If two scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are correct, people will still be driving gasoline powered cars 50 years from now, giving out heat-trapping carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) into the atmosphere—and yet that carbon dioxide will not contribute to global warming.

    In a proposal by two scientists, vehicle emissions(排放) would no longer contribute to global warming. The scientists, F. Jeffrey Martin and William L. Kubic Jr., are proposing a concept, which they have named Green Freedom, for removing carbon dioxide from the air and turning it back into gasoline.

The idea is simple. Air would be blown over a liquid solution of potassium carbonate, which would absorb the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide would then be put to chemical reactions that would turn it into fuel(燃料): gasoline or jet fuel.

    This process could change carbon dioxide from an unwanted, climate-changing pollutant into a vast resource for renewable fuels. The cycle—equal amounts of carbon dioxide produced and removed—would mean that cars, trucks and airplanes using the synthetic(合成的) fuels would no longer be contributing to global warming.

    Although they have not yet built a synthetic fuel factory, or even a small model, the scientists say it is all based on existing technology. “Everything in the concept has been built, is operating or has a close cousin that is operating.” Dr. Martin said.

    The Los Alamos proposal does not go against any laws of physics, and other scientists who have independently suggested similar ideas. Dr. Martin said he and Dr. Kubic had worked out their concept in more detail than former proposals.

    There is, however, a major fact that explains why no one has built a carbon-dioxide-to-gasoline factory: it requires a great deal of energy.

    According to their analysis, their concept, which would cost about $5 billion to build, could produce gasoline at an operating cost of $1.40 a gallon and would turn economically practical when the price at the pump hits $4.60 a gallon.

    Other scientists said the Los Alamos proposal perhaps looked promising but could not evaluate it fully because the details had not been published. “It's definitely worth pursuing,” said Martin I. Hoffert, a professor of physics at New York University. “It's not that new an idea. It has a couple of pieces to it that are interesting.”

    Bees and other pollinators（传粉者）  use smells to track down fresh flowers. Air pollutants can weaken those scents（气味）.  Scientists had worried this might make it harder for some pollinators to find a meal.

    Many animals help pollinate plants. Species that do this include bees, butterflies, etc. But for many reasons, the pollinators available to help plants in this way are decreasing. Scientists think a loss of habitat（栖息地）can be one factor. Diseases and exposure to poisonous chemicals also count.

    Jose Fuentes points to air pollution as another possible factor. He's an atmospheric scientist at Pennsylvania State University. In an earlier study, he showed some air pollutants could weaken or destroy scents emitted(发出)by flowers.

    Searching for a meal leaves pollinators out in the open and at risk of becoming other animal's lunch. And any time spent hunting food is time away from their duties back home, like protecting a hive（蜂巢）or nest, explains T'ai Roulston. He's an insect biologist at Virginia University. Roulston worked with Fuentes on the new study.

    In the study, the researchers focused on five kinds of representative scent molecules(分子)plants emit. One molecule they looked at, for example, is called beta-myrcene. Many flowers give off this chemical into the air.  Normally, this gas can travel some 800 meters from its flower source. But in polluted air, this same molecule could travel only half as far.

    Worse still, air pollution might do more than just weaken scent plumes（气味烟云）．Chemical reactions between air pollutants and plumes may transform the flowers' smells, creating new scents. And these scents may be unrecognizable to pollinators.

    That's certainly Fuentes' concern.  So, he says his next research project will look at how insects handle any new flower scent. "It's possible that some insects will change ways to detect and use these new molecules to find food," he says.

Primavera Sound

    To kick off the summer, there's no better place to be than Barcelona. On the concert lineup, you'll find bands like The Zombies, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. Then take some time to soak up the local food, wine, and culture.

    Date: May 31 – June 4, 2018

    Location: Barcelona, Spain

    Music Type: Indie, rock, hip-hop

    Price: 80€ – 300€ (around $86 – $323)

    Recommended places to stay in Barcelona:

    Hotel 1898

    Hotel Barcelona Universal

    Mercer Hotel Barcelona

    Governors Ball

    One of the greatest summer concerts in New York City is Governor's Ball, which takes place in early June at Randall's Island Park. Some of the many artists playing include Tool, Phoenix, Lorde, Flume, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

    Date: June 2-4, 2018

    Location: New York City, New York, USA

    Music Type: Rock, hip-hop, pop

    Price: $105 – $305

    Recommended places to stay in New York City:

    W New York – Union Square, Union Square, New York City, United States

Aloft Harlem

    Super 8 Long Island City LGA Hotel

    Courtyard New York Manhattan / Upper East Side

    Bonnaroo

    Bonaroo is another epic summer event that draws in crowds of around 60,000 each year. Some of the most iconic music legends will be playing this year, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper.

    Date: June 8-11, 2018

    Location: Manchester, Tennessee, USA

    Music Type: Rock, hip-hop

    Price: $210.50 – $554+ fees

    Recommended places to stay in Manchester:

    Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Manchester

    Country Inn & Suites Manchester

    The Ambassador Inn & Luxury

    A dog found swimming more than 220 kilometers off the coast of Thailand has been returned safely to land.

    Late last week, workers on an oil rig (钻井平台) noticed the animal, all alone, in the water. It began swimming toward the side of the rig. The dog was able to get itself onto a solid area.

    He appeared cold, tired and fearful. The workers lowered a rope and secured it around the dog. Then, they worked together to pull the animal up to safety.

    The crew that found the dog quickly gave their new friend a name: Boonrod. The name means something similar to one who survives in a disaster in the Thai language.

    One of those workers was Vitisak Payalaw. He has been providing updates on Boonrod on his Facebook page. He said it was lucky that the crew noticed the dog in the water. If there had been waves, he said, the animal would not have been seen.

    No one knows how Boonrod ended up all alone at sea, or how long he had been out there. But Vitisak and others have guessed the animal might have fallen off a fishing boat.

    On Monday, Boonrod arrived on dry land. A team of animal doctors was waiting for him in the southern Thai province of Songkhla. Workers at the Songkhla port also welcomed the dog with neck rubs and a special welcome necklace made of yellow flowers. Many people took pictures with Boonrod.

    Vitisak wrote on Facebook, Today (April 15), a ship transporting the dog arrived onshore at around 10.am. His overall condition has improved. He is getting stronger and can smile.

    The dog is now in the care of an animal doctor in Songkhla. The animal protection group Watchdog Thailand said he is in good condition and getting stronger. On Tuesday, the group published pictures of Boonrod getting washed—and getting plenty of love and attention.

    Vitisak says that if no one claims Boonrod as their pet, he will take him with him to his home in northeast Thailand.

    Imagine your body is like the house you live in. Every day, your family creates rubbish. The rubbish builds up until it is put out for the weekly garbage collection.

    Now, say you put three bags of garbage out, but because one of the collectors was away sick, only two bags are collected. You take the leftover bag inside to be put out again next week. The following week you put on another three bags, plus the leftover bag from last week. But again, only two bags are collected. Imagine this cycle is repeated over the following weeks.

    This is a simple description of what happens to your body when your kidneys (肾脏) don't work efficiently. Your body is not thoroughly emptied of waste products. Other areas of the body such as blood pressure and red blood cell production are affected and the insidious process that may lead to kidney failure begins.

    It's not uncommon for people to lose up to 90% of their kidney function before developing any symptoms. There may be no warning signs. This makes early detection (诊查)difficult.

    Kidney's main job is to remove toxins (毒素) and unwanted water from our blood. Every day our kidneys clean an average of 200 litres of blood. Kidney failure may be a gradual and silent process, going unnoticed because there is no obvious pain.

    Research shows that more than 35% of the patients requiring dialysis (透析) do not see a kidney specialist before they have to do so. Some risk factors for kidney disease such as age and genetic make-up are out of our control; however, some changes in lifestyle may help prevent kidney damage. Two major risk factors for kidney disease, diabetes (糖尿病) and high blood pressure, have been on the rise over the last few decades. Both conditions are chiefly affected by being overweight and not getting enough exercises, which are the potential (潜在的) risk factors for the kidney disease.

Damarie Thomas, a twelve-year-old Jamaican teen, was concentrating on practising his skills for the upcoming football contest when he felt a hard tackle(抢断球) from behind, which pushed him to the ground. His world changed overnight. Though his injuries did not result in paralysis(瘫痪), they were serious enough to affect his movement. It was the last time that he had played football.

Now Thomas is an adult and he uses a wheelchair to travel distances. Despite a number of difficulties, he perseveres in his attempts to walk. He proudly claims that from being able to move only two steps at a time, he can now do five steps unaided. Limited resources have influenced his treatment, but he is hopeful that he will be able to complete recovery soon. Having an experience like this would have broken many an adult, but not this young man. "It's not what happens but how you come back from it that counts," he said.

After his injury, Thomas did well in his primary school exams and gained a place at one of the top-rated high schools in Jamaica. However, at that time the school was not equipped to accommodate a physically disabled student and he had to accept a transfer to a high school near his home.

It is a blessing that Thomas has now signed up for an information technology course at Abilities Foundation, proudly claiming his improvement by learning coding(编码). The Abilities Foundation aims to equip the disabled with skills through training. The training centre encourages Thomas to chase his dream — he wants to become a successful software engineer, creating innovative technology accessible and beneficial to all, especially people with disabilities.