The police in Taiwan are unable to judge whether to treat it as an extremely clever act of stealing or an even cleverer cheat. Either way, it could be the perfect crime, because the criminals are birds — homing pigeons!

    The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car: if you want the car back, pay up. Then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money to the neck of the pigeon inside. Carrying the money in a tiny bag, the pigeon flies off.

    There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however, may in fact be the work of an even lazier and more inventive criminal mind — one that avoids not only collecting money but going out to steal the car in the first place. Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for things he cannot possibly return. Instead of stealing cars, he lets someone else do it and then waits for the car-owner to place an ad in the newspaper asking for help.

    The theory is supported by the fact that, so far, none of the stolen cars have been returned. Also, the amount of money demanded — under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars — seems too little for a car worth many times more.

    Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal. “We have more important things to do,” he said.

    Smoking is harmful. But as soon as you quit the habit, everything will be OK, right? Wrong.

    New research has found that even if you give up smoking, the damage it has done to your genes will stay there for a much longer time. In the research, a team of US scientists studied the blood of 16,000 people. Among them, some were smokers, some used to smoke, and the rest were non-smokers. Scientists compared their genes and found that more than 7,000 genes of smokers had changed--a number that is one-third of known human genes.

    According to NBC News, both heart disease and cancer are caused by genetic changes. Some people may have had the changes when they were born, but most people get them in their day-to-day lives while doing things like smoking.

    When you stop smoking, a lot of these genes will return to normal within five years.

This means your body is trying to heal (治愈) itself of the harmful effects of smoking. But the changes in some of the genes stay for longer. They can stay for as long as 30 years, It's almost like leaving a footprint on wet cement (水泥)—-it will always be there, even when you've walked away and when the cement becomes dry.

    Although the study results may make people unhappy, there is a bright side: the findings could help scientists invent medicine to treat genetic damage caused by smoking or find ways to tell which people have heart disease or cancer risks.

    Feeding birds is a popular way to watch wildlife. But experts say it might put wild birds at risk.

    Feeding birds is not necessary for their survival except in extreme weather conditions. Feeders(喂食器)can definitely help birds get through that kind of weather. But most birds eat insects and show little interest in bird feeders. For those birds, we can grow native plants in a natural environment. Birds which are fond of eating seeds will be more likely to come to feeders if there is some cover nearby. This lets them feed and then fly to protective areas, such as in trees.

    The most common mistake people make with their bird feeders is that they put feeders in places where birds are easily frightened by passers-by, risk being hurt by cats, or risk flying into windows.

    So set up a bird feeder at least one meter away from a window. That way, if a bird gets frightened, it won't get killed when it hits the glass. Owners of cats should keep them inside home so they can't hurt the birds.

    Some birds are more aggressive at feeders. They eat a lot and do not leave much food for other birds. A solution is to put the food in more than one place by using different kinds of seeds or fruits. This can also increase the number and diversity of birds in your neighborhood. But don't feed wild birds anything salty, like potato chips, or food that could choke them, like bread.

    Pay attention to food quality and freshness. Unprotected food left too long in feeders will turn moldy(发霉), which can kill wildlife.

    Another word of advice: Always provide a supply of clean water for birds, but use care when looking for the right birdbath. If the birdbaths are too deep for birds, putting a few large stones in the water can give the birds a place to sit.

    Fabien Cousteau was born with deep love for the ocean. His grandfather and his father were ocean explorers and documentary filmmakers. Fabien spent his early years on his grandfather's ships. Today Fabien follows in his family's footsteps to protect the planet's endangered ocean life. With his vast knowledge and experience, he tries to strike a balance between environmental problems and market economies.

    Fabien is well known for his study of sharks. During 2000-2002, he created a TV special called Attack of the Mystery Shark based on the shark attacks that occurred along the New Jersey shoreline in the summer of 1916. Then in 2003-2006, with the help of a large crew, Fabien created a shark submarine (潜艇) that enabled him to put himself inside the shark world, providing people with a rare view of the mysterious and often misunderstood creatures.

    For the next four years (2006-2010), Fabien was part of a series called, Ocean Adventures, which offered a rare look into some of the most fantastic ocean species (物种) and environments.

    In 2010, Fabien started Plant A Fish, a nonprofit project for children to help restore local water ecosystems by replanting key ocean species. Save the world, one fish at a time. The project is still in progress now and its final goal is to plant 1 billion "fish" worldwide.

    From June 1 to July 2, 2014, Fabien and his team spent 31 days underwater to research how climate change and pollution are affecting the oceans. Fabien's Mission 31 broke new ground by going deeper, longer and further, exposing (显露) the world to the adventure and the mystique (神秘) of what lies beneath.

    Fabien is currently working on a documentary film about the adventures of Mission 31, as well as building an Ocean Learning Center to provide children around the world with the opportunity to learn about oceans and engage with ocean explorers directly through social media.

    When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of "motor" and "hotel" and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don't need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐馆). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.

    In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn't a human thief ­ it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!

    There are also, of course, places called "rooming houses", where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning ­ looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!

The Ig Nobel awards are usually known as the "Igs" and are given out every year at around the same time as the real Nobel awards. The "Igs" are given for achievements that "make people laugh, and then make them think". The name "Ig Nobel" is a language joke. "Nobel" sounds like "noble" -- meaning "very honored". And Ig Nobel sounds like "ignoble" meaning the opposite of noble — that is, "not honored"

    According to Marc Abrahars, who co-founded the award in 1991, "Most prizes, such as Nobel Prize, reward the goodness of the people who receive them. These prizes are meant to honor the extremes of humanity-those whose achievements should be seen as very good."

    "The Ig Nobel Prize isn't like that. The Ig honors the great confusion in which most of us exist much of the time. Life is confusing. Good and bad get all mixed up. If you win an Ig, it shows that you have done something. What that thing is may be hard to explain. But the fact is, you did it, and have been recognized for doing it."

    The Nobel science prizes encourage us to think that all over the world great discoveries are being made that will do good to the whole world. But real science is not like that. The main job of science is to find out what is not true. This leads people into areas of research that seem completely senseless. Why did a team of Japanese scientists spend months trying to teach birds to enjoy the paintings of Picasso? Why did a Norwegian biologist start a project to encourage insects to drink beer? It is hard to say. But it won them all an Ig.

    Sometimes science tells us things that we don't want or need to know. We don't want to know that falling in love and going mad are exactly the same as far as the brain is concerned. And we don't really need to know that worrying about money can cause tooth disease. Only the Ig award brought these great achievements to our attention.