【推荐1】Scientists are urging that deep sea metal mining should be stopped temporarily. They warn in a report that it can cause severe and   damaging effects on Pacific Ocean areas.

The recently-released report examined more than 250 published studies on deep Sea mining. The research was examined by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign- a collection of not-for profit organizations. The report centers on mining activities related to small metallic particles(金属颗粒)，called nodules, found on the seabed. The material can contain different metals. Increasing demand for these metals has led to a rise in deep-sea mining operations. The metals are commonly used in battery manufacturing and other technology products.

However, the scientists warn that mining for these nodules will cause irreversible(不可逆的) damage to an ocean already under pressure. The operations will affect areas across the South Pacific, including the nations of Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

The report notes that a moratorium is the only responsible way to move forward until certain conditions surrounding deep-sea mining can be met. The scientists are calling for additional study to fully understand the environmental, social and economic risks.

Andrew Chin is the report's lead researcher. He says in a statement that nodule mining will likely result in the loss of sea life and cause damage to deep seabeds for thousands of years. He adds that the operations can put people at risk who depend on the ocean and its continued health.

A company planning to be one of the first to carry out mining operations in the area is Canada's DeepGreen, which aims to begin by 2024. It seeks to mine metallic nodules to be used in power systems for electric vehicles. DeepGreen Chief Executive Officer Gerard Barron defended the company's plans in reaction to the report. He said deep-sea mining offered the best alternative to surface mining, which has & long history of pollution and destroying forests and wildlife.

【推荐2】By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener due to a warming climate, according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms (海洋微生物) called phytoplankton, which create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.

Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend, which can easily affect phytoplankton growth.

Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener.

And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.

Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. Dutkiewicz said, “The change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”

【推荐1】Dog owners feeling guilty for leaving their pets alone at home for too long will soon be able to take comfort in the fact that at least the animals won’t be bored. They’ll be too busy changing TV channels and enjoying their favorite shows thanks to the world’s first dog-friendly remote control.

UK-based pet food brand Wagg surveyed a number of pet owners and found that 91% of respondents said their dog friends regularly watched TV with them. Inspired by this interesting finding, the company teamed up with Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, an expert in animal computer interaction design, to create the world’s first remote control for dogs. They came up with a prototype(样品)which is currently in a trial and analysis period.

The oversized remote is made of hard-wearing plastic. So while dogs can chew on it like any other toy, they’ll have a tough time actually causing any damage. It has three large, raised, paw-friendly buttons shaped like a bone, paw and ball which dogs can press to turn the TV on or off, change the channel and even”pause”a show for later viewing. The remote also has a hole through which a rope can be tied so dogs can carry it around the house.

“Our studies indicate that the average dog now watches more than nine hours of TV a week, showing technology is already playing a huge part in our pets’ lives, “Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas said.

After Wagg performs all its tests and perfects the dog-friendly TV remote control, the company plans to approach tech companies about getting the device into production. So you and your pet dog may soon be fighting over control of your TV set.

【推荐3】An online supermarket company-Ocado in the UK, has recently displayed a robotic hand that can pick fruits and vegetables!

The very first sense that an embryo(胚胎) develops is touch. The sense of touch is also the one that lasts the longest-as we get older and our vision and hearing begin to weaken, touch still remains. Humans use their touch to protect themselves, to create emotional relationships with other people, and to experience pleasure. Can you imagine life without it?

The sense of touch comes from a network of nerve endings and special touch receptors on the surface of the skin. When we touch something, the mechano-receptors notice the touch and through a network of nerves, send signals to the brain. This informs the brain about the location of the touch, the amount of force used, and the speed at which it was used. Could it be possible for a robot to possess such kind of sense of touch?

Several different techniques have been tried in the past to create such a robot hand-using three fingers. But this latest design by SoMa copies the human hand. The “hand” is made up of flexible materials which grasp on to the thing based on its size and shape. Then air pressure is used to control the movement of the robotic fingers to pick objects safely and without causing damage.

The next step would be for the robot to judge how ripe the fruits and vegetables are, and apply pressure accordingly. Members of the research team are currently working on adding computerized vision to the robots, so that they can see what they are grasping.

Does all this mean robots can replace people? According to Ocado, it helps improve productivity by removing some of the repetitive tasks done by humans.