Car companies are developing vehicles that will plug into electric sockets, ust like many laptops, digital cameras, cell phones and Mp4 do. Called “plug-in vehicles”, these cars will get most of their power from electricity. Their drivers won't have to stop at gas stations as often as usual.

    The technology is more than just cool. In our car-filled world, plug-in vehicles could reduce the amount of gas we use, which keeps rising in cost now and then. Besides, driving around in these vehicles may even help the environment. Gas-burning cars produce a lot of greenhouse gas, which causes global warming.

    The first company-produced plug-in vehicles could hit the roads by 2020. But engineers still have a lot of work to do to make the technology practical and inexpensive.

    Batteries are the biggest challenge. In the plug-in-vehicle world，Li-ion(锂离子)batteries are getting the most attention. These batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small package, and they last a longer time between charges. Li-ion batteries can fit laptops, cell phones, heart instruments and other similar pocket ones.

    But because cars are so big and heavy, it would still require a suitcase-sized Li-ion batteries to power about 12km of driving. What's more, the batteries are much expensive.

    “A car filled with batteries could go a long distance,” says Ted Bohn, an electrical engineer in Chicago. “But it couldn't pull any people, and it would cost $100,000.” So researchers need to work out how to make batteries smaller and cheaper, among other questions.

    “The answers don't exist yet,” Bohn says, “As a kid, I thought someone someplace knows the answer to everything. All of these questions haven't been decided. That's what engineering is about-making a guess, running tests and getting fine results.”

    Are you preparing for a big test? If so, you may want to go play some basketball in between hitting the books. Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels, including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. As she says, “While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can really cause physical changes in the brain.”

    The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician（儿科医生）, believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. “Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning,” says Margaret.

    Older people can strengthen their brains as well. Columbia University studied a group of seniors ranging in age from seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for babies, exercise for older people should involve some complexity. Learning some new skills or motions, such as with yoga or tai-chi, helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time.

    For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain's flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as three to four hours of exercise a week.

    With the New Year just months away, you are probably looking forward to watching the wonderful fireworks(烟花) shows. Unfortunately, the over ten million blind Americans, and scores more around the world, have never been able to experience this joyful celebration. That may change soon thanks to Feeling Fireworks, a tactile(可触摸的) fireworks experience invented by the masterminds at the Disney Research Lab in Switzerland.

    To experience the show, users stand in front of a large screen, which is made of special material. They then place their hands at the base of the screen and move them around to feel the fireworks. Alternatively, their hands can be placed in the center of the screen, where the initial explosions happen, and then moved across to explore other fireworks.

    As the fireworks begin to explode, one of five nozzles(喷嘴) at the back of the screen starts to send out water, creating shaking movements. One specializes in the “blooming(开花) flower effect,” while another reproduces the“crackle(噼啪声)” effect. The rest take care of rockets and explosions. A computer controls the timing, while a Microsoft Kinect camera tracks the person's movement. According to the inventors, Feeling Fireworks allows users to experience “tactile fireworks that are similar to physical fireworks happening in the sky.”

    First appearing at the User Interface Software and Technology conference held in Quebec City, Canada from October 22 to October 25, 2017, the low-cost technology is still in its early stage, with only a 66 percent success rate. However, the team plans to continue-improving the experience and believes the day when everyone will be able to enjoy the thrill of fireworks shows is not far. When ready, Feeling Fireworks will initially be available only at Disney theme parks, and then hopefully, at fireworks shows worldwide.

    Over the past couple of days, on our local Freecycle page there have been a lot of wanted posts, all from the same person, basically asking for everything you'd need to set up a house from scratch.

    One of the things they asked for was a queen-sized bed. At that time we just happened to have an extra one, so I messaged them. They immediately came in the afternoon. The people who came, two ladies and a man, are actually friends of another woman named Jenny who owned a young boy. This woman has escaped from a dangerous, violent relationship and these friends of hers are helping her and her son start over again, with everything from furniture to toothbrushes on their list of needs.

    While they were here, I also gave them one of our spare bookcase and some coffee cups. I even asked them to keep in touch in case they needed anything else—I have a way of connecting people with things. I offered the woman a cupboard we had as well; her friends just needed to see if there was a place and/or a need for it in their friend's new home.

    I was so excited to meet those loving people, who were obviously willing to help their friend. It was clear how protective they felt of this woman and her boy, how much they love her and wanted her to have a happy and safe life, and to spend even a few minutes with people like that is an experience I'll remember for a long, long time.

    A quick thank-you to all who have sent more donations over the last couple of days, as well as lovely messages of thanks and blessings. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with it all, but it's a problem I'm happy to have.

    Auctions(拍卖行) are everywhere. Here are just a few standouts and some of the areas they specialize in. All have brick-and-mortar(实体的) sales rooms in addition to online buying.

    Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

    Headquarters(总部): Chicago

    Founded: 1982

    Best bets: contemporary art, jewelry

    The founder, Leslie Hindman, has been on an expansion kick from her Chicago base and now runs eight offices across the country. Ms. Hindman said that plenty of items sell at her house for around $500. As in the auction world generally, jewelry and contemporary art receive lots of attention from bidders(出价者), and in2017 a diamond ring sold for $97,000.

    Swann Auction Galleries

    Headquarters: New York

    Founded: 1941

    Best bets: books, works on paper, African-American art

    Founded as a rare-book auctioneer, Swann still holds dozens of such sales a year. The president, Nicholas D. Lowry, noted that Swann was the first auction house to sell old photographs, in 1952.The house has also had a department of African-American art for 12 years.

    Stair Galleries

    Headquarters: Hudson, N.Y.

    Founded: 2001

    Best bets: English and Continental furniture and paintings, modern and contemporary art

    Colin Stair, the founder and president, comes from a long line of antiques dealers (商人). Stair is frequented by dealers and bargain hunters, and it's a place to find interesting things like a George I carved walnut wing armchair, coming up as part of a sale on April 28 and 29.

    Heritage Auctions

    Headquarters: Dallas

    Founded: 1983

    Best bets: coins, sports memorabilia, movie posters

    With roots in coin auctions, Heritage has grown quite large. But their bread and butter are items that the company president, Greg Rohan, calls "the kinds of things that everyone has." "People aren't buying what were selling for decoration or for resale," he added. "They're buying things they absolutely love."

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