A new delicious food is available in Wyoming. It is fresh and cheap — but probably a little gamey (味道强的). Last month it became legal for Wyomingites to collect roadkill that they accidentally hit themselves, or that they happened upon. In fact, other states, such as Montana, have also made the similar law.

Officials are not sure how many Wyomingites will take part in the roadkill-salvage (救助) programme. But Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission issues roughly 1,000 roadkill-salvage permits each year.

Although some may fear at the idea of dragging the body of a deer off the road and onto the dinner table, the law has several benefits. First, roadkill is a source of fresh meat for poor communities. State officials in Alaska distribute roadkill to charities. PETA, an animal-rights group, argues that eating roadkill is healthier and more moral than buying meat raised for killing. Second, allowing people to harvest roadkill themselves may cut down on the time the creatures spend on the road. In thinly populated states, it may take days for transport workers to collect a dead animal.

Lastly, roadkill-salvage programmes provide states with important data. Wyomingites must report the location of their find, showing officials where crashes with wildlife happen. Roadkill data may help the state figure out where to build highway overpasses or put up “wildlife crossing” warning signs.

Not everyone is licking (舔) their lips. Some are upset that people will end up eating gamey meat. “It’s really the burden of the person who chooses to collect roadkill if they eat it or not,” says Sara DiRienzo of Wyoming Game and Fish. Others worry the laws will encourage hunters to use the roadkill programme as cover for killing animals they should not.

A recent study published in Pediatrics, the journal for the American Academy of Pediatrics, throws light on a concerning trend—increasing anterior cruciate ligament (韧带) (ACL) injuries among youth, with girls facing a higher risk compared to their boy classmates.

“Usually, you feel a pop in the knee and then see swelling,” says Dr. Randall Schultz, an orthopedic (骨科) surgeon with Texas Orthopedics. Although the pain can vary, seeking medical attention promptly is crucial. “While not always requiring an emergency room visit, consulting a doctor within a day or after the weekend, along with immediate use of ice, is recommended.” he advises.

Sports characterized by abrupt changes in direction—such as soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, and even football—emerge as common offenders for ACL injuries. The risk of ACL injuries goes up for girls once they hit age 12 or 13 and for boys around age 14 or 15. Why? Adolescence. This is a time when kids grow faster and their bodies can’t always keep up, which is especially true in the leg’s tibia (胫骨) and femur bones (股骨). For girls, hormones also make their ligaments looser, while boys’ muscles help them handle their rapidly growing bones.

Apart from immediate challenges, ACL injuries can have lasting consequences. Athletes who sustain an ACL injury are ten times more likely to get knee arthritis (关节炎) early. Surprisingly, only around half of athletes over 18 returned to their previous level of performance after an ACL injury, and the chances of more ACL injuries go up by 15 percent.

Bethany Thoresen, the director of Texas Orthopedics, says ACL injury prevention involves strengthening not only the knees but also the hips and leg muscles as well as building core strength. He also suggests incorporating exercises like Pilates to achieve comprehensive strengthening. Seeking guidance from trainers before injury strikes can help identify and address weaknesses effectively.

A critical aspect of ACL injury prevention is ensuring balanced sports participation. Encouraging kids to engage in a variety of activities and providing adequate rest days can prevent muscle overuse and imbalances, ultimately safeguarding their well-being.

Shanya Gill, a 12-year-old middle schooler from San Jose, California, won the top award in the Society for Science’s annual middle school competition for designing a fire detection system that is superior to existing ones, according to a press release from the organization.

Shanya’s inspiration came after a fire destroyed a restaurant in her neighborhood during the summer of 2022, reported Washington Post. “I had never really experienced something like that before,” she told Washington Post about the early morning fire at Holder’s Country Inn, which started in the kitchen. “They had smoke detectors, and yet it still burned down,” she added.

After she studied fire statistics and saw how common fires are, Shanya decided that she was going to do something about it. She spent more than a year developing a fire detection system that she believes could prevent the fire. That’s because smoke detectors sense active fires from the smoke in the air, while Shanya’s thermal imaging device is designed to stop fires from occurring.

Her complex system has two parts, a thermal camera and a Raspberry Pi, a tiny computer. The device detects when a heat source has been left unattended for ten minutes and sends a text message alert.

Creating the prototype (原型) was difficult and the hardest part was the coding. “I had two designs, and the final device succeeded because it outperforms smoke detectors in speed and accuracy.” Shanya wants to bring the costs down to $60 to make it even more affordable than hardwired smoke detectors.

“Shanya saw a problem and tried hard to solve it, and that’s what we need to encourage with all young people,” said Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science. Her remarkable research not only reflects her talent but also paves the way for an exciting new future.