On a recent visit to the Museum of Modem Art with a friend and her daughter,wandering through the museum's exhibits,I was struck by how often my friend's 13-year-old daughter asked us to take photos of her with her smart phone in front of the artwork.Then,she gazed at the photos which she would then post on Instagram,Snapchat and all the rest.She was not the only person who was doing this; it seemed everyone was busy taking photos of themselves "experiencing" the museum.

    This is by no means a criticism of my friend's daughter or anyone else.What was concerning,at least to me,was that in between being photographed and posting,my friend's daughter had no interest in the artwork,a fact which didn't seem to matter or have anything to do with wanting to post herself as someone enjoying the experience.

    When I was her age,I had no interest in going to museums either.Having no interest in art at her age (and any age) is completely normal.But what is disturbing is how much of a young person's energy these days goes into creating an image of the life they're living and the character they "are" in that life.While creating a self-image has always been a big part of growing up and figuring out our identity,social media seems to have changed the rules of the game.Social media has not just increased the pressure and possibility of creating a self-generated（自我创造的）  self-image,but also distorted（歪曲）the process through which we become who we are.Young people now seem to be creating an image of who they are in place of becoming who they are,posting their life rather than living it.

    Social media has turned life and its experiences into an exercise in narcissism（自恋，自我陶醉）.No matter what the experience is actually about,it becomes about you,the person who is living it.A concert is not about the music,a restaurant not about the food and a sport event not about the sport;it's all about you,the doer,and what the event says about you.As a result the more we use life create an identity,the more distant from life we feel.Instead of being part of it,we feel as if we have to keep generating new life material.

    I hope the next time you post your story,pause for a moment and experience where you are,feel what it feels like to live what you're living without using life for your benefit,or for anything at all.Just live,without the narrative（叙述）.While you may feel this practice is a threat to your identity,causing you to miss a chance to prove your value,in fact,the benefit will far outweigh any loss it brings.

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call "amusic." People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. "I used to hate parties," says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

    Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn't involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. "When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I'm amusic,'" says Margaret. "I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy."

    Can you imagine walking into a gym and seeing dogs lifting weights or cats jogging? We're being a bit silly thinking of dogs and cats going to the gym, but we do have a reason. Just like human beings, pets that don't get enough exercise can become overweight.   
   Overweight pets can develop serious health problems just like we can. So, if you have a pet, part of being a good owner is making sure that your pet gets the right amount and kind of exercise.

    Before you start your pet on an exercise program, be sure to schedule a check-up for your pet and ask your veterinarian how much and what type of exercise your pet needs.

    Just like humans, pets need to be started out slowly. Over time, they will get fit and be able to exercise for longer periods of time. If you exercise alongside your pet, you'll benefit, too!

    Starting out, you might want to play with your pet for 15－20 minutes at a time. Gradually, you can turn those plays into several 30－minute walks or jogs each week. If your pet is especially active, you can extend them to an hour or longer.

    Of course, some pets, such as cats, may not be easy to take for a walk or a run. These pets still need exercise, though. Don't underestimate the value of energetic indoor play, such as games of chase, for these types of pets.

    As you start exercising with your pet, here are some things to keep in mind:

    Make sure your pet has plenty of water before, during, and after exercising.

    If you have older pets, don't push them as hard.

    Watch the heat! If you are outside, exercising with your pet will be best early in the morning or later in the day.

    Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle — named the Transition — has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. The Transition, which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air. It flies using a 23-gallon tank of gas and burns 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.

    Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit（定金） to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don't expect it to show up in too many driveways. It's expected to cost as much as $279,000. And it won't help if you're stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.

    Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to making the flying car a reality. The government has already permitted the company to use special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety standards.

    Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration's (联邦航空管理局) decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition, a requirement pilots would find relatively easy to meet.

    Google's new camera, called Clips, is a small, smart device. It comes with a case that has a clip (夹子)，but it's not designed to be worn on your clothing. Most interestingly, it uses artificial intelligence to take photography out of your hands so it can capture moments on its own.

    This roughly 2-inch by 2-inch camera, with a three-hour battery life and Gorilla Glass for toughness, is intended for candid moments, like when a child does something cute that may happen too quickly for you to pull out your smartphone.

On board the Clips device, it uses machine learning algorithms (计算程序) to help capture scenes. Those algorithms include face recognition. “Once it learns that there's a face you see frequently, it'll try to get nice photos of those faces,” said Juston Payne, the device's product manager. And they also want it to recognize facial expressions, which involved “training it to know what happiness looks like”. The Google team also trained it to recognize what not to shoot — like when a child's hand is over the lens, or if it is tossed in a dark purse.

    The only way to see the images is by connecting the camera with your phone, as it has no screen for viewing or editing.

    Were people concerned it could seem strange? Yes, Payne admitted. But they said they addressed that by making it obvious what it is. A green light on the front signals that it is on. Besides, unlike a camera meant to monitor your home, it is not connected to the Internet.

    “This product is only possible because of the way that silicon has advanced” Payne said, noting that it was only in the past year or so that they could squeeze the technology down into a device this size. Going forward, we're likely to get more assistance from the artificial intelligence packed into our apps and gadgets.