1 . It is that time of the year, when a handful of world’s leading scholars, social activists and researchers are rewarded with what is often cited as the most prestigious acknowledgement of human effort-the Nobel Prize. Here’s a look at who has won the prize and for what.

Physiology or Medicine

Swedish geneticist Svante Peabo won the first Nobel of the year, for starting the field of ancient DNA studies. He is well-known for extracting, sequencing, and analyzing ancient DNA from Neanderthal bones.

Physics

Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger’s work in quantum (量子) technology landed them the second Nobel Prize announced in 2022. Although Aspect is from France, Clauser from the U.S, and Zeilinger from Austria, the three separately performed “groundbreaking experiments” as one team. “Their results have cleared the way for new technology,” the committee stated.

Chemistry

The Nobel Prize for chemistry went to another trio, Carolyn R. Bertozzi from the U.S., Morten Meldal from Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless from the U.S. “for the development of click chemistry and biorthogonal chemistry,” the committee stated. Dr. Bertozzi is the eighth woman chemist to be awarded the prize, while Dr. Sharpless is the fifth scientist to be awarded two Nobel Prizes.

Economics

The Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to three American economists, Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig “for research on banks and financial crises,” the Nobel Prize committee announced on Monday. By studying the history of American economics, particularly the Great Depression of the 1930s,they improved how we understand the role of banks during times of hardship and the bank’s impact on societal functions.

2 . The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was established in 1958, which has many famous tourist attractions.

Shapotou, Zhongwei

Shapotou scenic zone, 16 kilometers west of Zhongwei County in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has become a must-see for tourists who visit Ningxia. Wang Wei, a famous poet in ancient China, recorded the beauty of Shapotou in a poem on a mission to the frontier.

The park has many activities on offer, which include drifting on the Yellow River and sliding from a sand dune.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Ideal Sightseeing Season: May to early October

Ticket Price: 80 yuan ($11.7)

Half Price:

①Minors between the ages of 7 and 18;

②Full-time university bachelor or junior degree students with a registered student ID card.

Shahu Lake, Shizuishan

Shahu Lake, one of the top 10 destinations for holidays in Shizuishan city, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China, is surrounded by large marshlands(沼泽) and desert, and is known as the “pearl of the desert” along the Silk Road. The location of the 1995 movie A Chinese Odyssey attracts many visitors.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Ideal Sightseeing Season: May to early October

Ticket Price: 50 yuan ($7.32)

Half Price:

①Minors between the ages of 7 and 18;

②Full-time university bachelor or junior degree students with a registered student ID card.

Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park, Yinchuan

Nfingcui Lake National Wetland Park is perhaps the best ecological wetland in China. It is the first national wetland park of the Yellow River Basin. The first established and expanding water and land sports base in the northwest integrates outdoor training, science education, leisure and fishing.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Ideal Sightseeing Season: March to May

Ticket Price: 40 yuan ($5.9)

HalfPrice: Full-time university bachelor or junior degree students with a registered student ID card.

Zhenbeipu Western Film Studio, Yinchuan

Zhenbeipu Western Film Studio, located in Yinchuan city, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has produced many world-famous films, one of which is Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum.

Zhenbeipu functioned as a frontier in the Ming Dynasty, but today, the studio has become a tourism destination fully integrating sightseeing, entertainment, relaxation, dining and shopping.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA

Ideal Sightseeing Season: Late April to early October

Ticket Price: 80 yuan ($11.7)

Half Price: Full-time university bachelor or junior degree students with a roistered student ID card.

5 . Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng, a retired Tibetan couple, have become trailblazers（开拓者）of grape growing and wine-making in their old ages.

Lu Sheng learned grape planting and winemaking from her grandmother’s sister. Since they retired, the couple have moved to Lhasa from the village of Yakhadi. Though the fact that the region’s capital, which is 3,600 meters above sea level, is considered unfit for growing grapes, Lu Sheng and Hua Sheng began an ambitious project in 2015, planting grapes in Tsalna, a town in the suburb of Lhasa.

They received support from the local government, which is committed to developing business and the economy. The couple’s project provides jobs for rural residents, and, as a result, the government has considered the project part of its poverty relief program.

“Lhasa is an ideal place for planting French grape varieties that are resistant to cold, drought and disease, and adaptable to high-altitude and open-air planting," Lu Sheng said.

“Thanks to the plateau’s sunshine and organic planting, our grapes grow very well here in Lhasa. The grapes are a bit sour and sweet, and they have a high anthocyanin（花青素）content,” she said. Anthocyanins, which are in grape cells and contribute rich color to wine, are water-soluble（水溶性的）.

In 2018, Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng expanded their project, planting on nearly 6.67 hectares. In order to familiarize Tibetan farmers with grape planting and winemaking, they taught the skills to local villagers.

“We have successfully taught the local farmers how to grow grapes and make wine over the three years. They now have a new source of income besides traditional farrming and herding,” Hua Sheng said.

Yudron, a resident of Nam, said she was grateful to the grape planting project in her village, which has contributed to her income and quality of life." After working in the vineyards for years, now we know how to make wine. We drink both barley and grape wine now. We love grape wine more, though, as it is healthier.

6 . It was a February afternoon in a Brooklyn classroom. Sixteen-year-old Taylor Engler came face to face with a cow. But it was all in her head. She was transported by a virtual reality (VR) headphone. It took the Berkeley Carroll School junior and eight other classmates to a northern New York farm. The farm was 250 miles away. For students, the technology means field trips are no longer kept within the length of a bus ride.

It's unknown how many classrooms have or will use the technology, but experts say few classrooms do or will do. Headphones that require a user's phone can cost as little as $20 or $30, but systems and software for classes run into thousands of dollars. The problem of not having good software is disappearing as more companies enter the market. But the rules for use haven't kept abreast of the development of the technology. In New York, for example, virtual reality lab experiments are not included in the state's hands-on lab time requirements.

Experts say science classes are where virtual reality holds promise for classrooms. “The biggest problem, I think, is going to be how closely it mimics the real world." That's according to David Evans, the director of the National Science Teachers Union. However, he said, “The ability to do dangerous things and to run many, many more cases in a virtual space as opposed to the real physical space stands for a huge learning chance.”

Lamb taught chemistry and he agreed. “Too often in schools, when you do experiments in labs, you mix these together, you mix those together and you get this result. And if you don't get that result, you have done something wrong. But we don't have enough resources for you to redo it, “he said. “In virtual reality, all I do is hit reset on the computer. I don't have to actually use chemicals.”

10 . When you're feeling low or even a little depressed, what do you want to do? The answer for most of us is not very much. Our natural response to a bad mood is to rest with our comfort of choice and hibernate (蛰伏) a bit.

But according to new science, the best way to fight off the depression is to force yourself to get out there and do something new. You might have to drag yourself off the sofa, but this research shows you'll be happier for the effort.

For the study, the research followed the daily movements of 122 study subjects, using the location-tracking features of their phones for three to four months. They also sent subjects regular text messages asking them to report on their mood.

The scientists discovered the more people visited new and different locations, the happier they felt both that day and the next. Variety and novelty seem to lift our mood. “We also find that if we feel better today, we're likely to move around and have more novel experiences and have more experiential diversity the following day," study coauthor and NYU psychology professor Catherine Hartley said.

"These results suggest a reciprocal link between the novel and diverse experiences we have during our daily exploration of our physical environments and our subjective sense of well-being." Hartley commented.

This isn't the first time science has linked new experiences with positive brain benefits. Previous studies have shown that new and challenging experiences light up learning centers in the brain. Just as experience has probably taught you, you learn a lot faster when you get outside your comfort zone. If you've been stuck at home a lot lately, it's no shock that you feel lazy. Your brain is missing out on the novelty and exploration it desires. The good news is, if you can force yourself to do something new, you'll feel you can grow smarter.