The Basics of Math—Made Clear

    Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.

    The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.

    Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.

    By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery(神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.

    Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.

    With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.

    If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.

    Amazing concept images have shown what homes of the future could look like, as preparations are made for the world's first free from 3D-printed property (房产).

    Experts will build a house called Curve Appeal, which will be 3D-printed off-site before being put together on-site to create two outside walls, a roof and an inside part. These four main sections will then be joined together.

    Although 3D-printed buildings have been made before, this home - to be constructed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, later this year — will be the first of its kind, as it will contain no regular shapes or angles. The house is the creation of the design company WATG, based in London and California. The design for Curve Appeal draws inspiration from the Case Study House program.

    The architects leading the program were famed for constantly pushing the limits in terms of minimalist (极简主义) materials, and trying to create open-plan spaces that focused on enhancing (增强) natural light. In a written statement, a spokesman for WATG said, “Employing many of the same modem design principles, Curve Appeal is the next evolutionary step. It's important that the architecture and the environment work together harmoniously. The chosen site is steps away from the Tennessee River in a beautiful wooded, sunlit area.”

    WATG was awarded the first prize in the Freeform Home Design Challenge in 2016 and given prize money of $ 8,000 to make its plans a reality. The competition was aimed at architects, designers, engineers and artists. Participants were challenged to design a 600 to 800sq ft single-family home that rethinks traditional aesthetics (美学), ergonomics, construction, building systems and structure.

    Over the last year, WATG's Chicago office has been developing their design with Branch Technology. This project is currently underway, working towards breaking ground later this year. Once completed, the Curve Appeal home will have open and light-filled inside living spaces.

    As free as they make us, mobile phones still need to stay close to a power source. Soon that may change with "green" power.

    Three Chilean students got the idea for a plant-powered device(装置) to charge their cellphones, while sitting in their school's outdoor courtyard during a break from exams, with dead mobile phones. Then, one of them had an "aha" moment.

    “It occurred to Camila to say about plants,” said inventor Evelyn Aravena. “'Why don't you have a socket, if there are so many plants? 'After that, we thought, 'why don't they have a charging outlet? Because there are so many plants and living things that have the potential to produce energy, why not?'”

    Their invention—a small biological circuit called E-Kaia—uses the energy plants to produce during photosynthesis(光合作用). A plant uses only a small part of that energy and the rest goes into the soil, and that's where the E-Kaia collects it. The device plugs into the ground and then into your phone.

    "It's the most amazing project I've ever seen in my life, plain and simple. They brought this original model, and it worked — and that's when it all changed, at least from my personal point of view and I began to support them." said Mauricio Cifuentes.

    The device solved two problems for the engineering students — they needed an idea for a class project, and an outlet to plug in their phones.

    "Looking for a place to charge the notebook, which had no power, and the mobile phones, we weren't able to find anything because all the other students were in the same state of madness trying to find a place to charge their devices," said Aravena.

    But plants are everywhere, and the bio－circuit makes the best of their excess(过多的) power.

    The E-Kaia doesn't carry much charge but it's powerful enough to completely recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.

    The student inventors have applied for patents on their technology, and expect the E-Kaia to go on sale in December 2016.

    Do you often dream at night? How do you feel when you dream? Is it useful to our health? “Dreams may be more important than sleep, and we all need to dream,” some scientists say.

    Dreams take up about one quarter of our sleeping time. People have several dreams each night. Dreams are like short films. They are usually in colour. Some dreams are like old films. They come to us over and over again. That may be because the dreamer is worrying about something. Dreaming may be a way of trying to find an answer. Some people get new ideas about their work from dreams. They may have been thinking about their work all day. These thoughts can carry over into dreams.

    Sometimes we wake up with a good feeling from a dream. But often we can't remember the dream. Dreams can disappear quickly from memory.

    Too much dreaming can be harmful. The more we sleep, the longer we dream. The mind is at work when we dream. That is why we may have a long sleep and still wake up tired.

    Studying abroad will shape you in various ways. You will learn things you never would have if you had stayed home. When you are young and unattached, you should travel. Besides, you just might save a large sum of money. College is expensive in the United States. It's cheap or free in other countries even for foreigners, so why not get out of here and come back smarter?

    More and more American students are currently studying at German colleges. That number has increased 20% over the last three years. Living costs are about $7,000 a year, which is even lower than in other European countries. Germany encourages international students. They create a multicultural landscape that benefits German students as well. According to a new report, Germany is home to six of the world's 100 best universities. These schools offer around 900 degrees completely in English and many German students speak the language.

    You could be part of Finland's excellent education system. The Finns charge no tuition and offer a number of courses purely in English. They would be happy for you to add flavor to their school scene. Cost of living there is high. Be prepared for frosty winters that far north, but you will get that sweet midnight sun in the summer.

    Many other European nations offer cheap or free college for foreign students, but if South America is more your thing, try Brazil. Most of the education will take place in Portuguese, so if that is in your plan you can study near beautiful beaches and jungles. The University of Sao Paulo and the State University of Campinas are both highly ranked internationally. Your money will go a long way there, too.

    Many of the lessons you will learn will be outside the classroom. Living on the economy in a foreign country will keep you on your toes. You will learn new customs, how to bargain, stay safe, budget and become more flexible with people. There is no better way to learn a language than by immersing yourself in it. At first, it will be the toughest thing you have ever done. Eventually, it will become second nature.

AI-generated content has recently won big in the literary world. Japanese author Rie Kudan won one of Japan's most famous literary awards, the Akutagawa Prize, with the help of ChatGPT in The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy. 

The book is set in future Japan, where AI has become an important part of people's lives. The story centers around an architect who creates a comfortable prison but struggles with a society that she sees as being overly sympathetic to criminals. 

Kudan admitted at a news conference that "around 5 percent of the book's text was taken directly from generative AI," reported kyodo News. She added that there is a scene in the book where an AI chatbot answers the main character's questions and she used AI-generated text in the responses given by AI in the story. The word-for-word content generated by AI was applauded by committee members as "practically flawless", said CNN. 

This is not the first time that Al-related works have won prizes. In October 2023, The Land of Machine Memorieswas awarded second prize at China's fifth youth popular science and science fiction competition. The fiction was fully created by AI with the prompts (提示) given by Shen Yang, a professor at Tsinghua University. Surprisingly, just one judge among the six of the competition realized that what they were reading was the product of a machine. 

So will literature in the future be all about AI? Debates are still ongoing on the matter. Japanese literary critic Akira Okawada told Tyodo News that "it is difficult for AI to create work that addresses ethical themes in depth". However, Chinese writer Luo Ping holds the positive view. "Improvements in technology will not cause human laziness in creating, but rather will only make them involved in more heated competition. With the help of technology, the starting point of human thinking will only grow higher," Luo told Hongxing News. 

"I think this is only the beginning for AI in creating literature," Fu Changyi, a member of Jiangsu Popular Science Writers Association, told online news Guancha. "We will wait and see how the future goes," he added.