Jack Horner is co-author of the book How to Build a Dinosaur. However, he is most famous for his role as consultant(顾问) on all four Jurassic Park films, including the new film Jurassic World.

The original film Jurassic Park tells the story of a theme park where dinosaurs live. In that movie, scientists used DNA collected by ancient mosquitoes that had been trapped in amber shortly after they drank dinosaur blood. The scientists used this dinosaur DNA to create baby dinosaurs. The scientists in Jurassic Park created various types of dinosaurs, but in the real world there is one big problem with the story. It turns out that DNA could not possibly survive the 65 million years since the death of the dinosaurs.

The new movie creates the Indominus Rex. This idea of creating a hybrid species is something Horner has explored before. In 2011, he gave a speech in which he discussed producing a dinosaur by working with the genes of a bird. Modern birds are the closest living relative of dinosaurs.

The concept of using the genes of different animals to create new animals is called transgenic science. And this type of science has already produced some interesting results — goats that produce spider silk in their milk, cows that produce proteins for medicines that can treat diseases, and a pig that produces less-polluting waste thanks to a bit of mouse DNA. However, none of these examples are close to the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. And for a good reason — genetics is a very complex science. Producing a new species is not as simple as just exchanging a few genes around.

In the end, Jurassic World is all about fun.

Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.

There has long been overwhelming- and often surprising- evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in jail (监狱) or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should get a procedure; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.

The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (物色优秀运动员的人) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund (避险基金) Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.

These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely outsource (外包) our lifestyle choices to algorithms, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.

A recent breakthrough in battery technology could affect the electric vehicle (EV).

Right now it can take up to 10 hours to fully charge an EV. There has long been a debate about the best times to charge an electric vehicle because of the amount of time it takes. In recent years, manufacturers are racing to create options that cut this process down greatly. The team, led by Professor Won Bae Kim of Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, is developing a new anode (阳极) material that can charge an electric vehicle very quickly.

The anode materials are known for their exceptional lithium-ion (锂离子) storage capacity. By enlarging the surface area of the anode materials, scientists enabled a large number of lithium-ions to move at the same time, resulting in significantly-improved charging speed. Experimental result s demonstrated that a battery with a capacity that equals those used in current EVs can be fully charged in just six minutes.

The research holds the potential to significantly increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries through the incorporation (合并) of high-capacity anode materials, thereby extending the driving range of electric vehicles. Anode materials could potentially increase the driving range at least by ten times.

The development holds great promise for the future of electric vehicles, making them more efficient for everyday use. With faster charging times, the barrier to adopting electric vehicles could be significantly reduced, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable transportation system. This groundbreaking research opens doors to further advancements in battery technology and marks a significant step forward in the journey toward a cleaner, electric-powered future. With continued innovation and investment in sustainable energy solutions, we are one step