Inventor Creates Wheels That Let Cars Roll in Any Direction

Omnidirectional wheels have been around for a while, but they are mostly used on utility(实用的) vehicles like forklifts. london-based inventor William Liddiard has created a special set of all-around wheels that can beboltedon to any car, allowing it to move in any direction, spin 360 degrees and slide into a parallel park with ease.

"Unlike other all-around capable wheels, my wheels do not require the vehicle to be built around them. This is a world first bolt-on application for anything with wheels." Liddiard wrote in the description of a You Tube video he uploaded to show how his invention works on an old Toyota Echo. "They are stronger, faster, and more accurately controlled than previous technology. They can take a beating. The tires can have the same build characteristics (siping, grooves, rubber compounds etc.) as regular tires. Now you can drive in all directions, and turn on the spot, when needed."

While the "Liddiard Wheels" shown in the video are just proof of concept prototypes(原型机), they seem to work as described by the inventor. His car can be seen spinning in place and sliding from one side to the other as the tires move under the power of 24,000 pounds of torque (扭矩) applied directly to them.

William is now hoping that the power of social media will help him get his invention out there and eventually team up with a company willing to help him improve the wheels and eventually bring them to the market.

" Will a set of wheels make sideward parking an easy thing? Yeah, I’m pretty sure these things will be in high demand if they ever end up on the market." the inventor said confidently.

Currently, vegetarianism is increasingly popular, but it is still not the best option for many. If you may be contemplating removing meat from your diet but do not want to go completely meat-free,perhaps try going meat-free for just one day a week.

Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian and author of Plant Powered for Life, discuses how "research consistently shows that plant based diets are linked with a lower risk of obesity, hypertension,heart disease ,type 2 diabetes and cancer.

She says, "Even going meatless one day a week can make a difference, as you increase all of those whole plant-foods beans, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, vegetables,fruits-and decrease more animal foods, in particular red and processed meat. A high intake of these foods has been linked with increased disease risk.”

Deciding to have a more plant-based diet also increases your intake of fiber, vitamins healthy fats and minerals. To help to do this，stocking your fridge with a variety of beans seasonable veggies , wholegrains, herbs, nuts and seeds is Palmer's secret to eating more plant-based meals.

Palmer's other recommendation is“plantifying”"your favorite dishes. "Just make your favorite dishes or meals plant-based,with a few changes. If you love Taco Tuesday, make your tacos veggie by skipping the meat and serving black beans or a vegetarian mushroom with tofu filling. If you love Indian food, skip the chicken masala and have chickpea masala instead. These will be foods you already love and are familiar with.”

Her biggest advice is to pick one day a week to follow through this and mark it on your calendar, "I love the Meatless Monday idea because people often start their best behaviour at the beginning of the week. . .However, there may be a better day of the week for you. So just plan it. " Palmer said.

Whether you’re on social media or sending a text message, you encounter emoji (表情符号)regularly. 【小题1】 While most people’s enthusiasm for emoji increased in the     smart- phone era, Japan has been crazy for emoji since 1999. Designer Shigetaka Kurita invented emoji for a Japanese phone company 20 years ago as a way to make it easier to express ideas in a short message. The word emoji can be translated as “picture character” from Japanese. After the release of Kurita’s emoji, rival phone companies in Japan began creating their own emoji. Many emoji on our digital devices today are imported from Kurita’s original set of emoji.

Japan’s love for emoji continued well into the 2000s before the rest of the world discovered them. Apple Inc. officially introduced an emoji function in their software in 2011. Soon, other phone companies     from     around     the world made it easier for their customers to use emoji 【小题2】.

As you scroll (滑动）through your phone, you can see the wide selection of available emoji. More than 2,000 emoji are in existence now, with more being released each year. These numbers show the popularity and demand for emoji.

Why? Because words alone can’t convey the complete meaning of a digital message. In digital communication, emoji express a tone or mood. More than 90 percent of people online use emoji especially ones that show emotion like hearts and smileys. 【小题3】. For example, they might send a red heart emoji as a response that they really like something instead of writing, “I love that.”

Some emoji are also abstract enough for people to use in any way they like. You can send an     emoji     as     an     inside     joke,     which     is     only     understood     between     you     and     your friend.

【小题4】. Nor do they belong to a specific culture. You and I give emoji meaning, because emoji is a language that belongs to all of us.