Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone,not in features but in footsteps.As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable.You begin to realize that your boy,in your footsteps,could probably accomplish what you hoped for.But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.

    My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten.Science projects waited until the last moment.Book reports weren't written until the final threat.

    I've been a newspaperman all my adult life.My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master's degree in English.But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生).They're called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.

    When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”,I was shocked.“Hey,he's a good kid,” I wanted to say.“And smart,really.”

    I learned later that motorheads are,indeed,different.They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don't often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).

    But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education.We who labor in clean shirts in offices don't have the abilities that motorheads have.I began to learn this when I had my car crashed.The cost to repair it was estimated at $800.“Hey,I can fix it,” said Jody.I doubted it ,but let him go ahead,for I had nothing to lose.

    My son ,with other motorheads,fixed the car.They got parts(零件）from a junkyard,non-toasting toaster have been fixed.Neighbours and co-workers trust their car repair to him.

    Since that first repair job,a broken air-conditioner,a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed.Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.

    These kids are happiest when doing repairs.They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world.And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.

    I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers,engineers need mechanics,and architects need builders.Most important,I have learned that fathers don't need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.

    My son may never make the school honor roll.But he made mine.

    On a recent visit to the Museum of Modem Art with a friend and her daughter, wandering through the museum's exhibits, I was struck by how often my friend's 13-year-old daughter asked us to take photos of her with her smart phone in front of the artwork. Then, she gazed at the photos which she would then post on Instagram, Snapchat and all the rest. She was not the only person who was doing this; it seemed everyone was busy taking photos of themselves "experiencing" the museum.

    This is by no means a criticism of my friend's daughter or anyone else. What was concerning, at least to me, was that in between being photographed and posting, my friend's daughter had no interest in the artwork, a fact which didn't seem to matter or have anything to do with wanting to post herself as someone enjoying the experience.

    When I was her age, I had no interest in going to museums either. Having no interest in art at her age (and any age) is completely normal. But what is disturbing is how much of a young person's energy these days goes into creating an image of the life they're living and the character they "are" in that life. While creating a self-image has always been a big part of growing up and figuring out our identity, social media seems to have changed the rules of the game. Social media has not just increased the pressure and possibility of creating a self-generated(自我创造的) self-image, but also distorted(歪曲) the process through which we become who we are. Young people now seem to be creating an image of who they are in place of becoming who they are, posting their life rather than living it.

    Social media has turned life and its experiences into an exercise in narcissism(自恋，自我陶醉). No matter what the experience is actually about, it becomes about you, the person who is living it. A concert is not about the music, a restaurant not about the food and a sport event not about the sport; it's all about you, the doer, and what the event says about you. As a result the more we use life create an identity, the more distant from life we feel. Instead of being part of it, we feel as if we have to keep generating new life material.

    I hope the next time you post your story, pause for a moment and experience where you are, feel what it feels like to live what you're living without using life for your benefit, or for anything at all. Just live, without the narrative(叙述). While you may feel this practice is a threat to your identity, causing you to miss a chance to prove your value, in fact, the benefit will far outweigh any loss it brings.

    An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 68 inches tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds.

    "This law is another step in the war against eating disorders," said physician Adatto. "Underweight models," he explained, "can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny."

    But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. "I think it's an approach that isn't going to work." said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models.

    But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. "I realized that only legislation(立法) can change the situation. There was no time to waste; so many girls were dieting to death."

    However, the efforts to regulate models' weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health.

    Still, folks including Ice say there's no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. "Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder," she says. "It's a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal."

    One of the questions surrounding climate change is how it might affect the food supply for a growing global population. A new study suggests that researchers have been overlooking how two key human responses to climate—how much land people choose to farm, and the number of crops they plant—will affect food production in the future. The new study focused on the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, an emerging（新兴的）global breadbasket（产粮地区）that as of 2013 supplied 10 percent of the world's soybeans. The researchers used variations in temperature and precipitation（降水）across the state over an eight-year period to estimate the sensitivity of the region's agricultural production to climate change. Those historical comparisons can help in making predictions about the sensitivity of agriculture to future climate change.

    The study found that, if the patterns from 2002 to 2008 hold in the future, an increase in average temperature in Mato Grosso of just 1 degree will lead to a 9 to 13 percent reduction in overall production of soy and corn. “This is worrisome given that the temperature in the study region is predicted to rise by 2 degrees by 2050,” said Avery Cohn, who led the study.

    Most studies of this kind look only at the extent to which climate shocks affect crop output. But researchers can miss critical dynamics（动力）that can affect overall output, says Leah VanWey, one of the study's senior authors. “If you look at output alone, you're not looking at all of the information because there are economic and social changes going on as well,” said VanWey.

    If output decreases, farmers may put less land area into production because it's not profitable. Farmers may also vary the number of crops they plant in a growing season. Double cropping is common in Mato Grosso. But if the weather is bad, farmers may change their decision to plant a second crop.

    Why don't quiet carriages work, and how might they be make to? Quiet carriages on trains are a nice idea: travelers voluntarily make their phones silent, turn stereos off and keep chatter to a minimum. However, in reality, there is usually at least one silly babbler (喋喋不休的人) to break the silence.

    A couple of problems prevent peaceful trips. First, there is a sorting problem: some passengers end up in the quiet carriage by accident and are not aware of the rules. Second, there is a commitment problem: noise is sometimes made by travelers who choose the quiet carriage but find an important call hard to ignore.

    The train operators are trying to find answers. Trains in Queensland Australia, are having permanent signs added to show exactly what is expected; a British operator has invested in some technology to prevent phone calls.

    Microeconomics suggests another approach. Fining people for making a noise would surely dissuade (劝阻) the polluter and is a neat solution in theory, but it requires costly monitoring and enforcement. Another way would be to use prices to separate quiet and noisy passengers—in effect, creating a market for silence. A simple idea would be to sell access to the quiet carriage as an optional extra when the ticket is bought. Making the quiet coach both an active choice and a costly one would dissuade many of those who don't value a peaceful ride.

    Charging may also solve the commitment problem. This is particularly tricky, as attitudes to noise can change during the journey. Some passengers would pay the quiet premium but still chatter away when some vital news arrives. Schemes that reward the silent—a rating system among fellow passengers, for example—could help. The idea is that losing your hard-won reputation offsets the short-term gain from using the phone. But such a system also fails the simplicity test.

    A 2010 book by George Akerlof and Rachel Kranton argues that "norms"—feelings about how everyone should behave—also play a role in decision-making. Charging a price, even if just a token amount, means the quiet carriage becomes a service that fellow passengers have bought, not just a preference they have expressed. Perhaps different norms would come into play, encouraging calm. If not, a personal bubble is always an option: noise-canceling headphones start at around $50.

    The TED speaker series features "ideas worth spreading". With over 1,400 to choose from, we've selected a few that are perfect for students.

    ⒈Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

We humans may have an unfavorable habit of making excuses for ourselves or being too confident about ourselves. Accordingly, Larry Smith, a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, tells us why most of us will fail to have a great career. Luckily, as he puts it, there is a way out—follow your heart, as long as it is good for your career.

    ⒉Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes

Between dance team, volunteering and –oh, right—lectures, your life's crazy factor(因素)is about to go way up. In this entertaining and informative talk, Mindfulness, expert Andy Puddicombe teaches us how to be "more healthy, more mindful and less distracted" by taking just 10 minutes out of the day to be "more present".

    ⒊Shane Koyczan: To this day…for the bullied(欺凌)and beautiful

    This talk is sure to stay with you. Shane Koyczan's "To This Day" is an affecting spoken-word poem about bullying and being different that gained over 10 million views on YouTube. In this talk, Koyczan gives a live reading of the poem, along with some stories about his background.

    ⒋Susan Cain: The power of introverts(性格内向者)

    Does a cup of tea and a good book sound like a perfect Friday night? In this personal talk, Susan Cain argues that introverts have talents and abilities. Our culture may value being outgoing, but the world needs all kinds.