3 . Four Inventions That Changed the World

The course of human evolution has been filled with inventions. The following inventions changed the world in one way or another.

Many of us wonder what life was like before matches. We can thank a British pharmacist and his dirty mixing stick. In 1820s, John Walker noticed a dried lump on the end of a stick while he was stirring a mix of chemicals. When he tried to scrape (刮掉) it off, flames appeared. The initial matches were made of cardboard but soon the matches came in a box equipped with a piece of sandpaper for striking.

Penicillin was discovered in 1928 when a young bacteriologist, Alexander Fleming, was tidying up his lab. After having been on vacation, he returned to work to find that a dish of Staphylococcus bacteria had been left uncovered, and he noticed that mould (霉菌) on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. His further research found that it could kill other bacteria.

Of all the sci-fi kitchen appliances, the microwave oven really relieves the load on housewives. It was discovered in the 1940s. When Percy Spencer, an engineer, was working on a magnetron (磁控管), he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had started to melt due to the microwaves. Spencer found that indeed, when food was placed in the box with the microwave energy, it cooked quickly.

The first plastic was invented in 1907 by Leo Hendrik Baekeland. His initial quest was to invent a ready replacement for shellac (虫胶), an expensive product got from lac beetles. Baekeland combined formaldehyde (甲醛) with a waste product of coal, and heated the mixture. Rather than a shellac-like material, he created a substance that didn’t melt under heat and stress.

6 . According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the number of solar panels installed(安装)has grown rapidly in the past decade, and it has to grow even faster to meet climate goals. But all of that growth will take up a lot of space, and though more and more people accept the concept of solar energy, few like large solar panels to be installed near them.

Solar developers want to put up panels as quickly and cheaply as possible, so they haven’t given much thought to what they put under them. Often, they’ll end up filling the area with small stones and using chemicals to control weeds. The result is that many communities, especially in farming regions, see solar farms as destroyers of the soil.

“Solar projects need to be good neighbors,” says Jordan Macknick, the head of the Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment(InSPIRE)project. “They need to be protectors of the land and contribute to the agricultural economy.” InSPIRE is investigating practical approaches to “low-impact” solar development, which focuses on establishing and operating solar farms in a way that is kinder to the land. One of the easiest low-impact solar strategies is providing habitat for pollinators(传粉昆虫).

Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have caused dramatic declines in pollinator populations over the past couple of decades, which has damaged the U.S. agricultural economy. Over 28 states have passed laws related to pollinator habitat protection and pesticide use. Conservation organizations put out pollinator-friendliness guidelines for home gardens, businesses, schools, cities—and now there are guidelines for solar farms.

Over the past few years, many solar farm developers have transformed the space under their solar panels into a shelter for various kinds of pollinators, resulting in soil improvement and carbon reduction. “These pollinator-friendly solar farms can have a valuable impact on everything that’s going on in the landscape,” says Macknick.

7 . Jogging is a perfect workout that has proven to be beneficial in the longer run. It has stood the test of time and has ensured overall well-being     1    

What exactly is jogging?

Jogging is a form of sustained running at a steady and slow pace.     2     The main purpose of Jogging is to maintain your speed without causing much burden to the body

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It is advised that one mustn’t go jogging very early in the morning. This is because the body temperature is lower and the bodily functions haven’t kicked in fully during this time. Jogging in the evening is far more beneficial and suitable for the body. By this time, the lung function is better and the bones are active.

What is the difference between jogging and running?

The most basic difference between jogging and running is that jogging is at a slower pace. Not only is running faster, but it also uses more energy and burns more calorie.     4    

Is it good to jog daily?

Jogging daily may not be as strenuous (费劲的) as running, but it is certainly higher in intensity than walking.     5     Your body must be given enough rest to relax and refresh. Otherwise, it would hurt your joints and muscles. With so many benefits on your side, jogging makes for an efficient and fruitful choice of workout. So, pull up your socks, make an effort and jog yourself to a healthy life.

8 . In recent years, the met averse (元宇宙) has taken the whole world by storm. People from different walks of life have flooded into or are heading for the virtual world. But how can people join in?

Through met averse platforms! A met averse platform is a virtual environment that enable developers to construct everything from virtual reality to multiple activities. One way is to create a brand-new platform. But that’s a labor-demanding and time-consuming job. Creating a met averse platform require significant investment and many technologies. Li Zuxi frog Beijing Qingbo intelligent Technology, said that “it’s often the project for groups or companies and hard for one person to finish the job due to its complexity and cost.”

Even so, don’t worry! There’s another way; join the existing platforms. For example, the platform Sand box focuses on an environment where users can create their own games and play games made by other users. The Chinese platform Infinity Tower developed by Beijing Qingbo Intelligent Technology serves companies. Now the platform provide virtual space for online meetings, but it aims at being a gathering place like Wan da Plaza (万达广场) in which companies can have their own space to promote their products and services through virtual trade fairs.

“Since every met averse platform is different from one another, you can try and experience more before finding and deciding what is the most suitable for you. The immersive environments would allow met averse platforms to be used in different scenarios in our daily lives. For example, having a meeting, shopping, studying and other things could be done virtually,” suggested Li. However. Li also believes that as long as the met averse craze continues la grow, met averse platforms will expand their potentials.

“A single met averse could be more than a decade away, but as it evolve. It has the potential to influence almost everything in human life,” US met averse researcher Simon Powell told PixelPlex website.

9 . If you’re tired and find yourself with that rare spare chunk of time, should you he using it to swing kettlebells or get more sleep? It’s a question most people have faced. Who isn’t a little sleep-deprived (被剥夺的) Who doesn’t need more exercise? Who has time for both?

The answer is a bit complicated. Obviously, both sleep and exercise are vital, and ideally, adults should make time for both. Getting the recommended seven hours a night is important for metabolic (新陈代谢的) function, weight regulation and brain health. Inadequate amount or quality of sleep is associated with both short-and long-term poor health measures, increasing the risk for heart disease, memory problems, etc. Consistent physical exercise yields similar benefits and, just like not getting enough sleep, failing to exercise can have serious health consequences. Exercise can improve deep sleep, and sleeping better enhanced the ability to exercise the next day.

Because both are so critical for health, medical experts hesitate to say one is more important than the other. However, there is a key differentiator (区分点) between the two: “We have a biological need to sleep — it’s a behavior we must do every day,” says Christopher. “Physical activity, on the other hand, is definitely beneficial for health, but being less active for a few days here and there doesn’t have the same negative health impact as having stall sleep for days.” In other words, skipping workouts, while not ideal, won’t stop you from operating, whereas being sleep deprived definitely will. Too little sleep or poor-quality sleep can impact mood, au d increase anxiety and depression symptoms.

In order to stay somewhat active without sacrificing sleep, the trick may be to look for non-traditional ways to get physical activity. Washing dishes, making beds, keeping the kid in their baby carriage and going for a quick jog—it all counts, and none of it requires skipping sleep.

10 . I can’t say if it was love at first sight, but the dog’s strange look captured our hearts. That’s why we welcomed this rescue dog into our home.

Dixie had recently been found on a country road. We agreed to adopt her, relying on my son’s experience with the dog at the shelter. We gave her a safe place to sleep and her own area for food and water. Thankfully, Dixie became more comfortable with her new surroundings and began to show her personality. She found joy in being able to run free and play with other dogs, the bigger the better.

We wondered what kind of breed or mix she was. Her ears, the size of her body and coloring suggested to me she was a mix. While researching, we found that she had some characteristics similar to a pit bull (比特犬). One opinion I had was that pit bulls are aggressive and a danger to society. It was not their fault, I reasoned, and they had been bred to fight. How could I keep these beliefs when this little animal had warmed my heart?

At first, I was secretive (有所隐瞒的) when people asked Dixie’s breed. “I am not sure, she is a rescue,” I said, Because I was afraid of the response: “A pit bull? Oh, dear!” But I adored this animal! Dixie did not show the awful characteristics so widely publicized. Dixie and I have befriended many dogs and their owners who love her spirit, playfulness and friendliness. More importantly, she exposed one of my problems: a fear of being judged by others. There is no doubt that Dixie taught me not to be so quick to judge.

Now, I am a proud owner of this pit bull-like dog.