No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock‘n'roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden pole s to the stones and rolled then across the sand, the scientists say.
“Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand.
Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.

However, physicist Joseph West thinks there might have been a simpler way , who led the new study . West said , “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , ‘Why don't they just try rolling the things?'“A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized . That , he notes , should make a block of stone” a lot easier to roll than a square”.
So he tried it.
He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.
They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的)path.
West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.

    What will man be like in the future—in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.

    Let us take an obvious example, Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on averse, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modem world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger. Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger.

    On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they an; a great deal in modem life.

    But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald (光秃的).

    Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. But in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.

    Navarathri, which is celebrated throughout India, falls in September or October. On the first three days, people pray (祈祷) to the goddess Durga, the protector who destroys all evil. The next three days they pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Then, also for three days, they look to Saraswathi, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. The tenth and final day of the festival is for the goddess Durga. On this day many years ago, Durga killed the evil buffalo-headed monster, Mahishasura.

    My daughter and I took out the models of the gods and goddesses that we had stored away last year. Soon the room was littered with all kinds of dolls. We usually buy at least one new doll every year. On the tenth day, the dolls are carefully put away. If a doll is too damaged to be shown, it is never thrown away. Instead, it is put deep into the seas.

    In our hallway six long wooden steps are set up. First, we spread a thick white cloth over the steps. Now it's time to put the dolls on the steps carefully. Every year, the gollu is different. Sometimes — as the collection grows — there is no space to fit all of the dolls on the steps. Smaller dolls can also be placed on the floor.

    Every night there are prayers, music, dancing, and a large meal for many people. In northern India, the children sing songs while doing the dandiya raas, a traditional dance. Every dancer also has two wooden sticks — called dandiya — that he or she uses to make a sound in time to the lovely music. Dancing the dandiya raas helps people think of the true meaning of Navarathri — togetherness, laughter, and fun!

    At Beaver Meadows Ranch on Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, there is a long list of outdoor winter activities for the entire family. Take a winter vacation there.

    Ice Fishing

    For $10 a day, visitors can try their hand at ice fishing. Ice fishing is available from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. You will need to bring your own ice fishing equipment because it cannot be rented. You will need to have your fishing license too. For more about it, call 800-462-5870.

    Hot Chocolate & Cookies Sleigh Ride

    Passengers take a 15- to 20-minute sleigh ride through beautiful Colorado country. During the sleigh ride, you'll have the experience of stopping at an old-time cabin, warming yourself by a fire and eating cookies while drinking hot chocolate. You will need to contact them at 970-231-1955 to set up a time for your sleigh ride.

    Winter Horseback Riding

    Experience winter horseback riding while viewing the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding 840 acres where Beaver Meadows Ranch makes its home. You'll be guided on a tour by one of the expert wranglers (牧马人) when the weather permits. One-hour rides cost $35 per person and two-hour rides cost $50. For more information, contact them at 866-881-7679 to set up your horseback riding winter activity.

    Other Winter Activities Information

    For more information about Beaver Meadows Ranch, or if you'd like to book a room for an adventurous holiday, call 970-881-2450. It's not very often you can find a one-stop adventure spot full of winter activities. Take advantage of your free time this winter season and enjoy the outdoor scenery in Colorado.

    Triple Olympic and world sprint(短跑) champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica said on Monday he expects years of fast feats to ease doping doubts in athletics and has no plans to play American football.

    Appearing on ESPN programs and in light-hearted races outside the television sport network's studios, Bolt said he feels he must prove himself to a skeptical sports world in the wake of past doping scandals(诽谤).

    "I have to prove myself to the world that you can run fast without it," Bolt said.

    Bolt cited the speeds he and countryman Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay have achieved without positive doping tests.

    "We just (have to) continue to run fast," Bolt said. "In a couple of years everyone will continue to watch again and have less doubts."

    Bolt won gold in the 100m, 200 and 4x100 relay in world record times at last year's Beijing Olympics and last month in Berlin set world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200 and helped a relay title in a World Championships treble.

    "I want to be a legend in the sport. For me it's all a focus on winning championships after championships," Bolt said.

    "I don't consider myself a legend. When I defend my titles I will consider myself a legend."

    Bolt's defending of World and Olympic gold should be the feature attraction of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and the 2012 London Olympics.

    It's no surprise to hear the honking of horns in New York. Whoever tries every day to get more than a few minutes of sleep in the morning in the city will tell you that he could do nothing about it! No one can deny honking of horns is just one of his most widely enjoyed pastimes.

    But Andy, a Japanese website developer has had enough of it. Once, the 27-year-old man approached the open window to wait for the driver to finish honking, delivered a polite "excuse me" and then yelled "Ho-o-o-o-onk!", which means fierce anger in Japan. Then he threw three eggs from the window of his apartment on to a passing car honking loudly below when his patience was worn out. Instead of apologizing to him, the driver threatened to kill him angrily. So, nobly, Andy turned to non-violence. He started writing anti-honking haiku verses, a form of Japanese poetry, and submitted them to local newspapers:

    Oh. forget Enron;

    The problem around here is; All the damn honking (Enron: a major American company that recently caused a scandal because of corrupt(腐败) mismanagement)

    "Then this kind of chain reaction started happening," Andy says. "All these other haiku started appearing unexpectedly" Andy's community is now covered in anti - honking poetry, written by all walks of life.

    Patience slowly fades;

    Residents store up their eggs; That day is coming soon.

    It's understandable that Andy has set up a website — www.honku.org — and now people from across the country send him news of their own anti - honking activities. It seems that poetry can change the world after all. Then, just recently, anti-anti- honking haiku started to appear, launched by locals who thought Andy should stop worrying about honking and start worrying about starving children, or war in the Middle East instead. Andy has an answer for that. "Stop me if this is too ridiculous," he says, "but they talk about the violence in the Middle East like it's a force of nature, like it's beyond our control. But actually it's kind of like the honking - the violence is man -made. If we can figure out how to stop honking on the streets, I think we could learn some things that we could use on a large scale."