2 . Since the pandemic (流行病) hit, we’re on video calls more than ever before, and many are finding it extremely tiring.

Being on a video call requires more focus than a face-to-face chat, says Gianpiero Petriglien, an associate professor at Insead. Video chats mean we need to work harder to process facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language: paying more attention to these consumes a lot of energy. “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we’re not. That causes people to have conflicting (互相冲突) feelings, and i: is exhausting You cannot relax into the conversation naturally.” he says.

“Silence is another challenge.” he adds. “Silence creates a natural rhythm in a real-life conversation. However, when it happens in a video call, you become anxious about the technology.” It also makes people uncomfortable. One 2014 study by German Scholars showed that delays (延迟) on phone or conferencing systems shaped our unpleasant views of people: even delays of 1.2 seconds made people regard the responder as less friendly or focused.

An added factor, says Marissa Shulffer, an associate professor at Clemson University, is that if we are physically on camera, we are very aware of being watched. “When you’re on a video conference, you knew everybody’s looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking.” It’s also very hard for people not to look at their own face if they can see it on screen, or not to be conscious (有意识的) of how they behave in front of the camera.

Both experts suggest limiting video calls to those that are necessary. Turning on the camera should be optional and is general there should be more understanding that cameras do not always have to be on throughout teach meeting. Having your screen off to the side, instead of straight ahead, could also help your concentration, particularly in group meetings, says Petriglien. It makes you feel like you’re in a next-door room, so you may be less bring.

3 . American Museum of Natural History was made for explorers and adventurers — it was made for people like you, with a passion for science and a love for discovery. Here is the general information about it:

Open daily: 10:00 a. m. — 5:30 p. m.

Closed: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Ticketing

All tickets must be reserved online in advance of your visit.

Pay-What-You-Wish Admission

Facial coverings are strongly recommended for all visitors ages 2 and up.

Please note that same-day reservations and certain time openings may be unavailable due to limited capacity.

Museum Members: Sign in to your profile before reserving tickets to access member pricing.

Address

200 Central Park West

New York, NY 10024-5102

Entrances and Exits

●Visitors can enter and exit at the accessible entrances on Rose Center for Earth and Space or Columbus Avenue at Gilder Center.

●For priority access, member s and their guests can use the member entrance at Central Park West and 79th Street.

●School groups arriving by subway can enter from the 81st Street B/C station.

Accessibility

The museum is committed to ensuring that its facilities, exhibitions, and services are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities receive free museum admission.

Ticketed Exhibitions

To buy admission tickets, select the number of tickets, plus a date and time of entry. You will have the option to add Ticketed Exhibitions during the checkout process.

All Ticketed Exhibitions are free for members.

4 . The relationship between Jeffrey Pang and his son, Kevin Pang, was like hot-and-sour soup. It boiled over easily. The Pangs, who moved to the United States in 1988, wanted their son and daughter to know Chinese culture. As a video game-playing American teen, Kevin wasn’t interested.

But when Kevin became a food writer for the Chicago Tribune, he realized he had a valuable resource: his cook-laving dad. “My father and I shared, for the first time, a common interest. I would call to ask about recipes and cooking techniques. He would school me on the world of Chinese food,” Kevin writes in the introduction to the cookbook he has just published.

When it comes to cooking Chinese food, he points out that there is no one definition of Chinese food. “Chinese cooking is not hidebound. For example, consider baked pork chop rice, popularized in Hong Kong. It is a pork chop with egg-fried rice. And then you top it with this thick tomato sauce,” explains Kevin. “And then you top that with some cheese. It’s a very interesting combined dish that has some Western British influences, and it’s altogether very Chinese as well.”

By the time Kevin joined America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) staff in 2020 as its editorial director for digital content, his dad had become an Internet celebrity demonstrating the family’s recipes. Kevin recognized an opportunity not only to share his own family’s food stories but also to apply the ATK method of breaking down recipes into simple steps for the home cook.

“I think this cookbook can teach fathers and sons how to connect, how to find a common interest and improve their relationship, ” Kevin says. That feeling has found an enthusiastic fan base, generating nearly 3 million views, for their online cooking series “Hunger Pangs”, where viewers speak highly of their father-son bond as much as they do of their attractive dishes. Today the Pangs’ relationship is rarely sour or hot.

8 . A new study finds the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting, demonstrating evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss. It also shows any potential health-transforming changes appear to occur only after three days without food.

Over centuries, humans have developed the ability to survive without food for long. Fasting is practiced by people worldwide for different medical and cultural purposes. During fasting, the body changes its source and type of energy, switching from consumed calories to using its own fat stores. However, beyond this change in fuel sources, little is known about how the body responds to prolonged periods without food. Novel techniques allowing researchers to measure thousands of proteins (蛋白质) in our blood provide the opportunity to systematically study molecular(分子) adaptions to fasting in great detail.

Researchers followed 12 healthy volunteers participating in a seven-day water-only fast. The volunteers were monitored closely on a daily basis to record changes in the levels of around 3, 000 proteins in their blood before, during, and after the fast. By identifying which proteins are involved in the body’s response, the researchers could then predict potential health outcomes of prolonged fasting by analyzing information from numerous studies.

As expected, the researchers observed the body switching energy sources within the first three days of fasting. The volunteers lost an average of 5.7 kg of both fat mass and lean (瘦肉)mass. After three days of eating after fasting, the weight stayed off—the loss of lean was almost completely recovered, but the fat mass stayed off.

For the first time, the researchers observed the body undergoing distinct changes in protein levels after three days of fasting—indicating a whole-body response to complete calorie restriction. Overall, one in three of the proteins measured changed significantly during fasting across all major organs. These changes were consistent across the volunteers.

Head of the research Claudia Langenberg said, “Our results provide solid evidence for the health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, but these were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction—later than we previously thought.”

9 . In January, 2021, the life of the 17-year-old high school student Mason Branstator took an unexpected turn. Skiing down a hill he had been on countless times, he hit a jump too fast. When waking up in the intensive care unit, he learned from the doctor he was left with a severely broken back, which would significantly impact his lower body functions.

Despite being told that he might never walk again, Mason’s unbending optimism and determination have fueled his extraordinary journey of recovery and self-discovery. Following his accident, Mason entered a health recovery center at Craig Hospital, Colorado. There he was surrounded by others on similar paths, which, coupled with his positive outlook, played a crucial role in his recovery. Mason’s journey was not just about regaining physical strength but also about overcoming mental barriers. Through willpower, he began to walk again, proving that the impossible could be made possible.

Mason’s newfound viewpoint on life led him to try activities that he once thought were beyond his reach. From surfing and rock climbing to competing in triathlons, he rediscovered parts of himself. He documented his adventures online, which ended up as a source of inspiration for millions worldwide.

“It all started with me just wanting to find more people like me I could connect with and talk through all the hard things I was going through,” said Mason. “And it turned into what inspired millions of people around the world, an incredible thing—I didn’t even intend for it to.”

Mason’s story strikes the heartstrings of people, not merely for the physical goals he has achieved but for the message of hope and determination he represents. He challenges what it means to live with a disability and redefines the boundaries of what is possible, inspiring millions to do the same. Alongside the communities he has built online, and the one he already has—his supportive family, he has no intention of slowing down.

10 . Jumbo Supermarket is tackling shoplifting by laying hands on new technology: Artificial .Intelligence (AI). Smart cameras, equipped with software from French company Veesion, detect questionable behaviour and help report thieving from shops. With 100 million euros lost to shoplifters last year, Jumbo is starting a trial in its own shops this week.

The smart AI technology uses complicated software connected to the existing cameras and security network through the Internet, It then automatically monitors all the cameras at the same time for potential shopping activity. The technology is not faultless, but it significantly increases the chances of being caught. When a customer puts a product in his pocket or bag, the smart camera notices and reports it. This ensures that shoplifters can be caught in the act.

At Jumbo’s supermarket in Hengelo, Netherlands, 47 cameras have been fitted. AI is also being applied at other Jumbo locations. The cameras are strategically placed to identify questionable behaviour as effectively as possible. The system doesn’t actually label people as thieves; rather, it reminds the staff to check on those people as they might steal things. Sometimes the system raises an unjustified alarm. Nevertheless, it has proved a valuable tool for staff.

More than 110 supermarkets in the Netherlands have already used Veesion’s technology. According to the Personal Data Authority, supermarkets are allowed to use such technologies, provided they can properly justify why it is necessary.

The use of AI in stores is not just limited to stealing prevention. Globally, various AI. technologies are being used to improve the shopping experience and take full advantage of business processes. Also, shops use them for customized marketing. Michaels Stores, for example, a shop selling handmade goods, uses AI to tailor its advertising to each customer, which makes them feel more engaged and more likely to receive special offers that suit them. The company has created a system that helps create advertising copy and understand s which messages work best for different types of customers.