Here’s a look at some discoveries that have changed the world. It’s impossible to rank their importance, so they’re listed in the order they were discovered.

Before French chemist Louis Pasteur began experimenting with bacteria in the 1860s, people did not know what caused disease. He not only discovered that disease came from micro-organisms, but also realized that bacteria could be killed by heat and disinfectant(消毒剂). This idea caused doctors to wash their hands and disinfect their instruments, which has saved millions of lives.

Antibiotics are powerful drugs that kill dangerous bacteria in our bodies that make us sick. In 1928, British Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin, which he grew in his lab. Without antibiotics, infections like strep throat could be deadly

On February 28, 1853, James Watson of the United States and Francis Crick of England made one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history. The two scientists found the structure of DNA. Our genes are made of DNA and determine how things like what color hair and eye we’ll have. In 1962, they were awarded the Nobel Prize for this work. The discovery has helped doctors understand diseases and may someday prevent some illnesses like heart disease and cancer.

Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physicist, discovered X-rays in 1895. X-rays go right through some substances, like flesh and wood, but are stopped by others, such as bones and lead. This allows them to be used to see broken bones or explosives inside suitcases, which makes them useful for doctors and security officers. For this discovery, Roentgen was awarded the first-ever Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.

【推荐2】Participate In Our Projects

Some of our research projects rely on the participation of people like you. Whether it’s using your home PC, taking part in a clinical trial(临床试验), or simply volunteering your time for a study, you may be able to contribute to some of the ground-breaking projects which make the University of Oxford a world leader in research. Watch this space for ways in which you could get involved.

Seek poor sleepers

Trouble sleeping? We are looking for poor sleepers between the ages of 18 and 65. Participation will involve spending overnights in the sleep laboratory at Oxford, monitoring your sleep/wake cycle, and completing computerized tasks. If you are interested, please contact the research team at insomnia@ndcn.ac.uk.

Volunteers with lazy eye wanted

We are looking for volunteers aged 18-45 with a history of lazy eye to take part in our brain scanning study. You will also be asked questions about your medical history for an MRI scan. Call 01865223622 for more information.

Oxford Vaccine（疫苗）Group

The Oxford Vaccine Group is an independent clinical trials group. OVG works towards the goal of developing new and improved vaccines for the prevention of infection in adults and children. To get more information, please see the OVG website.

Oxford experimental lab for the social sciences

The Oxford Internet Institute, together with the Business School, is recruiting individuals to participate in computer-based experiments involving online surfing behavior as well as economic and political decision-making. There are no special skills required and you don’t have to come to the lab in person. Contact us at socialscience.study@ac.uk for more information.

【推荐1】Note-taking is a skill that can help you do well in all your schoolwork—everything from taking tests to researching a paper. But unfortunately, most schools don’t have classes that teach you how to take notes. So here are some tips.

Write down key facts. If you have a teacher who writes notes on the board, that’s good: You can copy them down. If not, write down the most important points from class. Does your history teacher mention the date of a key Civil War battle? Does your English teacher give examples of Shakespeare’s use of irony (讽刺)? Write it down!

Different teachers do things differently. For example, some teachers may mention lots of dates and facts in class but only write the key ones on the board. Other teachers may not write anything down, but they may repeat a certain date or piece of information. After a while, you’ll get to know a teacher’s style.

Don’t overdo it. Don’t be crazy about taking notes. You’ll be frantic (慌乱的) if you try to write down every word that’s said in class. And if you focus too much on getting your notes right, you might miss important points. Some people actually learn better by listening, writing down a few key points, and then going over the material after class.

Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher to repeat something you miss. If you don’t want to ask in class, see your teacher afterwards. It’s much easier than wondering if you got the notes right as you study.

Compare. Keep your notes handy when you’re doing your reading homework.

【推荐2】Since the day the car and the airplane coexisted people have dreamed of combining them into one all purpose, go — anywhere, do — anything vehicle. However, there are a lot of reasons why cars and airplanes have yet to join forces.

They have very different needs, like the number of wheels. The four wheels on a car distribute its weight and provide traction and stability. A 3-wheeled car is much more likely to roll when taking a turn at high speed. But airplanes have 3 wheels because when they're on the ground they don't need to take turns at speed, so a 4th wheel would just be unnecessary weight. Tricycle wheel arrangements are also better suited to landing in crosswinds.

Aircraft also have other needs like wings. Whether they're fixed wings like an airliner or rotary wings like a helicopter, to generate enough lift they have to be much larger than the restricted freeway lanes and parking spaces would allow. So most designs for flying cars have wings that are either detachable （可拆卸的）or foldable.

That hasn't stopped some people from trying, and now one Dutch company, PAL-V, thinks their Liberty design has made flying cars a practical reality.

In 2005, the company discovered the work of another Dutch company, Carver, which made 3-wheeled cars that leaned like motorcycles. As for generating lift, PAL-V chose a rotary design called autogyro. Unlike a helicopter, the rotor （旋转翼）of an autogyro is unpowered in flight. Instead, the air flowing over it causes it to spin and generate lift. Autogyros also have short takeoff and landing requirements, so setting one down in an emergency is less dangerous than in a fixed-wing aircraft.

The Liberty received road certification in Europe in October of 2020, hoping to deliver to their first customers starting in 2022.

【推荐1】In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.

The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 2lst century will drive itself, and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.

According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.

Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.

By 2010, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in convoy, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”

【推荐2】Four Best Countries to Visit in Europe

Germany

As the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest attracts a large number of beer lovers from all over the world every September. In addition to the beer, during the Oktoberfest every year, a dress parade is held in the streets of Munich. There are nearly 10,000 people to take part in the parade.

Greece

The city Santonia in this country is the most popular tourist city in Europe, because there is a very romantic Aegean Sea. Every year there are a lot of couples or newlyweds, who will come here for their honeymoon. Greece is famous for its fresh air and pleasant climate. Mountains and sea, bright sunshine, ever green plants, olives, bananas, grapes and other fruit trees are everywhere. It is a popular tourist destination in the world. September to October is the best time to visit Greece.

Italy

November is getting colder in Europe, but Italy on the Mediterranean is having its best season. Not many tourists, the scenery is still. Hotels are cutting prices to welcome quiet tourists. Without the noisy crowds, Rome, Venice and Florence would truly lift their veil (面纱).

Norway

In December, the Earth entered the cold winter, but there are always some people liking different travel. Norway is the best place to visit. Norway is seen by many as a ski paradise (天堂), and not just because of the long ski season and excellent skiing conditions. The main reason is that there are children’s slopes to play on, red slopes to slide on, vast snow fields in the mountains to chase and, importantly, real fun to ski on.

【推荐3】When it comes to medical care, many patients and doctors believe “more is better.” But what they do not realize is that overtreatment—too many scans, too many blood tests, too many procedures—may bring harm. Sometimes a test leads you down a path to more and more testing, some of which may be invasive, or to treatment for things that should be left alone.

Terrence Power, for example, complained that after his wife learned she had Wegener’s disease, an uncommon disorder of the immune system, they found it difficult to refuse testing recommended by her doctor. The doctor insisted on office visits every three weeks, even when she was feeling well. He frequently ordered blood tests and X-rays, and repeatedly referred her to specialists for even minor complaints. Even when tests came back negative, more were ordered, and she was hospitalized as prevention when she developed a cold. She had as many as 25 doctor visits during one six-month period. The couple was spending about $30,000 a year for her care.

After several years of physical suffering and near financial ruin from the medical costs, the couple began questioning the treatment after discussing with other patients in online support groups. “It’s a really hard thing to determine when doctors have crossed the line.” Mr. Power said. “You think she’s getting the best care in the world, but after a while you start to wonder: What is the purpose?” Mr. Power then spoke with his own primary care doctor, who advised him to find a new specialist to oversee Mrs. Power’s care. Under the new doctor’s care, the regular testing stopped and Mrs. Power’s condition stabilized. Now she sees the doctor only four or five times a year.

【推荐1】La-Pierre had flown from Boston to Chicago, sleeping in O' Hare Airport to save money. Early on the morning of October 13, he boarded the city's Blue Line to head for the Chicago Marathon.

The train was full of energized marathoners. La-Pierre took a seat next to a fellow runner and began chatting. Before long, La-Pierre noticed a man who seemed to be homeless moving from passenger to passenger, asking for spare change. His behavior struck La-Pierre as “ really weird ” , especially the way he stared down anyone he felt hadn' t given him enough.

At the Cumberland station, several stops before the one for the marathon, most of the passengers suddenly fled the car. La-Pierre shocked, rushed out to see what was going on, only to hear panicked people shouting that the man asking for money was, in fact, an armed and robbing guy.

Just then, the armed man himself exited the train car and hopped onto the next one. La-Pierre followed him. “ I could not walk away knowing there were innocent children and people just trying to get to a race. " he said.

The man was standing in the middle of the car when he turned and saw La-Pierre. La-Pierre crashed into the younger man, pinning him against the closed doors. The two men fought for the gun---and their lives.

“ You don' t move! ” La-Pierre shouted, leaning into the armed man with his left side. The man tried shoving past him, but La-Pierre muscled him back against the door, grabbing the gun and handing it to a passenger, who quickly walked it off the train.

But La-Pierre wasn' t in the clear. The man had accomplices (同伙) who now surrounded La-Pierre and began to threaten him. He knew he had only one chance to save himself, so La-Pierre growled (怒吼), “ I' m a boxer. I'll break your head in one punch! ” Then the police swarmed (聚集) around the train, and La-Pierre let them take over. He had a marathon to run.

This was not the first time La-Pierre has jumped into the fray (打斗). La-Pierre knew there was more to why he's become a serial good guy than that. " I' ve lived a hard life" , he said“ But I believe change starts within yourself. For the last 25 years, I' ve tried to make myself into a good man. ”

【推荐2】Pop Culture Happy Hour

From the radio and podcasting giants at NPR, Pop Culture Happy Hour is a joyous celebration of popular culture that dives into movies and TV shows, Enthusiastically presented , it's full of thoughtful and intelligent criticism. Episodes are short and stand alone, each with a singular topic. This means you can dip in and out. Above all, it's fun while being informative.

Literary Friction

Running for five years, Literary Friction is a monthly podcast hosted by Carrie Pitt and Octavia Bright. The friends —one from the US, one from the UK interview authors about their lives, work and inspirations, as well as discussing wider literary topics and giving out book recommendations. Literary Friction is a thoughtful podcast, which calls for active listening and Plitt and Bright ask intelligent and profound questions. You will discover great things to read and feel smarter after you've listened to this.

Awaye!

Aboriginal culture is in the spotlight for this Australian podcast from ABC Radio National, which is presented by smooth-voiced broadcaster Daniel Browning. While it focuses on the experience of native Australians, Awaye! also has interviews with, and documentaries about native people and their arts and culture from around the world. A thoughtful podcast, Awaye!’s interviews successfully combine the critical arts interview with in-depth discussions about tradition and history.

Audio Poem of the Day

From the Poetry Foundation, this is a daily dose of poetry delivered by some of the best-placed people to do it. Each day, classic and contemporary poems are read aloud by actors or the poets themselves and delivered to wherever you listen to podcasts. Perfect for when you may need a quiet moment, or just a distraction from modern life. The poems are simply presented, with no background music- -just the voice and the words, Try listening to one or two before bed.

【推荐3】With TV shows like ''Sex and The City” and "Baywatch" making the leap to the big screen, fans of 90s sitcom "Friends" had been hoping and praying that a movie would be on the way.

Sadly, Jennifer Aniston - who played Rachel Green throughout the sitcom's 10 seasons - has now flattened hopes of a restart. In an interview with Variety, the 50-year-old actress said that although there was some interest in a movie, producers wouldn't allow it.

Asked if her former castmates Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) would be open to repeating their roles, she continued, "It depends. I mean, we haven't all sat in a room. But would we have loved to have done something together? Yeah. It would have been fun. We could have redesigned it for a couple of episodes. But whatever. Maybe it's better this way, but we'll never know.”

Aniston said she was surprised that fans are still watching reruns of the show on Netflix, 25 years after it first premiered. “It's a phenomenon that I am amazed by. To have a whole new generation of children adoring the show as much as they did back in the day when it was airing for the first time is incredible.”

Aniston's comments come just months after Adam Sandler, her co-star in the new Netflix comedy “Murder Mystery,” called on her and the cast of “Friends” to “make a movie”. “‘Friends' was a powerhouse,” he told People in June.

Marta Kauffman- who co-created the show with David Crane - has said in the past that a restart ran the risk of ruining the show's heart. “One, the show is about a time in your life when your friends are your family. It's not that time anymore,” she told Rolling Stone magazine in 2013. “All we'd be doing is putting those six actors back together, but the heart of the show would be gone. Two, I don't know what good it does us. The show is doing just fine, people love it. A reunion could only disappoint.”