The more hours young children spend in child care, the more likely they are to turn out aggressive and disobedient by the time they are in kindergarten, according to the largest study of child care and development ever conducted. Researchers said this correlation(相关性) held true regardless of whether the children came from rich or poor homes, were looked after by a relative or at a center, and whether they were girls or boys.

    What is uncertain, however, is whether the child care actually causes the problem or whether children likely to turn out aggressive happen to be those who spend more hours in child care. It also remains unclear whether reducing the amount of time in child care will reduce the risk that a child will turn into a mean person. What's more, quality child care is associated with increased skills in intellectual ability such as language and memory, leading some academics to suggest that child care turns out children who are "smart and naughty".

    The government-sponsored research, which has tracked more than 1,300 children at 10 sites across the country since 1991, is bound to cause the debate over child care again: How should people balance work and family? And how should parents, especially mothers, resolve the demands that are placed on them to be both breadwinners and supermoms?

    That debate was already on display at a new briefing yesterday, where researchers themselves had different opinions about the data and its implications（含义）. "There is a constant relationship between time in care and problem behavior, especially those involving aggression and behavior," said Jay Belsky of Birkbeck College in London, one of the lead investigators of the study who has previously annoyed women's groups because of his criticisms of child care. "On behalf of fathers or mothers?" interrupted Sarah Friedman, a developmental psychologist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and one of the other lead scientists on the study. "On behalf of parents and families," responded Belsky.

    "NICHD is not willing to get into policy recommendations," said Friedman, contradicting her colleague. "There are other possibilities that can be entertained. Yes it is a quick solution—more hours in child care is associated with more problems. The easy solution is to cut the number of hours but that may have implications for the family that may not be beneficial for the development of the children in terms of economics." In an interview after the briefing, Friedman said that asking parents to work fewer hours and spend more time with their children usually meant a loss of family income, which adversely（不利地）affects children.

    Scientists said that the study was highly reliable. But the researchers said they had no whether the behavioral difficulties persisted as the children moved to higher grades.

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    Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

    Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't?

    To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines（学科）.Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

    On the whole, Brooks's story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks's attempt to translate his tale into science.

    I was wandering around the Albuquerque International Support airport. My flight had been delayed and I heard an announcement: “If anyone near Gate A-4 understands Arabic（阿拉伯语）, please come to the gate immediately.” Gate A-4 was my own gate. I went there.

    An older woman was crumpled（蜷缩成一团的）on the floor, crying loud. In her traditional Palestinian dress, she reminded me of my grandmother.

    “Talk to her,” urged the flight agent. “We told her the flight was going to be late, and she did this.”

    I bent over to put my arm around the woman and spoke uncertainly. “Shu-dow-a, shu-bid-uck, habibti? Stanischway, min fadlick, shu-bit-se-wee?” She stopped crying. She thought the flight had been called off. She needed to be in El Paso for a medical treatment the next day. I said, “You'll get there, just late. Who is picking you up? Let's call him.”

    We called her son. In English, I told him that I would stay with his mother until we got on the plane. She talked with him. Then we called her other sons just for fun. Then we called my dad and they spoke for a while in Arabic and found out that they had several shared friends. After that, I called some Palestinian poets I knew and let them chat with her.

She was, laughing a lot but then, patting my knee and answering questions. She pulled a bag of homemade cookies filled with dates and nuts and topped with sugar from her bag and offered them to the people at the gate. To my amazement, no one declined. It was like a sacrament（圣餐）. The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the lovely woman from Laredo— We were all smiling, covered with the same sugar.

    I looked around the gate and thought. This is the world I want to live in, one with no anxiety. This can still happen anywhere, I thought. Not everything is lost.

    Ever since it was created 30 years ago, The Simpsons, the longest running prime-time (黄金时段) TV show in the country, has become part of US life. So when TV critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked the 100 greatest comedies and dramas broadcast in the US, it came as no surprise that The Simpsons was their top choice.

    This was the show that changed the very concept (概念) of cartoons in Western society. Before it appeared, cartoons were considered a way to learn and have fun, not serious adult entertainment. The Simpsons changed this. The genius (过人之处) of the show is that it has something to offer both adults and children.

    It's a hugely entertaining program that's also full of satire (讽刺) and clever humor. A remark by Chitra Ramaswamy in The Guardian gave a sense of the esteem (敬重) in which The Simpsons is held: “Nothing before or since has matched its capacity to be at once so profoundly (深刻地) clever and so unbelievably stupid.”

    The show's creator Matt Groening, and the brilliant team that work with him, make fun of the US government, social customs, and of course, the idea of family life. But unlike classic US prime-time TV characters, the Simpsons are a dysfunctional (功能失调的) family.

    Bart, the boy, is always in trouble – both at home and at school. That may be in part because of his paternal (父亲的) example. Homer Simpson, perhaps the most iconic character, is a beer-swilling (喝着啤酒的), overweight slob (懒汉) who is normally found in front of the TV. And Marge, Homer's wife and the mother of the family, spends most of her time cooking, cleaning or trying to fix the messes that Bart and Homer make.

    The smartest member of the family is daughter Lisa, who excels (表现卓越) at school but is no goody-goody (讨好卖乖的人): Lisa never misses an opportunity to challenge authority. The youngest member of the family is baby Maggie, who will likely be as much a trouble as her brother and sister when she grows up – if she ever grows up, that is.

    But although the Simpsons are a problem family, viewers are always on their side. One of the reasons the show has remained so popular all these years is that the characters are so likeable. Millions of us identify with (同情) them. They are a working class family struggling to make ends meet. They aren't perfect, but then, who is? And after 30 years, this is still what strikes a chord (引起共鸣) with millions of viewers worldwide.

    For many families, a night at the ballpark is a treat. But it can be a terrible experience for those with autistic(自闭症的)children, who are sensitive to light and noise and usually become upset and scared.

    For these families, fear of how their child will react to new situations­and how others will react to them-keeps them from gaining everyday experiences others get to have.

    Dr. Wendy Ross was heartbroken to see that. The pediatrician(儿科医生)in Philadelphia also knew that separation from the community didn't serve her patients well in the long run.

    "If kids are not in the community, building their skills from very young ages, then there's no reason to expect them to be independent one day," Ross said. "It's a social disability. It needs to be addressed in a social setting."

    So in 2007, Ross set out to do just that. Today, her nonprofit, Autism Inclusion Resources, helps families affected by autism deal with challenging social situations, such as sporting events, airport travel and museum visits.

    Many Major League Baseball teams hold annual 44autism awareness nights", when they take temporary measures such as lowering the volume (音量)on the public address system. But Ross wanted to do more. "You can't turn down the volume of the world," Ross said. "It's nice to do it for one night, but our goal is for families to be able to go to a game on any night."

    To that end, Ross partnered with the Philadelphia Phillies to develop a creative program.

    She armed all the Phillies players and game-day staff with knowledge about autism and how to interact with individuals who have the disorder. Each family is also provided a clinician at the game who gives additional support if problems arise. She also helps prepare the families for the event.

    Ross has also found her airport travel program to be successful for families. Using the same principles, she trains airline and security staff at major airports and then guides families through the travel experience, including checking in, going through security and boarding a plane.

    Ross hopes that the tools she gives families can help them explore other settings on their own. "We really see it as a stepping stone to a brighter future," she said.

In May 2019, a friend who had previously been involved in the Restless Development Sierra Leone Business Brains project encouraged me to apply for the "Saving Lives II" project. Seeing this as an opportunity to move closer to my ambition of working in the medical field in the near future, I eagerly seized the chance. Fortunately, my performance during the interview led to me being awarded the role. 

Following the basic training, I was sent to volunteer in Kurubonla, a remote community located in the northern region of Sierra Leone. This assignment presented challenges such as limited road access and communication networks. At first, I felt concerned about being sent there, but with a determined mindset, I set out on the journey, driven by a passion to contribute to my country's development and to push my personal boundaries. 

As I got to know the community, I quickly realized that the challenges extended beyond language barriers and cultural differences; there was also a sense of isolation from my peers. However, I refused to allow these challenges to stop me. I threw myself in my duties, working together with local leaders and community members to identify the most pressing needs. Together, we carried out the projects aimed at improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure (基础设施). Additionally, I organized workshops and training courses to share my knowledge and skills with the locals. 

Over time, I witnessed the positive impact of our collective efforts. Healthcare facilities improved, the number of students in schools increased, and the overall quality of life in the community showed signs of improvement. These achievements were not solely mine; they were a testament to the cooperative spirit and commitment of the entire community.