A chip inserted in a young quadriplegic's (四肢麻痹患者) brain is already improving his quality of life. Soon the benefits may be more widespread.

    A 25-year-old man unable to move from the neck down recently did what many assumed impossible. After a knife attack that had left him paralyzed, all he could move was his head, which he used to push a switch and call for a nurse. And he could turn his wheelchair by blowing into a straw near his face. That was it.

    Then last June, a Foxborough (Mass.) company called Cyber Kinetics opened the man's skull and inserted a special chip no larger than a baby aspirin. That insert has given him a few additional and precious abilities. When connected to a special computer via a cable, the chip translates the young man's thoughts into commands that let him move a cursor across a PC screen and open e-mail. He can draw a circle with a computer painting program. And he can use a robotic hook(钩) to perform simple tasks like picking up a candy and sliding it across a table.

    All he has to do is to think.

    Several new studies have begun or been completed in the past year. In fact, more than half of the scientific papers in this field, called brain-to-computer interaction (BCI), have been published in the past two years, notes Jonathan Wolpaw, a research physician at Wadsworth Center, the New York State Health Dept.'s research laboratory.

    Brain surgeries (手术) are no longer rare: Thousands of Parkinson's disease patients have had special devices inserted in their brains to ease uncontrollable shaking and other symptoms. The inserts themselves have improved, so the body doesn't reject them as furiously(猛烈地). And significant development has been achieved in software used to interpret the brain's signals and change them into commands understood by computers.

    But increased demand for thought technology remains the biggest reason for the field's progress. Today, 4 million Americans live with paralysis according to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

    Scientists hope that thought technology will reduce the impact of such disabilities. People with spinal-cord injuries, for example, often lose their ability to walk because the communications network between their brain and their legs has been interrupted. The brain still commands the leg muscles to move, but they don't hear its orders.

    Thought technology, scientists hope, will bridge this communications gap. "Our goal is for you to see paralyzed people eating at a restaurant and for you not to know that they are paralyzed," says John Donoghue, founder and chief scientific officer at Cyber Kinetics.

With fuel costs rising and airlines finding more fees to impose （强加，征税）on travelers every day, airfare isn't getting any cheaper. Since you can't drive to all your dream destinations, flying is the only way to go sometimes and, undeniably, the fastest. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and also avoid paying as many extra charges as possible when you plan ahead.

    Get the best fare. Airlines put out their fare sales on Tuesday morning, making this day the best day to book a flight for less.

Fly during the least popular times. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days to fly, which means cheaper deals than the rest of the week. You can also find reduced rates on early morning flights, since many people don't like to get up before the sun to get to the airport. Earlier boarding times can also considerably cut down your chances of getting bumped on an overbooked flight or delayed because of other delayed flights or mechanical issues.

    Choose your seat later. Some airlines charge you to pick your seat when you book online, adding even more to the bottom line of your ticket cost. If you show up early on your travel day, you can still get suitable seats. Some of the best seats get held back until flight day, unless others are willing to pay extra for them ahead of time, so you still have the chance at one of those.

Fly on holidays. You already know that summer is the most expensive time to fly, and even though most other times are more affordable, the days surrounding holidays can be crazy. Save big if you're willing to travel on major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Don't wait until the last-minute to book. Many travelers don't know that there's a sweet spot for booking and getting the best price on your tickets. Book too early or too late and you could end up paying more than you need to. The best time to book is between three months and six weeks from when you want to travel.

    An organization,Eye Care 4 Kids,is bringing much-needed eye care to poor kids.It provides free eye examinations for kids from poor families.Founded by Joseph Carbone in 2001,the organization has helped around 100,000 children in Utah and Nevada.

    Now,Cecil Swyers,a biomedical engineer who was once a poor child himself,is bringing the charity's services to poor students in Arizona,so that vision impairment（视力受损）doesn't stand in the way of their education.

    “Eye Care 4 Kids is bringing eye care and glasses to families that wouldn't have the means to pay for them,” said Mario Ventura from Isaac Elementary School District,the first school district in Arizona to receive its services.

    Good vision is important to a child's learning experience.According to a study,up to 80 percent of learning happens through sight for children between 6 and 18 years old.Without proper eye care,it's difficult for students to learn better and succeed.

    Swyers is hoping that by bringing the organization to Arizona he'll help a lot more students.He teamed up with two other organizations to get doctors to volunteer their time with the group.Using Eye Care 4 Kids mobile clinic,Swyers visited Alta E.Butler Elementary School and has already helped 40 students.

    The school was grateful to receive the eye care,especially since the services came to them.“It's is great for us,” said Assistant Pricipal Cindy Alonso.

    Swyers is hoping to bring Eye Care 4 Kids' services to other schools in the state.He said that hopefully his work will have a positive effect on students' futures.“If we can help students while they're young,we can make a difference in their futures,” he said.

    Below are some best special interesting holidays─all are new for 2017 and have high quality guides or tutors and strong programmes.

    Holland in bloom river cruise (巡游) with Alan Titchmarsh

    Alan Titchmarsh is the star attraction on this river cruise. Alan joins you for a visit to the magnificent Keukenhof Gardens─home to 800 varieties of tulips (郁金香).The Telegraph's gardening expert will talk about the best new varieties and the garden's history.

    April 19, £1,495 including flights from the UK and some meals. Telegraph Tours (0161 236 2444; telegraph.co.uk/titchmarshtour).

    Morocco Sketchbook

    Led by artist Maxine Relton, this tour takes in Marrakesh helping you develop your drawing skills. Rapid line and figure drawing and colour mixing are all covered and the eight-day holiday is based in Kasbah du Toubkal.

    May 8, £2,495 including some meals. Steppes Travel (01285 601 495; steppestravel.co.uk).

Ballroom and Latin American dancing in Tenerife

    This travel provides daily dance tuition with David Bowie who'll be on hand to teach dancing techniques. It is aimed both at the beginners and more experienced dancers looking to improve their skills. There'll also be time to explore the island on foot or play a round of golf.

    April 26, £769 full-board. Saga (0800 096 0084; travel.saga.co.uk).

    Fishing in Northern Argentina

    This nine-day fly fishing and conservation tour takes in the Iberá Marshlands, the world's second largest wetlands. Here expert fisherman, Charles Jardine, is the guide as you fish. Based in Estancia Rincon del Socorro, the holiday also includes opportunities for horse riding and bird-watching.

    October 15, £5,095 full-board. Cazenove + Loyd (02038135082; cazloyd.com).

    Finding a winter job is often a proof(证明)that you're growing up, and it's also a method for earning money to pay for what you dream of. It's never too early to start considering the future. Now, here are some good choices for you!

    Retail (零售) Sales

    Retail offers plenty of opportunity for teens who are looking for a job. This type of work can pay from $10 to $15 an hour depending upon the duty you are expected to take on. It can also be great for teens who are friendly and enjoy talking to other people. For more information, call us at 4005075.

    Food Service

    A job in the food service industry is a natural fit for sociable teens who enjoy communicating with the public. It allows employees to work as part of a team while learning about following instructions. It also comes with the opportunity to earn between $8 and $10 per hour. Just call 4005077 for more information.

    Babysitter

    This job requires someone who is highly responsible. Though it pays generally between $6 and $8 hourly, it also requires a lot of patience. This is a great choice for teens who wish to make a career in teaching, child care, social work or any other field that makes use of social skills or requires interaction with kids. Got a question? Just call 4005076.

    Housekeeping

    This type of work can bring in about $5 an hour and it will allow teens to learn the tourism industry, so hotels are often looking for more housekeeping staff, and parks often need more people to assist with keeping public areas clean and organized as well. Telephone: 4005079

    "Acting is the least mysterious of all crafts," Marion Brando once said. But for scientists, working out what is going on in an actor's head has always been something of a puzzle.

    Now, researchers have said actors show different patterns of brain activity depending on whether they are in character or not.

    Dr Steven Brown, from McMaster University in Canada, said, "It looks like when you are acting, you are suppressing (压制) yourself; almost like the character is possessing you."

    Brown and colleagues report how 15 actors, mainly theatre students, were trained to take on a Shakespeare role — either Romeo or Juliet — in a theatre workshop. They were then invited into the laboratory, where their brains were scanned in a series of experiments.

    Once inside the MRI scanner, the actors were asked to answer a number of questions, such as: would they go to the party? And would they tell their parents that they had fallen in love?

    Each actor was asked to respond to different questions, based on two different premises (前提). In one, they were asked for their own perspective, while in the other, they were asked to respond as though they were either Romeo or Juliet.

    The results revealed that the brain activity differed depending on the situation being tested. The team found that when the actors were in character, they use some third-person knowledge or inferences about their character.

    The team said they also found additional reduction in activity in two regions of the prefrontal cortex (前额皮质) linked to the sense of self, compared with when the actors were responding as themselves.

    However, Philip Davis, a professor at the University of Liverpool, was unimpressed by the research, saying acting is about far more than "pretending" to be someone — it involves embodying (体现) the text and language.