A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or knock us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else' or ourselves—the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too shy to admit it, though. In fact, more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This "self-talk" helps us encourage ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying "Good job!"!

    Often, words come out of our mouths without thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner Or harsh (刻薄的)and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words have power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.

    Words have power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and encourage others to do their best Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

    Movie Nights at the Museum brings you classic movies in a classic location. Each film has been chosen for its connection to an area of our knowledge.

We start this movie season with ocean-inspired cinema to celebrate the arrival of the noble blue whale in the Museum's typical hall, the site for the series.

    So get your popcorn, take your seat, and settle in for Movie Nights at the Museum.

Jaws

    Did you know that great whites actually find the taste of human flesh not tasty? However, this legendary Steven Spielberg thriller sees a giant great white shark cause destruction on the shores of a New England beach town in the mid-1970s.

Free Willy

    Did you know that the killer whale is not a whale? It's actually a dolphin. In this heart-warming 90s classic, orphan Jesse makes friends with a trapped killer whale and does whatever it takes to return him to his family and ocean home.

Finding Nemo

    Contrary to popular belief, fish are actually good at remembering things. Follow young clownfish Nemo, taken unexpectedly from his Great Barrier Reef home, and his father and forgetful partner who go on a brave journey to find him, in this charming Disney adventure.

The Little Mermaid

    In this classic Disney tale of a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human, Ariel falls in love with a handsome prince, much to the sadness of her father and long-suffering friends. But did you know that a fish is actually brown and flat, with both eyes on one side of its body?

Ticket: £ 28, Member: £ 25.

    Ownership used to be about as straightforward as writing a cheque. If you bought something, you owned it. If it broke, you fixed it. If you no longer wanted it, you sold it or threw it away. In the digital age, however, ownership has become more slippery. Since the coming of smartphones, consumers have been forced to accept that they do not control the software in their devices; they are only licensed to use it. As a digital chain is wrapped ever more tightly around more devices, such as cars and thermostats, who owns and who controls which objects is becoming a problem. Buyers should be aware that some of their most basic property rights are under threat.

    The trend is not always harmful. Manufacturers seeking to restrict what owners do with increasingly complex technology have good reasons to protect their copyright, ensure that their machines do not break down, support environmental standards and prevent hacking. Sometimes companies use their control over a product's software for the owners' benefit. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida this month, Tesla remotely updated the software controlling the batteries of some models to give owners more range to escape the storm.

    But the more digital strings are attached to goods, the more the balance of control leans towards producers and away from owners. That can be inconvenient. Picking a car is hard enough, but harder still if you have to dig up the instructions that tell you how use is limited and what data you must give. If the products are intentionally designed not to last long, it can also be expensive. Already, items from smartphones to washing machines have become extremely hard to fix, meaning that they are thrown away instead of being repaired.

    Privacy is also at risk. Users become terrified when iRobot, a robotic vacuum cleaner, not only cleans the floor but also creates a digital map of the inside of a home that can then be sold to advertisers (though the manufacturer says it has no intention of doing so). Cases like this should remind people how jealously they ought to protect their property rights and control who uses the data that is collected.

    Ownership is not about to go away, but its meaning is changing. This requires careful inspection. Devices, by and large, are sold on the basis that they enable people to do what they want. To the extent they are controlled by somebody else, that freedom is compromised.

    I'd like to share a little story with you about something that happened when I was four. I remember it clearly. Our loving family dog was nearing the end of his life. My father picked him up and put him in a little bed we had made for him. Our dog, my companion, whom we had cared for, bit my father when he attempted to help him. How could he? Why? I couldn't understand it. I didn't like him anymore.

    I hadn't thought about that story for a long time but something that happened last week brought it back to me. I went to speak with a friend. When I knocked on the door, I met in an instant an angry look and a few harsh(尖刻的)words. When the door was slammed(砰地关上)in my face, I stood there shocked, and in a rush, I was reminded of my dog bit my father 20 years ago or so. What brought that story back was that same feeling of betrayal.

    Both stories taught me something the next day. You see, when I got up in the morning and was told my dog had died, it became clear to me that he must have been in great pain. For him to have bitten a family member, he could not have been himself. Much the same for the other story when I learned that my friend's wife had just left him.

    We are all beings of our environments, our opinions and feelings. And all of those things can cause you to say and do things that can't be understood by those who are not in the same situation with you.

    If you meet someone either behaving out of character or acting in a way that doesn't seem to fit the situation, put out your hand and be patient when you think it is least possible for him to do so. You may turn around a story that has a sad ending simply by your actions.

    The movie season is getting started. Here are some good ones you cannot miss!

    Coco (2017)

    Despite his family's confusing long-held ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the astonishing and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

    Nominated for two Golden Globes, USA 2018: Best Original Song (for song Remember Me)—Motion Picture; Best Motion Picture—animated.

    The Disaster Artist (2017)

    When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.

    Nominated for two Golden Globes, USA 2018: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—musical or Comedy; Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy.

    Wonder (2017)

    Unlike other three recommended movies, Wonder is based on a New York Time' bestseller, which tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. Along the way, it is his family struggle and supports that help him earn others' compassion and acceptance.

    Nominated for three Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2018: Best Young Actor /Actress; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Hair & Makeup.

    Ferdinand (2017)

    Ferdinand is a giant bull with a big heart. He is mistaken for a dangerous beast and is captured and driven away from his home and family. Determined to return to his family, he unites a seemingly-impossible team for an extraordinary adventure. Set in Spain, Ferdinand proves you can't judge a bull by its cover.

    Nominated for two Golden Globes, USA 2018: Best Motion Picture—animated; Best Original Song (For song Home)—Motion Picture.

    Most of us have looked up at the stars that fill the night sky and wondered whether we're alone in the universe. Indeed, the question of whether there's life out there has been something humankind's been asking itself for countless years. But thanks to China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the answer to this question may come a lot sooner than we expected.

    The telescope has a huge round reflector, which measures 500 meters across and has a perimeter(周长)of 1.6 kilometers. Because of its great size, it would have been both difficult and inefficient to get FAST to move like a regular telescope. Instead, FAST's designers came up with a great solution: its surface is made up of 4450 panels which can be individually adjusted. This clever design feature allows scientists to detect radio signals from any angle with a great degree of accuracy. "Panels can change their positions through connected wires and parallel (关联的) robots. We can control their position with an accuracy of 1mm," Zheng Yuanpeng, chief engineer of the telescope's panel project, told Xinhua News Agency.

    FAST's engineers also had the task of finding a suitable location. As any interference would affect its ability to detect distant radio waves, it needed to be built in a remote area. Luckily, the perfect spot was found in the beautiful mountains of Guizhou Province. "There are three hills about 500 meters away from one another, creating a valley that is perfect to support the telescope," Sun Caihong, chief engineer of FAST's construction, told Xinhua.

    And although it wasn't yet fully operated, FAST had already made great discoveries by October 2017. Since 1967, only around 2000 pulsars (脉冲星) have been discovered, yet FAST had detected six more by October 2017. Once FAST is fully up and running, we may finally have the answer to one of the biggest questions in history.