In 1905, as part of his Special Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein published the point that a large amount of energy could be released from a small amount of matter. This was expressed by equation E = me 2(energy = mass times the speed of light squared). But bombs were not what Einstein had in mind when he published this equation.

    In 1929, he publicly declared that if a war broke out he would “refused to do war service, direct or indirect…” His position would change in 1933, as the result of Adolf Hitler's coming into power in Germany.

    Einstein's greatest role in the invention of the atomic bomb was signing a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt urging that the bomb be built because some physicists feared that Germany might be working on an atomic bomb. Among those concerned were physicists Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner. But Szilard and Wigner had no influence with those in power. So in July 1939 they explained the problem to someone who did: Albert Einstein. After talking with Einstein, in August 1939 Szilard wrote a letter to President Roosevelt with Einstein's signature on it, which was delivered to Roosevelt in October 1939.

    Germany has invaded Poland the previous month; the time was ripe for action. That October research of a-bomb began but proceeded slowly because the invention of the atomic bomb seemed distant and unlikely. In April 1940 an Einstein letter, ghost-written by Szilard, pressed the researchers on the need for “greater speed”.

    As the realization of nuclear weapons grew near, Einstein looked beyond the current war to future problems that such weapons could bring. He wrote to his friend about his fear about the future use of the a-bomb.

    The atomic bombings of Japan occurred three months after Germany gave in.

In November 1954, five months before his death, Einstein summarized his feelings about his role in the creation of the atomic bomb: “I made one great mistake in my life… when I signed a letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was some justification— the danger that the Germans would make them”.

    "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said 'yes' and it was announced again."

    It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana — she was still on cloud nine.

    "I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.

    Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete. "She's always been my role model. I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."

    One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."

    As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Shelley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.

    When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."

    We spend so much time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us, and searching for that special love. Unfortunately, that's not usually how life works. Loving yourself is mainly having self-respect, which is the only dependable way to create love in your own life, so you can share it with others. To be able to be loved, you must love and respect yourself as much as you do others. By doing so, you are enabling positive energy and allowing for great situation to occur in your life.

    Bringing joy to other people's lives will help you find joy in your own. In addition, those who you treat well will likely repay you with the same kindness. Gradually, you will start to feel your worth through the smiles of gratitude. However, don't just be very kind to people so you can receive royal treatment.

    Don't punish yourself for something you have done in the past. Instead, look at the mistake as a learning experience. Say to yourself now, “I forgive myself for..." Go to look in a mirror, and say it out loud to yourself. Look at yourself right in the eyes, and speak forgiveness like you mean it. If you do, laugh out loud, realizing that was then and this is now. Every day is a new beginning.

    We all want a nice house, nice things, and someone to share our life with. Find your true wants objectively. Are you eager for power, a religion, or simply a motive? Sometimes, it's easier to hide the truth from yourself, but figuring out what you really want will help you know yourself better. This will hopefully aid you in answering important questions you often ask yourself.

    Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write down good experiences, allow yourself to feel those feelings. When you remember bad experiences, allow yourself to feel self-compassion(自我同情). Compassion is not self-pity, but rather a willingness to accept one's own pain and regret. Compassion allows us to be present with our pain, so we can acknowledge it and let it go.

    When I was 12, all I wanted was a signet(图章)ring. They were the “in” thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday, my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it. I was in heaven.

    What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being “replaced”. We'd been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the “new” stuff(东 西)we got was rally just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring. My ring was new.

    Then, only one month later, I lost it. I took if off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually, I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later, we sold the house and moved away.

    Years passed, and a couple of moves later, I was visiting my parents' when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday, nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. “ You'll recognize this one.,” she said smiling.

    Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside. The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations, which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom, they found the ring. As it had my initials carved into it. They realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother. And it still fits me.

    What is the difference between developed and developing countries? The question is quite a difficult one. But we can compare them in two important aspects: people and economy.

    In developing countries there are high rates of both birth and death. Families decide to give birth to more than one child, because many developing countries do not have the systems necessary to guarantee(保证) the life of old people. Raising more children seems to be the only way to make sure that during their later years a person will be taken care of.

    The situation is completely different in fully-developed countries. Those countries have low levels of birth and mortality. Low mortality rate is mainly because of the good health care, but low birth rate is due to the fact that supporting a family with more children is expensive nowadays. Another reason is that more and more women decide to work outside, so there is usually no time and place for a large group of children in their lives.

    In developed countries, most industries have high levels of technological progress, while in developing countries most GDP comes from agriculture. It is mainly due to the fact that services and many branches of industry are in the stage of development. But they have the potential to develop quickly, because they have many things to improve.

    Of course, the difference between developed and developing countries is not that clear, because some countries might be in the middle of great changes. When a country is in that stage, some data can define the country as a developing one, but others may show that it is a developed one.

    The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, uneasiness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; thus efforts may be made to fill every gap(间隙) with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person's needs.

    Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what may be implied(暗示) is that the person wants the listener to think about what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for thinking.

    Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with disagreements among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions (指示，命令) are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.

    Nurses and other care-givers need to notice the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal worries their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient's silence is not disturbed too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing(治愈) value of silence can use this understanding to help in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.