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Islands of Expertise: How to encourage children's interests
Kids know the darndest things! At least, they do when their parents foster their interests. This post will describe "Islands of Expertise," explain why you probably want your children to have them, and tell you how you can help.
This week she's all about dinosaurs, last week it was dolphins, and before that it was archery. Should I, as a parent, engage these interests? Or should I ignore them as fleeting fancies? Should I wait until she's older, when she's able to understand more?
The short answer is: Foster her interests now! Yes, interests do come and go, and some aspects are above her (and your!) level. But while present, the interest offers an opportunity for a child to build rich knowledge about a subject—to build an "Island of Expertise." And that has many benefits.
Islands of Expertise are the surprisingly sophisticated networks of knowledge young children can have around their interests. In contrast to the expertise seen in adults, which take ~10 years to develop, Islands of Expertise are simpler and can be developed with just two ingredients: a child with an interest, and an adult who attends to the interest often.
A hypothetical example: Preschooler Layla watches the movie Finding Nemo and develops a persistent interest in sea turtles. Her parents buy her a book about sea turtles, which she asks to read every night, and they take her to see sea turtles at the aquarium, where they also learn about why some sea animals are endangered. Since Layla is a sponge for information like most preschoolers, she quickly memorizes facts about sea turtles and starts to talk about them with her relatives and friends. Her parents, in the meantime, deepen her understanding by discussing sea turtles' habitats, how sea turtles differ from tortoises, etc. They also broaden Layla's knowledge by talking about sea migration and navigation, the seasons, and the history of animal conservation. Through all of these activities, Layla builds a rich network of knowledge centered around her interest, an Island of Expertise.
Building a network of knowledge around a subject is awesome for several reasons. First, it is simply impressive for a preschooler to have comprehensive knowledge about a topic. Second, because people talk more deeply about subjects when they have common knowledge, preschoolers with Islands of Expertise can have sophisticated discussions that would be unlikely otherwise. Whereas Layla and her parents can have a full discussion about sea turtles' diets and breathing capacities, their conversation about a passing car may simply note the car's color or how loud it is. Finally, Islands of Expertise lay groundwork for topics that children might learn later. For example, even when Layla's interest in sea turtles fades, a background for learning about biology, history, and ecology will have been established and will remain ready to be built upon in the future. Layla may never again need to name the seven species of sea turtles, but she may benefit from her familiarity with the sea turtle family when learning in biology class about animal taxonomies and evolution.
Not only is Interest Fostering valuable and actionable for parents, but it also relates to Leo's Pad. The storyline of each Leo's Pad appisode is built around a general learning theme we believe is important for preschoolers to internalize, and Interest Fostering is the theme for Leo's Pad Appisode 1: Gally's Birthday. Leo convinces Gally, "If you can dream it, you can do it!" and Leo and the learner give Gally a telescope to facilitate his stargazing, promising to help Gally reach for the stars.
A note about boys versus girls: Research has shown that at science museums (a prime location for interest cultivation), parents are more likely explain an exhibit's causal connections to young boys than to young girls. In the study that reported this, the disparity was despite the fact that boys and girls were equally interested in the exhibits, asked the same number of questions, and that parents gave both genders equal help in figuring out how to use the exhibits. Of course, the research does not imply that parents intended to explain more to their sons than daughters; they likely had no idea, and they almost certainly do not openly believe science is better suited for boys than girls. But it is still something to ponder.
Thanks for reading. And please enjoy these tips on how to build Islands of Expertise around children's interests.
HOW TO BUILD ISLANDS OF EXPERTISE
Start with a strong knowledge base
- Expose your child to a variety of activities related to her interest: museums, movies, books, etc. In all likelihood, she'll start memorizing information at an astounding rate.
- Connect current experiences to prior experiences with the topic. For example, if your child's interest is horses and you see a horse in a movie together, point out how it's similar to or different from the kind you rode at the ranch last week.
Broaden the network of knowledge
- Expose your child to neighboring topics. Talk about a bit of the history related to the topic, or how different cultures think about the topic, or the science behind it (e.g., the physics behind a flying football).
- Point out connections between the interest area and unrelated ideas. For example, if you see an armadillo on TV and your child's current obsession is knights, you can point out how the armadillo has armor just like a knight does.
- Note: Rather than just explaining these "broadening" topics, also ask questions to guide your child to think on his own. By doing so you can "scaffold" your child to draw connections between ideas.
Strengthen the network of knowledge
- Revisit often. By continuing to make connections over time between prior knowledge and new ideas, you help your child build a network that gets wider and deeper.
- It's OK if you are not an expert in the interest area! You don't need to provide full explanations for everything. "Expanatoids"—incomplete or fragmented explanations—are just fine when given at an authentic learning moment, like when you're looking at something together with your child. Since building an Island of Expertise is an ongoing endeavor, over time you and your child can connect the explanatoids into a full picture together.
- Engage your child in a satisfying conversation about the topic. You can even try to learn something about it yourself! And finally, enjoy knowing that even when the interest fades, the roots of the knowledge network will remain, supporting your child's learning efforts in the future.
(1) Crowley, K., & Jacobs, M. (2002). Building islands of expertise in everyday family activity. Learning Conversations in Museums, 333-356.
(2) Simon, H. A., & Chase, W G. (1973). Skill in chess. American Scientist, 61, 394-403.
(3) Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363.
(4) Crowley, K., Callanan, M. A., Tenenbaum, H. R., & Allen, E. (2001). Parents explain more often to boys than to girls during shared scientific thinking. Psychological Science, 12(3), 258-261.


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Optimal Provisioning of Resource in a Cloud Service
- Yee Ming Chen, Shin-Ying Tsai
- International Journal of Computer Science Issues ico_openaccess
- in 2010
- Cited Count
- Engineering > Computer Science
- Particle Swarm Optimization, Resource Allocation, Cloud service provider, IJCSI, Electronic computers. Computer science, QA75.5-76.95, Instruments and machines, QA71-90, Mathematics, QA1-939, Science, DOAJ:Computer Science, DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
Cloud service allows enterprise class and individual users to acquire computing resources from large scale data centers of service providers. This cloud service is more involved in purchasing and consuming manners between providers and users than others. However, Cloud service providers charge users for these services. Specifically, to access data from their globally distributed storage edge servers, providers charge users depending on the user's location and the amount of data transferred. User applications may incur large data retrieval and execution costs. Therefore, optimizing execution time, the cost arising from data transfers between resources as well as execution costs should be taken into account. In this paper, we present a discrete Particle Swarm Optimization (DPSO) approach for tasks allocation. We construct application Amazon EC2 as an example and simulation with Cloud based compute and transmission resources. Experimental studies illustrate that the proposed method is more efficient and surpasses those of mathematical programming and reflecting the actual benefit of saving with the total cost as well as tasks allocation.
If you register references through the customer center, the reference information will be registered as soon as possible.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Operation of the alula as an indicator of gear change in hoverflies.
Walker SM., Thomas ALR., Taylor GK.
The alula is a hinged flap found at the base of the wings of most brachyceran Diptera. The alula accounts for up to 10 per cent of the total wing area in hoverflies (Syrphidae), and its hinged arrangement allows the wings to be swept back over the thorax and abdomen at rest. The alula is actuated via the third axillary sclerite, which is a component of the wing hinge that is involved in wing retraction and control. The third axillary sclerite has also been implicated in the gear change mechanism of flies. This mechanism allows rapid switching between different modes of wing kinematics, by imposing or removing contact with a mechanical stop limiting movement of the wing during the lower half of the downstroke. The alula operates in two distinct states during flight-flipped or flat-and we hypothesize that its state indicates switching between different flight modes. We used high-speed digital video of free-flying hoverflies (Eristalis tenax and Eristalis pertinax) to investigate whether flipping of the alula was associated with changes in wing and body kinematics. We found that alula state was associated with different distributions of multiple wing kinematic parameters, including stroke amplitude, stroke deviation angle, downstroke angle of incidence and timing of supination. Changes in all of these parameters have previously been linked to gear change in flies. Symmetric flipping of the alulae was associated with changes in the symmetric linear acceleration of the body, while asymmetric flipping of the alulae was associated with asymmetric angular acceleration of the body. We conclude that the wings produce less aerodynamic force when the alula is flipped, largely as a result of the accompanying changes in wing kinematics. The alula changes state at mid-downstroke, which is the point at which the gear change mechanism is known to come into effect. This transition is accompanied by changes in the other wing kinematic parameters. We therefore find that the state of the alula is linked to the same parameters as are affected by the gear change mechanism. We conclude that the state of the alula does indeed indicate the operation of different flight modes in Eristalis, and infer that a likely mechanism for these changes in flight mode is the gear change mechanism.


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The Permit Process
A permit, when required, is a document, required by state law, granting legal permission to start construction. Permits are typically required for the following projects:
Step 1, The Permit Application Center
A visit or telephone call to the Permit Application Center will provide you with the resources and information necessary to make your project a success and to avoid potential problems which could cost you time and money. Be prepared to discuss your project with permit staff who will ask you questions such as "What are you planning to do?" and "Where are you planning to do it?" The permit staff will discuss the specific process for your project with you.
Step 2, Permit Application
A completed permit application is required prior to beginning the administrative process. You may pick up a permit application at the Permit Application Center or online. You'll be asked to document "who" will perform the work and "what," "where," and "how" the work will be completed. Drawings, plans or other documentation of the proposed work may be required. You may be asked to pay for all or part of your permit fee at the time of application.
Step 3, The Review Process
During the review process, county staff will determine if your project is in compliance with the building code, the zoning ordinance, and other county or state ordinances and statutes. Use the links above or check with the Permit Application Center for the requirements for your project type. The length of the review process will depend on the type and complexity of the project. Many small residential applications can be processed in one day. Posted plan review timeframes are kept online.
Step 4, Permit Approval
When compliance with the code, zoning ordinances and other applicable statutes are determined, the permit application is approved. Once all final permit fees are paid, the permit is issued.
However, if the permit application is not approved or a review has failed, your permit application as submitted will be denied. When a permit application is denied, you must make the necessary corrections and resubmit the application. Staff will post deficiencies online for your convenience.
Step 5, Construction
During the entire construction phase, the permit must be placed in a window or other prominent place at the project site and a copy of the county-approved building plan and related documents must be maintained at the site.
Step 6, Inspections
Each major phase of construction must be inspected by a county inspector to make certain the work conforms to the code, the permit and the approved plans.
If an inspector finds that work does not conform to the approved plans, the inspector will fail the inspection and provide comments. Another inspection will be necessary before work is resumed.
The Herrity Building
12055 Government Center Parkway, 3rd Floor
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
Telephone: _PHONE_, TTY 711, during business hours
Automated line: _PHONE_
Inspection requests online
Step 7, Field Changes
Most changes will require a review and approval in the same manner as the original application. Please bring any proposed revisions or alterations to the attention of the permit staff before making changes in the field.
Step 8, Project Completion
When the project is completed and code compliance is determined, the inspector issues a final inspection. The final inspection marks the completion of your project and grants permission to occupy a building with the knowledge that it has met the minimum safety standards as required by code.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Mental health awareness is the health and wellbeing big-ticket item on the agenda this year. Because of this, holistically addressing wellbeing will help to make lasting and sustainable mental health improvements.
Our data collection clearly shows that food affects mood and impacts on mental health. Mood improves by almost 20% when consuming improved nutrition in the workplace.
Work with us to reinforce your mental health awareness sessions and mental health first aid sessions by:
- Improve your catering provision
- Increase cognitive performance workshops
- Enhance mood workshops
The Healthy Employee supports and encourages workplaces and their caterers to adopt a 'whole workplace' approach to workplace nutrition. Therefore caterers are encouraged to provide a healthy eating environment and healthy food choices on their menus.
As more and more people are eating outside the home, caterers have an increasing influence on what people eat. Therefore, they play a key role in shaping the nations future health.
For employers promoting healthy eating means:
- Ensuring that all employees have access to a balanced range of food and drinks.
- Guaranteeing healthy food choices are available to staff at all times. For example, in workplace restaurants, vending machines and during staff meetings and training sessions.
- Raising awareness of how diet contributes to staff health and wellbeing and impacts mental health.


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There is a lot of talk about education right now and a lot of blame cast on the schools for not doing their job but I think it's important to consider what the job of a school is. Most people would quickly agree that the job of the school is to impart knowledge. I read a very interesting article that talked about the difference between knowledge, wisdom, and insight and I had a bit of an a-ha! moment… if the following is true:
Knowledge VS Wisdom VS Insight
Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and data that you have learned about or experienced. It's being aware of something, and having information. Knowledge is really about facts and ideas that we acquire through study, research, investigation, observation, or experience.
Wisdom is the ability to discern and judge which aspects of that knowledge are true, right, lasting, and applicable to your life. It's the ability to apply that knowledge to the greater scheme of life. It's also deeper; knowing the meaning or reason; about knowing why something is, and what it means to your life.
Insight is the deepest level of knowing and the most meaningful to your life. Insight is a deeper and clearer perception of life, of knowledge, of wisdom. It's grasping the underlying nature of knowledge, and the essence of wisdom. Insight is a truer understanding of your life and the bigger picture of how things intertwine.
Then the job of the school is to present the student with facts and information and help them develop some research and investigation skills. That's really all they are on the hook for. It's our job as parents to teach values and impart wisdom. The gamer in me is going to come out here for a second… In Dungeons and Dragons Intelligence (knowledge) and Wisdom are the two primary character statistics related to intellect. In application: a knowledgeable character knows a situation is dangerous and what type of danger is present. A wise character has a solid strategy based on experience to deal with that situation, and an insightful one knows how to either avoid it all together or benefit from the danger.
Anyways… I started thinking about parents I know and students I see where I work and it got me thinking about the fact that most parents rely on the school to teach everything and that simply isn't reasonable. Knowledge is simply not enough to ensure success in life. you have to have the wisdom to apply that knowledge for it to do any good. That can only come from experience and our job as parents is to provide that. I do a lot with my kids. We play games, work out, talk, read, and travel together. I also try to expose then to the arts through film, theater, and music… and you can see when talking to my kids they are very bright. They figure stuff out quickly… That's what it takes to be successful. and they do this because they have active involved parents.
My dad took me hunting and fishing. I spent time in the mountains, we sailed, played sports, and spent a lot of time talking… not him talking AT me but really talking TO me, and I think that is a big part of what made me successful. My parents owned my success and failure and viewed the school system as a tool… I'm not sure as a society we do that any more.
I have some BIG plans for my kids. Long backpacking trips, sailing around the world, volunteering, etc… BIG life events where you learn about yourself and where I can help them apply the knowledge they have gained to be not only wise, but wise, and god willing insightful.
Without slamming the public school system… I'm curious to hear what other people think about this and how they are helping to prepare their kids for life. I have not had time to fully develop my thought on this and am interested in the conversation so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.


text: When you get your electricity bill, the chances are high that you look at the total cost first. Most likely, you stop at that and don't bother examining the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) you've consumed. Maybe you don't even know what those numbers mean and what's the difference between a kW and a kWh. Well, you're not alone. Many people, including some who work in the energy industry, don't know what a kilowatt is (kW) is, more so how it differs from kilowatt-hours(kWh). Some think the two are the same. They're not. If you want to get a grasp of where your utility bases the amount you pay for your energy bills, this article might be of help.


Edit Article
Four Methods:Building on Your Current InterestsExamining Your ChildhoodExploring New Territory for IdeasExamining Your Budget
Hobbies let you explore interests outside of your line of work. They let you be creative and try new things. If you're bored with your old hobby, picking a different one can get your creative juices flowing again. Don't forget to take a look at your budget before choosing a new hobby, as some can be expensive. Don't worry, though, you have plenty of options available to you even if your budget is tight.
Method 1 of 4: Building on Your Current Interests
 1. 1
 Look at what interests you. Examine what takes up your spare time when you have it. Do you enjoy reading books? Maybe you want to try your hand at writing them. Do you like a cold beer at the end of the day? Maybe your hobby could be trying to brew beer at home. Turn what you already love into a hobby.
 2. 2
 Think about what you value most. What traits do you prize? Do you value wisdom or courage? Do you feel drawn to people who give back? Do you admire artistic expression? Let those traits guide you when choosing a hobby.
 - For instance, maybe you could volunteer at a library as a hobby because you value education, or maybe you could take up painting because you admire people who can express themselves with art.
 3. 3
 Examine your skills and personality. Certain hobbies require certain skill sets.
 - If you don't have a great deal of patience, then maybe hand sewing isn't something you'd enjoy. However, if you love tinkering and building things, maybe you should consider a hobby like working on older cars or building furniture. Play to your strengths.[1]
 4. 4
 Pay attention to what excites your passion. The way you talk about issues can also reveal your passions and those passions can be developed into a hobby.
 - Think about the topics you go on endlessly about. Ask your friends and family what you seem to talk about the most. Now, think about what it is about that subject that you enjoy so much and determine how it can be transformed into a hobby. For instance, maybe you are passionate about local politics, and getting involved at a grassroots level could become your hobby.
Method 2 of 4: Examining Your Childhood
 1. 1
 Think back to what you loved as a kid. Did you like to race bikes with your friends? Were you really into comic books? Did you love to paint or draw? Think about what really got you excited as a kid and what you could spend hours doing.[2]
 2. 2
 Pick up where you left off. If you rode bikes, try getting a new (adult) bike and exploring your neighborhood.
 3. 3
 Take a class in what you loved. If you loved drawing, take a class at a local community college or art museum.
 4. 4
 Look at adult versions of what you loved. That is, if you loved comic books, try attending a comic book convention (comicon) to find people with similar interests. Maybe you loved board games as a kid. Check out the wide variety of new board games on the market, which offer options in everything from role-playing to cooperative games.
Method 3 of 4: Exploring New Territory for Ideas
 1. 1
 Visit a craft store. Wander around a craft store to see what hobbies are available. You might find something you never thought about, such as building model airplanes or learning how to work with clay.[3]
 2. 2
 Visit a hardware store. Like craft stores, hardware stores offer a way to explore different hobbies. Maybe you want to get into woodworking or gardening; the hardware store will have just what you need.
 3. 3
 Browse your local library. Your library will have how-to books on a variety of topics. Browse through them to find topics that interest you, which can turn into new hobbies.[4]
 4. 4
 Budget your time. Your time is precious, and you have a limited supply. Be sure to create space in your day for your new hobby by allocating a few minutes everyday for trying it out.[5]
 5. 5
 Check out hobby websites. Certain websites are dedicated solely to exploring hobbies, and you can use them to figure out what you'd like to do with your time.[6]
 6. 6
 Be willing to try more than one hobby. The first one you try might not be the right fit. Don't be afraid to move on and try something else. You have a right to decide when you're not interested in something.[7]
 7. 7
 Say "yes." That is, don't be afraid to say "yes" to activities you normally bow out of. Maybe going to the art museum doesn't sound very exciting to you, but when your friend invites you to go, give it a try anyway. You might find a hobby you never expected to enjoy, such as painting or art restoration.
 8. 8
 Redefine your definition of self. One thing that may be holding you back from trying something new is you thinking, "I'm not that kind of person." Maybe you think you're not brave enough or social enough for certain activities. Don't be afraid to step outside those boundaries.
 - For instance, consider all those crazy hobbies that you've dismissed because you thought you couldn't do them. Maybe you've always wanted to learn the guitar or how to ballroom dance but didn't think you had the talent. Sign up for a class anyway. Maybe you have a knack for it and don't even know it.
 9. 9
 Tag along with a friend. Your friends already have similar interests and personalities that are compatible with yours, so you might enjoy their hobbies, as well. Ask them to show off their favorite hobbies and give you a taste for what they love to do.
 - For example, maybe your best friends are really into swing dancing. You can go with them to a lesson, or you can ask for a basic lesson from them before getting your feet wet.
 10. 10
 Check out your local course catalog. Community colleges offer a wide range of courses for very little tuition. Read through one, and you may find a class that sparks an interest.
 - You can request a catalog from most community colleges, though the majority have catalogs online to peruse.
Method 4 of 4: Examining Your Budget
 1. 1
 Note where you spend your money. Take a month to note down where you spend all of your money. You can use a smartphone app to help with this project, or you can rely mostly on your bank account if you don't use much cash.[8]
 - Separate out what you spend into categories. For instance, you can have categories such as "groceries," "gas," "clothing," "eating out," "entertainment," "rent," "bills" and "fees." You could also separate your bills into two categories: ones that are absolutely necessary, such as insurance, and ones that you may want to reduce or remove, such as cable and your phone.
 2. 2
 Create a budget. On a spreadsheet or app, identify what percentage of your money is taken up by necessary items, such as rent and bills. Also, use your last month's spending to see how much you spend on gas and groceries. Determine how much you have leftover for discretionary spending.[9]
 3. 3
 Decide how much of your budget you want to allocate to hobbies. If you are starting a new hobby, some money must come from other areas. For instance, you might want to cut down on other entertainment or stop eating out as much. Maybe you could spend less at the grocery store. How much you allocate depends on what hobby you choose, as some are more expensive than others.
 4. 4
 Pick a free or inexpensive hobby if you don't have much wiggle room in your budget. You have a number of options available to you if you need a cheaper hobby. For instance, you could read or write, take up running, or try gardening or camping.[10]
 - Before you get involved with your hobby, find a place to work on it and a place to store it, whether indoor or outside. Even outdoors hobbies that need equipment will require storage space; those hockey sticks, soccer balls, boots, bicycles, and tents all need to go somewhere when you're not using them.
 - Buy used supplies, which is more environmentally friendly and saves you money. You can find some used supplies at thrift stores and online exchanges.
 - Once you pursue a hobby for any length of time, you'll become better at it. You may reach a point where the hobby can pay for itself. For instance, it could lead to selling art or crafts, coaching other athletes, writing articles, and teaching others, which is a good way to keep costs low.
 - Try 3 things a couple of times and see what you like. Your first experience might not be representative!
Article Info
Categories: Hobbies and Crafts
In other languages:
Français: choisir une activité de loisirs, Italiano: Scegliere un Hobby, Español: encontrar un pas


Did Poland Really Escape the Black Death?
28 Jul 2021
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in China, people have been making obvious parallels with other major pandemics in history, most notably the Bubonic Plague, or 'Black Death'Before the first confirmed case of Coronavirus in Poland, authorities were not doing much aside from propagating the idea that Poland would not be as affected by the virus as other countries. This optimism, though since proven wrong, may have had something to do with the region's historic so-called 'avoidance' of the medieval pandemic. Realistically, it affected Poland on a much smaller scale than the rest of Europe in the 14th century (sadly, this balance would be paid during WWII). Would history repeat itself 700 years later? Apparently not. The number of daily cases in Poland has increased at an alarming rate, and during September-October 2020 we've watched them double from week to week. On October 21st 2020, we reached 10,000+ cases, compared to just 5,000+ a week before.
The surreal image of the Beaked Plague Doctor is synonymous with the Black Death. While the mask looks terrifying, it had a genuine purpose:
Inside the beak would be filled with perfumes and herbs to deflect miasma, the horrific stench of 'bad air' from both plague victims and the dead.
Poland Was Not Actually Spared
Before we go any further we need to clear up a perpetuated myth.
 A map showing the coverage of the Black Death,
 notably the areas of minor outbreaks in Green.
The largest of these areas are centred around historic Poland.
The statement that is often blabbed amongst history buffs and general know-it-alls is 'Poland Escaped the Black Death'. While we would've loved this statement to be true, quite simply, this statement is absolutely false. The bubonic plague absolutely made it to Poland and there were certainly a number of outbreaks around the area. Sadly, with the overall scale of the destruction and the poorly-kept records, we will never know exactly how many succumbed. Estimations have generally stated that the kingdom lost about 25% of its population. While this sounds like a lot by today's standards, losing a quarter of your inhabitants is a pale amount compared to countries like Italy, France and Spain, that suffered an estimated 75-80% loss of life. For this reason, Poland can be called an area of'minor outbreak', as is highlighted in the map to the right. Other tiny areas, such as the Italian city-state of Milan, coastal areas of the Low Countries (now The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) and the Kingdom of Navarre (now Basque Country in Spain) were also 'lightly touched' in a similar fashion to our beloved Poland.
Quarantine of the Polish Borders
One key reason often attributed to the low rates of contagion was the decision by Polish king, Casimir the Great, to close the country's 'borders' shortly after the initial reports from the west and set up internal quarantines.
 Casimir the Great - Tolerant and Health-Conscious
This was not an operation like you would see in the current 'State of Epidemic Threat' at every road entry to Poland, more-so it related to medieval walled-cities and refusing entry to obviously-infected individuals. Therefore, contagious people could still travel between smaller communities in the countryside of a dominion. Nevertheless, Poland was a much less-densely populated area than elsewhere in Europe, so contagion was slower to spread.
Furthermore, travel time also plays an important factor here. For example, it would normally take 8 days to travel from Prague to Kraków on horseback, even slower if you were on foot. Compare that with the amount of time it would take for the plague to kick-in - between 24 to 72 hours to get sick. So, by the time you reached Kraków or any other city for that matter, you were clearly not going to be let into the city walls!
Poland's Jewish Population
As the historic scapegoats of Europe, the minority Jewish population of Europe suffered at the hands of a bigoted Christian-majority. Once again, thanks to the rulership of Casimir the Great, Jews were offered a safe haven in Paradisus Iudaeorum (ENG: Paradise of the Jews) as Poland became known. This population would thrive for centuries until the atrocities committed in WWII. Unfortunately, when the bubonic plague first hit Europe in October 1347, the gentile population was cynical of the lower rates of infection amongst local Jewry, and therefore subscribed to the idea that the plague was a Jewish conspiracy!
American Jewish historian Berel Wein and many others attribute the lower death-rates of Jews during the plague to the adherence of sanitary practices in Jewish law. Simple but regular actions, like washing his or her hands many times throughout the day or that one must not eat food without washing one's hands, leaving the bathroom and after any sort of intimate human contact are considered basic hygiene in the 21st-century. However, these strict Jewish practices were hardly standard for the majority of common-folk who could go half his or her life without ever washing their hands!
A woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493) depicting Jews burned alive en-masse. A prime example of Medieval Anti-Semitism
Another interesting point in Jewish law prevents an individual from reciting blessings and saying prayers by an open pit at latrines and at places with a foul odour. For this reason, the sanitary conditions in Jewish communities were always far superior than in the neighbourhoods of non-Jews.
Jewish law also prescribes certain sanitary conditions related to burial of the dead, which were undertaken by the burial sociery, Chevrah Kadisha, who are kind of like funerary directors in Jewish communities. Practices, such as washing the body of the deceased and stationing shomrim, watchers of corpses, ensured that vermin were kept away from the dead. These factors, no doubt, hugely reduced the spread of infection in their communities.
Illustration from The Chronicles of Gilles Li Muisis (1272–1352) showing citizens of Tournai (now Belgium) burying plague victims.
Scenes like this were commonplace all over Europe in the 14th Century, albeit on a much smaller scale in the Kingdom of Poland.
Geography and Climate
As a final pointer that is often discussed as an asset to slowing the spread of disease is Poland's geographical and climatic position in Europe. Firstly, as was touched on before, Poland was more sparsely-populated than elsewhere in Europe and, more-specifically, could hardly compare to the densley-populated Mediterranean coast that had evolved through trade and generally warmer weather. And on the point of weather, Poland's temperate seasonal climate is believed to have mitigated the spread of the plague due to the fact that it was colder than Southern and Western Europe. Taking it a step further, historian Norman F Cantor theorises in his book In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It MadeThe absence of plague in Bohemia and Poland is commonly explained by the rats' avoidance of these areas due to the unavailability of food the rodents found palatable. Maybe both points are true? Maybe neither? Sadly, we will never know for sure.
The Black Death VS Coronavirus
On a virological level, it's impossible to compare the two. The Bubonic Plague is a flea-borne bacterial disease, carried by rodents that jumped to humans. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome transmitted primarily via respiratory droplets. Whilst the deathtoll of the latter is currently just under 8,000 worldwide, nevertheless shocking, it must be remembered that the Bubonic Plague wiped out 30-60% of medieval Europe and an estimated overall death toll of 75-200 million people in Eurasia. The Black Death truly earnt its name.
Medieval Xenophobia - An illustration portraying
a Jew poisoning the well of a Christian settlement.
Beyond of the stats, other common factors are still present: Xenophobia towards Jews has been replaced with Xenophobia towards Asian minorities across the world. Misinformation by the dominance of the Church in Medieval Europe that Jews were poisoning the wells of Christian communities is somehow echoed in recent fake news headlines that China had a biological-weapon that unintentionally leaked. Asylum granted to Jews in Poland in 14th-Century is a far cry from the Law and Justice (PiS) party's stance on accepting any quote of Syrian Refugees. Sadly, Coronavirus will currently not help these individuals in their case for resettlement. Poland was certainly quicker to close its borders than others in Europe, much like it had in the 14th-century. We hope that measures put in place will somehow prevent the population from going the way of Italy, which is currently the hardest-hit nation in Europe with regard to Coronavirus.
You like Death? You wanna see more?
As the impact of the bubonic plague was not felt as much in Poland, key sites are non-existent. In our article, Creepy Poland, we talk about a number of sites where bones have been used to furnish the interiors of churches and tombs (how lovely!). Most notably, Kaplica Czaszek (ENG: the Chapel of Skulls) on the Polish/C


How-To Geek
Which Computer Was The First To Ship With A Mouse?
The Commodore 64
The Xerox 8010
The Apple Lisa
The IBM PS/2
Answer: The Xerox 8010
Although keyboards have been with us since some of the earliest days of the compute age, mice as common input devices took a significantly longer time to ship bundled with computers–let alone become ubiquitous. Early computers had mice and mouse-like input devices, but they were exclusively aftermarket add-ons and did not ship with the computer–the German Telefunken computer is an example of an early computer that had a mouse that integrated with the system but was an accessory and not an included peripheral.
The earliest computer to ship with a mouse as part of the system was the Xerox 8010 Star. Released in 1981, the system came with a two-button serial mouse; the mouse was lightweight, sported an optical sensor instead of a roller ball, and it didn't require a mouse pad–much like modern infrared/laser mice.
The Xerox 8010 Star wasn't intended to be a stand alone machine but was part of a workstation array built around the Xerox Personal Office System. It was prohibitively expensive for most offices to implement and as a result the Star system was a commercial failure. Despite being a commercial failure, it was highly influential in the industry as it had features like a GUI, integrated Ethernet, WYSIWYG editing, and network-based services like remote directory and printing. In addition to broadly influencing the industry, many of the people who worked on the Xerox Star project went on to work for Microsoft and Apple, taking with them a intimate knowledge of the project and a desire to further the designs they had begun working on at Xerox.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Fina'kuentos #3: Ha Tife' Yu'
But in addition to the who you learn Chamorro with, there is also the way you first become introduced to it. You can just learn the language in a standard way, as you move from one mental lesson to the next, but what can help you learn is a certain theme, or gimmick, to how you start to become someone who live in the language. For some people, it can be songs. You focus on learning the songs of the language, and that is how you become introduced to learning and speaking the language. For others, it could be a focus on the "ancient" or "fino' haya'" aspects to the language. You learn Chamorro, to learn the form it existed in prior to the arrival of the Spanish. This can be very important since it will funnel your passion and give you something to focus on, even if people are less than helpful in your learning.
One way that I encourage people to get started learning the language is to learn its empe finayi or as some say fina'kuentos. These are sayings or pieces of knowledge that reflect the Chamorro experience or the worldview of Chamorros. Some of them are silly and border on being kinky or offensive, while others are more profound and serious. I've already posted about two this month in honor of Chamorro month. I though I'd share one more today.
Ha tife' yu'
Even for those of you who speak Chamorro, if you haven't heard this phrase before, then you might be confused by it. Literally, the phrase means "He/She/It picked me." The use of the word "tife'" though is not related to the choosing or selecting of something. Instead pick is meant in the sense of picking fruit. Tife' is used to refer to the literal taking of fruit off of the tree. It can also be used to refer to the picking of leaves or branches off a tree, but the focus is on removing something.
To say "ha tife' yu'" could be a reference to you being a fruit on a tree, the one that was picked amongst many. It could be in this sense that someone plucks you from obscurity, or plucks you out of your ignorance. It could mean that someone takes you from a sort of nascent, stuck position and made something of you, took you somewhere. They drastically changed your life. This is a possible meaning of the term, but not one I've ever really heard. I have heard people discuss it, but never heard someone in any natural conversational state use it.
Tife', is also interestingly enough a dental term. It is the word that Chamorros use to refer to the removal of a tooth. "Ha tife' yu' i dentista" literally translates to "the dentist picked me" but actually means "The dentist pulled my tooth."
A further meaning to the term tife' is the sometimes latent sexual connotations. In Western culture the notion of picking fruit can be considered sexual, because of the ways that women's sexuality is closely associated with fruit. It is possible that the word tife' also used to carry these meanings. Ha tife' yu' could have meant that someone took your virginity, or that someone had sex with you. Given the egalitarian and female-dominated sexuality of Ancient Chamorro times, that could have been something women said or men said.
In Ancient times, men and women went naked most of the time. Men and women would sometimes wear clothes for special occasions. Men wore pandanus woven vests to dress up. Women could wear grass skirts, such as for dances or ceremonies. The Spanish did mention Chamorro women sometimes wearing a small article of clothing known as a "tife." This was a triangular piece of cloth, made from tree bark, that would be placed on the groin of the woman. It is possible that in Ancient Guam, ha tife yu' could have been a reference to the removing of that piece or clothing.
In contemporary times however the fina'kuentos is something that you might often use as you go about your day and interact with your social, political or occupational circle. Much of what I've discussed above deals with the focus of the metaphor on the taking of something. The picking of something as the emphasis. So a tooth is removed. A person goes from here to there. The picking of fruit as a possible sexual metaphor. But the final possible meaning of the term actually makes you focus on what the fruit undergoes when it is removed from the tree.
So long as the fruit is on the tree it is being fed nutrients and life is pumped into it. When it is picked, it is actually a violent and draining process. It is being torn from everything it knows. Like being wrenched from the bosom of your mother. To be a fruit that is plucked actually must suck a lot. It must be a terrible feeling. Therefore the contemporary meaning of the phrase focuses on the draining process. How to be a fruit that is picked can suck the life out of you and make you feel like life is over. Makpo' todu.
You use this phrase for people who make you feel that way. For people who are "dimasiao." Who are just too much. People you just can't handle. People you don't know what to do with. People who suck the life out of you, who make you feel akin to how drained and empty you feel after getting a root canal. Those are the people about whom you say "ha tife' yu'."
You can say it about the auntie who never stops complaining to you about her husband. You can say it about the grandparent who always has an endless list of chores for you when you got visit. You can say it about the co-worker who just won't stop asking you out. You can say it about your friend who asked to go for a ride with you one afternoon and you ended up escorting them to all their errands. You can say it about your significant other who forces you to go to do things you don't want to do. They don't have to be someone who has a history of draining you or deflated the willpower of people, but just someone who in that moment took the life out of you.


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Built-up areas representation on topographic map
Content rules of topographic maps
Digital topographic map and its requirements
Growth representation on topographic maps
Hydrography representation on topographic map
Object representation on topographic map
Principles of digital topographic map classification
Programs for working with raster maps
Road representation on topographic map
Soil representation on topographic map
The notion of a map
The process of digital topographic maps creation
Growth representation on topographic maps
Main groups of growth
While representing growth on topographic maps it is divided in the following groups: woody (woods, groves, separate trees), and shrubby; subshrubby, grassy, mossy, and lichen; artificial plantings (gardens, parks, plantations). A complex of trees with the height more than 4 meter and crown density more than 0,2 (crown density – is ratio of crowns square project of all trees of some territory to square of the territory) is a wood. A complex of trees with crown density less than 0,2 is called sparse growth of trees.
Wood structure is defined by the quantity of trees of various wood species in total number of trunks, showed in per cents. Wood where no less than 80 per cents of trees belong to one type is called pure wood. The rest 20 per cents of trees are called admixtures. According to the species woods are divided into conifers, deciduous, and mixed. Species composition influences on height, thickness and crown density. Wood's age, trees' height and thickness are interrelated.
Approximate division of forests according to the age, height and thickness is given in the table №1. Tree thickness is usually measured at men's chest.
|Wood age||Tree height, m||Tree thickness, cm|
|old||more than 10||more than 20|
According to the shape, the following types of trees are distinguished: those, which do not have underbrush and many-tiered one where trees' and shrubs' crowns form two, tree or more tiers. Wood's density is characterized by average distance between trees and crown density (table №2).
|Wood density||Average distance between trees, m||Crown density|
|dense||less than 4||more than 0,5|
|sparse growth of trees||more than 9||less than 0,2|
Shrubs are woody plants with the height up to 4 meters. It has a lot of stems, growing from the root. Species structure, height and thickness are the main characteristics of the shrubs. Undersized shrubs with the height up to 0,8 meters are called shrubs. They usually grow in flat and mountain tundra (polar birch, polar willow, blueberry, heather, wild rosemary, etc.), and also in marshes (bilberry, cowberry).
According to the place of vegetation grassy growth is divided into meadowy and steppe, according to the height – short(less than 1 meter) and tall (more than 1 meter). Mossy and lichen growth grows in tundra region, but can be also found in marshes, woods, edges of a mountain (mountain tundra). In tundra moss usually grow in low and humid places, lichen – high and dry places.
To culture growth belong numerous artificial plantings and crops of cultural plants (orchards, citrus fruits plantations, mulberries, fruit-trees, vineyards, plantations of tea, crops of field and garden cultures).
Peculiarities of growth representation on topographic maps
All types of growth in some definite way influence on locality passage conditions out of roads for wheeled and caterpillar cars, on camouflage conditions from land and air outlook.
Wood with square of 10 square meters and more in woody region and 4 square meters in densely populated region are represented on topographic maps in green color.
Undersized woods, young growth, woody pinetum with square of 10 square meters and more are represented on topographic map by means of special conventional sighs of green color, but of more light tone. Areas of thin, cutting down, burnt and deadwood woods, situated among woodland are represented by means of special conventional signs without painting when its square is 25 square meters or more in the map scale, and situated in stretch of open country and being reference points even of lesser square.
Wind-fallen trees – regions in forest situated among woodland where more than half of trees felt with square 25 square meters and with square 10 square meters in stretch of open country are represented on topographic map by means of tint color. Area where less than a half trees felt and wood in this area is difficult to traverse is represented with the sign of wind-fallen trees (lines).
Separate standing trees that have reference significance are represented on topographic maps by means of special conventional signs with division into: conifers and deciduous.
Undersized woods, young growth, woody pinetum while representing on topographic map are divided into conifers, deciduous and mixed. The dominating species are represented with special shorten signs, but if there is no specially accepted sign, the name of species is fully written.
While representing mixed wood, two main species are indicated, besides, the most important is written first.
Average height of trees in meters, average trunks' thickness measured at men's chest, average distance between trees is the characteristics of wood. While representing undersized woods, young growth, and woody pinetum with square 10 square meters and more in map scale only average height of trees is given; if trees have height less than 1 meter it is given in a fraction of a meter. Woodlands' characteristics (wind-fallen trees, water-logged areas, felling) are represented in combination of corresponding conventional signs.
Cuttings are usually represented on topographic maps. Cutting with width 20 meters and more, 40 meters and more, 60 meters and more on topographic maps 1:25 000, 1:50 000, 1:100 000 correspondingly are represented by means of two thin broken lines in accordance to its real width in topographic map scale. Cutting representation is accompanied by width sign. Numbers of woody quarters, indicated on quarter posts, placed at roads crossings are to facilitate orientation in wood.
Shrubs while representing on topographic map are divided into dense bush or groups of bushes or just separate bushes. Dense bushes of chaparral, dense bushes and separate bushes of elfin wood and haloxylon, narrow shrub lines and hedges are represented by means of special conventional signs.
Dense bushes of shrubs are represented by means of conventional signs of background light green stain. Its representation is accompanied by sign of species (conifers, deciduous, mixed) and average shrub height. Separate bushes that have reference significance are represented by means of circle that corresponds to its real position. Narrow shrub lines, hedges are represented if they are situated along roads, rivers, canals, ditches or when they have reference significance.
Grassy growth while representing on topographic map is divided into meadowy, low and high (more than 1 meter) and steppe grass. Cany and reedy bushes are represented on topographic map by means of special conventional signs. Shrubby growth (blueberry, cowberry, heather, wild rosemary) are represented only on topographic maps with scale 1:25 000. Mossy and lichen growth is represented on topographic maps with scale 1:25 000 by means of special conventional signs, on topographic maps with scale 1:50 000 – 1:100 000 by means of some common conventional sign.
Areas of grassy, shrubby, mossy, lichen growth are represented on topographic map with scale 1:25 000 if its square is 25 square meters or more in map scale. Separate areas of such growth are represented if they have reference significance and square 10 square meters or more. Areas of non swamped meadows and steppe grassy growth are represented on topographic maps with scale 1:50 000 – 1:100 000, only when depicting locality with small amount of contours.
Separate areas of cany and reedy bushes, damp areas of meadows, waterlogged areas without growth which have reference significance or essential while characterizing locality are represented on topographic map by means of contours. Steppe (grassy) and subshrubby growth in mountains are represented only on topographic map with scale 1:25 000.
Orchards, citrus fruit gardens and trees plantations are represented on topographic map by means of contours out of built-up areas. Vineyards, berry gardens and shrubby plantations (tea, roses, etc.) are represented on topographic map by means of contour when its square is 25 square meter or more in map scale. Grassy industrial crops plantations (hop, rice, etc.) that are always very damp are represented on topographic maps when its square is 25 square meter or more in map scale. Representation of grassy industrial crops plantations with square more than 1 square centimeter is accompanied by the sign (hop, rose, etc.).


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Cognitive assessments have been the subject of recent debate because there are limitations when they are conducted using pen and paper. For example, the collected material is monomodal (written form) and there is no direct digitalization for further and automatic processing. Here we show how such cognitive assessments can be fully digitalized in order to improve everyday practices in clinics and at home. As an example we present a fully automated, web-based system for execution and evaluation of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) based on a speech dialogue system and a smartpen, allowing us to evaluate cognitive impairment based on AI technologies.
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. The internationally used Mini-Mental State Examination is a 30-point questionnaire, which is extensively used in medicine and research to measure cognitive impairment. Depending on the experience of the physician and the cognitive state of the patient the administration of the test takes between 5 and 10 minutes and examines functions including awareness, attention, recall, language, ability to follow simple commands and orientation. Due to its standardisation, validity, short administration period and ease of use, it is widely used as a reliable screening tool for dementia.
We utilize inexpensive, off-the-shelf consumer hardware to capture speech and handwriting, allowing us to evaluate cognitive impairment automatically. The ease of use and the wide availability of the deployed hardware makes the system accessible to both clinicians and home users and can be used to gather large data sets. For the speech dialogue we employ a Google speech assistant in conjunction with a custom dialogue manager running on our server. To capture tasks involving handwriting we use a digital pen, which streams the user's input to our server. Based on the traditional scoring method we adopted an automated version that is able to score user input automatically and in real-time, analyzing both, the spoken as well as the sketched parts of the MMSE.
The technical architecture of our distributed, web-based infrastructure is shown above. As can be seen, at the computational level, there are two intelligent user interfaces, one for the patient (speech and digital pen interaction) and one for the caregiver (therapist interface). Raw pen data is sent to the document processing and indexing server. The pen data processing server provides aggregated pen events in terms of content-based interpretations in RDF (Resource Description Framework). The resulting documents are sent to the data warehouse, together with the RDF structured data. This structured data contains the recognised shapes and text, and text labels, for example. The system attempts to classify each pen stroke and stroke group in a drawing. Speech input from the patient is captured and send to the dialogue processing server, which provides structured speech recognition results.
Our second user interface is based on the data warehouse data, and is designed for the practicing clinician. This therapist interface, where the real-time interpretations of the speech dialogue and stroke data are available in RDF, is meant to advance existing neuropsychological testing technology. We display (1) summative statistics of assessment performances, (2) transcribed and scored speech input, (3) real-time test parameters of the sketch tests, and (4) real-time information about pen features such as tremor and in-air time of the digital pen.
These visualisations are based on the set of over 100 signal-level features about the dynamic process of writing. Overall we devised a set of algorithms and classifiers that convert imprecise requirements from the original scoring system, such as "All 10 angles must be present and two must intersect." to unbiased scores based on the raw handwriting input. Our caregiver interface also provides previously captured real-time data (e.g., for a slow-motion playback), and classifies the analyzed high-precision information about the filling process, opening up the possibility of detecting and visualising subtle cognitive impairments.
In addition, we take into account multiple sensor data provided by the smartpen, which currently cannot be measured easily by the human observer. Information about velocity, pressure, air-time and other features can bring vital insights about the patient's cognitive state and handwriting behavior. We are currently extending our system to provide such feedback to therapists, based on more than one hundred distinct handwriting features.
Our current setup consists of 3 main components: a speech dialogue hardware interface, a cloud-based speech recognition service and a backend server. In order to allow easy deployment and large scale usage we decided to use the Google Home Mini as a hardware device and frontend for the speech dialogue. It contains a speaker and a microphone and can connect to a wireless network. We deployed our custom application to the device using the Google Dialogflow framework, which receives input coming from the hardware device. Our custom backend service is registered inside our Google Dialogflow application, enabling us to manage the dialogue and directly evaluate the given answers in real-time.


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As a character of an algebraic group is defined to be any morphism (of algebraic groups) from this group to $\mathbb{G}_m$, how to prove:
$\mathbb{G}_a$ has no nontrivial characters.
If I take the ground field $K=\mathbb{C}$, and define a map $\phi: \mathbb{G}_a \rightarrow \mathbb{G}_m$, $a+bi \mapsto $exp$(a+bi)$, why isn't $\phi$ a character of $\mathbb{G}_a$? (Why isn't it a morphism of algebraic groups?)
Many thanks.
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What exactly is $\mathbb{G_m}$? – Thelonius Sep 16 '12 at 2:29
4 Answers 4
up vote 9 down vote accepted
One way to establish that there is no nontrivial homomorphism of algebraic groups from $\mathbb{G}_a$ to $\mathbb{G}_m$ is via the Jordan decomposition: every element $x$ in a linear algebraic group may uniquely be written as the product of a semisimple element $x_s$ and a unipotent element $x_u$, and this decomposition is preserved by homomorphisms of algebraic groups. See for instance Theorem 6 of these notes of Ryan Reich.
Now we can realize $\mathbb{G}_a$ as the subgroup of matrices $\{ \left[ \begin{array}{cc} 1 & a \\ 0 & 1 \end{array} \right], \ a \in K \}$,
which shows that every element of $\mathbb{G}_a$ is unipotent. On the other hand, every element of $\mathbb{G}_m$ is semisimple. Since an element which is both unipotent and semisimple is the identity, the only homomorphism from $\mathbb{G}_a$ to $\mathbb{G}_m$ is the trivial one.
As for your example with the exponential map: that's not an algebraic function! Remember that in dealing with homomorphisms of algebraic groups, we restrict to maps which are locally given by polynomials.
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Thank you very much! This answer is really detailed and impressing! Many thanks! – ShinyaSakai Jul 22 '11 at 18:40
You might be interested in this answer of mine from MO. Over a base ring $R$ which contains $\mathbb{Q}$, I show that the hom's from $\mathbb{G}_a$ to $\mathbb{G}_m$ are in canonical bijection with the nilpotent elements of $R$. In particular, if $R$ is itself a field, then the only nilpotent is $0$, giving the trivial hom.
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I am really very very lucky to see admirable and helpful teachers here. Thank you very much, Mr Speyer. This answer gives me a deeper look into this question. – ShinyaSakai Jul 22 '11 at 18:57
Since these are affine algebraic groups, there is an equivalent ring-theoretic statement. Namely, a character over a commutative ring $R$ is an $R$-Hopf algebra map from $R[x,x^{-1}]$ to $R[y]$, where the comultiplication is $x \mapsto x \otimes x$ on the left and $y \mapsto y \otimes 1 + 1 \otimes y$ on the right.
To be an $R$-algebra map, $x$ has to go to an invertible element of $R[y]$. We will write it as $f(y) = \sum_{i=0}^n r_i y^i$, where $r_0 \in R^\times$. Taking tensor square is a functor on algebras, so we get a map $$R[x,x^{-1}] \otimes_R R[x,x^{-1}] \to R[y] \otimes_R R[y] = R[y,z]$$ that in particular yields the assignment: $$x \otimes x \mapsto f(y) f(z) = \sum_{j=0}^n \sum_{k=0}^n r_j r_k y^j z^k.$$ To have a Hopf algebra map, it is necessary and sufficient that this be equal to the image of $f(y)$ under the comultiplication map, which is $$\sum_{i=0}^n \sum_{j=0}^i \binom{i}{j} r_i y^j z^{i-j}.$$ Comparing the coefficients of $y^j z^k$ yields the system of equations $r_jr_k = \binom{j+k}{j} r_{j+k}$, where $r_m = 0$ for $m > n$.
We find that $r_0 = 1$ (since $r_0$ is an invertible idempotent), and all $r_i$ for $i \geq 1$ are nilpotent. Since the complex numbers have no nonzero nilpotents, all characters defined over $\mathbb{C}$ are trivial.
A little more work shows that there is a functor from schemes to sets that takes the spectrum of a ring $R$ to the character group of the additive group over $R$. This functor is formally represented by the multiplicative formal group $\widehat{\mathbb{G}_m}$, whose reduced subscheme is $\operatorname{Spec} \mathbb{Z}$. This is an example of Cartier duality where one has to allow formal schemes to take duals of commutative affine groups.
Regarding the exponential function, it does not yield a map from $R[x,x^{-1}]$ to $R[y]$, but in characteristic zero, there is a formal exponential map to the completion $R[[y]]$, which is the coordinate ring of the formal additive group $\widehat{\mathbb{G}_a}$. This is given by sending $x$ to $\exp(y) = \sum_{i = 0}^\infty \frac{y^i}{i!}$, and it is straightforward to check that the assignment $r_i = 1/i!$ satisfies the system of equations $r_j r_k = \binom{j+k}{j} r_{j+k}$. In positive characteristic, you can't divide by $i!$, but there is a formal exponential to a formal divided power series algebra, which yields a sort of PD-additive group. In other words, the exponential does yield a homomorphism when restricted to an infinitesimal neighborhood of the identity, but that homomorphism cannot be extended to a homomorphism (in group schemes) on the whole additive group.
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Thank you for giving me a deeper insight into this quesiton. Thank you very much. – ShinyaSakai Jul 27 '11 at 0:02
If ${\Bbb G}_a$ had a non-trivial character, then there would be a systematic (in fact, functorial) way to produce invertible elements in any ring $R$ (or maybe in any $R_0$-algebra, where $R_0$ is the ring of definition of the character) from its additive structure.
This would be quite strange........
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Thank you very much. Now I understand why I am wrong. – ShinyaSakai Jul 22 '11 at 18:45
Your Answer


text:
A rise in fragility as a system approaches a tipping point may be sometimes estimated using dynamical indicators of resilience (DIORs) that measure the characteristic slowing down of recovery rates before a tipping point. A change in DIORs could be interpreted as an early warning signal for an upcoming critical transition. However, in order to be able to estimate the DIORs, observational records need to be long enough to capture the response rate of the system. As we show here, the required length of the time series depends on the response rates of the system. For instance, the current rate of anthropogenic climate forcing is fast relative to the response rate of some parts of the climate system. Therefore, we may expect difficulties estimating the resilience from modern time series. So far, there have been no systematic studies of the effects of the response rates of the dynamical systems and the rates of forcing on the detectability trends in the DIORs prior to critical transitions. Here, we quantify the performance of the resilience indicators variance and temporal autocorrelation, in systems with different response rates and for different rates of forcing. Our results show that the rapid rise of anthropogenic forcing to the Earth may make it difficult to detect changes in the resilience of ecosystems and climate elements from time series. These findings suggest that in order to determine with models whether the use of the DIORs is appropriate, we need to use realistic models that incorporate the key processes with the appropriate time constants.
- critical slowing down
- critical transitions
- dynamic indicators of resilience
- rate of forcing
- regime shifts


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Harvey Pike starts to dig a canal connecting Seattle's Union and Portage bays in 1860.
HistoryLink.org Essay 3404
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In 1860, in Seattle, Harvey Pike begins digging the first ditch between Lake Washington's Union Bay and Lake Union's Portage Bay. Harvey's uncompleted effort is the first Montlake Cut. Eventually Montlake Cut will be excavated further and will become part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal (opened 1917).
Pike had taken the land between Lake Washington and Lake Union in payment for painting the Territorial University. He soon gave up the project (he was digging by himself with a pick and shovel) and deeded the land to the Lake Washington Canal Company in 1871. He was one of the incorporators of this firm.
This firm did not build a canal but rather a quarter mile long tramway (narrow gauge railway) over which coal transferred from Lake Washington barges was carried to Lake Union barges.
These rails were torn up in 1878. Chinese labor hired in 1883 by David Denny (_PHONE_) and Thomas Burke (_PHONE_) dug the second Montlake Cut.
Paul Dorpat, "Log Canal to Portage Bay," Seattle Now & Then 2nd Edition (Seattle: Tartu Publishers, 1997), Story 89; Clarence Bagley, History of Seattle Washington Vol 1 (Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1916), p. 372.
Note: This essay was corrected on May 4, 2012, to reflect that Pike started work in 1860, and that he did not complete a canal.
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Do Air Conditioners Contribute to Climate Change?
With the worst of the summer heat just on the horizon, we can expect air conditioners throughout the U.S. to soon start working overtime. Our reliance on air conditioning causes a yearly spike in energy consumption, which in turn causes an increase in the release of carbon dioxide. Is it possible to effectively manage our carbon footprint while staying cool? Forest Founders is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping reduce our collective carbon footprint by restoring and preserving global forests. To learn how you can contribute your resources and services, please visit our signup page.
The short answer is: Yes – air conditioners contribute to climate change. But there are still ways to reduce your emissions. Here's what you need to know about air conditioning and climate.
Air conditioners are commonly associated with the release of hydrofluorocarbons – industrially produced chemical compounds that are used in refrigeration. These are highly concentrated greenhouse gasses that are even more environmentally damaging than carbon dioxide (CO2), and their use is currently being limited in numerous states throughout the U.S., though the efforts to prohibit the use of hydrofluorocarbons in air refrigeration are mainly focused on large-scale commercial enterprises.
While hydrofluorocarbons only make up a fraction of the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gasses, they are nonetheless responsible for trapping thousands of times more heat than CO2. But there are two pieces of good news for those of us who use household air conditioners:
 1. Hydrofluorocarbons in household air conditioners don't release hydrofluorocarbons into the environment if they are properly maintained
 2. There are newer air conditioning units that don't use hydrofluorocarbons at all.
Unfortunately, there is also a bit of bad news. While properly maintained (and properly disposed of) air conditioning units do not release hydrofluorocarbons into the atmosphere, they do use tremendous amounts of energy. Approximately 6 percent of all residential energy consumption in the U.S. is attributed to air conditioning, which releases approximately 100 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
Can't live without A/C? Here's how to reduce your A/C emissions.
If you want to reduce your energy consumption and carbon output this summer, consider replacing your old air conditioning unit with a hydrofluorocarbon-free model, and make sure to dispose of your old unit in accordance with the environmental and sanitation laws and guidelines of your state. If you simply throw out your old air conditioning unit, it could wind up in a landfill, leak hydrofluorocarbon and cause massive environmental damage.
Here are a few tips for keeping your A/C usage as eco-friendly as possible:
 1. Opt for A/C units that use two-stage compressors that reduce energy use by compressing less when the temperature drops.
 2. Find an A/C system with a thermostat that can be programmed to automatically turn off when no one is at home.
 3. Make sure your A/C unit is large enough to effectively cool your whole space – a unit that is too small will only waste huge amounts of energy.
 4. Make sure your home is properly air sealed and weather stripped. If your home has air leaks, your A/C won't cool your space efficiently.
If you want to eliminate air conditioning entirely, here are a few tips for staying cool.
 - Take cold baths and showers.
 - Keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day.
 - Use a box fan, which uses roughly one-tenth of the energy of a mid-sized window air conditioning unit.
To learn more about Forest Founders' mission to combat the climate crisis, please visit our information page.


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How to become a smart meter installer (with job FAQs)
Updated 25 May 2023
Smart meters give customers the ability to monitor and adjust their energy use in real-time, allowing them to save money by restricting the amount of electricity they use. Smart meters also help utility companies to monitor power grids so they can make repairs as needed, reducing outage times and improving reliability. If you're interested in working with smart meters, knowing how to get a job as a smart meter installer can be useful. In this article, we look at what a smart meter installer is, explain how to become a smart meter installer and list relevant jobs.
What is a smart meter installer?
Smart meter installers are professionals responsible for installing electronic devices that can communicate information about power or gas usage between homes and utility companies. They're also responsible for setting up the systems that allow customers to monitor their own power usage and manage their accounts online. The installation process typically involves connecting a smart meter to the customer's electrical or gas system and then connecting the meter's data wirelessly to a central server where it's accessible to utility companies. The installer ensures this process works properly. They also test the systems to ensure that they meet safety standards.
Related: How to become an electrician
How to become a smart meter installer
Here are the steps involved in becoming a smart meter installer:
1. Complete training on how to instal smart meters
Training is necessary to become a smart meter installer. Such courses give aspirants the opportunity to learn how to use the standard equipment, the procedure for the correct setup and the qualifications to perform checks. These courses also cover the safety precautions to take when installing smart meters and working with gas and electricity. This knowledge is essential because it helps you learn how to protect both yourself and your customers when working on these projects.
There are several options for courses that teach smart meter installation, such as a level 2 diploma in gas installation, a level 2 diploma in electrical installation or a T level in building services engineering for construction. Another option would be to complete an apprenticeship as a dual fuel meter installer or to apply for trainee positions at electricity and gas companies. College courses, apprenticeships and trainee employers typically require between two and five GCSEs, including maths and English.
2. Practise installing smart meters on a dummy circuit box
Practising on a dummy circuit box is an example of how a smart meter installer in training can become familiar with installing a smart meter. By doing this in their own time, they can become well-acquainted with the technology involved at their own pace. The more familiar the installer is with the fitting process, the more likely it is that they can complete this task successfully when installing smart meters in customer homes.
3. Acquire smart meter certifications (optional)
Following training, you have the advanced option to sit the relevant smart meter electrician exam and become certified. This is because certain bodies want to ensure that you understand the job and how to be successful in this field. Certification can help in both confidence and career development, as it helps smart meter installers to stand out to recruiters when applying for jobs.
It shows they have the skills necessary to perform smart meter fittings accurately. Certification can also help customers to feel more comfortable letting fitters work in their homes. The certification process often occurs jointly through an employer and a training provider.
4. Study the latest smart meter technology and its applications
It's beneficial for qualified smart meter installers to study the latest smart meter technology and its applications. This is so that they can stay up to date on any updates in the field. For example, by studying the latest smart meter technology, you may discover that there are new methods or approaches that are more efficient to use. You can then include them in your service offerings, which gives you a competitive advantage over other installers who don't know about these updates.
It's also helpful for candidates to read up on any recent developments before they sit for an interview. This is because such knowledge allows them to showcase their proactivity to recruiters, meaning that they immediately stand out from other candidates. It also shows employers they're interviewing a dedicated, motivated individual who wants to learn more about their profession and seek new ways to improve their skill set. This can improve a candidate's chances of successfully getting the job.
Jobs related to smart meter installation
Here are some examples of similar jobs which involve installing smart meters or using them:
National average salary: £28,903 per year
Primary duties: A maintenance technician's job may involve installing smart meters, checking that they're working or repairing them. This is because their primary responsibility is to ensure that the building they're working in is in good condition and safe for people to use. They do this by cleaning, repairing and maintaining equipment. This can include anything from servicing smart meters to fixing a broken light fixture. A maintenance technician also helps when there's an emergency. A maintenance technician's job can be dangerous because they're often working with heavy machinery, hazardous materials such as chemicals, and electricity.
National average salary: £30,881 per year
Primary duties: A dual fuel meter installer is the person who installs, maintains and repairs gas and electricity meters. This means that they're responsible for installing the meters and sending the readings to your utility company. They also instal new meters, including smart meters, for both gas and electric appliances. They do this by connecting the devices together so that they can read both types of meters at once. The difference between a smart meter installer and a dual fuel meter installer is that the former specialises in installing smart meters, whereas the latter can instal other types.
National average salary: £30,275 per year
Primary duties: An energy consultant might recommend installing smart meters because they can help customers save money on their utility bills. This is because smart meters can automatically track and report on the amount of electricity or natural gas your home uses so that customers always know how much they're spending. This is helpful when creating a budget, for example.
Energy consultants may also recommend installing smart meters as they allow customers to compare their usage against publicly available data from other homes in their area, which is another way of helping them identify ways to reduce their usage and save money. The role of energy consultant is a career progression option for smart meter installers.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about smart meter installers and their answers:
How much do smart meter installers earn?
Salaries for a smart meter installer largely depend on their skills, qualifications, experience, and additional certifications. It may also vary based on whether the employer is a public or private entity. The national average salary for a smart meter installer is £32,928 per year. The national average salary for a senior installer is £36,666 per year. This reflects a typically 40-hour work week, though sometimes as a smart meter installer you may work on weekends.
What skills do smart meter installers require?
The primary skills of a smart meter installer are the ability to remove old meters and instal smart ones. This could be in a customer's home, a commercial building, industrial site or anywhere else with access to electricity and gas. They also benefit from having certain soft skills, like customer service, communication, critical thinking, patience and problem-solving. Manual dexterity and knowledge of mathematics are also key abilities in this role.
Salary figures reflect data listed on the quoted websites at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.
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Does your WordPress site show a message similar to this?
Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 33554432 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 19456 bytes) in wp-admin/includes/theme.php on line 81
If your answer is "yes", this tutorial is for you.
We've helped several of our students with similar issues so we decided to write a tutorial to hopefully help someone else out as well.
Before starting to read this guide, it's worth understanding what PHP errors are in WordPress.
Background Information About PHP Memory Limit
PHP Memory limit sets the maximum amount of memory in bytes that PHP allows to allocate to a script. This prevents poorly written scripts for eating up all available memory on a server.
In most cases, if you get a memory limit error it's due to a faulty plugin. If you're at 32 or 64 M limit, that should be more than enough.
If you set it to 128 M and still getting the error, then you for sure know it's due to a faulty plugin. So the key question is what plugin did you install prior to this?
Things to Try
- Try adding this line to your wp-config.php file:
- If you have access to your PHP.ini file, change the line in PHP.ini
If your line shows 32M try 128M:
memory_limit = 128M ; Maximum amount of memory a script may consume (128MB)
- If you don't have access to PHP.ini try adding this to an.htaccess file:
php_value memory_limit 128M
- Talk to your host.
- If you have just updated a plugin and you're seeing errors, try rolling back to a previous version.
Plugin for Keeping Track of Memory Usage
Use the TPC! Memory Usage plugin to track the memory usage in your WordPress.
TPC! Memory Usage allows WordPress administrators to view the current and peak memory usage of the application. This is extremely helpful when testing new plugins, or if there are a lot of modifications, plugins, or large language files. As of version 0.4, administrators now have the ability to view detailed system information about their web server, MySQL, PHP, and WordPress software. Chris Strosser"


Productive Club Helping you follow your dream
From A Weak to Confident Communicator - 30 Day Challenge
Day 25 Challenge: Tweak your words based on generation gap
People have a tendency to speak in the same manner to the person of every age. But every person thinks as per their age and experience.
Recall how your thought process was 10 years ago. You thought, behaved and spoke differently. If someone had to convince you 10 years ago, he had to use different words compared to what are necessary now.
When you are talking to a person 10 years younger or older to you, realize that they have a generation gap. Tweak your words to match the thought process of the listener to make a better impact.
Today, you must change your words when you speak to a younger or older person.
Participate in the Challenge


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Support and cultivate strong arts and culture organizations to ensure a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable ecosystem.
- Action 1 – Create a bridge for organizations to sustain through the covid pandemic and re-emerge with relevance and strength.
- Provide funding for stabilization through 2021 and re-opening plans for 2022 & beyond
- Provide consulting, legal advice, and resources for possible mergers and alliances
- Action 2 – Invest in the growth and stability of organizations of all sizes through general operating support.
- Action 3 – Invest in capacity building for boards and staffs to lead best-in-class organizations
- Action 4 – Explore shared services, shared rehearsal, and performance spaces.
- Action 5 – Create/nurture an arts incubator with shared resources and emphasis on BIPOC organizations


believes that a compromise could be made to balance these factors in a way that makes sense for the school's around the nation. The importance of social distancing must be kept in mind, Alex Geordan Superintendent states, as well as the importance of interaction between students, teachers, and others. By keeping these elements at the forefront of the debate, Alex Geordan Superintendent believes it is possible to avoid complications.
Balancing Socialization and Safety Requires Many Balanced Steps
One concept that Alex Geordan Superintendent has been considering lately is a one-week on and one-week-off schedule. The idea here is that students could come to a school for one week and then work from home the next. Alex Geordan believes that the use of masks, social distancing, and other steps could help to make this process safer and more efficient.
Controlled movement between classes is also essential, Alex Geordan Superintendent states. For example, schedules of movement are vital because they can allow social distancing to remain intact as much as possible. This method would work by allowing one class to move through the halls at a time, requiring more time between classes to finish, Alex Geordan says.
And activities such as sporting events should be limited in attendance – 50 percent attendance is probably safe, as long as social distancing is followed. Alex Geordan has played around with the idea of no-attendance at these events beyond the teams. And while he doesn't like the idea that much, Alex Geordan Superintendent understands that it may be necessary.
Alex Geordan Looks to Continue Helping Students Educators and Schools
Alex Geordan's History is a Portrait of An Educator, Administrator, Facilitator, and Leader
CANFIELD, OH / June 24, 2020 / His track record speaks for itself and now Alex Geordan will be looking to continue his successful history of helping and improving educational and administrative systems for students, teachers, and schools. Even before his role as Superintendent of the Canfield School system, Alex Geordan made a difference early and often.
Alex Geordan
Alex Geordan
Alex Geordan began his career as an educator in 1994, teaching at Devon Elementary in Warren, OH, after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from Youngstown State University. Geordan continued his studies even as a teacher, earning a Master's degree in Education Administration in 1998.
As someone passionate about education, Alex Geordan wasted no time putting that degree to use assuming the role of Assistant Principal at East Middle School in Warren in 1999. That also marked the beginning of his career not only as an educator but also as an administrator. It was only six years later, in 2005 that Geordan also earned his Superintendent's Certificate.
As to be expected, just a few short years later Alex Gordan was hired as the Superintendent of Pymatuning Valley Local School District. While his time there was brief before moving on to continue helping other school systems, his school district improved from 15 of 26 state indicators passed by students to 23 of 26 passed. And the accolades only continued from there.
In his latest tenure of Superintendent of Canfield Local Schools, the administration stated that it was "proud of the progress of Canfield Local Schools under Mr. Geordan's leadership and recognizes the many accomplishments the district has achieved during his time as superintendent." For Alex Geordan, these words have become a common chorus wherever he has stepped up to educate and lead.
Alex Geordan Discusses Summer Enrichment
Alex Geordan has also spent his time as a summer enrichment teacher, in addition to lending his time to a district language arts committee. Beyond that, Geordan has merely had a few successful grant writing projects and spent time coaching basketball and football.
This is Alex Geordan, and this is a picture of an educator, administrator, and leader who is committed to helping our youth. From leading schools with new educational tools and techniques to empower students through sport and activity, Alex Geordan continues helping students, educators, and schools – because that is what he does.
Alex Geordan


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Exact Answer: 3-5 Years
One of the most common questions people ask is how long do hummingbirds live. Hummingbirds are one of the smallest birds in North America and weigh between 3-4 grams, less than a nickel.
They have wingspans that can grow up to 5 inches, and they fly at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.
Their feathers are iridescent, with colors ranging from reds, oranges, greens, and blues depending on their location.
Many people say that hummingbirds look like little jewels because of their brilliant colors. Hummingbirds feed on nectar by sucking it out of flowers with their long tongues.
How Long Do Hummingbirds Live?
|Hummingbird in wild||3 – 5 years|
|Hummingbird in Captivity||14 years|
Hummingbirds die in their first year, but if they have completed an entire annual cycle, their length of life is extended dramatically. A banded ruby-throated hummingbird was confirmed to have lived 6 years, 11 months. The oldest recorded age for a rufous hummingbird was 8 years and 1 month.
The average lifespan of a hummingbird is between 3 and 5 years. This is the case for most birds, which are not believed to live long generally. However, some species live longer than this average. For example, the oldest known documented bird lived to be an incredible 61 years old.
A few factors come into play when understanding how long hummingbirds will survive on Earth; they include genetics, malnutrition, stress/weather change-ups, or natural disasters that happen at any point in their lives.
Northern and southern varieties hibernate for up to seven months out of the year, while others fly across the Gulf of Mexico without stopping. The average lifespan is between five and ten years in the wild but can be as long as two decades in captivity.
It's difficult to say how old they get because there haven't been any scientifically sound studies on their natural living habits. These birds might die fairly young.
Hummingbirds are known for their beautiful colors and ability to hover in place with an impressive wingspan. Hummingbirds don't migrate and live exclusively in North America, with rare sightings documented in Alaska and northern Canada during breeding seasons.
Why Would Hummingbirds Live For So Long?
The main thing that sets hummingbird lifespans apart from most other birds is their ability to supercool their body temperatures below the freezing point without dying.
The tiny bodies and high blood sugar concentrations found inside hummingbirds allow them to pull off this feat with near impunity. Some people think they do so to avoid being attacked from behind by an enemy during flight, but there isn't much evidence to support that hypothesis.
They typically forage for nectar on flowers during the day and nest at night by coming home to perches close to their roosting spot, ranging between high spots like treetops or light fixtures below.
Well, they can eat nectar that's found in flowers. The sugar load in nectar helps replenish the energy they spend flying around collecting it for hours on end.
When sugars are taken out of nectar, a hummingbird will go to a sugary source and feed instead. This allows hummingbirds to live without eating for extended periods – even weeks.
Nests are somewhere between 4-7 inches wide and almost that tall, with nests appearing funnel-shaped. The rim of the nest is usually bent inward, which helps capture rainwater for the birds to drink. They weave together plant material like bark strips, tree moss, soft grasses, and flower petals over a frame to hold it all together.
The eggs are only about 7mm long, but they hatch so quickly that they will be out in less than 12 hours after laying them.
Compared to other birds, a hummingbird's bill is relatively longer in proportion to its body. Also, they have tiny hairs on their tongues to help drink the nectar, just like a cat.
Their hearts beat 1260 times per minute and also do not mate for life. When it comes to their sleeping patterns, hummingbirds sleep in their nest. During the winter, they also go into a sleep-like state. Moreover, hummingbirds have amazing memories and can even recognize and remember people.
Amazingly, they can travel over 2000 miles twice a year for migration and are considered the second largest family of birds among 300 species.


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Many parents find that talking with their children about sexuality and reproduction can be overwhelming. There are many tools to help you, no matter if you've already begun talking with your children about sexuality and want help answering specific questions, or if you don't know how to start the discussion. We hope reading about talking with your kids about sex and sexuality will be helpful.
There are also many other resources that can help:
Books About Talking with Your Children About Sexuality
How to Talk with Teens About Love, Relationships, and S-E-X by Amy G. Miron and Charles D. Miron
Sex & Sensibility: The Thinking Parent's Guide to Talking Sense About Sex by Deborah M. Roffman
Sexuality: Your Sons and Daughters With Intellectual Disabilities by Karin Melberg Schwier and David Hingsburger
Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality by Terri Couwenhoven
Books for Children
There are books written about sexuality for children of different ages. Reading books about sexuality with your children is a great way for you to break the ice and start an ongoing discussion. And children will benefit from having books like these in your home to look at when they have questions about sexuality.
It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends by Robie Harris (for ages 4 and up)
No Es La Ciguena Un Libro Que Habla Sobre Ninas, Ninos, Bebes, Cuerpos, Familias Y Amigos by Robie Harris (for ages 4 and up)
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie Harris (for ages 10 and up)
Sexo...Que Es? by Robie Harris (for ages 10 and up)
It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie Harris (for ages 7 and up)
¡EsAlucinante! by Robie Harris (for ages 7 and up)
What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown (for ages 4-8)
The "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Boys: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Sons by Lynda Madaras and Martin Anderson (for ages 8 to 15)
The "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Girls: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Daughters by Lynda Madaras and Marcia Herman-Giddens (for ages 8 to 15)
Let's Talk About Sex by Robie Harris
Who Has What? All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies by Robie Harris (for ages 4-8)
Don't hesitate to seek out additional support. Talk with friends and family members about their experiences talking with their children about sexuality. Ask them what worked and what didn't work for them.
You can also encourage your parent-teacher association (PTA), church, or temple to invite Planned Parenthood educators to talk with parents about this important topic.


Ever Wondered How Long Eggs Are Produced? Here You See!
1. In Their Natural State
The initial step, the eggs are first opened and divided into two halves.
2. High-Efficiency Egg-Cellence
Egg white and egg yolk are being separated by the help of a special machine.
3. Taking Out The Center
In a newly created hole, the inner part of the egg is removed and the yellow part is filled in.
4. Things Are Getting Hot
The egg yolk is then boiled in a beaker until it becomes hard.
5. Packing Up
After the yolk becomes hard, the production is complete, and the eggs are packed.
6. Going Into A Deep Freeze
At low temperatures, the eggs are then frozen.
Here is a video for a visual demonstration:
And here is an instructional video if you want to do you own homemade version of long eggs:
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