Teaching Children about Forgiveness
If you've seen your children struggle to forgive someone for hurting them, you know that forgiveness is complicated. After all, forgiveness is complicated for adults, too. At times, we wonder why we're trying to forgive someone anyway; later, we might think we've forgiven them, only to experience a sudden burst of anger. Indeed, it takes many years for us to grasp the meaning of forgiveness as we grow up.
It's understandable that children may feel hurt or angry when a friend does something less-than-kind to them. Maybe the friend said something unkind or broke something precious, embarrassed them, excluded them, or told their secrets. Children may be tempted to get even with a friend who's done them wrong, by doing something worse or telling everyone how terrible the friend is, but trying to get revenge only escalates (升级) the conflict.
Parents can play an important role in teaching children about forgiveness. Children watch how important adults in their lives respond when someone does something unkind. Do they complain to others or speak directly to the person involved? How long does it take them to get over being mad or hurt? How do they get over it? Parents can teach their children about the value of forgiveness by regularly practicing it in their own lives.
Sometimes parents can talk with their children about forgiveness, based on where kids are in their cognitive (认知的) and emotional development. For example, children need to understand that no one is perfect, so generously forgiving a well-meaning friend is a caring thing to do. If parents can help children see things a little more from other people's perspective, this will make forgiveness easier. These conversations can change the way children think about forgiveness and help them emotionally recover when they inevitably experience harm and unfair treatment from others in life.
Does your memory fail as you age?
I'm 62 years old. Like many of my friends, I forget names that I used to be able to recall effortlessly. When packing my suitcase for a trip. I walk to the bedroom and by the time I get there, I don't remember what I came for. And yet my long-term memories are perfect. I remember the names of my third-grade classmates, the first record album I bought my wedding day.
This is widely understood to be a classic problem of aging. But the problem is not necessarily age-related I've been teaching undergraduates for my entire career and I can prove that even 20-year-olds make short-term memory errors- loads of them. They walk into the wrong classroom; they show up to exams without the required No. 2 pencil; they forget something I just said two minutes before. These are similar to the kinds of things 70-year-olds do.
The relevant difference is not age but rather how we describe these events, the stories we tell ourselves about them. Twenty-year-olds don't think, "Oh dear, this must be early-onset Alzheimer (早老性痴呆症) ." They think," I really need to get more than four hours of sleep." The 70-year-olds observe these same events and worry about their brain health. This is to say that every error of short-term memory doesn't necessarily indicate a biological disorder.
So how do we account for our subjective experience that older adults seem to search for words and names with difficulty? First, there is a generalized cognitive(认知的) slowing with age-but given a little more time, older adults perform just fine. Second, older adults have to search through more memories than younger adults to find the fact or piece of information they're looking for. Your brain becomes crowded with memories and information. It's not that you can't remember-you can -it's just that there is so much more information to sort through.
Fed up with constantly having to recharge or replace batteries in your ever-expanding electronic devices? The solution may be just a few steps away. "Energy harvesting" promises to power countless consumer devices, often with nothing more than your body's movement or heat.
Among the most basic forms of the technology is body power. When certain materials are squeezed or stretched, the movement of their atoms creates an electrical charge. Automatic watches have employed the concept for decades, for example, by winding themselves when their user moves their arm. Now, the concept is being considered for a number of other devices. In a contest seeking visionary ideas for wearable technologies, Intel awarded $5,000 for a concept to change the temperature difference between a person's body and a special piece of clothing they'd wear into electricity for mobile devices. Using sound to power devices is another energy-harvesting variation. Stanford University engineers are testing smart microchips that create electricity from ultrasound to power implantable devices that can analyze a person's nervous system or treat their diseases. A textile research association in Spain is proposing to obtain electricity from radio waves that flow around everyone to power sensors sewn into clothes, which can monitor a person's heartbeat or other vital signs.
Obtaining stable energy from devices can be complex, however. For one thing, the motion that generates the electricity has to be constant to be useful. Moreover, the amount of power the devices produce depends on the person using them, according to a Columbia University study. It determined that taller people on average provide about 20 percent more power than shorter ones when walking, running or cycling. It's also unclear how eagerly consumers might welcome energy-harvesting products.
Two years ago, Li Yuhua's daughter taught her how to shop online. Since then, the 51-year-old farmer in Wushan has been a regular online shopper. Shoppers like Li Yuhua are the new target for China's ecommerce giants, including Alibaba Group, which operates the Taobao platform, and JD.com. Rural China added 3 million more Internet users in the first half, taking the total number to 225 million, or 26.3%, of the country's total Internet population of 854 million, according to a report on rural ecommerce development released last week by the China International Electronic Commerce Center. That helped improve rural online sales in the first half of the year by 21% to 777.1 billion yuan (US$109.6 billion), outpacing the national growth rate by 3.2 percentage points.
"However, it is a little bit early to say that China's ecommerce battlefield is moving to rural China," said Chen Tao, a senior analyst at consultancy Analysys. Unlike urban residents, most rural Chinese haven't experienced ecommerce shopping. While that provides online platforms with one of the last undeveloped markets for ecommerce, progress has been slow due to the lack of infrastructure (基础设施) and logistics (物流) support.
To address that problem, China's second-largest ecommerce operator, JD.com hired more deliverymen and tested drone (无人机) delivery services to improve service in rural China. Alibaba Group, China's largest ecommerce player, announced in April last year that it had invested US$717 million in Huitongda Network Co., which helps to boost sales in 15,000 towns across 18 provinces.
Another inhibiting factor in the development of rural ecommerce is the income gap. In 2018, annual per capita disposable income (人均可支配收入) in rural areas was 14,600 yuan (US$2,065) compared with 39,300 yuan (US$5,559) in cities. "Lower disposable incomes in rural areas limit the consumption," said analyst Chen. "It also takes time to educate rural residents to accept ecommerce services as most of them are new to online. There is still a long way to go to popularize online shopping in rural China."
Rising global temperatures are increasing exposure to heat stress, which harms human health, agriculture, the economy and the environment. Most climate studies on projected heat stress have focused on heat extremes but not considered the role of humidity, another key driver.
"When we look at the risks of a warmer planet, we need to pay particular attention to combined extremes of heat and humidity, which are especially dangerous to human health," said senior author Robert E. Kopp.
"Every bit of global warming make shot, humid days more frequent and intense. In New York City, for example, the hottest, most humid day in a typical year already occurs about 11 times more frequently than it would have in the 19th century," said lead author Dawei Li.
Heat stress is caused by the body's inability to cool down properly through sweating. Body temperature can rise rapidly, and high temperatures may damage the brain and other vital organs. Heat stress ranges from milder conditions like heat rash and heat cramps to heat exhaustion, the most common type. Heat stroke, the most serious heat-related illness, can kill or cause permanent disability without emergency treatment, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study looked at how combined extremes of heat and humidity increase on a warming Earth, using 40 climate simulations to get statistics on rare events. The study focused on a measure of heat stress that accounts for temperature, humidity and other environmental factors, including wind speed, sun angle and solar and infrared radiation.
Annual exposure to extreme heat and humidity in excess of safety guidelines is projected to affect areas currently home to about 500 million people if the planet warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7degrees Fahrenheit) and nearly 800 million at 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The planet has already warmed by about 1.2 degrees (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above late 19th century levels.
An estimated 1.2 billion people would be affected with 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, as expected by the end of this century under current global policies.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine, which has been used for medicinal purposes, is the use of plants to treat diseases. Many herbalists use the entire plant, from the flowers, stems, leaves, and roots, in the form of everything from teas to pills. These plants contain natural, chemical things that can treat the body for a variety of diseases, such as allergies, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, chronic fatigue, and cancer, among others.
Nowadays an increasing number of people prefer to adopt these plants to treat their diseases because, compared with chemical medicine, herbal medicine has its own advantages. Herbal medicine and remedies are more effective than chemical medicine for certain diseases. The chemical medicine given by a chemist could have certain negative side effects. However, many of the herbal medicine and remedies to not have negative side effects. If any, they are softer than chemical medicine. Obesity is the cause of many of the health problems. Herbal medicine can help weight loss more effectively and improve overall health.
However, the cure using herbal medicine and supplements would take some time, and therefore people are supposed to possess enough patience. Worse still, herbal medicine contains a variety of ingredients and people have to be sure that their body agrees with the ingredients and that it is not allergic(过敏).
A point worth mentioning here is that herbal remedies and medicine for certain illnesses may have negative side effects. These side effects may not be shown at once, but would take months or even years. In the early stages, if the herbal medicine is not agreeing with you, it is wise to stop using it.
When used correctly and directed by doctors, herbs can help treat a variety of disease. But keep in mind that the herbal medicine industry is not regulated, so herbal products are often misleading and may contain additives that are not listed on the label. Some herbs may cause allergic reactions or interact with other drugs, and some are poisonous if used improperly or at high doses. Taking herbs on your own increases your risk.
Every culture has set rules about how people should act. Patterns of good behavior, or manners, show respect and care for others. Yet the details of how to express respect vary.
Greeting people cheerfully is almost always considered polite. But it's more important in some cultures than others. For example, when you enter a store in France, you should always greet the person working there. Other cultures also value greeting people. But of course the greetings vary as people speak different languages.
When I was growing up in the United States, I once participated in a performance at my church. Afterward, someone gave me a compliment, but I felt like I had done a bad job. So I tried to refuse the compliment, saying, "No, I didn't do that well." My mother got my attention and told me that was very rude. Later I learned that refusing a compliment is accepted and even approved of in China.
Some of the biggest cultural differences have to do with table manners. In North America, it's polite to eat as quietly as possible. That means chewing with your mouth closed and not slurping(吃东西时发出的声音)your soup. The same goes for burping(打嗝). But in parts of Asia slurping shows that you are enjoying your meal. And burping is a sign of being full and content.
There are also differences in how people eat across cultures. For example, in North America and Europe people use forks to bring food to their mouths. But in Thailand, a fork is only used to push food onto a spoon. In India and the Middle East, people eat with their hands. But eating with the left hand is forbidden. This is because the left hand is considered unclean.
Yet there are also similar points across cultures. Saying "please" and "thank you", for example, is almost always polite. If you show appreciation and try to follow local customs, people will generally respond well. Showing kindness can bring people together, no matter what culture they come from.
Britain's Buses are Getting Emptier
In Britain, buses account for more public - transport trips than trains, tubes and trams put together. People love them, in theory: one poll by Transport Focus, a consumer group, found that 74% of young people think they are a good way of getting around and 85% believe it is important for a place to have a good bus service. There is just one problem. In practice, Britions are taking buses less and less.
Why are London buses emptier? One thing that has changed is young people's behavior. The young are heavy bus users when they travel. But, increasingly, they do not travel. According to Transport for London, the average 17 - to 24-year-old took 2.3 transport trips per day in the year 2011- 12 but only 1.7 in 2018 - 19. The National Travel Survey confirms that no group has cut back harder on travel since the early 2000s than teenagers. Young people are more diligent these days, and stay in school for longer. They can do the things that young people love to do on their phones, without going out.
The other big bus users are the poor and the old, especially outside London, but both are turning away from buses to cars. Lower lending standards have made cars easier to acquire; a fuel-tax freeze and fuel - saving engines make them cheaper to run. Cars are ever more comfortable and easier to operate, with parking-assist technology and lane-drifting alerts to help starters. Outside London, the average free bus pass was used 90 times in the year 2010-11 but only 74 times in 2018-19, according to the Department for Transport.
Finally there is the gig economy (零工经济). Online shopping and Uber probably substitute of bus trips as well as private car journeys. And they put new vehicles on the roads, which slows everything down. The number of light-goods vehicles in London has risen by 28% since 2012. Tony Travers of the London School of Economics points out that bus speeds have fallen slightly in the capital, even though private cars have almost been cleared up from the city center. The average London bus now travels at 9.3 miles per hour. Just as people become less inclined to run after buses, they are becoming easier to catch.
Coco-Cola's Innovative Solution to Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing problem of the 21st Century with plastic waste almost everywhere. It is estimated that just in 2016, the world produced over 320 million tons of plastic, and this number is set to double by 2034.
Plastic waste even makes its way into our oceans with 8 million pieces of plastic pollution per day polluting our waters and destroying the habitat for hundreds of species. It is now believed that there may be around 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean weighing in total up to 269,000 tons.
It's been crystal clear for a long time that the situation is horrible and something needs to be done, and fast. Luckily, Coca-Cola stepped up to the challenge and came up with one innovative and rather effective solution. The firm is replacing its plastic wrapping in Europe with a new paper board technology.
This new tech is called the KeelClip and it is a first for the non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) industry. Using KeelClips, Coca-Cola aims to remove all plastic wrap from its can multipacks in all? European Union markets by the end of 2021. The firm is optimistic that the move will save 2,000 tons of plastic and 3,000 tons of CO2 annually.
"Innovation is a key principle of our sustainable packaging work and the application of this fully recyclable paperboard KeelClipTM, which is composed of a top board that the cans clip into and central cardboard 'keel' -- similar to a ship's keel - that stabilizes the pack, is another example of how we are delivering on our commitment to remove all unnecessary and hard to recycle single-use plastic from our products. We hope this eco-friendly initative is a conscious approach to dealing with plastic pollution," said Joe Franses, Vice President, Sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners.
Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers: "I don't like being watched", "I don't like the eyes on me" or "I don't like being in the spotlight".
To understand why, we need to go way back to prehistoric times, when humans regarded eyes watching us as an existential threat. Those eyes were likely predators (肉食动物) and people were terrified of being eaten alive. The bad news is that our brains have transferred the ancient fear of being watched into public speaking. In other words, public-speaking anxiety is in our DNA.
Fortunately, there is a solution: human generosity. The key to disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves and toward helping the audience. Studies have shown that an increase in generosity indeed leads to a decrease in amygdala (扁桃腺) activity, which is responsible for our panic feeling in the brain. When we are kind to others, we overcome the sense of being under attack and start to feel less nervous.
Admittedly, this is hard to do. But it's absolutely possible to become a generous speaker. To begin with, when you start preparing for a presentation, the mistake you often make is starting with the topic. Instead, you should start with the audience. Identify the audience's needs, and craft a message that speaks directly to those needs. Also, you are the most nervous right before you speak. This is the moment when your brain is telling you, "Everyone is judging me." But it is exactly the moment when you should refocus your brain. Over time, your brain will begin to get it, and you will become less nervous.
