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Honking cars, blasting stereos, babbling neighbors: consider it all part of the symphony that plays daily on New York City streets. Everyone knows the city is loud, and politicians have waged a long, losing war against noise. Now they have a new weapon: noise cameras.

The cameras, which are paired with a sound meter to detect noise of at least 85 decibels (分贝) from a source 50 ft or more away, have recently been fixed on certain streets in Manhattan's wealthy Upper West Side. It's part of a program run by the city's department of environmental protection.

It's not just New York City. Knoxville, Tennessee; Miami; and sections of California are working with the UK-based company SoundVue to add noise detectors on streets. SoundVue is owned by Intelligent Instruments Ltd, and Reuben Peckham, a director, said the baseline infraction (违规) of 85 decibels that the cameras register is "similar to the noise level from a lawn mower at the operator's position".

Peckham said the basic structure uses a microphone and algorithm (算法) to detect noise, and then logs the offender's license plate.

Erica Walker studies the relationship between community noise and health. She believes most noise comes from poor city planning rather than individual bad actions, and that noise cameras are merely Band-Aids for a more systemic issue. "I just think noise cameras are a very lazy and superficial (表面的) solution," she said. "A better noise mitigation (缓解) strategy should be a pro-peace perspective, where everyone has to come to the table and agree to a solution, rather than the city just shutting down the acoustical (声音的) culture of a community."

According to Audrey Amsellem, a lecturer at Columbia University, "the regulation of noise had more to do with the identity of the noisemaker than the sound itself." She also expressed concern about the surveillance (监视) capabilities of noise cameras. "Once these devices are fixed, they rarely come down," she said. "These are AI-driven, meaning capabilities can be added over time. We know that noise cameras are equipped with—at least—sensors and cameras. What other kind of data, apart from traffic noise, can they gather? Does this present a privacy risk for residents of the city?" 【The Guardian (October 5,2023)】

Elephants are endangered animals because of efforts to hunt them for their ivory tusks. Selling ivory has been illegal for more than 30 years worldwide. So, 17-year-old Anika Puri was astonished to see a market filled with rows of ivory jewelry and statues on her visit to India 4 years ago.

Curious, Anika did some research and discovered a shocking statistic: Africa's forest elephant populations declined by about 62 percent between 2002 and 2011. Years later, the numbers continue to drop. As a wildlife lover, Anika wanted to do something to help protect the animals still threatened by illegal hunting.

"Drones (无人机) are currently used to detect and capture images of hunters, but they are hot that accurate," Anika explained. However, after watching videos of elephants and humans, she saw how the two differed in their movements and speed. She realized she could use it to "increase the detection accuracy of potential illegal hunters".

Over the next two years, Anika worked on inventing a software, which can classify a figure as either an elephant or a human based on the speed, group size, how it turns and other patterns in videos.

The software is four times more accurate than existing detection methods and is much cheaper. It uses a $250 camera that plugs into a smart phone, which is then attached to a drone. The camera records thermal infrared (红外线的) videos using heat, not visible light. This allows the device to produce real-time inferences as it flies over parks as to whether objects below are humans or elephants, no matter in daylight or at night.

"Research isn't a straight line or a smooth sailing," Anika said. "It has made me more resourceful. It also helped me develop into a more innovative thinker. I have learned a lot along the way."

Shy Parents, Shy Children—Parent workshop Series

The workshop is designed for shy parents of shy children, with the unique emphasis on teaching specific methods of building your child's self—respect and social comfort level, while at the same time building your own. Participants are chosen before being admitted to the workshop to help make sure the workshop is a good fit for your needs.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, from November 8th to 12th

Fee: $435

Shake Your Shyness: Intensive Weekend

The workshop is intended to meet the needs of adults who are unable to attend the Parent Workshop Series due to distance or scheduling limits. It'll help you learn the basic skills that help overcome shyness. Be prepared to come to class early and set aside time for homework on Saturday night.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington 

When: Saturdays & Sundays in spring

Fee: $1,150

Parenting the Shy Child

Shy children need our help. In this class, we'll cover the basics—the origins of shyness, methods of overcoming shyness, social skills you can teach in your home, and tips for working with teachers to help your child fit in at school, etc.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, from November 16th to 18th

Fee: $95

Overcoming Shyness: Skills-Training for Adolescents: Workshop

This is a special class for adolescents designed to teach social skills shy people are afraid to use. We'll cover everything from how to start conversations with strangers to ways to calm your nerves when you do. You'll learn what makes some people more popular than others and simple things you can do to feel more like you fit it.

Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington

When: From 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, on December 18th

Fee: $75

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The China International Search and Rescue Team (CISAR)  (form) in 2001 and is now made up of several hundred rescue workers and about 20 police dogs. The team brings help and hope to those  lives are changed by a storm, flood, earthquake, or any other natural disasters.

The team went on  (it) first international rescue tasks in 2003 when the Chinese team helped save lives after earthquakes in Algeria and Iran. It was the first time that a Chinese team  (work) outside China and won high praise for  (brave) and skill.

Rescue workers are trained to find people, treat wounds, and hand  food, water, and other supplies. They have to be able to do work that is difficult in dangerous  (situation). After a disaster, there is usually no electricity or water, and there may be diseases and other dangers. Rescue workers get to save lives, but they must also bury the  (die). That means they have to be strong in  body and mind.

Rescue workers must have big hearts, too. It takes a lot of love and courage (risk) one's own life to save someone else's. The members of the CISAR have plenty of both and are always ready to go wherever help is needed.