【推荐1】A few years ago I went shopping with a friend for a now motorcycle. He didn’t have a particular make or model in mind. His only two critteria? A big engine—since too much horsepower is never enough—and since he’s tall, a relativety relaxed riding position.

I suggested a Hayabusa, which met his criteria. Or an XS-14R. Both were within his budget, especially the Hayabusa since the dealer was offering a $2.500 discount on a previous year’s model.

He rode them both and loved them both.

Then he became very interested in a ZX-6R KRT. Great motorcycle, sure. But a much smaller motor. And a riding position that made him look like a contorted mantis(变形的螳螂). It seemed like an odd choice.

Until it hit me. The purchase of any motorcycle 750cc and under came with a free helmet.

Since my friend also wanted a new helmet, getting one for free was extremely appealing.

After all the math didn’t work. We eventually negotiated $3,200 off the price of the Hayabusa. The free helmet was only worth $250.

A 2017 study published in Marketing Science found that people tend to significantly overvalue “free”. When faced with a choice of selecting one of several available products, people will choose the option with the highest cost-benefit difference, however, decisions about free (zero-price) products differ, in that people do not simply take away costs from benefits but instead consider the benefits associated with free products as

Two months later my fiend traded in his 6R for a 14R. But don’t think badly of him. We’ve all been blinded by the power of “free”.

So whenever something is free, stop and consider the intent, and see “free” as a reason to do even more math.

【推荐3】Edward O. Wilson, known as “ant man”, was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was moved frequently throughout his childhood. Wilson grew up exploring the forests and wildlife. One of these adventures left him partly blind, but they also set off his lifelong fascination with ants and their social structures.

Wilson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama. In 1955, he received his Ph. D. from Harvard and worked there until retirement.

Wilson’s early study of ants led to his first major discovery in 1959: how ants communicate through the release of chemical signals. Later, in 1990, Wilson and German biologist Bert Holldobler published their Pulitzer-winning The Ants. It detailed the insects’ social structure that was both valued by scholars and accessible to general readers.

Another of Wilson’s major works started in the early 1960s when he teamed up with Robert MacAr-thur. The pair published The Theory of Island Biogeography, where they sought to explain why different places have different numbers of species.

What many consider to be Wilson’s most important contributions to evolutionary biology came in 1975 when he published Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. The work explored the genetic roots of animal behavior and argued that genes shaped human behavior. Wilson faced accusations for these ideas but his work finally largely proved true. In 1978, his ideas on the role biology plays in human culture peaked in On Hu-man Nature, which won him a Pulitzer (普利策奖) in 1979.

Wilson published more than 400 scientific papers and 20 books. These achievements offered him a type of superstar status, but friends and colleagues say the polite Southerner remained down to earth. “Professor Wilson really listened and engaged with whomever he was interacting with,” said Corrie S. Moreau, who was one of Wilson’s final advisees.

【推荐1】I can’t miss the little old lady with her kerchief (方头巾) on her head, a black umbrella blowing all over. I can tell she is freezing. She is standing at a bus stop, and I’m driving by, late for my early morning shift. I decide to stop and offer her a ride.

Of course, she declines, but when I ask again and insist, finally, she gets in the car. I take her to her destination, and by the time she gets out of my car, she is smiling and thanks me.

I was late for work that day, but I was so glad that I stopped. That was 40 years ago, and the beginning of a new habit, one that continues when I’m out driving in bad weather.

If there’s someone at a bus stop, especially if it’s an elderly person waiting at off hours and in bad weather, I will pull over and ask whether they need a ride.

Once, a young doctor jumped in. She had finished a long shift and had been waiting and waiting at the bus stop. She had no hesitation and, for the first time, I was able to help someone who performs miracles (奇迹) on a daily basis. That felt good.

But the best part of my ride offers is the conversation. I do tend to ask a lot of questions: where are you from, where are you going, family, background, pets and whatever else comes to mind. Surprisingly, everyone wants to chat. We are usually laughing by the time the ride is over. “What a shame!” I often think when they hop out, as the stories were just getting started.

Now as retirement approaches, I believe I have found my calling. I will be happy to join a community driving program to take people to one appointment or another – or perhaps just to the coffee shop to sit and listen for an hour.

As the years pass, perhaps I will be the one standing at the bus stop. Perhaps there will be somebody who rolls down a window and offers me a seat for a little ride. I will continue to take that leap of faith in the kindness of strangers.

【推荐3】Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes (糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin (胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if those weren’t bad enough, he had no health insurance.

After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he’d better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job to wait tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones — a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.

Jason Swencki’s son Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children’s forums together most evenings. “Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over the world,” says Swencki, one of the site’s volunteers. “They know what he’s going through, so he doesn’t feel alone.”

Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.

These days, Thomas’ main focus is his charity, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people — 225 to date — who can’t afford a diabetic’s huge expenses. Fight It has raised about $23,000 — in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.

Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full­time job to wait tables.“Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure,” says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar’s original members. “But Christopher is the only person I know to say people need help now.”