 Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dan Novak. This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower, and we use words and phrases, especially written for people learning English. Coming up on the program, Mario Ritter Jr. has a story on a proposed law of nature that expands on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Jill Robbins has this week's health and lifestyle reports on a new video game controller that makes gaming easier for people with disabilities. Later, Jill and Andrew Smith present the lesson of the day on homophones. But first, here is Mario Ritter Jr. British naturalist Charles Darwin presented his theory of evolution in the 1859 book On the Origin of Species. He proposed that biological species change over time by gaining traits that help them survive and reproduce. Now, 164 years later, nine scientists and philosophers propose a new law of nature that includes the biological evolution described by Darwin. They say Darwin's theory is a striking example of a much larger happening that appears at the level of atoms, minerals, planetary atmospheres, planets, stars, and more. We see evolution as a universal process that applies to numerous systems, both living and non-living, that increase in diversity and patterning through time, said Robert Hazen. He is a mineralogist and astrobiologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, based in Washington, D.C. Hazen is a co-writer of the scientific paper describing the new law in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists propose a rule called the Law of Increasing Functional Information. It holds that evolving systems, biological or non-biological, always form from several interacting building blocks, like atoms or cells. The process, they say, creates many different combinations. Evolution happens when these combinations are subject to selection for useful functions or purposes. We have well documented laws that describe such everyday phenomena as forces, motions, gravity, electricity and magnetism, and energy, Hazen said. But these laws do not individually or collectively describe or explain why the universe keeps getting more diverse and complex at scales of atoms, molecules, minerals, and more. For example, scientists say just two elements, hydrogen and helium, made up the first generation of stars following the Big Bang, at the beginning of our universe, about 13.8 billion years ago. That first generation of stars created about 20 heavier elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in their centers or cores. These elements exploded into space at the end of the star's life cycles. The following generation of stars that formed from parts of the first generation then similarly created almost 100 more elements. But Hazen said only a small number of all possible combinations would work. They have some useful level of function, so nature just prefers them, he said. Hazen added that function might mean that a collection of atoms makes a stable mineral crystal that can survive, or that a star keeps its active structure, or that a life form learns a new trick that allows it to compete better than its neighbors, Hazen added. The writers proposed three universal ideas about selection, the basic ability to last, the lasting nature of active processes that may enable evolution, and the development of new qualities as an adaptation to an environment. The scientists said some biological examples include organisms developing the ability to swim, walk, fly, and think. Organizations developed after their ancestors evolved from chimpanzees, and gained traits including upright walking and increased brain size. Michael Wong is the paper's lead writer and an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at the Carnegie Institution. He said, I think this paper is important because it describes a view of the cosmos rooted in function. Jonathan Lunin is chair of Cornell University's Astronomy Department. He is another of the paper's writers. He said, the new law explains why the diverse systems that make up the cosmos evolve the way they do. I'm Mario Ritter Jr. VOA Learning English has launched a new program for children. It is called Let's Learn English with Anna. The new course aims to teach children American English through asking and answering questions, and experiencing fun situations. For more information, visit our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. Paul Lane uses his mouth and face to push buttons and guide his virtual car on Gran Turismo, a game on the PlayStation 5. It is how he has been playing for the past 23 years, after a car accident left him unable to use his fingers. Playing video games has long been difficult for people with disabilities. The controllers for the PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo can be very hard, or even impossible, to use for people with limited mobility. As part of the gaming industry's efforts to fix the problem, Sony has worked with Lane and others to develop the new access controller for PlayStation. Other companies, including Microsoft and even people with 3D printers, have also created their own accessible controllers. I was big into sports before my injury, said Cesar Flores. The 30-year-old has used a wheelchair since a car accident eight years ago. He also worked with Sony on the controller. And when I play video games, it reminds me that I'm still human. It reminds me that I'm still one of the guys. Putting the traditional controller aside, Lane 52, switches to the access. It is round and customizable, and can rest on a table or wheelchair tray. It can be customized in many ways, depending on what the user needs. That includes switching buttons and thumb sticks, programming special controls, and combining two controllers to be used as one. As Lane plays Gran Turismo, he uses the back of his hand on the controller. Lane and other gamers have been working with Sony since 2018 to help design the access controller. The idea was to create something that could work for many people with different needs, rather than centering on any particular disability. Mark Barlett is the founder and executive director of the non-profit Able Gamers. He said his organization has been supporting gamers with disabilities for nearly 20 years. Able Gamers also helped both Sony and Microsoft with their controllers. The last five years I have seen the game accessibility movement go from independent studios working on some features to AAA games being able to be played by people who identify as blind, he said. In five years, it's been breathtaking. PlayStation's access controller will go on sale worldwide on December 6th and cost $90 in the US. Alvin Daniel of PlayStation said the device was designed with three ideas in mind to make it usable for as many players as possible. First, the player does not have to hold the controller to use it. It can lay flat on a table or wheelchair tray, for example. It was important for it to fit on a wheelchair tray since once something falls off the tray, it might be impossible for the player to pick it up without help. It also had to be durable for this same reason. Second, it is much easier to press the buttons than on the common controller. It comes with buttons in different sizes and shapes so people can experiment with shaping it the way it works best for them. The third is the thumb sticks, which can also be changed depending on what works for the person using it. After his accident, Lane stopped gaming for seven years. For someone who began playing video games as a young child, it was a void in his life, he said. Having gaming and having an opportunity to game at a very high level, to be able to do it again, it is like a reunion. Like losing a close companion and being able to reunite with that person again. I'm Jill Robbins. Hi Jill, thanks for joining me to talk more about what Sony and Microsoft are doing to change their video game controllers. Yes Dan, and I think there are some key words our listeners should know from that story. One of them is access. Access is the name of the new PlayStation controller, correct? Yes, but it's also a word that disabled people use to talk about being able to do the things they want without worrying about their disabilities. So the new controller is called accessible to show that people of all abilities can use it. That's a word we see to refer to handicapped access entrance on a building for example. Right, so access is something that designers of all kinds nowadays have to keep in mind. Another word is mobility. The story says the controllers are for people with limited mobility. And that means not just whether they can walk but how much they can move their hands and fingers or other parts of their body. And one more word that wasn't in the story but describes the new controller it's assistive technology. There are many ways that technology can help people who are differently abled. And that's a term that means the same thing as disabled, but it recognizes that people with some limitations still have certain abilities. Thanks Jill for explaining that to our listeners and thanks again for coming on the show. It's my pleasure Dan. The name is Anna Matteo. My name is Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins. You're listening to The Lesson of the Day on the Learning English podcast. Welcome to the part of the show where we help you do more with our series Let's Learn English. The series shows Anna Matteo in her work and life in Washington D.C. What do those two sounds you heard have in common? Today's lesson is about some fun and we hope interesting ways English connects words, spelling, and sounds. Or maybe about the ways their spellings don't seem to connect to sounds since English spelling can be difficult. But don't worry, this is not going to be a spelling lesson. Think of it more like a sound lesson. We'll have more to say about that phrase a sound lesson a little later. But now let's join Anna in lesson 26 of the series. As we explained in another podcast lesson Anna is playing a game on her phone. It's a scavenger hunt where she tries to learn more about U.S. history. Let's join her. When you find an American symbol you win points and a fun fact about a U.S. president. Hey, I found Uncle Sam and I won 40 points. What is the fun fact? Franklin Roosevelt was the first to fly in a plane as president. I didn't know that. This is a really beautiful memorial. This is the Lincoln Memorial. Where is the symbol? I found it. The Statue of Liberty. Please give me my fun fact. Abraham Lincoln was a great wrestler. I didn't know that. Lincoln wanted freedom for all people. So the Statue of Liberty works well and I won 20 points. Time to find the next symbol. You heard the word symbol three times in that exchange. When you find an American symbol you win points and a fun fact about a U.S. president. This is the Lincoln Memorial. Where is the symbol? And I won 20 points. Time to find the next symbol. A symbol is a shape, object, sign, in short any visual thing that represents an idea. We use symbols all the time such as the plus sign in mathematics to represent addition. And we use symbols to represent many many kinds of ideas. In the scavenger hunt game Anna and Dan are looking for a very important symbol in American history and culture. It's so important that it's worth 100 points in their game. Here's Dan and Anna in lesson 25 of the series. What symbol are you looking for now? I am looking for the bald eagle. That is 100 points. It should be near the Washington Monument. Ah yes the bald eagle. It is a large bird that hunts small animals and fish. When it is older the feathers on its head turn white. That's why they call it bald which means having no hair on your head. Oh like me? Yeah kind of but let's not digress or move away from the main idea of our lesson. Many Americans see the bald eagle as symbolizing freedom and strength. Symbolize is the verb form of the noun symbol and symbolic is the adjective. And that sound you heard earlier? Well that's the sound a bald eagle makes. But what about that other sound? That's the sound of a symbol. Hey wait are you trying to confuse our listeners? Haha a little bit but here's the idea. The bald eagle is a symbol. That's spelled S Y M B O L. But there is also an object used in music called a symbol. That's spelled C Y M B A L. Two words that make exactly the same sound in English are called homophones. And there are many of them. Here are a few examples. Cell spelled C E L L like the cells in your body or like a cell phone. And cell S E L L. That means to take money for something. And we have flower spelled F L O U R which we use for making bread. And flower F L O W E R. The colorful blooms on plants such as a rose, daisy or sunflower. Jill why do you think English has so many homophones? It's because English developed as a combination of different languages. As a result it mixed the spelling system of the languages which is why we have several ways of spelling the same sound. That makes it interesting but also difficult for people learning English. That's true. There are spelling rules for English that a learner can follow but there are also a lot of words that break the rules. And of course many English words have letters that are not pronounced at all. We call these silent letters. And now the silent letters. Actually we're going to talk about only one silent letter today but let's get there by listening to Anna in lesson 26 of the Let's Learn English series. When you find an American symbol you win points and a fun fact about a U.S president. Yay! I found Uncle Sam and I won 40 points. What is the fun fact? Franklin Roosevelt was the first to fly in a plane as president. I didn't know that. This is a really beautiful memorial. This is the Lincoln Memorial. Where is the symbol? I found it. The Statue of Liberty. Please give me my fun fact. Abraham Lincoln was a great wrestler. And how do we spell that last word you just heard? Wrestler? It sounds like the letter R. The word has the letter R but it has a silent letter before it. Listeners, what letter do you think that is? Here's a hint. You can write someone an email. How do you spell that verb I just said? The verb right. That's right. Oh I mean that's correct. You spell it W-R-I-T-E and wrestler is spelled W-R-E-S-T-L-E-R. Wrestling is a sport where you try to hold your opponent onto the ground. Here are three pairs of words that are homophones and where one of the words in each pair begins with the silent W. When you hear each pair, see if you can think of the two words that match the sound but are spelled differently. Ready? Listen. Write. Right. Rest. Rest. Wrote. Wrote. You already know what it means to write your name but write R-I-T-E means a traditional or religious ceremony. You know what it means to rest when you are tired but rest W-R-E-S-T means to grab something or take something from somebody else often with some difficulty. Yesterday Jill wrote her name but wrote R-O-T-E is doing or learning something just by repeating it over and over without thinking much or understanding much about it. We usually put the preposition by before the noun wrote. Right, and that's R-I-G-H-T. For example, we can say the student studied only by wrote. There's the sound of that American symbol again which brings us back to the phrase a sound lesson. The word sound is most commonly used as a noun but we can also use the word as an adjective with a different meaning. If something is sound that means it is done correctly. The adjective sound can also describe a building or structure that is strong and without important defects. So we hope this lesson of the day has been a sound lesson for you. And since we've talked a lot about sounds if we use the noun we can call today's lesson a lesson in sound. Now let's see if Anna and Dan found the bald eagle. Let's listen to more of lesson 26. This game is a lot of fun. What's your name? Dan, what's yours? Anna. Like Americana. Yeah, I guess so. Did you find any symbols? Yes, I found three and I won 120 points. Me too, but did you find the bald eagle? No. Did you? No. First one to find it wins! Hey Anna, look out for that tree! I learned a lot about presidents with this game but I ought to be more careful. Until next time. Until next time means it's also time for us to go. Keep listening and reading for hammer phones in English. And remember that you can learn more on our website learningenglish.viawaynews.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Thanks for listening to the Learning English podcast. I'm Jill Robbins and I'm Andrew Smith and that's our program for today. Join us again tomorrow to keep learning English through stories from around the world. I'm Ashley Thompson and I'm Dan Novak.