Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.

    But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.

    Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.

    “In Africa,” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”

    The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war 'cool' was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude.

    But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.

    Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.

    But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.

    “Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.

    Early birds-people who feel most energetic in the morning-tend to make healthier food choices throughout the day than night owls(夜猫子) , according to a new study.

    "Evening types had more irregular meal times," notes study author Mirkka Maukonen, studying human nutrition and obesity(肥胖) in Finland.

    Her study focused on people's risk of heart disease and their eating habits. Participants described when and what they had eaten during the past two days.

Maukonen's team then looked at l,854 people's lifestyle. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that both morning and evening people consumed approximately the same number of calories over a whole day.  However, night owls tended to eat their meals later than early birds. Before 10:00 am, night owls consumed less food than early birds. More of their calories came from sugar. After 8:00 pm, the night owls ate more sugar and fat. Meanwhile ,early birds ate more protein during both the morning and the evening hours.

    "Night owls tend to be less healthy than early risers," notes Courtney Peterson who studies diet and meal timing. "They are more likely to get heart disease or cancer. The fact that night owls tend to eat more junk food probably plays a role," Peterson says. "Other factors(因素) also can ruin a night owl's health. Night owls generally sleep worse," says Peterson. "Poor sleep has been linked to unhealthy food choices. "

    Peterson and Maukonen say night owls tend to have poor eating habits. But that doesn't necessarily mean that being a night owl makes a person a poor eater. It could be the reverse- eating poorly could affect people's sleep habits.

"The new findings should serve as a wake-up call to night owls. For them, the new results should encourage paying attention to healthier lifestyle choices," says Maukonen. 28. How did Maukonen do research about people's risk of heart disease?

    Some people dream about becoming engineers. Luckily, the new IMAX film Dream Big shows how engineering can improve people's lives. It teaches viewers how engineers use high-tech to help the world. The film hits IMAX theaters nationwide on February 17 to celebrate Engineers Week.

    The film, taking place in locations like China, Dubai and Africa, tells the stories of engineers who try to come up with creative ideas to save energy and help people.

    Dream Big was directed by Greg MacGillivray who has 38 films under his belt, including some of the most successful films ever shown in IMAX theaters.

    How did MacGillivray get into the moviemaking business? “I grew up at the beach. My first movies were about surfing and the ocean. As time went on, I saw the changes in the ocean including polluting and overfishing. So I started making films about conservation of nature.” He told TFK. Now, his films cover a variety of topics, from the natural world to human creation.

    One of the engineers in Dream Big is Angelica Hernandez. In high school, she was on a team that best MIT, a university, in an underwater robotics competition. Today, the engineering work she does focuses on helping people use less energy and save money and resources. “I work with companies to promote energy efficiency with their commercial customers, so it's really trying to push forward all the measures that customers and high-energy users can apply, she explains.

    Engineering is such a good job-you make good money, travel around the world, solve amazing problems and help people.” She says.

    The mission of Dream Big is to show people the good that engineers can do to the world. “That was the impulse of making this movie”, MacGillivray explains, “We want to explain engineering in a way that will get the kids very excited about it.” “Whoever and wherever you are, you can become an engineer,” he adds, “All you need is the creative spirit.”

    Almost none of us have the time to read everything we'd like to read. Yet we lose countless hours to daily activities that bring us little joy like taking buses and waiting in line. What if we could turn these little blocks of unoccupied time into precious and rewarding moments for learning and thinking?

    Established in 2012, iReader, a micro-learning app on mobile phones, brings the biggest ideas from best-selling books through 15-minute audio (音频) and text. So far, more than 3,000 books have been included, ranging from psychology and parenting to management and economics, with new titles added every day.

    iReader is pioneering a new method of reading, with over 9 million users enjoying the benefits already. According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), the British read just 4 paper books a year and over 25% haven't read a single paper book this year, but reading isn't dying. There are now more ways for the British to read than ever before, due to the widespread use of e-books and audio books.

    The books in iReader are rewritten to ensure it is easy to remember the main content. The way the content is edited has been specifically designed to ensure it is useful in practice. Besides, the content is rewritten with related examples in real life, which means users are more likely to remember and apply what is helpful to them.

    Holger Seim, German co-founder of this app, declares, "iReader gives you the biggest ideas in the shortest possible time. It transforms great ideas into little packs you can listen to or read in just 15 minutes."

Dear Coach,

    I have been out of work for almost six months now and things are starting to get very tough for me. I am practically living out of my savings. I have been looking for a job, but things are really bad and I cannot find a single person who wants to hire me. I know that the main problem is that I do not have a degree. I want to go back to school and get my degree, but I also need a job now. I owe money to some people who have been helping me. Because I am out of work, I cannot pay them back. What do you think I should do? I need to find a job as quickly as possible, and want to know what else to do to get people to give me a chance to work for them.

The Unemployed

Dear Unemployed,

    Before you get yourself in a really bad situation, you need to stop borrowing money from people. If you continue doing that, you will be deep in debts and the situation will get even worse for you. The next thing you need to do is look for a job depending on your abilities, skills, and experience. By doing that, you will be increasing your chances of finding a job that suits you best. And the last thing I will suggest is that you should stop feeling sorry for yourself and continue working hard to get a job that you need. Borrowing money, complaining, and feeling bad for your situation will do no good to you. Stay strong and get out there and start showing the world what you can offer. I promise if you work hard and never give up, you will soon find the job that you are looking for. And while you are doing it, thing about getting your degree as well because it will help you to become more challenging. Try those tips.

The Coach

The wonders of ancient Egypt have drawn visitors for thousands of years. Astonishing temples, pyramids and legendary pharaohs are its timeless legacy. Smithsonian Journeys will be your best choice if you want to visit Ancient Egypt. It would be a great tour as you would be viewing the only remaining structure of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. The Pyramids, Temples and Tombs are amazing works that make you wonder just how these magnificent structures were built thousands of years ago! However, there is so much more with Smithsonian Journeys！ Join us on this new tour to discover Egypt's mysteries.

What Is Provided With Your Tour

Pre-tour information, including a reading list;

Luggage handling for one bag per person;

All on-tour transportation, unless otherwise noted;

All accommodations and meals during the tour;

All sightseeing and visits.

A Note about Costs

This journey will cost you about ＄5000. All prices are based on two persons sharing a room. All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars. Tour costs are based upon current airfares, tariffs, currency values. While we will do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, they are subject to change. Due to fluctuations in oil prices, a fuel surcharge may be added to your tour fee (e.g. internal flights, cruises, etc.). Details will be advised prior to departure.

Registration

To submit a reservation request, please use our secure online system at Smithsonian Journeys. Org or contact a Cultural Travel Specialist, at 1-855-330-1542 Mon—Fri 9 am—6 pm. Submitting an online request does not guarantee space on a tour. You will be notified by a Reservation Specialist of your status once your request has been received and processed.