Over a Thousand Candidates Shortlisted for Life on Mars

Over a Thousand Candidates Shortlisted for Life on Mars

   2014-01-03 21:08:41    CRIENGLISH.com      Web Editor: Fu Yu

China Daily"Lhasa builds $14.5 million stray dog facility" The Lhasa government has invested some 88 million yuan ($14.5 million) to build a shelter for stray dogs in the city. Located in Doilungdeqen county, the shelter covers an area of 3,800 square meters, and it is equipped with dog sheds, storehouses, quarantine sections and other facilities. The shelter can house about 2,000 dogs and will be run by thirteen members of staff. Lhasa has a number of stray dogs on its streets. Efforts to tackle the problem are one of the measures the local government has introduced to make the city cleaner, safer and a world-tourism destination. China Daily "Action call on smog, mental health link" Senior clinical psychiatrists have called for closer studies on the negative impact of smoggy days on mental health. Tian Chenghua is a professor at the Institute for Psychiatric Research at Peking University's No 6 Hospital He said it is scientifically proved that some types of depression are closely associated with conditions such as seasonal change and lack of sunlight. These are related to the production of the hormone melatonin, which lightens skin pigmentation. A patients with depression said smoggy weather affects her mood and sunshine can bring her considerable comfort. A study in 2005 estimated that winter depression in Sweden affected 8 percent of the population. Research in 2011 by Ohio State University in the US found that exposure to smog causes depression and learning problems. Reuters"Over a thousand candidates shortlisted for life on Mars" A mission to put humans on Mars that drew 200,000 applicants has selected more than a thousand candidates who will now be tested to come up with a final list of 24 would-be Mars-dwellers. Mars One was set up in 2011 by two Dutch men with the goal of establishing permanent human life on Mars in 2025. They hope the project will be funded by investors and the rights from the documentary-cum-reality TV broadcasting of the tests, training and final selection. The 1,058 candidates who got through to the first round come from all over the world. By far the largest number - 297 - are American, followed by 75 Canadians and 62 Indians. They must now undergo rigorous tests, including simulations of life on Mars and coping with isolation. Jakarta Post"City officials leave cars behind, bike to work" Most Jakarta administration officials turned up at City Hall on Friday morning by various means to attend Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's briefing. Some took a taxi while others took a Transjakarta bus. Others chose a healthier way: cycling. They had no other choice as the governor has introduced a new policy, making it obligatory for civil servants at the city administration to leave their cars at home on the first Friday of every month. The policy does not apply to emergency services workers,such as firefighters. Some officials lauded the policy, saying it would encourage city officials to get more exercise. Another official said taking a bike to work is actually faster than by a car.