1 . Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

If you’re a high school student looking for research opportunities, it doesn’t get much better than the Anson L. Clark Scholars Program. This well-known research program has a selection rate of less than 3% and only 12 high school juniors or seniors are selected every summer to join the program.

In this post, we will dive deep into this program to help you understand the structure, the cost, location, research areas available, and reasons why you should apply for this intensive research program.

About Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program was established in 1963 in honor of Anson L. Clark , a former Texas A&M student who proceeded to create a successful business career!

This program is an intensive 7-week comprehensive research program that will allow you to gain hands-on practical research under the mentorship (导师制) of Texas Tech University faculty. Apart from conducting one-on-one research with faculty, you will have additional weekly seminars, discussions and even field visits!

Time

The program is off line and is conducted every summer at Texas Tech University. The current program dates are June 16, 2024 to August 1, 2024.

Cost

There is no program or registration fee, and your on-campus meals, on-campus room and board, and weekend activities will be covered by the program!

Research Areas

While the list of research disciplines for Summer 2024 haven’t been released, some of the general areas (based on the Summer 2023 disciplines) you can expect are biology, chemistry, computer science, economics/business, finance/marketing, electrical engineering & computer engineering, history, and physics.

You can access the specific research topics in 2023 in the attachment!

Qualification

This program is open to high school juniors and seniors who will graduate in either 2024 or 2025. You will have to be at least 17 years of age by the program start date.

2 . “What do you mean by this phrase? It’s incorrect and adds nothing to the sentence. Omit (省略).” Professor Jones’s critical feedback on my paper hurt me when I first read it. I scanned his comments for a “Good job!” or “I love this idea,” but they were nowhere to be found.

Everyone likes warmth and encouragement, but purely positive affirmations (肯定) don’t communicate what can be improved. Research conducted on Character Lab Research Network finds that direct, useful feedback requiring students to revise their own work is more effective. For Professor Jones, this looked like a note at the end of another paper: “I’m sure things will improve as the term and year wear on.” However, feedback that does the work for a student—correcting a misspelled word, rewriting a sentence—can signal a teacher’s low expectations.

When kids see comments that suggest what needs to be changed, they come to realize they can do things on their own and become more independent learners. As a bonus, this kind of feedback lets students know that their teacher believes in them.

As for me, I was benedictory for Professor Jones’s pointed criticism which let me know that he took me seriously. He was expecting me to do better, and the detailed comments scrawled (潦草地写) on every page gave me the tools to improve. Teachers can add affirmations to their feedback as long as it’s not the only thing they’re doing.

Don’t confuse warmth with promoting a growth mindset. Being nice isn’t the same as showing someone you believe they can improve. So give detailed feedback that sets young people up to take charge of their own learning. For example, instead of rewriting a sentence, say: “This is a run-on sentence. Try reading it out loud and add punctuation in places where you naturally take a breath.” Ask worth-exploring questions that inspire students to think about their approach, then let them revise on their own. When it comes to writing, the easiest path isn’t always the best one.

3 . The award-winning documentary “Feeding Tomorrow” explores the American food system’s shortcomings and the urgent need for change. Directed by Oliver and Simon English, the film dives deep into the complex web of issues surrounding food, climate change, and agriculture, leaving viewers with a clear realization of the challenges ahead.

At its core, “Feeding Tomorrow” raises fundamental questions about humanity’s relationship with the planet and the consequences of our consumption patterns. As the global population reaches up to 10 billion, the film shows the serious reality that our current methods of food production are unsustainable. With agriculture already occupying half of the habitable land and consuming 70% of freshwater resources, the harm on the environment is reaching critical levels.

The documentary reveals the interconnectedness of food, climate, and health, weaving together narratives from diverse voices in the fields of farming, health, and education. Through the stories of innovators like Mark Shepard, Clare Fox, and Lisa McDowell, “Feeding Tomorrow” highlights the urgent need for systemic change.

One of the central themes of the documentary is the importance of regenerative farming practices. By promoting biodiversity and topsoil growth, regenerative agriculture offers a promising path towards sustainability. The film emphasizes the need to transition from conventional, monoculture (单一) farming to more overall approaches.

Moreover, “Feeding Tomorrow” shows the significance of adopting plant-forward diets and reducing meat consumption. With animal agriculture being a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation (恶化), the documentary advocates for a shift towards more sustainable dietary habits.

Ultimately, “Feeding Tomorrow” serves as a cry for collective action and social change. It challenges viewers to reevaluate their relationship with food and embrace sustainable practices that benefit both people and the planet. The documentary reminds us that the power to shape a better future lies in our hands. In the words of Mark Shepard, “What are you going to eat for dinner tonight? Start asking the questions.”

6 . Top 3 Best Museums in the World

Whether you are a fine art or historylover, the following three museums are sure to take your breath away.

Le Louvre, Paris, France

A visit to the Louvre and its collections lets visitors discover Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848 as well as a large number of ancient civilizations. The grand palace that houses the museum. which dates back to the late twelfth century, is a true lesson in architecture: from 1200 to 2011, the most innovative architects have in turn built and developed the Louvre.

●Official website: Louvre

●Highlight: Leonardo da Vinci`s “Mona Lisa.”

The British Museum, London, UK

The British Museum in London was founded in 1753 and opened its doors six years later. It was the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge, open to visitors from across the world. No other museum is responsible for collections of the same depth and breadth, beauty and significance.

●Official website: British Museum

●Highlight: the Rosetta Stone.

The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia

The second-largest art museum in the world, the State Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764(200 years later than The Uffizi Galleries, Florence, Italy), when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of works from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. Today, the collection of art works contains paintings, sculptures and so on.

●Official website: State Hermitage Museum

●Highlight: Golden masterpieces from Eurasia.

7 . There is growing evidence to show that our past knowledge about Mars was not always the case. Now European researchers say they have discovered the first evidence of a huge groundwater system that once existed below the planet’s surface.

A new study was carried out by Francesco Salese and his team, who studied images of 24 deep craters (n.弹坑) in the northern half of the Red Planet. These pictures were captured by ESA’s Mars Express orbiter (n.宇宙飞船), which was launched in 2003. The study provides the first geological proof that Mars once had a “planet-wide groundwater system.”

According to Salese, scientific evidence already suggests Mars was once a watery world. His team says the images showed that large amounts of successive groundwater activity connected the areas they studied. Evidence of basins and coastlines was also found on the surface of Mars, supporting the idea that water was once present. He added that all the basins seemed to reach about the same height.

Scientists have yet to find out what happened to all that water. And the complex history of water on Mars has linked to whether or not life ever existed on it. During the latest study, researchers also discovered evidence of minerals within some of the identified (adj.被识别的) bodies of water.

The researchers say the findings adds weight to the idea that the water basins on Mars may have once held the materials required to support life. Some of this material could still be buried on Mars, providing possible evidence of life during future exploration. Francesco Salese believes the latest findings could also help us learn new things about our own planet.

8 . Health, as the old saying goes, is over wealth, so it’s of great significance to keep fit. You can take away our money, our house, or our clothes and we can survive.     1     That is why I eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and keep up my social life.

Eating healthfully is important to maintain one’s health. I try to avoid foods high in fat like French fries or cookies. I also try to limit the amount of animal protein I consume.     2     So, it is important to know how to cook these foods so that the nutrients are not lost in the cooking process.

Our muscles must continue to be strong to support our body as we age. Exercise helps the bones build density and helps us maintain our posture.     3     A regular exercise program of cardiovascular training and weight training is an important part of keeping us healthy.

    4     Studies have shown that people with a wide range of social contacts get fewer colds and recover faster from diseases than those who aren’t socially active. For the sake of health, I like to play and interact with my friends and I always feel better when I am with them than when I am alone.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at an appropriate weight and can maintain my health. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy.     5    

10 . An overall transformation is needed for the planet to adapt people’s pursuit of well-being. A new study by an international team of researchers explores a Theory of Planetary Social Pedagogy as a driver of a transformative process based on a learning society.

The Theory of Planetary Social Pedagogy is a way of learning applicable to all societal sectors. According to it, people, societies and the world are an interlinked, systemic body. Such a worldview can make life meaningful, increase people’s experiences of belonging and inclusion, expand the scope of care, and help people identify their opportunities to influence.

In a time marked by crises, learning to be one with the world is increasingly essential. In many ways, our everyday lives are linked with all other life on Earth. According to Professor Arto O. Salonen of the University of Eastern Finland, the study’s lead author, the most important reason behind the upgrading (升级) planetary crises is people’s being separated from their surrounding reality.

He says, “As we try for a comprehensive sustainability transition (转变), we need increasingly powerful and more systemic interpretations of reality. ” The current strategy for a sustainable future emphasizes economic and technological progress，but that is not enough. Learning is needed, too. A learning society relies on changes in its citizens’ values, beliefs and worldviews.

“How we become aware of our everyday connection to other people and nature at the level of our emotions, body and mind stands at the core of the sustainability transition,” says Erkka Laininen, a co-author of the study. Having an experience of belonging to and being part of the world strengthens people’s sense of meaningfulness and their agency needed in building a sustainable future.

The transformative power of a learning society can be a key factor in the green transformation going into all society, in which citizens’ consumer behaviour and ways of living, moving and producing food and energy are organized in new ways. Conceptions of work and the economy can be reformed, too.

A sustainable future is not about life becoming more miserable—it’s about life becoming richer and more meaningful as hope for the future grows stronger.