1 . When making choices, people assume that they pick what they like. However, research suggests that we like something strictly because we have chosen it. In other words, we dislike things we don’t choose. And this phenomenon has existed since we were babies.

In an experiment, US researchers brought several 10 to 20-month-old babies into a lab and gave them two same bright and colorful soft blocks to play with. They set each block far apart, so the babies had to crawl to one or the other—a random choice. After the baby chose one of the toys, the researchers took it away and came back with a new option. The babies could then pick either the toy they didn’t play with before, or a brand-new toy.

It turned out that the babies reliably chose to play with the new toy rather than the one they had not chosen.

In follow-up experiments, when researchers instead helped choose which toy the baby would play with, the phenomenon disappeared. “As if they were saying, ‘Hmm, I didn’t choose that object last time, because I guess I didn’t like it very much” said Lisa Feigenson, co-author of the study.

This is a very important phenomenon in life, Feigenson noted. Adults will less like the thing they didn’t choose, even if they had no real preference in the first place. It looks like babies do just the same.

It shows that the act of making choices changes how we feel about our options. The random choices might become our preferences. “They are really not choosing based on whether they are novel or what they prefer,” said Alex Silver, co-author of the study.

This new finding explains why adults build unconscious preference when they make choices between the same things. Justifying(证明有道理) choice is somehow fundamental to the human experience. “I chose this, so I must like it. I didn’t choose this other thing, so it cannot be so good. Adults make these inferences unconsciously,” Feigenson said.

Such tendency makes sense to us as we live in a consumer culture and must make so many choices every day, between everything from toothpaste brands to styles of jeans.

Next, researchers will look at whether too many choices could be a problem for babies as they certainly are for adults.

3 . Studies have shown most people fail to realise how much time they spend on their smartphones each day.

Frank and Amelia’s family were put to a test, using a free app called “Moment-Screen Time Tracker”. The Vascellaros—Frank, Amelia, 14-year-old twins Frankie and Joe, and 17-year-old Sam—all said they did not really know they were spending so much time on their phones each day.

“Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m on my phone a lot,” Amelia Vascellaro said. Amelia was on her phone far less often than Frank, according to the app. While Amelia spent about an hour per day on the phone, Frank spent closer to four hours on his phone, which came as a shock to him. The children’s times varied but they often spent more than a couple of hours on the phone as well.

Minneapolis-based Dr. Kirsten Lind Seal sees phone usage come up lot among families. Lind Seal said many family members’ phone use has become problematic.

“If we hear more than once, ‘Do you have to be on your phone right now? Can you please put your phone down? Did you hear what I said?’ it may be a sign that it is negatively influencing our family relationships and our daily lives,” she said.

Lind Seal said actually paying attention to how much time one spends on the phone is a good first step in deciding when to put it down.

She asks parents to encourage more face-to-face communication for teens and young adults as they continue developing their social and emotional skills. “What we find is that we are really losing out on empathy—the ability to understand other people’s feelings and problems—when we spend a lot of time on our smartphones to communicate with other people,” she said.

6 . The law says women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them. The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men. They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won’t consider. And they lose because they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children. All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government’s women’s unit. The biggest problem isn’t equal pay in workplaces such as factories. It is the sort of work women do.

Make a list of low-paid-jobs, then consider who does them. Try nurses, secretaries, cleaners, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies and child- care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there? Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start. So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer- because they are women. This is not going to be put right overnight. But the government, which employs a lot of them, and other bosses have to make a start.

It is disgraceful that we have gone into the 21st century still treating women like second-class citizens.

I'm written to tell you about the discussion we've had about that entrance fees should be charged for parks. There are two different opinions about a question.

60% of the students were against the idea of entrance fees. They believe a public park should be freely. People need a place to rest and enjoy them. Charging entrance fees will keep some people away. And it will become unnecessary build gates and walls, which will be harmful to the appearance of a city.

However, 40% of the students think that fees should be charged because of money is needed to pay gardeners and other worker and to buy plants and young trees. They suggest, therefore, fees shouldn't be charged too high.

Yours,

Tom

9 . The analysis in The Lancet looks at obesity (肥胖) trend in over 200 countries. In the UK, one in every 10 young people aged 5 to 19, is obese. Obese children are likely to become obese adults, posting them at risk of serious health problems, say experts. Researchers believe wide availability of cheap, fattening food is one of the main drivers.

Although child obesity rates appear to be stable in many high-income European countries, including the UK, they are increasing at an alarming rate in many other parts of the world. The largest increase in the number of obese children has been in East Asia. China and India have seen rates “balloon” in recent years. Polynesia and Micronesia have the highest rate of all — around half of the young population in these countries is overweight or obese.

The researchers say that if current world trends continue, “obese” will soon be more common than “underweight”. “We have not become more weak-willed, lazy or greedy. The reality is that the world around us is changing. ”

Dr Fiona Bull from the World Health Organization suggested tough measures to prevent “calorie-rich, nutrient-poor food” and encourage more physical activity. “But so far, just over 20 countries around the world have introduced a tax on sugary drinks,” she said.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist (营养学家) at Public Health England, said, “Our sugar reduction programme and the government’s sugar tax are world-leading, but this is just the I beginning of a long journey to meet the challenge of a generation. The evidence is clear that just telling people what to do won't work. While education and information are important, deeper actions are needed to help us lower calorie consumption and achieve healthier diets.”

10 . A books-for-food program in Guatemala is helping feed needy children as hunger rates rise during the pandemic(疫情). It is run by a local nonprofit organization that aims to feed nearly 400 children.

The program is simple. People choose a book they want from a list of donated titles, and in return give bags of Incaparina, a high-protein drink mix. Bonifaz Diaz works for the program. By bringing the books-for-food program directly to people's homes, Diaz makes sure donations keep flowing. He has traveled more than 2,000 kilometers on his bicycle, delivered loads of books and carried back thousands of kilograms of Incaparina for the nonprofit group 32 Volcanoes. Diaz sometimes pulls a small cart that helps him carry up to 57 kilograms of product. He has traveled as far as 60 kilometers for a delivery to a town in the Western Highlands, where road conditions are poor.

Nearly a year into the books-for-food program, two more cyclists have joined Diaz and donations keep flowing in. Ana Castillo is a 29-year-old high school teacher who recently received the sociology book from Diaz. She donates to the program often. The 1.8 kilograms of Incaparina she provided will help one family eat for a month.

Castillo looks forward to choosing her books from the titles Diaz posts on social media. She also loves the feeling of a "growing circle" of giving and receiving. "You might not get to those places, but your help can. "she says.

Diaz says he plans to continue cycling against hunger as long as the need exists. He has faced his own economic difficulties since the theater company he co-founded closed last spring. But the program has kept him active. "It's an opportunity to serve in which we all benefit. "Diaz said.