Article – Page 16 – Hit.Media. Space young journalism

Nintendo Switch Online hides games
In the program’s code, dataminers found 22 unrealised games for SNES

Reading time 3 minutes

From the launching of a paid online service for Nintendo Switch, a lot of console’s fans complained about a shortage of games in a starting packet: Nintendo Switch Online still offers exclusively 8-bit NES games. However, the situation can change very soon.

Dataminor with a nickname Kapu announced his discovery in one of his Twitts. After an investigation of the latest update of the NES app, he found 22 hidden games for another retro console – SNES. Presumably, these games will soon become a part of a new paid service for Nintendo and will be officially announced at the next video presentation of the company.

Список игр SNES, обнаруженных Kapu — A list of games that Kapu has found

Moreover, Kapu with a group of other dataminers found out that the app contains not one, but 4 emulators at once: Kacikachi, Canoe, Hiyoko and Count. At the moment, there is information about only two of them – Kacikachi and Canoe, which are used in NES Classic and SNES Classic consoles. The presence of several emulators in the program code also suggests possibility of library extension for Nintendo Switch Online, where other games from old versions of the console might appear as well.

Prior to this, in the interview for The Hollywood Reporter Nintendo of America President, Reggie Fils-Aime, announced that the company will keep producing NES Classic and SNES Classic consoles, which at the moment are almost the only legal tools for company’s classic games. If the rumor about the appearance of new games in Nintendo paid service’s library gets confirmed, it is likely this service will become a new platform for classic projects of the big N.

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Pochards should survive!
World’s rarest bird is being saved in Madagascar

Reading time 4 minutes

An international group of researchers released into wild artificially grown birds in the area of North Madagascar. Two dozen of Madagascan pochards should be a step towards recovery of the species believed to be extinct for 15 years. The pochard’s rescue can also be beneficial in protecting swamps of Madagascar.

Why is this species endangered?

The duck found a new home on a remote lake of Madagascar. Ph: WWT

Pochards were believed to be extinct for 15 years. But in 2006 a small flock of birds was found on one of the remote lakes of Madagascar. There were the last 25 Madagascan pochards on Earth. Their habitats were polluted, the remaining birds were found in a remote untouched swamp. Rob Shaw, the director of The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust company (WWT), explained on BBC News that these ducks tried to survive in the environment which was not suitable for them. Their shelter was too deep and cold for pochards’ vital activity. Rob Shaw underlined that other parts of Madagascar can be dangerous for these birds, because of accumulation of precipitation, pollution, thoughtless agricultural practices. This set of problems creates an unfavorable environment for Madagascan pochards.

How the species was saved

One of the key moments is raising in captivity. Ph: WWT

This painstaking work took more than a decade. An international team consisting of WWT, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and The Peregrine Fund members saved the eggs of Madagascan pochards and raised the birds in captivity.

To protect the ducks, on Lake Sofia were installed floating enclosures. Then the team investigated Madagascar’s territory on order to find a perfect place for pochards. The team worked closely with local communities living around the lake and using its water, fish, and plants.

To protect the ducks, on Lake Sofia were installed floating enclosures. Ph: WWT

Nigel Jarrett from WWT explained: «It takes a village to raise a child, so the old African proverb goes – but in this case it has taken a village to raise a duck. We have been preparing for this moment for over a decade. Working with local communities to solve the issues which were driving this bird to extinction has been essential to giving the pochard a chance of survival.»

The team believes that the return of a bird being on verge of extinction will serve as an example of how communities can preserve wildlife even in areas with the poorest populations.

Saved Alba: freedom with the risk of life
The albino orangutan returns to the wild

Reading time 5 minutes

The infrequent orangutan albino was saved from inhabitants of one of villages in the Borneo Island last year. The other day, after successful rehabilitation, female was released back into the wild nature but the threat of animal’s life remains.

The Kalimantan Central agency of preservation the natural recourses (BKSDA) and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Fund (BOSF) saved Alba at the beginning of 2017. She was captured by inhabitants of Tanggiranga, remote village in the Indonesian part of Borneo. Alba had a stress, dehydration and suffered from parasitic worms. The animal was taken to Nyaru Menteng orangutan rehabilitation centre.

Alba was planned to be released into the wild nature in a few month, but her recovery convalescence took more time than it was expected. As an albino, she is susceptible to many diseases, she has poor eyesight and hearing, oversensitiveness to the light and predisposition to skin cancer. Alba is the only known albino orangutan in a history of this species.

According to BOSF, Alba together with Kika, other rehabilitated orangutan female (not albino), were released to Borneo national park (BBBR). Originally, BOSF planned to surround a 5 hectares of the forest area and keep Alba under constant observation, but ultimately it was decided that orangutan should move freely in its natural habitat.

«Thanks to intensive care provided by our special veterinary team and tutors of Nyaru Menteng Orangutan rehabilitation centre, Alba recovered and showed excellent skills of ascension and socialising», — noted BOSF in the statement.

Транспортировка орангутангов происходила в специальных клетках — Транспортировка орангутанов происходила в специальных клетках

After hard 16-hour travel by land and the river, which Alba and Kika spent in the cages, BOSF team arrived into the BBBR National Park. BOSF published the video showed Alba and Kika’s travel.

Currently Alba actively moves in the forest area, usually at the hight of 115 feet (35 metres). Her fast adaptation to the forest life is not surprising, as she doesn’t have the «inferiority complex» and feel herself confident in comparison with the other orangutans, said veterinarian Agus Fatoni to the Associated Press.

Albuanadela has a tracking bracelet, and she will regularly be examined by the medical team within the next six months. Environmentalists are concerned about her health, but they are even more concerned about potential poachers: Alba with her white wool and blue eyes is really vulnerable. The national park staff and nature conservation agencies organized the patrol in this area, however they recognize that opportunities for this purpose are limited.

«It’s really big adventure, but we hope that we will manage to implement this project successfully», — said BOSF executive director Dzhamartin Sikhit soon after Alba’s releasing into the wild nature.

The greatest films of all times
The best black and white films for winter evenings

Reading time 6 minutes

During cold winter nights you can make mulled wine, dive into a blanket, and watch black and white movies. Those which characters of Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth were watching in the second part of Sex in the City. true masterpieces keep thrilling and never get old. Their black-and-white aesthetics as well as acting still fascinate people.

All About Eve (1950)

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Plot: the competition between a Broadway legend Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and her fan, an amateur actress Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). The audience can also see Marilyn Monroe in a small episodic role. For Marilyn it is one of the first roles in her career. The movie won six Academy Awards, including Best Film from any Source award. Half a century later, an eccentric Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar creates an allusion of the story in his All About My Mother film.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Director: Elia Kazan
It is an adaptation of Tennessee Williams‘s play of the same name which brings us to poor districts of New Orleans. An aging, but still beautiful Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) and her sister’s husband Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) face the contradictions. The film won a lot of awards, including Vivien’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress which, according to the actress led her to madness.

Трамвай «Желание» — Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando in *A Streetcar Named Desire*

Roman Holiday (1953)

Director: William Wyler
It is a light romantic comedy about a princess and an American journalist which touches more than one generation. The narrative is very simple, it tells the well-known story of love between a princess and a commoner. Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. It happened eight years prior her most recognizable role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s film.

Римские каникулы — Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in *Roman Holiday*

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Director: Billy Wilder
The film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon which is often being called the best comedy in the movie history. The story of adventurers, hiding from gangsters, touring with the women’s orchestra, is known all over the world. The film won Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award and became a leading film not only in the US, but also in USSR.

Мэрилин Монро — Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane

Psycho (1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Those, who love being titillated, can watch a psychological horror film by Hitchcock. The film is construed as one of the key movies of all times. The principles of showing the subconscious fear of the characters, used by the director, influenced all subsequent horror films.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Director: Mike Nichols
Elizabeth Taylor confessed in her memoirs that the role of Martha was the best in her career because during the whole shooting process she was Acting. A family drama about a relationship between loving and hating each other spouses caused a resonance among viewers and critics. The film built on conflicts and cursing which realistically shows family relationships. The film won five American Academy Awards, including one for Best Actress.

A frame from *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*

Manhattan (1979)

Director: Woody Allen
One of the most popular Woody Allen’s film takes the viewer to his favorite city. Passions, doubts, and contradictions of the characters are imbued with the rhythm of Manhattan. Viewers, critics, and new Yorkers themselves agree that the director has created a cinematic anthem of the city.

Манхэттен — According to critics, *Manhattan* is the best Allen’s film

Do everything and forget nothing
Techniques of effective learning and time management

Reading time 5 minutes

Being on top of your game is very important, especially when you have a lot of deadlines. These couple of techniques will help organize your studying and working. They cannot give you extra hours in a day, but they are able to increase your productivity.

The Cornell Note-taking System

Walter Pauk, a professor at Cornell University and the creator of this method, decided to walk away from a usual linear form of writing notes in the 1950s. He suggested to divide a piece of paper into several blocks to help organize different information. In an original variant these blocks are notes, keywords and comments, and summary. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows you to process and analyse the information while note taking. Psychologists Annie Piolat, Thierry Olive, and Ronald T. Kellogg conducted a study which proved that The Cornell Method actually helps to remember information faster and to be more productive. So arm yourself with pens and learn to make notes correctly.

Mind Maps

A mind map is a way of visualizing information based on radiant thinking. Simply put, it is a method of organizing data in which the facts are presented in the form of associations, starting from a Central Idea.

A lot of people know about mind maps, but not all of them understand why they are effective. Tony Buzan, a psychologist who created mind mapping, explained that nowadays a left hemisphere, responsible for logic, is dominating over a right hemisphere, responsible for creativity. This causes an imbalance which reduces productivity. Mind maps make both hemispheres work together because a written information combines with images. This method is helpful not only in studying, but also in planning. However, it is important to learn some rules first, so the technique can work efficiently.

The Eisenhower Matrix

Time is the most valuable resource, so it is essential to know how to use it correctly. The Eisenhower Matrix is a method of setting priorities. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and the creator of this technique, was known as a well-disciplined and organized person. The Eisenhower Matrix consists of four squares in which you put your tasks depending on their urgency and importance.

Pomodoro Technique

When all notes are taken, mind maps are created, and tasks are prioritized, there is the one thing left – make yourself to do all planned and learn everything written. At this point, there are problems with self-organization because concentrating on one task can be very complicated. That is when you should use Pomodoro Technique.

A “tomato” as a remedy against procrastination

Its essence lies in the fact that the learning process is divided into periods of time, which are conventionally called “tomatoes”. One “tomato” is 30 minutes long: 25 minutes of work and 5 min rest. After 4 “tomatoes” you need to take a long break for 20-30 minutes. It is very important to time yourself not with a phone (so you won’t be distracted by notifications), but with a timer, as Francesco Chirillo, the author of the technique, did. Currently, there are multiple sites with Pomodoro timer.

Rescue of a rare giraffe species in Africa
Eight West African giraffes have been transferred to the Gadabedja protected area in Niger

Reading time 4 minutes

Until now, there were no giraffes from West Africa in the Gadabedji biosphere reserve in Niger. These animals still need protection. Illegal hunting, climate change and habitat loss all contributed to the decline in population size. According to the Nigerian publication, eight giraffes were moved to the reserve, this is the first such case for the West African subspecies.

In accordance with the initiative of the Nigerian authorities, eight giraffes were caught approximately 60 km south-east of the city of Niamey. There, these animals share their habitat with local communities and compete with humans for natural resources. Often, giraffes come into conflict with people who manage their pastures. Because of this, some individuals go to restless areas on the border with Mali.

Жирафов перевозили в специальных контейнерах

The animals were placed in enclosures for three weeks to prepare for the upcoming journey in special trailers. Then they were transported to a new place of residence in the central part of Niger.

According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), over the past 30 years, the number of giraffes has declined throughout the African continent. The West African giraffe subspecies was once common in many countries, including Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, but is now only preserved in Niger. In the nineties of the twentieth century, only 49 individuals remained in the wild, and in 2008 the subspecies was listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as endangered.

Западноафриканские жирафы - самый малочисленный подвид — Западноафриканские жирафы – самый малочисленный подвид

The efforts of the Niger Government in collaboration with local and international partners have led to the revival of the West African giraffe. Since 2005, conservation efforts in Niger have also intensified thanks to the Giraffe Conservation Fund (GCF) and the Sahara Foundation for Nature Conservation.

Currently, the population size has increased to 600 individuals, and last month this subspecies was reduced by the IUCN to the category of “vulnerable”. Environmentalists believe that the relocation of eight giraffes is a key step in the development of Gadabedzhi as the leading reserve in Niger. They hope that this will help revive the population of the West African giraffe.

Multitasking is pure evil
Doing multiple things at a time means hurting yourself and your work

Reading time 4 minutes

Everybody is used to listening to music, texting friends or colleagues, eating, doing some mechanical work all at once. As a rule, we feel more productive and proud of ourselves for that as well. However, it is not so simple.

There is a reason to believe that multitasking reduces our productivity by almost 40%. The thing is doing numerous tasks at the same time on regular basis can affect psychological, mental, and physical states. The human organism is simply not adapted to working in Julius Caesar mode.

During a research, conducted by Stanford University scientists, was established that multitasking can cause stress, lack of motivation, and mood swings. «Your brain may be in trouble,» is researchers’ message. The also proved the lack of concentration skills in people who do several things simultaneously. As a result, we get tiredness and apathy.

Moreover, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) discovered that multitasking is directly related to memory operation. Constant stress and lack of focus make the human brain indiscriminately filter information and forget it pretty fast. Although it happens gradually, it is significant to start fighting against the problem before it’s too late. After a conversation, try recalling some details, numbers, or characteristics of people in a crowded room. In case of failure, don’t rush into countless memory training apps, but try to listen to your body and rationally evaluate how much you overloaded the nervous system.

By doing a lot of assignments at the same time, you significantly degrade the quality of work and increase the number of errors. The brain cannot work on all fronts equally perfect. Defocusing attention forces us to perform tasks on the principle of: «Good enough.» Do you really want to be a mediocre worker?

Obviously, modern life does not allow us to function without multitasking sometimes. Yet, it is important to fight against its overabundance. There are a couple of simple, but effective tips:

Do no more than two tasks at a time;
Use the rule of 20 minutes: do not switch the task if you have been doing it for less than 20 minutes;
Do not hesitate to ask friends and colleagues to wait if you are busy. Just point out the problem in time and rationalize your arguments;
Do not use social media during work – it adds an extra load on the brain. In case it is complicated for you, use blocking apps;
Do not try to do everything at once

Let’s yawn, friends!
Scientists have found that it is easier to catch yawning from a closed one

Reading time 3 minutes

At one time it was believed that during yawning, a person provides the body with a large amount of oxygen and emits stagnant carbon dioxide in the lungs when the brain needs additional “recharging”. However, this version has long been recognized by scientists as implausible: even when breathing with pure oxygen, the desire to yawn does not disappear.

American psychologists from the State University of New York in Albany believe that yawning acts like a fan in the computer: it cools our brain, and therefore improves its functioning. To test this version, in 2011, experts conducted a study that showed that in the cold season, people yawn less than in the warm, and the audience watching an uninteresting film with a cold compress on the forehead, yawn much less than those who miss without an ice bandage. In addition, sleep interruption causes a slight increase in brain temperature. That is why we need to make a tasty yawn immediately after awakening.

we yawn more often when we see a loved one

Italian scientists say that yawning is nothing but a sign of sympathy. They observed the inhabitants of Madagascar and Italy during one year and found out when and under what circumstances they yawned in response to yawns. As it turned out, it happened more often in the presence of a closed one or a relative, a little less often with colleagues. It was more difficult for strangers to force the interlocutor to yawn.

QWERTY – familiar and mysterious
Where the popular keyboard layout came from, and why it doesn’t yield to competitors

Reading time 4 minutes

The name of this keyboard layout came from the first six letters of the top row. QWERTY-keyboard originates in the era of typewriters.

The creation history of the familiar layout is not clear enough

Christopher Sholes, an elaborator of the first typewriters, determined to distribute keys in the simple alphabetical order. However, with an increase of the typematic speed professionals began to encounter a number of problems. For instance, the levers of the letters situated close to each other scraped and sticked with the rapid pushing. By trial and error and constant layout modernization the legendary typewriter «Remington 1» was finally launched. Its keyboard became the prototype of all contemporary ones. The blind method of the typemate, which became popular after typing competitions, helped in promotion of this keyboard layout. Edgar McGurrin, the court secretary, won over another contestant. When the winner was asked about the reasons of his triumph, he said he had typed with ten fingers without looking at the keyboard. His rival typed with only eight fingers staring at the keys, and this method considerably decreased typematic speed. Nowadays, one and a half century later, there are some courses where you can learn the blind way of working on the keyboard.

Why we love QWERTY so much when we are able to switch to other layouts?

Nevertheless, today there are disputes about effectiveness of QWERTY-layout. There were some attempts to supplant familiar layout on more ergonomic one. In 1936 university professor August Dvorak noticed a great number of typos in the work of one of his students. At that time the thought had come to his mind – to invent an absolutely new type of latin keyboard based on more convenient position of vowel and consonant letters. After it in the beginning of the XXI century DVORAK-layout was elaborated by Shay Coleman and obtain the name Colemak. As some studies claimed, these layout types enable to work 2-3 times faster. However, QWERTY doesn’t give in to more contemporary rivals, although every user can switch between layouts with the help of several mouse clicks.

Elephants transmit information through the ground
Researchers found out that animals use signals similar to seismic

Reading time 4 minutes

While using instruments intended to detection of earthquakes, Oxford scientists Bet Mortimer and Tarje Nissen-Meyer discovered that various kinds of elephants activities – walking, running, sniffing, grunting – сreate different seismic signals in the ground. According to the research published in Current biology magazine, in several cases these vibrations are distributing through the ground much longer than through the air enabling animals to feel each other even over long distances.

Earlier studies demonstrated that elephants capture ground fluctuations by their body. For instance, elephants were noticed running away to the uplands in the moments preceding tsunami emergence. The elephant feeling a threat began to stomp in order to avert others. The study expands the understanding of how animals can communicate. Beside, it provides new possibilities for researchers and ecologists who would like to observe animals remotely. This method can be fruitful for the save the species. «This information can be used as a strategy of remote monitoring», – Dr.Mortimer said.

An African battalion struggling with poachers

Despite the international affords to prohibit trade of elephant bones tens of thousands of african elephants are proceeding to die because of their tusks every year.

In order to hold the study scientists established devices known as geophones near the place of living of Kenia wild elephants. Like seismographs geophones convert soil fluctuations into measurable electronic signals, yet they are better to use in field work. With the help of these instruments researchers will presumably be able to pursue and defend animals.

Elephants are able to recognize hooves and fluctuations of the herd over several kilometres distance

Due to the fact that elephants live in complicated and spatially divided communities, animals use long-range communication in order to survive. The ground vibrations can be used for warning each other of danger and for partners seeking during very short period of mating. Supposing that elephants not only bring on distinct vibrations in various activities but also are able to perceive these signals from huge distances, scientists are intending to learn how to use these signals.

Vibrations created by elephants can be found and recognized on almost four miles in optimal conditions. However, any noise impact, even automobile noise, sharply decreases the ability to find and recognize these vibrations.