1 . Researchers are using an underwater drone (无人机) to measure CO₂ levels in the ocean. It is believed to be the first time such a vehicle has been used specifically to test CO₂ levels. The vehicle, which the team also calls a glider (滑翔机), is designed to dive down to 1,000 meters in deep ocean areas and can operate for weeks at a time.

The goal of the research is to provide scientists with data about how climate change is affecting the ocean’s chemistry. The self-swimming drone was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring.

The team says the project could be a major step forward in measuring the environmental health of oceans. Scientists are most interested in levels of ocean acidification (酸化). This happens when CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere make their way into the ocean. Ocean acidification can harm or kill some kinds of sea life.

In a way, oceans have done humans a big favor by taking in (吸收) some of CO₂. If this were not the case, there would be much more CO₂ in the atmosphere. This would trap more of the sun’s heat and further warm the Earth.

“But the problem is now that the ocean is changing its chemistry because of this uptake,” said team member Claudine Hauri.

One of the best ways to measure ocean acidification is to collect CO₂ measurements. Until now, these collections were mostly done from ships or with floating devices at the ocean surface or equipment on the ocean floor.

McDonnell said his goal is to have a large number of similar robotic gliders operating in oceans across the world one day. “Such efforts will be important in helping scientists understand much more about what’s going on in the ocean than we have before,” he said.

2 . The number of birds coming through your neighborhood is changing, and so is the timing of their migrations (迁徙). Birdwatchers noticing these differences are playing a big part in understanding how climate change and severe weather events are affecting bird population.

John Rowden is director of community conservation at the National Audubon Society, which aims to protect birds and their environment. He said, “Birders have to be much more alert (警觉的) to when birds are coming through than they used to be, since birds may be coming through much earlier or much later.”

Rowden said, “Birdwatchers are increasingly seeing birds in their areas that are usually found elsewhere. And they are seeing fewer of the birds that usually travel through. Although we have seen these birds, it doesn’t mean they’ll always be there. They are declining in numbers because we’re throwing so many things at them, so we need to do what we can to help them.”

“At least 314 species of American birds are expected to lose 50 percent or more of their range by the end of the century. Those species are listed by the Audubon Society as climate-threatened or endangered,” Rowden added.

Environmentalists say there are a few easy steps people can take to help struggling bird populations. These include planting native species, which leads to more native insects for the birds to eat. During spring and fall migration seasons, people can help migrating birds by keeping outdoor lights turned off and covering reflective surfaces like large windows. People also should make indoor plants less visible to passing birds.

Geoff LeBaron, director of the Christmas Bird Count at the National Audubon Society, says he has seen the effects of climate change firsthand. “I’ve been a birder since I was a little kid,” he said. “It’s clear that climate change is affecting and will continue to affect birds on a global scale, and it’s a question of whether or not they can adapt to what the climate is throwing at them.”

3 . Chinese astronauts have successfully grown rice seedlings(幼苗)aboard the Tiangong space station and this experiment may offer key insights into how astronauts can grow food to support long—term space missions, experts said on Monday. This experiment is the first to produce the complete life cycle of the plant, which begins with a seed and ends with a mature plant producing new seeds.

The breakthrough was conducted in the Wentian space laboratory, which was launched into orbit on July 24, 2022. Three astronauts were conducting the experiment smoothly and testing the plants according to the plan.

“The rice seedlings are growing very well,” said Zheng Huiqiong, a researcher of the task, adding that the experiment also contained seedlings of a small flowering plant often used by scientists to study mutations(变异). “The astronauts will keep monitoring the plants, and if it is successful, they will collect the newly produced seeds and bring them back to Earth for further studies,” she noted

The flowering stage is crucial for plant reproductive development. “We want to investigate how microgravity can affect the plant flowering time and whether it is possible to use the microgravity environment to control the related process,” she said.

Since the 1980s, China has been taking seeds of rice and other crops to space to help them mutate and produce higher yields once they were planted on Earth. But growing rice in orbit is a different challenge due to the tough conditions of space such as microgravity and lack of air.   

Rice has been a main food for astronauts since the early days of space exploration. Freeze—dried chicken and rice was the menu for the Apollo 11 mission, which carried the first humans to land on the moon in July 1969.

“But if we want to land on and explore Mars, bringing food from Earth is not enough to provide for the astronauts’ long journey and mission in space. We have to find a food source for long term space explorations,” Zheng added.

4 . Death is a part of life and it’s natural to grieve (悲伤) when an animal you love dies. Grieving is the emotional response to death.     1    

A pet is part of the family, so when they die it can be very difficult and upsetting for everyone who love them. It’s OK to feel sad, angry, numb or to feel hard to believe they’re no longer alive. You may have lots of feelings but there’s no right way to feel or to grieve. As people are all different, the length of time it takes for you to feel less sad may not be the same as for someone else.     2     Dipti Solanki, who helps people with their grief, says, “Your feelings matter and are normal after you lose a pet. They can feel really big and overwhelming.”

    3     Solanki says, “It’s really important that you talk about feeling sad, afraid or if you have any questions, because once you do you will start to feel calmer and less alone.     4    ” Talking about your pet helps to keep their memory alive as you remember the time you spent together. It also lets other people know that you want to talk about your pet.

Remembering the funny things your pet did and the happy times you shared can be of great help.     5    . Print out photos of your pet and frame them or make them into a collage (拼贴画) to display. You can draw or paint a picture of them. Or write a story about something you did together or how they made you feel.

6 . It is a well-known fact that plastic bottles, which take hundreds of years to rot, are harmful to our environment. However, efforts by environmentalists to encourage consumers to switch to alternatives, like water fountains or reusable bottles, have not been very effective. The U.S. alone uses over 50 million plastic bottles annually, 80% of which end up in landfills.

To try to stop that, Rodrigo García González, Pierre Paslier and Guillaume Couche from the Imperial College London have been working on a revolutionary solution — water wrapped inside an eatable container made mostly from seaweed. All the customer has to do to relieve his/her thirst is pop the entire drop into the mouth.

The inventors, who have been working on the Ooho bubble since 2014, use a simple two-step cooking process called spherification (球化) to create the delicate container. They begin by dipping a frozen ball of water or juice into a chemical solution (溶液). This helps form a layer around the liquid. The ball is then absorbed in a solution made from seaweed extract. This creates a second layer, helping strengthen the structure so that the water or juice does not leak. In addition to saving our environment, the biodegradable (可降解的) packaging costs just two cents each, making it cheaper to produce than plastic.

After three years of perfecting the design, the inventors, who recently raised over 1 million USD from a financial activity, are ready to bring the Ooho bubble to local market. However, there are a few challenges that still need to be overcome before the product’s launch. In addition to getting accustomed to the taste of the covering, each eatable container contains just a mouthful of water, requiring consumers to drink multiple bubbles to relieve their thirst. There is also the issue of finding an eco-friendly packaging to transport the bubbles so that they remain clean and do not burst. Hopefully, the inventors will find ways to handle the issues so that we can reduce, or perhaps even remove, plastic bottles.