From the world's last seven to a global population of more than 5,000, China spent nearly 40 years bringing back crested ibises（朱鹮） from the edge of extinction.

With its typical red crest and face, as well as a long black mouth and snow-white feathers, the crested ibis is known as the "Oriental Gem" in China. They were once widespread in East Asia and Siberia until the 20th century when hunting, ecological damage, and increased human activities drove the birds to near extinction.

In 1981, the entire species around the world was down to the seven crested ibises which were found only in Yangxian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and deep in the Qinling Mountains, making Qinling, a natural boundary between China's north and south, the "Noah's Ark（诺亚方舟）" of the wild bird.

Since 1981, the local government of Yangxian County has put forward four bans for the

protection of the species, prohibiting activities including hunting in the birds' living areas, cutting down trees where they nest, using chemicals in their food-finding areas, and firing guns in their breeding（繁殖） areas. The Chinese government arranged special funds to protect the habitat of crested ibises, sealing off mountains to plant trees in the birds' living areas. China started the artificial breeding of crested ibises in 1991 and has bred more than 400 birds in Shaanxi.

Years of constant effort have brought promising results. It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 crested ibises in the world now, and about half of them live in Shaanxi. The bird's habitat in China has risen from less than five square kilometres in 1981 to the current 15,000 km².

"It is lucky that the crested ibis, an ancient bird, is still flying around," said Zan Linsen, head of the Shaanxi Academy of Forestry. "The conservation story of crested ibises not only shows us the power of ancient life but also the necessity and urgency of ecological environment protection."

Many people have warm memories of playing games while growing up. Do you remember running around outside as a child playing rock-paper-scissors? You may not have realized it, but games are a very important part of life.

During prehistoric times, humans would play a game called Knucklebones. To play Knucklebones, the players would balance small objects like sheep ankle bones on the top of their hands，toss（抛掷） them into the air, and then try to catch as many as possible.

But why do people love games so much? They are fun to play, but that isn't the only reason why.

For most, games are "like chocolate: a guilty pleasure consumed secretly", Canadian-American game designer Sid Meier said: "They have a series of interesting choices." The rock-paper-scissors game is just an example. In every turn, people make a judgment, which is often based on their personalities and past experiences. "Navigating these choices shapes the course of play, revealing who we are and how we think," The New York Times noted."Playing a game is an act of exposition（展 示）. "

Games such as this require a faster way of thinking than in everyday life. But interestingly, when the game is over, the players can switch out of competition mode quickly and return to normal. "It separates a game from reality," Sam Von Ehren of The New York Times wrote. "We can enter and exit the magic circle freely."

Games can also be used to help improve critical thinking skills. Just take Go as an example. Go is a game that was made in ancient China, and it is still even played today. Even though we don't exactly know how Go started, many researchers think it was invented to help teach tactics and strategy skills.

Even today, games are being used to help solve real-world problems. These types of games are called serious games, and they are used to help find solutions to problems in fields such as education and healthcare, among others. Perhaps playing games helps us to think outside the box in a fun and interesting way.

Imagine reading a story titled "Pursuing Success". That would be an inspiring story, wouldn't it? Maybe—but maybe not. It might well be the story of someone whose never ending chase for more and more success leaves them unsatisfied and incapable of happiness. Though it isn't a conventional medical addiction, for many people success has addictive properties.

Obviously, success goes with praise. To a certain extent, praise stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine (神经递质多巴胺), which contributes to all addictive behaviors.

The desire for success may be born to human nature, but specialness doesn't come cheap. Success is tough work, and it requires bearing the cost of losing. In the 1980s, the physician Robert Goldman famously found that more than half of ambitious athletes would be willing to take a drug that would kill them in five years in exchange for winning every competition they entered.

Unfortunately, success is endless. The goal can't be satisfactory; most people never feel "successful enough". The high only lasts a day or two, and then it's on to the next goal. Psychologists call this the hedonic treadmill (享乐跑步机现象), in which satisfaction wears off almost immediately and we must run on to the next reward to avoid the feeling of falling behind.

People should get off the treadmill. But quitting isn't easy for addicts. For people hooked on substances, withdrawal can be a painful experience, both physically and psychologically. Research finds that depression and anxiety are common among outstanding athletes after their careers end. Olympic athletes, in particular, suffer from the "post-Olympic blues".

Just like wine, success in and of itself is not a bad thing. Both can bring fun and sweetness to life. But both become bossy when they are a substitute for—a instead of a complement (补充物) to—the relationships and love that should be the center of our lives.