Postulates of the Special Theory of Relativity
The problems that existed at the start of the twentieth century with regard to electromagnetic theory and Newtonian mechanics were beautifully resolved by Einstein’s introduction of the special theory of relativity in 1905. Unaware of the Michelson–Morley null result, Einstein was motivated by certain questions regarding electromagnetic theory and light waves. For example, he asked himself: “What would I see if I rode a light beam?” The answer was that instead of a traveling electromagnetic wave, he would see alternating electric and magnetic fields at rest whose magnitude changed in space, but did not change in time. Such fields, he realized, had never been detected and indeed were not consistent with Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. He argued, therefore, that it was unreasonable to think that the speed of light relative to any observer could be reduced to zero, or in fact reduced at all. This idea became the second postulate of his theory of relativity. In his famous 1905 paper, Einstein proposed doing away with the idea of the ether and the accompanying assumption of a preferred or absolute reference frame at rest. This proposal was embodied in two postulates. The first was an extension of the Galilean–Newtonian relativity principle to include not only the laws of mechanics but also those of the rest of physics, including electricity and magnetism:
First postulate (the relati£ity principle): The laws of physics have the same form in all inertial reference frames. The first postulate can also be stated as: there is no experiment you can do in an inertial reference frame to determine if you are at rest or moving uniformly at constant velocity.
The second postulate is consistent with the first: Second postulate (constancy of the speed of light): Light propagates through empty space with a definite speed c (3.00Χ10^8 m/s) independent of the speed of the source or observer.
These two postulates form the foundation of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. It is called “special” to distinguish it from his later “general theory of relativity,” which deals with noninertial (accelerating) reference frames. The special theory, which is what we discuss here, deals only with inertial frames. The second postulate may seem hard to accept, for it seems to violate common sense. First of all, we have to think of light traveling through empty space. Giving up the ether is not too hard, however, since it had never been detected. But the second postulate also tells us that the speed of light in vacuum is always the same, no matter what the speed of the observer or the source. Thus, a person traveling toward or away from a source of light will measure the same speed for that light as someone at rest with respect to the source. This conflicts with our everyday experience: we would expect to have to add in the velocity of the observer. On the other hand, perhaps we can’t expect our everyday experience to be helpful when dealing with the high velocity of light. Furthermore, the null result of the Michelson–Morley experiment is fully consistent with the second postulate.
Einstein’s proposal has a certain beauty. By doing away with the idea of an absolute reference frame, it was possible to reconcile classical mechanics with Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. The speed of light predicted by Maxwell’s equations is the speed of light in vacuum in any reference frame. Einstein’s theory required us to give up common sense notions of space and time, and in the following Sections we will examine some strange but interesting consequences of special relativity. Our arguments for the most part will be simple ones.
An important consequence of the theory of relativity is that we can no longer regard time as an absolute quantity. No one doubts that time flows onward and never turns back. But according to relativity, the time interval between two events, and even whether or not two events are simultaneous, depends on the observer’s reference frame. By an event, which we use a lot here, we mean something that happens at a particular place and at a particular time. Two events are said to occur simultaneously if they occur at exactly the same time. But how do we know if two events occur precisely at the same time? If they occur at the same point in space—such as two apples falling on your head at the same time—it is easy. But if the two events occur at widely separated places, it is more difficult to know whether the events are simultaneous since we have to take into account the time it takes for the light from them to reach us. Because light travels at finite speed, a person who sees two events must calculate back to find out when they actually occurred. For example, if two events are observed to occur at the same time, but one actually took place farther from the observer than the other, then the more distant one must have occurred earlier, and the two events were not simultaneous.
We now imagine a simple thought experiment. Assume an observer, called O, is located exactly halfway between points A and B where two events occur, Fig. 26–3. Suppose the two events are lightning that strikes the points A and B, as shown. For brief events like lightning, only short pulses of light (blue in Fig. 26–3) will travel outward from A and B and reach O. Observer O “sees” the events when the pulses of light reach point O. If the two pulses reach O at the same time, then the two events had to be simultaneous. This is because (i) the two light pulses travel at the same speed (postulate 2), and (ii) the distance OA equals OB, so the time for the light to travel from A to O and from B to O must be the same. Observer O can then definitely state that the two events occurred simultaneously. On the other hand, if O sees the light from one event before that from the other, then the former event occurred first. The question we really want to examine is this: if two events are simultaneous to an observer in one reference frame, are they also simultaneous to another observer moving with respect to the first? Let us call the observers O1 and O2 and assume they are fixed in reference frames 1 and 2 that move with speed v relative to one another. These two reference frames can be thought of as two rockets or two trains (Fig. 26–4). O2says that O1 is moving to the right with speed v, as in Fig. 26–4a; and O1 saysO2 is moving to the left with speed v, as in Fig. 26–4b. Both viewpoints are legitimate according to the relativity principle. [There is no third point of view that will tell us which one is “really” moving.]
Now suppose that observers O1 and O2 observe and measure two lightning strikes. The lightning bolts mark both trains where they strike: at A1 and B1 on O1's train, and at A2 and B2 on O2's train, Fig. 26–5a. For simplicity, we assume that O1 is exactly halfway between A1 and B1 and O2 is halfway between A2 and B2. Let us first put ourselves in O2's reference frame, so we observe O1 moving to the right with speed v. Let us also assume that the two events occur simultaneously in O2's frame, and just at the instant when O1 and O2 are opposite each other, Fig. 26–5a. A short time later, Fig. 26–5b, light from A2 and from B2 reach O2 at the same time (we assumed this). Since O2 knows (or measures) the distances) O2A2 and O2B2 as equal, knows the two events are simultaneous in the reference frame.
But what does O1 observer observe and measure? From our (O2) reference frame, we can predict what O1 will observe. We see that O1 moves to the right during the time the light is traveling to O1 from A1 and B1. As shown in Fig. 26–5b, we can see from O2 our reference frame that the light from B1 has already passed O1 whereas the light from A1 has not yet reached O1. That is, O1 observes the light coming from B1 before observing the light coming from A1. Given (i) that light travels at the same speed c in any direction and in any reference frame, and (ii) that the distance O1A1 equals O1B1 then observer O1 can only conclude that the event at B1 occurred before the event at A1 The two events are not simultaneous for O1 even though they are for O2. We thus find that two events which take place at different locations and are simultaneous to one observer, are actually not simultaneous to a second observer who moves relative to the first. It may be tempting to ask: “Which observer is O1 right, or O2 ” The answer, according to relativity, is that they are both right. There is no “best” reference frame we can choose to determine which observer is right. Both frames are equally good. We can only conclude that simultaneity is not an absolute concept, but is relative. We are not aware of this lack of agreement on simultaneity in everyday life because the effect is noticeable only when the relative speed of the two reference frames is very large (near c), or the distances involved are very large.
from: Giancoli 7th ed Physics Chapters, Ch 26 The special theory of relativity
Giannis Simantirakis Reczko


Weather of Arabia - In the first realistic data to examine the effect of a booster dose against the omicron mutant, three new studies from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight the importance of obtaining a booster dose to provide the best protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.
Omicron now accounts for more than 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States, and the studies, released on Friday, raised the question of whether people who got just two doses of the vaccine should be considered fully immune.
"I think we have to completely redefine vaccination as including three doses," said Dr. William Schaffner, a vaccine consultant at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who was not involved in the studies.
The new studies included millions of cases, hundreds of thousands of visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers, and tens of thousands of hospitalizations among adults.
According to a study that looked at nearly 88,000 hospitalizations in 10 US states, during the months of December and January, during which period Omicron was the dominant strain, getting a booster dose of corona vaccines was 90% effective in preventing hospitalization, while Two doses were 57% effective, at least six months after the second dose.
And getting the booster dose was 82% effective in preventing visits to emergency rooms and urgent care centers, according to the study, which looked at more than 200,000 emergency visits in 10 US states, while getting two doses was only 38% effective in preventing those visits after At least six months have passed since the second shot.
That study was published Friday in the Centers for Disease Control's Weekly Report, and a second study, also published Friday, concluded that people who received three doses were less likely to develop Omicron.
Looking at data from health administrations in 25 states, CDC researchers found that among those given the booster dose, there were an average of 149 infections per 100,000 people each week. For those who received only two doses, there were 255 injuries per 100,000 people.
A third study, published in the medical journal JAMA, showed that getting a booster dose helped protect people from Omicron infection. This study of just over 13,000 cases of Omicron in the United States found that the odds of developing an asymptomatic infection were 66% lower for people who were boosted with the third dose compared to those who received only two doses.
All three studies concluded that people who were not immunized face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently reconsidering the consideration of people vaccinated with initial doses as fully immune, as a person is considered immune two weeks after receiving his second dose of mRNA vaccines, or two weeks after the first dose of “Johnson & Johnson” vaccine. But the center now recommends a booster dose for everyone 12 years of age or older, five months after their initial series of vaccinations, until they are considered fully immunized.
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Parkhurst Prison 1820
The Parkhurst boys were juvenile offenders from the Isle of Wight's Parkhurst Prison, who were transported to the Australian and New Zealand colonies between 1842 and 1861. Under the scheme, the boys were to be granted pardons under certain conditions such as permanent exile from England and, in the case of younger boys, undertaking apprenticeship in the colonies. 1,499 boys are recorded as being sent to the colonies where, particularly in New Zealand, the scheme was seen by some as de facto convictism. In Western Australia, however, the need for labour at that time appears to have made the young exiles acceptable.The State Records Office holds ACC 1829, which is a Home Office Parkhurst Boys Register (HO 24/15) on microfilm. There is an alphabetical index providing the page number in the Register. The Register itself provides details such as name, when received and from what gaol, age, crime, where and when convicted, sentence, marital status, whether can read or write, trade, gaoler's report on character, when discharged, how disposed of. The Western Australian Genealogical Society has compiled an index to ACC 1829 on microfiche (see section Catalogues and Indexes).
Also see heading Parkhurst Boys in Private Archives and the Index to Parkhurst Boys in Indexes and catalogues useful for Genealogical research.
Page last updated: Wednesday 28 October 2015


Country profile - Trinidad and Tobago
The twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago lies at the south of the West Indian archipelago close to the Venezuelan coast. Trinidad, the larger island, is crossed from east to west by a mountain range which is an extension of the Andes. Tobago is much smaller and has a central, volcanic mountain range.
Agriculture contributes only 0.3 per cent of the national GDP and employs an estimated 4 per cent of the population. Foreign investment and trade are buoyant but the economy is dependent on the fluctuating world price of oil and the emphasis on natural gas and petrochemicals and the lure of industrial work have been to the detriment of agriculture. With rising food imports (the country produces only eight per cent of its required staple foods) and increasing global food prices, the Government is prioritising agriculture as a way to diversify the economy, increase the country's food security and provide sustainable and productive employment opportunities.
Because of the country's colonial history, agriculture has been traditionally aimed at crops for export to Europe, including sugar, coffee and cocoa. For more than 30 years, Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed preferential treatment from the EU for the trade of cane sugar. However, with production costs for sugar among the highest in the world, the sugar sector experienced a steep decline in the early 2000s when estate-based production of sugar was ended with the closure of the state-owned sugar producing company, Caroni.
National cocoa output has also declined due to high labour costs, low farm productivity, poor access roads and insecure land tenure. Production figures for cocoa are roughly 600 tonnes per year, compared to 35,000 tonnes produced in the early 1900s. Today, about 1,700 farmers operate on 7,000 hectares. To resuscitate the industry, the Government is focusing on niche markets for speciality cocoa, supplying planting material of 11 new improved varieties, cultivating links with international chocolatiers, and rehabilitating chocolate plantations.
Other crops grown include rice, sweet potato, cassava, breadfruit, tomatoes, hot peppers, cucumber, pumpkin, pigeon pea, banana, mango, pineapple and pawpaw. Trinidad and Tobago has the potential to be self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables but poor post-harvest storage facilities lead to gluts at some points during the year and shortages at others. A wide variety of fruit and vegetables, including pumpkin, watermelon, eggplant, hot peppers and herbs are exported mainly to the USA, Canada and the UK. Current supply of these exports is not fulfilling demand so there is potential for expansion in this sector. New initiatives include increasing the supply of high quality vegetable seeds, providing extension training in integrated pest management techniques, and improving post-harvest handling and storage facilities.
The fisheries sector includes marine fisheries, aquaculture, inland fisheries and an ornamental fish trade. Total production of fish from capture fisheries is between 13,000-15,000 tonnes per year. The sector is mainly artisanal but also includes semi-industrial and industrial fleets. The marketing and selling of fish is undertaken in a very basic manner, with most of the fish marketed fresh and sold directly by fishermen on the beach to private buyers/middlemen or to consumers. Shrimp represents about 40% of fisheries export value. Snapper, flyingfish, kingfish, carite, croakers, bechine and shrimp are also important export species. Judicious management is required to prevent overfishing. The Government is facilitating the expansion of hatcheries, improving the supply of fingerlings and establishing national processing and cold storage facilities.
The main environmental issues affecting agriculture in Trinidad are the high use of agricultural chemicals, and their disposal, particularly in vegetable growing areas, and hazards, such as forest fires and soil erosion, associated with agricultural squatters on forested hillsides. In contrast, Tobago farming systems are generally low-input with little or no chemicals used but, as tourism developments and other infrastructure encroach on the most suitable land for agriculture, more farmers are using the hillsides for food production making soil conservation an increasingly important issue.
Trinidad and Tobago is virtually self-sufficient in poultry meat, eggs, and pork but consumption of livestock products is increasing at a rapid rate. To provide sufficient quantities of animal proteins, the national focus is on production of sheep and goats for meat, dairy goats and cattle for milk, rabbits for meat and buffalo for meat and milk.
The apiaries sector is small but vibrant. There are 450 beekeepers and 7,000 colonies in the country which produced about 110,000 litres per year in 2010, which decreased in 2011 to 44,000 due to poor weather conditions. To boost production, the Government has plans to develop a laboratory to test honey to ensure it meets EU standards and grant access to State lands and forest reserves, providing access to more bee forage. By 2015, the aim is to have 550 beekeepers and 10,000 colonies producing 200,000 litres of honey per year.
Agro-processing provides an alternative market for some fruit and vegetables such as hot peppers and pigeon peas. The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) is concentrating its research and development on roots and tubers, cereals and grain legumes, hot peppers, fruits and vegetables, small ruminants, climate change resilience for agricultural development and natural resource management. The hot pepper programme has focused on selecting and stabilising the country's landraces, and compiling information about production and marketing. A strong quality seed production and dissemination system has been set up for hot pepper. Agronomic improvement and technology transfer with interventions along the value change, including marketing, has been implemented.
To improve the small ruminant industry, CARDI has concentrated on improvements in nutrition, health and breeds. In general, it is recognised that the needs of a population with very sophisticated and health-conscious tastes and the increasing number of visitors provide exciting opportunities for the development of agricultural production in Trinidad and Tobago. Potential also exists for exploring and expanding niche markets both within and outside the Caribbean region.
- Country: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
- Capital: Port of Spain
- Area: 5,128 sq km
- Population: 1,226,383 (July 2012 est.)
- Population growth rate: -0.086% (2012 est.)
- Life expectancy: 72 (2012 est.)
- Languages: English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese
- Inflation: 8.7% (2012 est.)
- GDP purchasing power parity: US$27.12 billion (2012 est.)
- GDP per capita: US$20,400 (2012 est.)
- GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 0.3%; industry: 58.8%; services: 40.8% (2012 est.)
- Land use: arable land: 14.62%; permanent crops: 9.16%; other: 76.22% (2005)
- Major industries: petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles
- Agricultural products: cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables, poultry, sugar
- Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
- Export commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers
- Export partners: US 43.6%, Spain 5.1%, South Korea 4.8%, Jamaica 4.6% (2011)
Date published: July 2013
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A new study says that, as people age, they may lose the ability to detect the taste of iron in drinking water. This piece of startling health news raises the concern that older adults could be at risk of over-exposure to iron.
Researchers point out that tasting the metallic flavor in water can help people limit exposure to metals such as iron. This trace element, required by the body to transport oxygen in red blood cells, is found naturally in water or from the corrosion of iron water-supply pipes. However, doctors’ advice to all patients is that you need less iron after the age of 50.
That metallic flavor in water, caused by the dissolved iron and copper commonly found in groundwater or that may leak into tap water from corroded pipes, has been an issue for both consumers and utility companies.
More than two million miles of the United States’ water and wastewater pipes are nearing the end of their useful life. But, these facilities, which are generally underground, don’t attract too much attention. This study is highlighting the fact that attention may be necessary.
Studies also suggest that older people who consume too much iron — especially in natural supplements and iron-rich foods — may be at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related conditions. Add to this that scientists have long known that taste perception fades with age. So what were the gaps in knowledge about how aging affects perception of a metallic flavor in water?
In a study with 69 people, researchers identified a distinctive age-related decline in people’s ability to taste iron. People over age 50 tended to miss the metallic taste of iron in water, even at normal levels above the thresholds set by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Association.
This may have implications for other metals of health concern. What springs immediately to mind is copper from copper pipes. Copper is in fact less flavorful than iron and is believed to be more toxic.
If you are concerned, inquire about having your water and pipes tested for mineral levels. See what help your local government can provide as well.


Imagine you are a teacher at a public school, and you want to use a free recording of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in your classroom. As an author of music textbooks and a music theory professor, I am always looking for creative ways to develop teaching materials as Open Educational Resources (oer-musik.de), so that everyone can share and learn from these important recordings. In an effort to develop a set of these materials, I recently began to digitize both my own records as well as records from my employer.
Under German law, the copyright term for recordings which were made prior to January 1, 1963 has expired, meaning they have entered the public domain. Recordings taken after that date were given extended protection in 2013 and thus cannot be digitized. Aware of this rule, I only undertook to upload recordings which were taken before the 1963 date in order to fully comply with the law. Despite that precaution, the process that followed presented a number of unexpected challenges.
The first video I uploaded to YouTube promoted the website where my digitized copies of public domain recordings are available to download. In this video, I explained my project, while examples of the music played in the background. Less than three minutes after uploading, I received a notification that there was a ContentID claim against my video. ContentID is a system, developed by YouTube, which checks user uploaded videos against databases of copyrighted content in order to curb copyright infringement. This system took millions of dollars to develop and is often pointed to as a working example of upload filters by rights holders and lawmakers who wish to make such technology mandatory for every website which hosts user content online. However, these claims ignore the widespread reports of its often flawed execution.
In fact, when I replied to the claim on my introductory video stating that the claimant’s own website said that the date of the recording’s first publication was in 1962, and thus it was in the public domain, the claim was withdrawn with no further ado. This interaction sparked a curiosity in me: were other users uploading public domain music to YouTube receiving similar requests?
I decided to open a different YouTube account “Labeltest” to share additional excerpts of copyright-free music. I quickly received ContentID notifications for copyright-free music by Bartok, Schubert, Puccini and Wagner. Again and again, YouTube told me that I was violating the copyright of these long-dead composers, despite all of my uploads existing in the public domain. I appealed each of these decisions, explaining that 1) the composers of these works had been dead for more than 70 years, 2) the recordings were first published before 1963, and 3) these takedown request did not provide justification in their property rights under the German Copyright Act.
I only received more notices, this time about a recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No.5, which was accompanied by the message: “Copyrighted content was found in your video. The claimant allows its content to be used in your YouTube video. However, advertisements may be displayed.” Once again, this was a mistaken notification. The recording was one by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Lorin Maazel, which was released in 1961 and is therefore in the public domain. Seeking help, I emailed YouTube, but their reply, “[…] thank you for contacting Google Inc. Please note that due to the large number of enquiries, e-mails received at this e-mail address email@example.com cannot be read and acknowledged” was less than reassuring.
I wish I could tell you that the ending to this tale was wholly happy. It is true that many of my contestations of these copyright violations were successful. However, I intended to release all of my videos under a free license, so that they could be used in the future for others to educate and inform students about these beautiful works. Even in cases where my defense to the ContentID claims were successful, the videos were not reverted to this free license, making it much more difficult for others to use and share these digitized works in the way I originally had intended.
Filters like ContentID can be useful for platforms that host large amounts of user-generated content, but as my story exposes, they have significant flaws which can lead to the diminishment of educational and cultural resources online. In addition to the copyright issues, the technology appears unable to always recognize the musical piece playing. For example, in one of my video’s Hans Hotter’s interpretation of Franz Schubert’s ‘Der Atlas’ was automatically recognized; however, the recording was actually by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. When lawmakers mandate the use of these types of filters for all platforms regardless of their size or existing effective practices, they miss the nuance of how the internet operates and the technical flaws in automatic content detection which still exist, just as these upload filters missed the nuance of my public domain uploads.
Bernd Fiedler, WMDE


Difference between revisions of "El Alamein"
Revision as of 06:37, 11 August 2010
El Alamein is a small town on the north coast of Egypt, on the railway line about sixty miles west of Alexandria; it is famous as the site of major battles between British and German forces during the Second World War. Winston Churchill described El Alamein as having the best climate in the world.
The most comfortable way to El Alamein is by air-conditioned train from Alexandria.
The Commonwealth War Cemetery at El Alamein is open during daylight hours, and staffed Saturday to Thursday 0730 to 1430. There are also German and Italian cemeteries, and a very substantial war museum.
The entire coast near El Alamein is covered by fancifully-laid-out villa complexes; eleven kilometres of it is the Porto Marina, which is regarded as an elite resort by Egyptian standards but reasonably affordable to Western travellers.


By Zoe Flack
My research area is developmental psychology. In particular, I am investigating how different aspects of storybook reading with preschool children can help (or hinder!) word learning. Luckily, children like hearing stories, and adults enjoy reading them. But in addition to the enjoyment factor, children also learn new words from the storybooks they hear. This means that storybook reading is a great activity to help children increase their vocabularies—which has many benefits, especially for school readiness.
Research has shown that storybook illustrations are important. For example, we know that children learn words better if illustrations are realistic. We also know that children look within illustrations for the things they hear in the story: so if the story mentions a girl dropping an ice-cream, children will look at the ice-cream in the illustration. But when there are multiple illustrations displayed at once, how do young children who haven’t yet learned to read know which illustration to look at while listening to a story?
Children’s storybooks are designed with eye-catching illustrations, and many books display multiple illustrations per page (see e.g., The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers contains 6 illustrations on pages 7-8). Even if children understand that the left page is read before the right page, they will not necessarily know when the reader moves from one page to the other. At its worst this may mean children are trying to search through the wrong illustration for clues to make sense of new vocabulary, or that they search through more visual information than necessary.
We tested this in the WORD Lab with 3½-year-old children. We read children three stories from a set of storybooks, arranged in one of three ways. Storybooks with two illustrations displayed at a time (i.e., one illustration on the left page and one on the right), one illustration displayed at a time (i.e., left side blank, one illustration on the right) or with one large illustration. We included the large illustration format to check that image size could not account for any effects we found. The large illustration format (A3) was the twice the size of the other books (the two illustration format is two A4 pages, so has the same surface area).
Set within the books were two novel objects, which were named and depicted twelve times throughout three books. (Research shows children can learn about 1-2 words from a storybook at this age.) After hearing their three storybooks read, children were asked to identify each of these objects twice from an array of other similar novel objects. This is a standard testing method for word learning research of this kind with children of this age.
Children who were read the two page illustration versions of the storybooks learned significantly fewer words than those who were read the one illustration, or the large one illustration storybook versions. In our study, children in the one illustration conditions had fewer illustrations to search through to find the relevant information.
Since these children can’t read, it is likely they learned fewer words because they did not know where to look. We wondered if providing a supporting gesture to guide children toward the correct page might help. So we read another group of children the two illustrations books, but this time we used a sweeping gesture to highlight which page we were reading from. These children performed as well as the children who had seen the one illustration storybooks in the first experiment. This suggests that simply guiding children’s attention to the correct page helps them focus on the right illustrations, and this in turn might help them concentrate on the new words.
Our findings fit well with Cognitive Load Theory, which suggests that learning rates are affected by how complicated a task is. In this case, by giving children less information at once, or guiding them to the correct information, we can help children learn more words. We are excited by the findings, which could also shed light on discrepancies between research comparing print storybooks and e-books, since e-books often present just one illustration at a time.
We have some exciting ideas for follow up studies, so, if you know a child aged 3-4 who might like to visit us to hear some stories or play some games at WORD Lab, please sign up here.
Zoe is doing a PhD with Dr Jessica Horst in the WORD LAB. This post is based on the presentation Zoe gave in the School’s PhD Presentation Conference in June 2016, where she won the best presentation award.


DECEMBER 22, 2011
1. Free land (Homestead Act, etc.)
2. Technological breakthroughs (electricity, motor vehicles, telephone, radio, television, computers etc.)
3. Smart, uneducated kids (who were made productive through excellent public education).
4. Cheap fossil fuels.
In contrast, a child born in 1970, a year after the first moon landing and the Boeing 747’s first flight, has seen the personal computer, biotechnology, cellphones, Web browsers, search engines and nanotechnology (the current weak version of nanotechnology and not full blown molecular nanotechnology).
I would note that we have layers of technology (civilizations technology and solution stacks) that exist from different times which make up the stack of technology that we use today. This can be thought of the way archeologists will dig through layers of history, except this is the layers of living technology. This can also be related to the stack of hardware and software that exists in a computer solution (an example is LAMP - Linux, Apache, MySql, PHP).
We have the bodies and minds from evolution that have existed for tens of thousands of years.
We have clothes, agriculture and language that have been around for many thousands of years.
We have electricity, engines, cars, planes, television and highrises from the time of our grandparents.
We have computers and the internet and biotechnology.
Usually when new technology comes along there is some shift from old technologies and some other technologies are adapted. We collectively will resist changing technologies and structures that are deeper in the stack. Many older ways and processes have been perfectly adapted into how people live. There is no desire to change. This can be seen in the regulations in
So progress should not just be measured by how powerful is the next layer of technology that we add on top. We also need to look at how well we can innovate and upgrade the heck out of the older layers. Also, the best versions of the older technology may not be distributed to everyone to enable maximum productivity.
Some examples are:
the creation of $40 android smartphones that should enable everyone to have a very powerful computational device.
South Korea and Hong Kong have affordable (about $40/month) gigabit per second internet and there is technology to get to tens of gigabits per second and even terabits per second
Factory mass produced deep burn nuclear fission reactors with 100 year lifespans could bring the cost of energy to less than one cent per kwh. It would not be energy too cheap to meter but we can work and coordinate and enable energy to be five times cheaper even without a "super breakthrough". We also need to work towards super-breakthroughs.
Policies and planning to achieve faster economic growth
Accelerating the economy while maintaining or improving safety will require coordination and effort. Just like being able to have trains move faster and with fewer delays requires planning, coordination and effort.
Each of the levels of faster speed would require consideration.
10 times faster construction would mean - less time for various checks from weeks to days.
100 times faster means minutes for turnarounds or everything pre-checked and approved.
1000 times means all interested parties must have their issues pre-thought out for work in the pipeline up to one year in advance. A pre-planned city wide wiki of intersection projects. New software and new project planning may be required to enable each level.
Plans would be going into a queue for simulation, software-agent first pass comments and validations.
How modularized and disconnected can things safely be? The more compartmentalized things can be then the more simplicity and speed can be retained. There is value to higher safe development speeds.
20% growth - 1997-98 Internet time across the whole economy
Capturing higher GDP from Megacities - better planning
Computer driving technology is basically within reach of doubling (or more) the capacity of a road lane to pass cars. Pundits don’t seem to realize just how big a deal this is – it could let cities be roughly twice as big, all else equal. Doubling the population of any city requires only about an 85% increase in infrastructure, whether that be total road surface, length of electrical cables, water pipes or number of petrol stations. This systematic 15% savings happens because, in general, creating and operating the same infrastructure at higher densities is more efficient, more economically viable, and often leads to higher-quality services and solutions that are impossible in smaller places.
China has noticed one-city GDP growth effects from high speed rail linking cities. According to initial research and estimations, upon the completion of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, the "dumbbell effect" will lift the GDP growth rates of the regions along the railway by about 19 to 21 percentage points.
China is building the enhanced infrastructure to more effectively integrate cities into megacities and regions to capture 20-50% more GDP.
Upgrading Infrastructure can be done faster than upgrading people
Until we get major transhumanist technology it will be faster to upgrade infrastructure to make people more productive and to enable greater wealth and welfare. However, there should be DARPA like efforts to revamp education and to find ways to enable people to rapidly get new and improved skills.
The result, say researchers, is a novel learning approach sufficient to cause long-lasting improvement in tasks that require visual performance.
Is hypnosis or a type of automated learning a potential outcome of the research?
"In theory, hypnosis or a type of automated learning is a potential outcome," said Kawato. "However, in this study we confirmed the validity of our method only in visual perceptual learning. So we have to test if the method works in other types of learning in the future. At the same time, we have to be careful so that this method is not used in an unethical way."
At present, the decoded neurofeedback method might be used for various types of learning, including memory, motor and rehabilitation.
Some anti-poverty and children under 5 death reduction factors -
Each year of a mothers education reduces by 10% the chance of her children dying before the age of 5.
884 million people lack safe drinking water. 80% in rural areas
Access to clean sanitation goals appear out of reach for 2015.
Other have analyzed the poverty and have an even better picture where there will be fewer than 600 million living on less than $1.25 per day in 2015. In 2009, there were World Bank projections that there would be 1 billion living on less than $1.25 per day in 2015 and 800 million in 2020. Therefore, poverty statistics are catching up to the reality of an improved situation.
The projections put annual global growth at about 4.5 percent in 2011 and 2012 and have decent growth through 2014


The team, from Durham University and the University of Leeds, studied crystal formation from a volcano, in Santorini, in Greece, to calculate the timescale between the trigger of volcanic activity and the volcano's eruption.
They say the technique can be applied to other volcanoes – such as Vesuvius, near Naples, in Italy – and will help inform the decisions of civil defence agencies.
Worldwide, it is estimated that between 50 and 70 volcanoes erupt each year, but due to the long gaps between eruptions at most volcanoes it is hard to understand how any individual volcano behaves. This work allows scientists to better understand this behaviour.
The research, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), is published this week in the prestigious scientific journal Science.
The scientists looked at crystals from the 1925-28 eruption of Nea Kameni, in Santorini.
Lead author Dr Victoria Martin, of Durham University, showed that the crystal rims reacted with molten rock, or magma, as it moved into the volcano's shallow chamber prior to eruption. This process is thought to be associated with shallow level earthquake activity, as shown by modern volcano monitoring.
By studying the area between the crystal core and the rim the team then worked out how long the rims had existed – revealing how long the magma was in the shallow chamber before it erupted.
The crystals showed the 1925-28 eruption at Nea Kameni took place three to ten weeks after the magma entered the shallow system.
As magma movement typically causes seismic activity, if any future seismic or inflation activity at Nea Kameni can be linked to magma recharge of the volcano, the scientists predict an eruption could follow within a similar timescale.
They hope this method can be applied to other volcanoes, allowing the pre-eruption behaviour to be better understood - and understanding of volcanoes to be extended back further in time.
Co-author Dr Dan Morgan, from the School of Earth and Environment, at the University of Leeds, said: "We hope to develop these techniques further and apply them to more volcanoes worldwide.
"Potentially, these techniques could extend our knowledge of volcanic recharge considerably, as they can be applied to material erupted before volcanic monitoring was commonplace."
Professor Jon Davidson, Chair of Earth Sciences at Durham University, said: "We hope that what we find in the crystals in terms of timescales can be linked with phenomena such as earthquakes
"If we can relate the timescales we measure to such events we may be able to say when we could expect a volcano to erupt.
"This is an exciting new method that will help us understand the timescales of fundamental volcanic processes driving eruptions."
Alex Thomas | EurekAlert!
Diving robots find Antarctic seas exhale surprising amounts of carbon dioxide in winter
16.08.2018 | National Science Foundation
Diving robots find Antarctic winter seas exhale surprising amounts of carbon dioxide
15.08.2018 | University of Washington
New design tool automatically creates nanostructure 3D-print templates for user-given colors
Scientists present work at prestigious SIGGRAPH conference
Most of the objects we see are colored by pigments, but using pigments has disadvantages: such colors can fade, industrial pigments are often toxic, and...
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles present new research on a curious cosmic phenomenon known as "whistlers" -- very low frequency packets...
Scientists develop first tool to use machine learning methods to compute flow around interactively designable 3D objects. Tool will be presented at this year’s prestigious SIGGRAPH conference.
When engineers or designers want to test the aerodynamic properties of the newly designed shape of a car, airplane, or other object, they would normally model...
Researchers from TU Graz and their industry partners have unveiled a world first: the prototype of a robot-controlled, high-speed combined charging system (CCS) for electric vehicles that enables series charging of cars in various parking positions.
Global demand for electric vehicles is forecast to rise sharply: by 2025, the number of new vehicle registrations is expected to reach 25 million per year....
Proteins must be folded correctly to fulfill their molecular functions in cells. Molecular assistants called chaperones help proteins exploit their inbuilt folding potential and reach the correct three-dimensional structure. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) have demonstrated that actin, the most abundant protein in higher developed cells, does not have the inbuilt potential to fold and instead requires special assistance to fold into its active state. The chaperone TRiC uses a previously undescribed mechanism to perform actin folding. The study was recently published in the journal Cell.
Actin is the most abundant protein in highly developed cells and has diverse functions in processes like cell stabilization, cell division and muscle...
17.08.2018 | Event News
08.08.2018 | Event News
27.07.2018 | Event News
17.08.2018 | Physics and Astronomy
17.08.2018 | Information Technology
17.08.2018 | Life Sciences


The time span of ancient India stretches from 5000 BC to roughly about 10th century AD. This is a very long time line and there are many startling facts about ancient India. Since all the facts cannot be made available, a few important ones are mentioned here to enumerate the achievement of ancient India.
The earliest school of medicine known as Ayurveda originated during the Vedic age. Ayurveda was developed by Charaka, considered to be the father of medicine who consolidated it in his book charakasmitha.
During the Vedic age prominent Ayurveda acharyas were Acharya Ashwini Kumar, Dhanvantari, Banabhatt, Sushrut, Madhav, Jeevan and Lolimbaraja. The great physician of ancient India who conducted complicated surgeries was Sushruta. Sushruta is called the father of surgery and he compiled his findings in the book Sushrutasamitha.
The art of Yoga, a form of physical exercise to control diseases was developed by Patanjali a revered sage in ancient India. Taxila and Nalanda were important centres of learning in ancient India. Takshila, establish in 700 BC holds distinction of being world's first university.
The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC. It was one of the greatest centres of learning in ancient India. Panini, the Sanskrit grammarian, who lived between 750 and 500 BC, was the first to compose formal grammar through his work Astadhyai.
Two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism were established in India in 500 and 600 BC, respectively. River Ganga was another important river in ancient India. Many settlements, cities and towns developed on the banks of this holy river. Varanasi, also known as Benares, situated on the banks of river Ganga is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world The four pieces of Hindu literature; Mahabhanata, Panchatantra, Ramayana, Bhagavad Giva were compiled after the Vedic period.
The records of King Rudradaman I of 150 BC show that Sudarshan Lake at Junagarh was built by Chandra Gupta Maurya. Chandra Gupta Maurya is called Sandrocottus in the Greek writings.
The Grand Anicut, also known as the Kallanai dam was built on the Kaveri River by the Chola king Karikalan in 2nd Century BC. It is considered one of the oldest water-diversion or water-regulator structures in the world.
Trade between India and China was carried on before Gupta age, in 2nd century AD. During the Gupta age, ships and boats were manufactured in large numbers. Gujarat, bengal and Tamil Nadu were the main centres of cotton industry. Some other achievements during the Gupta period were in the field of literature, astronomy, medicine, paintings, sculptures, roads, universities, maths and metallurgy.
Budhayana was the first Indian mathematician to calculate the value of 'pi' in the 6th century AD. He explained the concept of Pythagorean Theorem. Quadratic equations were propounded by Sridharacharya in the 11th century AD. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus all came from India.
ShataranjaPoet Bilhana in his Vikramanka Charita described the history of the reign of Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI. Sandhyaakar Nandi's Ramacharita is a description of the reign of Rampal, a king of the Pala dynasty of Bengal. Kalhana's Rajatarangini is a valuable book on the history of the kings of Kashmir.
Padmagupta's Nabasahasanka Charita, Hem Chandra's Dwasraya Kavya , Nyaya Chandra's Hammir Kavya , Ballal's Bhoja Prabandha contains important historical materials of ancient India.


The recent IPCC report AR6 has emphasised that humidity is also very important while estimating the physiological stress that extreme heat puts on the human body
Why is humidity such a critical factor while measuring heat exposure?
- Humans lose heat generated within their body by producing sweat that evaporates on the skin.
- The cooling effect of this evaporation is essential in maintaining a stable body temperature.
- As humidity rises, sweat does not evaporate —just like clothes take a long time to dry in humid locations – and makes it difficult to regulate body temperature. This is why we feel more discomfort in humid places.
- The humidity required to reach wet bulb temperatures in excess of 35°C over land is exceedingly difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons.
Wet bulb temperature –
- In the recent IPCC report AR6, instead of the “dry bulb” temperature that is usually measured using a regular thermometer, an alternative metric known as the “wet bulb temperature” has been used to measure exposure to extreme heat.
- The report mentions that sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 35°C are fatal, while sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 32°C are dangerous for intense physical activity.


There is no person who would not use a stepladder – aluminum, wood or any other material. This product is indispensable during the repair; it facilitates the work and makes the work easier, and in some moments without it not to manage in any way. No one knows when the first ladder, but the existence of them in ancient times is an indisputable fact.
Types of ladders
There are many types and models of ladders. According to the basis of their functional characteristics, they can be divided into several categories;
- Addl. Products of this type need a building or other object as a support. There are several types of them:
- Sliding or telescopic.
- Traditional (size of the permanent ladder).
- The ladder. These products stand themselves, without support, and basically have a design in the form of the letter “L”. They are also divided into types:
The stairs are made of different materials. In the old days, the main material in the production of ladders, stairways and other species was wood. This publicly available material is used everywhere in our time. However, wooden stairs are not without their drawbacks – they are short-lived and weigh a lot.
Due to the development of industrial technologies and reduce the cost of production of the metal, wood ladders were replaced by aluminum ladders. They are much easier, more practical and have a long service life. The price of such products usually are acceptable and the advantages greater. Consider the distinctive features of the aluminum products:
- Durability. Not exposed to aggressive influence of environment. Not subject to corrosion.
- Affordable price.
- The sliding design takes up little space during storage.
- Adjustment of the length. Thanks to the sectional design, there is the ability to adjust the required height in high-rise works. There are one-, two-, three -, and four-section ladders.
As you can see – the advantages are apparent.
Sliding elements and sections in them
Sliding or telescopic ladder consist of sections. Section is an independent part of the ladder, the connection of which forms the maximum length of the main ladder. Each section usually consists of 6-8 steps. The height of the product is determined by the last step or platform if it is provided by the design of this model. The optimal solution for the house or garden will be a four-section sliding ladder. It will provide the necessary height for homework. When working with this product, you can use not all sections, and as long as necessary to achieve the desired length.
Safety is above all else
Using this type of household equipment, it is necessary to remember that you are working at height. And let the height be small, there is always a chance of injury when falling. Therefore, it is necessary to observe elementary precautions while using ladders of any configuration.
Of course, aluminum does not corrode and have a long life however with frequent use this tool, you need to pay special attention to its condition-after all, the frequent use of the device becomes unstable, it increases the probability of easing steps and the reliability of the stairs becomes too low.
Test equipment for durability
According to the regulations and specifications of any ladders, the load capacity per step shall be not less than 150 kg. Once a year the enterprises conduct tests of the ladders with the preparation of the relevant acts. It is not difficult to carry out the test for strength at home. You should set a weight of 150 kg on the first step, wait three minutes and move the load to the next level. You need to repeat it on each step. When conducting the test it is necessary to consider the general condition. The device must not stagger, and steps shouldn’t flex. The appearance should correspond to a working product. If problems are found they must be addressed urgently. If you cannot resolve the breakage device, it cannot be used. It is better to buy new, especially since the price of the product is low. Safety is most important.
Never use stairs that are not tested for strength or raise suspicion of integrity, because your security is important even in case of the most urgent work!
Choose the ladder
Of course, such a device is an indispensable attribute in the household, especially if you are the owner of a private house. What kind of ladder do you choose – two – or four-section? What mistakes are made by buyers? Does the price depend upon functionality? Let us examine these questions.
Choose the stairs for your home is not difficult. First you need to determine the heights of buildings on your plot and, of course, the house. The electricity poles should be deleted from the list because climbing the pillars is the work of professional electricians. After measurements you should determine the highest point. It will be the main indicator when choosing. Naturally, the price of the four-section design will be higher than the two-section design, because two times more material for the manufacturing was used.
If the highest point is 10 meters, when you purchase an inventory, then you need to add another 2-3 meter. Why? Buying sliding ladder, you have to consider that it needs support and you should put it at an angle, so there must be stock height.
What are the most common errors, and why is it not to do them?
- Trying to save money. “Being greedy” when selecting an aluminum ladder is not worth it. Generally, the higher the price is, the better quality and durability will be.
- The stock footage. You always need to consider extra meters in order not to get into a situation, when you stand on the top step, and cannot reach the object.
- Purchase of used equipment. Whatever it is but purchasing of used equipment is not reliable. The metal has already experienced the load, and it is unknown how the equipment has been treated previously. It is better to buy a new one.
Of course, the price of foreign products is always higher than domestic, but that’s no reason to overpay. Consult with sellers, read reviews, and selection will be determined by itself.
In conclusion, it should be noted that aluminum ladders are widely spread in everyday life and in industry. And products such as three – or four-section ladders should be among your inventory.
And how did you choose an aluminum ladder? Was the price the main factor when choosing? What manufacturer did you prefer and what design – a two – or four-section is more practical? Please share your opinion, and maybe that’s your thought and practice will be crucial for someone when purchasing this device.


Primates found in Brazil’s Amazon rain forest
Conservation International announced today the discovery of two new species of titi monkey in Brazil’s Amazon rain forest. The findings are published in a just-released special supplement to the journal Neotropical Primates.
They were described by Marc van Roosmalen, a primatologist at Brazil’s National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), his son, Tomas van Roosmalen, and Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and chair of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s Primate Specialist Group.
"Even though our closest living relatives, the primates, have been very well-studied for the past four decades, we are once again surprised by the discovery of even more species," said Mittermeier. "It proves how much we still need to learn about biological diversity, especially in the tropical rainforests."
One of the species, Callicebus bernhardi, or Prince Bernhard’s titi monkey, is remarkable for its dark orange sideburns, chest and the inner sides of its limbs, its reddish-brown back, and a white-tipped black tail. It lives between the east bank of the Rio Madeira and the lower reaches of its tributary, the Rio Aripuaña, south of the Amazon River.
Callicebus bernhardi is named for His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, a noted naturalist who created the Order of the Golden Ark to honor conservationists internationally. This prestigious award was bestowed upon co-authors Marc Van Roosmalen and Russell Mittermeier in recent years. Van Roosmalen will present the discovery to the Prince at Soestdijk Palace in Holland on June 25, four days before the Prince’s 91st birthday.
Prince Bernhard will also receive a special portrait of his monkey by Stephen Nash, CI’s technical illustrator, who has made major contributions to primate conservation worldwide through his posters and educational materials. The second new species, Callicebus stephennashi, is named after Nash, who works for Conservation International and is based at the Department of Anatomical Sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Callicebus stephennashi, or Stephen Nash’s titi monkey, is silver in color, with a black forehead and red sideburns, chest and inner sides of limbs. Since fishermen brought it to Van Roosmalen’s Breeding Center for Endangered Wildlife in Manaus, it is uncertain where it lives. Van Roosmalen believes it came from the eastern bank of the Rio Purús in Central Amazonia.
"I am currently using my new discoveries to convince the Brazilian government to create nature reserves in the areas where I have found these species and where others, yet unknown to science, are likely to live," says Marc van Roosmalen. "The Amazon is extremely rich in biodiversity, and these newly-discovered creatures should be regarded as flagship species."
Scientists have described 24 monkeys new to science since 1990, according to Anthony Rylands, senior director at the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International, 13 of which are from Brazil. Including these two new monkeys, Brazil now has 95 species of primates, far more than any other country, and 134 species and subspecies, close to one-quarter of the global total. Van Roosmalen and Mittermeier have previously described four other new monkey species.
Titi monkeys are about the size of a small cat. They live in the dense understory of the South American tropical forests in small family groups of a mated pair and their offspring. Twenty-eight species, each with unique and colorful fur patterns, are now known to occur over a large part of the Amazon basin and the Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil.
Brad Phillips | Source: EurekAlert!
More articles from Life Sciences:
New genetic research finds shark, human proteins stunningly similar
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Prostate cancer biomarker may predict patient outcomes
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International team of scientists develops new feedback method for optimizing the laser pulse shapes used in the control of chemical reactions
In many ways, traditional chemical synthesis is similar to cooking. To alter the final product, you can change the ingredients or their ratio, change the method of mixing ingredients, or change the temperature or pressure of the environment of the ingredients.
Like an accomplished chef, chemists have become very skilled ...
A genetic defect protects mice from infection with influenza viruses
A new study published in the scientific journal PLOS Pathogens points out that mice lacking a protein called Tmprss2 are no longer affected by certain flu viruses.
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The Light: Global study gets underway with online user survey
Light has a fundamental impact on our sense of well-being and performance. In cooperation with Zumtobel, a supplier of lighting solutions, Fraunhofer IAO has launched a global user survey of lighting quality in offices. The objective is to identify the best lighting conditions for a variety of spaces and lighting ...
Quantum entanglement, a perplexing phenomenon of quantum mechanics that Albert Einstein once referred to as “spooky action at a distance,” could be even spookier than Einstein perceived.
Physicists at the University of Washington and Stony Brook University in New York believe the phenomenon might be intrinsically linked with wormholes, hypothetical features of space-time that in popular science fiction can provide a much-faster-than-light shortcut from one part of the universe to another.
But here’s the catch: One couldn’t actually ...
A star is formed when a large cloud of gas and dust condenses and eventually becomes so dense that it collapses into a ball of gas, where the pressure heats the matter, creating a glowing gas ball – a star is born.
New research from the Niels Bohr Institute, among others, shows that a young, newly formed star in the Milky Way had such an explosive growth, that it was initially about 100 times brighter than it is now. The results are published in the scientific journal, Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The young ...
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Spanish and English are different. So why do we teach literacy as if they’re not?
During add.a.lingua working sessions with Dr. Tara Fortune, director of the Immersion Research and Professional Development Program at CARLA, she reiterated how vitally important it is that literacy instruction maintains the contextual and linguistic integrity of the language.
We couldn’t agree more, and that’s why add.a.lingua’s grade level instructional frameworks for Spanish (and Mandarin Chinese) literacy have been developed to address the unique aspects of each language.
The importance of a language specific approach to literacy has just been underscored by a new study from Claude Goldenberg of the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The study finds that awareness of individual letter sounds, which is the foundational skill for early literacy instruction in English, isn’t as important when teaching beginning readers in Spanish:
“The study shows that Spanish-speaking students achieved reading comprehension in Spanish without [phonemic] instruction, raising questions about the approach being used to teach a growing number of Spanish-speaking children in the United States to read in Spanish.”
By contrast, syllabic awareness is critical to effective early Spanish literacy instruction:
“In Spanish, the relationships between letters and their corresponding sounds tend to be more consistent, whereas a single letter in English can represent a range of different sounds that must be learned.”
As Claude Goldenberg notes, approaching reading instruction in other languages based on what works in English is a mistake:
“Here’s a specific instance of where reading policy and practice has been very markedly influenced based on a context– English-speaking kids learning to read in English – that is not all that general. We need to be aware of the assumptions we’re making when we take findings from one linguistic context and apply them to another.”
The bottom line? Our approach to literacy instruction in the immersion language should look markedly different than our approach in English.
While this study focused on Spanish, the finding holds true for Mandarin Chinese literacy instruction too. For example, in Mandarin Chinese immersion contexts, rather than focusing on letter or syllable sounds, we ensure students make the connection between character parts and meaning (radicals)–which will ultimately aid in reading comprehension.
Want to learn more about how add.a.lingua helps maintain the integrity of the Spanish and Mandarin Chinese languages in early literacy instruction? Get in touch.


It is not the most beautiful flower in the world but it is quite large and it is very interesting. The leaves of this plant appear quite early in Spring, normally around the end of February. It is a plant of the hedgerows and the edges of woodland. It likes some shade but not too much. The leaves are large and arrow shaped and sometimes have dark purple coloured blotches on them. Then in April up pops the flower which is not like any normal flower- it is a curled up spike which narrows at the base and then becomes swollen before the stalk disappears into the ground. This peculiar rolled up pointed protuberance is called a spathe and it can vary in colour from pale yellow through to various shades of green and can even be a purple colour.
This spathe will eventually unroll to reveal a club-shaped central spike which is called a spadix and these too vary in colour from dark purple as in the photo through to lemon yellow. The spadix produces a smell of ammonia and amines, ie a bit like urine, which attracts little flies. From here on in it all gets a bit complicated so I think a diagram of the flower (and remember that this is a flower although it is not much like your normal daisy or daffodil) is in order.
It is the little flies which are the all important part of this story. Having been attracted to the smelly spadix they are funneled down towards the swollen base of the flower. This process is aided by the shape of the spathe and it’s slippery surface. Where the spathe narrows before the swollen lower part there is a ring of little hairs and these point downwards which allows the flies to squeeze past them but stops them getting back out. Now before I go on it is important to point out that these flies will have previously visited another Arum flower and will be covered with pollen. How this has happened will become apparent in a short while. So now we have flies covered with pollen from another plant which have now got past the hairs and are stuck in this swollen chamber at the base of the spathe. In this chamber are the female flowers which are the ovules which are at this stage receptive to pollen and so the flies will inadvertently deposit pollen on the ovules and thus the female flowers will be pollinated by pollen from another flower. Are you following all this?
Good; now once the female flowers are pollinated this triggers the male flowers into action and the anthers burst open exposing their pollen and the poor little flies now get a fresh covering of pollen. By this stage the ovules which were pollinated a few days ago are no longer receptive and so will not be pollinated by their own pollen. Now the final piece in the jig saw. Once the flies have got a new coating of pollen the hairs at the top which they earlier squeezed past now wither up and die so the flies can escape from their little prison and go on their way to the next flower and repeat the whole process. Isn’t nature clever?!
The diagram was taken from a book called Textbook of Botany by Lowson. If you are quite old and did ‘A’ level Botany or Biology it will be like an old friend.
If this rather complicated system to ensure cross pollination works out then the ovules develop and the spathe and spadix dissapear and in the autumn you are left with a spike of red berries, that look attractive but which I believe are poisonous.


All the bats found at the National Monument are insectivores that can consume as many as 500 insects an hour when feeding. Bats utilize Oregon Caves as a resting stop before returning outside to feed. They also use the caves to find mates, but their pups are usually born to the south.
Most bats at the Monument roost under the bark of old-growth trees in the summer. More bats come into the cave during very cold periods, perhaps because at that time their usual roosts under the bark on dead old-growth trees may not provide enough insulation.
A few individuals hibernate in the caves during the winter, so bats gates have been installed and the caves are closed in the winter to help protect these misunderstood furry friends.
The bats most commonly seen near the cave tour path are Townsend big-eared bats (especially in winter), Yuma bats, and long-eared myotis bats. Look for roosting bats - check out the Oregon Caves infrared "bat cam."
White-nose syndrome, a fatal disease in bats, is threatening North American bat populations and could lead to the extinction of some species. Learn more about white-nose syndrome, what measures the Monument has put in place to prevent visitors from spreading it, and what you can do to help.


By Glen C. Strathy
Some time ago, I did a quick analysis of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi in order to illustrate Dramatica's concept of the four major throughlines that appear in a well structured story. In particular, I wanted to point out that good stories often have four crises which occur more or less simultaneously, yet should be illustrated separately in order for the reader to appreciate them.
As it has been a while, I thought I would revisit this story and revise my interpretation a little....
One of the biggest traps we fall into as writers is the tendency to simplify things. And one of the ways we simplify our understanding of stories is that we try to take several different story points and reduce them to one point. We have to fight this natural tendency because it makes our concept of a story more shallow.
Dramatica helps us by separating all the elements of a story so we can make look at each one and make sure we haven’t left any holes in the plot. For example, most theories include the idea of the crisis, which is a major turning point in a story. This crisis typically occurs in Act 3 of a four-act structure. (Novels may not label parts as “acts,” but a good plot will always have such a crisis.)
Dramatica goes a step further by suggesting that a fully developed third act will actually contain four distinct crises, because (as it also argues) a complete story needs four separate arcs or throughlines:
1. The Overall Throughline. This throughline concerns the protagonist’s pursuit of the story goal, the goal that involves or affects most of the characters in some way.
2. The Main Character Throughline, concerning the main character’s inner conflict over whether or not to change and how it gets resolved.
3. The Impact Character Throughline. This presents how the impact character influences the main character by demonstrating or arguing for a different way of handling problems, giving the main character a reason to consider changing.
4. The Relationship Throughline, which follows the evolving relationship between the main and impact characters.
Each of these four throughlines will move through four stages:
Signpost #1: Setup
Signpost #2: Complications
Signpost #3: Move to Crisis
Signpost #4: Move to Resolution
Note that a "signpost" in Dramatica can be a single event, but is usually a sequence of events that make up a distinct phase in a throughline's development.
So the third signposts of each throughline, taken together, make up the third act of the story.
Here’s how this works in the film, The Return of the Jedi...
First, the Overall Throughline in The Return of the Jedi
concerns the effort to stop the Empire from obtaining a new Death
Star. This throughline involves or affects almost all the characters:
rebels, imperial troops, and even the little ewoks. This throughline is
punctuated by the five major turning points or Drivers...
Driver 1: The Empire decides to build a new Death Star
Signpost 1: We see Darth Vader urging construction to speed up in time for the Emperor's inspection.
Driver 2: The Rebel Alliance learns about the project.
Signpost 2: The rebels launch an effort to infiltrate the Empire's stronghold on Endor, destroy the shield that protects the Death Star, and then use their fleet to destroy the Death Star. This effort is complicated by their need to win the support of the indigenous Ewoks.
Driver 3: The rebels launch their attack.
Signpost 3: The rebels make some initial progress infiltrating the shield generator station and the fleet arrives at Endor.
Driver 4 (Crisis): Emperor springs a trap for the rebels (the Death Star is fully operational, and the Imperial fleet is there).
Signpost 4: With considerable effort, the rebels manage to turn the tables. They destroy the shield, and the Imperial flag ship.
Driver 5: The rebels destroy the Death Star.
The Main Character throughline in The Return of the Jedi concerns the final test Luke Skywalker must face before he becomes a Jedi. It unfolds like this...
Signpost 1: Confident in his new Jedi powers, Luke rescues
Han Solo from Jabba the Hut. His training is nearly finished.
2: On his deathbed, Yoda confirms that Darth Vader is Luke's father and
that Luke's final test before he becomes a Jedi will be to defeat
Signpost 3: Luke, despite the persuasive powers of Emperor Palpatine and Darth's threat that perhaps he can turn Leia into a Sith Lord, refuses to join the dark side. Rather than give into his hate and kill Darth, Luke tosses aside his light sabre and says, “You’ve failed, your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father.”
Signpost 4: Luke, having conquered his dark side and made the right choice. receives the approval of the ghosts of Obi wan and Yoda.
The Impact Character in The Return of the Jedi is Darth Vader, who provides Luke
with an example of an approach at odds with Jedi teachings: the Sith way of pursuing power
through violence and deception.
As we learned in the previous film, Darth wants Luke to join him and
help him kill the Emperor, so that Darth can take the Emperor's place.
Here's how his story unfolds...
Signpost 1: Luke learns that
Anekin Skywalker, his father, was seduced by the dark side and became
Darth Vader. The story implies that Luke could make the same mistake and become a Sith Lord.
Signpost 2: Darth plots with the Emperor to seduce Luke to the dark side. (Later the Emperor reveals that he plans replace Darth with Luke. Of course, we know from the previous film that Darth wants to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy himself. It seems both these Sith Lords are plotting against each other while pretending to be allies.)
Signpost 3: Darth’s personal crisis is the moment when he chooses to
sacrifice his ambition to save Luke from the Emperor. He kills the Emperor at the cost of
his own life.
Signpost 4: Darth’s redemption is shown when his ghost appears to Luke in Jedi robes. He is Anakin Skywalker once more.
Finally, we the Relationship throughline of The Return of the Jedi concerns the relationship between Luke and Darth.
Signpost 1: In the beginning, we see that Luke and Darth have a connection. They can sense each other’s presence.
Signpost 2: When Luke and Darth meet face-to-face, they argue about whether they should be on the dark side or the good side. Curiously, there is no talk of going their separate ways. It seems they want to be on the same side, whatever that is. The conflict builds as they end up fighting each other with light sabres.
Signpost 3: The climax of their relationship occurs when Luke cuts off Darth's hand. This settles the argument and establishes Luke as the new dominant male of the family.
Signpost 4: Luke and Darth, having reconciled their differences, behave like father and son for the first time. Darth asks to see Luke just once with his own eyes rather than through his mask. It is a symbolic representation that Luke has now become a man, and that Darth recognizes him as an equal. Luke then takes on the role of a good son. He saves his father’s body from the exploding Death Star II and gives him a proper cremation.
So Act 3 of The Return of the Jedi, actually presents four separate crises:
Overall Crisis: The springing of the Emperor's trap.
Relationship Crisis: Luke's battle with Darth over which side they should be on, and over Leia, whom Darth speculates could be another potential Sith.
Main Character Crisis: Luke's ultimate conquering of his dark side by setting aside hate and refusing to kill his father.
Impact Character Crisis: Darth' redemption from the dark side by choosing to sacrifice himself to save Luke.
According to Dramatica theory, it doesn’t matter what order a writer puts the four Signposts of Act 3. All that matters is that Signpost #3 of any throughline comes after Signpost #2 of the same throughline and before Signpost #4. It would make little sense, for instance, for Luke to defeat his father before their conflict arises or after their conflict has been resolved.
I think you’ll agree that if any of the signposts had been left out of The Return of the Jedi it would have created a hole in the story. It would have made one of the throughlines incomplete.
You will also note that more than one signpost can appear in a scene.
Sometimes the signposts are crowded together, especially near the
crisis. In other stories, they are more separated in time and space. A signpost can sometimes be a single event, but more often that event is broken up and told through a sequence of smaller events.
The important thing is that each signpost is illustrated separately so that the reader/audience appreciates that it has occurred.Below is a summary of all the signposts in Return of the Jedi. Please note that this is designed only to show how each throughline unfolds, not the exact order of events in the film.
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What is the Centaurea Cyanus?
The Centaurea cyanus flower is also known to go by the names of Cornflower or Bachelor's button.
It is a member of the Asteraceae / Compositae (Aster, Sunflower, and Daisy) family. As a Centaurea plant genus member it is closely related to plants such as knapweeds and Centaury.
It is a flower that has a bulb similar to a daisy. It grows well and in abundance during the late spring and summer seasons.
The flowers have bold and attractive colors of blue, with cultivars of pink, lavender, white, and maroon being available.
Centaurea cyanus a magnet for fluttering butterflies and bees when in bloom.
Centaurea Cyanus is a desirable flower to grow as they make great borders for garden beds, are very easy to grow, and are generally pest and disease-free.
Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Centaurea Cyanus
It is best to sow out Centaurea cyanus seeds in early autumn (fall) in warmer climates so that they can thrive the following year in late spring and summer.
Alternatively, they can be started indoors the same season, or sown directly after the last frost of spring for a later bloom.
Before you sow your seeds, one of the first things to remember is to leave plenty of space between each seed.
It is suggested to leave 8 to 12 inches between each plant as they will grow and take up the space that is left in-between them.
Be sure to sow seeds in triplicate, and then thin out straggly seedlings.
When planning to grow the Centaurea cyanus, make sure the soil that is being used is moist enough for your flowers but has good drainage. This will allow the coneflowers to sprout and not decay due to being saturated with too much wetness.
It is important that you plant your Centaurea cyanus in an area where they will get plenty of sunlight.
As they are wiry plants, they may need to have some sort of support in areas or situations where they are openly exposed.
When early spring arises, it may help to work fertilizer into the soil to allow Centaurea cyanus to grow both efficiently and abundantly.
Despite Centaurea cyanus being a flower known to tolerate conditions of dryness, they should be watered frequently to thrive.
Growing in bunches from 12 inches to 36 inches (30 to 90 cm) tall with a spread 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) wide, the Centaurea cyanus plant is easy to grow and makes an excellent choice for gardeners new and old looking for a colorful plant to naturalize garden beds.
Quick Growing and Care Guide and Facts
Scientific Name: Centaurea cyanus
Common Name (s): Cornflower, Bachelor's buttons, Garden cornflower, Blue Bottle.
Growing Zone (USA / UK Hardiness): USDA Zones 2 to 11 / Europe/ H6 – hardy to about -20°C (-4°F).
Location in the Garden – Best used for: Beds, Borders, Wildlife garden, container gardening. Makes a great cut flower.
Life Cycle / Plant Type: Annual. Deciduous. Can grow as a perennial in warmer areas.
Native: Europe. Alongside roads and in fields.
Plant Height: 24 to 30 inches (60 to 75 cm). Upright habit. Long grey green stems. Fast growing.
Plant Spread: 16 to 24 inches feet (40 to 60 cm). Spacing at about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) gives good results.
Blooms: Late spring and early summer. Autumn sowing in warmer areas for an early spring bloom. Showy.
Flower Details: Solitary flower atop long stem. Purplish blue, with white and pink cultivars common too. 1 to 1.25 inches (3 to 4 cm) diameter.
Leaf Foliage: Simple, slightly lobed, lanceshaped to about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm).
Growing Conditions and Location
Best Light Conditions: Full sunlight.
Suitable Soil Types: Average.
Soil pH: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8).
Soil Moisture: Medium, Good drainage. Tolerant to drought.
Sowing, planting, and Propagation: Sow seeds at the same time as the last expected frost. Or get a head start by sowing indoors about 7 or 8 weeks before the last expected of spring.
Seeds can be sown in the autumn in milder areas.
Use a moist soil and lightly cover seeds to about 0.4 inches (1 cm) when sowing. Germination typically takes a couple of weeks.
Care: Low maintenance flower. Deadhead to prevent seed set and self-seeding, and to prolong flowering. Provide support for taller varieties. Use a high phosphorus fertilizer if extra flowers are required for cutting.
Growing in pots and containers: Yes, as they are a little scraggly it is best to grow them alongside other plants. Start indoors before last frost, slowly harden outdoors. Ensure pot has good drainage. Keep soil fairly dry, watering slightly more when weather is hot. Mulching can also help to protect plants from the sun.
Cultivars and Varieties: Numerous cultivars are available. These tend to have pale pastel colors as opposed to the native purplish-blue.
These are some of the more well-known Cornflower varieties (flower colors in brackets): Blue Boy (double blue flowers); Classic Romantic – single and double flowers (Pale pink / red); Black Bell (dark crimson); Purple haze (pale semi-double flowers, white or lilac with a purple center).
Miscellaneous: Attracts birds and butterflies to the garden. Birds love the seed so do not deadhead if you wish to attract our avian friends to your garden. Bees and wasps are attracted to the flowers when in bloom. Subject to powdery mildew.
The Prussian Royal family hid their children in a cornfield when Napoleon invaded the country, and thus are seen as a symbol for hope.
Flowers have culinary use in salads and as garnishing. Often used as part of tinctures.
Family: Asteraceae (Daisy).
Closely Related Species: Centaurea macrocephala (Giant Knapweed); Centaurea montana (Mountain Cornflower).
Common Cornflower Questions
How tall are Centaurea Cyanus?
They typically reach a couple of feet in height (about 60 to 75 cm).
When do Centaurea Cyanus bloom?
Natively from the end of Spring through to the middle of summer. Garden grown cornflowers can have a prolonged blooming period, and can bloom earlier when grown as a perennial in warmer climates.
How do you Care for Cornflowers?
Easy to look after, supply a little water when the soil is in danger of drying out, deadhead following blooming. Plants do well in average soils but you may wish to use a balanced (phosphourous based) flower fertilizer once a month if growing in pots or containers.
What does cornflower symbolize?
It is thought that this plant represents hope for the future. Because of this the flower has many traditional ties to central European countries politically.


How would you tell somebody what is your favorite color in Chinese? Seems difficult, right? But, in reality, it is super easy. This guide will assist you to learn Chinese online and enhance your vocabulary in Chinese like a pro. You will get to know about the Chinese colors meanings and their usage.
Which color do you like the most? Red, black or green? We often take the choice of colors very casually. But in reality, colors have a deep meaning and they depict our personality, our moods and taste, and the age group we fall in. Every color has its own story and meaning.
Knowing color names in different languages is not only super fun but is also very important. It makes you color literate in various languages helping you to carry out the conversations in different languages gracefully and with ease. In this guide, we will try to make your color literate in Chinese. It will surely expand your knowledge base and make you use colors in Chinese just like natives.
Learning color names is usually the first thing you will do while learning any foreign language. There are normally five to seven basic colors that are extremely significant to learn. But, learning only five to seven basic colors is not enough. Learning other colors is also essential if you want to use them in conversations and in real-life contexts.
Just like English, Chinese colors and their names also differ with respect to their shades. Learning them in detail with make you color literate in Chinese in real terms. So let’s get started!
A quick hack to use the terms ‘light’ and ‘dark’
In Chinese, you can use the terms 深 (shēn) “dark” or 浅 (qiǎn) “light” to express the shades of the colors, just like you do in English. You can pair these terms with the names of the colors.
深橙 (shēn chéng) = Dark orange
Below is the list of Chinese colors and their description so that you can know how to use these colors in sentences.
Red family 红色类 (hóng sè lèi)
Red 红色 (hóng sè) is one of the most prominent and highly used cultures in Chinese culture. Chinese people believe that this color is highly significant because it articulates strength, positive energy, and liveliness. This color is also largely used in their festivities and is known as the Chinese New Year color and the wedding color.
Just like in English, separate vocabulary is used for various varieties of red colors in Chinese. Some of the major varieties are:
1. 粉红 (fěn hóng) – Pink
2. 玫瑰红 (méi gūi hóng) – Rose red
3. 朱红 (zhū hóng) – Vermilion
4. 枣红 (zǎo hóng) – Maroon
5. 莲红 (lián hóng) – Lotus red
6. 深红 (shēn hóng) – Dark red
7. 辣椒红 (là jiāo hóng) – Chili red
8. 珊瑚红 (shān hú hóng) – Coral
9. 棕红 (zōng hóng) – Reddish brown
10. 鲜红 (xiān hóng) – Bright red
11. 绯红 (fēi hóng) – Scarlet
Idioms using red:
- 看破红尘 (kàn pò hóng chén) — “To see through the red dust of the world,” (It means to Buddhist simple lifestyle and give up all the worldly wishes and desires).
- 姹紫嫣红 (chà zǐ yān hóng) — “Beautiful purples and bright reds,” (This idiom is particularly used to describe the bright colored flowers bouquet).
- 面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ě chì) — “Face red and ears popping,” (This idiom is used to describe an angry person who is full of resentment).
- 红杏出墙 (hóng xìng chū qiáng) — “The red apricot tree leans over the garden wall,” (This idiom refers to a wife who has a side lover).
It is also very essential to study Chinese numbers along with Chinese colors so that you can assemble the sentences in a structured way and hold the conversations easily.
Yellow family 黄色类 (huáng sè lèi)
Yellow is considered to be one of the most graceful colors ever. This color is usually associated with the sun. Yellow is considered one of the most important colors in Chinese culture because it was worn by ancient Chinese emperors and is considered a depiction of power and authority. It is a happy color that brings positive energy.
Just like red, there are several varieties of yellow color. Some of the major ones are:
1. 桔黄 (jú huáng) – Tangerine
2. 柠檬黄 (níng méng huáng) – Lemon yellow
3. 橄榄黄 (gǎn lǎn huáng) – Olive yellow
4. 杏黄 (xìng huáng) – Apricot
5. 金黄 (jīn huáng) – Golden yellow
Idioms using Yellow:
- 明日黄花 (míng rì huáng huā) — “Chrysanthemums after the Double Ninth Festival,” (This idiom represents an outdated thing that is very old-fashioned).
- 人老珠黄 (rén lǎo zhū huáng) — “Old and yellow,” (This idiom refers to an old woman).
- 青黄不接 (qīng huáng bù jiē) — “The yellow crop of autumn doesn’t last until the green of spring,” (This represents the unavailability of resources making it difficult to make ends meet).
You may feel it difficult to read and memorize Chinese idioms, but this process becomes super easy and interesting when you learn to read Chinese. Once you start reading the Chinese words and their meaning, you will be able to use them in your sentences easily.
Green family 绿色类 (lǜ sè lèi)
The color green is associated with growth and nature. It is a fresh color that uplifts the mood and is a great source of motivation to move forward. Green-colored jewelry is highly popular in China and has a great significance in Chinese history.
Some of the major varieties of green color are:
1. 豆绿 (dòu lǜ) – Bean color
2. 橄榄绿 (gǎn lǎn lǜ) – Olive green
3. 茶绿 (chá lǜ) – Tea green
4. 葱绿 (cōng lǜ) – Scallion green
5. 苹果绿 (píng gǔo lǜ) – Apple green
6. 森林绿 (sēn lín lǜ) – Forest green
7. 水草绿 (shǔi cǎo lǜ) – Seaweed
8. 草绿 (cǎo lǜ) – Grass green
Idioms using green:
- 红男绿女 (hóng nán lǜ nǚ) — “Red gentlemen and green ladies,” (It refers to young people outfitted in fancy clothes).
- 柳绿花红 (lǐu lǜ huā hóng) — “Green willows and red flowers,” (It means the colors of spring).
- 脸都绿 (liǎn dōu lǜ le) — “Green in the face,” (It means looking sick or unwell).
- 花花绿绿 (huā huā lǜ lǜ) — “Lots of flowers and green,” (It means colorful and flashy).
Blue family (lán sè lèi) 蓝色类
Blue 蓝色 (lán sè) has a strong association with the ocean and is considered a lavish color. Chinese also associate this color with grief and sadness.
There are several varieties of blue color:
1. 天蓝 (tiān lán) – Sky blue
2. 蔚蓝 (wèi lán) – Azure
3. 月光蓝 (yuè guāng lán) – Moonlight blue
4. 海洋蓝 (yuè guāng lán) – Sea blue
5. 湖蓝 (hú lán) – Lake blue
Idiom using blue:
- 青出于蓝 (qīng chū yú lán) — “Green supersedes blue,” (It means that the younger generation exceeds the older one).
Orange family 橙色类 (chéng sè lèi)
Orange 橙色 (sè lèi) is a lively color. It also has several varieties.
1. 橙红色 (chéng hóng sè) – Reddish orange
2. 柿子橙 (shì zǐ chéng) – Persimmon
3. 阳橙 (yáng chéng) – Sun orange
4. 热带橙 (rè dài chéng) -Tropical orange
5. 蜜橙 (mì chéng) – Honey orange
6. 深橙 (shēn chéng) – Dark orange
Idioms using orange:
- 红橙黄绿蓝靛紫 (hóng chéng huáng lǜ lán diàn zǐ) — “Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple,” (It means all the colors of the rainbow).
White family 白色类 (bái sè lèi)
White 白色 (bái sè) is a superior color that depicts purity and goodness. It also has several varieties:
1. 象牙白 (xiàng yá bái) – Ivory
2. 牡蛎白 (mǔ lì bái) – Oyster white
3. 珍珠白 (zhēn zhū bái) – Pearl white
4. 玉石白 (yù shí bái) – Jade white
5. 银白 (yín bái) – Silvery white
6. 米白 (mǐ bái) – Beige
Idioms using white:
- 一穷二白 (yī qióng è bái) — “First poor then white,” (It is used to describe someone financially broke).
- 唇红齿白 (chún hóng chǐ bái) — “Red lips and white teeth,” (It is used to describe a beautiful female mouth).
Black family 黑色类 (hēi sè lèi)
Black 黑色 (hēi sè) is the most trendy and sophisticated color. It has various varieties and shades and is often worn by older ladies in Chinese culture.
1. 土黑 (tǔ hēi) – Soil- or earth-colored
2. 煤黑 (méi hēi) – Coal black
3. 碳黑 (tàn hēi) – Soot black
4. 古铜黑 (gǔ tóng hēi) – Black like the color of old copper
5. 铁黑 (tiě hēi) – Black like iron
Idioms using black:
- 起早贪黑 (qǐ zǎo tān hēi) — “Rise early and desire the dark,” (It means to wake up early and sleep late).
- 颠倒黑白 (diān dǎo hēi bái) — “Reverse black and white,” (It means to distort the truth).
These were some of the major color families and their varieties. Learning these varieties will help you understand conversations and Chinese writing systems with ease and comfort. Learning the basic colors is not enough. It looks cool when you know various shades and varieties.
To learn these colors and their varieties, you can seek assistance from online Chinese teachers. These teachers will help you vast your vocabulary list and provide you with the real-contexts and examples for better understanding and clarity.


From School Library Journal Grade 4?8?Miller does an excellent job of presenting a synopsis of Franklin's life in a highly readable manner. She details his humble beginnings in Boston in 1706 through his slow, yet hardworking rise to gentleman status, and his eventual death at age 84 in 1790. His accomplishments as a printer, free-press advocate, inventor, scientific observer, and diplomat are also described. Imbedded in each chapter are asides that further elaborate on Franklin's life and times and activities that coordinate with the text or the historical facts presented. The directions are easy to follow and enhance the overall presentation, especially in terms of classroom connections. Illustrations accompany each project and reproductions of primary documents, renderings, and paintings provide added value.?G. Alyssa Parkinson, Highland Township Library, MI END Read more From Booklist This lively, oversize paperback talks about Franklin in all his roles as politician, scientist, inventor, writer, editor, diplomat, husband, and father. As in his similarly formatted George Washington for Kids (2007), Miller skillfully blends the political history with the personal biography. The format may seem targeted toward younger kids, but it?s teens who will best appreciate the intricate details about Franklin?s political maneuvers with France and Britain. Still, the relaxed, narrative style and open book design, with archival illustrations and frequent sidebars, will attract browsers in a wide age range, while the facts will spark classroom discussion. There is lots of personal drama, including Franklin?s position as a fervent abolitionist and his refusal to help his son, who was imprisoned for being a British Loyalist. The related activities offer many opportunities for interactive learning, and the diverse subjects, from ?Dig into Your Family Tree? to ?Play a Glass Armonica,? will appeal to many interests. The useful back matter includes a bibliography and Web sites. Grades 7-12. --Hazel Rochman Read more See all Editorial Reviews
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