1 . Explore the science behind these amazing landscapes

Retracing Charles Darwin’s travels across North Wales

13 May 2024|6 days

Uncover the best of Wales as you explore the dramatic Welsh landscapes of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and examine the region geology and how it has been transformed by volcanic and glacial activity over the years.Discover the story of Charles Darwin’s 1831 and 1842 tours of Wales,and retrace his travels on this small group journey to Shrewsbury and Snowdonia.

The Rockies and the Badlands:Geology and dinosaurs in Canada

17 June 2024|7 days

Explore the majestic Rocky Mountains west of Calgary and the otherworldly Badlands to the cast,witness the stunning scenery and geology of southerm Alberta.This tour includes two visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites,where you will see first-hand the rugged peaks and glacial features of the Banff portion of Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and the bone-riddled badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Short break:Dinosaurs and Hoodoos:Alberta

23 July 2024|3 days

Visit one of the world’s premier dinosaur museums,sail all the way around a World Heritage site with outstanding dinosaur fossils and explore the multi-hued canyons and wind-sculpted hoodoos (石林)of the Alberta Badlands.Throughout this tour you will be accompanied by palaeontologist (古生物学家)Jon Noad,who will share the stories of the rocks,including tales about past oceans,swamps,rivers and deserts,the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and,more recently,ice sheets that covered Alberta and carved out spectacular landscapes.

4 . Could you manage without the internet for four and a half years? That’s exactly what the actress Selena Gomez has done in a bid to improve her mental health.

She has spoken extensively about the relationship between her social media usage and mental well-being, recalling feeling like “an addict” as to becoming Instagram’s most followed user in 2016. “Indeed, I regret quitting from social media that late”, says she. “The unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down.”

However, the increasing digitization (数字化) means that everything from paying a bill to even making a phone call is at the mercy of the internet. Actively opting (选择) out of the internet becomes a matter of privilege. Ms Gomez’s multi-millionaire status has allowed her to take the “social” out of social media. The fact that she’s still the second most-followed woman on Instagram suggests it’s entirely possible to maintain a significant web profile to promote various projects by way of a dedicated team — without being exposed to the cruel comments.

It goes without saying that this is fundamentally different from how the rest of us without beauty deals and films to publicize use the likes of Instagram and Twitter, but even the concept of a digital detox (戒瘾) requires having a device and connectivity to choose to disconnect from.

The UK’s digital divide has worsened over the past two years, leaving poorer families without broadband connections in their homes. Digital exclusion (数字隔绝) is a major threat to wider societal equality in the UK.

Consequently, it’s worth bearing in mind that while deleting all social media accounts will undoubtedly make some feel infinitely better, many other people benefit from the strong sense of community that sharing platforms can develop. Greater resources and initiatives are needed to provide the underprivileged with the connectivity they desperately need to learn, work and live. It’s crucial that people feeling social media is harmful to their mental health are allowed to switch off and for those living in digital exclusion to be able to switch on primarily.

5 . The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration（ETA）supports a wide variety of programs to ensure that all youth have the skills and training they need to successfully make the switch to adulthood and careers. These programs include:

Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. Applicants for apprenticeship programs must be at least 16 years old and meet the program sponsor's qualifications.

YouthBuild programs give at-risk youth ages 16-24 the opportunity to transform their lives by earning their high school certificate of graduation or an equally state-recognized degree, learning to be community leaders, and preparing for college and other post-secondary training opportunities.

Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehensive residential, education, and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Private companies, state agencies, federal agencies, and unions recruit young people to participate in Job Corps, where they can train for and be placed in jobs.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act（WIOA）of 2014 is carrying out a comprehensive youth employment program for serving qualified youth, ages 14-24, who face barriers to education, training, and employment.

For more information about youth programs, visit ETA's Division of Youth Services page.

6 . New York University (NYU) surgeons have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye, an extraordinary addition to a face transplant, although it’s far too soon to know if the man will ever see through his new left eye.

An accident had destroyed most of Aaron James’ face and one eye. His right eye still works. But the surgeons hoped replacing the missing one would produce better cosmetic (整容的) results for his new face. The NYU team is doing just that. James is recovering well from the dual (双重的) transplant last May and the donated eye looks remarkably healthy.

Today, transplants of the cornea (眼角膜) are common to treat certain types of vision loss. But transplanting the whole eye—the eyeball, its blood supply, and the critical optic nerve (视神经) that must connect it to the brain—is considered a moonshot in the search to cure blindness.

Whatever will happen next, James’ surgery offers scientists a window into how the human eye tries to heal. “We’re not claiming that we are going to restore sight,” said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who led the transplant. “But there’s no doubt that we are one step closer.”

Some specialists had feared the eye would quickly become dry and wrinkled. However, when Rodriguez opened James’ left eyelid, the donated eye was fat and full of liquid. Doctors see good blood flow and no sign of rejection.

Now researchers have begun analyzing scans of James’ brain that detected some puzzling signals from that all-important but injured optic nerve. Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, who has long studied how to make eye transplants a reality, called the surgery exciting. “It’s an amazing confirmation of animal experiments that have kept transplanted eyes alive,” he said. “The difficulty now is how to regrow the optic nerve, although animal studies are making progress.” He praised the NYU team’s “boldness” in even aiming for optic nerve repair and hopes the transplant will promote more research.

7 . In 2016, when I was on the graduate scheme (计划) at Deutsche Bank, Marie Inafidon, chief executive of Stemettes, who encourages girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), was also working there. I didn’t meet her at the time, but I did read an article about her and her career.

Learning at 21 years old about the career of a young black woman’s succeeding in a traditionally white male-dominated industry was one of the most influential things that ever happened to me. It gave me confidence that it was possible to do well in the office and work on personal external project at the same time.

Role models can play a central role in shaping a young professional’s career. They are especially important if you belong to an under-represented group for whom a lack of representation in the workplace can lead to feeling isolated and lacking in confidence. They can help those just starting out, whether or not they are a graduate as I was, to believe in their own abilities.

There’s a growing need to have accessible role models. Given the tendency to exaggerate (夸大) success stories, hearing from women who talk honestly about the challenges they have faced, either when starting a business or forming a new career path, is much more effective. A study revealed that 70 per cent of girls say they think differently about their futures after hearing from women role models.

I’m frequently asked about what businesses could be doing to increase racial diversity in the workplace. A good starting point is to actively promote and support the voices of the people in the organisation that are leading positive change and inspiring others. This makes a real difference. Unlike the tokenism (装样子) I still come across, which results in individuals being made the lone representative for a group without real support from the organisation.

Things came full circle for me when I interviewed Ms. Inafidon for my book in 2019. I was able to tell her of the incredible impact her passion and confidence had had on me as a graduate trainee and how grateful I would always be for that.