We live in a digital world now, and a student’s  technology needs have changed. For the early years, say when you are in primary school, you can get by with no technology at all. Even if you have a computer, it’s a good idea to get familiar with libraries.

As you get closer to middle school, a computer with Internet access becomes more of a necessity. Teachers will often give assignments that require a student to use the Internet for research. After a computer, technology choices for students become more difficult to make － especially when it comes to cellphones. Kids will beg their parents for cellphones, especially in middle school. For many parents, it’s a safety issue: they want to know that their kids can reach them quickly if necessary. For teachers, cellphones can be used to record lessons when students are absent. But many teachers dislike cellphones. Some kids send messages or have talks in the class. Sending messages also raises the problem of cheating on exams. More and more schools are now forbidding the use of cellphones.

Many kids see iPods as necessary things to have. IPods are great for music, but do they do anything good for your children’s education? Maybe they do.That is the opinion of Doug Johnson, an educator for 30 years. Johnson says that educators should accept all new forms of technology in the classroom, including iPods. “Some do more with  their cellphones  than we can do with our laptops，” he jokes. “I don’t think we should be afraid. The truth is that it’s easier to change the way we teach than to change the technology habits of an entire generation.”

B

Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two­thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.

However, it wasnˈt all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.

In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each otherˈs language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk “dog”，and dogs can learn how to talk “cat”．

Whatˈs interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each otherˈs body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each otherˈs presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.

The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets—to people who donˈt get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers.  If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.

Taking a bath provides a variety of health benefits, for example, keeping your body clean and relaxing, but if we are ever ill in bed and can’t get up, we will be thankful for the nurse who helps us get clean. While I am not a nurse, and have never given anyone a bath, I would imagine that it would take a lot of sympathy and patience to do so.

  Yet those who attended the International Conference on Intelligence Robots and Systems Conference last month were introduced to Cody, a robot that can bathe human beings.

  The robot has a base that can be turned to all directions, two human-like arms, and flexible wrists . It uses a camera and laser range finder to locate parts of the human body. It then uses bath gloves to clean with a little pressure.

  The robot was designed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Charles Kemp of the Healthcare Robotics Lab is the senior researcher for the project. In a test run, Cody was able to remove 96% of a test subject’s dirt－not bad for a robot.

  But don’t go asking for Cody for Cody yet－he’s still a model. Yet researchers believe that one day Cody may take the place of nurses for this task. Researchers claim that Cody will afford patients increased private information. I suppose that would depend on the patient.

  Even so, I can appreciate the need. We don’t have enough nurses to go around, and those places that are the most short-handed, for example, nursing homes, are those that have the most patients who are unable to bathe themselves. Still, before I get there, I hope they think of a better way to solve the problem.

B

Do Peru’s potatoes have the right matter? That’s the question scientists will be asking in Lima next month, when a selection of potatoes will begin undergoing tests to determine whether they are fit to grow on Mars.

NASA, the US space agency, is conducting the pioneering experiment together with Lima’s International Center (CIP).

They will cultivate(培养) a hundred selected varieties in Mars-like conditions that could eventually pave the way to building a dome on the red planet for farming the vegetable. Of the selected candidates, 40 are native to the Andes Mountains, growing in different ecological zones, can stand sudden climate changes and reproduce in rocky areas. The other 60 are improved varieties, able to survive with little water and salt. They are also immune to viruses. Those that pass the tests must meet a final criterion – they must be able not only to grow well on Mars but also reproduce in large quantities. “We are almost 100 percent certain that many of the selected potatoes will pass the test,” says Julio Valdivia Silva, a Peruvian NASA astrobiologist(太空生物学家) who is taking part in the ambitious project. 

The scientists plan to transport 100 kilos of it to a CIP lab in Lima that will imitate the complex Martian atmosphere – which contains mostly carbon dioxide – and expose it to extreme ultraviolet(紫外线的) radiation. If the varieties selected for next month’s experiment don’t adapt to the desert soil, the researchers will introduce nutrients, which will be provided by radiation.

In future years, NASA plans to build a Mars research center in the Peruvian desert. It would create a perfect copy of the Martian landscape and atmosphere for future research into space farming that could serve manned missions to Mars and other planets in the solar system.

When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.

“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting (沿…轨道运行) other stars like our Sun.”

And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it, and our patience paid off. ”

Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like (像木星一样的) planet orbiting star 55 Cancri.

At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55 Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about the same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.

Why is this important? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.

“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids (小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter, life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”

A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life, can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55 Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life! ”

The expression "a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.

    About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria.

    The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles(微粒)of silver. The pages can be used as filers(过滤器)to remove harmful microorganisms(微生物)that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it.

    Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned.

    Ms Dankovich, the inventor, sys each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the bookˈs pages.

    "The idea pf classic texts—thatˈs of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really havenˈt had the time to go through that part," she says.

    Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.

    Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project.

   When you're on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.

Trip It

Your Personal Travel Agent

   Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accommodating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.

Weather Free

Your Go-To Meteorologist(气象学者)

  Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations. It features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.

Goby

Your Event Guru

  When you're in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your neighborhood. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.