2024-01-05

封面图中展示的是一株肉食性小猪笼草，它将一只蚂蚁引诱到像屋顶一样的陷阱盖下的危险位置。雨滴将这个盖子变成致命的跳板，把昆虫弹入陷阱中。研究人员发现，这种不寻常的诱捕机制依赖于3个独立的特性，并进化了2次，而高度可塑性的随机巧合促进了新特性的出现。

A carnivorous Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plant lures an ant into a precarious position under the roof-like trap lid. Raindrops turn the lid into a deadly springboard that catapults insects into the trap. Researchers found that this unusual trapping mechanism, reliant on three independent traits, evolved twice, and random coincidence of highly plastic traits facilitated the emergence of the new trait.

2024-01-12

封面图描绘的是桑盖考古遗址的城市核心，图中展示了沿着乌帕诺河两侧悬崖边缘分布的人造土制平台和挖掘街道。最近的调查显示，在安第斯山脉东麓厄瓜多尔亚马孙流域的乌帕诺山谷，有一个密集的前西班牙城市中心系统。这一发现改变了人们对亚马孙古人类过去的看法。

The urban core of the Sangay archaeological site shows artificial earthen platforms and dug streets distributed along the edge of the cliffs flanking the Upano River. Recent investigation revealed a dense system of pre-Hispanic urban centers in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, in the eastern foothills of the Andes. This discovery changes the perception of the Amazon’s ancient human past.

2024-01-19

人类的生存和繁衍依赖于植物多样性。数以万计的植物物种都是在野外获得的，或者是由农民在包括中国湖北省茶园在内的环境中种植的。已利用的植物多样性在全球分布不均，这就需要制定一些在保护自然的同时对人类作出贡献的机制。

Humanity depends on plant diversity for subsistence and well-being. Tens of thousands of plant species are harvested in the wild or are cultivated by farmers in settings that include these tea plantations in the Hubei Province of China. The uneven global distribution of utilized plant diversity calls for the development of mechanisms to preserve nature and its contributions to people.

2024-01-26

封面图展示的是瑞士德朗斯抽水蓄能电站，它可以通过将水从较低的水库抽至海拔425米的较高水库储存取自风能、太阳能和其他清洁能源的剩余能源。而当电力短缺时，水可以通过涡轮机释放出来，为发电厂提供数小时的电力。

The Nant de Drance pumped hydroelectric plant in Switzerland can store surplus energy from wind, solar, and other clean sources by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper one, located 425 meters higher. When electricity runs short, the water can be unleashed through turbines, generating a power plant’s worth of electricity for many hours.