【推荐2】Despite the fact that parrots are well known for their long lives and complex cognition(认知), it remains unknown whether the two features have influenced each other.

“The problem has been sourcing good quality data,” said Simeon Smeele, a doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior(MPI-AB), and lead author of the study that tried to solve this question.

Scientists from the MPI-AB and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology(MPI-EvA)teamed up with Species 360 to collect data from over 130,000 individual parrots sourced from over 1,000 zoos to find the average lifespan(寿命)of 217 parrot species.

The analysis revealed an astonishing diversity in life expectancy, ranging from an average of two years for the fig parrot up to an average of 30 years for the scarlet macaw.

Next, the team tried to determine whether or not parrots’ famous cognitive abilities had any influence on their lifespans. Their results support the theory that increased brain size has enabled longer lifespans. Because brain size relative to body size can be an indicator of intelligence, the findings suggested that the parrots with larger brains were able to survive for longer in the wild.

The scientists were surprised that factors such as diet, or the greater developmental time required to develop larger brains, did not lead to longer average lifespans.

In the future, the team plan to explore if sociality and cultural learning in parrots might have also contributed to long lifespans. Smeele said: “Large-brained birds might spend more time socially learning foraging(觅食)techniques that have been around for multiple generations. This increased learning period could potentially also explain the longer life spans, as it takes more time but also makes the foraging techniques more adaptive.”

【推荐3】Cetaceans(鲸目动物) communicate through sound to find food and to interact socially. Their sounds vary between species and within communities. The long-finned pilot whales can mimic（模仿） artificial noise, but nobody had previously recorded them. A new study, however, found overlap in the cetacean sound book.

Pilot whales and orcas, the two largest species of cetaceans, are often seen in the same environments and are similar sizes, and both live in social groups with strong union, says Charlotte Curé, a bioacoustics researcher at CEREMA Lab in France, who was not involved in the study. Orcas compete for food with long-finned pilot whales and are potentially their predators.

Evidence from orca stomachs shows they do occasionally eat pilot whales. But pilot whales can mob and chase them away, the only cetaceans seen defending themselves from the strong enemies in this way.

Mimicry could serve as an additional defense: “One assumption is that if they use similar sounds, they may not be recognized as prey,” Erbe says. Pilot whales eating orcas’ food remains might go unnoticed if they use orca-like calls. “This is all underwater,” she adds, “so these animals rely on sound for detecting their prey and predators.” Long-finned pilot whales have shown an ability to distinguish between orca calls with different meanings; Curé suggests that instead of tricking orcas, the callers could instead be presenting a new orca sound to other group members.

Additional work would confirm whether mimicry is actually occurring. Researchers could pair their listening data with direct observations of the animals’ interactions in the wild or perhaps even play orca sounds and watch the whales’ reactions.

But if a future experiment used predatory sounds, it would need to be done very carefully. “A reaction to a predator can be very strong,” Curé says. “In some protected areas, you are not allowed to do more than two predatory playbacks per year.”

【推荐1】In dry Niger, south of the Sahara, farmers who allowed cut trees to regrow in their fields have seen crop harvests increase rapidly. In recent decades, farmers there have allowed millions of trees to regrow on land that had once been cleared.

For centuries, rich woodlands dotted this dusty, sun-baked region south of the Sahara. By the time Ali Neino was a boy in the 1980s, however, just one lonely tree shot from his family’s land, and he could see clear to the horizon. “There was no vegetation in between the village and the fields,” recalls Neino, 45. “No trees, no plants, nothing.”

Decades of drought, land-clearing, and demand for firewood had left Niger nearly treeless. Intensive farming (密集农作) to feed the world’s fastest-growing population ensured new trees would not take root. Government efforts to reforest the area in the 1970s failed. Sixty million trees were planted; fewer than 20 percent survived.

Instead of cutting trees down, farmers in Niger now leave them standing and allow them to regrow from stumps (树桩), knowing that the soil around them will retain more water and be enriched by the leaves. On a recent walk along his family’s farm outside Dan Saga, Neino pointed to the trees growing everywhere.

In the past 35 years, as scientists begged nations to get serious about bringing forests back, one of Earth’s poorest countries, in one of the planet’s worst regions, added an astonishing 200 million new trees—maybe more. Across at least 12 million acres of Niger, woodlands have been re-established with little outside help, almost no money, and without driving people off their land. The trees here weren’t planted; they were encouraged to come back naturally, cared by thousands of farmers. Now, fresh trees are popping up in village after village.

【推荐2】Driving and flying are huge contributors to carbon emissions (排放) and climate change. So Google is helping users make more wise decisions about how they travel. In addition to showing drivers the fastest way to get to their destination, Google Maps will now show the route that’s the most fuel-efficient.

To provide the new feature, Google used data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which estimates that eco-friendly routing has the potential to prevent more than one million tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere per year. That’s equal to removing 200,000 cars from the road, Google claims.

On the Google Maps app, the most fuel-efficient route will be displayed with a small green leaf next to it. The route option will include information about how long the trip will take and how much fuel the driver could save.

It’s no secret that biking is a more eco-friendly travel option than driving, and the use of biking directions on Maps has increased by as much as 98% over the past year, according to Google. The tech company is focusing on attracting bike riders with a new feature called “lite navigation (导航)”. This feature is being introduced after Google heard from cyclists who were sick of following turn-by-turn directions on their phones. Cyclists don’t look at their phones for most of the ride, after all. With lite navigation, bike riders will be able to see details about their route without needing to keep their screen on or follow turn-by-turn navigation. Cyclists will also be able to track their trip progress and see their ETA (estimated time of arrival) updated in real time.

Moreover, Google Flights users will be able to see carbon emission estimates for nearly every flight in the search results. The estimates are “flight-specific” and “seat-specific”, Google said. “Newer aircraft are generally less polluting than older aircraft. Compared with economy-class seats, emissions increase for first-class seats because they take up more space and account for a larger share of total emissions,” Google added.

【推荐2】I am drawn to the peace and pure beauty of primary nature. Being in it heightens my perceptions and narrows my focus. As I concentrate on the surroundings, an inner stillness fill me and helps mega in a sense of place. This was the case when I packed my camera equipment and explored some of Europe’s old-growth forests to highlight these unique environments that have remained untouched for centuries, despite threats of human disturbance.

The visits were often challenging because of unfavorable weather conditions and the distances I had to cover while going multiple times to the locations for a good picture. But the joy of the experience always prevailed. Hiking off trail through the foggy laurel forests of Madeira, I was enveloped by trees that may have been up to 800 years old and whose trunks provided me with shelter when clouds released a sudden down-pour. It felt like entering a holy space.

Wandering in the Scots pine forests of northern Sweden and the mountain tree lines of southern Norway rewarded me with the sense of freedom I always get in the Scandinavian wilderness. The beech (山毛榉) stands rising from the steep slopes of Italy kept me in awe of the power that forests protected from development can possess. I feel honoured that I was allowed access to explore and photograph these wonderlands.

Except Russia, only about 2 percent of the forest areas in Europe are primary, or have never been cleared, reflecting a dazzling richness of life that once filled vast wooded ecosystems. Most of the areas are now protected, but as the human population continues to grow—with disastrous impacts on the planet and its living creatures—the future of these forests is far from certain. I hope that they will still be standing for many centuries more.

【推荐3】Intuition Robotics, an Israeli company, has developed ElliQ, an artificial intelligence robot designed to help older Americans from loneliness. ElliQ offers companionship to seniors, engaging them in conversations, playing music, leading exercises, and providing reminders for health-related activities. The device resembles a small table lamp with a glowing, moveable head, creating an interactive experience that remembers the user’s interests and tailors conversations accordingly.

Joyce Loaiza, 81, from Florida, is among the first users of ElliQ, who enjoys the device’s company and the personalized nickname “Jellybean” given to her. Furthermore, in New York, ElliQ entertainment 92-year-old Marie Broadbent with games and music, while Washington state’s Jan Worrell, 83, uses it to develop new friendships.

The AI assistant works privately, with conversations not heard by company employees and data stored only on the owner’s device. According to Intuition Robotics CEO DorSkuler, users interact with ElliQ over 30 times daily, and over 90% report experiencing less loneliness. The project idea arose from personal experience when Skuler’s grandfather needed a companion who shared his interests after losing his partner.

While ElliQ is primarily distributed through state agencies in New York, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington, it can also be purchased for an annual fee of $600, plus a setup cost of $250. The goal is to have more than 100,000 units in use within five years.

State officials emphasize that ElliQ is not meant to replace social interaction, but it provides a valuable service for those who may be home-bound or lack social connections. Despite concerns raised by Julianne Holt - Lunstad, a professor at Brigham Young University, regarding the potential of such devices to reduce social connections, agencies see EliiQ as a beneficial tool, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation among the elderly.