【推荐1】Identifying common bird species through their song has never been easier, with numerous phone apps and software available to both ecologists and the public. But what if the identification software has never heard a particular bird before, or only has a small sample of recordings to reference? This is a problem facing ecologists and conservationists monitoring some of the world’s rarest birds.

To overcome this problem, researchers at the University of Moncton, Canada, have developed ECOGEN, a first-of-its-kind deep learning tool that can generate life-like bird sounds to enhance the samples of under-represented species. These can then be used to train audio identification tools used in ecological monitoring.

The researchers found that adding artificial bird song samples generated by ECOGEN to a bird song identifier improved the bird song classification accuracy by 12% on average.

Dr. Nicolas Lecomte, one of the lead researchers, said: “Due to significant global changes in animal populations, there is an urgent need for autonomous tools, such as acoustic monitoring, to track shifts in biodiversity. However, the Al models used to identify species in acoustic monitoring lack comprehensive reference libraries.” With ECOGEN, you can address this gap by creating new instances of bird sounds to support AI models.

The researchers say that creating bird songs in this way can contribute to the conservation of endangered bird species and also provide valuable insight into their vocalisations, behaviours and habitat preferences. The ECOGEN tool can also be used to help conserve extremely rare species. For instance, it could be used to help conserve the critically endangered regent honeyeaters (摄政蜜鸟), from which young individuals are unable to learn their species’ songs because there aren’t enough adult birds to learn from.

The tool could benefit other types of animal as well. Dr. Lecomte added, “While ECOGEN was developed for birds, we’re confident that it could be applied to mammals, fish, insects and amphibians.”

As well as its versatility, a key advantage of the ECOGEN tool is its accessibility, due to it being open source and able to be used on even basic computers.

【推荐2】“If you want to own a home, stop buying brunch," they say. Meanwhile, under 30s are at risk of injury from the world's biggest eye roll (白眼).

But it is not tasty food like avocado, fast fashion or even travel abroad that's holding a generation back from achieving those traditional milestones - and we finally have some evidence to prove it. In fact, those aged 18 to 30 are more likely to be savers than any other age group, according to new research. Far from being wasteful, an overwhelming 84% of these young people are trying to save.

The real problem lies in the fact that younger people tend to have higher expense when spending on essentials compared to our older counterparts (对应的人)-and that house prices are at an all-time high.

The research also finds that nearly half (47%) of 18 to 30-year-olds have “low financial resilience” - they have little capacity to pay bills in the event of a financial shock.

Young people are significantly more likely to have fallen behind on domestic bills and credit card repayments in the past six months, at 31%, compared with 3% of those aged 51-plus, the research finds.

“Despite the criticism that young people often face, regularly accused of spending too much money on coffees and food and not being financially prudent (精明的),our new research shows just how much young people are trying to look after their finances and save for the future — more so than any other age group," said Ben Glover, the lead author of the research.

“Amid a cost of living crisis, younger people still face the greatest battle with the highest spending on essentials, a lack of support and a system that doesn't work for them.”

Ben also says it's time for the Government, policymakers and financial institutions to urgently work together to help improve young people's financial well-being and prospects, especially after the pandemic.

So there we are: nothing to do with avocado.

【推荐1】One of the sailors who sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World was a man named Juan Ponce de Leon. This voyage changed his life.

He decided to stay when Columbus returned. Ponce was named governor of Puerto Rico (then called Boriquien) in 1508.

While there, he heard many stories of a magical water source. People called it the Fountain of Youth and said that drinking its water kept you young.

For the next few years, Ponce tried to find out where the Fountain of Youth was. He asked permission from Spain’s King Charles V to go in search of it. The king consented, as long as Ponce paid for the ships and crew himself.

The young explorer did so readily, and they set off. It was March 1513. They sailed for days but didn’t see the fountain. On March 27, he came within sight of the Florida coast. On April 2, he landed at what he named St. Augustine. This was the first Spanish settlement on the mainland of North America.

He had several adventures along the way. He did not, however, find the Fountain of Youth. He returned to Boriquien.

He continued to govern the island, and he continued to hear stories of the Fountain of Youth. Finally, in 1521, he set out again.

This time, he landed on the Florida coast again. While he and his men were building houses for a new settlement, they were attacked by native tribesmen (部落成员). Many of his men died, but Ponce escaped, although he was injured. He reached Cuba and entered a hospital, where he died of wounds from the attack in Florida. Juan Ponce de Leon never found the Fountain of Youth. Neither did anyone else, at least as far as we know.

【推荐2】Su Min, a 56-year-old retiree, has never been happier. After fulfilling her family's expectations of dutiful Chinese womanhood, Ms. Su is embracing a new identity: fearless traveller and Internet celebrity. For six months, she has been on a solo drive across China, documenting her journey for more than 1.35 million followers across several social media platforms.

Ms. Su had rarely traveled before. But she had long been eager for driving. Growing up in Tibet, she sometimes missed the school bus home and had to walk 12 miles through the mountains. Each time a truck passed by, she imagined sitting behind the wheel, safe and comfortable. But cars were rare, and having one seemed impossible. After marriage, she put her heart and soul into taking care of her home, her children, grandchildren, shouldering endless housework at home.

Then, in late 2019, she came across a video online of someone introducing their camping gear while on a solo road trip. She remembered her childhood dream of driving — the freedom and comfort it had represented. Over the following months, she watched every video about road trips. She took a lot of notes: which apps they used to find campsites, which tricks they had for saving money. Soon, Ms. Su made up her mind: Once her grandsons entered preschool, she would start a trip of her own. She had bought a small several years earlier with her savings and a monthly pension of around 2100 yuan. On Sept. 24, she fixed her tent to the top of the car and set off although her daughter worried about her safety. She visited historical Xi’an, mountainous Sichuan and the old town of Lijiang — covering more than 8,500 miles so far.

She posted video updates as she drove. In her videos, she was surprised at her newfound freedom. She could drive as fast as she wanted brake as hard as she liked. Ms. Su says, “I've been a wife, a mother and a grandmother, and I came out this time to find myself. It took me so many years to realize that I had to live for myself.” And she plans to cover all of China. That could take a few years.

【推荐3】Huang Danian, the well-known Chinese geophysicist, was born in 1958 in Guangxi, China. As a keen and able student, Huang went to the UK in 1993 to further his studies.

By the time Huang moved back to China in 2008, he had been living and working in the UK for 15 years. He had a good job and a life there, but he gave it all up to return to home driven by the idea that he needed to contribute to his country. As one of the world’s leading experts in deep earth exploration technology, Huang was invited to participate in the “Thousand Talent” programme. He took up a position at Jilin University, Changchun.

Huang was named lead scientist on China’s deep earth exploration programme, developing advanced cameras that can see through the Earth’s crust(外壳) so that it can be analysed without having to dig into it. He set up an advanced lab, sometimes paying for equipment with his own money. Some described him as a “lunatic” (a “madman”), but this passion and drive enabled Huang to push forwards China’s deep earth exploration technology into a world-leading position. Huang’s devotion contributed to China’s lunar probe(月球探测器) Yutu being landed on the moon in 2013 and the launch of the spacecrafts Shenzhou-11 and Tiangong-2 in 2016.

Huang's health also paid the price for his commitment to his work. He began having fainting fits(昏厥) in 2012, but paid them little attention, stating he did not have time to go to see a doctor— his work always came first. In November 2016, Huang fainted and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with cancer. The disease was so advanced that he had just a couple of months to live.

Like the true scientist he was, Huang never gave up, but always tried to push forwards. Even from his hospital bed, he continued his work, writing letters of reference for his colleagues and replying to questions from his students. Huang died in January 2017, aged just 58. More than 800 people attended his funeral to celebrate a life that burned so bright, but was so short.

The best time to visit Toronto is typically in the spring (April and May) or during the fall (September to early November). At these times, you’ll likely find fewer crowds, cheaper accommodations, and the best weather for sightseeing as it is neither too hot nor too cold.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) makes it easy to get around the city via many buses, subway, and streetcars. Figuring out how to get where you want to go is easily done using the TTC’s convenient Trip Planner.

While you may choose to base yourself near many of the city’s main landmarks, it’s also worth taking some time to explore some great neighborhoods that each offer their own unique charms, including colorful Kensington Market, the Junction, Leslieville, and Little India.

Get a Dose of Art & Culture: The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum and showcases everything from art and archaeology to natural science in over 30 galleries. Or, stop by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), one of the largest art museums in North America with a collection of more than 90,000 works of art.

Take in the Views From the CN Tower: High-speed elevators send visitors to the top of the tower in just 58 seconds for full views over the city. You can even try EdgeWalk to experience a hands-free walk around the main pod of the tower, 116 stories above the ground.

Spend a Day in the Distillery District: Explore the historic Distillery District to walk casually among Victorian-era buildings on pedestrian-only cobblestone streets filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants.

【推荐2】It’s a familiar plot in movies and books: A bright-eyed man moves to the big city in search of fame and fortune. In the noises and lights, all hopes and dreams come true. But why do we stick to this old story? In Four Lost Cities, author Annalee Newitz explores ancient settlements to find out why people flood into big cities — and why they leave.

The book is divided into four enjoyable, snack-sized sections, one for each city. Each section is accompanied by a handy map, drawn by artist Jason Thompson in an engaging cartoon style.

Rather than dry history, Newitz makes a special effort to highlight the oddities and innovations that made these cities unique. Take Catalhöyük, the oldest city they feature, which boomed between 7500 and 5700 BC in what is now Turkey. This ancient city existed for nearly 2, 000 years despite lacking things that we might consider necessary for a city, such as roads, special public spaces or shopping areas.

The section on Cahokia (AD 1050 to 1350) —located in what is now Illinois — offers an unexpected reason for a city’s emergence. Many people link cities with capitalism and trade. Cahokia’s 30-meter-tall pyramids, 20-hectare (公顷) squares and a population (at the time) bigger than Paris suggest that spiritual revival (复苏) can also build a large city. Cahokia and Angkor, which reached its peak from AD 800 to 1431 in what is now Cambodia, also show how cities can form when power gets concentrated in a few influential people.

Each city, of course, eventually fell. But Newitz also reveals something else: Collapsing infrastructure (基础设施) provided the final push that kept people away. Here we spot our potential future, as climate crises and political instability threaten our own urban networks. But Newitz’s vivid imaginings, bright language and boundless enthusiasm manage to keep the tone optimistic. These cities did end, yes. Yet the people lived on.

【推荐3】Manchester is the “capital” of the northwest of England. Situated on the east bank of the River Irwell, it is a lively busy city with a large student population. Although it was once seen as only a dull industrial place, in recent years Manchester has become the “in” place. It is well-known for its clubs, its fashion and its music, not to mention its world-famous football team, Manchester United.

There is plenty to see in Manchester and something to suit all taste. For example, you have a taste for the Orient in Chinatown, home to Manchester’s large Chinese population. Another place to visit is the historical Castlefield area, which contains the first urban heritage park in Britain. Here you can walk around the museums and experience the atmosphere of the 19th century’s Manchester.

Football fans need not feel left out; they can always make a trip to the Old Trafford Manchester United Museum which also contains a coffee shop and a souvenir shop.

It’s easy to find your way around the city center and you’re never too far away from a bus, which will take you wherever you want to go. However, many people prefer walking in the city where there’s so much to see, and much of it is off the main travel lines.

If you get tired of all that walking, you can refresh yourself at one of the many cafe bars in the city. There’s a wide variety of homely and old-fashioned ones.

Whatever you do, you won’t have a dull moment in the place which was awarded the title of “the most interesting city in Europe”. Despite its unpopular industrial image in the past, Manchester is becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination nowadays.