If you could have one superpower, What would it be ?

    Dreaming about whether you would want to read minds , see through walls , or have superhuman strength may sound silly , but it actually gets to the heart of what really matters in your life 1

    Every day in our work , we are inspired by the people we meet doing extraordinary things to improve the world.

    They have a different kind of superpower that all of us possess : the power to make a difference in the lives of others .

    We're not saying that everyone needs to contribute their lives to the poor . Your lives are busy enough doing homework , playing sports , making friends , seeking after your dreams . But we do think that you can live a more powerful life when you devote some of your time and energy to something much larger than yourself . Find an issue you are interested in and learn more . Volunteer or , if you can , contribute a little money to a cause . Whatever you do , don't be a bystander . Get involved . You may have the opportunity to make your biggest difference when you're older . But why not start now ?

    Our own experience working together on health , development , and energy the last twenty years has been one of the most rewarding parts of our lives . It has changed who we are and continues to fuel our optimism about how much the lives of the poorest people will improve in the years ahead .

    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.

    A parent might place his daughter's drawing on the fridge out of a love for his child rather than for the wonderful image, but for many people, that children art is actually quite amazing. In fact, adult artists were often inspired by children's drawing. For the museum-goers out there who tend to point to a piece of modern art and say, “My kid could have made that !”It's worth remembering that often, that's actually just what the artist had in mind.

    For many kids, drawing is exciting not because of the final product it leads to, but because they can live completely in the world of their drawing for a few minutes. Even children are scribbling(涂鸦), they're representing through action, not through pictures. Liane Alves, a prekindergarten teacher, recalled a student who presented her with a drawing featuring a single straight line across the page. Alves assumed the child hadn't given too much thought to the drawing until he explained that the line was one of the stems (茎) from The Princess and the Pea, one of the fairy tales they read in class.

    Maureen Ingram, who's a preschool teacher at the same school,said her students often tell different stories about a given piece of art depending on the day, perhaps because they weren't sure what they intended to draw when they started the picture. “We as adults will often say, 'I'm going to draw a horse, 'and we set out. . . and get frustrated when we can't do it, ”Ingram said. “Children seem to take a different approach, where they just draw, and then they realize, 'it is a horse. '”

    And what about those odd or scary-looking drawings? Does that mean kids are telling themselves stories that are odd or scary? It's hard to say, but it's rarely a good idea to over-interpret it. Ellen Winner, a psychology professor, pointed to parents who worry when their kid draws a child bigger than the adults. What's most important to remember is that“children's art has its own logic,” Winner said. “Children are not being crazy. ”

    The city of Amsterdam is one of the best preserved in all of Europe. When visiting this remarkable city, you tend to forget your troubles just for a moment. With this travel guide, you will be able to discover the real Amsterdam.

    Best Time to Visit Amsterdam

    To see the tulip(郁金香)flowers you can visit from mid-April to early May. For the New Year's celebration, there're a lot of parties going on then. However, if you want to enjoy a quieter and more relaxing Amsterdam, visit from October to March.

Getting Around Amsterdam

    You can rent a bike to go wherever you want to go. Public transportation is also convenient. You can get a chip card for about$9.

    What You Should Know Before Visiting Amsterdam

    Plan ahead since most of the attractions are usually busy and be careful with your wallets as the city is well-known for pickpockets. Also be cautious when you are buying something in the markets.

    The Best of Amsterdam

    Rijksmuseum

    This museum is one of the finest in the world. Make sure you arrive before 10 am to avoid big crowds.

    Vondelpark

    If you are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet, make a trip to this top choice park in the city.

    Van Gogh Museum

    The Van Gogh Museum is very fascinating; you will definitely be moved as you see Vincent van Gogh's life and how he developed through art.

    A'DAM Tower

    If you want to get the inspiring views of Amsterdam, take the lift to the top of this tower. You can also climb aboard the giant four-person swing for some fun rides.

On an autumn afternoon, a remote sheep farm in southern Greenland is quiet. The silence is abruptly broken when dozens of sheep come thundering across the hills overlooking the farm. Walking after them are Lars Nielsen and his 37-year-old son Kunuk Nielsen.

The Nielsen family has owned and run the farm since 1972. Kunuk says the summers now are longer than when he was a child and that drought has become a problem. The fields are not so green as those in the old days. He has to buy hay (草料) from European countries.

The effects of a warming climate are obvious on the land. While he intends to struggle on, his older brother Pilu has chosen a different path.

Pilu, 40, lives in Qaqortoq in the south of Greenland -- a town of about 3,000 people. Ten years ago, he got his helicopter pilot's license and is now part owner of a small company called Sermeq Helicopters. It caters to construction and telecommunication workers and an increasing number of foreign tourists.

Pilu says he loves his family's sheep farm. But he saw that warming temperatures were making remote areas of Greenland more accessible and wanted to look for other opportunities. His company's most popular tours include a visit to Greenland's glaciers.

The warming temperatures are also affecting traditional ways of life, particularly hunting. The sea ice is changing; it's becoming less so that hunting on ice becomes more difficult. When there's no sea ice, it's difficult to use dog sledges (雪橇), and the whole culture around having dogs and dog sledges and doing traditional hunting on the ice is sort of diminishing.

Besides, many Greenlanders, like Pilu, are leaving the countryside for towns and the capital city Nuuk, where opportunities are greater. A report found that Nuuk's share of Greenland's population grew from 17.2% in 1977 to 29.2% in 2014. If there were enough houses in Nuuk, the share would even be bigger.

The giant Amazon rainforest in South America has been a mystery for centuries. It holds all kinds of natural wonders. Among them in Colombia, a river stands out as"the most beautiful river"in the world. 

Locally called Carni o Cristales, this special river lies in a national park. It is made up of several waterfalls, rapids, and plenty of pools. For most of the year, Canio Cristales looks like a common river: clean, green, and rocky. However, during the short period between September and November, the river explodes(迸发) with life and colour. It appears as any mix of colours including blue, green, yellow, orange, and a purplish red. So it is also known as the"River of Five Colours". 

Although at first it may appear as if some chemicals were added to the water, this rainbow river is completely natural. Cafio Cristales'colours are the result of a rare(稀有) water plant which needs sunlight to grow. The plants change col-our depending on how much sunlight they receive, and the amount is decided by the height and speed of the water. Therefore, it is possible for the plants to be totally colourless if the sunlight is too hard to get. They are a delicate plant. This makes them easily damaged in the water. 

Actually, the river faces some problems, including drier seasons, wildlife trouble, waste management, and budget(预算) cuts. In 2007, the park was forced to close because it was over-crowded with tourists. Now the park admits only 200 people a day and requires them to mind their behaviour. 

Today, Cano Cristales still shines among Colombia's most popular natural attractions, drawing thousands of tourists every year.