On a recent visit to the Museum of Modem Art with a friend and her daughter, wandering through the museum's exhibits, I was struck by how often my friend's 13-year-old daughter asked us to take photos of her with her smart phone in front of the artwork. Then, she gazed at the photos which she would then post on Instagram, Snapchat and all the rest. She was not the only person who was doing this; it seemed everyone was busy taking photos of themselves "experiencing" the museum.

    This is by no means a criticism of my friend's daughter or anyone else. What was concerning, at least to me, was that in between being photographed and posting, my friend's daughter had no interest in the artwork, a fact which didn't seem to matter or have anything to do with wanting to post herself as someone enjoying the experience.

    When I was her age, I had no interest in going to museums either. Having no interest in art at her age (and any age) is completely normal. But what is disturbing is how much of a young person's energy these days goes into creating an image of the life they're living and the character they "are" in that life. While creating a self-image has always been a big part of growing up and figuring out our identity, social media seems to have changed the rules of the game. Social media has not just increased the pressure and possibility of creating a self-generated(自我创造的) self-image, but also distorted(歪曲) the process through which we become who we are. Young people now seem to be creating an image of who they are in place of becoming who they are, posting their life rather than living it.

    Social media has turned life and its experiences into an exercise in narcissism(自恋，自我陶醉). No matter what the experience is actually about, it becomes about you, the person who is living it. A concert is not about the music, a restaurant not about the food and a sport event not about the sport; it's all about you, the doer, and what the event says about you. As a result the more we use life create an identity, the more distant from life we feel. Instead of being part of it, we feel as if we have to keep generating new life material.

    I hope the next time you post your story, pause for a moment and experience where you are, feel what it feels like to live what you're living without using life for your benefit, or for anything at all. Just live, without the narrative(叙述). While you may feel this practice is a threat to your identity, causing you to miss a chance to prove your value, in fact, the benefit will far outweigh any loss it brings.

    Getting paid to stay in bed all day sounds pretty good. But what if someone offered you $23,000 to stay in bed for two months? That's the deal that are search team is offering to 24 volunteers.

    Researchers are looking for volunteers to help them study the influences of weightlessness on the human body by spending 60 days lying down. Lying in bed isn't exactly the same as being weightless, but the influences on the human body are similar.

    When astronauts spend a long time in an environment with no gravity(重力), like the International Space Station (ISS),their bodies are affected in many ways. After a couple of months on the ISS, astronauts' hearts don't beat as hard. Their muscles（肌肉）become weaker because they no longer have to work against gravity. Their bones may break more easily. There may also be changes in the astronauts' sleep habits.

    Dr. Arnaud Beck, the researcher in charge of the study, said his goal is to measure the influences of weightlessness, and also to find ways to prevent problems. The study will take 88 days altogether. During the first two weeks the volunteers will be tested to establish(确定) their levels of fitness. Then they will spend 60 days lying in bed with their heads slightly lower than their bodies. They will have to do everything while lying down, including brushing their teeth and going to the bathroom. Dr. Beck said the rule is that they must have at least one shoulder touching the bed at all times. Half of the volunteers in the study will be taking capsules(胶囊) containing special food supplements（增补物）several times a day to see if they help reduce the health problems caused by weightlessness. The last two weeks of the study will be spent trying to let the volunteers recover. Volunteers must be men between the ages of 20 and 45 who are in perfect health. They must be non-smokers.

    The study will take place from September 1^st to November. The first two days are the time for volunteers to sign in.

    The summer before my dad died, we moved house. Up until that point, our family had our own space to spread out. Money was tight, so there was no television set, but we owned a turntable on which my dad's records played constantly. Mostly, it played Bob Dylan. Tracks from The Basement Tapes and Desire became an important part of our new life. My brother and I, aged 8 and 10，climbed trees, built hideaways and learned the words of Clothes Line Saga. We would chant over and over, lost in our own joy.

    It was January when my dad left us forever because of the cancer. He was 36 going on 37 then, the same age as Dylan. Afterwards, our laughter disappeared, but we kept on playing the records, which became our only ritual of remembrance. The two men became so intertwined in my head, I struggled to tell them apart.

    Dylan was my dad's gift to me. What child wouldn't be fascinated by songs full of pirates and seasick sailors? How did it feel to have No direction home? Farewell, Angelina became my party-piece. I would sing this at church cheese and wines to the assembled audience. A lot of donations were made.

    Growing up, I remained a fan of the music, but I wasn't obsessed with Dylan until one day in early 1995, my brother bought us both tickets to see him play at Brixton Academy. London felt like a long way to go. But finally seeing Dylan step out on to the stage brought a sudden rush of excitement.

    I have seen Dylan a couple of times since. My brother is not around so much these days. But he was up for a visit recently. We passed a happy evening laughing and drinking, while his son, aged nine, performed his party—piece Subterranean Homesick Blues for us. He sang it word-perfect. And so it goes on: Dylan's music as a gift, passed down the generations.

    With the New Year just months away, you are probably looking forward to watching the wonderful fireworks(烟花) shows. Unfortunately, the over ten million blind Americans, and scores more around the world, have never been able to experience this joyful celebration. That may change soon thanks to Feeling Fireworks, a tactile(可触摸的) fireworks experience invented by the masterminds at the Disney Research Lab in Switzerland.

    To experience the show, users stand in front of a large screen, which is made of special material. They then place their hands at the base of the screen and move them around to feel the fireworks. Alternatively, their hands can be placed in the center of the screen, where the initial explosions happen, and then moved across to explore other fireworks.

    As the fireworks begin to explode, one of five nozzles(喷嘴) at the back of the screen starts to send out water, creating shaking movements. One specializes in the “blooming(开花) flower effect,” while another reproduces the“crackle(噼啪声)” effect. The rest take care of rockets and explosions. A computer controls the timing, while a Microsoft Kinect camera tracks the person's movement. According to the inventors, Feeling Fireworks allows users to experience “tactile fireworks that are similar to physical fireworks happening in the sky.”

    First appearing at the User Interface Software and Technology conference held in Quebec City, Canada from October 22 to October 25, 2017, the low-cost technology is still in its early stage, with only a 66 percent success rate. However, the team plans to continue-improving the experience and believes the day when everyone will be able to enjoy the thrill of fireworks shows is not far. When ready, Feeling Fireworks will initially be available only at Disney theme parks, and then hopefully, at fireworks shows worldwide.

    Donna Strickland is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Professor Strickland is one of the recipients( 受领者) of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 with Gérard Mourou, her PhD supervisor at the time. They published this Nobel-winning research in 1985 when Strickland was a PhD student at the University of Rochester in New York state. Together they paved the way toward the most intense laser pulses ever created.

    Professor Donna Strickland is only the third woman ever to have won a Nobel Prize in physics. She and her fellow winners were honored for what the Nobel Committee called ground-breaking inventions in laser physics. Professor Strickland devised a way to use lasers as very precise drilling or cutting tools. Millions of eye operations are performed every year with these sharpest of laser beams.

—"How surprising do you think it is that you're the third woman to win this prize? "

—"Well, that is surprising, isn't it? I think that's the story of Maria that people want to talk about — that why should it take 60 years? There are so many women out there doing fantastic research, so why does it take so long to get recognized? "

    Physics still has one of the largest gender gaps in science. One recent study concluded that at the current rates it would be more than two centuries until there were equal numbers of senior male and female researchers in the field.

    The last woman to win a physics Nobel was German-born Maria Goeppert-Mayer for her discoveries about the nuclei of atoms. Before that it was Marie Curie, who shared the 1903 prize with her husband, Pierre. This year's winners hope that breaking this half century hiatus will mean the focus in future will be on the research, rather than the gender of the researcher.

    The holidays are the best time to ask the elders in your family for advice. For most people, the approaching holiday season includes more time with the extended family, including the elder generation.

    Unfortunately, older adults are often unseen in the popular media. Yet there's a big body of evidence that shows the benefits of older adults' wisdom and the value of developing communication across generations.

    First, over the course of human history, older people have played very important roles as advice-givers. Anthropological (人类学) research shows that survival in pre-literate societies was dependent on the knowledge of the oldest members.

    In recent times, most of the researches about intergenerational communication occur within formal programs, such as ones including older adults in public schools or having youth visit assisted living facilities. Also, you can apply many of the lessons of the researches to your own family gatherings.

    There is clear evidence that it is good for young people to spend time with older adults. The youth who participated in intergenerational programs showed more respect toward older adults, less anxiety, and higher self-esteem. Research also shows that interacting with younger people is good for older adults. A systematic review found that older adults who participated in intergenerational programs were likely to experience more satisfaction with their lives, higher self-esteem and fewer symptoms of depression. Interactions during intergenerational programs can be positive even when an older adult is experiencing memory or cognitive problems.

    Having children teach computer or video games to the older generations can be a fun way to spend time together. A study found that intergenerational games can help family members to bond. Another idea is to encourage the youth to ask older family members for their advice about life.

    The youth can ask older adults specific questions about the lessons they learned from their life experiences.

    The take-home message is that time with older relatives is one of the true gifts of the holiday season. Make the most of it by spending time with the older generation!