3 . What if you could explore a world created by your favorite artist? What if you could walk through a city street painted by Van Gogh, a landscape by Leonardo da Vinci, or the fantastical vision of Salvador Dalf? Soon, you will be able to do these.

Glen Keane was a Disney animator (动画师). He drew some of the world’s most beloved characters. As he drew, his characters became more and more real to him, and yet, they were still confined to a 2D world. Right now, working with some of the latest technology, he is able to move his art into the magical world of virtual reality (VR).

As the artist behind some of Disney’s most beloved characters, he has works that are familiar to us. For him, animation is more than just drawing. It is a process of bringing characters to life in a 2D world. This has always disappointed Glen. How can a flat page truly express a character? “Well, what if I could draw them with the freedom of a sculptor?” he thought. He wants to explore his artistic limits and create new worlds.

Here is where he finds his way to the magic of VR. Using a tool called Tilt Brush, now Glen can draw beloved life-size characters and open up an entirely new world for his art. Think about what’s possible with this new world of art in VR. What an amazing experience it would be to see beloved life-size characters for yourself! Better yet, people all over the world can enjoy this kind of art, no matter their age or background. People who might not otherwise be able to go to the world’s big art museums can experience famous works as well.

We are only at the beginning of developing art in the digital era. So how will VR and our digital capabilities change in the coming years? More and more, it seems that we are moving away from art and technology being put in opposing camps. And as they find ways to connect, we are starting to experience boundary-pushing horizons.

5 . Most people suffer from what is known as “Just-me-ism”. What is that? Well, say you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, leave a light on when you go out or you drop a piece of litter (垃圾) and can’t be bothered to pick it up. You know that all those things are wrong. But so what? “What difference can it possibly make?” you say to yourself. There are millions of people in the world and I’m just me. How can it matter if I leave one little tap running, one little light on or leave a little piece of litter on the road? “And anyway, no one will know,” Of course, it wouldn’t matter if there were just a few people in the world. But just think of all the millions of people saying to themselves: “It doesn’t matter. It’s just me. And, anyway, no one knows.” Millions of gallons of water would be wasted; millions of lights would be left on; millions of pieces of litter would be dropped. And all of this would be very harmful.

To inspire young people to take action for the environment, animals and their community, Roots & Shoots was established. This institute was set up in the early 1990s by Dr. Jane Goodall, a scientist who’s the world’s best-known expert on wild chimpanzees (黑猩猩). In addition to her research, she has been whole-heartedly committed to environmental protection, the whole purpose of Roots & Shoots is to educate young people, from preschoolers to university students, so they can help to build a future that is secure and live together in peace with nature. The organization is called Roots & Shoots because roots (根) move slowly under the ground to make a firm (坚实的) foundation, and shoots seem small and weak, but they can break open brick walls to reach the light. The roots and shoots are you, your friends and young people all around the world. Hundreds and thousands of roots and shoots can solve the problems, change the world and make it a better place to live in.

Do you think you help to make the world a better place when you make a sad person smile, when you make a dog wag (摇摆) its tail, and when you water a thirsty plant? One cheered-up person, one happy dog, one flowering plant, and you. That’s what Roots & Shoots is all about: the value and importance of each individual — human, animal or plant. Dr. Jane Goodall believes that the most important thing is that: “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. You get to choose: Do you want to use your life to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment? Do you want to make Roots & Shoots rooted in everyone’s heart? Do you want to be a part of a community for a shared future? You cannot be absent.”