Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.

    A report says older adults who test their minds with increasingly difficult projects have better mental ability than those who do less demanding activities.

    To keep our brains sharp as we age, we are often told to keep our minds active. As the old saying goes, “Use it or lose it.” But, there is very little scientific evidence to support than.

Denise Park is head of the university's Center for ? Vital Longevity. She designed a study in which she and her tern placed 221 healthy aging and older adults into one of three groups.

    “We asked people to learn new things, like quilting or photography. We asked other people to just do fun things like being in a social group function but were not likely to have a very large effect.”

    The subjects took part in their assigned activities for 15 hours a week over three months. At the end of that time, the researchers found that the adults who learned new skills, such as digital photography, showed the greatest improvements on memory tests.

    No improvements were seen in the results of those in the social group that did activities together like going on field trips. There were also no improvements among the third group that listened to classical music or did crossword puzzles.

    Denise Park believes one reason for improved memory in the active learning group is that its members were being pushed to learn new skills. The other groups took part in what she call receptive activities. Learning new skills may not cure age-related mental decline. But, Ms. Park thinks being mentally active slows down the process.

Denise Park says the latest information shows that the improvements lasted for at least a year. She and her team plan to do longer follow-up studies with all three groups. She also is interested in learning whether taking part in demanding mental activities delays the development of conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

    As the weather costs you a loss on trains and flights, we look at your rights.

Cancelled trains

    On a single ticket, a passenger will usually receive 25% of the fare if the train is delayed by 15 minutes. If the delay reaches 30 minutes, the compensation（补偿金）rises to 50%, and if it's over an hour you should be able to reclaim the whole cost. Clear arrangements vary according to train operators（运营商）.

    If you were due to travel, to say Aberdeen from London, your train is cancelled and you decide not to travel, you can get a full compensation. If you had a non-cancelable ticket with one operator, and failed to make that train because the connecting train was delayed, you can take the next available train.

Flights

    If your flight is cancelled because of the snow you have the right to s full compensation of the ticket, or to be rerouted home on a later flight.

    But you will have no right to get a delay or cancellation compensation under EU rules, because the snow is an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's control. If you don't take the compensation and choose to be rerouted, and it means you are stuck at the airport overnight, it's the airline's duty to pay for a reasonably priced hotel room and meals.

    The airline has to reroute you at the earliest opportunity, or at the passenger's free time, you are supposed to take the availability of seats.

    If you choose to be rerouted or if your departure is delayed by more than two hours, airlines also have to provide assistance such as food. The airlines keep this quiet and getting the money out of the low-cost operators can be a hard job. Keep evidence of cancellations, all receipts, and use your mobile to video any offer to pay by airline staff.

    Breakdancing is set to make its first debut (亮相) as an Olympic sport at Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris organizing committee, said on February 21st. Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, which have already been added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, have been invited to return in Paris four years later.

    Tony Estanguet said the choices responded to a need to make the Olympics "more urban" and "more artistic". We have chosen to present the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the four sports because they are creative, appealing to youth and completely in line with our vision. They reflect perfectly Paris 2024's identity.

    Breakdancing is an example of a sport "Which can be played anywhere and anytime in urban and other environment." It appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in the form of head-to-head "battles". In competitive breakdancing, "breakers" face off in "battles" against each other, either as individuals or teams. Breakdancers use a mix of physical and artistic skills combining elements from gymnastics or acrobatics (杂技).

    The IOC had announced that the number of competitors at Paris 2024 would be restricted to 10, 500, which limited the opportunity to add sports. But the organizers said the inclusion of the four sports in Paris would not necessitate the construction of permanent facilities and would involve just 248 competitors, of which 32 would he in breakdancing. The surfing events are likely to be held in established surf centres such as Biarritz or Lacanau in southwest France.

    The inclusion still need to be rubberstamped by the IOC, which is expected to decide on which sports to add in Paris after next years' Tokyo Games.

    Summer vacation is coming soon. To enjoy a relaxing holiday, here we'd like to share with you some of the best rock and jazz festivals. Although many Ukrainian(乌克兰的) music festivals were cancelled because of the bad financial condition, plenty remain for music lovers.

    KrayinaMriy

    When and where: June 20－21, Kyiv, Pyrohovo folk museum

    Lineup (阵容): TNMK, Boombox, VopliVidoplyasova, Onuka

    KrayinaMriy is an annual(每年的) rock music festival that promotes modern music. Besides music, the festival will offer dances as well as literary and theatrical performances and also playing of a traditional music instrument.

    Alfa Fest

    When and where: June 26－28, Lviv

    So far all tickets have been booked, but a waiting list is available at www.alfajazzfest.com/buyticket. This yearly festival held in Lviv will be interesting for both experienced jazz lovers and jazz learners. The performers on the lineup come from Ukraine, Japan, Cuba and the U.S.

    Koktebel

    When and where: Aug.22－Sept.6,Zatoka village, Odesa Oblast

    Koktebel Jazz is the biggest outdoor jazz festival. The Cinematic Orchestra, ParovStelar, Nino Katamadze, Bonobo, Submotion Orchestra, Billy's Band were the GALA'S superstars in previous years. This year the list of festival's participants and tickets prices still remain unknown but the organizers revealed(透露) that apart from good jazz, the guests will be offered music lectures and movie screenings.

    Respublica

    When and where: Sept.4－7,KamyanetsPodilsky, Khmelnytska Oblast

    Folk music and street art festival Respublica will take place in Kamyanets, Podilsky, one of the most beautiful cities in the west. Kyiv Post staff writer NataliyaTrach can be reached at trach@kyivpost.com.Booking in advance can get a good discount.

    It seems we're always being told to get more sleep. Studies suggest spending less time on sleep can lead to obesity(肥胖) and even cancer. You might even find yourself with a head full of false memories. But rarely does science explore the dark side of sleeping too much. That's because few of us in today's busy world have the luck of exploring that option.

    In an August 2018 study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers researched the sleep patterns of those "fortunate" few and found they may not be so lucky after all. In fact, they found people who get more than eight hours of sleep have greater health risk compared to those who sleep together less than seven hours. What's more, sleep-aholics-those who manage to get 10 hours a night-stand a 30 percent higher chance of dying compared to the seven-hour crowd.

    The wide-ranging global study involved(涉及) more than three million people who self-reported on their sleep habits and came to an eye-opening conclusion: If you tend to sleep a lot, you may want to buy an alarm clock. As with all things in life, sleep is best taken in moderation(适度).

    You may be thinking: What if I only sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, am I still at risk? The answer is yes, according to a 2019 study published in Current Biology.  Researchers discovered that even if a person sleeps more than seven hours on the weekends but still sleeps less than that on weeknights, they are at risk of gaining weight and developing sensitivity to insulin, which controls the level of sugar in blood.

    For the study, 36 participants were divided into three groups that each had a different sleep schedule: nine hours every night, five hours every night, and five hours from Monday to Friday and sleeping much on weekends. People who get too much sleep tend to feel tired and lack energy. Also, both sleep-deprived(睡眠不足的) groups consume more food and gain weight.