Living robots can reproduce on their own in a dish. This is not a science-fiction movie, but the result of a new research. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the US on Nov 29.

Xenobots, a type of tiny robot, were first created in 2020, using cells taken from the embryo of an African frog species. Under the right lab conditions, the cells formed small structures that could self-assemble, move in groups and react to their environment. Now, the researchers have found that xenobots can also self-replicate(自我复制), according to the journal of New Scientist.

But are they living organisms or robots? They are organisms because they are made of stem cells and can reproduce. And they are also robots because they can move on their own and perform physical labor, co-author Sam Kriegman told The Washington Post.

People have thought for quite a long time that we've worked out all the ways that life can reproduce or replicate. But this is something that's never been observed before," co-author Douglas Blackiston, a senior scientist at Tufts University in the US, told Science Daily website.

The ability to replicate adds a new layer of potential utility to the robots. Kriegman told The Washington Post that while xenobots are not yet commercially useful, they have the potential to provide a number of services, from cleaning up microplastics in the ocean to safely delivering drugs to a specific spot in a person's body.

However, the creation of xenobots comes with concerns. Some think more advanced future xenobots, especially ones that live longer and reproduce, could out-compete other species, according to The Conversation, an Australia news media.

The researchers think these risks are manageable. "If you change the amount of sodium in that water to be too high or too low, they'll die," Kriegman told The Washington Post. "If there's a piece of copper in the dish, they'll all die. It's an extremely controllable and stoppable and safe system."

On a Sunday morning in 2008. Vic Gundotra received a call during a religious（宗教的）service. It was from Steve Jobs, Apple's former CEO. He didn't answer, but Jobs left a message saying he had something important to discuss. Gundotra returned his call almost immediately.

"Hey Steve, this is Vic, " he said. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your call earlier I was in religious services, and the caller ID said 'unknown', so I didn't pick up. "

Steve laughed, saying, "Vic, unless the caller ID said 'God', you should never pick up during services. " Vic Gundotra laughed nervously. Although Steve used to call him during the week when he was upset about something, it was unusual for him to call on Sunday and ask him to call his home. He was worried what had happened.

"Vic, we have an urgent（急迫的）problem. I've already asked someone from my team to help you and I hope you can fix this tomorrow, "said Steve. " I've been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone and I'm not happy with the icon（图标）. The second O in Google doesn't have the proper yellow color. It's just wrong and I'm going to have Greg fix it tomorrow. Is that OK with you?"

The CEO of Apple, who revolutionized（革新）personal computers, the way we listen to music and the way we think of mobile devices, was worried about the yellow in the second "O" in Google!

Needless to say the problem was fixed, and Vic Gundotra says it taught him a lesson on leadership and attention to detail. "It was a lesson I'll never forget, " said Gundotra. "CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday. "

The first set of Chinese stories presented in English scripts, titled Stories of China: Performed in English, was officially published by Foreign Language Press. Planned by the New Channel International Education Group with the participation of playwrights from China, the United Kingdom and the United states, the book provides a new way for young people to learn English while inheriting and spreading Chinese culture. 

The book contains 20 English scripts in novel formats covering a wide range of subjects. Unlike the most common English scripts for young readers on the market which are based on adaptations of European and American stories, those scripts presented in this book are unique for being based on classic Chinese stories, readapted and written in English. The book is divided into three grades in terms of grammar and vocabulary difficulty, making it suitable for young English learners from primary schools to junior and high schools. 

All the scripts in the book are written by top playwrights with elegant, pure and vivid language. The scripts are provided with a summary of the story in both Chinese and English, so that readers can fully understand the plot as well as the history and culture behind it. Readers can not only improve their English skills through immersive reading and performance but also appreciate Chinese culture. 

Hu Min, English education expert and founder of the New Channel, said the combination of traditional Chinese culture and English teaching has become a trend, guiding young people to tell Chinese stories to the world with their own wisdom and deep Chinese cultural heritage. The New Channel will offer special courses on Stories of China: Performed in English in its many schools across the country, and cooperate with primary and secondary schools in Beijing, Shanghai to offer English drama courses on a trial basis. Hu believes the courses will set off a new wave of enthusiastic learning among young people.