We are always seeking ways to make our events more inclusive and to find new ways to deliver value to you. For 2024 we have reduced the ticket prices and introduced a new ticket option "super early bird" for our Instant Expert events. All our events will still be held at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London. What doesn't change is that each event will continue to feature six expert speakers sharing their knowledge and latest research on the event topic. What will you learn?

Anyone interested in genetics (遗传学) can attend, whatever your age or background. Whether you're a scientist, a student or simply a fascinated human being, Instant Expert: The Genetics Revolution offers the chance to learn directly from the experts at our one-day masterclass. At this Instant Expert, you'll learn about:

●Gene editing with CRISPR

●Whether DNA is destiny, Nature vs Nurture

●Genome sequencing and consumer DNA testing

●The ethics of creating new lifeWhat's included in your ticket?

●In-depth and engaging talks from six leading scientists

●Ask-an-expert Question Time session

●Your chance to meet our six speakers and New Scientist host

●Exclusive on-the-day New Scientist subscription deal, book and merchandise offersBooking information:

Doors will open at 9 a. m. on Saturday, May 25th, with talks starting an hour later. The event will finish at 5 p. m. Lunch will NOT be provided at this event, but the agenda includes a one-hour lunch break... Visitors are welcome to bring their own food, or purchase lunch at one of the many establishments around Red Lion Square and the surrounding area.

Tickets are non-transferable to any other New Scientist event. All tickets are non-refundable.

My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather's cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.

Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I've reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.

In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I'd missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.

James Joyce's Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.

Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I've revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I'm usually happy to leave the book behind. I've taken from it what I need.

Baidu, a Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm, announced its latest electric autonomous driving vehicle, Apollo RT6, on Thursday. The new vehicle is a fully electric vehicle with a steering wheel (方向盘) that can be removed when not required. It will cost ¥250,000 per unit. 

"The steering-wheel-free design allows more space for extra seating or other additions and the massive cost reduction will enable us to put tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles into operation across China," Robin Li, co-founder and CEO of Baidu, said at the firm's Baidu World Conference Thursday. "We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today."

Baidu already runs Apollo Go and Apollo Moon, taxi services using self-driving robotaxis with safety staff seated in the driver or passenger seat. They have been in operation in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, although the service is limited to specific areas. The new vehicle will soon join those robotaxis. 

The RT6 has reached the industry's Level 4 out of five possible levels of technology. That means its systems can operate without a driver but must be pre-loaded with a detailed map, thus limiting the areas where the vehicles can operate. Lower levels of self-driving technology have been available for decades. For example, many Level-3 vehicles allow hands-free highway driving. Other kinds of self-driving robot vehicles are already widely used in factories warehouses and other tightly controlled settings. 

Compared to previous generations where the technology was mainly used on conventional vehicles, the Apollo RT6 was designed specifically with fully autonomous driving in mind. 

Baidu is best known for its search engine and online advertising services, but in recent years it has invested heavily in autonomous driving and artificial intelligence technology, including automated personal assistants and AI chips.

Growing up, I felt that I learned some things quickly and other things painfully slowly. Picking up French and Spanish seemed to come naturally, while painting and drawing required a lot of practice. I thought that some people just have a talent for languages; others don't. 

You've probably felt the same way—that certain things were easier for you to learn. And so did my research partners. So we set out to identify what makes some people learn faster than others. If we could just distill (提取) these unique characteristics, we thought, we would be able to create better learning environments—and make everyone a fast learner. 

In our study, we model data from student performance on groups of tasks that assess the same skill component and that provide follow-up instructions on student errors. Our models estimate the increase in correctness after each practice opportunity. We applied our models to 1.3 million observations across 27 datasets of student interactions with online practice systems in the context of elementary to college courses. In contrast, and much to our surprise, we found students to be astonishingly similar in estimated learning rate. There are no such things as fast and slow learners! 

We find that a typical student needs about seven learning opportunities to master a typical knowledge component. They start at different levels of proficiency but, when provided with high-quality practice opportunities, they learn at about the same speed. Yes, they will end in different places-but that's because they have different starting lines, not because they are quicker or slower to learn. 

That means the types of opportunities you get are important. Detailed, timely feedback and hints provide favorable conditions that allow you to consistently make progress, regardless of where you began. 

Don't think you're alone if learning feels slow and effortful. Do try, try again. You can make as much progress as everyone else—and so can the young people in your life. Achievement gaps are the result of opportunity gaps, not individual differences in learning speed.

Nowadays, the term "superfood" has become the nutritional buzzword. Simply put, these superfoods are those that provide large amount of nutrients through minimal calories.

The term "superfood" may have taken the modern food scene by storm. Although only popular in recent years, the concept of certain foods with special nutritional qualities has been around for a long time. The nickname "superfood" gained widespread popularity in the early 2000s as health enthusiasts and the food industry sought to identify and market foods with special health benefits. Today, it is a trend in diet.

In an age when we share all kinds of superfoods on social media, ignoring the phenomenon is impossible. It's easy to understand. These nutritional superheroes offer a perfect combination of substance and style, tailored for the digital generation. Their lively colours, exotic origins and impressive nutrient profiles make them candidates for the next viral food trend.

They offer a lifestyle that reflects the global shift towards a more health­conscious society. As the world wrestles with an increasing burden of diseases and the fast pace of modern life, people are seeking dietary solutions from superfoods. They are rich in vitamins and minerals that can strengthen your immune system, avoid chronic diseases, and improve your overall well­being. Another remarkable benefit is their potential to promote heart health, helping you build a strong heart. Don't forget their role in skin regeneration. The antioxidants (抗氧化物) can provide a natural glow, reduce skin ageing and fight against skin conditions.

Superfoods, while nutritionally dense, should be part of a comprehensive diet rather than the only guarantee of our health.

It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Shelly Romo surveyed what was 1 of her home in Maui, which was hit by a deadly wildfire, hoping to find her wedding ring, expecting to leave 2 . But luckily, after three hours' 3 with volunteers, it finally appeared, the diamond 4 but the band completely damaged. Romo and her husband went straight to No Ka' Oi Jewelers — a local business that has been 5 fire-damaged jewelry free of charge.

No Ka' Oi owner Omi Chamdi said he was one of the 6 ones — the fires had avoided his home and storefront. That's why, in its aftermath, he immediately sprang into action and advertised 7 restorations. "When the fires here on Maui occurred, pretty 8 I decided this is something I can do and I really want to do for the 9 community."

However, Chamdi doesn't restore the jewelry himself; 10 he has been paying for the restoration services. When asked if he ever 11 that, he shook his head. "These are not just ordinary items, these are the most 12 possessions that people go back and dig through the 13 to find."

14 , Romo was not ready to say goodbye when the fires destroyed her home. But finding her wedding ring and getting it restored gave Romo some peace about 15 .

Domestic cosmetics (化妆品) firms find products that have traditional Chinese culture attract enouger shoppers better. With buying power (rise) among young, domestic brands are winning hearts of heritage-minded consumers with guochao (国潮).

In one case, brands are embracing solar term (节气), a concept based on China's ancient calendar  divides the year into 24 periods. This type of marketing is used to inject a sense of nature  beauty routines.

Grain Rain(谷雨), a Chinese skincare brand,  (inspire) by the eighth solar term, guyu, which starts around April 20. It uses the solar term's traditional association with picking herbs.  (stress) the label's herbal skincare branding.

Generation Z, a major consumer group, is being affected by the country's cultural renaissance and the development of the internet. They are (independent) in their choices and have a greater sense of national identity, while expressing confidence in  (they) by using Chinese brands, marketing experts said.

With the rise of guochao, and the influence of the expansion of China's manufacturing ability, consumers are showing an increased (prefer) for domestic cosmetics brands, according to a recent report. Although China's high-end cosmetics market has been dominated for a number of years by international brands, the market influence of homegrown brands has been.  (rapid) rising. Especially, in China's smaller cities,rate of domestic cosmetics excels 90 percent.

My name is Michelle Rogers. For most of my life I had been fighting with my body weight. I was either gaining weight or trying to lose it. I wasn't happy with myself, and I certainly wasn't able to fully enjoy life. Not only did I feel bad physically, but I felt terrible emotionally. I also knew I wasn't able to be the best I could be, and with failure after failure in losing weight, I just felt so hopeless to overcome it.

One day in 2008, I was looking through ads online and saw a treadmill (跑步机) for $100. This time I decided to start small and keep it doable. The first week I started walking 15 minutes on the treadmill at a fixed time every day. The next week I did 16 minutes. Each week I added a minute. Gradually, I increased speed as well as time. Once I got to 30 minutes, the weight started dropping off.

I didn't lose weight at first, but I didn't give up like I did in the past. I realized I started feeling better. My legs were getting stronger. I didn't feel as painful as I used to when I got up from my desk. All the efforts I'd been putting into fitness made me want to start eating healthier, too. I began with small changes as well. After these years I started listening to my body. It was refusing food and habits that were bad for me.

Today, the extra weight is gone. I still exercise every morning. I look and feel the best I have never done. Every area of my life has improved and benefited from this change. Not only do I have my youthful energy and health back, but also I have more confidence than I have ever had.

Overweight since her teens, Carol Jackson lost 35 pounds in her late teens but put it all back on and then some when she had her son. She said it was because of a sweet tooth and a large portion size. "I could eat a pint of ice cream and not even think about it, " the married mother of four added.

She knew she had to do something, but the death of her best friend from complications(并发症) related to bariatric surgery(减肥手术) caused her to stay away from the help she needed. "It took me five years to realize I can't live life like this, " Jackson said, finally deciding to have bariatric bypass surgery in 2012. "My kids love the new me, " Jackson said. "And, my youngest child, who is 8 and a little overweight, has been encouraged by me. We walk the track when it is warm as a family outing. " She adds, "I knew I had to do something about my health because I had to be around for them and watch them grow and experience life. "

After a lifetime of junk food, sweets and out-of-control portions, Jackson had to learn a new way of eating. Now, she starts the day with a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs for the protein. Lunch is usually a salad and dinner is a protein shake(蛋白质奶昔). She walks two to three miles at least a few times a week, does Zumba twice a week and rides her bike for a half-hour three times a week.

"I wish I'd been more concerned about my weight when I was younger. I wish it hadn't gotten to this point. But, I'd do the surgery again in a heartbeat. My life is so much better now, " Jackson said.

Nuclear(核心的) Family

53.7% of Canadians live in nuclear families.A nuclear family usually has parents and children.It is also called the traditional family.This kind of family was the most popular in the 1950s and 1960s.Now the traditional family is choosing to have fewer children than in the past.

Single-Parent Family

In this kind of family,there is only one parent caring for one or more children.The number of single-parent families is becoming larger.The environment of the single-parent family is not very good for the mental and physical health of children.

Extended(几代同堂的) Family

There are grandparents,aunts,uncles and cousins in this kind of family.Members of the extended family live together for many reasons,such as helping to raise the children,caring for each other and dealing with money problems.The number of this kind of family has increased by 40 percent in the past ten years.

Childless Family

A childless family is the one that choose not to have children.The couple has never had children because of some reasons.Most have thought carefully about whether to be parents but finally give up because they think it isn't really right for them.To replace children,childless families usually have pets instead.