1 . Monet: The Immersive Experience

Monet: The Immersive Experience in Liège invites you to step into the world of the French painter Claude Monet, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the nineteenth century!

Explore some of the most breathtaking paintings by Claude Monet with the help of a digital 360-degree presentation. The unique exhibition concept is staged with state-of-the-art multimedia technology, which shows very large images of Monet’s paintings on the walls and floors of the building. It has music, the smell of flowers, and voice-over in several languages to make the paintings come alive in a way never seen before.

To fully get into the world of the French painter, visitors are guided through three experience rooms. Each room is a highlight on its own and provides visitors not only with an insight, but also with new experiences and new viewpoints on Monet’s life his work and his masterpieces.

·Date: from March 2024

·Opening hours:

Wednesday, Thursday: 10: 00 a.m.-7: 00 p.m.

Friday: 10: 00 a.m.-8: 00 p.m.

Saturday: 9: 00 a.m.-8: 00 p.m.

Sunday: 9: 00 a.m.-7: 00 p.m.

Monday and Tuesday: Closed

·Duration: the visit will take around 60 to 75 minutes

·Location: Eglise Saint-Pholien, Rue Saint-Pholien, 4020 Liège

2 . Lifting a spear (矛), Li Jinqi pulled it across her shoulders and spun it quickly. Following her example, 10 peers in two rows wearing the same kungfu-style clothing produced the same movements.

Li is a 24-year-old PhD student at Beihang University in Beijing, but she is more widely known on campus as a martial arts master. She has studied various martial arts styles and won several cross-campus martial arts competitions held in the capital city. She also led the university’s martial arts club, which has grown from a team of 2 to over 30 active members.

“Martial arts has seen a great uptick on campus, and I heard that my middle school and high school have both opened martial arts courses,” says Li. “I don’t think martial arts is about fighting,” she adds, “Martial arts is about finding the best version of yourself.”

Gao Xiaoya, a junior student at Beihang, also joined the martial arts club. Gao is among an increasing number of young people who were first drawn to martial arts as a way to keep fit, but who found their enthusiasm grew when they realized the advantages from the traditional values and culture the sport embodies. “You start to enjoy it more and realize that martial arts have taught you how to face challenges and be confident,” says the 21-year-old.

On China’s video-sharing platform Bilibili, short videos on topics of traditional Chinese culture, such as martial arts, hanfu and Peking Opera often receive lots of likes and comments.

“The fast development of the internet and social media has also promoted communication about traditional Chinese culture, enabling young people to have easier access to previously niche art forms,” says Song Yu, a researcher at the Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences . As younger generation pay more attention to traditional culture, relevant industries and services are expected to thrive as well, says Song.

3 . In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack, and where millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cyber-security may well be mapping your brain.

Researchers at Binghamton University are working on a biometric (生物特征的) system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your e-mail or your social media accounts.

They started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects. The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food — on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded.

The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched to their first-time reaction. If the “brainprint” is cracked — like what happened to the fingerprint records — then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves.“Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo.

Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 per cent accurate. So one of the most difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They’re also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down.

Yours,

Li Hua

7 . An old car, a few dollars in the pocket, and a sense of adventure. That’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the __________ of a lifetime. They met on a park bench in Regent’s Park and __________ a year later. For their honeymoon, they decided to try what few people thought __________—crossing Europe and Asia overland, all the way to Australia. It took them several months and all the money they could earn or borrow, but they __________.

It was too amazing an experience to __________ themselves. __________ by their friends, they stayed up nights writing their very first travel guide “Across Asia on the Cheap”. Within a week they’d __________ 1,500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. The name __________ a misheard line in the song “Space Captain”. The __________ words are “lovely planet”, but Tony Wheeler heard “lonely planet” and liked it.

Lonely Planet has gone on to ____________ the world’s largest and most successful travel publisher, ____________ over 100 million books. Lonely Planet enables curious ____________ to experience the world and get to the heart of a place through guidebooks and almost every place on the planet.

Tony and Maureen are continuing to travel and devote much of their spare time to ____________ projects, providing support for people in need. And the ____________ is still driven by the idea in “Across Asia on the Cheap”: “What you’ve got to ____________ is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”

8 . Aurora Borealis (北极光), the Northern Lights, showcases beautiful green, pink, blue and violet-colored lights dancing in the night sky. Here are some of the best places to see the northern lights around the world.

Tromso is right in the center of the Norwegian Arctic aurora zone. This city has the best northern light views from September to April. Travelers can stay in Thon Hotel Tromso, a mid-range hotel that offers viewing spots on the roof deck.

Orkney is 10 miles from the remote northern coast of Scotland and is one of the best locations to view the Aurora Borealis in the UK. Travelers can witness the northern lights between September and March during cold and dark evenings.

Lapland is in Finland’s northernmost part. Travelers can expect to see the Northern Lights from late August to April. One of the best bucket list (愿望清单) experiences is watching the light show from Santa’s Hotel Aurora.

Yellowknife sits at the center of the Aurora Oval, with the best views from mid-November to early April. Aurora Village tours are also available for viewing the northern lights, with free pick-up from hotels around the area.