1 . As 13-year-old Sadie Feingold for her Jewish coming-of-age ceremony this year, she had one goal in mind: to raise awareness of children’s mental health struggles.

She said she was inspired to focus on this topic because of her own previous struggles with mental health. “People don’t really talk about mental health as they do with physical health,” Feingold said. “I think that some people feel like it’s not important.”

So, she did some research and read a piece in The New York Times that reported how a proper amount of exercise in adolescents can raise their levels of endorphin (a chemical produced in the brain that reduces the feeling of pain), and in turn, help improve their mental health. Then, Feingold came up with a plan: she would host an exercise class for local teens and families, and raise money to support the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, a mental health agency that treats children and families.

She invited family, friends and others to gather in the parking lot of the community (社区) building in Port Washington, and on Sept.13, about 35 kids, teens and adults participates in the 45-minute class of individual exercises, led by a fitness instructor they knew.

She took donations at the class to support the Guidance Center and encouraged those who couldn’t attend to dance as well. Her efforts raised nearly $2,000. Regina Barros-Rivera, associate executive director at Guidance Center, said an effort like this one promoted “positive change” adolescents needed. “Energy creates energy. Talking an action creates a change. And this young lady has created something-not only just that the exercise is good for you, it’s more that she’s creating, and she’s bringing.”

2 . As the popularity of hiking vacations grows , scores of walkers have discovered hiking over trails(路线) sparks an instant connection with the land. This interaction with nature also provides fantastic exercise, combining sightseeing and workouts into one.

Inca Trail, Peru

The four-day, 27-mile trail starts outside the tiny town of Ollantaytambo and winds through a number of passes in the Andes Alone the wav the trail passes nearly a dozen archaeological sites that serve as evidence of the Inca culture.

Cape Scott Trail, British Columbia

The new five-day, 36-mile Cape Scott Trail begins gradually. From the trailhead at Cape Scott Provincial Park, the trail follows an old settler's road along a stream. The highlights of this hike are its river crossings. Hikers must pull themselves across the cable-car crossings for both water ways , an effort that leaves shoulders suffering pain from overuse. Still, the thrill of crossing wilderness rivers is hard to get anywhere in life.

Skeleton Gorge(峡谷) , South Africa

The three-day trail through Skeleton Gorge is absolutely a natural feast to the eyes. The trail begins just outside Kirstenbosch, one of eight National Botanical Gardens in the country. Starting at Cecilia Forest, the trail is flat for the first section, and then climbs steeply into the gorge. This second part of the hike is tricky, with two ladders and loose river stones to negotiate as the peak comes into view.

Larapinta Trail, Australia

Australia's Larapinta Trail, a 130-mile hike across the northern desert of the island continent, is divided into 12 sections, each of which can be completed in l or 2 days. Each section is accessible by off-road vehicle. The route itself passes some of the most spectacular natural features: Simpsons Gap, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen.

4 . No one knows when the first printing press was invented or who invented it. but the oldest known printed text originated in China during the first millennium (千年) AD. The Diamond Sutra (《金刚经》), a Buddhist book from Dunhuang, China during the Tang Dynasty, is said to be the oldest known printed book. The Diamond Sutra was created with a method known as block printing (雕版印刷), which used boards of hand-carved wood blocks in reverse.

It was said that the moveable type was developed by Bi Sheng. He was from Yingshan, Hubei, China, living from 970 to 1051 AD. His method replaced panels of printing blocks with moveable individual Chinese characters that could be reused. The first moveable Chinese Characters were carved into clay and baked into hard blocks that were then arranged onto an iron frame that was pressed against an iron plate.

The earliest mention of Bi Sheng’s printing press is in the book Dream Pool Essays, written in 1086 by Shen Kuo, who noted that his nephews came into possession of Bi Sheng’s typefaces (字体) after his death. Shen Kuo explained that Bi Sheng did not use wood because the texture is inconsistent (不一致的) and absorbs wetness too easily.

By the time of the Southern Song Dynasty, which ruled from 1127 to 1279 AD, books had become popular in society and helped create a scholarly class of citizens who had the capabilities to become civil servants. Large printed book collections also became a status symbol for the wealthy class.

6 . The COVID -19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life, including the way we travel. But for those who are looking to expand their horizons while still staying safe, the following three travel trends in 2021 may provide inspirations. Let’s take a look.

Staycation

With many travel restrictions during the pandemic, people preferred traveling to nearby places in 2020. This trend continues in 2021. According to search data, 62 percent of people are interested in taking a vacation within driving distance of home. People who live in large cities want to get back in touch with nature. Travelers are looking for places different from their everyday accommodations, for example, farm stays, villas and cottages.

Pod travel

While 2020 saw a rise in solo travel and isolated adventures, 2021 shows that people want to be more connected. “Pod travel”, or gathering in isolated spaces with loved ones, is growing in popularity. 85 percent of survey respondents favor traveling with family or friends, and over half of the trips searched include three or more people. Pod travel is here to stay for those who want to safely be together while reducing risks associated with socializing with others.

Remote working and traveling

Many people worked and learned from home in 2020 because of the pandemic. Remote working blurs the line between working and traveling. There was a 128 percent increase in the mention of phrases such as “relocation”, “relocate”, “remote work” and “trying a new neighborhood”. People are actively booking longer stays (e. g. two plus week trips) in small to mid—size cities with access to immersive natural surroundings and wide—open spaces.

9 . Austrian company Tec-innovation recently publicized smart shoes that use ultrasonic (超声波) sensors to help blind or vision impaired people to detect obstacles (障碍物) up to four meters away.

Known as InnoMake, the smart shoe aims to become a modern alternative to the decades-old walking stick that millions of people around the world depend on to get around as safely as possible. The currently available model relies on sensors to detect obstacles and warns the wearer via vibration (震动) and an audible warning sounded on a Bluetooth-linked smartphone. That sounds impressive enough, but the company is already working on a much more advanced version that adopts cameras and artificial intelligence to not only detect obstacles but also their nature. “Not only is the warning that I am facing an obstacle relevant, but also the information about what kind of obstacle I am facing. Because it makes a big difference whether it’s a wall, a car or a staircase.” Markus Raffer, one of the founders of Tec-innovation, told Techxplore.

“Ultrasonic sensors on the toe of the shoe detect obstacles up to four meters away. The wearer is then warned by vibration and/or audible signals. This works very well and is already a great help to me personally,” Raffer, himself visually impaired, added. The current version of the InnoMake shoe is already available on the Tec-Innovation website, for €3,200 per pair.

The advanced system is powered by a heavy-duty battery that can last for up to one week, depending on use. The battery can be charged in just three hours, using a USB cable. “You can make adjustments in real time with the button on the back of the device. The range can be adjusted up to 4 meters by briefly pressing the button,” the Tec-innovation website reads. “You can activate the intelligent mode which automatically pauses the system, e.g. when you are sitting, and you can also use InnoMake as a scanner to obtain information about your environment by means of foot movement.”

10 . If you want to stay in shape, but don’t have the time to go to the gym, the Mobile Gym is a good solution. It’s basically a large bus filled with the latest fitness equipment. You can find everything you need for a complete workout, and here’s the best part — you don’t need to go to the gym, and the gym comes to you!

The Mobile Gym was the idea of Adam Zickerman, founder of Inform Fitness, a popular chain of gyms across the United States. It hit him when he ordered lunch from a food truck one afternoon. So why not put a gym on a truck?

Zickerman experimented with a few designs and then invested $60,000 on making adaptations and fixing machines. He didn’t really need an advertising budget as the bus advertised itself. Carole Pallmeyer, for instance, found herself driving behind the Mobile Gym one day. At first she thought it was a regular bus with ads for a gym. But then she realized the bus itself was a gym, so she booked workout sessions for her entire family. “We are all busy, but we know the bus is coming and make sure we are home at 4:30 for the workouts,” she said. “You forget you’re on a bus because the workouts are tightly scheduled.”

Unfortunately, it is illegal to use the fitness equipment while the bus is moving, so you don’t get to save time by working out during the rush time. It operates only once a week, only two clients (客户) can be accommodated at a time on the bus. And it doesn’t come cheap. Sessions start at $100, while in-house workouts are $65. But the Mobile Gym appears to be a big hit.

“There are so many benefits to having the Mobile Gym come to you,” Zickerman said. “Only five to seven exercises complete a total-body workout when performed using our special equipment.” He also added that a 20-minute workout might sound easy, but it is really difficult and provides instant results. “It is very challenging and clients understand quickly why rest is important between workouts ”