1 . A school Picture Day usually occurs either once in the fall, or twice a year during both the start of the fall and spring terms. A school Picture Day is you and your children’s chance to record and keep memories for the school year. Missing a Picture Day means missing out on joy and special moments of the childhood—so it’s important to plan ahead.

Hairstyle

Don’t get a new haircut right before the Picture Day. If you’re planning your children’s haircut for the Picture Day, make sure it gets done at least two weeks before the Picture Day. This will ensure that any bad spots have time to grow back before the photos.

Try to stick to a neutral haircut. Recent trending hairstyles, colors and other unique hairstyles may not go well. You should find a hairstyle that is both neutral and something that represents your children’s personality.

Keep the hair out of their face. If your children’s hair naturally falls in front of their face, try to use hairpins, hair spray, or even a fresh haircut to keep their bright smile shining through.

Clothing

Dress for the weather. If it’s cold outside, you should make sure your children arrive at school in clothing that keeps them warm. On the contrary, if the Picture Day is scheduled on a forecast heatwave, dressing your children in warmer clothing (even if it’s your favorite one) could result in sweat showing up in the photos.

Don’t make your children wear anything they don’t like. They’ll shine in clothing they’re comfortable in, but will look obviously less comfortable in one they don’t like. Help your children show their best side by letting them wear clothes they love.

Accessories (配饰)

Keep jewelry minimal. You never want children’s jewelry to distract from their photos. If they do want to wear some sort of jewelry, make sure that it’s small or understated.

Avoid hats. Hats do little help, other than covering up your children’s head and face and should never be included.

2 . In an awe-inspiring incident, a young killer whale recently demonstrated remarkable intelligence by seeking assistance from a group of humans to save its trapped mother, which challenged our conventional understanding of wild predators (食肉动物).

The online viral video, shared by Alvin Foo, began with a young killer whale emitting distressing cries towards a group of people on a boat. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the concerned individuals promptly responded by contacting a rescue team. The young whale’s desperate request for help touched more people’s hearts and set a truly extraordinary chain of events in motion.

As the rescue team arrived, they were amazed to witness the young killer whale’s playful interaction with the humans. The whale appeared elated, seemingly understanding that assistance had finally arrived. This interaction between the mother killer whale and rescuers underlined the potential for mutual understanding beyond the boundary of traditional predator-prey relationships.

The young whale took on the role of a guide, leading the rescue team to its mother trapped in a fishing net. It navigated the water with purpose, as if fully aware that the humans possessed the means to save its mother. This display of intelligence left the rescuers in awe, highlighting the complex cognitive abilities of these magnificent marine creatures. With its guidance, the rescue team swiftly initiated the liberation process, carefully cutting the net to free the trapped whale. Astonishingly, they seemed to understand that the humans were there to help and did as asked.

The instant the mother whale was finally freed, an eruption of joyous cries filled the air. The emotional outpouring conveyed the immense gratitude of both the mother whale and the young whale to the humans who had intervened. As the rescue team made their way back to shore, the two whales swam alongside them. This heart-warming sight emphasized the lasting impact of the rescue. The bond formed through this extraordinary rescue operation was well obvious, proving that the profound connections can be established between various species. The journey back to safety symbolized the victory of compassion over adversity.

3 . In various restaurants worldwide, there’s a new sight-child-sized robots. These robots can welcome guests, show them to their tables, deliver food and drinks, and even transport dirty dishes back to the kitchen. Some believe these robot waiters could be a solution to today’s worker shortages in the restaurant industry, with tens of thousands of them now in use.

But other people think that robots can’t replace human workers. Robot waiters can’t take orders, and they struggle with steps, limiting their abilities.

Despite these disadvantages, their use is growing. For example, in Madison Heights, Michigan, Li Zhai faced difficulty finding enough workers for his restaurant, Noodle Topia. To address this, he purchased robots from Pudu Robotics. These robots have been a success, with one leading diners to their seats, another delivering food, and a third transporting dirty dishes.

Zhai found that using these robots reduced his need for employees. Three robots now do the work of what used to require five or six people. In terms of cost, a robot costs around $15 000, while a human can cost $5,000 to $6,000 per month. These robots also have a surprising benefit-they free up human servers to spend more time with customers, resulting in increased tips, Additionally, diners often share videos of the robots on social media, attracting more visitors to the restaurant.

However, not all restaurants have had the same success. For instance, Chili’s (奇利斯餐厅)introduced robot servers in 2020, expanding the test to 61U.S. restaurants before suddenly stopping the program. The robots were criticized (批评) for their slow movement and getting in the way of human servers. A survey showed that 58% of guests believed the robots didn’t improve their overall dining experience.

4 . Haze (薄雾) and smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires covered most of the US Northeast for a second day — Wednesday, with New York City experiencing the world’s worst air quality over the last two days.

New York, the Big Apple became the Big Orange by midday Wednesday as the sky over the nation’s largest city fell into a deep hazy orange. Streets in Manhattan are like what they were like during the pandemic (流行病) as residents again wore masks and cared for warnings from health officials about the impact of PM2.5, which can lead to respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday that the state was making one million N95 masks available to the public. Approximately 400,000 N95 masks would be distributed at New York state parks, and at subway stations and other locations in New York City, Hochul said at a press briefing. An additional 600,000 masks would be made available at Homeland Security stockpiles (囤聚的物资) for local governments to pick up, she said.

Hochul called the poor air quality “a very serious, dangerous situation”. She recommended that people across the state cancel outdoor activities. “Simply stay indoors. Outdoors is dangerous in just about every part of our state,” the governor said. Officials at the briefing said they had been monitoring any potential rise in respiratory illnesses or health issues due to the poor air quality.

The city’s air was more polluted than all the world’s major cities on Wednesday morning, according to data from Swiss technology company IQAir. Dubai and Delhi came in second and third, respectively. Mike Hardiman, a staff in the National Weather Service, told The New York Times the city “smells like cigars”.

5 . If you can brave cooler temperatures and sometimes rainy weather, you’ll likely be rewarded with fewer crowds and lower travel rates in the following popular destinations.

Maui

Although March falls within Maui’s peak season, its excellent weather and conditions for water sports and wildlife viewing make it a superb time to visit. Experienced surfers can head to popular surf spots like Ho’okipa Beach and Kaanapali Beach to catch waves, while animal lovers can look for migrating whales during a whale watching cruise (乘船游览). To save some coin, book your Maui hotel and airfare at least a few months in advance.

Whitehorse

Whitehorse is the capital of Canada’s Yukon region. You can visit the SS Klondike National Historic Site and the MacBride Museum to learn about Whitehorse’s ties to the Klondike Gold Rush and the First Nations people who settled here during the ice age. Then, travel outside of Whitehorse to check out some of the Yukon’s breathtaking natural attractions, such as Kluane National Park and Reserve and see the northern lights in March.

Galapagos Islands

While you can spot wildlife in the Galápagos year-round, March is nesting season for animals like green sea turtles and red-footed boobies. Keep an eye out near the water, too, as sea lions are known to hang on the beaches. And though March falls within the wet season, there should still be ample warm, sunny days to enjoy the beach, particularly towards the end of the month.

Moab

Located between two of Utah’s five main national parks, Moab is an outdoor adventure centre known for its awe-inspiring red rock formations. Travellers can admire them during visits to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, which is the largest national park in the state. Popular March activities include hiking, rock climbing, off-roading and camping.

6 . Books influence people by showing us what is possible in the world. Here are four great reads that are worth a try.

This book is illustrated by Sophie Diao. As a children’s book author, Eva Chen shows people that family is important to her. In this book, she explores that through the eyes of Mei, a young girl being both a “teacher and translator” for her parents. The picture book tells an inspiring story that seeks to teach children about self-love.

Andie Powers is a writer for children and she draws inspiration from her own experience as the mother of a quiet child, Alice. Illustrated by Betsy Petersen, this picture book tells that silent Emile’s mind can be as rich and expansive as that of any other children. The story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing oneself for exactly who he or she is.

It is set in the early 1900s and tells a vivid story directly inspired by the author’s family history. Anna Rose Johnson’s writing is gentle, unhurried and reflective with touches of humor and heartbreak, showcasing the heroine of the book, Norvia Nelson, a brave girl making her way to complex family dynamics, pressures and universal daily-life challenges.

This book follows a legendary but unpopular tennis player as she comes out of retirement to attempt a comeback. Unable to stand her record being broken, Carrie Soto brings her dad back as her coach and trains with a former rival. From the story, readers discover the cost of fame, the struggles of being a female athlete, and that it’s OK to fail sometimes.

7 . Meteorites (陨石) can offer clues about what the early solar system was like. But finding them is far from difficult. Now, some scientists are turning to drones (无人机) and machine learning to help spot freshly fallen meteorites much more efficiently. “A team of six people on a meteorite-hunting expedition can search about 200,000 square meters per day,” says Seamus Anderson, a planetary scientist in Australia.

Around 2016, Anderson began toying with the concept of using drones to take pictures of the g round to look for meteorites. That idea blossomed into a Ph.D. project. In 2022, he and his colleagues reported their first successful recovery of a meteorite spotted with a drone. They’ve since found four more meteorites at a different site. Drone-based searches are much faster than the standard search way. “You’re going from about 300 days of human effort down to about a dozen or so,” he says.

Anderson and his workmates have used drones to search for meteorites in remote parts of Western Australia and South Australia. The team is tipped off about a fall site by networks of ground-based cameras that track meteoroids flashing through the Earth’s atmosphere. The researchers have to do a series of fun but difficult work before the hunt. They pack a four-wheel drive vehicle with drone and computer equipment, battery charging stations, generators, fuel, food, camping equipment, tables, chairs and much more. The drive to the fall site can take more than a day, often on rough or nonexistent roads. Anderson says, “You hope you don’t pop a tire.”

After arriving, the team flies its primary drone at an altitude of about 20 meters. Its camera takes an image of the ground once every second, and the scientists download the data every 40 minutes or so when the drone lands to receive fresh batteries. A typical day of flying can net over 10,000 images, which are then divided digitally into 100 million or so smaller sections. Those “tiles”, each 2 meters on a side, are fed into a machine learning algorithm (算法) that has been trained to recognize meteorites based on images of real land rocks which are spray-painted black.

8 . Recent research confirms what our farming ancestors have known for centuries about hedges (树篱). They conserve precious soil by acting as windbreaks and absorbing rainwater that would otherwise wash it from the fields. And hedges store carbon, putting them in the front line of our bi d to tackle the climate crisis.

However, hedges have had a tough time in the poor countryside, with farmers encouraged to tear them down in pursuit of maximum production and larger field s to accommodate ever-larger machinery. What’s more, some hedges have been ignored. If left to their own devices, they’ll eventually become a line of trees. Some hedges each year lose their structures and fail to fulfil the primary duty as a barrier. Around a half of the nation’s hedges have disappeared in the past century.

There are signs that “the tide is turning”. The search for net zero has aroused many organizations’ interest in the humble hedge’s role as a carbon sink. The Climate Change Committee is recommending a 40 percent increase in hedges: an additional 200,000 km. Such recommendations are starting to drive policy. Cash-pressed farmers will be encouraged to create new hedges and improve their management of existing ones under the new Environmental Land Management Schemes, which will replace many of the existing agricultural support payments in coming years. Meanwhile, initiatives such as Close the Gap, led by the Tree Council, is providing funding and support to plug the gaps in existing hedges with new planting. There’s even an app to help time-pressed farmers do a quick survey to spot where their hedges need some help.

This is a good time for hedges. Take some of the most pressing challenges facing the countryside, and indeed, the world as a whole — the climate crisis, soil erosion (侵蚀), insect attack and wider biodiversity loss — and hedges are part of the solution.