A kindergarten class in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, uses dolls with lifelike parts – including genitalia with pubic hair – to teach children about sex. An agency, Imagine China, provided photographs of the dolls to the Huffington Post. The photos were taken in April at Yaolan Kindergarten.

The Shanghaiist, reported that a typical conversation in a Yaolan classroom involves a 4 or 5-year-old student asking if babies fell from the sky only to be corrected by another student who explains: “Daddy’s sperm finds mommy’s egg, and then a baby grows inside mommy’s stomach!”

The graphic dolls used to teach kindergarteners about sex have produced debate and concern among parents. “I am worried that it’s not good for the kids to know sexual knowledge so early,” a parent said, according to The Shanghai Daily. Yaolan has “managed to transcend traditionally retrograde attitudes on sex education, having reportedly taught 4 and 5-year-old children sex-ed since 2008,” The Shanghaiist said.

Discussion on whether or not to teach sexual education to children of various ages is taking place in many places in China. According to CNN, a report in a local Beijing newspaper about a new sex education textbook for elementary school students has spurred much debate on this issue online and beyond.

The Beijing Times, a popular local tabloid, said that the textbook titled “The Steps of Growth,” uses images that are too graphic for young children. “Is it for elementary school students? That’s way too early for them…unacceptable!” a person wrote on Sina Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter.

According to CNN, authorities in China said the textbook is only an experiment in some schools but claimed that the teachings of the textbook are important.  In a fax statement to CNN, they said, “it’s very important to carry out health education, including sex education, to elementary and middle school students.”

Those in support of teaching sexual education point to China’s abortion rates to prove the need for early education on sex. China has one of the highest abortion rates in the world – a number which is growing. According to a government tally, 9.2 million abortions were performed in 2008, up from 7.6 million in 2007.

But the count only includes hospitals, and state media report the total could be as high as 13 million. The Huffington Post said that many blame the high abortion rate on liberal attitudes toward premarital sex, as well as a lack of sex education.

According to a report by China’s National Working Committee on Children and Women under State Council in 2010, 60% of young Chinese aged 15-24 were open to pre-marriage sex, while 22.4% actually had sexual experience. Among those who got pregnant before marriage, 91% had an abortion, while only 4.4% of unmarried people aged 15-24 had the “correct knowledge” about reproduction.

It also added that only 14.4% of that group understood the risks of HIV, CNN reported. Deciding on the right age to teach children sexual education remains a heated, ongoing debate. “Children still need sex education when they’re little,” opined Li Yinhe, a sociologist who specializes in sexology studies in China.

“They need to know basic knowledge such as gender differences. What matters is that the teachers should also tell children what is right and what is wrong in terms of sex morality, and teach the children to protect themselves from sexual assaults.” China is not the only place where opinion is split on the issue of sexual education.

On August 31, The Vatican referred to New York City’s new sexual education classes as “useless, and even harmful.” The curriculum involves teaching middle school students how to correctly use condoms.

 
Hung Chung Chih / Shutterstock.com

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A recent study published in Nature has shown that the moon may not be as old as once thought. With samples brought back from the Apollo 16 mission, researchers at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have determined one of two things: that either the moon is about 60 million years younger than thought, or the molten stage of development solidified later than previous estimates.

In the prevailing theory, during formation, as the magma of the moon cooled, crustal moon rocks formed called ferroan anorthocites. These mineral rocks have proved difficult for scientists, when it comes to scientifically dating them.

Lars Borg, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said that with these samples, he and his colleagues have seen the first success in yielding consistent ages using multiple dating techniques. Borg and his colleagues utililzed new refining techniques to reach the new consistent age.

“Previous attempts to date these rocks have relied on just one isotopic clock which can be contaminated putting the age in error,” said Borg in a Discovery News article. “So we started with the idea that we would get multiple age samples so we could have confidence it reflected the crystallization age of the sample.”

The new projected age of the moon falls right around the age of the oldest crusts on Earth at about 4.36 billion years old. This number represents what scientists have found to be when the rock crystallized.

These new findings do oppose the popular “giant impact theory” of the moon’s formation. However, this research is not providing a clear alternative to this theory. Clive Neal, a planetary geologist at the University of Notre Dame told the Los Angeles Times that the researchers need more evidence. Before coming to the conclusion that the theory has been disproved, there must be more evidence of inaccurately dated rock samples.

Apollo 16 launched in 1972, as the tenth manned mission in the American Apollo Space Program. The mission brought back 94.7 kg of lunar samples that are still being tested today. This new research may spell change for other geological studies as well, using new techniques to overcome common problems with scientific dating.

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It seems to be a growing trend across all of the major sporting leagues in the United States that aging veterans seem to spend the final years of their career doing anything they can to put one more championship ring on their finger.

Players who were once dominant, but that father time may have finally caught up with, often claim in their last years that they are ready to take a diminished role in order to help a team win. This humble attitude rings true when the contract is signed, but often hits a snag once the games begin.

One of the most recent examples of this has been seen with recently retired center Shaquille O’ Neal. In his last four seasons in the NBA he saw stints with Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston all end in disappointing fashion.

In Shaq’s case, injuries got the best of him, which is both understandable and commonplace for athletes that are in their upper 30′s or even 40′s. Unfortunately some of these chases end in an even uglier fashion.

Let’s take Ricky Henderson for example. He was so sure that he could still play the game and run the bases like he used to, that he spend the last years of his career playing for the Newark Bears in the Independent Atlantic League while desperately trying to prove that he could still contribute to a Major League club. A failed attempt.

There are countless other examples that I could run through. Brett Favre with the Vikings, Karl Malone with the Lakers, and even David Beckham with the L.A. Galaxy are just some off the top of my head that didn’t quite live up to what they once were. This is not to say they weren’t contributing, but it is surely to say that they weren’t doing exactly what they thought they could do for the team.

I admire the fact that these athletes still believe that they can go out and perform to their prime potential even in their later years. To be honest, in the same position I could see myself making a similar decision.

I also respect the fact that these people are used to living a lavish lifestyle, and a multi-million dollar contract is nearly impossible to walk away from no matter how old you may be.

What is tough for me and many other sports fans to see is when these players do one of two things. Sometimes, as sad as it is, they find a way to embarrass themselves, and somewhat tarnish their greatest moments.

As mentioned before, Brett Favre is the most obvious example of this phenomenon. His ridiculous faux retirements and countless comebacks put a terrible taste in most fans mouths. Many Packers fans turned on him, and many Jets and Vikings fans were disappointed when they saw his limited production on the field.

I actually am a big Brett Favre fan when I take in the entire arc of his career. That being said, I, and many other fans I’m sure, wish he would have just hung up the cleats after his days in Green Bay. Having the itch to play is one thing, but his antics were something else altogether.

The second thing I hate to see is when an aging vet still can’t accept a reserve role to help the team. All too often they still believe that they could be the dynamic starters they once were, even when that is clearly no longer the case. The ego gets in the way.

Last season in Germany, 32 year old Miroslav Klose demanded a starting spot on Bayern Munich. He insisted he was in top shape. The sad truth however was that Mario Gomez is a rising star for the team, and at 25 years old, he is the clear choice for the future. As tough as it may be for some former stars to accept that their prime has passed them by, any humble qualities go out the window with an act like this.

It is incredibly difficult to say what should be done in such a situation. As a fan however it is equally difficult to see some athletes make the choices they do and fail in the latter years of their career.

Another key example is about to happen before our eyes in the upcoming NBA season.

Last week the news was broken that former Philadelphia 76′ers guard Allen Iverson wanted to make a return to the NBA to finish his career “the right way.”

I refuse to bash him just yet, because I fully understand why he would want to end his fantastic career in the NBA rather than in the Turkish league, but I am surely not expecting a complete success here.

The sad truth is that so many things can go wrong with this kind of move. Maybe Iverson will be one of the few exceptions to the rule given just how dynamic he once was. Maybe he can accept a diminished role compared to his 40 minute days of years past. Maybe he can finally get that championship he has always been yearning for.

Unfortunately many athletes that make these moves are merely left with what could have been, rather than what actually did. But maybe.
MIMMO FERRARO / Shutterstock.com

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When a new government takes charge, there is often divisions over how past policy will fit in, if at all, with their new policy outlooks.

While in Opposition Ted Bailleu, Victoria’s new State Premier was extremely critical of the smart meter system, parictulalry when complaints of shocks resulting in injury were reported to the government and the media.

According to The Age, more then 3500 households in Victoria are at risk of possibly life-threatening electrical hazards due to faults in the installment of the smart meters.

The possibility of electric shock is not the only problem facing the smart meter roll out, with the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) expressing concern over the approval of price increases for the smart meters.

Craig Memery, ATA’s Energy Policy advocate said that “Energy consumers will be charged too much for services that are meant to be automated by smart meters. We accept that it will take some time for energy businesses to get their new systems in order, but in the meantime this is like charging $5 to send a text message.”

The ATA is not the only organisation expressing concern, with Electrical Trade Union secretary Dean Mighell saying on Victorian radio that he was concerned smart meters were sometimes being installed by people without the right qualifications, which could increase the risk of danger in the installation.

The Bailleu government has begun a review of the current roll out of the smart meters, but installments of the meters will continue while the review is being carried out.

The last study on smart meters was conducted in September last year by the then Labor government, led by John Brumby.

Brumby’s government commissioned an independent report conducted by Oakley Greenwood, which found that smart meters would deliver benefits to Victorian households.

Then Minister for Energy and Resources Peter Batchelor said that the smart meter would bring out of date technology into a digital age. .

“Through the roll-out of smart meters we are equipping Victorian families with the tools to manage their energy bills and connect more easily to new technology such as solar panels.”

The Bailleu government’s study will explore the cost effectiveness of the smart meters, with the government waiting until the completion of the report before deciding to halt the program.

SMART METERS KEY FACTS

•    Smart meters are designed to replace current electrical meters on households throughout Victoria.
•    By 2013 Victorian government aims to have the new smart meters installed in 2.5 millions homes and businesses in the state.
•    Smart meters do not need meter readers or estimated bills.
•    Electricity distributors will be able to reconnect power much quicker when power goes out.
•    The smart meters will have more detailed information and household electricity use.
•    The smart meters read outs are said to allow better control over energy use, and could potentially lower bills.

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