George Gershwin, born in 1998, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.

    In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

    In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

    George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

While the rest of us are sleeping, freshwater turtles (龟) from Central America to Asia are getting out of the water and basking (月光浴) at night. There have been reports of this behavior before, but now a new study is the first to document the widespread occurrence. The findings suggest this may be a common and almost entirely overlooked aspect of many species' ecology.

Dr. Donald McKnight, one of the researchers, said he and a colleague first observed freshwater turtles night basking at the Ross River in Townsville, Australia. "We think it's related to temperature. The water is staying so warm at night that it's actually warmer than the turtles like to be and they can cool down by coming out of the water," says McKnight.

For the study, researchers put cameras to watch the night activity of as many freshwater turtle species as possible. The cameras were set up in 25 locations. They were programmed to take a photo every two minutes. They collected data on 29 species of freshwater turtles.

It would be lovely to think the turtles are just enjoying some leisure time when things are quiet. But the researchers note that in most cases, the turtles got out of water when the water was too warm and the air was cooler. Given the warming planet, that's admittedly a bit depressing. However, not all of the nighttime baskers were escaping too-warm water. According to the study, turtles in India exhibited more basking on cooler nights, rather than warmer nights, and those in Africa spent more time basking at night in winter than in summer. The reasons for these differences are unclear. It may be that at some sites or seasons, turtles are escaping unfavourably warm water temperatures, while at others, they are taking advantage of the warm air to increase their body temperature and escape unfavourably cold water.

Regardless of the "why" behind different species' reasons for midnight basking, it's a fascinating look at behaviors not previously documented by scientists. And it is at least encouraging to know that turtles are figuring out important behaviors tied to climate change.

Do you often compare yourself to other people? Comparisons can help to make decisions and motivate you but they can also pull you into a comparison trap.

Whether it's the number of goals you've scored at football or how many books you've read, it's easy to compare yourself to someone else. Scientists say it's a natural behaviour that helps humans learn from each other, live happily together and achieve more. Although comparing can be good for you, it's not always helpful and you can find yourself stuck in a comparison trap. This is when you always measure yourself against others and base your feelings on how well they seem to be doing.

Becky Goddard-Hill is a child therapist (someone who helps children understand their feelings) and author of Create Your Own Confidence. She says that comparisons can make us feel good and bad about ourselves. "Comparing up" means seeing someone doing better than you and using that to inspire yourself to aim higher and try harder. However, Goddard-Hill says, "Sometimes it can make you feel rubbish about yourself and knock your confidence." "Comparing down" is when you see someone who seems like they're not doing as well as you. This might make you feel you're doing well, says Goddard-Hill, but it can also stop you wanting to improve.

If your feelings depend on what other people are doing, "Surround yourself with cheerleaders," suggests Goddard-Hill. Notice how people make you feel and spend time with friends who celebrate your strengths rather than compare themselves to you. If you follow social media accounts that make you feel you are failing in any way, unfollow them. "Find ones that make you laugh or show you lovely places instead," she says. Finally, focus on your own achievements and how you can improve. "The best person you can compete with is yourself," says Goddard-Hill.