【推荐1】Why is the human brain so mighty? It has billions of nerve cells to carry out its commands. Without the brain, you would not be able to think, feel, move, remember, or do all the things that make you the special person you are.

At birth, the brains of infants (婴儿) weigh the same. But by adulthood, that changes. The average male brain weighs about 11 to 12 percent more than woman’s brain. But brain weight and size have nothing to do with intelligence. What matters is what’s inside the brain.

Despite its small size (about 3 pounds), the brain is able to receive and send an unlimited number of messages. It does this with the help of the spinal cord, the sense organs, and the automatic nervous system. The brain carries out this task by assigning jobs.

It puts the cerebellum in charge of balance and coordination.

The brainstem regulates heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure.

And the largest parts of the brain, the cerebral cortex and the cerebrum, control thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The cerebrum is divided into two halves. Each controls the muscles on the opposite side of the body. So, if you usually eat with your right hand and kick with your right foot, then your brain’s left half is said to “dominate”, and you’re right-handed. When the opposite is true, your brain’s’ right half takes the lead and you’re left-handed.

People use both halves of the brain, but the left half is especially good at helping you with words and numbers and helping you read and speak. The right side is better at creative tasks, such as music and art. And your sense of humor develops there.

Each half has four sets of lobes (脑叶). The frontal lobes behind your forehead do lot of the thinking and planning. The parietal lobes toward the back of your head sense pain. And the occipital lobes at the base of the brain allow you to see. The temporal lobes behind your ears store memories of music, taste, vision, and touch.

【推荐2】It's easy to understand why early humans domesticated dogs as their new best friends. Domesticated dogs can guard against fierce animals and provide warmth during cold nights. But those benefits only come following domestication. Despite more than a century of study, scientists have struggled to understand what it was that caused the domestication process in the first place.

A new theory given by Maria Lahtinen, a senior researcher, might be able to explain this puzzle. She made this theory when studying the diet of late Pleistocene hunter gatherers in Arctic and sub-Arctic Eurasia. At that time, around 20,000 to 15,000 years ago, the world was in the coldest period of the last ice age.

In cold environments then, as today, humans tended to gain the majority of their food from animals. Nutritional deficiencies came from the absence of fat and carbohydrates, not necessary protein. Indeed, if humans eat too much meat, they can develop protein poisoning and even die. “Because we humans are not fully adapted to a diet that is carnivorous, we simply cannot digest protein very well,” Lahtinen says.

During that time, animals that humans killed for food would have been struggling to live, barely having fat and composed mostly of lean muscle. Using previously published early fossil records, Lahtinen and her colleagues calculated that the animals killed by people in the Arctic and sub-Arctic during this time would have provided much more protein than they could have safely consumed.

Under the tough circumstances of the Arctic and sub-Arctic ice age winter, sharing excess meat with dogs would have cost people nothing. The descendants of wolves that took advantage of such handouts would have become more gentle toward humans over time, and they likely went on to become the first domesticated dogs.

【推荐1】Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical (垂直的) farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.

Humans have 12,000 years of experience in growing food, but only a generation’s worth of experience or so in growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (曲线). What’s more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promise.

The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as the “pie-in-the-sky” business. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors—the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.

Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create enormous efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can also be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It’s clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.

The future is probably mixed. In some environments—the Middle East, for instance—a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading other farmland. In other environments, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical farming and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.

【推荐1】The art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years go. Now, twitter, instant messaging, e-mail, blogs and chat forums offer rival approaches to communication - but none can replace the role of a great speech.

The spoken word can handle various vital functions: persuading or inspiring, informing, paying tribute, entertaining, or simply introducing someone or something or accepting something. Over the past year, the human voice has helped guide us over the ups and downs of what was certainly a stormy time.

Persuasion is used in dealing with or reconciling different points of view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December 2009, persuasive words from activists encouraged them to commit themselves to firmer action. Inspirational speeches confront the emotions. They focus on topics and matters that are close to people's hearts. During wars, generals used inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.

A speech that conveys knowledge and enhances understanding can inform us. The information must be clear, accurate, and expressed in meaningful and interesting way. When the H1N1 pandemic（流行病）was announced, the idea of "swine flu" scared many people. Informative speeches from World Health Organization officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take sensible precautions.

Sad events are never easy to deal with, but a speech that pays tribute to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be comforting. Madonna's speech about Michael Jackson, after his death, highlighted the fact that he will continue to live on through his music.

It's not only in world forums where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be surprisingly helpful in the course of our own lives.

If you're taking part in a debate you need to persuade the listeners of the soundness of your argument. In sports, athletes know the importance of a pep talk（鼓舞士气的讲话）before a match to inspire teammates. You yourself may be asked to do a presentation at college or work to inform the others about an area of vital importance.

On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family event or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to move people or make them laugh.

Great speaking ability is not something we're born with. Even Barack Obama works hard to perfect every speech. For a brilliant speech, there are rules that you can put to good use. To learn those rules, you have to practice and learn from some outstanding speeches in the past.

【推荐2】All eyes were on Jack Ma. The chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. left his position on Teachers’ Day from leading the e-commerce（电子商务） giant he founded 20 years ago.

“I still have lots of dreams to go after,” Ma wrote in an open letter last year to announce his parting. “The world is big, and I am still young, so I want to try new things.”

The 55-year-old businessman showed that he was ready for new things by arriving at his farewell party dressed up like a rock star.

In fact, his rags-to-riches（白手起家的） story is a good example of doing something different. Visiting the United States in 1995, Ma saw the internet and had the idea of setting up his own trading website. In 1999, he founded Alibaba with a group of friends in a shared apartment, struggling for years to get it off the ground. With all the challenges, the company slowly brought e-commerce to China.

Although his success has inspired a number of Chinese tech businessmen, Ma pointed out that the key is having a dream. “It’s the dreams that keep us full of confidence and never afraid of setbacks（挫折）.” Ma said in a video posted on Sept 9.

Now the experienced businessman is looking to focus on education. What can he offer? “I’m not going to teach English; I’m not going to teach business, But I’m going to teach young people how to face challenges,” he told Bloomberg News.

Skilled sailors were never made on calm waters. As Ma said, “Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueler. But the day after tomorrow is beautiful.”

【推荐3】International Performers

World-class performers from across the globe bring years of training in blood, sweat, and smiles to amaze audiences of all ages in Ottawa's beautiful Sparks Street .

During the day, catch the Purple People show full of high energy acrobatics (杂技) and feats of danger. At night, be amazed at an incredible and dazzling fire performance at street level. Don't miss the chance to catch the greatest show.

Time: 2:00 pm-2:45 pm/ 9:00 pm-9:45 pm, Monday

Place: Ontario Stage

After intensive training in the circus school of Cuba and Wuqiao (China) , together with two years of sharing the streets of Caracas with some of its biggest artists, “Santos” bring you an amazing act filled with breathtaking performances with Chinese pots.

Time: 7:00 pm-7:45 pm, Friday

Place: Canada Stage

At Chris' show, you'll witness his super powers: to induce laughter, make jaws drop, and make audiences feel fantastic! See why Chris and his Rubber Duck of Danger have been a hit with audiences across North America and Asia.

Time: 8:00 pm-8:45 pm, Saturday

Place: Hot 89.9 Stage

Vinyl Burns is a man of good looks and charm. A DJ, musician and comedian who holds court like Jordan and jumps across it. He enjoys passing on his genius to the ladies, and sometimes the men are Close enough to catch some of it as well. Most importantly... he likes to ROCK!

Time: 12:00 pm-12:45 pm, Sunday

Place: The Art Department Stage

【推荐1】About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way. Women are luckier; only about one in two hundred is affected in this matter. Perhaps, after all, it’s safer to be driven by a woman!

There are different forms of color blindness. In some cases, a man may not be able to see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green. Sometimes a person cannot tell the differences between green and blue. In rare cases an unlucky man may see everything in shade of green-a strange world indeed.

Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions of very small things called “cones”. These help us to see in a bright light and to tell difference between colors. There are also millions of “rods”, but these are used for seeing when it is near dark. They show us shape but no color.

Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes prefer blue to yellow. A red light will not attract insects, but a blue lamp will. In a similar way human beings also have favorite colors. Yet we are lucky. With the aid of cones in our eyes, we can see many beautiful colors by day, and with the aid of rods we can see shapes at night. One day we may even learn more about the invisible colors around us.

Biggest Carnival (狂欢节) in the World — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It's the biggest carnival festival being organized in the world which is held in February or March. This carnival doesn't just have a regular parade, but they have a city-wide parade. It means everyone has to watch it. Brazil is like shut down and all the citizens just enjoy the festival.

Duration: 4-6 days

Rio Carnival Dates: 9th February to 14th February

Notting Hill — London, UK

The festival focuses heavily on music, with live performances everywhere and sound systems. For the help of the people, an app "Noting Hill Carnival" has been made, which can help guide you in different directions through the festival. You can find stalls (小摊) selling many kinds of foods, etc.

Duration: only two days

Notting Hill carnival date: 25th August

Tomorrowland — Boom, Belgium

Have you heard of names like Axwell, Carl Cox, etc.? If yes, then this biggest carnival in the world is for you. The music lovers, for whom music is their life, can listen to it many times. It is a chance to step out of your comfort zone and feel the depth of music.

Duration: 2 weekends

Time to be held: 12th August

La Tomatina — Valencia, Spain

It's a festival in which participants throw tomatoes at each other and fight with each other just for the fun purpose. One just needs to have fun at this amazing carnival festival, so don't even think of wearing new clothes at the festival. This festival has got some ground rules, so that no one gets hurt and all enjoy the festival.

Duration: one day

Tomatina festival date: 29th August

【推荐3】Washing habits have changed over the years. In the 16th century, most people had a bath once a month...if they were lucky. Up until the 1950s, it was once a week. Only just recently has the concept of daily showering become popular.But now, according to the New York Times, things are changing again.

The latest trend is known as “soap­dodging”. It basically consists of washing less, having fewer showers and using less soap.“I just wash my hair once a month now, ” said Brett Dawson, a 32­year­old management consultant.“I have just one bath a week,” said Miriam Bayliss, a 28­year­old accountant.

And it appears to be growing in popularity.A poll last year for tissue manufacturer SCA found that 41% of British men and 33% of women don’t shower every day.And 12% of people have a proper wash just once or twice a week.Further research by Mintel found that more than half of British teenagers don’t wash every day—with many opting for a quick spray of deodorant(除臭剂) to mask any smell.But why?

There are a variety of reasons.Some claim that daily hair­washing is unnecessary.Commentator Matthew admitted that he hadn’t shampooed his hair for a decade.Others say they just don’t have the time. In 2008, the chemist Boots reported a 45% rise in sales of dry shampoo—a product that can be sprayed on hair between showers.

And some people want to help the environment.“I limit my showers to about twice a week, ” said Nigel Hamerstone, a 42­year­old architect.“The rest of the time I have a sink wash.” he adds, “I believe that I’m as clean as everyone else, and it’s helped get my water consumption down to around 20 litres a day—well below the 100 to 150 average in the UK.”

So, will you be joining the new “washing revolution”？