2 . A worldwide shift from fossil fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles could significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that humans emit to the atmosphere. But current strategies for vehicle electrification (电气化) can also shift some pollution to communities already suffering under higher economic, health and environmental burdens, researchers warn.

California, which leads the United States by a mile when it comes to EV adoption, offers a window into this evolving problem. The state is aggressively seeking to reduce its carbon footprint and has made substantial increases in wind and solar power generation as well as in the promotion of electric vehicle purchases. One tool the state has used is the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, or CVRP, which kicked off in 2010 and offers consumers money back for the purchase of new EVs.

Now, an analysis of the CVRP’s impact on the state’s air quality from 2010 to 2021 reveals both good and bad news, researchers report May 3 in PLOS Climate.

The good news is that the CVRP is responsible for making a dent in the state’s overall CO2 emissions, reducing them by about 280,000 metric tons per year on average. The bad news is that the most disadvantaged communities in the state didn’t see the same overall improvement in air quality. Those communities in fact saw an increase in one type of air pollution, tiny particulates known as PM2.5. That increase may be indirectly related to putting more EVs on the road. Although electric vehicles themselves don’t produce PM2.5 from their tailpipes, increased electricity generation, if it’s not fossil fuel-free, can. Renewable resources, including rooftop solar cells, supplied about half of California’s electricity in 2022. But natural gas-fired power plants still provide a large part of the state’s power.

“Electric vehicles are often incorrectly referred to as ‘zero-emission vehicles’, but they’re only as clean as the underlying electric grid (电网) from which the energy is sourced,” Mejía-Duwan says. The most disadvantaged 25 percent of the state’s communities also contain 50 percent of the power plants, the team found.

3 . HONG KONG — At the school where Ko Cheuk-kiu works, there are neither school bells ringing nor students running around the playground. “You look good today. Shall we review the text together?” After greeting her student Hei Hei, Ko, in a light blue uniform, turns on her tablet computer and begins to teach at the bedside.

Founded in 1954, the Hong Kong Red Cross Hospital Schools initially provided services in only one public medical institution. Now, it is a special education institute funded by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, with 26 school units attached to 19 public hospitals. Its services are mainly divided into three fields — general specialty, psychiatry, and homebound teaching programs. The first two provide services for hospitalized students to reduce their difficulties in returning to school, while homebound teaching is aimed at students who need to stay at home to recover for a long period. Teachers are assigned to different hospitals or students’ homes and shift on a regular basis. Depending on the situation, teachers will carry out small group or one-on-one bedside teaching, and each session lasts about 30 minutes.

“Teaching children in a hospital? I was curious and keen to know more about it,” Ko recalls, explaining she first learned about the school from a newspaper report in 2009 when she had just finished her master’s degree in language. Ko, who also studied special education, applied for a teaching position at the school and was hired as a Chinese language teacher.

Teachers in hospitals have to meet students with different medical conditions and face all kinds of challenges every day, but Ko regards these experiences as training, which have led her to have a deeper appreciation of life. Over the years, Ko has received a lot of greeting cards from parents and students showing their appreciation. Looking at these warm words of encouragement, she silently sends her best wishes to the students. “I hope they can soon recover and go back to school, and continue to pursue their dreams,” she says.

5 . There have been many studies that show being in nature is good for your health. Walking in the woods is good for your well-being. Living near trees can help you live longer. But when you go for a walk in the woods, what is it particularly about being in nature or being outdoors that makes you feel good? Is it the sights or smells or sounds? A new study finds it might have something to do with the birds you hear while you have a walk.

Researchers from California Polytechnic State University analyzed how much the natural sounds people hear when they’re outdoors influence well-being. They found that the “chorus (合唱)” of birds singing increased well-being in protected natural areas.

For the study, researchers placed 10 hidden, evenly spaced speakers(扬声器) on two parts of trails(小路) in the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks in Colorado. They played recorded songs from 11 kinds of birds. The researchers take turns to play the birdsong for a few hours a day for a week, and then turned off the speakers for a week at a time. They interviewed hikers after they passed through the areas with the speakers.

“The main result is that hikers that heard the birdsong responded to questions that showed a higher level of well-being compared to those that did not hear the birdsong,” Biology Professor Clinton Francis, who led the research, says.

Hikers who heard more birdsong on the first part of the trail said they felt better. Those who heard more birdsong on the second part reported that they thought more birds lived along that part of the trail. This feeling of more birds helps make the hikers feel better. “With the chorus, we were able to show that natural sounds have a clear effect on the quality of hikers’ experiences,” says Francis.

6 . It is lunchtime. At a long table inside a restaurant, some young people sit together over lunch. There is less conversation than you might expect from a typical group of friends: a boy seems to talk only to himself, and a girl looks anxious.

These young people met through a program organized by the nonprofit Actionplay, where young people with autism work together to write and stage a musical. Each Sunday, they work and have lunch together. “You meet other people just like you,” says Lexi Spindel. “That was the first time my daughter had a friend,” says Lexi’s father. “That never happened before Actionplay.”

For decades, scientists have supposed people with autism don’t have or need friends. A new research is forcing a rethink of those long-held beliefs. Autistic people report they want friends. One significant barrier to friendships is common people’s opinion that autistic people are not interested in connecting with them. Appearing uninterested, however, is not always the same as being uninterested. An autistic child looking uninterested in games may in fact be overcome by the noise. And behaviors like clapping hands repeatedly are a way to manage their anxiety and uncertainty, not a sign of their low social interest.

For some autistic people, friendships develop through experimental programs. In a program Lerner developed, participants play a game called Gibberish. where teenagers must interpret each other’s intentions without using real language. The point is not to get it right. but to attend to what the other person is doing in a way that creates opportunities to connect.

Lerner’s ideas were inspired by a moment 16 years ago after he established a small camp for children with autism called Spotlight. On the second day an l1-year-old boy ran up and pulled his clothes. “Lerner, Lerner, where did you find these kids?”

“All over the place,” Lerner answered. “Everyone wants to come to camp, just like you.”

“This is the first normal group of kids I have never met.” the boy said.

7 . Are you a book lover? Here are some of the hottest books of the season.

The One Thing You’d Save is about a homework assignment. Ms. Chang has students choose what they’d save if their home was on fire. Some choose baseball cards or animal toys. One picks a sweater that was passed down for generations. Another chooses a box of memories about a sister who died. This book helps readers learn to figure out what matters most in life.

It’s 1941. Millie McGonigle, a 12-year-old girl, was supposed to be living a carefree life. However, she lives in the shadow of World War Ⅱ. War and Millie McGonigle is an inspiring story that tackles the topic of life and death. The story line is driven by vivid characters and their relationships. The interaction between Millie and her little sister, Lily, mirrors the real-life sibling (兄妹) relationships in many families.

Simon is starting fifth grade and hopes to become a famous singer. But he’s shy about using his voice to express his ideas and thoughts. When a teacher asks the class to give an oral presentation, Simon must find the strength to change and overcome his fears. Simon B. Rhymin’ is a book that gives confidence to readers who are going through similar struggles.

Rez Dog is a book about an eighth grader named Malian. She’s visiting her grandparents on a Wabanaki reservation when COVID-19 hits. To stay safe, Malian has to stay away from school” and her friends. Many kids will understand this tough situation. During the lockdown, Malian learns to think about what other people have gone through and how they are feeling during the pandemic (疫情).