After numerous warnings over the years, you thought coffee probably had a negative effect on your health? Perhaps the drink is not so bad after all.

The new study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has been published and suggests that coffee does not have a harmful effect on your health. Researchers suggest, based on data examined, older adults who drink a lot of coffee, have a lower risk of death when compared to their non-drinking coffee peers.

The team of researchers conducting the study analyzed data on 400,000 U.S. men and women, aged 50 to 71 years; the individuals had participated in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. This study started in 1995﹣1996 and was tracked until the day a participant passed away, or Dec. 31, 2008.

According to a press release on the report, researchers shared that coffee drinkers are “less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, although the association was not seen for cancer.”

Results indicated participants that drank three or more cups of java a day reduced their risk of death by 10percent. Based on the findings that both caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffee found similar results, researchers are thinking caffeine is not the protective ingredient(原料), although which ingredient in coffee might be, they are not sure.

Researchers indicate that despite these observational findings，they caution it is not clear whether or not drinking coffee actually extends life expectancy.

“Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in America，but the association between coffee consumption and risk of death has been unclear. We found coffee consumption to be associated with lower risk of death overall, and of death from a number of different causes,” said Neal Freedman, Ph. D. , Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI.

“Although we cannot infer a relationship between coffee drinking and lower risk of death, we believe these results do provide some comfort that coffee drinking does not adversely affect health,” Freedman said.

Dr. Cheryl Williams, a registered dietician, told ABC News, “Overall, more research needs to be done to truly understand the compounds in coffee and their biological activity and effect on health,” said Williams.

Scientists have found what they believe are pieces of a meteor(流星)that fell to the earth last year. The objects were discovered off the coast of the United States in the Pacific Ocean.

The crew of the Nautilus, a private research ship, recovered the rock particles(颗粒).The Nautilus is operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The group says its aim at present is to examine areas of the ocean that have never been explored before.

The search was launched after US government weather stations observed a large meteorite exploding some months ago. The explosion lit up the sky and sent the rock particles to the earth. The meteorite fall was the largest recorded over the United States in at least 20years. The team includes scientists from NASA, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuaryand the University of Washington. The scientists examined what they believe were two small meteorite fragments. Further testing is needed before they can confirm that the material came from the explosion.

The Nautilus is equipped with two remotely operated vehicles(ROVs)， called Hercules and Argus. These robotic submarines help researchers find and collect materials from the seafloor. The fact that the particles landed in the ocean, instead of on land, means larger pieces may have survived and can be studied. For this reason, scientists decided to launch the first intentional search for meteorites from the ocean, Until the latest research, scientists had only accidentally discovered a small number of meteorites from drilling operations.

The objects recovered from the bottom of the sea likely came from the recent explosion for two main reasons. First，meteorite particles are basically made of glassy materials that do not tend to last long in seawater. Secondly, they came from what looked like a small hole on the seafloor. Some evidence shows that they came from something that fell.

When I talk to kids about writing, I often compare it to the roller coaster (过山车) to remind them to mix laughs with tears in writing, because nobody wants to ride a roller coaster that’s a long, never-ending and terrifying one. Even Shakespeare, in his darkest tragedies, opens each act with a funny scene before the bad things come out. We need amusing relief in literature, a break in the tension (紧张).

I have always tried to write stories for kids that mix the heart-racing thrill of a mystery with a few jokes. Maybe this is because, when I was in the fifth and sixth grades, the fun magazine was my favorite reading material. When I first moved to New York City, I performed with one of the city’s top comedy (喜剧) groups. Comedy, I have discovered, is a great teaching tool. It is also a wonderful defense against fear.

One of my favorite e-mails I’ve ever received was sent to me in 2009 by a young reader who loved my stories. Here’s what he wrote:

I just wanted to let you know that I really, absolutely love your books. I’m in 6th grade and recently finished The Hanging Hill after reading The Crossroads. Your stories mix action, humor and horror together in a perfect combination.

Thanks so much!

Will R

Comedy is a writer’s tool for releasing tension and it also simply makes books more fun to read. I used humor in my middle grade novel The Island of Dr. Libris to make classic literature feel more accessible to young readers. I also think it’s why so many reluctant readers — including kids who haven’t read a book in years — have been crazy about Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. Learning the Dewey DecimaI System in maths class can be fun if it is presented in a funny way because when we’re laughing, we never think we’re working too hard.