Being attractive isn't usually considered much of a disadvantage in today's world. Actually, there is the endless potential benefit about it, but researchers have found one area that being pretty makes life a challenge securing yourself a boring, lowpaying job.
This stands in contrast to a large body of research that attractiveness, in general, helps candidates in the selection process. For the most part good looks is a blessing. We treat pretty people more favorably in general, often vote for them more in elections, and pay them more in their professions. The research suggests that attractive people may be discriminated against in selection for relatively less desirable jobs.
Researchers carried out four experiments involving more than 750 participants, including university students and managers who make hiring decisions in the real world. Participants were shown photos of two potential job candidates, one attractive and the other unattractive. Participants were then asked a series of questions designed to measure their opinions of the job candidates and whether they would hire these candidates for a lessthandesirable job.
The less desirable jobs included a warehouse worker, housekeeper, customer service representative and the more desirable jobs included things like a manager, project director, IT elite(精英). In all experiments where they were asked, participants were significantly less likely to hire the attractive candidate for the less desirable job and more likely to hire the attractive candidate for the more desirable job.
Ms Lee said, "In the selection decision for an undesirable job, decision makers were more likely to choose the unattractive individual over the attractive individual. Coauthor Dr Madan Pillutla said, "It is interesting that decision makers consider others' opinions in their decisions. They thought that attractive individuals would want better outcomes, and therefore would be less satisfied, so they favored unattractive candidates when selecting for a less desirable job."
The research also suggests the established view that attractive candidates are favored when applying for jobs might be limited to highlevel jobs.
If you also have a friend like Francia Raisa, you are really lucky. On Thursday, singer and actress Selena Gomez, 25, used Instagram(照片墙,一款社交软件) to explain why she was "laying low" this summer. She posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed with her friend Francia Raisa holding hands. She said she recently received a kidney transplant(肾脏移植) from her best friend because of complications(并发症) from lupus(狼疮), an autoimmune disease, which means it is the result of the immune system attacking normal tissue, including the kidneys, brain, heart and lungs.
People with lupus may first experience tiredness, joint pain or a little bit of rash(皮疹) on their bodies and can go for a long time before their doctors realize it is more serious. Many people see two or four doctors before the real problem is picked up. According to Dr. Kyriakos Kirou, roughly a third to onehalf of people with lupus develop kidney disease, and up to one in five of them will eventually need a transplant, sometimes because they weren't treated with effective drugs to prevent the immune system from attacking the kidneys. Though Gomez said that she was "very well now," she warned about the dangers of not taking medical diagnoses(医学诊断) seriously, like she did before.
Her Instagram post also called attention to two major health topics: the need for living organ donators and the fact that Gomez represents three groups more likely to be diagnosed with lupus and lupusrelated kidney disease. Nine out of 10 people diagnosed with lupus are women, and most develop the disease between the ages of 15 to 44. And lupus is two to three times more common among women of color, including Hispanic (西班牙裔)women, according to the Lupus Foundation.
Raisa is Latin(拉丁人), and Gomez's father is of Mexican origin. While it's not essential that the organ donator and receiver be of the same race, people who share a similar racial background sometimes are better matched, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.
Nezha is the subject of the latest feature, which officially opens in cinemas in China on Friday. Nezha has earned hot reviews and is ranked higher than Monkey King: Hero is Back. It is also China's first 3D animated feature film released in IMAX format.
Since July 13, previews of the film have taken more than 140 million yuan at the box office and the film has a score of 8.8 points (out of 10) on China's largest filming rating site, Douban. It took Jokalate Yang Yu, the film's director and screenwriter, two years to improve the script (剧本) of Nezha, and the film was in production for three years. It is the most complex animated production ever made in China. Nezha has more than 1,300 special effects shots, and it took over 20 Chinese special-effects studios, employing more than 1,600 people, to realize the film's fairy tale setting, the mysterious Dragon King's palace and a fight between fire and water. One splendid scene alone took two months to complete.
Yang made up his mind to produce an animated film on the theme of breaking the traditional styles and changing fate to the opposite. Yang chose Nezha as his vehicle, the representative of the rebellious (叛逆的) but righteous youth. However, compared with the original novel and past animated versions, the relationships between the characters are given modern meaning. In Yang's film he is fighting prejudice: Nezha is hated and feared. But Nezha believes his fate is not predetermined and that he can choose to be a devil (恶魔) or a god.
"After watching so many domestic animated films, only Nezha and Monkey King: Hero is Back have made me fascinated," a Weibo user commented under the promotional video.
"Epic! I finished watching Nezha in tears. The content-rich story, vivid characters, and amazing visual effects, work together to create a 110-minute roller-coaster (过山车) watching experience," a Douban user commented.
"Bravo! Couldn't believe a domestic animated film can be created with such a well-developed story. The image of Nezha in this film has been overturned but his rebellious spirit is well-established. I'm sure Nezha is gonna go viral this summer!" reads another comment on Douban.
"Clothes Swapping"has become an increasingly popular activity for women in the United States. The women can give away unwanted clothing at a clothes swap event and get something different in return.
Recently about 300 women went to a clothes swap at a high school in Springfield, Virginia. It was the largest crowd ever for the area's popular clothesswapping group.
Daphne Steinberg was having a good day."For anyone who knows Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor is a really nice women's designer and I will totally wear this to work. So I love that I can equip myself for work, have a good time in doing it, and not totally bankrupt myself."
Sandy Van Dusen likes the idea that clothes are finding new homes instead of being thrown away, because it helps to keep the Earth green."In my opinion, there's no point in continuing to buy new clothes when we can reuse what's already here. Give it a new home—let somebody else love what you used to love and no longer love. "
Kim Pratt organized the clothesswapping event in Springfield. She also organized a moneyraising activity for the high school's debate team.It is one of several ways that her group gives to charitable causes. Another is by donating all of the "unswapped" clothing to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
"I started doing this four years ago, and we've been doing it for four years, and it's getting bigger and bigger each time we have a swap."
She used the social media website meetup.com to help publicize the events. The website has helped her group grow from 30 members to 1,300. Mrs. Pratt says most of the members respect the clothing swap rules. But she says competition for desirable fashion can be strong.
"We have to tell people sometimes not to hover over the new people coming in with their clothing. As they put it out, some people tend to grab the stuff right out of their hands and it becomes like a freeforall. We try to avoid that as much as possible. "
Winter plays a vital part in nature's cycle teaching us through plants that "all good things must come to an end" over time. However, rebirth and restoration often brings a greater glory and appreciation for the natural beauty around us.
Each day when I take my bike for a spin around the city streets, I am reminded that technology also teaches us lessons，specifically when the bicycle chain unavoidably slips out of gear (齿轮), refusing to shift properly, the hand brake-lines keep reacting faulty and some man-made things need repair or replacement. "Winter is coming." For many, this means a time to oil up, repair and adjust equipment. In the case of my two-wheel transportation, some people have suggested, "Why don't you just get a new bike for safety's sake?" My unwillingness, however, stems from loyalty, fond attachment. Also, I hold a belief that I should be a bit patient and resourceful, simply replacing worn-out parts when required.
However, as I try to swing my legs over the seat while getting on the bike, my legs and joint (关节) do not respond quickly and reliable like before. A few months ago, after hiking the Great Wall on an overnight camping trip, I realized I needed more rest and restoration than ever. My heart rate beat violently, and every muscle in my tired body screamed for relief. Admittedly, these pains were nothing like having a broken limb, or surgery. Yet, the world suddenly seemed to be very unfriendly. I keep telling myself "winter is coming." and soon I can hibernate (冬眠) getting much needed rest.
Actually, we all need to take a break from training routines, hard jobs, and frequently repeated tasks, to restore (修复) our bodies and minds. Nature shows us the way. Patience pays off when you attend to your gardens with faithful attention to each of nature's jewels. Hopefully, as we grow，each of us learns the art of repair, restoration, and patience. Perhaps, you will discover the glory of rebirth after winter, being reborn and restored to even more powerful magnificent glory.
Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.
The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground._________8_________Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
Most people agree that eating healthy food is important. But sometimes making good food choices can be difficult. Now, there are apps that can help people learn about the food they eat to improve their health and their dining out experience.
OpenTable app
OpenTable app helps people choose restaurants when they want to go out to eat. It is a free service that shows users restaurant available based on where and when they want to dine. It gives users points when they make reservations (保留，预定), which can add up to discounts on restaurant visits.
Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app
Wine and cheese can be a great combination. But which wines go best with which cheeses? Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app can help. It provides information about hundreds of different cheeses and suggests wines to pair with each. Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app is free.
HappyCow app
Vegetarians do not eat animal meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. The HappyCow app is made for both groups. Users can search for vegetarian-vegan restaurants and stores around the world.
LocalEats app
Restaurant chains, like McDonalds, can be found almost anywhere a person might travel. But sometimes travelers want to eat like locals. The LocalEats app is designed for that. It can help you find local restaurants in major cities in the US and in other countries. It costs about a dollar.
Where Chefs Eat app
"Where Chefs Eat" is a 975-page book. Most people would not want to carry that around. But there is a much lighter app version of the same name for just $15. Six hundred chefs provide information on 3,000 restaurants around the world on the Where Chefs Eat app.
Most autonomous vehicles test-driving in cities navigate (导航) by using 3-D maps marking every edge of roadside with almost centimeter-level accuracy. But few places have been mapped in such detail, which has left most areas like smaller towns inaccessible to those driverless cars.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) now have developed a new navigation system that guides autonomous vehicles without such accurate maps. This technology can help driverless cars travel almost anywhere.
The navigation system maps out a course down unfamiliar roads much as a human driver would by continually scanning its surroundings, with a laser sensor (激光感应器), to measure how close it is to the edges of the road. Meanwhile, the car also follows a tool like a smart phone map app that provides directions to its destination, as well as information about the rules of the road, such as speed limits and the positions of stoplights. Teddy Ort, a roboticist at MIT, test-drove a car equipped with this navigation system on a one-way road. It slowly traveled one kilometer without any human assistance.
This system assumes that a car has a clear path down the road, but it can be paired with other existing computing technology to discover in-road obstacles (障碍), says Ort. The researchers also plan to build a version of this system which can spot markings painted on streets, so that the car can drive on two-way roads. "Self-driving cars with this navigation system may need other sensors to work in different conditions," Alexander Wyglinski, and electrical engineer at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. "Since laser sensors don't work well in rain or snow, these cars might need additional imaging technologies to drive safely in bad weather. "
Ten years ago, a typical patient at my plastic surgery clinic in McLean, Va., was 47 or 48. They generally wanted to look like a younger version of themselves. This might mean a face or neck lift, eyelid lifts, a skin-resurfacing procedure or Botox (肉毒杆菌) injections. ''What do you recommend? '' they'd ask. This is the kind of work I am expecting to do, and these are the consultations I am expecting to give.
Today, my average patient, according to my office records, is 38 or 39. They'll come in with a specific ''flaw'' on their faces and often know exactly what procedure they want. They are pretty sure that their noses are too big, their chins are too large, or their eyebrows appear dull. And these patients are much less realistic about what I can achieve. They will ask for Kim Kardashian's nose, even if their facial structure looks nothing like hers.
There's a reason for this rapid and radical change: selfies. The self-taken photograph is greatly attacking the confidence of many younger people. They come to my offices, show me their selfies and point to a defect on their faces, which is a totally normal shape to me. Often they will have already searched online till they've found someone with a similar "issue" who fixed it with surgery. Once, a 20-year-old, having studied countless images of herself and searched hundreds of pictures of the ideal looks she wanted, said she needed a facelift. But to me, no 20-year-old needs a facelift.
Selfies also mislead people about how they look. Smartphone cameras get better each year, but photos taken at arm's length or closer often produce a ''fish eye'' effect: whatever's at the center of the photo is bigger, and things on the edge are smaller. A study published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery last year found that selfies make noses look 30 percent larger than they are.
A survey done by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons last year found that social media was driving more plastic surgery requests than any other social influence: more than TV, movies or magazines. People are spending more time looking at themselves, in an online environment where comparisons with others seem inevitable. Academic psychologist Brian Feinstein, who studied a sample of 268 college-age adults, has found that the more people use social media, the more they reflect on their own supposed drawbacks, and therefore causes self-confidence to drop.
I was driving my newly acquired motorcycle across the vastness of North Dakota when all of the sudden it froze up on the road. I would later be told the belt had slipped and this caused one of the pistons (活塞) to crack a cylinder (气缸) head, or something like that.
Anyway, I sat on the side of the road for what seemed like hours. I even pretended to have been in an accident, which didn't help. Finally, a young man pulled over and offered me a ride, but given that he already had two motorcycles in the back of his truck, he could only take me.
He drove me to the next town, where I asked to be dropped off. Rather than drop me off, he waited while I asked around if anyone could help me to pick up my motorcycle. One elderly gentleman was working and said that I could use his pickup! Can you imagine that a stranger gave me the keys to his pickup. It was quite an experience, I must say. So, as I drove back 20 miles to get my motorcycle, the gentleman who first stopped to help me followed me. We both put the motorcycle in the back of the truck, and then I followed him another 50 miles or so and we both unloaded the motorcycle at his place. Then, he followed me back to the small town so I could return the man's truck. I didn't have much cash on me, maybe $40, but I gave it to the man for the use of his truck.
Two strangers helped rescue me from spending the night on the side of the road in ND. I don't recall their names, but when I close my eyes I can see their faces as if it were yesterday. Thank you, strangers. You may be reading this right now.
① My motorbike froze up on the road. ② I gave the ole gentleman $40.
③ The young man drove me to ask for help. ④ We put the motorcycle in the pickup.
San Francisco chef Cecilia Chiang, who was a pioneer of Chinese cuisine in the United States, died Wednesday. She was 100. Chiang was the owner, chef and mastermind behind the game-changing San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin. She is widely credited with bringing real Chinese food to America and was a celebrity chef before celebrity chefs were popularized.
Chiang, who was born near Shanghai, came from an upper-class Chinese family. Although She wasn't shy about acknowledging her good fortune, she faced other difficulties. Convincing the dining public that Chinese food didn't have to be Thursday's cheap take-out option, Chiang had her work cut out for her.
“Most Americans; including American-born Chinese, they didn't know about Chinese food,” Chiang explained in an interview with CNN Travel in 2018. Never having been to China, they needed to be educated on the difference. The year was 1961, and Chiang insisted on snowing diners the delicate side of Chinese food. The restaurant's wine list, filled with Chinese cultural elements, was part of her strategy. Chiang said she wanted to upgrade the Chinese dining experience. To do this, she also needed to be fully aware of aesthetics (美学).
The Mandarin, which would later occupy a much larger space in Ghirardelli Square, wasn't like other Chinese restaurants. “Is this a Chinese restaurant?” Chiang said people asked her all the, time. The Mandarin did not serve chop suey or chow mein, two standard dishes on every Chinese restaurant in the US at the time. But this is exactly what Chiang wanted to avoid. In fact, her early brushes with Chinese food in America had left her unimpressed and determined to show San Francisco what Chinese food was really like.
Not only was Chiang a woman trying to run a restaurant in a male-controlled industry, but She was also attempting to educate diners. Changing people's minds was complicated. And, Chiang, who had been retired some 20 years when she died, at one point remarked that not a single existing restaurant could compare to the Mandarin.
Inspired by the movement to protect the Carmanah Valley and Clayoquot Sound, I decided to devote myself to producing images for conservation full-time in 1992. Since that time my work has taken me all over the world and my photos have appeared in many major magazines. However, many of my most rewarding moments have come from working on projects in British Columbia, Canada, and sharing those images in slide show tours I have given throughout Canada, the U. S. and Europe.
The more I travel and photograph in other parts of the world, the more I have come to realize the wilderness we have in Canada is truly special and rare.
I have always felt that as a photographer my goal is to approach the natural environment with the sense of wonder and curiosity that comes so naturally to children. This, I believe, is one of the basic keys not just to producing meaningful images, but more importantly, to gaining a full appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world.
I find that not only my best images, but also my most enjoyable experiences in nature, occur when I have an open mind and follow my intuition (直觉). When I feel drawn to a certain scene, I try to make the scene simple and not include anything that is not relevant. I also try all ways to look for beautiful light. Early morning and the end of the day almost always produce light that results in more pleasing images than those taken under the strong light in the middle of a sunny day. Soft cloudy skies are wonderful for photographing all day, especially in our beautiful forests or for small subjects like wildflowers. Rain, storms, and snow also provide wonderful opportunities for new and different kinds of images.
The bad health effects of sleep loss during the week can't be repaid by longer weekend sleep, according to a new study.
Researchers have long known that sleep deprivation(剥夺)can cause weight gain and increase other health risks. But for those who force themselves out of bed every weekday after too few hours of shut-eye, they hope turning off the alarm on Saturday and Sunday will repay the weekly sleep debt and remove any ill effects.
The research, published in Current Biology, crushes those hopes. Despite complete freedom to sleep during a weekend recovery period, people in a sleep lab who were limited to five hours of sleep on weekdays gained nearly three pounds over two weeks and experienced disorders that would increase their risk for diabetes(糖尿病)over the long term. While weekend recovery sleep had some benefits after a single week of sleep loss, those gains were wiped out when people fell right back into their same sleep deprived schedule the next Monday.
"If there are benefits of catch-up sleep, they're gone when you go back to your daily schedule. It's very short-lived", said Kenneth Wright, director of the sleep and chronobiology(生物钟学)lab at the University of Colorado at Boulder." These health effects are long-term. It's kind of like smoking once was--people would smoke and wouldn't see an immediate effect on their health, but people will say now that smoking is not a healthy lifestyle choice. I think sleep is in the early stage of where smoking used to be."
Wright said that the study suggests people should put sleep in the first place--cutting out the" sleep stealers" such as watching television shows or spending time on their phones. Even when people don't have a choice about losing sleep because of child-care responsibilities or job schedules, they should think about getting sleep in the same way they would get a healthy diet or exercise.
The Project Gallery works with local communities and modern artists responding to our collections. It is located to the left of the main entrance at York Art Gallery and you can apply for free entry during normal gallery opening hours.
Teenage Art School
June—September
Come and experience the creativity, hi—tech and exploration of traditional art techniques produced by Teenage Art School. This year's free exhibition is currently on display in the Project Gallery until late September. Our experimental five—day course for children between 14 and17 years runs yearly, studying different topics and approaches to help young people develop their skills as artists.
Bouts Artist in Residence
October—December
York Art Gallery is pleased to be working with a student artist from York St John's University to produce fine art visuals in response to Making a Masterpiece: Bouts and Beyond. Using the exhibition as a starting point for inspiration, our students will create their own art—work in the Project Gallery. See how artists make images and work on techniques in this developing studio and display space.
This exhibition has been developed as a funded partnership with The Bowes Museum and Bristol Museum.
As people are becoming more socially conscious about where their food comes from and how it impacts the planet, they are choosing animal-free plant-based options. Cow-free meat has been around for quite some time and the popularity of brands of the cultivated meat is rising. While there are a large number of plant-based milk substitutes, none of them have the same taste of cow's milk. Now, a food-tech company created real dairy products without harming a single cow or the planet.
The company stresses that their product produced in the lab is not a milk substitute but rather is the real deal. And it is very healthy. The company also says that the lab-produced milk tastes identical to the real thing and they hope to eventually replace cows by creating every dairy product sold. They expect to roll out plant-based cheese and yogurt in addition to milk. “Our company was founded with the mission to stop using animals to produce -our food because, as dairy lovers, we realize that giving up on milk is not an option,” John said. “But today's milk comes with an unreasonable price tag. The dairy industry is destructive to our planet, our health, and our animals, and is simply not sustainable anymore.”
The environmental price tag of dairy farming is way too high. According to the World Wildlife Fund, dairy cows add a huge amount of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and-contribute to global warming and climate change as well as pollute the air around them. Dairy operations consume large amounts of water and run-off of manure and fertilizers from these farms get into local waterways. The production uses only 5 percent of the resources and produces only 1 percent of the waste of producing cow's milk according to the company. And they accomplish this by being 100 percent cruelty-free unlike dairy farms.
With Memorial Day and summer right around the corner, you're bound to feel a serious case of wanderlust coming on. Whatever you've got in mind, we've rounded up a selection of the world's most beautiful camping spots to get you started.
◆Yosemite National Park, California
Ninety-five percent of Yosemite National Park is set apart for wilderness, which means no cars, no buildings, and no electricity. Sleep under the stars and hike up to Glacier Point for a view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls. Make sure you store your food properly though black bears are common!
◆Boya Lake Provincial Park, Canada
Boya Lake Provincial Park, known for the color and clarity of its lake, is a great place to enjoy any type of water recreation. The lake is also one of the few in the north that's warm enough for swimming. The area was carved out by glaciers, leaving many islands and lakes behind for modern campers to explore on the park's hiking trails.
◆Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Corcovado National Park is home to five percent of the world's biodiversity—National Geographic described it as the most "geographically intense" place in the world. Camping is a great option for a visit to Costa Rica: you'll be at the heart of the rainforest away from the country's touristy resorts.
◆Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
If you've always dreamed of safaris, Maasai Mara is the place to go. The ideal time to visit this large game reserve is between July and October, when you can witness the annual migration of Thomson's gazelle, zebra, and wildebeest to and from the neighbouring Serengeti, in Tanzania. Camp on the banks of the Mara River and hang out with the local Maasai people, well-known for their distinctive customs and dress.
Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40, 000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics' soul: "We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original. "
Most relics have to rely on tourist fees for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: "We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surrounding of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value. "
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum Dang Quoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, "The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival-related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government. "
Nguyen Thi Minh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: "This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations. Creative restoration (修复) must be based on previous (先前的) values. "
Experts have called for a systematic (系统的) guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
Bryan and Ashley Buller-dick of North Carolina paid $ 25,000 to clone (克隆) their pet cat Cinnabun, who had been a part of the couple's lives since they got married in 1999. The couple first began considering taking the unusual and expensive step in 2018 as their cat came near to her 19th birthday, after learning that singer Barbra Streisand had cloned her late dog, Samantha.
"I didn't know it was possible until I read the article," Bryan said, adding that they were concerned about how much time they had left with her. The couple went on to buy a DNA kit (提取试剂盒) from the cloning company ViaGen Pets, which was also responsible for cloning Barbra's dog, but didn't immediately decide to follow through with it. "We kept it for months in our refrigerator while we thought about it," Ashley shared, "Then we just thought we had to do it. Cinnabun was so dear to us. She slept next to my head on the pillow every night. If we had a chance of getting another cat like that, we had to try." Unfortunately, one month after the pair decided to go ahead and clone their cat, Cinnabun passed away.
Cinnabun's clone was born on February 4, and just under one month later, it was sent to the couple, who were immediately amazed by the likeness between the two cats. Ashley said, "As far as looks (外观) go, they are spot on. Even their personalities (个性) are similar. They are both energetic. Important to the couple, their new cat even shared the original Cinnabun's love of sleeping by Ashley's head every night. In fact, the two cats were so similar that the couple decided to also name their new cat Cinnabun, even though they had originally planned on naming her Bun Bun.
"We never really thought much about the cost," Bryan, who owns a very successful business, said. "It is a lot of money but I know people who spend that on vacations all the time. This is an animal that we hope will be with us for twenty years." "We would definitely do it again," added Ashley.
Extreme heat often brings extreme wildfires, and this year is no exception, with unprecedented heat waves fueling enormous outbreaks of fires in the western United States and Canada as well as across the Mediterranean and in Siberia. But paradoxically the most intense wildfires can have the opposite effect on temperatures, cooling Earth's surface both regionally and globally.
Dense wildfire smoke can temporarily block sunlight near the ground, causing regional temperatures to drop by several degrees. Wildfire smoke can also have global cooling effects by making clouds in the lower atmosphere more reflective or blocking sunlight in the upper atmosphere, similar to what a volcanic eruption does.
The effect is far too small to counteract (抵制, 抵消) human-caused global warming; researchers say its too early to predict what it means for the broader climate system. But with fire seasons growing more intense around the world and triggering a range of extreme fire weather in North America and elsewhere, the search for answers is growing increasingly urgent.
Smoke particles act as seeds for water vapor to form clouds that are smaller and reflect more sunlight. While smoke tends to rain out of clouds fairly quickly, the Australian bushfires raged for months, pumping more and more cloud-brightening smoke into the atmosphere. "It's not a big effect, but when you integrate over the entire Southern Ocean. it adds up, " one of the researchers says.
While this research highlights the cooling effects of smoke in the lower atmosphere, on occasion, wildfire smoke can reach even higher altitudes into the stratosphere, the layer that starts about 10 miles up. There, it can have additional effects on the climate. Smoke reaches the stratosphere when heat from a powerful wildfire creates an updraft that combines with moisture in the atmosphere to generate towering thunderclouds.
However, scientists have only recently begun studying these effects. "We might still be in the infancy of understanding how large and how important the effects of these wildfires are. "scientists say.
We were 3,000 miles away from home on a Volunteerism Road Trip. Our funds were running low, so we had two goals: to try out our new "Smile!" signs and see how much joy we could spread, and to raise $80, enough for gas to Portland.
I nervously raised our signs and shouted "Hi there!" to a young couple. They read my sign and broke into smiles. Before long, our signs were wildly popular. Strangers took photos with us and asked us about our signs. Some even asked if they could have a "Smile!" sign to carry around. We posed for pictures and sang with street performers. We got so wrapped up in our "Smile!" project that we forgot the other goal. Before we knew it, the sun was setting.
We sat down to think about how we'd raise the money we needed. A blind man had just finished playing the guitar. He was packing up when a passing crowd kicked over his coin jar. Coins scattered(四散) around and he felt his way to collect them. We rushed to help him, but before we could get there, another man "stole" our good deed.
Once the musician had his money returned, we went to meet the "thief". "We just wanted to compliment you on your good deed," I said.
He smiled and asked about our signs. After learning about our road trip, he said sincerely, "I'd like to contribute. It'll make me feel like I'm part of this adventure." Then this complete stranger opened his wallet and handed us four twenty-dollar bills, exactly what we had intended to raise that day.
Several years later, this man, whose name is Jared, went on his own road trip. He visited our city and volunteered with the non-profit organization we co-founded. So often we never get to see the ripple effect(连锁反应) of our kindness. But we are so glad he did.
