Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.

    Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies' two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.

    At the age of 17 Irene entered the University of Paris to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities(设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military's Medal by the French government.

    In 1918, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.

    Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity(辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.

    New Sciencenter Featured Exhibition: Ocean Bound!

    Opening weekend

    Member Preview: Friday, February 3, 6—8 pm

    Public Opening: Saturday, February 4, 10 am — 5 pm

    Start a journey through watersheds to see how everyone's actions affect the health of our ocean. Enjoy interacting with 3D watershed models, piloting a full-size submersible from mountain stream to ocean, guiding water safely through a hazardous maze, diverting pollutants as they travel through storm-water drains, playing with early education exhibits inside a clubhouse, and many more engaging interactive exhibits.

    Showtime! Plant and Animal Double-Takes

    Saturday, January 21, 2 pm

    Have you ever looked at a living thing and wondered, Is that a plant or an animal? Join Sciencenter educators Julie Yurek and Sarah Cox to look into species that make you take a second look. Explore the surprising differences between these plants and animals.

    Showtime! Solar Power Goes Nano

    Saturday, February 11, 2 pm

    Did you know scientists are using nanotechnology to store solar energy? Learn about solar power and the emerging use of hydrogen fuel cells. Justin Sambur, NSF Postdoctoral Research Associate at Cornell's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, will demonstrate a model race car that uses a hydrogen fuel cell kit powered by solar energy.

    Special Showtime! Presentation: Animal Adaptations for Winter

    Wednesday, February 22, 1 pm

    Have you ever wondered how animals survive in winter? Join Emma Brofsky of Cornell's Naturalist Outreach Program to explore animal adaptations for winter and learn how biology helps animals cope with cold weather, food shortages, and limited habitats. Touch animal pelts and do a hands-on activity on animal insulation.

    In many situations, the quality of your travel experience is directly affected by your ability to understand the local language. For some travelers, the challenge of learning a new tongue is one of the joys of travel, and as a result, they spend much of their time in conversations with local citizens. Others will find that just learning to read the most common signs and use every-day greetings is enough.

    No matter which view you agree with, it's necessary to take some time to learn some of the simple phrases of the new language before you go. One way of finishing this task is by listening to the new language. A phrase book can help expand your vocabulary, but hearing the sounds of the different spoken words is an excellent activity that can be done right in the comfort of your home. You can see movies in the new language or listen to the tapes or CDs. You can also download some listening material from the Internet. Just spending 15 minutes a night will improve your language skills.

    When you arrive in the new land, begin by greeting new friends in their own tongue. This may come easy or it could take some time to learn, but it's interesting. If you can't do this, then it means that you will need more practice and patience to learn these very important words. You can go out during the day and begin one-on-one conversations with shop owners, business-men and taxi drivers. This should not be done until you have learned some of the most common phrases, but once you begin to go shopping in a second language your communication skills will start to improve rapidly. You can also watch the local TV or listen to the local radio. For example, the advertisements will help you recognize the correct pronunciation of local street names.

    Let's catch a glimpse of the latest inventions this year.

    Parallels lets you use desktop apps on your phone

    You'd think most applications would have created a mobile app by now — but many companies still use desktop apps exclusively. Now Parallels Access lets you access them on your smartphone. All you need to do is download the app, then connect Parallels' Applification™ to your computer, so you can access important files and other apps with a single click. You can easily use your apps in full-screen mode, using intuitive(直观的) touch controls to work faster than before.

    Usually, Parallels Access is $19.99, but you can get it now for $9.99.

    Take your lighting to the next level with this smart switch

    You probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about your home's lighting, but it's important: the way that you control your lighting affects the environment (and your electric bill).

    This WiFi wall switch is controlled via a companion app on your smartphone, so you can control connected lights or ceiling fans from anywhere.

    Usually, the Meross WiFi Wall Light Switch costs $45.99, but right now it's on sale for $39.99 .

    Shoot beautifully clear videos with this smartphone gimbal

    If you're interested in shooting professional-quality videos and photos, you don't have to spend a fortune to take a beautifully composed shot: just use this Rigiet Smartphone Gimbal instead.

    A gimbal is a support for your camera (in this case, your smartphone) that allows it to pivot（移动）, and automatically detect and adjust to the position that you want to film in. Unlike any other camera hardware you might own, this one comes with its own accompanying app.

    Usually, this Rigiet Smartphone Gimbal is $269, but you can get it now for $109.99.

By 11:00, Gopamma knew something was wrong. Her husband, Hanutha, should have returned from collecting firewood an hour before. Gopamma sent for her son, who gathered a search party and headed to Bandipur Tiger Reserve, a nearby national park in south-western India. Just inside the forest, they discovered Hanutha's half-eaten remains. The tiger that killed him was still sitting next to the body.

In the face of her husband's death, Gopamma struggled not only with grief but economic hardship. Her son had to drop out of university. "My life was much better when my husband was alive," she says. "My older son could have studied, but now both of my sons have to work. I feel insecure and dependent. "

Despite all this, Gopamma feels no hate toward the tiger that killed her husband. Like many Hindus in India, she views humans and creatures, each with an equal right to existence. Her husband's death, she says, has nothing to do with the fact that the government is trying to save tigers: "This was my fate."

Rural Indians are unique in the world for their high tolerance for co-existing with potentially deadly wildlife. "You don't find this in other cultures," says Ullas, a biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society and a leading expert on tigers. "If this kind of thing happened in Montana or Brazil, they'd wipe out everything the next day. "

The country holds just 25% of total tiger habitat, but accounts for 70% of all remaining wild tigers, or around 3, 000 animals today. Success does not come without cost, however. They still have a lot of difficulties with tigers breaking into human-dominated places in certain parts of India, livestock(牲畜) are killed and sometimes so are people.

Some animal activists think that there are too few tigers left in the wild, so even one shouldn't be killed. Tigers are treasures, we'd better live with them together.