Food storing is common in members of the crow（乌鸦）family. A new study tested the birds outside this naturally occurring behaviour, which may have evolved（进化）specifically because it gives crows a survival advantage. Some crow species are known to naturally use tools to recover food. So the researchers tested whether the birds could store and recover a tool so they could get it at their food after a gap of 17 hours—something we wouldn't expect them to do naturally. But they were able to instantly select the tool out of a number of unnecessary items.

    In another experiment, the researchers taught crows to select a token （礼品券）from a number of items so that they could then exchange for food. Again, the birds then showed that they could plan for the future using this new behaviour. This is different from all of the previous studies in future planning, which have focused on naturally occurring behaviour. For example, we know that chimpanzees select, transport and save appropriate tools for future needs.

    These studies have shown that animals can plan for the future—but they left an important question open for debate. Are animals only able to plan to use abilities that have evolved to give them a specific advantage, or can they flexibly and intelligently apply planning behaviour across various actions? Most critics would say the former, as the animals were tested in naturally occurring behaviours.

    But the new research provides the first evidence that animal species can plan for the future using behaviour that doesn't typically occur in nature. This supports the view that at least some recognitive abilities in animals don't evolve just in response to specific problems. Instead, it suggests that animals can apply these behaviours flexibly across problems in a similar way to humans. We need to investigate how flexible behaviour evolved. Then we might be able to see how crows' ability to plan for the future fits in with their broader cognitive powers.

    The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It was one of the poorest nations in the region. Within the last five years, however, it has become a hot spot for adventure travelers. In 2006 it was voted the happiest place on Earth. The reason is not that Vanuatu are the richest but that Vanuatu has white-sand islands, clear waters, the world's most accessible live volcano, great diving and food that grows faster than it can be picked.

    With a population of about 221,000, Vanuatu has 113 languages, which is a result of 3,000 years of immigration from many Pacific countries. There are three official languages: English, French, and Bislama. Bislama developed from South Pacific English, a simplified language that traders and other foreigners used it to communicate with speakers of the many local languages.

    Most of the islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin. There are several active volcanoes in Vanuatu, including Yasur on the island of Tanna, one of the world's most accessible volcanoes. If you've ever fancied getting close to a volcano, here's your chance.

    Vanuatu Post's Underwater Post Office has quickly become one of the busiest post offices for postcards in the world! Visitors from around the world want to experience the world's first under- water post office. The Post Office is only 50 meters offshore and at just three meters below the surface, very appealing to the young and young at heart. Since opening in 2003, the underwater post office has received about 100,000 visitors. They have posted one of the waterproof（防水的）postcards available in Vanuatu; these cards are collected regularly by one of Vanuatu Post's four trained divers. The underwater branch is manned daily for usually about an hour, longer with demand.

    A new study of 8,000 young people in the journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily，it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love（早恋）may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression. The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.

    The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won't tell that to their parents.

    Dr Marianm Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.

    Parents should watch for signs of depression—eating or mood changes—and if they see signs from their daughters or sons，they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity(成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.

    University of Pennsylvania researchers say that for the first time they have linked social media use to increases in depression and loneliness. The idea that social media is anything but social when it comes to mental health has been talked about for years, but not many studies have managed to actually link the two. To do that, Penn researchers, led by psychologist Melissa Hunt, designed a study that focused on WeChat, Snapchat and Instagram.

    The study was conducted with 143 participants, who before they began, completed a mood survey and sent along photos of their battery screens, showing how often they were using their phones to access social media. "We set out to do a much more complete study which attempts to imitate real life." Hunt said.

    The study divided the participants into two groups： The first group was allowed to maintain their normal social media habits. The other, the control group, was restricted to 10 minutes per day on social media. The restrictions were put in place for three weeks and then the participants returned and were tested for outcomes such as fear of missing out, anxiety, depression and loneliness.

    The results showed a very clear link between social media use and increased levels of depression and loneliness. "Using less social media than you normally do would lead to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness," Hunt said.

    Social media invites what Hunt calls "downward social comparison." "When you're online, it can sometimes seem that everyone else is cooler and having more fun and included in more things and you're left out," Hunt said. And that's just generally discouraging. "Every minute you spend online is a minute you are not doing your work or not meeting a friend for dinner or having a deep conversation with your roommate." And these real life activities are the ones that can encourage self﹣esteem and self﹣worth, Hunt added.

    "People are on their devices, and that's not going to change," she said. But as in life, a bit of control goes a long way.

Traveling Tips

    No Smoking

    Federal and State Government Regulations do not allow you to smoke on board express coaches within Australia.

    Luggage Allowance

    As a fare paying customer you are entitled to take 2 pieces of personal luggage. Each must not exceed 75 cm in length, or weigh more than 20kg.

    Excess luggage will be carried at the company's excess luggage rate and depending on space availability may be required to be carried on another coach.

    Luggage Tips

    1) Keep your valuables with you. Money, jewellery, valuable documents, credit cards, keys, medications should be retained by you and not on the coach at meal or transport stops.

    2) Use sturdy, lockable luggage. Do not use plastic bags as these may split during the transit.

    3) Make sure you identify your luggage with a name tag.

    4) Backpacks—stow all items and do not leave mugs, shoes, towels hanging off your backpack as these can get caught in other luggage and cause damage.

    Departure Times

    The time shown on your ticket is the coach departure time. If you are boarding halfway and not at a travel centre or terminal you should be at the pick up point 15 minutes ahead of this time, so you can be comfortably on board by the time the coach is due to leave. If you are boarding at a travel centre or terminal, please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the published departure time and remember to allow extra time at peak travel times.

    Dress Requirements

    As a courtesy, and so as not to offend fellow travelers, a reasonable standard of clothing and footwear is required.

    Scientists Diego Kersting and Cristina Linares have found that some coral species are able to recover from harmful warming events through a unique survival strategy (策略)—known as "rejuvenescence" (新生)—among corals in the Mediterranean Sea. The findings represent some rare good news for corals around the world, which are facing numerous severe threats—most notably, climate change.

    "The main threats are climate change, overfishing, pollution and coastal urbanization," Kersting said. "But currently, climate change is probably the one causing the most coral cover declines. Warming stresses corals up to a point that may cause death. Some corals bleach (白化) before dying. Other corals do not bleach but die directly." He went on, "Our findings are significant because this survival strategy was only known from fossil corals that existed hundreds of millions of years ago. It is the first time that it has been found in a living coral. Thanks to our findings, we know now that some corals are able to recover, but unfortunately this is not enough in the current climate change context."

    For their research, Kersting and Linares monitored 243 colonies of the endangered reef-building coral Cladocoracaespitosa in Spain's Columbretes Islands Marine Reserve over 16 years, starting in 2002. The monitoring revealed that Cladocoracaespitosa in the Mediterranean uses rejuvenescence to cope with warming events. This process involves the polyps — or the individual coral animals in a colony—shrinking inward and abandoning their skeletons (骨骼) during warm periods, before rejuvenating at a later point. "What happens is that some polyps in a coral colony—sometimes just one— reduces completely its dimensions and partially retreats from its skeleton," Kersting said. "Once the stressful event is over, the shrunken or rejuvenated polyp recovers its size and builds up a new skeleton. Eventually, it begins to reproduce itself through budding and begins to cover the dead colony surfaces."

    He continued, "The results were very surprising because I started to observe colonies that were dead years ago, that were showing living parts many years after their death."