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    Welcome to Shawnee Mountain, a great place for skiing! All people can have a wonderful time here. For more information, you can visit www.shawneemt.com or call 570-421-7231.

    Biologists believe that love is fundamentally a biological rather than a cultural construct, because the capacity for love is found in all human cultures and similar behavior is found in some other animals. In humans the purpose of all the desire is to focus attention on the raising of offspring. Children demand an unusual amount of parenting, and two parents are better than one. Love is a signal that both partners are committed, and makes it more likely that this commitment will continue as long as necessary for children to reach independence. But what does science have to say about the notion of love at first sight?

    In recent years the ability to watch the brain in action has offered a wealth of insight into the mechanics of love. Researchers have shown that when a person falls in love, a dozen different part of brain work together to release chemicals that trigger feelings of euphoria, bonding and excitement. It has also been shown that the unconditional love between a mother and a child is associated with activity in different regions of the brain from those associated with pair-bonding love.

    Passionate love is rooted in the reward circuitry of the brain—the same area that is active when humans feel a rush from cocaine. In fact, the desire, motivations and withdrawals involved in love have a great deal in common with addiction. Its most intense forms tend to be associated with the early stages of a relationship, which then give way to a calmer attachment form of love one feels with a long term partner.

    What all this means is that one special person can become chemically rewarding to the brain of another. Love at first sight, then, is only possible if the mechanism for generating long-term attachment can be triggered quickly. There are signs that it can be. One line of evidence is that people are able to decide within a second how attractive they find another person. This decision appears to be related to facial attractiveness, although men may favor women with waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, no matter what their overall weight is. (This ratio may indicate a woman's reproductive health.)

    Another piece of evidence comes from work by a psychologist at Ben-Gurion University, who found in a survey that a small percentage (11%) of people in long-term relationships said that they began with love at first sight. In other words, in some couples the initial favorable impressions of attractiveness triggered love which sustained a lengthy bond. It is also clear that some couples need to form their bonds over a longer period, and popular culture tells many tales of friends who become lovers.

    One might also assume that if a person is looking for a partner with traits that cannot be quantified instantly, such as compassion, intellect or a good sense of humor, then it would be hard to form a relationship on the basis of love at first sight. Those more concerned with visual appearances, though, might find this easier. So it appears that love at first sight exists, but is not a very common basis for long-term relationships.

    To above prices, please add $3 for first book and $1 for each additional book for postage & handling. Foreign countries add $5 per book. Send orders to Quackwatch, P. O. Box 1747, Allen Avenue, NY 18105. The checks must be in US dollars. We cannot process credit card orders. Please use our order form from Amazon.com and include your email address.

    We know the famous ones — the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells — but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper（雨刮器）? Shouldn't we know who they are?

    Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she's developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and “how” questions. According to Mclean, “When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”

    Her students agree. One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of Mclean' statement. “If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper's invention,” said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major, “I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive.” Lee is currently negociating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.

    So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn't be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever（操作杆）on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.

    Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It's hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan's traffic light. It's equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett's innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

    who doesn't love sitting beside a cosy（舒适的）fire on a cold winter's night ? Who doesn't love to watch flames (火苗) curling up a chimney ? Fire is one of man's greatest friends, but also one of his greatest enemies. Many big fires are caused by carelessness. A lighted cigarette thrown out of a car or train window or a broken bottle lying on dry grass can start a fire. Sometimes, though, a fire can start on its own. Wet hay (草) can begin burning by itself. This is how it happens: the hay starts to rot (腐烂) and begins to give off heat which is trapped inside it. Finally, it bursts into flames. That's why farmers cut and store (贮存) their hay when it's dry .

    Fires have destroyed whole cities. In the 17th century, a small fire which began in a baker's shop burnt down nearly every building in London. Moscow was set on fire during the war against Napoleon. This fire continued burning for seven days . And, of course, in 64 A. D. a fire burnt Rome. Even today, in spite of modern fire - fighting methods, fire causes millions of pounds' worthy of damage each year both in our cities and in the countryside. It has been wisely said that fire is a good servant but a bad master.

    From whale watching to shopping, the activities are as varied as the scenery along Queensland's Great Sunshine Way.

    Day 1

    Morning

    The Sunshine Way begins in Queensland's Gold Coast. Start the day with a visit to one of the Gold Coast's world-class theme parks. Then see stunt (特技) shows at Warner Bros Movie World. You can also jump on exciting rides and visit the new Lego Store at Dreamworld.

    Afternoon

    While the drive to Brisbane only takes an hour, enjoy a trip inland into the Gold Coast hinterland and explore the rainforest hikes and waterfalls in Tamborine, Lamington and Springbrook national parks.

    Day 2

    Morning

    Wake early to climb Brisbane's famous Story Bridge, where you can see the sun rise over the city. From the top, you'll be rewarded with full views over the snaking river, out to Moreton Bay in the east and the green hills of the Scenic Rim to the west.

    Afternoon

    Drive 144 kilometers north to Noosa. Hastings Street is thick with designer fashion stores and impressive restaurants. Explore one of the walking trails that run through Noosa National Park. The Coastal Track is a popular choice. Look out for dolphins and whales between May and November.

    Day3

    Morning

    Continue 185 kilometers north, through the gold rush towns of Gympie and Maryborough to the whale watching capital of the world, Hervey Bay. About 10,000 humpback whales visit it every year, making it the best place to see the ocean giants up close.

    Afternoon

    From River Heads, catch a 50-minute ferry to the world's largest island completely made of sand, Fraser Island. Alternatively, continue 110 kilometers north to Bundaberg. Then travel just east of the city to Mon Repos Beach in time for the sunset.