1 . Saving the environment might seem like a tall order, but living an environmentally friendly life is actually quite easy. With just a few small lifestyle changes, you can make a difference.     1    

Recycle.

Recycling is a simplest lifestyle to lower the amount of environmental waste.     2     Check the regulations to ensure you use them properly. For instance, some places may no: accept glass, while others might require you to separate the different materials. If you dispose of something improperly, the whole load will likely be rejected and end up in a landfill.

Buy locally sourced foods.

    3     Shipping products by truck, rail, flight, or boat creates pollution and goes against an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Instead, shop at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores stocking locally - sourced products. Alternatively, use community - supported services to get fresh produce regularly.

Cut back on driving.

Applying alternate forms of transportation consumes less gasoline. Walk or ride a bike whenever possible. If that isn’t an option, consider organizing carpools or using public transportation.     4     Also, combine multiple trips into one to help minimize the distance traveled and fuel consumed.

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Advocacy allows more people to create a positive impact. Spread the word about environmental conservation by sharing some of the lifestyle changes you’ve made on social media and in conversations with people around, calling on everybody to play a role.

2 . In order to survive trips to Mars, humans need oxygen. Now, a team of scientists has designed a robot that could extract oxygen from water on the Red Planet.

The robot, which is called “AI chemist”, used a machine learning model to find a compound that could ignite an oxygen-producing chemical reaction on Mars. The compound, known as a catalyst (催化剂), is made entirely from elements found in Martian meteorites (陨石) — which means, if such a system could work reliably, space travelers would not need to bring oxygen or even the catalyst needed to produce it.

Mars’ atmosphere contains only trace amounts of oxygen. But scientists have detected evidence of liquid water beneath the planet’s southern ice cap. To create the breathable gas, researchers wanted to find a way to break down this water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules using materials found on Mars.

Their robot analyzed five meteorites that either came from Mars or had a composition similar to that of the Martian surface. Using a laser, it identified significant amounts of iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and manganese in the samples. From these six elements, the robot’s algorithm (算法) deter-mined it could produce more than 3.7 million possible molecules to break down water and form oxygen on Mars. According to the researchers, finding the best one from this extensive list would take roughly 2,000 years of human labor, but for the AI chemist, it took only weeks.

“On the Earth, we don’t use these six elements,” Yi Luo, a co-author of the study says. “They are not the best choices for catalysts, but it’s only what you’ve got on Mars.”

With its chosen catalyst, the system could produce oxygen from the Martian materials at around - 37℃, demonstrating the chemical reaction could be possible on the cold Martian surface.

Notably, the robot was able to carry out the entire process — analyzing the rock samples, identifying the Jest possible catalyst and producing it without human intervention.

3 . You know that short walk to the shops and back? It’s about 10 minutes each way and you don’t know if you can be glad to make the trip, but that one short walk could save you from an early death, a new research by Cambridge University shows. In fact, as many as one in ten early deaths could be prevented if everyone managed at least half the recommended level of physical activity.

Risks of diseases such as heart disease, strokes(中风) — which were responsible for 17.9 million deaths in 2019 — and various cancers are all reduced with this simple short walk. This easy lifestyle change was also noted in an earlier study in January, 2023, so you really should give it a go.

By carrying out studies among a total of over 30 million participants, the latest Cambridge research found that just 75 minutes of exercise a week can reduce the risk of cancer by 7%. It was also enough to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular(心血管的) disease by 17%.

Professor James Woodcock from the MRC Epidemiology Unit said, “We know that physical activity, such as walking or cycling, is good for you, especially if you feel it raises your heart rate. But what we’ve found is that there are many benefits to heart health and reducing your risk of cancer even if you can only manage 10 minutes every day.”

It goes without saying that doing the recommended 150 minutes per week is more beneficial than just 75 minutes. Around one in six early deaths would be prevented with the two plus hours of exercise, while 11% of cases of cardiovascular disease and 5% of cases of cancer would be avoided.

So what are you waiting for? Boots were made for walking.

4 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.

Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.

North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.

What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.

Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.

5 . Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing water. Throughout thousands of years, this mineral has formed white water pools famous around the whole world for their healing properties.     1    

Bath e in the travertine (石灰华) pools

    2     These natural rock pools were created by calcium deposits (钙沉淀) coming from the area’s hot springs. To reach these pools, you’ll have to walk(barefoot to not damage the travertine) all the way from the bottom entrance of the site to the top part where these small natural baths are located.

Sit in the theater of Hierapolis

The theater is the main attraction to see if you visit the ruins of Hierapolis.     3     The theater is incredibly well-kept and has maintained much of its original detail. If you go sit on one of the top seats, you’ll have a fine view of the perfectly preserved stage.

Bathe in Pamukkale’s antique pool near the Temple of Apollo

There are a few more pools worth exploring near the Temple of Apollo.     4     It’s quite a unique hot -spring experience, with columns and marble(大理石) pieces of the temple lying in the water.

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This small museum has an interesting collection of antiquities from Hierapolis and is located in a former Roman bathhouse. It showcases beautiful art, stone reliefs, and ancient sarcophagi (石棺) for which the region is famous. Visiting the museum will help bring the city of Hierapolis to life.

6 . A Neste fuel station in Finland is currently the only place in the world where you can have your car refueled by a robot. It’s the pilot site chosen by Autofuel, a Danish startup, to test its futuristic refueling system—a robotic arm that can locate a car’s fuel tank door, select the right type of fuel; and operate the pump (加油泵).

“Our technology intends to provide the customers with maximum comfort and safety at gas stations,” Jonas Thor Olsen, CEO of Autofuel, said. “The robotic arm doesn’t need human involvement. It allows them to go to the shop for a coffee or take a short break while the car is refueled.”

Autofuel’s solution consists of a robotic arm housed within the fuel pump, and a series of sensors and cameras designed to keep things running smoothly. Cameras detect the vehicle’s registration number, so the system is able to detect what kind of fuel it requires. Another camera directs the car to stop in a certain area so that the arm can easily reach the fuel tank door. The arm itself then starts to move, opening the door, selecting the right fuel and finally refueling the car.

The whole thing looks great in promotional videos, but after one of them recently became popular online, people brought up a few concerns. First of all, in order for the entire process to work, one needs to have their vehicle registered with Autofuel. That’s information many people have no inclination to share for something as small as refueling. Also, the speed at which the robotic arm operates worries a lot of people as it appears to move much slower than a human.

With robots and AI becoming such a big part of our lives lately, it’s easy to imagine solutions like Autofuel becoming mainstream in the near future. But any new innovation has to be tested and improved over and over again.

7 . Ready to put in some class work overseas? Then these high school study abroad programs are just for you:

Nacel Educational Travel High School Exchange—9.81 rating

Kicking it with your host sister, beach days in Italy. Study Japanese language and pop culture or improve your German with Nacel’s language immersion programs. You’ll live with a friendly local family. Besides, all Nacel students get a free e-learning course before they arrive!

Where? Japan, Italy, France, Germany

GVIs’ Language Immersion Summer Camps—9.76 rating

If you’re looking to pick up some lesser spoken vocabulary, consider a Nepali language immersion program. Or, consider high school Spanish immersion programs to study Spanish in Costa Rica. With GVI, you’ll learn the language, help with local projects, and be immersed in local culture.

Where? Nepal, Costa Rica

CIP High School Language Exchange Program—9.59 rating

You’ll take Chinese lessons at a Chinese high school, along with subjects of your interest. How do cooking dumplings, practicing Kung Fu moves, and testing out your calligraphy skills sound? Most Chinese lessons will be taught at a local high school and you’ll be provided a room in the school.

Where? China

Carpe Diem’s Caribbean Isles Semester—8.59 rating

Dancing and the best Cuban sandwiches of your life! Head to Cuba and add the perfect touch to your Spanish studies. With over 20 years of experience, Carpe Diem’s Caribbean Isles Semester will go beyond all your expectations. Through social outings and adventure travel, you’ll quickly fall in love with this Caribbean cultural hotspot.

Where? Cuba

9 . Blind people have long desired for brightness, but scientists don’t have the technology. To bring that one step closer to reality, Zhiyong Fan, a materials scientist of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, developed a new artificial eye recently. The device, which is about as sensitive to light and has sharper vision and a faster reaction time than a real eyeball, may outperform human eyes.

The human eye owes its wide field of view and clear eyesight to the retina (视网膜) — an area at the back of the eyeball covered in light-detecting cells. The design for a new artificial eye is based on the structure of the human eye and uses a friendly light-sensitive material. At the back of the eyeball, an artificial retina is lined with Nan scale light sensors (纳米级光感器). Those sensors measure light that passes through the lens (晶状体) at the front of the eye. Wires attached to the back of the retina send signals from those sensors to the processor, similar to the way nerve networks connect the eyeball to the brain.

“In the future, we can use this to replace damaged human eyes,” says the lead designer. In theory, this artificial eye could see more clearly than the human eye, because the artificial retina contains about 460 million light sensors per square centimeter while a real retina has about 10 million light-detecting cells per square centimeter. Besides, the artificial eyeball records changes in lighting faster than human eyes can — within about 30 to 40 milliseconds, rather than 40 to 150 milliseconds. Although its 100-degree field of view isn’t as broad as the150 degrees a human eye can take in, the device can see as well as the human eye in poor light.

Hongrui Jiang, an electrical engineer at the University of Wisconsin, though, thinks engineers need a much more practical and efficient way to produce vast series of tiny wires on the back of the artificial eyeball to give it superhuman sight, which is super hard to achieve.