Now, a new study suggests that coffeefans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply changing the color of theircups.

Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs,which are popular in some coffee shops, can reduce coffee's bitterness, withoutany need for sugar, and that coffee drunk from white cups tastes the bitterest.

    To prove their claims, the researchersinvited 36 volunteers and used three different colored cups— blue, white andtransparent glass—to do an experiment.

    In the experiment, coffee consumed fromthe white cup was found to taste less sweet when compared to the other twocolored cups, while the blue cup made the coffee taste the sweetest.

    The scientists believe that the colorbrown may be associated with coffee's bitterness because coffee in a white cupappears the brownest and tastes the bitterest.

  “Our study clearly shows that the colorof a coffee cup does influence the perceived (感受到的) taste and flavor of coffee,” said DrGeorge Doorn of Federation University Australia, “but the potential effects maybe different between a one-time purchase and a return customer.”

  “Anyhow, the effect of the color of thecup on the flavor of the coffee suggests that café owners, baristas (服务员), aswell as coffee cup manufacturers should carefully consider the color of theircups, ” he added.

    However, the idea that color can alterthe taste of food and drink is not new.

    A study published last year revealedthat red, strawberry-flavored mousse (慕斯蛋糕) served on a white plate was rated as10 percent sweeter and 15 percent more flavorous than the same food presentedon a black plate.

    If you've been to Europe a few times already, chances are that you've hit all the big destinations: London, Paris, Rome,Berlin.On your next trip you can either visit those same cities a second time,or instead you can take a chance and walk the streets of some cities that are a little bit smaller,a little bit less famous,but still full of European grace and charm.Here are four European cities to visit that you probably haven't been to yet.

    Besancon,France

    This hidden French city has had a long reputation for being a well-kept secret.It can be at once sleepy with few tourists but abundant galleries,restaurants,and a wonderful Beaux Arts museum whose collection is second only to the Louvre.The city is wound by the River Doubs and also touts (吹捧) its own UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Citadel,home to several small museums and a zoo.

    Seville,Spain

    For the tourist who is already tired of Barcelona and Madrid,Seville offers a different take (意见) on Spain. Located on the Southern coast,it keeps beautiful signs of the long period of Moorish rule,nowhere more than in the Alcázar palace building,just one of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Seville has over a dozen museums, tropical parkland,and probably the best tapas (餐前小吃) culture in all of Spain.

    Ghent,Belgium

    Ghent is a city that looks like it should be the setting for a fairy tale. All of the typical Belgium features abound here-waffles and beer.Every year from Saturday before July 21,Ghent hosts a ten-day festival.This music and theater festival draws almost 2 million visitors,as the city streets transform into performance spaces for performers,buskers (街头艺人) and musicians.

    Palermo,Italy

    Palermo is the capital city of Sicily,the southern island off the coast of mainland Italy.The city has an ancient history,and the various cultures that have controlled the island through the years have all left their marks on it. You can see winding street markets,antique (古玩) fairs,and open air nightclubs here.

    Jumping off random cliffs(悬崖) into the sea is not clever. However, as a sport, coasteering uses local experts to help groups travel around the coast so they can then jump safely and have a lot of fun in the process. But coasteering is also so much more than cliff jumping.

    A usual day's coasteering will involve swimming, climbing, scrambling(攀岩) and cliff jumping. All trips begin with a safety brief and equipment check. You will be equipped with a helmet, wetsuit and life vest. You will need to wear some old sneakers you don't mind getting wet.

    From here it could be a short swim to the first jump site. Following an instructor, you swim through rock pools, around rough rocks and right up to the next jump spot. A brief climb and you'll be standing on the edge wondering, “Why the hell did I agree to this?” Then, and to the yell of your friends, you're leaping in, with a smile that's guaranteed to last the rest of the day.

    Coasteering is certainly more than cliff jumping. If ever a sport could claim to be confidence building, this is it. And it's also a perfect activity for groups of friends or for adventurous families who want to explore the coast. Many companies offer daily trips, so even if you are on your own or a couple you can join in with a large group. Companies use trained guides with much knowledge of local tides and weather conditions. These people lead the show and are qualified lifesavers as well.

    Coasteering is already popular around the UK. At least now you won't have to ask “What is coasteering?” if someone you know gives it a go.

    A small group of people around the world have started implanting(移植) microchips to link the body and the computer.

    Mr. Donelson and three friends, who had driven 100 miles from their homes in Loockport, New York, to have the implants put in by Dr. Jesse Villemaire, whom they had persuaded to do the work, are part of a small group, about 30 people around the world, who have independently put in microchips into their bodies, according to Web-based reports.

    At a shop William Donelson was having a four-millimeter-wide needle put into his left hand. “I'm set,”he said with a deep breath. He watched as the needle pierced(刺穿) the fleshy webbing between his thumb and a microchip was set under his skin. At last he would be able to do what he had long imagined: strengthen his body's powers through technology.

    By putting the chip inside—a radio frequency identification device (RFID)—Mr. Donelson would have at his fingertips the same magic that makes safety gates open with a knock of a card, and bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass. With a wave of his hand he plans to connect with his computer, open doors and unlock his car.

    Implanting the chip was relatively simple task but very meaningful to Mr. Doneselson, a 21-year-old computer networking student so interested in the link between technology and the body that he has data-input jacks(数据输入插空) inside his body. They might lead to an imagined future when people can be connected directly into computers. His new chip is enclosed in a glass container no bigger than a piece of rice and has a small memory where he has stored the words “Technology”.

    Some doctors have done the piercing in people's homes, and others have implanted chips in their offices after patients signed forms showing the fact that long-term studies have not been done on their safety. Piercers treat the implants much like any other medical operation steps, instructing people to keep the site dry, and advising them that swelling and redness should last a week.

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    Imagination Stage is a children's theater in the state of Maryland. A special performance is put on for children with autism (自闭症) each day. People with autism have difficulty communcating and socializing with other people. Children in the theater are allowed to move around during the performance. It's OK if they shout out or hold their ears when the music is too loud. These special performances are sometimes the only thing that a family can go to the theater together to see if a child has autism.

    That is the same idea with Autism on the Seas. This company organizes vacations for families of children with autism, especially vacations on cruise ships. Jamie Grover is director of group development in Autism on the Seas. He said, “With our staff on board, parents know that they are going to be able to relax, enjoy their vacation, and participate in ship activities. They know that their children are well taken care of.”

    The benefit of such vacations organized by Autism on the Seas is not waiting in huge lines on departure day. The company has staff to help in the ports. Waiting in long lines or being in the middle of big crowds can cause problem behavior in children with autism. Autism on the Seas helps families avoid situations like that.

    Autism on the Seas works with the help of cruise companies like Royal Caribbean. Special times or places are arranged for families to play video games, go skating or rock climbing, or eat dinner. Autism on the Seas also directs families to organizations that can help them pay for these vacations.

    Bambi Van Woert from the state of Michigan went on a cruise with her 7-year-old Ben, who has autism. She said, “I would never do something like this myself. I cannot take Ben shopping by myself at this point, so for me to try to do a cruise without help would be absurd.”

    Are you a social media addict? Are you always checking your smart phone to see how many "likes" you've received for your latest post? Maybe you feel comforted by the sound that someone has sent you a message?

    Don't worry, you're not alone. We check our phones an average of 150 times a day, and around 30% of the total time spent online is devoted to social media. Some experts now fear this habit could be damaging our mental health.

    This is something particularly bothering young adults, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh. It found the more they used social media, the more likely they were to be depressed. In tests, those people who checked social media frequently were 2.7 times more likely to be depressed compared to those who spent most of their time generally surfing the Internet, who had just 1.7 times the risk.

    Some of us certainly feel sad when we're ignored on social media sites, or when we see someone else having a better time than us. But depression is a more serious condition and clinical psychologist, Abigael San, recently told the BBC that ,"It's a real issue, and it's been getting significantly worse over the last 5﹣6 years. You can get so hooked that it takes you away from your real relationships. "However, Abigael does admit that social media is more likely to worsen pre﹣existing issues than directly cause them.

    Other research by the University of Glasgow found that teenagers are affected by the 24﹣hour demands of their social media accounts. It found that those with higher levels of emotional investment in social media, and who use it at night, were more likely to feel depressed and anxious.

    Despite these warning signs, why do some of us continue to keep clicking? Well, I suppose we all want to be liked and we don't want to miss out on a conversation that's taking place online. But we need to know when to switch off our virtual online world and connect with the real world instead.