-a negative emotional reaction to the core subject — causes fear, physical suffering and behavior problems among young pupils, according to a University of Cambridge study. In ordinary life, many people experience some degree of discomfort when meeting with a math problem, ranging from mild tension to strong fear.

Some people also experience physical symptoms such as sweaty palms or a racing heart. They may then try to avoid every situation involving numbers, meaning they are held back from pursuing careers related to this subject, such as science, technology or engineering, according to The Guardian.

Reassurance (慰藉) comes from the fact that those with math anxiety aren’t destined (注定的) to be bad at math. “If a child has math anxiety, don’t assume that they’re not good at math. They may have had a really bad experience with math and there are ways to improve math achievement,” Daniel Ansari, the senior author of the study told The London Free Press. “Students with math anxiety are not cognitively (认知地) disadvantaged.”

Also, there are ways to manage your stress related to math. If you’re feeling stressed before a math exam, it may help to spend a few minutes exploring those feelings before the exam begins. “It’s about making sure you’re interpreting your feelings correctly,” Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist in the US told the BBC. “Just because you have a fast heartbeat and sweaty palms, that does not necessarily mean you will fail.”

A little math anxiety could be taken as a positive challenge to overcome. Just like many people get stage fright before delivering a speech, this nervous energy can help to motivate, according to Ian Lyons, a psychologist at Georgetown University in the US.

【推荐3】Have you ever paid close attention to a cloud and noticed its ever-changing forms? If not, you could be missing out on something quite wondrous.

Cloud spotting doesn’t require much. Sometimes, it can be an invitation to be marveled (惊叹) by something so common that we’ve become blind to it. Or you can go deeper, trying to make sense of the sky by learning the different cloud types.

A pop science blogger surnamed Zheng, 25, known as the “Cloud Collector” on the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, initially started her account to share cloud photos in 2022. Zheng, who enjoys finding delight in recording the beauty of daily life, considered it a way to spread lovely moments to more people. “Clouds have always served as a source of comfort for me,” said Zheng based in Fujian.

For Zheng, one of her most unforgettable cloud-spotting experiences occurred during a flight. It was the first time that she had seen a special natural phenomenon called a “glory”, produced by water drops in the air. It appeared as a hazy (模糊的) light point in the middle of a circular rainbow halo (圆形彩虹光环). “It was such a surprise,” Zheng recalled.

As a growing number of online users began to show interest and raise questions, Zheng realized that she could offer more science content about cloud spotting. So she started to learn more by referring to specialized books and consulting individuals with expertise in meteorology (气象学).

Zheng has now shared nearly 200 pieces of popular science content, including cloud identification, formation, comparisons of different cloud types and weather-related knowledge. Her account now has over 210,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, and there are five group chats on the platform where thousands of users share their daily cloud-watching experiences.

Looking ahead, Zheng has plans to hold several gallery exhibitions. “The first round of exhibitions will be in Xiamen in Fujian and Chengdu in Sichuan,” Zheng said, adding that she’s gathering more cloud photos and the unique stories behind them. By doing this, she hopes to inspire more people to appreciate the beauty of the “gentle white giants (巨人)” in the sky.