1 . Talking to your children about the misinformation they may find online is a great idea. Children don’t always have the judgment or critical thinking skills to test what they read or watch, but they’ll develop these abilities quickly if you help them figure out how to separate fact from fiction. We’re here to help you do just that!

Don’t wait for your kids to approach you with questions——instead, take a few minutes to sit down with them. Let them know that there’s a lot of content out there on the Internet, and not all o£ it is true. With everything going on in the world, remind your kids that they might be seeing a lot of confusing, false information going around on social media and other parts of the web.

It’s a good idea to turn news reports and TV shows into teachable moments. Look for small opportunities to start helpful conversations about misinformation with your kids. Take a TV show or newspaper article and transform it into a helpful, easy way to understand what misinformation is₉ and how to avoid it.

Misinformation can be really upsetting and stressful for your kids to think about. Let them know that you’re always available to listen and answer their questions if they’re feeling confused. Reassure your kids that there are no stupid questions, and that you’re always willing to explain something for them.

Teach your kids a few tricks to fact-check misinformation online. Remind your kids to be on the lookout for strange-looking website like those ending with co. Tell them to read through the headline. If it has a lot of mistakes, or if it’s written in all capital letters, there’s a good chance that it might be misinformation. Additionally, introduce your kids to official websites, which are quick and easy ways to fact-check information.

5 . Despite the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines (疫苗), so many people died in the second year of the pandemic in the US that the nation’s life expectancy dropped for a second year in a row last year, according to a new analysis.

The analysis of government statistics found US life expectancy fell by just under half a year in 2021, adding to a dramatic drop in life expectancy that occurred in 2020. Dr. Steven Woolf, a professor of population health and health expert at Virginia Commonwealth University, who helped conduct the analysis, said many of the deaths occurred in people in the prime of their lives. And Woolf added that it drove the overall US life expectancy to fall to 76.6 years—the lowest in at least 25 years.

“Shame on the US,” said Noreen Goldman, a professor at Princeton University. The 2021 drop came after US life expectancy fell in 2020, dropping by almost two years. It’s unclear why this happened, but Woolf and others thought it may be due in part to some Americans more likely to live in states with fewer restrictions, so they let down their guard more, while often refusing to get vaccinated.

“The deaths that occurred in 2021 were a product not only of a lack of COVID-19 vaccines, which was a factor, but also being in places that didn’t observe policies like masking and social distancing that prevented spread of the virus, which was the main reason,” Woolf said.

The 2021 drop also widened the gap in life expectancy between the US and other countries, the analysis found. That was due primarily to lower vaccination rates in the US, researchers said. The researchers also said a big part of that was fewer restrictions and more vaccine hesitation in the US, which resulted in lower vaccination rates and a much higher death number. The other health problems like heart attack and overweight also played a role, they said.

“We spent a fortune on medical care and we’re a high-income country. Our government should be able to do far better,” Goldman said.

6 . The garment (服装) industry is one of the largest carbon polluters on planet Earth, and one of the greatest producers of waste. Three out of five of the 100 billion garments made in 2018 ended up in landfill within a year. Toxic chemicals land in the environment and worker communities, and the production of cotton uses up vast amounts of water.

The business model of fast fashion has led to an enormous increase in the amounts of clothes that are produced, sold, and thrown. According to McKinsey, clothing production doubled from 2000 to 2014, and the average consumer buys 60% more garments each year. At the same time, these clothes are kept only half as long as they were a mere fifteen years ago.

About 100 billion items of clothing are produced each year; that’s nearly 14 items for every human being on the planet. Some of those never even reach the consumers; it caused a minor anger when in 2018 a luxury brand admitted to burning clothes just to protect the brand.

Yet, with clothes being so cheap, people do not wear at least 50 percent of their wardrobes, according to this study. The clothing and footwear industries together account for more than 8 percent of global climate influence, greater than all international airline flights and oceanic shipping trips combined. Water usage for growing cotton has led to huge lack of water, and coloring and treatment of garments make up 17%—20% of all industrial water pollution.

An industry that makes billions on the use of the planet does not suddenly become more sustainable (可持续的) when they start using organic cotton, or start burning their unsold goods (remember—people worked really hard for very little money on those clothes!) as a green fuel…

7 . Children’s books for those under age five often embrace science. Well before they enter their first classroom, children eagerly explore their environment in search of answers to an endless stream of why and how questions.

Roughly 1,100 books begin with “How do...”. Of those, approximately one tenth are about engineering and science (e.g. How Do Airplanes Fly? and How Do Animals Move?). In that tenth, the vast majority (well over 90%) are children’s books.

Children seem to be more interested in the hows and whys of the world than adults. A burst of research in the last decade confirms the apparent pattern in book titles. From three to six years of age, children ask many how and why questions, but then those questions decrease quickly during the elementary school years and beyond.

Most children’s spontaneous (自发的) love of science fades by adulthood. Is it a problem with science itself? Despite some claims to that, the real cause is a decline in wonder. Wonder is the engine that drives exploration and discovery, and when it disappears, a strong feeling of love for the workings of the world melts away.

Every child wants to know how the world works. We are all born with wonder — with curious minds, fascinated by the world around us. Young children and even infants are naturally engaging in intuitive science every day, often with complex methods.

This loss of wonder is not because we suddenly understand everything — we don’t — but because distrust, disengagement, and denial can become embedded into many aspects of our lives. Besides, the consequences (影响) of this loss of wonder are profound. Because loss of wonder can lead to especially poor understandings of underlying mechanisms, we become vulnerable to misinformation and manipulation (操纵) by others. Even worse, abandonment of wonder will take away the rewarding joy of discovery from us.

This loss of wonder, however, is not inevitable. We can all take simple action to reawaken that initial spark and live lives lit by wonder.

10 . How to Convince Your Parents to Give You More Freedom

As you grow up, it can happen that you want more time to go out with friends or more computer time, but your parents are concerned about you. In this case, how can you gain more freedom from your parents?     1     Here are some tips to help you make it.

Follow your parents' rules and instructions without complaint.     2    You are also sup- posed to take care of your chores, such as cleaning your room or finishing your homework in time without being asked. It will remind them how responsibly you've been acting and show them your self-control.

    3    Let them know what's on your mind and what's going on in your life. They'll be more likely to consider your requests if they understand your point of view. Ask them for advice regarding school, friends, or anything else you have going on. They will appreciate that you value their opinions.

Avoid dangerous behaviors and wrong companions. It will be much harder for your parents to give you more freedom if you're drinking, partying a lot, or hanging out with the wrong crowds.     4    Your parents can see how reliable they are. Always ask for permission before hanging out or staying out late. Your parents will feel relieved to know where you are and what you are doing.

Remain calm and accept their decision. Explain to them exactly why you think you can handle this particular freedom. If they say no, respect that choice. Becoming angry will only prove to them that you are not yet mature enough to handle additional freedom. Continue your good behavior instead. They might eventually recognize that you have grown up.     5