Think Pieces reviewed and written by Lakshmi and Seetha Ram

Useful resource.  Communicating with your kid's teacher looks different this year. But it's crucial to student success. Whole-child approach Communicating with teachers isn't just a way to check in on your child's upcoming assignments and general performance. It's a way for educators to understand what's going on in your child's life beyond school.  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/2020/08/successful-school-year-communication-teachers-coronavirus/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/2020/08/successful-school-year-communication-teachers-coronavirus/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=FFG_Special_20200830&rid=7CA775419451D5AE14355B19B0EF0C49

Three enormous boxes of Pampers come to €168 ($198) on Amazon's Spanish website. By contrast, the same order from Amazon's British website costs only €74. (Even after an exorbitant delivery fee is added, the saving is still €42.) If sleep-deprived parents are too groggy to work out how much they could save in a year, they could pep themselves up with a new coffee machine.  https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/29/the-pampers-index-what-nappy-prices-reveal-about-europe

London's building boom: How decades of growth transformed the city Three decades of growth reinvented the urban landscape in London—and transformed it into the preeminent global city.  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/london-population-city-planning/

Feature Articles: The Manifesto - A Vision We Wish to Explore, Part - 2 - Febraury 2011 Today, humans require water for not only various types of domestic use, but also for growing food, in manufacture, and for running social establishments like hotels, airports, etc. In fact, humanity's water needs have grown to such an extent that water is rapidly becoming a cause for dispute between communities, different states within a country, and indeed amongst a whole group of countries that share the same river.  http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_09/01FEB11/03-joining_hand_02_02.htm

Epidemics, economics and externalities | The Japan Times In his book "The Future of Law and Economics," Calabresi explores a new approach that incorporates externalities into consumption. In particular, he argues that a legal system which reflects people's compassion toward one another may help to create a more equitable society. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/08/28/commentary/world-commentary/epidemics-economics-externalities/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/08/28/commentary/world-commentary/epidemics-economics-externalities/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=72&pnespid=McI6l1ytLjUAUk83qFsr8NtUJI315iBSUc0o#.X0rEcCWxiEc

Islam is hardly the only religion to feature confusing and contradictory texts—or to have mixed feelings about canines. Dogs are often used as a symbol of evil in the Bible.  https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/29/are-dogs-acceptable-pets-muslim-scholars-ask

Humanity's unique, virus-chiselled consciousness opens up new avenues to deal with the viral threat and to exploit it. This starts with the miracle of vaccination, which defends against a pathogenic attack before it is launched. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/22/how-viruses-shape-the-world

How does the COVID-19 recession compare?MICHAEL J. BOSKIN Michael J. Boskin was chair­man of Ge­orge H.W. Bush's Coun­cil of Eco­nomic Ad­vis­ers from 1989 to 1993. ©Pro­ject Syn­di­cate, 2020 The Japan Times Aug 26, 2020 His­tory of­fers lessons on how to deal with the cur­rent down­turn Read more at: http://japantimes.pressreader.com/@KE__SEETHA_RAM/csb_XsIgOjJjQ4dzJZmBq0TbYqrcWok2cXk02m_s8UqIS_Y0RKg8lMP2zrqStKubhQPy

A hole new world: Sewer covers lit up in bid to attract visitorsThe Japan Times Aug 26, 2020 Read more at: http://japantimes.pressreader.com/@KE__SEETHA_RAM/csb_XsIgOjJjQ4dzJZmBq0TbYoj-ow-8vFKHxM8Cu6cTbQeaA1LSX_X814A9l8YOQ1dI Cities have been sprucing them up for at least four decades, with the goal of improving the image of the sewerage system.

Some People Get Covid-19 and Never Feel a Thing: Why? Disease tolerance is the ability of an individual, due to a genetic predisposition or some aspect of behavior or lifestyle, to thrive despite being infected with an amount of pathogen that sickens others.  https://undark.org/2020/08/24/covid-19-infection-asymptomatic/

Stanford sports cuts could mean big loss for U.S. Olympic team | The Japan Times Stanford placed 29 athletes on the U.S. team; 15 of them stood on the medals podium, more than any other school in the country. Another 10 Stanford athletes won medals for other countries. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/08/23/olympics/stanford-sports-cuts-mean-big-loss-u-s-olympic-team/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/08/23/olympics/stanford-sports-cuts-mean-big-loss-u-s-olympic-team/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=72&pnespid=Ycwrl12iLWUA1knoH9YkC8e5cx3NG1P3HrO3

Corporate Social Responsibility in India - India Briefing News https://www.india-briefing.com/news/corporate-social-responsibility-india-5511.html/

7 tips for working productively at home Sleep is really, really good for you — and if you don't get enough,  studies have shown that you will probably be less productive . https://grow.acorns.com/tips-for-working-productively-from-home/

2020 back-to-school edition: how to navigate the transition Create a "schooling" space. All-virtual instruction presents extremely difficult challenges for working families, Terrell Shockley admits. But one thing every virtual-learning family should do is designate a "school space": a corner, a wall, a desk, a student-only perch at the kitchen counter that stays tidy. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/2020/08/back-to-school-2020-navigate-the-transition-coronavirus/

What 'airborne coronavirus' means, and how to protect yourself National Geographic dives into the body of evidence with an array of scientists to determine what this debate means for you, and how we all should protect ourselves. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/08/what-airborne-coronavirus-means-and-how-to-protect-yourself-cvd/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/08/what-airborne-coronavirus-means-and-how-to-protect-yourself-cvd/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=SpecialEdition_20200814&rid=7CA775419451D5AE14355B19B0EF0C49

https://web.stanford.edu/~dharris/professional_career.htm

https://youtu.be/kS9Zdw0FIWE -- Best regards, Seetha Ram

A survey by the American Economic Association (aea) found that only 31% of economists under the age of 44 felt valued within the discipline. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/08/economics-sometimes-changes-its-mind

Along with the clothing requirements, the district's remote learning guidelines mandate that students be "sitting up out of bed, preferably at a desk or table." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/us/pajamas-school-springfield-dress-code.html?referringSource=articleShare

  To politely ask someone to do something for you, use 下さい (kudasai)   To give order to someone with lower position / younger than you, you can use なさい (nasai) very nicely explained. https://crunchynihongo.com/nasai-vs-kudasai/

Our 9 Tips for Making a Morning Routine Starting your day early improves your concentration. In addition to being able to focus on goals and task lists without being interrupted by family members or coworkers, getting up early means that by the time you get to work or school, you've had hours to properly acclimate yourself to the day. You'll be more alert during peak hours as a result. https://www.sleepadvisor.org/benefits-of-waking-up-early/

Virtual connectivity is very efficient in some ways. You save a lot of time—travel time—and a lot of cost. And it has increased a feeling of proximity among our employees. On the other hand, it is also very clear that nothing will replace the face-to-face interactions. We are still exploring what is the best mix between physical and virtual interaction. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-asias-largest-pharma-is-leveraging-its-values-to-navigate-the-covid-19-crisis https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-asias-largest-pharma-is-leveraging-its-values-to-navigate-the-covid-19-crisis?cid=other-eml-nsl-mip-mck&hlkid=2f26aa37ef3d4d6e8463b69af16d9001&hctky=9223897&hdpid=0804be08-a82e-464c-ba48-36a65af223bd

Learning itself is a skill. Unlocking the mindsets and skills to develop it can boost personal and professional lives and deliver a competitive edge. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-most-fundamental-skill-intentional-learning-and-the-career-advantage https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-most-fundamental-skill-intentional-learning-and-the-career-advantage?cid=other-eml-alt-mcq-mck&hlkid=3859158510e44bad940361f548867cd3&hctky=9223897&hdpid=b56a2e55-a789-44d6-abb8-b8c5007ed3b1

COVID-19 is spreading fast because billions don't have water to wash with | The Japan Times The world needs to spend $6.7 trillion on water infrastructure by 2030, according to the U.N., not just for the urgent sanitation needs, but to tackle longer term issues from the pandemic such as providing better irrigation to  head off a potential food crisis , Houngbo said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/08/08/world/coronavirus-water-wash/

Japan subsidies to cut China reliance set to boost Southeast Asia | The Japan Times Rethinking China The novel coronavirus outbreak, and the lockdowns that followed, have forced businesses and government officials around the world to rethink their supply chains in order to reduce reliance on China as a manufacturing source. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/08/07/business/japan-subsidies-china-southeast-asia/

There is a need to integrate teacher education with attractive career incentive mechanisms and restore the glory of the noble profession of teaching.  https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2020/aug/08/nep-the-midas-touch-gold-mine--2180590.html

Language that is unclear –or worse, that conveys inadvertent and counterproductive meanings—undermines public health discourse. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-wrong-message-for-the-pandemic/

Opinion | One of humanity's remarkable achievements is the absence of the use of a third nuclear weapon - The Washington Post EDT Seventy-five years ago Sunday, three days after the first use of a nuclear weapon, the  second occurred . There has not been a third in the subsequent  27,394 days . One of humanity's remarkable achievements is this absence of something. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/thankfully-history-has-not-yet-repeated-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/2020/08/04/eb2e4af2-d67c-11ea-930e-d88518c57dcc_story.html

Scientists in China believe new drug can stop pandemic 'without vaccine' | The Japan Times https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/20/asia-pacific/science-health-asia-pacific/scientists-china-new-drug-vaccine-coronavirus/

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway (HSR) is adopting Japanese railway technology, which is renowned for its remarkable performance and record of zero fatal accidents in more than 50 years of operation. HSR is also a complex socio-technical system in which humans and technology work seamlessly to assure impeccable safety performance.  Read full post. —

 In India, the project to build the country’s first 500-kilometer high-speed railway (HSR) from Mumbai to Ahmedabad is underway. For comparison, all top 10 economies in the world except the United States have constructed several HSR lines in the past 30 years. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) alone has built nearly 28,000 kilometers of HSR in the past 20 years. Read post.

 Sustainable access to clean water for handwashing and achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals requires safe sanitation, including wastewater treatment. Most urban sanitation measures have been limited to the incremental expansion of centralized sewer infrastructure. Little attention has been paid to reaching the poor or for long-term service provision, financial viability, or the public system functions that can make a difference. Out-of-the-box approaches for addressing these challenges is urgently needed. Read full post.

 The world today is an economic and social marvel compared to just a few centuries ago. An important motivating factor has been the phenomenal growth in the global population, which now stands at over 7.7 billion. Knowledge and innovation have been the basis for new products and processes as drivers of economic growth. Read full post.