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Which is the best home planetarium? We pit three of our favorites against one other

If you're considering a home planetarium, you'll want to check this out. We've tested and compared three of the best on the market so you can see what's different, what makes them stand out and more importantly, which one is right for you. You may have seen some of the best star projectors on the market, and you may have seen some of the best star projectors for kids and the best under $100. Here, you'll get an in-depth look at why the National Geographic Astro Planetarium, Dark Skys Pocket Planetarium and Pococo Galaxy Star Projector are some of the best, the quality of their projections, their features, prices and more. Home planetariums are often dome or round-shaped and offer more than just lasers making out to be stars on a wall and they can definitely be used as STEM and learning tools. Scroll down to find out which of these three is best. The National Geographic Astro Planetarium is packed with useful features The Dark Skys Pocket Planetarium lacks some useful features The Pococo Galaxy Star Projector lacks a speaker but offers plenty Starting this in-depth battle of pitting planetariums against each other, we'll take a look at the functionality and the features each of these three offers. These can help make a product stand out from the market by making it extra useful or versatile in its use and not just something that will project an image onto a wall. Right off the bat, the National Geographic Astro Planetarium is a stand-out for features and functions. It offers many useful things like rotation, a speaker, and a sensible sleep timer. The rotation can help people relax while looking at projections and stop the feeling of "is that it!?" after turning the projections on. The speaker requires a connection through a cable, as it isn't Bluetooth compatible and it has a built-in radio. The sleep timer can be set to 30 or 60 minutes, so if you do choose to sleep with this on, you don't have to worry about it running all night. It also features a focus wheel, which is easy to use, and a disk tray, so you can insert one of the two disks included. The Dark Skys Pocket Planetarium doesn't share the same useful features of the National Geographic model, but then again, it's not designed to. It does offer image rotation, but that's about it. There's no sleep timer, speaker or remote control. But it will fit in your pocket and it will offer images of Northern Hemisphere constellations. It's far more lightweight and its class two laser and silent operation make it a decent choice for those looking to relax in a darker room. Then there's the Pococo Galaxy Star Projector. A surprise when we reviewed it for sure as it gives some of the premium models a run for their money. In terms of functions and features, it offers a sleep timer that can be set to 15, 30 or 60 minutes and a two-hour auto shut off, so there's no fear of it running through the night. It also offers image rotation, which many will see as a positive. What it lacks, though, is a remote control or app, so it can only be controlled by the buttons on the unit itself. It also doesn't have a speaker, so if you're looking to unwind to music or a podcast, you can't do it through the projector itself. However, these aren't terrible omissions given its quality of projections and realistic imagery, which we'll get onto shortly. National Geographic's projections are true to the chosen date/time Dark Skys projections are realistic, but only of the Northern Hemisphere Pococo offers realistic imagery through disks Above all else, what makes a good projector is how good its projections are. It's the fundamental quality in a projector and all three of these perform well. A planetarium should project realistic images of the night sky as opposed to a regular star projector, which can get away with space-like projections and lasers that mimic stars. The National Geographic again is the stand-out thanks to its ability to project images true to a chosen date and time. When the unit is positioned to face North, you can use a dial to select a specific date and the projector will project what the night sky will look like that night. It will use LED bulbs to project the vivid imagery and a focus wheel can be used to make the images appear as clear as they possibly can. Overall, the National Geographic scores very well here. Then there's the Dark Skys model, which does project realistic imagery and is therefore a good option if that's what you're looking for, especially if you want portability too. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite possess the same power or brightness as the National Geographic. It will project images of Northern constellations onto any surface and you can opt to have an overlaying star map projected too. But, you will need prior knowledge to know exactly what you're looking at and you will need to be in a dark environment as the projections aren't the brightest available. Pococo's offering to this head-to-head-to-head again delivers the goods, this time for its projection quality. Its use of LED lighting allows it to project the images from its many disks onto any surface clearly and brightly enough. While it doesn't quite match the power of some high-end projectors, it more than holds its own. The good news is that there are loads of disk packs available, meaning the Pococo can clearly project many different images, with a projection surface of 12 square meters, or about 130 square feet. The National Geographic is good value, if you can get a good price The Dark Skys is comfortably the cheapest option here Pococo is often on offer and costs similar to the National Geographic Finally, we move on to the business end of the article, the price. How much is each set going to set you back and are they really worth it? In short, yes. You do actually get quality when you buy these models. The National Geographic Astro Planetarium shouldn't really cost you any more than $110, and if you're lucky, you can get it below $90. It gives you real quality with quality projections, a sleep timer, a speaker and the ability to see night sky targets on any given date. The Dark Skys Pocket Planetarium should set you back about $45, which is considerably less than both the National Geographic and the Pococo models. It's pretty neat as it works perfectly well in dark conditions, fits in your pocket and doesn't need to be powered by the mains. The only downside to it is that the other two can be made portable thanks to being battery-powered. Still, though, it's perfectly good on its own. Lastly, the Pococo Galaxy Star Projector. You can often find it on offer for less than $80 on several occasions. It's great value and can rival the premium models, even if it doesn't quite stand up to them. It has a sleep timer, rotation, realistic imagery and an LED bulb. There's a lot to like and it costs a similar amount to the National Geographic. Overall, as nifty as the Dark Skys model is, and as handy as its lightweight and pocket design is, we're looking to figure out the best of the best. In short, the National Geographic Astro Planetarium takes the crown. It has all the features you want, has quality projections and the ability to show you what the night sky will look like on any given date is just too irresistible. It's even in the same price range as the Pococo, which is a not-too-distant second. Both the National Geographic and the Pococo have their pros and cons, but both can rival some of the heavy-hitters in the star projector world and neither costs anywhere near as much.

2025-09-05 王雨新 航空 英-中
Magic: The Gathering has gone to space, so we talked to an astrophysicist about the striking art in 'Edge of Eternities' (exclusive)

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has fascinated millions – us included – for decades now. On top of being a fantastic collectible card game that's always refreshing its mechanics, the dense multiverse-building and sprawling lore, the cards themselves are traditionally gorgeous to look at. As both MTG and space nerds, the recently released Edge of Eternities set is right up our alley, and we had the opportunity to chat with an astrophysicist about the expansion's most striking vistas. But wait, isn't Magic: The Gathering meant to be a fantasy universe? Well, things have changed a lot over the years, and while traditional fantasy settings remain at the center of the franchise, its canon Multiverse opened up almost endless possibilities, including themed crossovers with properties like The Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy, and even Marvel. Edge of Eternities isn't that. It's part of the core, 'actually canon' sets, and introduces 'the Edge', a region of space that exists outside the Multiverse where "forces vie for cosmic power." Zoe Le Conte, astrophysicist at Durham University, was kind enough to answer our questions regarding some of Edge of Eternities' most fascinating art pieces, ranging from planet-killing super weapons to space whales and plenty of cosmic phenomena that look equal parts pretty and destructive. The following Q&A has been editorialized and lightly trimmed for better flow. We started by looking at 'Beyond the Quiet' (art on the card by Yohann Schepacz & Serena Malyon), which depicts a 'supervoid' or black hole. In the alternate art, a god-like feminine figure holds what might be the universe itself. Both images are beautiful and scary in different ways. Le Conte points out that black holes "are very common in our Universe, forming when the most massive stars die." However, it's worth asking what lies "beyond the horizon" or what they specifically do to "heavily influence the way the Universe evolves." She ties the nature of black holes and supernovas to the cycle of destruction and creation we’ve learned about over the decades. Even in the ‘Edge’ region this MTG set focuses on, that balance is present, and the art represents events which are both terrifying and gorgeous. The astrophysicist adds that we currently know a supernova explosion "replenishes the space surrounding the resulting black hole." This allows all-new stars to be "formed while the dense star core collapses into a singularity – simultaneously death and rebirth." It's safe to say Edge of Eternities packs plenty of black hole imagery. For example, the showcase art on 'Sothera, the Supervoid' (Mateusz Urbanowicz) "shows the black hole shadow, surrounded by matter slowly spiralling towards the black hole." This is called an "accretion disc." Usually, "the disc will keep accumulating more matter from nearby stars and planets and fuel the black hole." These discs have a very distinct glow because they're among "the most energetic places in the Universe." At the same time, cards like 'Singularity Rupture' (Néstor Ossandón Leal) present black holes as destructive forces. "Their power is mighty," Le Conte points out. But harnessing that kind of power would require extremely advanced technology. "It could be used as a slingshot," the astrophysicist says of their gravity, though you'd have to be very careful not to get too close. "All the light and matter that is sucked into the black hole cannot escape and will never be seen again. Black holes can be thought of as the time capsules of the Universe." When it comes to massive structures created by advanced spacefaring civilizations, we have plenty of cards embracing classical sci-fi megastructures like Dyson spheres. The prime example in Edge of Eternities may be 'Pinnacle Starcage' (Leon Tukker), which literally shows a gorgeous Dyson sphere. Le Conte elaborates on this recurring concept: "The idea of humanity building a Dyson sphere comes with the scary thought that humanity will require so much energy that we would need to harvest power from the Sun. Even if civilisation had the technology, the concept of these megastructures would require more material than what is available in our Solar System. So for humanity, this will not be within our near future, but for other intelligent life, this could be a possibility." This set also includes special cards that evoke the aesthetic of posters for early sci-fi B-movies and covers of pulp magazines. One of our favorites is 'Deafening Silence' (SkinnyElbows), which has an astronaut looking at large-scale destruction, which isn't producing any sounds. Despite Magic: The Gathering's focus on fantasy and the space opera orientation of Edge of Eternities, the creatives were leaning on a widely known fact about outer space with this one. "Outside of any planet's atmosphere, explosions are silent," Le Conte reminds readers. Sci-fi works that stick to this rule are infrequent, so it was a nice surprise to see MTG acknowledging it. Another common element in sci-fi tales across all media is the breathtaking vistas seen from the surfaces of moons and planets. If you're going otherworldly, you might as well have fun with the alien skies. In 'Lost in Space' (Allen Panakal), an extraterrestrial is stranded on what we must assume is a moon, with a ringed planet seen in the blue and pink background. Of course, getting such views would depend on the atmosphere of the celestial body, the light it receives, etc. Le Conte adds that many planets are surrounded by large numbers of moons: "Planets often have many moons (the Earth is special in having just one), such as Jupiter having 97 confirmed at the moment. These moons can range from rocky and dusty to ice moons, and orbit closer to the planet." On the more fantastical front, sci-fi often depicts creatures that can survive in the depths of space. Even Star Wars has the purrgil, so it doesn't come as a surprise that Edge of Eternities followed suit and gave us space-roaming animals the 'Starbreach Whale' (Sam Burley). "We have only explored about 5% of both the ocean floor and space," Le Conte reminds us. "The alien-like nature of some of our deep-sea creatures inspires the concepts of alien life surviving in different atmospheres." In fact, there are animals like the "water bear", which survived the vacuum and radiation of space." Earth is plenty weird, so it's not a stretch to think of even weirder creatures living elsewhere! If we continue following the trail of Star Wars references in the expansion, we quickly find 'Planetary Annihilation' (Cristi Balanescu), which shows a smaller version of a Death Star unmaking a planet far bigger in size. Outside the realm of sci-fi stories, are planet-killing weapons even possible with the right technology? "To blow a planet, the force would need to overcome the gravity holding the planet together. For something Earth-like, the laser's energy would need to come from a powerful source like the Sun. Harnessing star power could be the answer," Le Conte answers. This would point any nefarious civilization in the direction of the aforementioned Dyson spheres, probably. Or maybe they could just find the closest thing to kyber crystals in our/their galaxy. Circling back to stunning space vistas, we couldn't resist asking about 'Uthros, Titanic Godcore' (Adam Paquette); it presents what we can only describe as a gigantic 'space hurricane' happening around a hidden planet. Le Conte had a nearby example to share after seeing this image: "This reminds me of the big red dot on Jupiter, which is a giant hurricane storm lasting almost 200 years. Bigger planets are known as gas giants and do not have a rocky surface... But their atmospheres can be like Earth's and have giant storms." The 'Cosmogoyf' (Chris Rahn) – also seen above – turns the beauty of space (a nebula in this case) into something monstrous… something alive. This one's completely rooted in the realm of space fantasy, but we shouldn't forget "new life is created" thanks to "the most diverse collection of metals and materials" found in nebulae. Le Conte describes them as "star nurseries formed from the supernova explosions of dying stars." If you ask us, we think it's fun to play with their nature to create a mind-bendingly massive cosmic menace. Last but not least, recurring sci-fi megastructures like 'The Eternity Elevator' (Josu Solano) make us dream of what we could achieve in the future right here on Earth. A way to go up to space without flying a rocket ship would be useful, but getting there is tricky. Le Conte doesn't shoot down their viability, but says they're obviously "beyond our current technology." Artistic licenses aside, the astrophysicist admits that she enjoys "the complexity and marvel of the Universe" these images capture. She adds they "also depict the broad and most extreme phenomena that occur in the furthest parts of space," which isn't the kind of stuff you normally see printed on Magic: The Gathering cards. Magic the Gathering – Edge of Eternities was released on July 29, 2025, on MTG Arena (the full digital version of the card game) and on August 1, 2025, for the physical card game. It's the game's 106th expansion.

2025-09-05 王雨新 航空 英-中
Best Canon lenses in 2025: Get the best lens for your Canon camera this Amazon Prime Day

Looking to upgrade your Canon camera? Changing the lens can give it a new lease of life, but with so many lenses on offer, where do you start? With help from our expert reviewers, we have rounded up the best Canon lenses. It is important to note that Ef lenses are for Canon's DSLR range and RF lenses are for use with Canon's EOS R range of mirrorless cameras. Our guide to the best Canon cameras can give you a more detailed look at the range of Canon cameras that are available. Now is one of the best times to purchase new photography gear with Amazon Prime Day coming next week on July 8. We expect many of these models to fall in price, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled! You don't have to have a Canon camera either, you can buy lens adapters that will let you use Canon's lenses on the best cameras. If you are after a non-Canon lens, we have a guide to the best lenses for photo and video. Our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography is the best place to look if you are in the market for a new body. There is a huge range of Canon lenses to choose from that are suitable for all kinds of photography, including astro. We have selected lenses that suit a range of purposes and pockets, from wide-angle lenses to ultra-powerful telephoto lenses. So, whether you are a pro or an enthusiastic amateur, you will find the right Canon lens for your Canon camera. Below you'll find out our picks of the best Canon lenses for astrophotography, with explanation of what or who they're best suited to. Click 'Read more below' for more in-depth specs and reviews for each lens. Why you can trust Space.com Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test and review products. The Canon RF 10-20mm f/4 L IS STM is Canon's widest sngle lense and, with up to an astonishing 130˚ field of view, it absolutely shows. It's weather-sealed, as with the rest of Canon's L range, and is ideally suited to capturing landscapes, architecture, the night sky and more. That said, while it will capture a wide swathe of the cosmos, its f/4 aperture isn't as light-gathering as some of the other models on our list. Despite this, it's surprisingly lightweight, light enough to be held in your hand, making its 5 stops of stabilization a real boon. User reviews: Users are seriously impressed with this lens, in particular its use for landscape photography. They compare it to a fisheye, though with less distortion. This Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM lens is pleasingly lightweight, coming in at under 500g. It's dust and moisture resistant, though not specifically weather sealed. It doesn't come with a lens hood, likely a cost-cutting measure, but you can purchase one separately. You can count on the Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM to deliver excellent quality images. It boasts 5.5-stops of optical image stabilisation to eliminate judder, and its f/2.8 fixed aperture is a boon for low-light shooting, astrophotography included. User reviews: Users of this lens report being happy with its image quality, praising its image stabilization in particular. They also mention its whisper quiet autofocus is excellent for video and it compares to other cameras at higher price-points. The Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM is part of Canon's hybrid range, designed to offer pro-level features without a top-tier price. As well as its wide aperture it features a manual iris ring as well as a control ring, all astrophotography-friendly features. It's equally capable as still or video camera. It doesn't have built-in image stabilization, meaning you'll need to couple it with a camera which does have IS. However, you'll get some impressively sharp images out of this camera whether you're shooting as is or pairing it with one of the best telescopes for astrophotography. User reviews: Users of the Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM report being impressed by its build quality, and by the camera in general. However, some have reported edge distortion when shooting to raw. At a massive f/1.2, this camera's massive aperture drinks in light, making it an excellent option for close-up astrophotography such as photographing planets. However, it's not a wide-angle lens so it's less suitable for capturing the whole cosmos. Its quality is superb, offering super sharp images, with the kind of quality optics you'd expect from Canon. Even five years after its release, this remains one of Canon's most impressive lenses. Its manual focus ring and digital control ring give you the power to fine-tune your shots. The trade off, apart from it not being cheap, is that it's a huge lens, weight around 3lbs / 1360g. Be prepared for this to add a lot of heft to your camera, particularly if you've got a compatible but compact DSLR. User reviews: With its 85mm range, it may not be seen as a complete all-rounder, but users report it offering excellent quality for landscapes, portraits and more. A few have stated autofocus makes an audible noise, which could be an issue if recording video. At nearly six pounds, the Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM requires a sturdy tripod, but the results it'll deliver make it worth the effort. It offers stunning image quality at all zoom levels; it may have a hefty price tag but you're getting what you pay for. This lens's excellent low-light performance means it's outstanding for astrophotography and night-time wildlife shoots. Its manual zoom, focus and control rings give offer you price control over your shoot. It doesn't support drop-in filters, only screw on-filters, which may be a disappointment to some. But if you're looking for the ultimate Canon telephoto lens, this is it. User reviews: Users of this lens praise it as one of the best telephoto lenses they've used. They're stunned by with its image quality, mentioning that there's next to no distortion. In our review of the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM we said "It delivers superb results worthy of its price tag", and that still stands. This isn't a cheap lense, but it delivers superb image quality, with fast and accurate autofocus. It has the flexibility to capture impressive wide-field images of virtually any subject, low-light shoots included. It lacks image stabilization, but its color correction is hard to beat and we rank it as one of the best cameras for astrophotography. Its superb build quality is the icing on the cake. User reviews: Users of the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM are similarly positive about this lens, praising not only its image quality and autofocus but also its versatility. The only real complaints relate to its weight. Read our Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM review If you're after a lens that excels at astrophotography and has the quality and performance for general use, the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM is for you. Its massive aperture drinks in light, and its has an impressively wide field of view. It doesn't have image stabilization, so you'll need a camera that does have IS. However, astrophotographers will likely be using a tripod anyway. Its 24mm focal range means it's not ideal for close up portraits but it's excellent for shots where you want to show a subject in context. And while no-one wants to get rained off, the lens is weather-sealed to prevent water damage. User reviews: Users are mostly positive about this lens, praising its ability to capture stunning images of the cosmos. Some but not all have mentioned vignetting at full aperture, though going down a couple of stops vastly reduces it.

2025-09-05 王雨新 航空 英-中
James Gunn's sci-fi movies ranked, worst to best

James Gunn's Superman is coming to theaters on July 11, ushering in the esteemed director's vision to reshape DC's shared universe. There's a lot to live up to with such a powerful franchise, but he's certainly no stranger to bringing superheroes to life on the big screen or small screen. He's even been known to create his very own. His directorial movie portfolio isn't vast, but it's certainly an excellent representation of James Gunn's unique and dark comedic style. From extremely low-budget sci-fi classics to multi-million dollar superhero flicks, his range is incredibly varied, and history has shown that a big budget doesn't always make the best work. So, to celebrate the upcoming release of Superman, we're taking a look back at all of James Gunn's sci-fi movies and ranking them from worst to best. Release date: January 25, 2013 Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Josh Duhamel, Emily Alyn Lind Movie 43 is an anthology of 14 short stories, unconnected, but all steered towards comedy. For his part, James Gunn created Beezel, and… well, we're not even sure how to start describing the events that unfold in Beezel because it is absolutely wild. Amy (Elizabeth Banks) is competing for the affection of her boyfriend, Anson (Josh Duhamel), but not with another woman vying for his attention. No, in fact, it's his animated and pretty vulgar cat, Beezel. While Amy tries to explain to Anson what's really going on, it all gets super weird and very funny. Movie 43 has 14 different storylines in it, but Gunn's ill-behaved offering is definitely among the best. It's a great example of how Gunn's mind can craft something teetering on the edge of 'acceptable'. With that said, it's only a small part of an anthology, and he's done even greater things with full control throughout his decades-spanning career. Release date: April 1, 2011 Cast: Rainn Wilson, Elliot Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon Gunn is fully enrolled in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hall of fame, and now he's heading up the DC universe's cinematic efforts too, but before he tackled superheroes with tales already told, he worked hard to make his own with Super. With the same dark comedic tone that he carries through a lot of his directorial work, Gunn shows why not everybody can be a superhero. Frank (Rainn Wilson) finds a nemesis in Jacques (Kevin Bacon) for leading his wife astray in the dangerous world of drugs. So, he decides to formulate his own superhero, Crimson Bolt, to fight crime and win back his wife. But, what he quickly finds is he's severely misjudged what a comic book might have taught him was possible. Turning the superhero concept on its head is a bold and brave idea, but if you come in looking for a typical superhero story, Super isn't going to deliver for you. It's weird enough to win over genre fans, but stepping too far out of the realms of feel-good superhero story redemption arcs will leave some fans feeling pretty deflated and disheartened. Release date: August 5, 2021 Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis Before he was co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn took on The Suicide Squad, a standalone sequel to 2016's much derided Suicide Squad. The first movie was a stinker, but five years later, Gunn decided to revive the franchise, and it was a lot better. Gunn's take on the DC Comics team is widely praised by critics and fans alike, and can be seen as the catalyst for his current reign over the DC movie and TV empire. Bringing back Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Viola Davis's character was the launchpad that began a whole new roster for Task Force X. Their mission – to invade the island of Corto Maltese to stop Project Starfish. The plot subverts expectations from the off, and a combination of sharp writing and expert delivery from the all-star cast resulted in a hilarious, but also touching tale of redemption. John Cena's Peacemaker character was so well-received that he got his own spin-off TV show, Peacemaker, with season 2 coming out on August 21. Release date: March 31, 2006 Cast: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker Another weird and wacky tale from the front-end of Gunn's career, Slither is the tale of a small town turned alien parasite hive that seeps into every corner and crevice of the once-peaceful place. Grant (Michael Rooker) is the unlucky patient zero, but it doesn't take long for half the town to get infected, leaving only local police officers to fight it off. Unsurprisingly, a bunch of small-town sheriffs are not clued up at all on how to deal with a hostile alien entity.. For his directorial debut, James Gunn used his signature humor and beautifully twisted storytelling to create a sci-fi movie for real genre fans, and he didn't disappoint. A scriptwriter before director, Gunn has a knack for horror comedy, and Slither is an exceptionally weird and captivating watch. Be warned, you will also be left feeling a little bit icky. Release date: May 5, 2017 Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the second outing of this MCU franchise, and if I could grant all three the joint top spot, that's what I'd do. But, this is a ranked list, so rank them worst to best, I must. Vol. 2 is a fantastic movie, but it doesn't quite have the story building that the first carved out, nor does it have the emotional climax of the third movie that marks a perfect send-off for the characters, so it takes the bronze medal. In Vol. 2, Peter Quill and the Guardians meet Ego (Kurt Russell), who just so happens to be Peter's long-lost father. It's jam-packed with action-packed sequences, excellent soundtrack picks, beloved returning characters, and some new faces, too, including the adorable Baby Groot. The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is where Gunn's unique and devastatingly humorous mind found its true home. The superheroes of this franchise were ripe for Gunn to build them layers, make them darkly funny, and bond them together with his deep knowledge and understanding of comic books. Release date: August 1, 2014 Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is where Gunn used all the skills he's built up throughout the years in the industry to create one of the most perfect movies in the MCU to date. From the very beginning, there's a different vibe to this rag-tag team of superheroes, and that's down to Gunn's unique take on turning comic books into big-screen hits. Unlike the gods and super-humans making up the rest of the MCU up to this point, the Guardians are a group of criminals bonded together to take on a common enemy, using their unique skills to team up to become a bit of an intergalactic powerhouse. There's not an unlikeable character in the bunch, all woven together with the same dry and well-timed humor throughout. From Peter Quill to Groot to Drax to Rocket, the casting is phenomenal, but the fact that Gunn had a hand in the writing as well as the directing feels so front and center to this movie's success, and the two that followed it. Release date: May 5, 2023 Cast: Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn For the final hoorah, the Guardians unite to defend the universe one last time in their biggest space mission yet. There's a perpetual debate amongst Guardians of the Galaxy fans about the order in which these three stand in the rankings. It's our list, though, and we wholeheartedly believe that Vol. 3 is the best of the bunch. Why? Because it's a culmination of everything that came before it without losing its drive and ferocity, and that's often a hard position to hold three movies in. Taking the responsibility of ending a franchise is huge, but doing it with the prowess that Gunn did is awesome. The end of trilogies can often falter, but there's no less of the humor, fantastic dialogue, action scenes, and incredible relationships in this final run for the characters. We didn't know a James Gunn movie could get us in the feels, but Vol. 3 demonstrated the layers he's capable of – and hopefully, there's more to come in Superman.

2025-09-05 王雨新 航空 英-中
Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S binocular review

The Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S binoculars are my top recommendation for a compact binocular with image stabilization built in, all for under $650. It was back about three years ago in a previous review of the Nikon Monarch HG 10x42 binoculars that I yearned for Nikon to release image stabilized binoculars, and thankfully, just a few years later, that wish has been fulfilled. They are little different in operation and quality from the Nikon Trailblazer 8x25 ATB, aside from one exceptional additional feature: Image stabilization. This one inclusion transforms these binoculars so noticeably that, if given the choice and budget, I would never opt for an unstabilized compact binocular again. If the difference between not having a pair of binoculars is measured as a unit of one, then I would say moving from an unstabilized pair to a stabilized pair is another unit of one. The experiential difference by engaging the stabilization on these binoculars is so significant that they are comparable with regular binoculars many times their size. However, they’re not without their limitations. Namely, the size of the objective lenses (25mm) makes views quite dark compared with large binoculars like a more generalist 42mm. But these are compact binoculars and as such, potential buyers should be aware that the trade-off between size and optical performance is initially met in the size of these objectives. In my opinion, and for their size and stabilization, they're some of the best binoculars you can buy. Incredibly small form factor makes them ultra-portable Stabilization button easy to access and engage Eyecups do not have stopping 'notches' when adjusting height It’s unbelievable to think that Nikon has managed to keep their compact binoculars so small and lightweight, despite integrating an entire image stabilization (IS) system right in the center of the device that does not obstruct our fingers when operating. When compared with their other compact binoculars, such as the Nikon Trailblazer 8x25 ATB, they truly do not take up much more space, with Nikon cleverly embedding all the electronics and controls in the center, bulked onto the hinge. This allows the center of mass to remain in the middle of the binoculars, which feels comfortable and intuitive when observing. The stabilization can be turned on and off with a button on the top of the binoculars and I found its placement means accidental turning on and off is uncommon. Personally, I’d have liked the button to sit a little closer to the focusing wheel due to the way our fingers fell across the binoculars but because the device is so small, this is of little importance. We expect those with large hands would appreciate the added distance between the focusing wheel and IS button. The objective lenses are set back in the tube assembly, which reduces the risk of bumping or scratching of the glass when placing down the binoculars and I think removes the need for lens caps when traveling, though those who like to keep their devices pristine may disagree. My only real grievance with the design comes in the eyepieces, or more specifically, in the adjustable eyecups themselves. They do not have, to our experience with them, notched sections to ‘stop’ the eyecups at different heights like some binoculars feature. They are also not water- or fogproof. Under testing, I have not found this to be a major issue (though I have not tested them under heavy rainfall) and the fogging was not an issue, but I tested them in the summer months in the UK, where temperatures were between 15-35 degrees Celsius (59-95 degrees Fahrenheit) where I would not expect to see significant fogging. Darker views than larger binoculars but stabilization makes up for this Stabilization works excellently both on land and on the water Edges of the image circle are softer but center is sharp There’s no denying that the optical performance of the Nikon stabilized 12x25 binoculars are poorer than larger, generalist binoculars. But that is due to the design choices made to keep them compact. That is why direct comparisons to even Nikon’s own Prostaff P3 line, which retails at around half the price, should not be made. Even though the views are darker in these stabilized compact’s, and softness slightly greater than that of larger but cheaper binoculars, their appeal is in their minute size and weight. The stabilization is truly very good. I tested them on land and sea, both during the day, at twilight and at night time and found they held up equally well in all scenarios. The stabilization isn’t the strongest I’ve ever experienced, with some of Canon’s image stabilized binoculars (such as the Canon 10x42L IS) able to hold views more solidly, I would estimate from experience by another 30-40%. However, they are far costlier and larger. When observing the night sky in areas between Bortle classes five and six, the commonest constellations and asterisms were larger and much more detailed than when viewed with the naked eye alone (as one might expect). M31 (Andromeda galaxy) was easily seen with averted vision and M42 (Orion nebula) was just about visible also, but any night sky objects fainter or smaller than these were not observed in and around towns with moderate light pollution. Due to their small, roof prism design, views are sharp in the center but rather soft towards the edges of the image circle. This is a little frustrating, but expected. It makes star hopping more difficult as I had to move the binoculars between each star in a constellation or asterism to navigate, rather than using the (albeit limited) peripheral vision if the edges were sharp. Views were also unfortunately rather dark on the Nikon stabilized 12x25 binoculars, but it is commensurate with other compact binoculars of the same design. After many years as a photographer and binocular use, I would estimate that it’s around one to two stops darker than observing with the naked eye. It isn’t enough to discourage me from using them, and stars can still be seen easily, but it distances me slightly from the observed subject. I found this most noticeable during daytime observations, especially when spotting wildlife in darker, leafier environments or at twilight. At night, though, it is less noticeable, presumably due to the fact that at night we use our rod cells in our retinas to maximize light sensitivity. Unobtrusive controls retains function and aesthetics of previous compact models Powered by 2x AA batteries, easy to replace from stores while traveling Focus wheel is a little close to our forehead during observation As with most compact binoculars, the size and weight benefit means they are not only ultra portable but pocketable even in the smallest of jacket pockets (even fitting inside jeans pockets, if the ingress of lint and detritus doesn’t put you off). Compared with the Nikon Trailblazer 8x25 ATB it’s like Nikon just snapped its fingers and, much like a before-and-after TikTok video, the stabilizing mechanism magically appeared on the 12x25s without much apparent change in aesthetics They are unobtrusive and simply constructed, clearly the result of clever design and engineering work, to produce something so seemingly simple. The binoculars take two AA-size alkaline batteries to power the stabilization, easily purchasable by anyone traveling, but a little wasteful compared to a rechargeable lithium-ion battery but Nikon states that two rechargeable (AA-size) Ni-MH batteries can be used. The real difference with these binoculars compared to a similarly powered non-stabilized pair is being able to observe details that would otherwise be lost due to the shake from handholding the binoculars. I was able to not only see more smaller, fainter stars but also count them. All without the need for an awkward binocular adapter to convert them for use on a tripod. This was also true for observing the faintest satellites and tracking them through the night sky. The Starlink train was eminently trackable and so improved my stargazing experience beyond the usual static view to something much more dynamic. The only real sticking points I have with these binoculars are where the focus wheel is placed. It’s, to my mind, placed far too close to the eyecups. Such that when I go to adjust the focusing wheel, I find myself rubbing my forehead with my finger and the face of the wheel also picks up friction on my forehead skin. Now, this may not be a problem with those who have shallower eye sockets or wear eyeglasses and so require the additional eye relief, but I thought it important to mention. It doesn’t prevent use, but it’s one feature I would suggest could be improved upon by either setting it farther back longitudinally along the binoculars, or by halving the width of the focusing wheel. However, I am also aware that this placement is likely a compromise by Nikon in order to accommodate the housing for the stabilization on the binoculars. Again, it’s not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of. The stabilization turns off automatically, but only after 60 minutes. This, Nikon states, is to save energy. But many other image-stabilized binoculars I’ve tested turn off after 10 seconds of inactivity, or when placed vertically on a tabletop. This is a feature I would also introduce to these binoculars, if such a thing is possible by the manufacturer. Online reviews are wholly positive and users seem to be reporting that the stabilization is great (as we would agree). Their size, value for money and clear optics are favored. One consumer on Amazon states one negative being “[The] front lens protector is pulling off the eye adjustment. Seems like a poor design.” and we can confirm they are as described, different from the larger Nikon binoculars which usually have a rubber strap holding on the caps to the tube assembly. Ratings sit between 4 and 4.8 stars out of five, with the average ratings at time of writing being about 4.5 stars. Tested in urban and suburban areas, I took the Nikon stabilized 12x25 to locations with Bortle classes 4, 5 and 6, providing a range of light pollution levels consummate with what regular town- or city-dwelling owners will observe. They were used both in dry and wet conditions under light rain but never heavy downpours. Moving both from warm cars and houses out into colder evenings and nights. I held them with two hands, one hand and mounted them to a tripod but found the tripod use cumbersome and unnecessary due to the in-built stabilization, so I would not recommend this method. On land, they were rock solid but I also tested them on various small fishing boats, larger water taxis and on bigger ferry ships. In all circumstances, they proved useful and performed impressively to observe wildlife and track seabirds during the day. If you want to buy a pair of compact binoculars and you can afford the price tag of just under $650, then I would definitely recommend you purchase these. Yes, they’re slightly darker than viewing with the naked eye but that’s because they are so small and so lightweight (13.9 oz / 349 g without batteries). The stabilization is a game-changer, especially for the traveler or for someone who has difficulty with hand grip or arm strength. There are only two main reasons I advise you against purchasing these binoculars. If you do not have a requirement for compact binoculars or image stabilization, then you will find better optical characteristics (sharper edge-to-edge and better light transmission for brighter views) in larger binoculars like the Nikon Monarch M7 8x42, which are also around $200 cheaper. If stabilization is important, but again, size is not, then I would recommend you look at something from Canon’s image stabilized range, with the Canon 12x36 IS III being only slightly more expensive but providing much brighter views. However, they are larger and around 9.3 oz (265 g) lighter.

2025-09-05 王雨新 航空 英-中
Pricier School Supplies Burden America's Teachers

Second grade teacher Demetria Richardson spends so much on school supplies she has a designated credit card to cover classroom expenses. Just don’t tell her husband what the balance is, she said. Usually, the 26-year veteran educator in Richmond, Virginia, spends about $500 on back-to-school items. Over the past month, she has already topped that — and she’s not done shopping. Crowdfunding on DonorsChoose, a nonprofit that lets individuals fund public school classroom projects, helps Richardson cover some of the costs on items like dry erase markers, pencils and printer ink. The school supply-stuffed backpacks that local churches distribute to families before the school year also help, Richardson said. Yet, none of this assistance stretches far enough to prevent teachers like her from dipping into their own wallets to serve students. While covering the cost of classroom supplies is a challenge educators face annually, the burden on them has grown as the price of many learning materials has jumped by 20 percent in roughly five years. “By the end of September,” Richardson estimated, the total on her credit card for school is “probably going to be close to $1,200.” President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods — and the supply chain disruptions that resulted — have partly been blamed for driving up the cost of school supplies. His freeze of over $6 billion in education funding on July 1, which he reversed before the end of that month, added to the problem by preventing schools, including Title I schools with large populations of economically disadvantaged students, from stocking classrooms with learning materials well ahead of the academic year. “It’s hard to understand that teachers have to buy all these supplies for themselves, for their classrooms and for students,” said Emma García, principal researcher for the Learning Policy Institute, a nonprofit that conducts research to improve education policy and practice. “I don’t think there’s any other profession in which the professional has to shoulder the supplies or the materials. But for teachers, it’s taken for granted that they will be there, that they are going to do the work no matter what.” Research indicates that virtually no educators are spared from spending their own money on their classrooms, according to García. Teachers at high-poverty schools told The 19th that, in addition to Trump’s tariffs and funding freeze, other factors have contributed to them paying more for goods. They pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, when they saw prices start to rise and a cultural and economic shift in which students returned to class with few to no supplies, a trend they say persists today. “This year has definitely been a huge challenge because typically the schools would be able to give us some of the basics, like a stapler, pencils, paper,” said Emmanuela Louis, who teaches English Language Arts for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. School officials “haven’t been able to give us anything, so it’s like we have to rely heavily on DonorsChoose to even get resources for the kids to start the school year. It pretty much puts the most vulnerable kids at risk.” Through it all, teachers have served as the safety net children can count on when the system breaks down. Educators have taken on debt, found extra work and gone without much-needed personal items to prepare their classrooms — and their students — for another school year. Personal Sacrifices For Richardson, shelling out hundreds of dollars of her own money on school supplies means she won’t be able to buy the $150 pair of stylish Vionic orthopedic shoes that make it easier for her to stand all day. “People think that we don’t like to look nice, too,” Richardson said. “We want to get a new back-to-school outfit, too, or a pair of shoes. But when it comes to our students, our students come first, and we go on the back burner.” Louis knows the feeling: Some years she has barely been able to afford back-to-school footwear and apparel herself. During others, she has gone without these items entirely because she had funneled so much money into her classroom at Jose De Diego Middle School in Miami. Although her district provides her with a $300 school supply stipend, a purchase as mundane as copy paper devours those funds instantly, she said. “Three hundred dollars doesn’t go far at all,” said Louis, who has taught for 16 years. “When you’re thinking of supplies — folders and things like that — they’re not cheap. You’re buying at least three folders per student just to keep their items organized. Paper is also a necessity to copy things for them. We do have laptops, which kind of helps, but they don’t always go home with them, so they definitely need tangible items in their hands to write and copy things down.” Altogether, Louis estimates that during any given school year, she spends about $2,500 to $3,000 on her classroom and students. And that doesn’t include the money the mother of two spends on supplies for her own children, a third grader and a ninth grader. Richardson’s classroom expenditures aren’t far behind, as she has spent as much as $2,000 outfitting her classroom at Henry L. Marsh III Elementary in Richmond throughout the school year. That’s well above the average educators spend on supplies, DonorsChoose has found, backing up previous research that revealed teachers at high-needs schools have more out-of-pocket expenses. “We ran a teacher survey earlier this spring, and we noticed that teachers are spending, on average, $655 of their own money on school supplies for their students and for their classroom,” said Kristina “Steen” Joye Lyles, vice president of equity and impact at DonorsChoose. “That’s an increase from what teachers reported last year, which was $610.” Without DonorsChoose, Lyles said, teachers reported that they’d be spending over $1,400 of their own money on school supplies annually. “So, this is a trend that we’re watching closely.” García said paying for school supplies compounds financial pressures for teachers, who earn lower salaries compared with professionals in other careers that require college or graduate degrees. Moreover, teachers often take on student loan debt just to enter the field. Given this, any out-of-pocket costs are “going to be more burdensome for a teacher than for a non-teacher” covering work-related expenses, García contends. And the $300 deduction for classroom expenditures educators can claim on federal income tax returns hardly levels the playing field. Richardson has felt obligated to subsidize her students’ needs with her own money because she teaches at a Title I school where nearly every pupil qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Some years, most of her classroom expenses have gone toward snacks for students. “Some parents send their own snacks, but we do have a lot of kids whose parents don’t, so we hate to see them sitting there needing that extra boost of energy but not having it,” she said. “You’re talking about snacks for maybe 20 kids, five times a week. That does add up.” Also adding up is the rising cost of school supplies. This year, Richardson has paid more for crayons, glue sticks, composition books, folders and other materials than she remembers paying in recent years. “I used to get folders for 50 cents apiece,” she said. “Now they’re almost 95 cents a folder. We used to be able to get boxes of crayons, but we can’t get them in bulk at the dollar store anymore. They said supply is low. Now, they’re like almost $2 for a 16-count box.” Louis can no longer afford to give each of her 125 students a small box of crayons, along with a kit filled with rulers, index cards and highlighters. This year, she said, groups of four students will have to share these school supply kits. Sharing them means that her students can’t take the kits home to complete their schoolwork. Since her students are required to wear uniforms consisting of polo shirts and navy or khaki pants, Louis has also spent her own money to make sure her sixth graders, many of whom come from migrant families who can’t afford more than one uniform, have multiple sets of these clothing items. “The uniforms have gone up tremendously,” she said. “It used to cost $6 or $7 for a shirt. Now they’re between $9 to $12.” As classes resumed in Richmond, Richardson had already spent $200 on composition books and $400 on durable headphones for her students that wouldn’t break like the cheap ones she had in her classroom last school year. New whiteboards and dry erase markers were also on her list. A mother of four — the youngest of which is a college senior in need of her own supplies — Richardson said she’s fortunate enough to have children who pitch in to help her obtain learning materials. “They always say, ‘Hey, Mom, I picked up some crayons for you,’ or ‘Mom, I picked up some pencils. Mom, you always said the kids never have scissors,’” Richardson said. “I’m so blessed that they do look out for me.” The Empty Backpack Reflecting on the start of her teaching career, which coincided with the turn of the 21st century, Richardson noticed a stark difference compared with today in how parents respond to the annual supply list her school sends out. “Earlier in my career, parents would send everything on the school supply list, and then they would send extras just in case,” she said. “If your tissue box supply ran low, you could reach out and they would replenish it.” Today, however, students will get free book bags from community events and bring nothing more than the bag and the supplies in it — usually one notebook, one pack of paper, one box of crayons — to school with them, Richardson said. “If we’re lucky, that’s what they have,” she said. Out of 125 students, Louis said that she expects “maybe not even 20 percent” to show up to school with the supplies they need. That’s about 25 students. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point, ushering in mass job losses and supply chain disruptions that made it difficult for families to pay for essentials like rent and food, let alone school supplies. When students returned to class after remote learning, many stopped bringing the items on supply lists, teachers told The 19th. “So we tried to minimize what was on the list to be just the necessities,” Richardson said. At her high-poverty school, most students show up with half the supplies on the back-to-school list, while about a quarter arrive completely empty-handed, she said. Some parents question why students need items like resealable plastic baggies, dry-erase markers or hand sanitizer, so they don’t purchase them. Others just haven’t been able to find items on the supply list, like the clear or mesh book bags required since July 2024 by Richmond Public Schools. To supplement her income and easily provide her students with the appropriate learning materials, Richardson has in the past taken on extra work — teaching summer school and working as a tutor and facilitator. Doing so, she said, gave her “extra money all year round to offset what I spend in my classroom.” A DonorsChoose survey revealed that nearly half of teachers report having a second job. “So, again, we’re just seeing this heightened level of teachers going above and beyond to be able to stay afloat during a time when things are getting really expensive,” Lyles said. Jodi Hanauer, an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher at Juniata Park Academy in Philadelphia, has previously picked up more work, which, in part, helped her buy school supplies. “I took on a part-time job just to pay the bills for several years,” the 22-year educator said. “I was an online ESOL teacher at night and during the weekends. I was teaching kids and adults English in countries like China, Japan and [places like] Hong Kong.” The extra income she earned then marked the rare time buying school supplies, for which Hanauer pays between $500 to $1,000 annually, didn’t hurt financially. Like Louis, her school district provides her with a small stipend to cover learning materials, but the $200 doesn’t begin to compensate for the expenditures she makes working at a high-poverty school. Title I funds from the federal government help schools with economically disadvantaged students to cover supply costs. But Trump’s funding freeze in July held up Title I funding, delaying schools from getting their supply orders processed well before the new academic year. “We haven’t been able to receive the order for this school year yet, so we’re hoping that will get cleared up soon,” Richardson said. The Limits of Crowdfunding DonorsChoose helps teachers like Richardson avoid financial collapse. She’s currently seeking donations for basic school supplies like pencils and ink for the classroom printer. She’d also like clay to help her students do classroom projects that develop their fine motor skills. But DonorsChoose, Richardson said, is not a permanent solution to the long-standing pattern of teachers covering school supplies. “It takes a while for the projects to be funded and then the materials to be shipped to us,” she said. “If we need poster boards for our students to do a history project, and we need them in the classroom on Friday, I have to go out and purchase 18 poster boards to make sure that all of my students have one.” For Hanauer, DonorsChoose is no guarantee she will get all the school supplies she needs. She currently has a campaign to give prizes — which have previously included fidget spinners and high-end pens, pencils and erasers — to students who make positive behavioral choices. “Putting up a DonorsChoose project is like a dream,” she said. “You are dreaming of getting things, and it’s great if that happens, but if you absolutely need something now or in one week, then you’re going to have to come up with the money yourself.” For 12 years, Louis has used DonorsChoose to subsidize her classroom expenses. Since many of her students are English learners, it’s imperative that her classroom be a print-rich environment. But educational posters can cost $35 apiece, an expense that can quickly balloon. Crowdfunding on DonorsChoose has helped her cut down on these costs. She’s also used the site to fund field trips. She’s currently crowdfunding for a file cabinet and poster machine ink that can cost up to $500. Although teachers make countless sacrifices to kick off the school year and maintain their classrooms as the months unfold, Louis knows that the public is largely unaware of how much educators personally contribute to school supply lists. Every item in a classroom, she said, has been designed with one goal in mind: facilitating student learning. “So, please be gentle with teachers,” she asked, urging families to provide any learning materials they’re capable of buying. Teachers who pour money into their classrooms, she said, do so “out of the kindness of our heart, because we really enjoy what we do.”

2025-09-05 王雨新 教育资讯 英-中
Scientists extracted water and oxygen from moon dust using sunlight. Could it work on the lunar surface?

Soil excavated from the moon could be used to produce oxygen and methane, which could be used by lunar settlers for breathing and for rocket fuel. This is the conclusion of a team of scientists from China who have found a one-step method of doing all this. Whether it is economically viable, however, is up for debate. But the Chinese team thinks that it is. "The biggest surprise for us was the tangible success of this integrated approach," said team-member Lu Wang, who is a chemist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in a statement. "The one-step integration of lunar water extraction and photothermal carbon dioxide catalysis could enhance energy utilization efficiency and decrease the cost and complexity of infrastructure development." They point out that studies have shown that transporting supplies from Earth to any future moon base would be expensive because the greater the mass of cargo, the harder a rocket has to work to launch into space. Studies have indicated that it would cost $83,000 to transport just one gallon of water from Earth to the moon, and yet each astronaut would be expected to drink 4 gallons of water per day. Fortunately, the moon has plentiful water, although it is not automatically apparent. Brought to the moon by impacts of comets, asteroids and micrometeoroids, and even by the solar wind, water lurks in permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles, trapped within minerals such as ilmenite. Extracting the water for drinking is relatively easy and there are numerous technologies that describe how this can be done, including heating the regolith by focusing sunlight onto it. However, the Chinese team has been able to take this one step further. "What's novel here is the use of lunar soil as a catalyst to crack carbon dioxide molecules and combine them with extracted water to produce methane," Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist from the University of Central Florida, told Space.com. Metzger was not involved in the new research, but he is the co-founder of the NASA Kennedy Space Center's 'Swamp Works', a research lab for designing technologies for construction, manufacturing and mining on planetary (and lunar) surfaces. Methane would be more desirable than liquid hydrogen as a potential rocket fuel because it is easier to keep stable, thereby requiring less machinery and less cost to keep on the moon. Liquid methane, when mixed with oxygen as an oxidizer, is a potent rocket fuel. Many commercial companies such as China's Landspace are already launching methane-powered rockets. The water-bearing ilmenite is also a useful catalyst for reacting the water with carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and methane, and the Chinese team have developed a one-step process for doing so. First, they heat the regolith to 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) by focusing sunlight to release the water inside. Then, carbon dioxide such as that which could be breathed out by astronauts is added to the mix, causing the ilmenite to catalyze the reaction between the extracted water and the carbon dioxide. Researchers tested this process, known as photothermal catalysis, in the laboratory using a simulant based on samples of lunar regolith returned to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission (the lunar samples are far too previous to destroy in such experiments, which is why a simulant is used instead). While previous technologies have also been able to accomplish this, they required more steps and more machinery, and used a catalyst that would have to be transported up from Earth. This, the research team believe, makes their process more efficient and less expensive than the alternatives. However, Metzger is not wholly confident that it will work. For one thing, lunar regolith is a proficient thermal insulator, so heating a sample all the way through would not be easy. "The heat does not spread effectively deeper into the soil, and this greatly reduces the amount of water that can be produced in a given time," Metzger said. One option could be to 'tumble' the regolith, turning it over repeatedly so that the heat is more evenly applied, but this slows the extraction of water and increases the mechanical complexity of the process. In an environment where lunar dust gets into every nook and cranny, and where temperature fluctuations between night and day can be as great as 482 degrees Fahrenheit (250 Celsius), the risk of breakdown only increases as more moving parts enter the equation. "It may be doable, but more maturation of the technology is needed to show that it is actually competitive," said Metzger. There's also a problem with the application of carbon dioxide, something recognized by both the Chinese team and Metzger. Specifically, there's a question mark over whether astronauts could produce enough carbon dioxide through their normal exhalation. Metzger calculates that astronauts could only provide a tenth of the carbon dioxide required. Alternatively, carbon dioxide could be shuttled up from Earth, but this would rather defeat the purpose of the proposed technique, which was to develop a lot-cost means of obtaining water, oxygen and methane with resources largely already available on the moon. However, in the long-run, perhaps shipping some materials up from Earth will be beneficial. Metzger points out a similar experiment that used an exotic granular catalyst – nickel-on-kieselguhr (kieselguhr is a kind of sedimentary rock) – rather than lunar regolith. Metzger suspects that a material specifically designed to be a catalyst, such as nickel-on-kieselguhr, would be more efficient than lunar regolith. Plus, although it would be expensive to transport from Earth, the nickel-on-kieselguhr can be re-used so you would only need to transport it to the moon once. In a cost-benefit analysis, in the long term it might be more efficient to do this instead. Regardless, the research team has convincingly shown that using lunar regolith as a catalyst to produce fuel and water works. The next step is to show that the technology can be scaled up to sustain a base on the moon more efficiently than other techniques, and that it can operate in lunar conditions where the gravity is weaker, the temperature swings to large extremes, and there is intense radiation from space. "I think these are highly interesting results and there may be additional applications to use lunar soil as a photocatalyst," said Metzger. "More work will be needed to show whether this concept can be economically competitive. I am skeptical, but all good ideas have their detractors and you can never really know until somebody does the work to prove it." There is certainly no immediate rush for the technology. With NASA's Artemis III mission, which aims to finally return astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2027 at the earliest, and funding made available for Artemis IV and V at some indeterminate time in the future, we're not yet in a position to build a permanent lunar base. However, the Artemis missions are the perfect opportunity to trial some of these technologies and will be greatly important for showing whether we really can live on the moon or not. The research was published on July 16 in the journal Joule.

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 航空 英-中
'NASA is under attack.' Space agency employees and lawmakers protest mass layoffs, science cuts amid budget turmoil

WASHINGTON — NASA scientists and engineers are demanding Congress help turn down the heat on an agency whose current leadership, they say, is burning down American dominance in space and science. A group of NASA employees, contractors, their families, friends and other supporters gathered across from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on July 20 — the anniversary of humanity's historic first landing on the moon. Nearly 100 showed up Sunday to protest deep budget cuts and mass layoffs within the nation's space agency, and to urge Congress to take expedient action to reverse or minimize further losses. "We are here because NASA is under attack," said one of the protest's organizers, NASA contract employee Marshall Finch. "And we are its defense." Just days earlier, lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology published a scathing letter to interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, accusing agency leadership of acting outside its legal authority by enacting extensive cuts before a final budget is passed. Protesters, including the ad hoc organizing group called NASA Needs Help, gathered to sound the alarm over what they view as broad, preemptive overcompliance with President Donald Trump's 2026 budget proposal, which slashes NASA's science portfolio by roughly 50% — a cut that would cancel more than 40 current and upcoming space missions. While the budget proposal continues to make its way through Congress, NASA officials at the very top of agency leadership seem to have already begun implementing cuts, notifying employees and contractors of impending reductions in force (RIFs) and encouraging people to take advantage of the government's Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). "They are telling everybody below them to take the Deferred Resignation Program now. To jump ship," said Finch. "This is going to weaken NASA, and it's going to weaken the United States." Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) and Valerie Foushee (D-North Carolina) of the House Science Committee sent a letter to interim Administrator Duffy on July 16 in which they, too, expressed concern that the agency was treating Trump's budget request as enacted law. "It now appears that the agency intends to implement funding cuts that were never enacted by Congress in order to 'align' the agency's present-day budget with the Trump Administration's slash-and-burn proposed budget for the next fiscal year, with seemingly no concern for the devastation that will be caused by mass layoffs, widespread program terminations and the possible closure of critical centers and facilities," the letter stated. "A presidential budget request is just that: a request to Congress," Lofgren and Foushee wrote in the letter. "The notion that any executive branch agency would unilaterally take steps to implement a budget proposal before its budget is enacted by Congress is therefore offensive to our constitutional system. It would be illegal." NASA is opting to keep the political back-and-forth between the agency and lawmakers, for the time being. "NASA will handle legislative matters and letters from elected officials directly with the addressing parties," NASA officials told Space.com in an emailed statement on July 23. The space agency disputed one of the lawmakers' claims — specifically, that NASA leadership had directed at-risk programs to cease public communications regarding mission accomplishments. "The statement from House Democrats in their letter to Secretary Duffy, alleging that 'NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes appears to have recently ordered scientific missions slated for termination in the FY26 PBR [fiscal year 2026 presidential budget request] to stop issuing press releases celebrating new results and scientific achievements,' is unsubstantiated and untrue," NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens told Space.com. "This is false and it is not the policy." NASA officials did not comment on other assertions made in the letter. Protesters at the July 20 demonstration, which coincided with the 54th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, echoed Lofgren and Foushee's concern. They worried that by the time Congress acts, the damage to NASA may be irreversible. Congress is pushing back on the proposed cuts, with the Senate Appropriations Committee advancing a measure to fund NASA at a level comparable to fiscal year 2025, and there is apparent bipartisan support for maintaining the space agency's science programs. But many who showed up at the demonstration worried that lawmakers' actions may come too late. "Congress says they want to save NASA," Finch said. "Let's see them do it now … Let's see them fight." Meanwhile, protesters described a rising sense of fear and uncertainty within NASA. Many said they feel demoralized by mounting pressure to leave under the DRP and the abrupt departures of their colleagues who already have. As they watch many of their coworkers resign, protesters worry that critical institutional knowledge is leaving with them. Julie, who, like other protesters interviewed by Space.com, asked that her full name be omitted, also helped organize the demonstration. She thinks these personnel losses could have deeper implications, and used NASA's Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer as an example. "That was set up after [the] Columbia and Challenger [space shuttle disasters] to make sure that we were passing any lessons learned on to the entire community," Julie explained. "Watching all of this brain drain leave without any kind of backup plan at all, any kind of structure, has been just the most depressing thing. I can kind of see another Challenger, another Columbia happening down the road as a result of this, and it will ultimately be blamed back on us," she told Space.com. "That knowledge isn't being passed on in any way. So we're going to see the effects of that sooner rather than later," Julie added. She was one of several protest attendees who voiced such sentiments, warning of potential disaster on par with the space shuttle accidents. The droves of departures at NASA have also fueled some of the urgency that motivated many to attend the weekend's demonstration. "It's been the hardest to watch all that knowledge slip away," Julie said. "And that really kind of emboldens people to take a little bit of extra risk to come out with something like this on the weekend." Every protester who spoke at the demonstration, and with Space.com, on Sunday stressed that their actions and remarks were not representative of NASA or their respective contract employers. Even the planning for the July 20 event was carefully and purposefully done outside employees' working hours, organizers said. "A lot of people here, I think, are pretty scared of any blowback on them at work," another protester, Will, told Space.com. Will indicated that he previously worked for NASA, or a NASA contractor, but that is no longer the case. The internal climate at the space agency has undergone a dramatic shift this year, with a sense of suspicion guarding people's interactions. "There's a little bit more distrust than there was before, even within the community," Julie said. The majority of protesters in attendance Sunday work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Goddard is one of two space agency facilities in the D.C. area, the other being NASA Headquarters. NASA Needs Help organizers held their first protest outside the agency's headquarters on June 30. Uneasiness within the space agency is particularly evident at Goddard. Approximately 10,000 employees work at the Maryland facility, either through contractors or for NASA directly. In addition to program and workforce cuts in the White House budget proposal, "passback" documents sent to the space agency in April also suggest shuttering Goddard completely. "Our management, our administration, is doing everything they can to break our will, to make us give up, to make us go do other things," decried one NASA engineer, who asked to remain anonymous, during the protest. "I'm here today because I fear for our astronauts' lives as we lose more and more expertise, and the technical expertise that we need to send them safely on their mission," she said. "Normally, supervisors say, 'Stay, we need you. You're an expert in your field. We want you to stay.' But right now, the civil servants at the top — that is people like Brian Hughes, like Goddard Center [Director] Mackenzie Lystrup, many more names, they are telling everybody below them to take the Deferred Resignation Program now," Finch told demonstrators. After nearly half a year of warnings about impending RIFs, some in management positions are beginning to take their own advice. According to a Politico report, over 2,000 senior leadership staff are expected to resign from the space agency to take advantage of the DRP initiatives. That includes aforementioned Goddard Center Director Mackenzie Lystrup. One day after NASA employees held their protest, Lystrup announced her resignation. Her abrupt departure intensifies concerns about the state of NASA's leadership, which currently seems more disjointed than ever. This could be seen during an Artemis Accords ceremony on Thursday (July 24), at which the ambassador of Senegal and other Senegalese officials added their signatures to the growing list of countries committed to the safe, collaborative exploration of the moon and deep space. Absent from those proceedings was interim NASA Administrator Duffy. Duffy was unexpectedly appointed to the post on July 9 through an announcement by Trump on his Truth Social platform. Duffy, who already serves as Secretary of Transportation, is now wearing both hats. Since his appointment, he has made no public remarks about his NASA role other than a small handful of supportive posts to a newly-created X account focused on his position at the space agency. Prior to 2025, many Artemis Accord signing ceremonies included past NASA Administrators Bill Nelson or Jim Bridenstine. Rather than Duffy, NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes oversaw Senegal's signing on Thursday. Also not in apparent attendance were Acting NASA Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails, both of whom, like Duffy, sit above Hughes in the NASA leadership hierarchy. Duffy did offer a retweet of NASA's post on X about the event. Circulating amongst NASA employees in the background leading up to the July 20 demonstration, another letter to Duffy communicated a similar message as that from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The Voyager Declaration was published July 21 as a formal statement protesting the proposed science cuts and preemptive actions already enacted by NASA leadership. The letter was signed by nearly 300 current and former NASA employees, 150 of whom chose to do so anonymously, "due to the culture of fear of retaliation cultivated by this administration," the letter states. "Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully," it states. "Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA's workforce." Their grievances were listed in the letter (included verbatim): We dissent to changes to NASA's Technical Authority capacities that are driven by anything other than safety and mission assurance. We dissent to the closing out of missions for which Congress has appropriated funding. We dissent to implementing indiscriminate cuts to NASA science and aeronautics research. We dissent to NASA's non-strategic staffing reductions. We dissent to canceling NASA participation in international missions. We dissent to the termination of NASA contracts and grants for reasons unrelated to performance. We dissent to the elimination of programs aimed at developing and supporting NASA's workforce. Protesters at the July 20 demonstration warned of broader impacts that such substantial cuts could have on the public at large. NASA contract employees Justin and Madeline said they attended the protest to raise awareness about all the contributions to society that have come from NASA research and innovations. "A lot of the stuff we have on Earth, like our cell phones, hurricane coverage, that's all because of NASA. And defunding NASA means defunding all of that and making life worse for everyone," Justin told Space.com. "And I don't think a lot of people realize that." NASA employee Ben put much of NASA's contributions into perspective by breaking down the numbers: "In 2023-2024, for every dollar that NASA got in tax revenue, NASA generated $3 in economic output in the United States. Our actual budget was $25 billion and we generated $75 billion from that $25 billion. We generated 300,000 jobs across the country … And setting all of that aside, what about things you can't put a price on?" His $75 billion output figure, while a reasonable estimate, is not yet confirmed. NASA has not released full economic impact reports for 2023 or 2024. Ben cited examples of NASA spinoff technology — advances in lasers developed by scientists building the James Webb Space Telescope are helping doctors perform eye surgeries on Earth, and innovations from the Hubble Space Telescope have contributed to mammogram imaging and technology used at hardware stores to match paint colors. "None of this stuff even is accounted for in that three-to-one benefit that NASA generates directly to the economy," Ben said. "Why, pray tell, in the name of efficiency, so called, is NASA the place you want to start slashing funding from?" "There's a lot of inventions that NASA has, if not created, at least catalyzed," Will told Space.com. "If we zero out so many things, no longer are we going to have the great leap for mankind that Armstrong is so famously talking about." Julie echoed those sentiments, highlighting not a mission, but a whole department on the chopping block: NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). "OSTEM has been zeroed out completely," she said. "That not only has an effect on what we do at NASA in terms of workforce development, but also kids across the entire country won't have access to those programs, won't have access to scholarships that let them go on to grad school and let them learn other things." Another protester, who asked to be identified only as "MC", has worked as a teacher across a wide field of age ranges and learning abilities. "Every place I've ever taught, or every program I've ever supported — everybody needs science," she said. "Every curriculum I've ever developed had science … Science of all kinds is incredibly important. And space — space is where we're going." One protester, who identified herself as the mother of a NASA employee, stressed the value of empowering the next generation. "It's very important that our kids have their dreams and reach those dreams," she said. "If NASA is cut the way it is, STEM education is cut, science is cut, research is cut — we won't have kids who have dreams anymore." George is part of a team responsible for testing spacecraft at Goddard. He attended Sunday's protest alongside his wife and three daughters. "Goddard is looking at basically being shut down, and we have a whole bunch of people that know how to build individual, specific scientific spacecraft," he told Space.com. "If we lose that [technical knowledge], it's gone." "Where are we going to learn how to do that again?" George added. "Are we going to have to have another Challenger moment to learn how to do that again? Maybe." George's daughters said they wanted to attend the protest to support their father. "It's his job, so obviously that's important to us," his eldest, 15, said. But she's also worried about what the future might look like if science takes a backseat at the space agency. "I think that we should also be concerned about science over the future generations," she said, calling the budget's potential ramifications a "big loss." Job security is on the forefront of many NASA employees and contractors, many of whom have already received notice that their mission is at "high risk" of cancellation. Justin hasn't received such a notice yet, but says the mission he works on studies climate change by measuring ice caps, "so I am assuming a couple things here," he said. That insecurity is already pushing some NASA scientists to look outside the agency. Amid potential layoffs, some are considering not just leaving the space agency, but the United States altogether. A lack of stability in the U.S. science community is opening the door for international recruitment. "Right now, Europe and Asia, every other country in the world, sees what's happening, and they're extending offers," Finch said to the crowd. "The next day, the members of the workforce are gone." Justin is still mulling over his options if his program gets canceled. But he came to a quick alignment with Madeline's stance that she would "probably work for a different country that values science." "That would be the one," Justin said in agreement. Several European institutions have already begun reaching out to scientists and engineers across the U.S. to gauge people's interest in continuing their work abroad. One representative said in an email obtained by Space.com that the responses to their initial outreach were "overwhelming (and worrying)." With budget negotiations still ongoing in Congress, protesters are urging lawmakers to act before NASA loses the talent and infrastructure that made its past achievements possible. "I don't want to be a member of the first generation of humans that stops exploring," Finch said. "We are not the ones who will suffer most — it is every generation of humans that will be set back by our abdication."

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 航空 英-中
Canada’s new 25% levy targeting steel originating from China violates WTO rules, hurts its own economy: expert

A staffer works in a steel company that makes high-end automotive spring steel in Ma'anshan, East China's Anhui Province on June 24, 2025. Chinese companies are advancing their efforts in new quality productive forces, a new development paradigm, to improve total factor productivity. Photo: VCG Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday local time an additional 25 percent tariff on steel products imported from China as part of his latest measures to "stabilize the domestic steel market and prevent harmful trade diversion." Chinese experts slammed the move as a "blatant violation" of WTO rules and a misguided attempt to blindly follow the US' unilateralist trade policies. Canada will implement additional tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports from all non-US countries containing steel melted and poured in China before the end of July, according to an official news release on the PM's official website. Moreover, Canada will also tighten the tariff rate quota (TRQ) levels for imported steel products from non-FTA countries rolled out in June from 100 percent to 50 percent of 2024 volumes. Above those levels, a 50 percent tariff will apply. Last month, the Canadian government announced the implementation of TRQ on imported steel products, per a government's official news release published in June 19, which means that countries that do not have an FTA with Canada, including China, would be subject to 50 percent tariffs if their steel shipments to Canada exceed 2024 levels. However, Canadian steel officials complained that this would not be enough to protect the domestic industry from what they feared would be a surge of foreign steel, according to a New York Times report, which cited these concerns as a reason for Carney's decision to "ratchet up the pressure" on Wednesday. The Canadian government said in June's statement that it will adjust its existing counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum products on July 21 to levels consistent with progress that has been made in the broader trading arrangement with the US. US President Donald Trump introduced 25 percent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum on March 12, and doubled the levies to 50 percent in early June, a move that has set off turmoil in markets around the world, including in Canada, where steel is an important industry. Cui Fan, a professor at the School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, described Canada's move targeting China as a "blatant violation" of WTO rules, calling it one of the most negative examples of how the unilateral trade practices launched by the US are now spilling over to other countries. "This poses a serious threat to the multilateral trading system. If more countries follow suit, it could severely undermine the WTO framework and place the global economy in a highly precarious position," he warned. Cui also criticized Canada's policy as "clearly discriminatory," as its announcement presumes Chinese threats without substantive evidence while singling out Chinese steel products for tariff hikes—a clear breach of the WTO's principle of non-discrimination. In fact, China's steel exports have minimal actual impact on Canada's domestic industry, representing only a negligible share of total imports, Zhao Xingshu, deputy director of the department of Canadian studies, Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. Industry Canada data shows more than $16 billion in steel imports in 2024, almost half of which is from the US, and about 10 percent from China. Canada exported more than $12 billion in steel — 91 percent to the US and 4 percent to Mexico, according to a Canadian Press report. Cui emphasized that while Canada's new tariffs and TRQ restrictions may create short-term trade barriers and boost domestic steel and aluminum production, this will come at a significant cost - raising costs across downstream industries and ultimately undermining the country's overall economic competitiveness. 'Wrong practice' against China Since last year, Canada has imposed a series of tariffs and trade restrictions on China. Canada hiked tariffs in October 2024 on electric vehicles (EVs) and steel and aluminum products imported from China, prompting the Chinese side to initiate an anti-discrimination probe in September, according to Xinhua News Agency. In March, China announced additional tariffs on imported rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas originating from Canada, as well as aquatic products and pork, based on the ruling of an anti-discrimination probe. In a recent move that has sparked tensions, the Canadian government ordered Chinese surveillance camera maker Hikvision to cease operations in the country over so-called national security concerns, a decision that China has condemned as a "wrong practice" that disrupts normal economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Zhao highlighted that Canada's latest tariff policy reflects a consistent approach toward China that dates back to the Trudeau administration, which also struggled to avoid pressure from the US. The share of China-Canada trade in each country's total trade volume is relatively small, she noted. "However, given Canada's much smaller economy compared to China's, any disruption in bilateral trade would likely cause greater harm to Canadian industries and its economy," according to Zhao. Cui pointed to China's open and rational attitude to bilateral economic and trade ties, which stands in contrast with Canada's unilateral actions. Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di said in June, during an interview with Canadian media, that the China-Canada relationship is fundamentally mutually beneficial, and pragmatic bilateral cooperation not only supports both nation's economic development but also contributes to greater global stability and certainty. Heightened trade strains Tensions over tariff issues between the US and Canada have been escalating in recent weeks, as the two sides have yet to reach a workable trade agreement. "The trade actions of the United States are further transforming global steel market dynamics and supply chains," Carney told reporters on Wednesday, according to the New York Times report. "Canada will be one of the countries most impacted by these developments." US President Donald Trump said last week that the US will impose a 35 percent tariff on imports from Canada from the beginning of August. In response, Carney said in a social media post that "throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses." Recent trade tensions between the US and Canada have grown more complicated, with difficult negotiations over issues such as softwood lumber, dairy, digital services taxes, and auto parts, Zhao said, adding that the way these disputes play out could also indirectly influence Canada's policy stance toward China. However, she called on Canadian policymakers to recognize the strong economic complementarity between China and Canada. "For instance, Canada's abundant natural resources (energy and minerals) perfectly align with China's massive demand as a leading energy importer, presenting vast potential for bilateral cooperation," Zhao said.

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 时政 英-中
一张网，丈量立体中国

迎接第十二届世界高速铁路大会系列报道之一 一张网，丈量立体中国 辐射京津冀、长三角、粤港澳大湾区，世界运营里程最长的京广高铁，重塑亿万人民一日生活圈； 穿行沃野千里和繁华都市，我国东西向线路里程最长、经过省份最多的沪昆高铁活力奔涌，蓬勃经济发展的强劲脉动； 掠过喀斯特峰丛和武陵山区，渝厦高铁重庆东至黔江段飞架渝湘，巴渝山水直抵三湘大地； …… 从林海雪原到热带丛林，从大漠戈壁到东海之滨，广袤神州大地上，中国铁路营业里程达到16.2万公里，高铁总里程突破4.8万公里，钢铁动脉织密成网，万里通途气贯山河。一张世界最大的高速铁路网和先进的铁路网，正在以前所未有的广度和深度改变中国、闪耀世界。 广袤间织网，万里通途纵横神州大地 一条高铁，能拉近多少乡愁的距离？ 全国人大代表、广东省梅州市梅县区丙村镇芦陵村党支部书记、村委会主任叶继联的答案是“98公里”。 “通高铁是梅州家乡父老翘首以盼的大事。”回忆起龙岩至龙川高铁梅州西至龙川西段开通当天的情景，叶继联难掩激动。 2024年9月，龙龙高铁梅龙段开通。这98公里，不仅让“世界客都”梅州加速融入粤港澳大湾区，也宣告中国铁路营业里程突破16万公里，高铁总里程超4.6万公里。 3个多月后的2024年底，中国高铁营业里程达4.8万公里，占世界高速铁路总里程的70%以上。 这4.8万公里，由许许多多个这样的“98公里”汇聚而成—— 东北振兴号角嘹亮。全长928公里的世界首条高寒高铁哈大高铁安全稳定运行，开通以来，累计运输旅客超10亿人次。冰城灯会、吉林雾凇、滨城海风，“一日看尽北国风光”，钢铁巨龙叩开从“冰天雪地”通往“金山银山”的大门。 椰风海韵动车飞驰。全长653公里的世界首条穿越热带滨海地区的环岛高铁海南环岛高铁，串联沿线12个市县。人们坐上高铁纵览天涯海角、碧海银滩，贴地飞行的“银色长龙”为海岛旅游业插上腾飞的翅膀。 长城脚下见证百年沧桑。全长172公里的世界首条智能高铁京张高铁上，时速350公里智能型复兴号动车组从地下102米处穿越八达岭长城，百年京张见证中国综合国力的飞跃。 …… 路网结构不断完善、路网质量持续提升、通达能力不断增强，高铁，已经成为中国铁路高质量发展的亮丽名片！ 时间回溯到2008年，中国第一条设计时速350公里的京津城际铁路开通运营。以此为标志，一大批高铁相继建成投用。 党的十八大以来，我国高铁建设迈入发展“快车道”。中国高铁年均投产新线3000公里以上，建设了世界上规模最大、现代化水平最高的高速铁路网。 不断延伸的钢铁动脉，书写着一个个贯通南北、连接东西的崭新篇章—— 京广高铁全线开通，北京与深圳8小时“牵手”，首都与特区紧紧相拥； 广深港高铁全线开通，香港进入全国高铁网，融入国家发展大局； 拉林铁路全线开通，复兴号开上世界屋脊，历史性地实现对31个省区市全覆盖…… 复兴号奔驰在祖国广袤的大地上，“四纵四横”高铁网提前建成运营，“八纵八横”高铁网加密成型，中国高铁正以穿山连海沿边之势，重塑中国地理版图。 咫尺间生辉，绘就民生幸福底色 这个夏天，江苏省首届城市足球联赛火热来袭，横跨13个设区市，共85场比赛，引燃球迷观赛热情的同时，也催生出“跨城观赛+文旅消费”的新模式。 “开车过去怕路上堵车，而火车只要21分钟，车次也多。”抢到了球赛门票的南通市民张锦，将高铁作为出行首选。车次多、车票好买，让这趟旅行既激动人心又轻松惬意。 跨城观赛变为日常、跨城通勤愈发普遍，高铁网的延伸，带来了更大的“同城效应”。 来自加拿大的雕塑设计师马丁，将家安在了江西南昌，而他的工作室则开在了被誉为“木雕之乡”的鹰潭余江。借助发达的高铁网，两地间约140公里路程仅需35分钟即可到达，马丁的“双城记”由此开启。 家住深圳的管静，每天要前往香港上班，18分钟的高铁成为她通勤的首选。“喝一杯咖啡的时间，列车就到站了。”她笑着说。 更有嫁到贵州的湖北女孩蒋万娇，早晨在婆家吃完早餐，坐高铁还能赶回娘家吃午饭。 速度压缩着物理通道，更拓展着生活的可能性—— 半径500公里的城市群形成1至2小时交通圈，公交化出行成为常态； 1000公里跨区域大城市间4小时可达，当日往返成为现实； 2000公里跨区域超长距大城市间8小时可达，朝发夕至，天涯若比邻。 高铁不仅是交通线，更成为文旅融合的新纽带，曾经“养在深闺”的文旅资源，如今变为串联成线的“珍珠链”。 陕西佛坪、广西三江、湖北恩施、安徽绩溪、贵州荔波……越来越多的小众景点借力高铁火热“出圈”，让“诗与远方”触手可及。 目前，中国高铁覆盖97%的50万人口以上城市，全国19个主要城市群均已实现高铁连通。 中国高铁，早已超越交通工具范畴，它是通勤路上的咖啡香，是景区里的欢笑声，是老百姓触手可及的幸福感。 中国高铁，美名已享誉世界。 坐着高铁游China，成为外国游客来华旅游的必选项。早上在北京喝豆汁儿，傍晚到成都吃火锅，8小时跨越时空，既感受高铁速度，又收获极致味蕾体验。 从西双版纳乘中老铁路国际旅客列车出发，一路向南，饱览窗外风光，1个小时快速通关，法国旅客乔纳森直呼“太方便啦”。 再向南，中国高铁技术走出国门，全线采用中国技术、中国标准的雅万高铁已成为中印尼共建“一带一路”合作的“金字招牌”。 从城市到乡村，从国内到境外，中国高铁以钢轨为笔，为互利共赢写下生动注脚。 阡陌间兴业，高铁拉来人气财气 武汉市民想吃一颗新鲜采摘的茂名荔枝，需要多久？ 最快24小时。这24小时里，一颗荔枝需要经历从果园采摘、运输到放入货架供人挑选这一系列的环节。 今年，依托发达的高铁网络，中国铁路广州局集团有限公司首开荔枝“高铁快线”，将挂着晨露的茂名荔枝送到武汉市民的手中。一颗荔枝的跨省“旅行”，正是中国高铁激活经济新动能的生动缩影。 如今，全国300余个高铁车站可以办理快运业务，“高铁急送”服务拓展至全国182个主要城市，即收、即运、即送，微信下单，足不出户，最快4小时“门到门”送达。 从人畅其行到物畅其流，从交通动脉到发展引擎，中国高铁正以独特的方式，重塑着经济社会的肌理。 2024年12月26日，青藏高原首条高速铁路兰新高铁迎来开通运营10周年。跨越滔滔黄河与巍巍天山，兰新高铁风驰电掣，在大西北铺就幸福坦途。 得益于兰新高铁带来的发展机遇，距离西宁150公里的门源，从一个没有铁路的偏远城镇直接跨入了高铁时代，曾经无人知的油菜花海、高原雪山、森林公园等景点逐渐变成了网红旅游打卡地。 高铁带来的人气，正转化为实实在在的财气。“以前村里人主要靠种地、放牧为生，现在一到花季，游客特别多，乡亲们开农家乐、卖土特产，忙得不亦乐乎。”作为土生土长的“门源娃”，西宁工务段西宁高铁线路车间门源高铁线路工区职工李桂林对此深有感触。今年五一假期，门源回族自治县旅游市场共接待游客30100余人次，实现旅游综合收入945.18万元，同比分别增长34%和33.78%。 高铁不仅拉来了市场的热乎气，还串起了产业的生态圈。 今年6月30日，京沪高铁迎来开通运营14周年，14年来这条我国客流量最大、最繁忙的高铁线路将京津冀与长三角紧密相连，客流、物流、信息流和资金流快速流动，京沪“高铁经济走廊”蓬勃发展。 依托京沪高铁，苏州市大力建设高铁新城，打造大数据产业发展新高地，吸引紫光集团等高科技企业落户，助力建设世界领先的全面智能制造平台。 依托京广高铁、沪昆高铁和长沙南站，长沙市集聚和培育会展产业，打造会展新城，成为极具发展潜力的“开放高地”，成功举办了中非经贸博览会等一系列重要展会。 一项高速铁路建设项目，能带动冶金、机械、建筑、橡胶、电力、信息、精密仪器等产业的快速发展。据测算，中国高速铁路每1亿元投资，对建筑、冶金、 制造等上下游关联产业拉动产值在10亿元以上，可创造就业岗位600多个。 从岭南的荔枝到高原的油菜花，从苏州的大数据产业到长沙的会展业，高铁带来的区位优势正以“润物细无声”的方式，为活力中国源源不断注入新动能。 路，是物理通道，也是时代印记。 从零的突破到4.8万公里的壮阔，中国高铁承载着14亿人民对美好生活的向往。这张不断延伸的钢铁网，正以磅礴之力，为服务和支撑中国式现代化建设贡献力量。

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 交通运输 中-英
当AI进入校园，教学与成长如何“双向奔赴”？

“‘飞流直下三千尺’是怎样的壮观景象?”在江苏省昆山市柏庐实验小学人工智能通识课上，一位五年级学生举手提问，随即人工智能大模型在多媒体大屏上生成瀑布倾泻的视觉画面，并解释古诗的创作背景等信息。 昆山市柏庐实验小学学生在上人工智能通识课程 何磊静 摄 这一幕，正是教育数字化转型背景下，人工智能(AI)进入校园课堂的缩影。从政策顶层设计到一线课堂落地，AI技术为教学打开想象力的天花板。但在技术浪潮下，如何实现教师授课与学生成长的“双向奔赴”?又该如何守住教育的温度与底线? AI的风“吹”进课堂 去年11月，教育部办公厅发布《关于加强中小学人工智能教育的通知》，要求2030年前在中小学基本普及人工智能教育。2025年，随着教育强国建设三年行动计划启动，人工智能教育被列为基础教育改革的关键一招。教育部等多部门印发的《关于加快推进教育数字化的意见》提出“统筹推进大中小学人工智能教育一体化”。 政策东风下，不少地区大力推进人工智能教育。记者走进昆山市柏庐实验小学发现，从“玩转机器人”到“对话生成式AI”，校内2500多名学生正循序渐进提升科技素养。“我们引进了飞象星球的人工智能通识课，这套课程是覆盖全学段的动态课程体系。”该校校长陈娟说，低年级可通过机器人编程培养兴趣和人机协作思维，高年级则进阶至AI绘图、甚至可以自己动手开发。 陈娟介绍，该校去年起引入“飞象人工智能通识课”，采用螺旋式进阶设计，10门、160节分层进阶的课程体系，贯穿真实生活场景。记者现场看到，在“智能双师”授课模式下，线上大屏的老师设计课程任务，线下课堂老师把控课堂节奏，组织学生互动讨论，并对讨论成果实时评价。 “通过课堂上的学习和实践，我了解到人工智能能模拟人类思维和行为，对数据进行分析和处理，这让我感受到了人工智能的巨大潜力，激发了我学习的好奇与热情。”柏庐实验小学五年级学生徐诚佑说。 虚拟形象答疑、AI绘画软件激发创意、项目式学习中打破学科壁垒……有15年教龄的科学教师金鑫表示，人工智能有效丰富了课堂教学内容。“比如科学课，以前备课需要查阅大量专业资料，还担心学生的提问会‘超纲’。现在通过AI能对更多学生的问题进行预设，拓展教学视角，进一步提升课堂效果。” 如何实现“教学相长”? 业内人士指出，中小学阶段是培养学生数字素养、创新思维的关键期，在人工智能技术助力下，师生与AI的协同教学逐渐成为新常态。而随着个性化教学越来越普及，如何实现高质量的教与学成为一道“必答题”。 在昆山市教育局局长王阳看来，推进人工智能教育，既要用好存量的软件系统，从体系和制度层面赋能教学管理，减轻教师负担，又要通过课程的开发和运用，让学生在认知层面了解人工智能的重要意义，进而培养其参与到人工智能应用方面的创新能力，形成创新思维。 王阳表示，昆山探索以平台建设、课程应用、专业化提升和“校企社”生态共建“四轮驱动”，系统性推进教育智能化升级，赋能学生素养提升、教师能力进阶、教学应用场景创新，打造县域教育人工智能应用示范标杆。针对教师能力提升，昆山构建“专家引领、骨干示范、全员赋能”三级培养机制，定期开展研训活动，挖掘AI教学场景，以适配的AI技术探索未来课堂新样态。 “老师并不是万能的，尤其碰到一些跨学科内容，AI技术能辅助解决很多问题。”陈娟说，教师的人工智能素养培训很有必要，尤其一些老教师应主动提升人工智能教学能力，引导学生正确认识和运用人工智能工具。“比如，AI可以作为教师的‘智能助手’，帮助批改作业、分析学情、推荐个性化学习资源等。” 飞象星球的运营负责人介绍，要保障教学质量，还需要开发体系化的课程体系，让学生始终能与最新的知识和技术保持同步。同时，要尽量以真实问题驱动，通过项目式的实践，引导学生主动探索，培养其结构化地分析和解决问题的能力。 技术浪潮下仍需“保持平衡” AI是否会取代老师?如何避免孩子形成技术依赖?怎样推进教育均衡发展?在人工智能教育高歌猛进的同时，社会上也不免产生一些担忧情绪。 王阳认为，关键要守住人工智能与教育之间的平衡点。“AI也许能替代许多‘教’的工作，但‘育’的方面还需要教师坚守初心。比如可以营造学生人机对话场景，但更要鼓励他们与真人交流。” 受访人指出，教育部门应给予学校方向性的指导，在鼓励老教师接触AI的同时，也要提升青年教师教学基本功，稳妥适度推进人工智能应用。“比如AI作文星批改作文，确实能大幅提升批改效率，但老师不能依赖AI的评语，要开展二次批阅。毕竟机器写的评语，是写不出孩子的个性的。”王阳说。 人工智能附带的一些伦理问题，如隐私保护、算法偏见、数据安全等，也需让学生及时了解。上海教育考试院副院长常生龙表示，教师有必要通过案例剖析，让学生理解AI伦理问题的重要性，使他们能够对AI技术的应用和影响进行独立思考和理性判断。鼓励学生对AI生成的内容进行质疑和验证，避免其盲目依赖和轻信。 “家长也有必要同步学习AI知识。学校和家长根据学习任务做好沟通，家长在了解AI的特点后积极正面引导，能更好避免孩子过度依赖AI。”金鑫说，相关AI课程开发也可进一步提升交互性，让教师及时捕捉学生思维发展、实践能力变化，根据反馈分析调整教学模式。 北京师范大学教授黄荣怀指出，需因地制宜推进人工智能教育发展，对于乡村、欠发达地区的学校，可使用国家中小学智慧教育平台中的相关数字资源开展教学，同时借助企业、高校、社会组织等多元力量支持学校人工智能教育设施与课程的建设。 “人工智能教育肯定是大趋势，未来有望在更多学科应用推广，但目前仍只是辅助功能。”陈娟说，“我相信老师的育人功能，机器和技术是无法真正取代的。”

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 教育资讯 中-英
立邦中国入选"福布斯中国可持续发展工业企业"榜单

"可持续发展工业企业"评选由知名商业媒体福布斯中国于2022年首次发起，旨在表彰在推动绿色转型方面表现突出的工业企业。本次评选以国家"双碳"和"形成新质生产力"目标为导向，围绕"可持续发展管理体系"、"转型技术创新"、"可持续发展实践"、"长期经济增长"四大维度，从涵盖新能源、高端制造、传统制造业等超10个细分行业中遴选出40家主评选企业与8家子评选企业。作为入选主评选榜单的涂料行业代表，立邦以助力国家实现"双碳"目标为己任，通过"绿色行动"和"产品责任"两大维度，持续探索可持续发展的创新模式，其于6月发布的2024年可持续发展报告亦全面展示了公司在碳排放管理方面的实践成果。 在绿色行动上，立邦不仅创新打造了碳管理平台系统，将碳数据的收集、测算、决策形成数字化闭环，实现对碳排放的动态管理，还构建了覆盖原材料采购、生产制造、包装、物流仓储、门店运营和办公运营各个环节的减碳路径，通过创新技术与高效管理手段的有机结合，持续优化能源使用效率，减少自身与价值链的温室气体排放。 在生产制造环节，立邦不仅积极推进水电、风电等绿色电力的使用，还将光伏工程引入工厂战略布局，推动"光伏+"创新模式的融合应用。2024年，立邦的可持续能源使用占比达19.67%。在包装环节，立邦将可再生塑料带入涂料包装领域，开发出循环塑料包装桶，实现减碳设计。截至2024年底，立邦已有超过80%的塑料桶采用消费后再生材料（PCR）添加，累计使用约1500吨PCR材料。在物流环节，立邦采用组合化运输，提升海运和铁路运输比例，2024年共减少碳排放约911吨。同时，在终端门店，立邦在新建店和旧店升级装修中推行节能照明系统，在办公区域，则从节水、节电、节纸入手，推动绿色办公。 在产品责任上，立邦从产品全生命周期出发，围绕研发与生产、施工与涂装、产品使用与消耗三大阶段，通过技术创新推动可持续优势产品研发。依托全生命周期碳足迹评价体系，立邦累计已有40款产品获得碳足迹认证，20款产品取得环境产品声明（EPD）证书，2024年超过71%的新产品销售来自于可持续产品，为建筑、工业、汽车等多个领域提供专业绿色解决方案。 作为产业链的一员，立邦与行业伙伴紧密合作，共拓"绿色朋友圈"，同造绿色价值链。在上游端，立邦将ESG标准深度嵌入供应商全生命周期管理，通过系统化的ESG专项培训助力供应商能力建设。在下游端，立邦则着力完善绿色智能制造体系建设，探索适用于多元场景的绿色低碳解决方案，在帮助下游客户减碳的同时，也将经验反馈至上游，推动产业生态链的绿色协同发展。置身于行业生态圈，立邦在2024年加入"绿色低碳供应链链主企业联盟（CN100）"，积极参与"碳圈"交流，助力中国绿色低碳供应链整体建设水平的提升。 当前，工业可持续发展从"理念倡导"进阶为"生存竞速"，技术突破和模式创新正在成为企业构建核心竞争力的关键。秉持"永续大地精‘彩'"的可持续发展初心，立邦不仅持续自我刷新，在生产经营的各个方面落实绿色发展理念，更将携手产业链、生态圈伙伴，探索绿色转型的"创新解法"，为中国工业的高质量发展增添精彩底色。

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 化工 中-英
全国首批跨境金融服务平台新场景在浙江落地

【环球网财经综合报道】为进一步提高小微企业汇率风险管理水平，国家外汇管理局跨境金融服务平台创新推出企业汇率风险管理服务应用场景“衍生品业务担保增信签约”试点功能。浙商银行积极响应，于6月30日落地全国首笔试点业务，为一家纺织服装出口企业高效办理汇率避险业务，切实帮助企业降本增效。 高效落地首单：从需求到签约仅1天 当前，全球经贸环境复杂多变、汇率波动加剧，外贸企业特别是小微企业面临的汇率风险日益增大。 为破解企业难题，6月末，国家外汇管理局跨境金融服务平台上线了企业汇率风险管理服务应用场景“衍生品业务担保增信签约”试点功能。该功能通过线上化担保签约、优化风险分担等机制，为企业提供更便捷、低成本的汇率避险服务。作为首批试点银行，浙商银行快速响应，高效完成了全国首笔试点业务落地。 试点方案发布后，浙商银行迅速行动，通过精准摸排，了解到绍兴一家主营纺织服装出口的企业急需汇率避险。受近期人民币汇率波动影响，企业利润承压。但传统模式下，企业开展衍生品交易需缴纳高额保证金或资产抵押，还需要来回跑担保公司和银行，汇率避险成本较高，一直未能开展相关业务。 在浙江省外汇局的指导和省担保集团的协调配合下，浙商银行总分联动，绍兴分行仅用1个工作日就完成了从提交企业需求到担保签约的全流程，效率远超传统线下模式（通常需要3-5天）。最终，该企业获得200万元“汇率避险保”保函额度，并办理了近120万美元的外汇掉期产品，有效盘活美元收汇资金、降低财务成本。 “以前怕麻烦、成本高，不敢做汇率避险。现在通过外汇局平台获得担保增信后，在浙商银行的交易宝平台线上就能签约衍生品，省心又省钱，真正解了我们的燃眉之急！”该企业负责人表示。 多维构建机制：破解小微企业避险难题 此次首笔试点落地，是浙商银行落实政策创新、服务外贸企业的缩影。近年来，浙商银行持续发力，打出“理念先行+服务定制+减费让利”的“组合拳”。 服务理念方面，浙商银行成立“汇率避险服务”金融顾问工作室，加强风险中性理念对客宣导。截至目前，新媒体矩阵线上触达客户超50万人次；全国组织开展汇率避险相关培训220余场，主动提供外汇政策解读、外汇交易建议等服务，全面提升小微企业汇率避险的理念和意愿。 定制化产品方面，推出“浙商汇利盈”专属产品包，根据小微企业外币结算账期、风险承受能力等推荐适配的避险产品，涵盖远期、期权等衍生品；重点聚焦产业集群，提供“一行一策”的定制化服务，已覆盖苏州生物医药、广东惠州电子制造、江西赣州家具产业、绍兴纺织服装及金华跨境电商等行业集群。 此外，浙商银行对小微企业加大减费让利支持力度，对担保项下业务实施成交汇率全额优惠，优化锁汇价格。截至今年6月末，该行通过主动授信累计为3600家企业提供汇率避险服务，有效缓解保证金占用压力，降低套保成本，提升汇率避险普惠性。 “汇率避险不是‘选择题’，而是‘必答题’。”浙商银行国际业务部负责人表示，“我们将以此次试点为起点，持续深化外汇局政策应用与外部协同，提供避险+结算+融资综合服务，让更多小微外贸企业敢用、会用、用好汇率避险工具，为外贸高质量发展贡献浙银力量。”（一言）

2025-09-04 周瑶芳 财经 中-英
巴西化工业开工率持续下滑

近日，巴西化学工业协会(Abiquim)公布的数据显示，2025年第一季度巴西化工行业创下三十余年来最差表现：开工率降至62%，较2024年第一季度的65%进一步下滑，产量同比下降3.8%。尽管巴西于2024年10月对数十种化工产品大幅提高进口关税，寄望此举能部分缓解海外低价竞品的冲击，但行业颓势仍在延续。年初至今，巴西化学品进口量虽有所趋稳但仍处高位，国内化工生产商举步维艰。 Abiquim指出，贸易保护主义措施正“产生积极效果”，因为2025年第一季度巴西化学品进口渗透率从2024年同期的53%降至43%。然而截至2025年3月的12个月内，工业化学品进口仍占据巴西国内消费总量的49%。多个细分领域进口量同比增幅达两位数：热塑性树脂为23.7%、无机化学品为31.2%、有机化学品为27.4%、合成纤维中间体为28.6%及工业溶剂为14.7%。基础石化产品进口量亦增长8.6%。 巴西聚合物巨头、拉美最大石化生产商布拉斯科公司透露，今年一季度其开工率为74%，同比持平但较去年四季度的70%有所回升。 Abiquim称：“今年一季度巴西化工行业62%的开工率均值为该机构1990年有记录以来的最低水平。化肥中间体(开工率43%)、塑料中间体(开工率45%)、合成纤维中间体(开工率51%)和增塑剂中间体(开工率53%)等领域的闲置率均超过38%的行业均值。这些数据凸显了巴西化工行业正在全球市场持续丧失竞争力，尤其是面临来自美国和亚洲进口的竞争，同时还受制于能源、天然气和税收的高成本压力。” 进口激增还体现在不断扩大的化工贸易逆差上。截至2025年3月的近12个月内，巴西化工贸易逆差达498.2亿美元，超过此前486.8亿美元的峰值。 Abiquim首席执行官安德烈·帕索斯试图以外部因素解释巴西化工企业的困境。他指出：“由于严重依赖进口，巴西及拉美化工生产商在全球市场只能扮演‘价格接受者’的角色。因此，巴西化工生产不仅受原油、石脑油和天然气价格波动影响，还受制于俄乌冲突及全球供需格局。巴西雷亚尔对美元的汇率波动也显著影响国内市场。” 巴西化工生产商对巴西议会正在讨论的新刺激计划Presiq寄予厚望，该计划可能取代此前针对特定原料采购的税收减免政策REIQ。Abiquim表示，Presiq将更贴合时代需求，通过基于低碳项目的智能税收激励推动行业复苏。帕索斯称：“Presiq可能对经济产生结构性影响。除了减少化工行业贸易逆差，其目标之一是将工厂开工率提升至95%，预计可对GDP产生1120亿雷亚尔的正向拉动，创造多达170万个直接和间接就业岗位。该计划还能新增655亿雷亚尔税收收入，同时解决巴西化工行业面临的结构性难题。 然而，部分消息人士表示，仅靠政府的保护主义措施不足以让化工生产商摆脱目前市场的残酷现实。一方面，巴西的生产成本远高于北美或中东等竞争地区，且拉美地区化工生产仍以原油衍生的石脑油为主要原料，而北美的竞争对手则凭借丰富的天然气基乙烷原料蓬勃发展。 虽然布拉斯科公司计划逐步转向乙烷原料，但这需要未来数年投入巨额资金，当前全球化工行业低迷已令其财务承压，更不要说稳定的天然气供应尚未落实，该公司仍在与巴西国有能源巨头巴西国油谈判。

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 化工 中-英
I Embraced AI in My Community College English Class — and My Students Loved It

My 12-year-old twins can prompt ChatGPT with alarming fluency. They’ve generated AI music, transformed family photos into wispy Van Gogh-style portraits, and built a chatbot that mimics their favorite anime characters. As their mother, I’d love to say it’s because they’re brilliant, and of course they are, but the truth is less flattering and far more important. My children are AI literate because of a weighted mix of luck and privilege. My husband and I have graduate degrees and jobs that require computer fluency. Their Pennsylvania school district, Haverford, consistently places among the top districts in our state. Their middle school benefits from stable funding, high-quality teachers, and a strong IT department, all leading to discussions about AI in their sixth grade classrooms. It’s a 20-minute drive from their school to Delaware County Community College, where I’ve been teaching for over a decade, and many of our students come from underperforming high schools. My classrooms are filled with recent graduates who have been taught that AI is little more than a contentious cheating machine. One of my returning adult learners told me she’d heard of AI, but had no idea what it was. After class, I gave her a quick demonstration of ChatGPT on our overhead projector. She sighed and said, “Well, now I know why my daughter’s suddenly getting through her homework so fast.” This knowledge gap? It’s not just technological. It’s generational, socioeconomic and institutional. And it’s growing wider by the day. As first-year writing professors at community colleges, if we don’t meet this moment with intention, we will leave our most vulnerable students behind. I felt this realization as a call to action and I didn’t just dive in, I cannon-balled. Over the past six months, I’ve clocked more than 150 hours building my fluency across multiple large language models. I studied the terminology, immersed myself in the ethics and mechanics of generative tools and leaned on the IT minds in my family. I read books, I listened to podcasts, and I had long conversations with colleagues about what equitable, ethical AI should look like in our courses. In May, I received a grant to provide my fall Composition I students with ChatGPT subscriptions. These students will meet in a computer lab, giving us space to explore these tools in a collaborative setting. With OpenAI access, students will benefit from faster responses, voice-to-text, custom learning tools, and Sora, OpenAI’s image and video generator, to deepen engagement with our readings. Throughout the semester, I’ll collect data and administer surveys to gauge how this access shapes their learning and digital literacy. And I’ve used grant funding to integrate the AI-detection tool Pangram into my Composition II course this summer. Rather than leaving me to play Sherlock Holmes, scrutinizing student prose for malfeasance, Pangram’s findings offer transparency to both student and instructor. Unlike detectors I’ve used in the past, Pangram identifies subtly humanized AI-generated writing, removing the familiar crutch many students have reached for in the past to avoid the messier process of developing as writers. The most effective tool I’ve employed is the AI Transparency Journal, a shared Google Doc where students track every AI interaction throughout the semester. They log each prompt, how AI responded, what surprised them and where they struggled, creating a record of process, experimentation and growth. In my current summer Composition II course, I started with an experiment: students uploaded our syllabus to ChatGPT, introduced themselves using a custom prompt about their background, goals and past experiences with writing, and asked the AI to identify what they might enjoy, what could challenge them and how the course might help them grow. The results were eye-opening. Students reported feeling more prepared and reflective before reading a single assigned text. Even those initially skeptical about AI were surprised by how personalized — and surprisingly insightful — the responses felt. Several students shared reflections that stayed with me: “The response felt like it understood both the good and the hard stuff about me. It even helped me connect my love for reading the Quran to the diverse literature we’ll be exploring.” “I never expected AI to suggest keeping a personal phrase list to help with my vocabulary. That idea alone changed how I’m approaching this class.” “Honestly, it was like having my horoscope read — but more useful. The AI’s clarity helped me understand the syllabus better than just reading it on my own.” Even those students who didn’t feel their AI’s response effectively captured their learning style appreciated how it offered a game plan for tackling our accelerated course. Most importantly, it inspired metacognition, reflection and writing before we even cracked our first literary text. I’m writing this as I grade posts from the halfway mark of our six week course: our poetry unit. My students selected their favorite passage from either Langston Hughes’ “Let America be America Again” or Dunya Mikhail’s “The War Works Hard,” and used a free AI image generator to create a picture to capture its themes. They then posted their image and evaluated how well they felt it captured what they held in their imaginations. Many students are enthralled by the generated pictures and their journal responses are averaging twice as long as required. While a few were disappointed, they were eager to explain why. For the second part of the assignment, I asked them to respond to at least one other image; most opted to respond to two or three different posts. After we passed the halfway point in my current class, I paused to compare my current students’ progress against those in my same ENG 112 course one year ago, before I had integrated Pangram or any formal AI tools. This summer, I began with 37 students, and 29 are still actively submitting work. Of those, 24 are earning A’s or B’s and consistently completing their assignments. In contrast, last summer I started with 38 students, but by Week Four only 21 were still engaged, and just 17 finished the course with a C or higher, the threshold for transfer eligibility. That said, there have been struggles with my wide-scale AI integration. I’ve had more Zoom calls with students than any previous semester as I’m walking my less technically inclined students through the many steps required to navigate AI interfaces. But no one has complained; I have one student in her 50s who shared she’s done little more than use her computer for emailing and Facebook. After one of our longer video calls, she emailed me: “Dr. Ray, Thank you for your time today. I’m so glad you’re showing us all this. I never understood what all this AI stuff was before. I never thought I’d learn how to do this in an English class!” And beneath all our trial and error, something else is emerging: engagement, community and a newfound energy, an indescribable undercurrent that floats through a positively charged learning space, even a virtual one. So I leave you with this. Our students need guidance in navigating these new technologies, and if we fail to teach them how to engage with AI ethically and intelligently, we won’t just widen the skills gap, we’ll reinforce the equity gap, one many of us have spent our careers trying to dismantle. It’s time to shift the conversation from fear to responsibility. Our students are ready. We need to meet them here.

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 教育资讯 英-中
Why is the moon's far side so weird? China's lunar sample-return mission may have figured it out

The origin of the strange differences between the near and far sides of the moon are a step closer to being solved, thanks to new findings from China's Chang'e 6 mission that returned samples from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin. The near side of the moon is familiar to us as the only side that we can see from Earth. Dark regions called maria are vast lava plains filling lowland impact basins, and give us the pattern of the "man in the moon." Yet the far side of the moon, which can only be seen by orbiting spacecraft, has barely any maria and is covered by craggy, cratered and ancient highlands. That's not the only difference between the two hemispheres; the thickness of the moon's crust is thinner on the near side, volcanic activity appears to have occurred at different points in time, and the mantle beneath the far side seems heavily depleted in certain elements compared to the near side. However, while we have many samples from the lunar near side, particularly those brought back to Earth by the Apollo missions, the Soviet Luna missions and China's own Chang'e 5, we had nothing from the far side with which to test theories. Then, in June 2024, China's Chang'e 6 mission landed in the SPA basin and brought back samples totaling 1,935.3 grams (68.27 ounces). The SPA basin is the largest impact site on the moon, spanning 2,500 kilometers (1,600 miles) and extends from the lunar south pole and onto the far side of the moon. It's also the oldest known impact feature on the moon, with an age of 4.25 billion years. What impact — pardon the pun — could the sheer violence of the SPA basin's formation have had on lunar geology and the thermal evolution of the moon's interior? Could it have caused the dichotomy between the moon's two hemispheres? Chang'e 6's samples are the first from the lunar far side, and have offered a unique opportunity to test models that could potentially explain the difference between the moon's two hemispheres. Consequently, following analysis of the samples, researchers led by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have announced four major discoveries. The first is that the samples contain volcanic rocks called basalts that date to prolonged volcanic outbursts on the lunar far side in two distinct phases, one around 4.2 billion years ago and another 2.8 billion years ago. "We propose that the 4.2-billion-year-old basalt was associated with the formation of the SPA basin because it is a high-aluminum basalt, requiring the incorporation of crustal plagioclase into its source," Wei Yang, a professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Space.com in an email interview. Meanwhile, "the 2.8-billion-year-old basalts originated from the deep mantle, the product of the early stage crystallization of the lunar magma ocean." The evolution of this lunar magma ocean that formed the moon's mantle is central to the next discovery, which is that geochemical analysis of the basalt samples points to a source in the lunar mantle deep below ground that is heavily depleted in particular elements such as thorium. It is unknown whether this depleted mantle is found only beneath the SPA basin, or whether it is more extensive across the moon. "To be honest, we don't know," said Yang. One possibility is that the moon has had this depleted mantle since birth, in which case both the near and far sides should share this composition. The other possibility is that it was produced after the lunar magma ocean formed and began to crystallize. "Personally, I am more inclined to believe the latter, given that such a massive impact has the potential to affect the mantle down to a depth of 250 kilometers [155 miles]," said Yang. "If it is only present in the SPA basin, then it must have formed as a result of the SPA impact. To figure this out, we need to collect more samples from the moon's far side, particularly from areas outside the SPA." The third discovery is of something we wouldn't expect to find on the moon: water. However, we are talking parts-per-million here — the Apollo samples were considered "bone dry," and the far side mantle seems to be even drier than that. "The water content of this mantle is lower than those of the mantle sources of all the basalts from the near side," said Yang. The final discovery relates to the moon's magnetic field. Earth's natural satellite currently doesn't have a global magnetic field, and traces of magnetism remain only in a handful of anomalous patches called lunar swirls. However, in the distant past it did have a global magnetic field. The Chang'e 6 samples retain a record of it, and show that the magnetic field, after decaying for a time, rebounded in strength about 2.8 billion years ago. This indicates that the moon's internal dynamo fluctuated, possibly episodically, rather than just experiencing a slow but gradual decline. The timing coincides with the second phase of volcanism on the far-side. "The magnetic field rebounded 2.8 billion years ago, which suggests that the interior of the moon still contained a lot of energy," said Yang. "Perhaps convection and the upward flow of hot material existed in the lunar mantle at that time." Not only could this upward flow have triggered volcanic eruptions, it could have been enough to vaporize much of the water in the mantle, drying it out. If the creation of the SPA basin is the cause of much of this, then it has repercussions that go far beyond the moon. Other giant impact features are seen on other bodies, particularly on Mercury and Mars. We may have underestimated the role that these giant impacts played on the evolution of the planets' interiors. The Chang'e 6 results were presented in four papers (1, 2, 3, 4) that were published recently in the journal Nature.

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 航空 英-中
Interview: Germany-China partnership crucial amid global challenges, trade expert says

STUTTGART, Germany, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China remains a crucial market for German companies, and the long-standing partnership between the two nations is becoming increasingly significant amid global strategic uncertainties, tariff disputes, and supply chain disruptions, a German trade expert has said. Germany-China partnership is built on trust and mutual respect, and now it is time to further consolidate this cooperation, Roland Bleinroth, chief executive officer of leading German event organizer Messe Stuttgart, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Describing China as "a very important market" for German companies, Bleinroth emphasized that, given the current global challenges, the Chinese market has become even more vital. According to him, German companies are showing strong confidence in China. The decisions by a wide array of German companies to double down on their investment in China reflect an unwavering commitment to the Chinese market. Messe Stuttgart manages the Stuttgart trade fair center and hosts various exhibitions, trade fairs, congresses, and technical conferences, which have welcomed a multitude of Chinese participants over the past years. Citing the active participation of Chinese exhibitors and visitors at German fairs, as well as robust German engagement in trade shows across China, Bleinroth said that trade exhibitions play a pivotal role in fostering these ties. As key exporters in the world, China and Germany have been championing the idea of globalization and free trade. Bleinroth underscored that globalization, although being unfairly portrayed as a zero-sum game, has actually driven economic growth over the past few decades, and still represents a win-win scenario for all participants in international commerce. Bleinroth expressed concern that this "economic commonsense" is being questioned. With technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics reshaping industries worldwide, he called for closer collaboration between Germany and China to pursue common goals. Looking ahead, Bleinroth said he remains optimistic about the future of Germany-China cooperation. "There are so many things that we can work together on for the common benefit of both sides and also for the rest of the world," he said. "We need to focus on what we can do together," rather than on our differences, he added.

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 CATTI练笔 英-中
德银：连续供应赤字支撑铂金价格，预计明年达1550美元/盎司

【环球网财经综合报道】据德银分析师在报告中所提，自2023年以来，铂金便出现了显著的短缺。到明年，铂金的基本面短缺将进入第四个年头，连续四年的供应赤字为价格提供了坚实支撑。 与2018 - 2022年水平相比，铂金在汽车催化剂领域的需求依然旺盛。特别是插电式混合动力汽车（PHEV）销售表现相较于纯电动汽车（BEVs）更为强劲，这可能会减缓铂族金属催化剂需求的下降速度，远低于之前对未来几年需求下滑的预期。 德银还提到，过去两个月铂金形势发生了变化。一方面，黄金转向铂金的珠宝制造替代品趋势得到支持；另一方面，铂金租赁利率的上涨被视为物理短缺的迹象,此外，连续几年的赤字可能已侵蚀了工业库存，导致需要进行一些补充库存。 德银认为2026年铂金价格可能达到1550美元/盎司，相比其基础预测的1400美元/盎司还有上涨空间。不过，高盛分析师Lina Thomas和Daan Struyven在报告中却表达了截然不同的观点，认为推动铂金冲向1280美元/盎司的主要力量是投机和ETF需求，而非基本面的根本性改善。高盛认为，一旦投机热情消退，价格回调将不可避免。（南木）

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 财经 中-英
上海合作组织成员国元首理事会天津宣言（2025-09-01）

上海合作组织（以下称“上合组织”或“本组织”）成员国领导人于2025年9月1日在中国天津举行元首理事会会议，并发表宣言如下： 一 世界政治、经济形势及国际关系的其他各领域正经历深刻历史性变革。国际体系朝着更加公正、平等、更具代表性的多极化方向演进，为各国自身发展和互利合作开辟了新的前景。 与此同时，地缘政治对抗愈演愈烈，对世界和上合组织地区的安全和稳定构成威胁与挑战。全球经济，特别是国际贸易和金融市场遭受严重冲击。 2025年是第二次世界大战胜利和联合国成立80周年。爱好和平国家团结战胜纳粹主义、法西斯主义、军国主义的伟大胜利，决定了世界历史发展进程，为建立保障人类和平发展的稳定国际关系体系创造了条件。成员国呼吁铭记各国人民的英勇壮举和第二次世界大战历史教训。 联合国作为独一无二的政府间组织，为维护和平与安全、促进经济社会发展、保障人权开展了有效工作，推动了必要合作。成员国重申坚持以《联合国宪章》及其他公认的国际法原则、尊重文明多样性、平等互利合作为基础，发挥联合国中心协调作用，构建更具代表性、更加民主公正的多极世界。 发表了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于第二次世界大战胜利和联合国成立80周年的声明》。 成员国认为，有必要对联合国进行相应改革，保障发展中国家在联合国治理机构中的代表性，使联合国适应当今政治和经济现实需要。 成员国重申，在发展上合组织成员国关系时将平等、全面恪守《联合国宪章》和《上合组织宪章》宗旨和原则，以及其他公认的国际法原则和准则。 成员国主张尊重各国人民自主选择政治、经济、社会发展道路的权利，强调相互尊重主权、独立、领土完整，平等互利，不干涉内政，不使用或威胁使用武力原则是国际关系稳定发展的基础。 成员国重申恪守《上合组织宪章》宗旨和原则，始终遵循“互信、互利、平等、协商、尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展”的“上海精神”，持续深化合作，促进上合组织地区的安全稳定和可持续发展。 成员国重申，反对以集团化和对抗性思维解决国际和地区热点问题。 成员国强调，在上合组织框架内的协作将为在欧亚大陆形成平等和不可分割的安全架构奠定基础。 成员国注意到制定《21世纪欧亚多样性与多极化宪章》的倡议，该倡议旨在巩固欧亚大陆发展进程。 成员国重申，推动构建相互尊重、公平正义、合作共赢的新型国际关系和人类命运共同体，以及根据“一个地球，一个家园，一个未来”理念开展对话具有重要现实意义。成员国呼吁国际社会共同参与《上合组织关于各国团结共促世界公正、和睦、发展的倡议》。 成员国注意到关于联合国大会通过“为子孙后代建设和平的十年”特别决议的倡议。 成员国重申，中亚是上合组织的核心区，支持中亚国家为维护本国和地区和平、安全与稳定所作努力，注意到“中亚－上合组织核心：合作实现共同发展的25年”国际会议（2025年6月19日，杜尚别）成果以及每年举办该活动的倡议。 成员国重申人权的普遍性、不可分割性、相互依存性和关联性，尊重人权和基本自由，反对在人权问题上采取双重标准，反对以保护人权为借口干涉别国内政。 为进一步完善上合组织建设，确保上合组织地区和平稳定与发展繁荣，成员国批准了《上合组织未来10年（2026－2035年）发展战略》，确定了深化全方位合作的优先任务和主要方向。 二 成员国主张建设持久和平的世界，呼吁统筹应对传统和非传统安全威胁与挑战。 成员国重申，坚持继续深化共同打击恐怖主义、分裂主义和极端主义，以及非法贩运麻醉药品、精神药物及其前体，武器走私等其他跨国有组织犯罪合作。 成员国签署了《上合组织成员国关于应对安全威胁与挑战综合中心的协定》和《上合组织成员国关于上合组织禁毒中心的协定》。 成员国注意到关于成立战略安全研究中心的建议。 成员国将继续积极落实《上合组织成员国打击恐怖主义、分裂主义和极端主义合作纲要（2025－2027）》（2024年7月4日，阿斯塔纳）。 成员国强烈谴责任何形式和表现的恐怖主义，坚决反对反恐双重标准，呼吁国际社会发挥联合国中心协调作用，根据《联合国宪章》和国际法原则全面执行联合国安理会相关决议和《联合国全球反恐战略》，共同打击包括恐怖分子跨境流窜等恐怖主义行径，合力打击所有恐怖组织。成员国强调，以协商一致方式通过《打击国际恐怖主义全面公约》十分重要。 成员国强烈谴责2025年4月22日在帕哈尔加姆发生的恐怖袭击事件。 成员国强烈谴责2025年3月11日对“贾法尔快车”及5月21日在胡兹达尔发动的恐怖袭击事件。 成员国向遇难者家属和受伤人员致以深切同情和慰问，认为应追究实施者、组织者和资助者责任。 成员国重申坚决打击恐怖主义、分裂主义和极端主义，不允许利用恐怖、分裂和极端组织牟取私利。成员国认可主权国家及各国主管机关在应对恐怖主义和极端主义威胁方面发挥的关键作用。 成员国强调通过多边合作打击恐怖主义及切断恐怖主义融资渠道的重要性，注意到“加强国际反恐合作和建立灵活的边境安全机制——杜尚别进程科威特阶段”高级别会议（2024年11月4至5日，科威特）成果。 成员国注意到关于2026年在纽约举行下一轮“杜尚别进程”边境安全与管控高级别会议的提议。 成员国高度评价上合组织地区反恐怖机构在组织开展联合反恐演习和首长司令部演习、通过情报交流和反宣传行动等切实举措跟踪地区局势发挥的作用，注意到“反恐协作－2024”联合反恐演习（2024年7月19日，中国新疆维吾尔自治区）取得的成果，重申将继续采取旨在加强上合组织反恐领域合作的联合行动。 成员国将继续共同努力，防止激进意识形态、宗教不宽容、排外心理、暴力民族主义、种族和族群歧视思潮蔓延。为落实《上合组织反极端主义公约》（2017年6月9日，阿斯塔纳），成员国通过了《上合组织成员国打击极端主义意识形态2026年至2030年合作纲要》。 成员国欢迎联合国大会每年通过《打击美化纳粹主义、新纳粹主义和其他助长当代形式种族主义、种族歧视、仇外心理和相关不宽容行为的做法》的决议。 成员国指出，进一步落实《上合组织成员国边防合作协定》（2015年7月10日，乌法）十分重要，注意到上合组织成员国主管机关边防部门“团结协作－2024”联合边防行动成果。 成员国重申，对巴以冲突持续升级深表关切，强烈谴责导致加沙地带众多平民伤亡和人道主义灾难的行径。 成员国强调必须尽快实现全面持久停火，确保人道主义援助进入加沙，加大力度保障地区居民享有和平、稳定和安全。 成员国指出，确保中东和平与稳定的唯一途径是全面、公正地解决巴勒斯坦问题。 成员国强烈谴责以色列和美国于2025年6月对伊朗发动的军事侵略，此类针对基础核设施等民用设施的侵略行径导致平民伤亡，严重违反国际法准则和《联合国宪章》宗旨和原则，侵犯伊朗主权和领土完整，破坏地区和国际安全，对全球和平与稳定造成严重后果。 成员国指出，任何时候包括军事冲突期间，都要确保核安全并保护核设施，确保民众和环境免受伤害。为此，成员国重申致力于通过外交努力和平解决当前问题。 成员国重申联合国安理会第2231（2015）号决议的重要性和强制性，应依据其规定全面执行决议，任何试图随意曲解该决议的行为，都将损害联合国安理会权威。 成员国呼吁相关方恢复建设性对话，共同找寻避免局势进一步恶化的解决方案。 成员国重申，致力于帮助阿富汗成为独立、中立、和平，远离恐怖主义、战争和毒品的国家，支持国际社会为阿富汗和平、发展所作努力。 成员国重申，组建一个真正包容并吸收阿富汗社会各族裔、各政治派别代表广泛参与的政府，是实现阿富汗持久和平与稳定的唯一途径。 成员国注意到设在阿拉木图的联合国可持续发展目标中亚及阿富汗区域中心开展的工作。 成员国表示，愿继续加强防务部门的有效合作，注意到关于制定并签署《上合组织成员国军事领域信任措施协定》的建议。 成员国支持进一步深化禁毒领域务实合作，包括打击利用信息通信技术犯罪和新精神活性物质蔓延，强调落实联合国三项国际禁毒公约及上合组织禁毒领域相关法律文件十分重要。 成员国将继续在联合国主管机构及其他国际组织和机构框架下就毒品问题协调立场，在此背景下，成员国对上合组织与联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室举办的“联合国与上合组织：完善打击利用互联网开展非法毒品贩运的司法鉴定”特别会议（2025年3月10日，维也纳）成果表示欢迎。 成员国对日益严重的麻醉药品、精神药物非法制贩和滥用问题表示关切，主张共同努力减少毒品需求，支持定期举行“蛛网”禁毒行动、“无毒世界”禁毒预防行动等活动。 发表了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于有效处理和应对世界毒品问题的声明》。 成员国注意到，在安全威胁与挑战不断增加的背景下，乌兹别克斯坦计划举行“上合组织+”安全对话。 成员国支持上合组织秘书处同中亚地区禁毒信息协调中心签署备忘录，认为建设中的上合组织禁毒中心采取措施加强与中亚地区禁毒信息协调中心协作十分重要。 成员国重申，个别国家或国家集团单方面不受限制地加强全球反导系统将危害国际安全与稳定，认为以牺牲别国安全为代价谋求自身安全不可接受。 作为《不扩散核武器条约》（1968年7月1日）缔约国的上合组织成员国，主张恪守该条约规定，全面平衡推动落实条约各项宗旨和原则，巩固全球核不扩散体系，推进核裁军进程，强调以和平目的研究、生产和利用核能是所有国家不可剥夺的权利，应不受歧视地开展平等、可持续的国际互利合作。成员国强调，在这一领域实施单边限制措施违反国际法，不可接受。 成员国支持防止外空武器化，认为严格遵循和平利用外空的现行法律体系至关重要，强调有必要签署具有强制性法律效力的国际文书，提高透明度，为防止外空军备竞赛提供有力保障。 成员国呼吁《禁止化学武器公约》各缔约方全面履行公约，使其成为裁军和防扩散领域的有效法律文书。成员国重申支持禁止化学武器组织，支持该组织通过协商决策解决内部分歧，确保该组织根据公约有效开展工作。鉴于销毁已申报的化学武器库存工作已完成，各方强调继续推进该组织工作，这符合公约各缔约方利益，具有重要现实意义。各方支持扩大《禁止化学武器公约》缔约国数量。 成员国指出，1972年签署的《禁止生物武器公约》具有重要作用，主张恪守该公约，加强国际合作，达成包含有效核查机制、具有法律约束力的议定书，以完善全球生物安全治理。成员国反对建立任何与公约功能重复的机制。 为此，根据“加强《禁止生物武器公约》并使之制度化”联合国大会第79/79（2024）号决议，成员国强调为落实该项决议加强合作，包括研究成立国际生物安全机构十分重要。 成员国对日益增长的信息安全领域威胁表示关切，坚决反对信息和通信技术领域军事化，反对危害关键信息基础设施安全的行动。 成员国认为，确保各国在互联网管理方面享有平等权利并拥有网络主权十分重要。 成员国重申将深化国际信息安全领域合作，共同打击网络犯罪和网络恐怖主义，强调联合国在应对信息空间安全威胁方面具有关键作用。为此，成员国支持在联合国框架内继续根据自愿原则制定各方普遍接受的国际信息安全规则，呼吁共同努力推动签署《联合国打击网络犯罪公约》，完善打击网络犯罪机制。 成员国重申愿进一步加强法律和司法领域交流合作，支持进一步落实《上合组织成员国司法部间合作协议》（2015年8月18日，杜尚别）。 成员国将继续就反腐败工作开展协作，呼吁国际社会拒绝为腐败犯罪分子提供庇护。 三 白俄罗斯共和国、伊朗伊斯兰共和国、哈萨克斯坦共和国、吉尔吉斯共和国、巴基斯坦伊斯兰共和国、俄罗斯联邦、塔吉克斯坦共和国、乌兹别克斯坦共和国重申支持中华人民共和国提出的共建“一带一路”倡议，肯定各方为共同实施共建“一带一路”倡议，包括为促进“一带一路”与欧亚经济联盟建设对接所做工作。 成员国认为，利用地区国家、国际组织和多边机制的潜力，根据国际法原则并兼顾国家利益，在上合组织地区构建广泛、开放、互利和平等的协作空间具有重要意义。为此，成员国注意到建立“大欧亚伙伴关系”的倡议，并表示愿促进上合组织、欧亚经济联盟、东盟及其他相关国家和多边机制间的对话。 成员国注意到上合组织地区在促进世界经济复苏、维护全球产业链和供应链稳定、推动可持续发展方面的作用。 成员国支持进一步完善和改革全球经济治理体系，将坚定维护和加强以国际公认的原则和规则为基础的开放、透明、公正、包容、非歧视的多边贸易体制，促进开放型世界经济发展，保障公平市场准入和对发展中国家的特殊和差别待遇。 会议通过了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于支持多边贸易体制的声明》。 成员国反对单边强制措施，包括违反《联合国宪章》及其他国际法准则、世界贸易组织原则与规则的经济措施，这些措施损害粮食安全和能源安全等国际安全利益，对全球经济产生负面影响，破坏公平竞争，阻碍国际合作及联合国可持续发展目标的实现。 成员国注意到关于在上合组织框架内制定贸易便利化协定的倡议。 成员国支持以人民为中心进一步深化合作，增进上合组织地区民生福祉，提高人民生活水平，将继续落实《上合组织成员国多边经贸合作纲要》和有关国家通过的《〈上合组织至2030年经济发展战略〉落实行动计划》。 成员国注意到上合组织成员国地方领导人论坛和上合组织实业家委员会为推动本组织经贸合作作出的重要贡献。 成员国将根据各自国内法律法规和自愿原则开展特殊经济区合作，包括有关国家发挥青岛“中国－上合组织地方经贸合作示范区”潜力。 成员国致力于推进电子商务合作，发展数字贸易基础设施，缩小发达国家与发展中国家数字鸿沟，注意到关于制定《上合组织成员国授权机构间发展电子商务合作纲要》的建议。 会议通过了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于加强数字经济发展的声明》。 成员国注意到关于建立上合组织出口信贷与投资机制的倡议。 成员国注意到创新和创意经济对确保本地区各国经济可持续增长的作用，强调支持创新和创意产业有助于提升经济竞争力，推动中小企业发展，扩大上合组织成员国就业市场，尤其是偏远和农村地区就业市场。 成员国支持加强上合组织科技园区库和创新集群工作，注意到关于制定《上合组织未来技术纲要》和发挥“Alem.AI”国际人工智能中心潜力推动创新的建议。 成员国认为，进一步推动上合组织投资者联盟框架内的合作十分重要，注意到该联盟首次会议（2025年3月18日，阿斯塔纳）成果，主张扩大上合组织成员国经济优惠政策库，深化投资经济合作。 成员国注意到通过了《上合组织成员国相关部门领导人关于加强可持续发展领域投资合作的声明》，以及关于通过《上合组织成员国促进相互投资综合措施》的建议。 成员国认为，在反垄断领域开展合作十分重要，将加强反垄断机构间的务实合作。 成员国支持改革国际金融机构，以增加发展中国家在国际复兴开发银行和国际货币基金组织等国际金融机构管理部门的代表性和发言权。 成员国强调金融合作对促进上合组织地区经济增长的重要作用，有关成员国继续落实《上合组织成员国扩大本币结算份额路线图》（2022年9月16日，撒马尔罕）十分重要。 各有关成员国重申成立上合组织开发银行的重要性，决定成立开发银行并就该金融机构运作的一系列问题加快磋商。 成员国强调上合组织银行联合体的重要作用，指出上合组织银联体经过20年发展，已成为金融领域受青睐的机制，主张加快解决伊朗伊斯兰共和国授权银行加入银联体的问题。 成员国注意到上合组织经济智库联盟富有成效的活动和关于建立上合组织财金智库网络的建议。 成员国注意到上合组织论坛第二十次会议（2025年5月21日至22日，新德里）成果，以及白俄罗斯战略研究所首次参加该会议。 成员国致力于发展工业领域互利合作，包括交换工业领域投资项目数据、举办展会活动等，注意到在叶卡捷琳堡国际创新工业展期间举行的上合组织成员国工业部长会议（2025年7月7日，叶卡捷琳堡）成果。 会议通过了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于绿色产业合作的声明》。 成员国支持扩大能源领域包容性互利合作，持续增强能源产业链供应链韧性，推动非歧视性全球能源市场可持续、稳定、平衡发展。 会议通过了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于能源可持续发展的声明》，批准了《〈上合组织成员国2030年前能源合作发展战略〉实施路线图》。 成员国强调，在国际能源市场不稳定的形势下，加强能源安全、能源基础设施保护等领域合作，推动投资合作和能源公平转型的重要性，以实现区域能源可持续发展，将研究制定并通过关于促进可再生能源全面合作的综合计划。 成员国主张加强与上合组织伙伴的能源对话，支持举行上合组织－阿盟“气候变化与可持续能源”高级别会议（2025年10月3日，阿斯塔纳）。 成员国赞赏国际社会加强互联互通的愿望，主张根据国际法、《联合国宪章》和《上合组织宪章》宗旨和原则，在公正、平衡基础上进一步深化交通领域合作，强调新建和升级现有国际运输通道的重要性，包括推进“北－南”和“东－西”走廊建设，充分发挥上合组织成员国过境运输潜力，注意到上合组织国家在交通运输基础设施领域提出的倡议，以及通过数字化物流、交换货物电子数据和开展技术创新确保供应链稳定畅通所采取的举措。 成员国注意到中吉乌铁路已开工建设。 成员国将继续落实《上合组织成员国政府间国际道路运输便利化协定》（2014年9月12日，杜尚别）和《上合组织成员国发展互联互通和建立高效交通走廊构想》（2022年9月16日，撒马尔罕）、《上合组织成员国关于交通脱碳、推动数字化转型和技术创新合作，实现更高效和可持续发展的合作构想》（2023年7月4日，新德里）。 成员国注意到国际道路运输便利化联合委员会会议（2024年11月20日，莫斯科）、上合组织成员国铁路部门负责人会议（2024年11月29日，莫斯科）、上合组织成员国交通部长会议（2025年7月2日，天津）成果，以及关于举行上合组织成员国港口和物流中心负责人会议（2025年11月，阿克套）的建议。 成员国注意到海关特别工作组在加强海关合作方面发挥的主导作用，包括不断完善海关治理体系，加强执法互助，推行“经认证的经营者”互认、电子证书联网，加强海关数字化和国际贸易“单一窗口”建设，打造“智慧海关”。 成员国将加强动植物检验检疫、农产品和食品安全领域国际合作，推动农产品和食品贸易，防范疫情疫病传播。 成员国支持开展标准化领域国际合作，促进上合组织国家经济社会发展。 成员国将继续加强农业、粮食安全合作，推动农业科教领域建设，包括发挥上合组织农业技术交流培训示范基地的作用，注意到上合组织农业论坛与博览会（2025年6月3日至6日，明斯克）的成功举办，以及建立“上合组织粮食安全图集”电子平台的倡议。 四 成员国指出，进一步深化教育领域合作，致力于缩小数字鸿沟具有重要意义，支持上合组织大学有效运作，加大数字技能培训投入，加强职业技术教育领域合作。 成员国强调深化科技创新合作，实施多边联合项目具有重要意义，主张深化科技成果转化应用领域合作，欢迎第五届上合组织创业论坛（2025年4月3日至5日，新德里）成果。 会议通过了《上合组织成员国元首理事会关于进一步加强科技创新合作的声明》。成员国认为，科技创新在实现可持续发展和解决全球性问题方面发挥重要作用，主张全球南方国家平等参与开放公平的国际合作，构建创新型世界经济。 成员国强调，根据联合国大会“加强人工智能能力建设国际合作”决议，各国都享有平等发展和利用人工智能的权利。 成员国指出，将坚持以人为本、智能向善理念，共同防范人工智能技术的风险，持续提升人工智能技术的安全性、可控性、可靠性、透明性、包容性、可信性、公正性。为此，成员国主张落实《上合组织成员国人工智能领域合作发展规划实施路线图》（2025年6月12日，成都）。 成员国欢迎联合国大会于2025年7月25日通过“人工智能为中亚地区可持续发展创造新机遇方面的作用”的决议，并注意到在杜尚别建立中亚人工智能中心的倡议。 成员国注意到关于成立上合组织人工智能合作机制及前沿科技合作机制的倡议。 成员国高度评价中华人民共和国青岛市作为2024年至2025年上合组织旅游和文化之都，为挖掘本地区旅游合作潜力、进一步加强成员国文化合作作出的贡献。 成员国欢迎将吉尔吉斯共和国乔蓬阿塔市作为2025年至2026年上合组织旅游和文化之都，注意到在乔蓬阿塔举行上合组织钦吉斯·艾特玛托夫伊塞克湖论坛的建议。 成员国将致力于扩大旅游领域互利合作，发展旅游基础设施，促进旅游客流增长。 成员国强调，开展全球文明对话，增进各国人民相互了解，在教育、科学、文化、保护和推广丰富的物质和非物质文化遗产领域开展国际合作具有重要意义。为此，成员国高度评价上合组织成员国艺术节（2025年7月7日，青岛）成果，注意到即将举行“国际视界”国际音乐大赛（2025年9月20日，莫斯科）、联合国教科文组织大会第43届会议（2025年10月30日至11月13日，撒马尔罕）、联合国教科文组织保护非物质文化遗产政府间委员会第20届会议（2025年12月8日至13日，新德里）。 成员国支持世界卫生组织在全球卫生治理中发挥协调作用，将推动建立公平、有效、可持续的公共卫生体系，加强能力建设，提升应急医学、远程医疗、传统医学、初级卫生保健等领域合作水平，防范和应对未来可能出现的传染病大流行。 成员国高度评价上合组织成员国卫生部长会议（2025年4月28日，西安）和卫生防疫部门负责人第八次会议（2024年12月12日，圣彼得堡）成果，注意到有关方关于建立全球初级卫生保健联盟，上合组织医学协会以及成立上合组织紧急医疗救援物资保障工作组的倡议。 成员国致力于深化体育领域合作，指出消除参加体育赛事障碍的重要性，强调大型国际体育赛事应秉持和平、互谅、国际合作、友好和包容的精神，反对任何形式的歧视。 成员国欢迎举行上合组织昆明马拉松（2024年12月29日）和伊塞克湖马拉松（2025年5月3日，乔蓬阿塔）。上述活动将加强国际体育、文化和旅游领域合作。 成员国注意到关于2026年在俄罗斯举行“上合组织杯”等上合组织成员国参加的国际体育赛事的建议，同意继续研究成立上合组织体育组织协会和上合组织体育工作组问题，强调建设中国－上合组织冰雪体育示范区（黑龙江）具有重要意义。 成员国将本着环保节能原则加强可持续发展领域交流合作，包括开展产业合作，有效管理废弃物品、资源高效利用、节能降碳增效、发展清洁能源等，为促进经济社会可持续发展贡献上合组织力量。 成员国指出，有必要继续在环境保护，生物多样性恢复和保护，防治荒漠化、土地退化和沙尘暴，山区生态系统保护等领域开展合作。 成员国高度评价“上合组织可持续发展年”工作，重申将深化务实合作，实现联合国可持续发展目标，注意到上合组织可持续发展论坛（2025年4月16日，鄂木斯克）、减贫和可持续发展论坛（2025年5月20日，西安）成果，指出制定《上合组织成员国社会发展与保障领域合作路线图》十分重要。 成员国欢迎“2025年国际冰川保护年”框架内举行的国际冰川保护高级别会议（2025年5月29日至31日，杜尚别）成果。 成员国支持在联合国支持下于2026年在哈萨克斯坦举行区域气候峰会。 成员国积极评价紧急救灾领域合作成果，愿在紧急情况预警和应对、消除灾害后果等领域加强合作。 成员国强调，为年轻一代的健康发展创造条件，降低他们参与非法活动的风险十分重要，支持进一步加强青年合作，高度评价上合组织青年委员会为解决上述问题持续开展的工作，将继续促进各国青年组织的交流。 成员国欢迎上合组织青年领袖与人才会议（2025年7月31日至8月2日，东哈萨克斯坦州）成果，以及2024至2025年“上合组织青年创业国际孵化器”项目框架下成功举办的活动。 成员国欢迎2024年12月17日联合国大会通过决议宣布2026年为可持续发展志愿者国际年。 成员国重申致力于在教育、卫生、社会和法律保障等方面保障妇女和儿童权利，维护和巩固家庭稳定，反对歧视，主张将加强妇女组织之间的联系作为上合组织活动的重要方向，认为应定期举行妇女论坛和代表大会等活动，建立上合组织成员国妇女主管部门合作机制。 成员国将通过民间外交机构和社会友好组织、友好城市和地方政府等渠道，继续加强地方合作，不断增进人民间的相互了解与传统友谊，注意到中国上合组织睦邻友好合作委员会、乌兹别克斯坦上合组织民间外交中心、吉尔吉斯斯坦上合组织文化一体化中心、塔吉克斯坦上合组织友好合作中心、俄罗斯上合组织民间外交国家中心、印度世界事务委员会上合组织研究中心为加强上合组织人文交流所作贡献。 五 成员国主张遵循《联合国宪章》和《上合组织宪章》原则，继续扩大同有关国家、伙伴组织和其他国际机构的合作。 成员国强调，扩大同联合国及其专门机构的交流与合作是上合组织国际交往的优先方向，将继续同联合国及其专门机构开展高水平对话，提升应对各类新威胁和新挑战的能力，共同实现世界和平、稳定和可持续发展。 成员国重申，将就国际法等全球议程中的热点问题深化协作和对话。 成员国决定将本组织观察员和对话伙伴合并为上合组织伙伴。 成员国对决定给予老挝人民民主共和国本组织对话伙伴地位表示欢迎。 成员国高度评价中华人民共和国2024年至2025年担任上合组织轮值主席国期间取得的成果，认为这些成果巩固了上合组织成员国人民之间的理解与信任、友好与合作，提升了本组织声望。 下一任上合组织轮值主席国将由吉尔吉斯共和国担任，其主席国口号为“上合组织成立25周年：携手迈向可持续和平、发展与繁荣”。上合组织成员国元首理事会下一次会议将于2026年在吉尔吉斯共和国举行。

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 CATTI练笔 中-英
Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: How School Districts Choose Edtech That’s Culturally Relevant

As classrooms across America become increasingly diverse, with growing populations of multilingual learners and students from various cultural backgrounds, school districts face a critical challenge: selecting educational technology that truly serves all students. According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5.3 million English learners in K-12 public schools in the fall of 2021, up from 4.6 million in the fall of 2011. Texas had the highest amount, at 20.2 percent. The traditional approach of choosing tools based on ease of use, efficiency or cost is proving inadequate for today’s multicultural learning environments. “Technology is not neutral,” says Joshua Jonas, a curriculum and instruction researcher at Baylor University and former high school teacher. “It either amplifies equity or widens gaps, depending on how it’s selected and integrated.” This fundamental shift in thinking is driving districts to move beyond asking “Will it work?” to asking “Will it work for whom?” The stakes are high. As UCLA professor Tyrone Howard notes, districts must be mindful of neurodivergence and cultural differences in learners, recognizing that tools often cater to dominant culture norms while excluding multilingual learners and students from non-Western pedagogical traditions. The result: We end up leaving the same kids behind, only faster. Set Up a Framework Forward-thinking districts are adopting systematic approaches to culturally responsive edtech selection. The Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) encourages technology leaders to define an inclusive technology vision, gather community feedback and define shared roles before diving into tool selection. Mia Laudato, CITES’ co-project director, recommends starting with one of CITES’ six self-assessment tools. “If you really want to change your ecosystem, you need to look at your overall ecosystem,” she says. “Start with the leadership assessment and ask other district leaders to take it too.” After you’ve completed the assessments, discuss your strengths and challenges, prioritize key areas and determine goals. “Implementation often fails when we go straight to student outcomes because we have to change adult behaviors first,” says Laudato. “Districts must get buy-in from a multidisciplinary team, including a family representative, on a shared, inclusive technology vision, and develop a strategic implementation plan before selecting tools.” Evaluate Vendors With 17 percent of its 12,700 students classified as English language learners as well as a significant refugee population, Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma used the CITES framework to develop a robust vendor-evaluation process. “We ask vendors to take our survey for curriculum tools that specifically looks at accessibility,” says Samantha Reid, educational technology coordinator. “It has to be AA rated or we don’t buy it.” Last year, Jenks did a pilot with Talking Points, a family engagement and communication platform that offers automatic translation in the language a family chooses. “We liked that the platform has human translators, particularly for our large population of Zomi students from Burma. Zomi is so small that it doesn’t exist in [typical formatted] translation,” says Reid. Reid says that thinking about technology to serve all students has transformed the way she collaborates with her district’s assistive technology team. “We meet weekly to do things together. Our tight bond helps every student.” The 3Cs of Inclusive Edtech Debbie Tannenbaum, a school-based tech specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, supports an elementary school in which 40 percent of the students’ initial language is not English. She looks for technology that can help students become creators versus consumers and for tools that incorporate a framework she developed called the “3Cs”: Choice: Tools should provide multiple ways for students to access and share learning, such as through audio, drawing, dictation or video. When one of Tannenbaum’s first-grade multilingual learners discovered he could create videos using Wixie instead of doing traditional math worksheets, his entire attitude toward learning transformed. “He’s just finished third grade and is different because he has access to tools like that,” says Tannenbaum. Collaborative: Digital tools must provide opportunities for students to work together in virtual spaces, respecting different comfort levels and communication styles while building essential 21st-century skills. “Ultimately, students need to know how to interact in digital and analog spaces. We don’t want students always working on their own because in the workforce people work together.” Clickable (User-Friendly): Icons and interfaces should be intuitive, with visual and textual cues side by side to support multilingual learners who may recognize pictures before words. Tannenbaum teaches icons first. Equity-Centered Teams Districts intent on choosing inclusive technology should form diverse evaluation teams that include teachers, directors of multilingual learner services, special education specialists, parents, community members, and even student representatives. Kelly Forbes, a former newcomer teacher and Title III director who is now a district consultant, says that one of the keys is understanding the people you’re serving. “Invite parents of your multilingual students to the table,” he says. “Let them be leaders in the committee. Have someone who doesn’t speak English be on the committee and hire an interpreter.” Because most educators don’t live in the zip codes they serve, community input is essential for understanding local needs and cultural contexts. Six Steps to Success The shift toward culturally responsive edtech selection requires more than policy changes; it demands a reimagining of how districts approach technology decisions. But this hard work enhances everyone. As Forbes says, “When we do this, we all rise.” The technology becomes a bridge rather than a barrier, supporting students in expressing their knowledge while maintaining connections to their cultural and linguistic heritage. Jonas and his colleagues at Baylor developed a six-step technology evaluation for equity framework. Know your students beyond the numbers: Understand languages, cultures, learning preferences and existing barriers. Build a culturally responsive evaluation team: Include diverse voices in decision-making. Compare with similar districts: Learn from districts with comparable demographics. Pilot with equity in mind: Collect feedback specifically from multilingual learners and families. Embed equity in procurement: Make cultural responsiveness a formal requirement. Create feedback loops: Monitor effectiveness in the first 60 days of implementation.

2025-09-02 周瑶芳 教育资讯 英-中

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