Living in Iowa and trying to become a photographer specializing in landscape (风景) can be quite a challenge, mainly because the corn state lacks geographical variation.

Although landscapes in the Midwest tend to be quite similar, either farm fields or highways, sometimes I find distinctive character in the hills or lakes. To make some of my landscape shots, I have traveled up to four hours away to shoot within a 10-minute time frame. I tend to travel with a few of my friends to state parks or to the countryside to go on adventures and take photos along the way.

Being at the right place at the right time is decisive in any style of photography. I often leave early to seek the right destinations so I can set up early to avoid missing the moment I am attempting to photograph. I have missed plenty of beautiful sunsets/sunrises due to being on the spot only five minutes before the best moment.

One time my friends and I drove three hours to Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, to climb the purple quartz (石英) rock around the lake. After we found a crazy-looking road that hung over a bunch of rocks, we decided to photograph the scene at sunset. The position enabled us to look over the lake with the sunset in the background. We managed to leave this spot to climb higher because of the spare time until sunset. However, we did not mark the route (路线) so we ended up almost missing the sunset entirely. Once we found the place, it was stressful getting lights and cameras set up in the limited time. Still, looking back on the photos, they are some of my best shots though they could have been so much better if I would have been prepared and managed my time wisely.

"Best space tacos (玉米卷饼) yet," American astronaut Megan McArthur wrote on social media Twitter on Oct 30, with a photo of her smiling from ear to ear. The taco feast celebrated the first time peppers were successfully grown on the International Space Station.

"Growing colorful vegetables in space can have long— term benefits for physical and psychological health," said Matt Romeyn, project scientist at NASA, in a statement. The benefits of growing vegetables in space are obvious, but how are they grown?

Though astronauts have been growing plants in space for decades, cultivating edible (可食用的) food without the benefits of gravity and natural light has been difficult. A plant growth system called. Veggie has been used to grow plants on the space station since 2014, according to The New York Times.

The Veggie garden is about the size of a piece of luggage and typically holds six plants. Each plant grows in a "pillow" filled with clay and fertilizer. The "pillows" are important for distributing water, nutrients and air in a healthy balance around the roots. Otherwise, the roots would either drown in water or be swallowed by air because liquids in space tend to form bubbles (气泡), according to NASA.

.In the absence of gravity, plants use other environmental factors, such as light, to guide growth, LEDs above the plants produce a light suited for the plants' growth. According to NASA, Veggie typically glows (发光) pink, which enables plants to use both blue and red wavelengths more efficiently. Other spectrums of light, like greens, yellows or oranges, are less useful for plants.

So far, US astronauts have successfully grown 10 different crops, including lettuce and radish, on the space station since 2015, according to CNN.

Why pick peppers?

According to CNN, peppers were chosen for multiple reasons. Peppers provide a great source of vitamin C, as well as other key nutrients. Pepper plants self – pollinate (自授花粉的), so they are' easy to grow. And they are a pick—and— eat crop that doesn't have to be cooked. They also contain low microbial levels, .so they are safe to eat raw.

Sarah Park has known about the impact of music on the brain since a young age. The 13-year-old, who has been playing the violin since she was 4, says she noticed its positive effect on those around her, especially her grandmother, who suffered from mental illness.

Now, the Jacksonville, Florida, middle-schooler hopes to use music therapy (疗法) to help others struggling with mental illness. Her invention, Spark Care + , earned her the title of "America's Top Young Scientis" at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge on October 19, 2021.

Spark Care+ requires participants to respond to a series of questions based on the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale, designed to assess the person's mental state. The device's inbuilt sensors record vital mental health indicators? such as heart rate and blood pressure. Spark Care+'s Al component analyzes the information and recommends the appropriate music to help lift the participants' spirits. It also monitors its impact on the listeners.

Sarah Park hopes to make her invention accessible to all. The ninth-grader hopes to turn it into a wristband with inbuilt sensors, a heart-rate monitor, and Bluetooth. She also wants to build an app to make Spark Care+ accessible to everyone. "I hope to be able to distribute it around the world to people of all ages," Park says.

In addition to being an inventor, Park is also a musical prodigy who has won several violin competitions, including the Florida state championship. She also plays the piano and is a math champion. The teen hopes to be an innovator and researcher in the medical field using technology and robotics. Her advice to other young scientists? "Dream big, ask questions, and anything is possible."