About 16‚000 light-years away‚ a massive star experienced an unusual dimming event. This can happen in binary stars when one star passes in front of the other. It can also be due to intrinsic reasons like innate variability. But this star dimmed by as much as one-third‚ a huge amount. What happened? The star is named RW Cephei. It’s one of the largest stars we know of. Its radius is almost 1‚000 times as large as the Sun’s. Put another way‚ it’s almost as large as Jupiter’s orbit. Many stars‚ maybe all of them‚ exhibit some variability in their luminosity‚ though it’s often very small. RW Cephei is considered a semiregular variable star‚ which means its variation is definite on occasion but is otherwise irregular. But this dimming episode was too pronounced to be attributed to intrinsic variability‚ and RW Cephei has no binary companion. Astronomers working with Georgia State University’s CHARA Array spotted the dimming event last year. CHARA is an array of six 1-metre telescopes that work in conjunction as an interferometer. The team behind the new research presented their findings at the 243 AAS Conference‚ and it’s also published in The Astronomical Journal. Its title is “The Great Dimming of the Hypergiant Star RW Cephei: CHARA Array Images and Spectral Analysis.” The lead author is Narsireddy Anugu‚ an astronomer and optical systems scientist at the CHARA Array. CHARA consists of six one-meter telescopes and related facilities. Image Credit: CHARA/GSU “We made our first CHARA observations in December 2022‚ just before the winter weather closure‚ but the results were so remarkable we decided to pursue additional observations once the star was accessible again‚” said Anugu.  Anugu led an international team of scientists in a quest to make the first close-up pictures of RW Cephei to determine the source of the fading. Astronomers Wolfgang Vollmann and Costantino Sigismondi announced in 2022 that RW Cephei had faded dramatically over the previous few years. The pair reported their findings in The Astronomers Telegram. “The star is significantly dimming instead of rebrightening‚” the pair wrote. “This phenomenon undergoing on RW Cep might be similar to the one that occurred on the red supergiant Betelgeuse at the end of 2019.” Astronomers figured out that Betelgeuse’s dimming was likely caused by an ejection of gas that cooled into dust and blocked some of the star’s light. Could a similar mechanism be behind RW Cephei’s dimming? Maybe‚ but Betelgeuse didn’t dim by one-third‚ whereas RW Cephei did. CHARA stands for Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy. The high angular resolution allowed astronomers to get a pretty detailed look at the star‚ even though it’s about 16‚000 light-years away. RW Cephei is also a huge hypergiant‚ which helps. CHARA can see things smaller than a human on the Moon. CHARA Array false-color images of RW Cephei from December 2022 (left) and Jul 2023 (right). The patchy appearance results from dust created by a huge ejection from the star. The star is huge‚ but it is so far away that it appears about one million times smaller than the full moon in the sky. By July 2023‚ the star was brightening again. Image Credit: CHARA/Anugu et al. 2023 CHARA images showed that the star wasn’t round‚ a very unusual finding. But scientists couldn’t be sure if that was correct. They used specialized computer programs to refine the image. “The spacing of the CHARA telescopes induces a level of uncertainty in the exact details of the pictures‚ so we need intelligent algorithms to recover the whole image‚” said Fabien Baron. Baron is a co-author of the paper and also wrote the computer algorithms. These two images from the research show RW Cephei in two separate bands. The H band is on the left‚ and the K band is on the right. The images show an asymmetry between the star’s brighter left-hand side and the dimmer right-hand side. Image Credit: Anugu et al. 2023 The images show that the star’s surface is undergoing convulsions‚ altering its round appearance. There are also brighter and darker patches on its surface‚ and its overall appearance changed during the ten-month period of observations that covered its dimming and re-brightening. “The most striking features in the reconstructed images are the large variations in brightness across the visible hemisphere of the star‚” the researchers write in their paper. Another of the study’s co-authors‚ Katherine Shepard of the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico‚ decided to try a different tactic. She used a camera to record both visual and infrared light coming from RW Cephei. Her observations showed that the dimming was much more pronounced in visible light than in infrared. Those observations were a telltale sign that dust was blocking the light. The researchers concluded that the same thing that happened to Betelgeuse happened to RW Cephei. The star shed some of its gas in a massive outburst‚ and the gas cooled into dust that blocked one-third of the star’s visible light. “The Great Dimming of RW Cep may be the latest in a series of mass ejections over the last century.”From “The Great Dimming of the Hypergiant Star RW Cephei: CHARA Array Images and Spectral Analysis.” Both Betelgeuse’s dimming and RW Cephei’s dimming are due to mass loss. This comparison image shows the star Betelgeuse before and after its unprecedented dimming. The observations‚ taken with the SPHERE instrument on the ESO’s Very Large Telescope in January and December 2019‚ show how much the star has faded and how its apparent shape has changed. Image Credit: ESO/VLT/SPHERE Aging stars lose mass as they burn their nuclear fuel. This weakens their gravity‚ and the aging star is unable to hold onto all of the material in its outer layers. Though there are many unanswered questions about the details of the process‚ both Betelgeuse and RW Cephei show that mass loss can occur in periodic violent outbursts. These outbursts then block the star’s light for a period of time before being dissipated. As the dust dissipates‚ the star begins to return to its normal brightness. “The Great Dimming of RW Cep may be the latest in a series of mass ejections over the last century‚” the authors write in their paper. “Thus‚ the current fading may be the latest of continuing mass ejection and dust formation episodes‚ and the newly formed dust now partially obscures the visible hemisphere.” “We suggest that the maximum light time may have corresponded to a particularly energetic convective upwelling of hot gas that launched a surface mass ejection event‚” the authors explain. “This gas is now cooling to the point of dust formation‚ and the part of the ejected cloud seen in projection against the photosphere causes the darker appearance of the western side of the star.” The researchers also point out that the duration of these dimming events is related to the size of the star and the dust cloud it ejects. Betelgeuse is smaller than RW Cephei‚ and its event lasted about one year‚ while RW Cephei’s event may last several years. Even more massive stars like Canis Majoris‚ with a radius over 14 times that of the Sun‚ could experience episodes that last decades. RW Cephei’s current eruption is likely one of several massive eruptions the star has experienced in the last century. Similar mass loss events will probably plague the star as it evolves toward its demise. “This one was special because the cloud was ejected in the direction of Earth‚” said CHARA Director Douglas Gies‚ “so we were in the right place to witness the full effects of the cataclysm. The post A Giant Star is Fading Away. But First‚ it Had an Enormous Eruption appeared first on Universe Today.

Incredible.

Pop star recently posted a photo that hinted at her new role. Continue reading…

You are witnessing the intentional collapse of America

Sometimes it feels like there's an ocean's distance between the way humans should act toward one another and the way we do. So when we see a good example of good behavior—especially in a situation where things so often go the wrong way—it's notable.Such is the case with Ronny‚ a young man caught on a doorbell security camera dropping off a young woman who had been drinking. The footage is only 20 seconds long‚ but people are holding it up as a perfect example of how a guy dropping off a drunk girl should go. The TikTok video has nearly 30 million views‚ and the comments are filled with people praising Ronny for how he handled the situation.First of all‚ Ronny walks the girl to the door and opens it for her. Very gentlemanly.After she says‚ "Mommy‚ I'm so sorry!" into the doorbell camera and goes inside‚ Ronny addresses the camera himself. "My name is Ronny‚ I am sober. I drove her home‚" he says. As he starts to walk away‚ he turns around and adds‚ "My girlfriend's in the car."Watch: @achi.1122 Lord its me again 🥴 #TheSecondChild #ThanksRonnie #RingDoorBell #DontDrinkAndDrive #MyWildChild #Sissa #oldfiles So this guy stays sober at a party‚ serves as a designated driver‚ makes sure the girl gets into her house safely‚ assures the girl's mother that he drove her there sober and even adds that his girlfriend was with them so she doesn't have to wonder if she was in the car with him alone. "Shout out to all the Ronnies!" wrote one commenter on Instagram. "I married one. My friend died her senior year of HS‚ because she was hit by a drunk driver. In my 20’s when I was out‚ I would ask my boyfriend (now husband) to take some very intoxicated females &; males home who had no other ride. He NEVER said no. Now I’m raising young men and this is so so important!! #mothersagainstdrunkdriving""Everything about this‚" wrote another. "Props for her not driving. Props for the gentleman taking the girls home. Props to the adults in his life that modeled that behavior‚ and in her parents that taught her not to drive after drinking!!!!""This is fabulous. I love it. Way to go sorry girl and Ronnie‚" wrote another. "I did however literally lol at the 100% tired sigh quality in Ronnie’s voice. #Good ol’ Ronnie- doing the right thing even when he’s sick of your nonsense."Ronny did sound a bit exasperated‚ but that's all the more reason to give him kudos for doing all the right things. However‚ after the video went viral‚ Ronny took the opportunity to share that he didn't think he deserved praise—he only did what his parents had raised him to do. "I want to take the 10 minutes of fame I have right now to spread the message‚ be kind‚" he wrote in a follow-up TikTok caption. "If at any point‚ you are in a similar or relevant position where you know you have the ability to help‚ help. There are certain things in life that sadly not all of us were told and I think that's why the world is the way it is. I am really grateful for my parents for raising me the way they raised me. And to be quite honest‚ I don't think I would've acted the same way if they would have taught me otherwise. All I'm trying to say is‚ although I greatly appreciate the attention and the compliments what I did shouldn't be something exceptional." @ocqv to be quite honest‚ I got tired of re-recording this video‚ I feel like I got my point across enough to be understood. However‚ if you did not understand what I was trying to say‚ I’m going to further explain it. I want to take the 10 minutes of fame that I have right now to spread the message‚ be kind. If at any point‚ you are in a similar or relevant position where you know you have the ability to help‚ help. There are certain things in life that sadly not all of us were told and I think that’s why the world is the way it is. I am really grateful for my parents for raising me the way they raised me. And to be quite honest‚ I don’t think I would’ve acted the same way if they would have taught me otherwise. All I’m trying to say is‚ although I greatly appreciate the attention and the compliments what I did shouldn’t be something exceptional. It should be the normal thing in my opinion‚ I believe that everybody’s in a position to help at some point in their life some people just don’t take that opportunity so let this just be a little reminder‚ help‚ be kind. Thank you guys 🫶🫶 Well‚ if there was anything that could endear people to Ronny any more than they already were‚ it's his giving credit to his parents and encouraging everyone to be kind and helpful. Well done‚ Ronny. And well done‚ Ronny's parents. This article originally appeared on 7.24.23

The recent trend of parents going out of their way to give their children unique names has brought up a lot of discussion on social media. Some of these names sound cute when a child is 5 years old. But will Caeleigh‚ Zoomer or Rhyedyr look like a serious adult on a job application in a few years?A recent viral video on TikTok is a unique twist on the current discussion surrounding names. Samantha Hart has a name that doesn’t seem like it would draw any negative attention in professional circles. However‚ her parents didn’t consider email conventions when they named her back in the late ‘90s when email was new.“My name is Samantha Hart‚” the 27-year-old said. “Most companies use the email designation of first initial‚ last name‚ meaning my email would be shart.” For the uninitiated‚ a shart is an unintentional release when one thinks they only have gas.The issue arose because Samantha has had two “professional” jobs in the past in which her name has been an issue. So‚ as she began a third job‚ she wondered how to approach the situation with a new employer. @thesam_show sorry if i talk about this problem too much but it is HAPPENING AGAIN!! “At every single workplace‚ I have received an email from HR the week before I start letting me know that my name does not exactly fit the company email structure as they would intend and [asked] would I mind if they gave me a different structure for my email‚” Hart said.So she asked her 30‚000 followers on TikTok if she should just "reach out‚ right off the bat" to her employer and ask for "something else" or wait for HR to react to her email situation. But most of the responses were from people who have been in the same embarrassing situation as Samantha and wished their parents had thought twice before naming them. "Clittmann has entered the chat. Have been dealing with this since college‚" Chris.Littmann responded."As Swallo‚ I feel your pain‚" Samantha Wallo replied."My name is Sue Hartlove so my work emails are always shartlove‚" Sue added."I went to college w Tiffany Estes‚" Abby1233213 wrote."Rkelley has entered the chat‚" Rach commented."Worked with a guy named Sam Adcock‚" Lori added."My last name is Hartstein‚ and my mom’s personal email is ‘shartstein.’ People literally call her shart-stein‚" Lyss wrote."I used to work with a BAllsman‚" JenniferKerastas added."I worked with a Patrick Ecker at a previous job..." NoName wrote."Our high school used last name‚ first two letters of first name. My friend's email ended up being 'mountme‚'" Averageldeal commented.Andy Marks won the comment section with: "Always best to initiate the shart convo… wait too long and it tends to come out at the least opportune moment."While the comments were dominated by people sharing their unfortunate email addresses‚ a few people in the IT field shared their advice for how Samantha should approach her new employer with her email issue. Most agreed that she should address the issue before it becomes a larger problem."As someone in IT—please reach out. When we have to rename a bunch of logins after someone starts it can cause headaches for everyone (inc you!)‚" Kelsey Lane wrote.

There are a lot of reasons to feel a twinge of nostalgia for the final days of the 20th century. Rampant inflation‚ the aftermath of a global pandemic and continued political unrest have created a sense of uneasiness about the future that has everyone feeling a bit down.There’s also a feeling that the current state of pop culture is lacking as well. Nobody listens to new music anymore and unless you’re into superheroes‚ it seems like creativity is seriously missing from the silver screen. But‚ you gotta admit‚ that TV is still pretty damn good.A lot of folks feel Americans have become a lot harsher to one another due to political divides‚ which seem to be widening by the day due to the power of the internet and partisan media.Given today's feeling of malaise‚ there are a lot of people who miss the 1990s or‚ as some call it‚ “the best decade ever.” Why? The 1990s was economically prosperous‚ crime was on its way down after the violent ’70s and ’80s‚ and pop culture was soaring with indie films‚ grunge rock and hip-hop all in their golden eras.The rest of the world was feeling hopeful as globalization brought prosperity and Communism fell in Europe and Asia.The mood in America would swiftly change at the turn of the century when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and the 2001 9/11 attacks would lead to the never-ending "war on terror."A Reddit user by the name purplekat20 was clearly feeling some ’90s nostalgia on May 16 when they asked the online forum to share “What ’90s trend would you bring back?” A lot of people noted that it was a lot cheaper to get by in the ’90s‚ especially considering gas and rent prices. Others missed living in the real world instead of having one foot in reality and the other online.Here are 17 things people would love to bring back from the 1990s.1. "Inflatable furniture and transparent electronics." — Dabbles-In-Irony2."Hope." — DeadOnBalllsaccurateTo which HowardMoo responded: "I hate this despair thing that's all the rage these days. I miss optimism."3. "The '90s web was the best web. People actually made their own home pages. Now it's all social media." — IBeTrippin4. "Affordable housing." — Amiramaha5. "Ninety nine cent per gallon gas." — Maxwyfe6. "The 'mean people suck' statement everywhere. People seemed generally a lot happier and kinder back then. It was a nice reminder to be kind." — simplyintentional7. "Being detached. Not being attached to an electronic gadget every minute of every day." — SuperArppis8. "Calling fake-ass people 'poser.' The state of social media and 'reality' tv demands that this word be taken out of retirement." — rumpusbutnotwild9. "Grunge music." — ofsquire10. "I want movies to be the same caliber as '90s." — waqasnaseem07Cremmitquada nailed it on the head with their response‚ "Everything has been redone. It's all recycled ideas now."11. "Pants that didn't have to be super-tight to be in style." — chad-beer-31612. "People really expressing themselves. Very few people take any risks with style anymore‚ or they do something 'different' that's just enough to still conform. In the '80s and '90s there were people doing crazy things with hair and piercing and just didn't give a fuck. I don't think I'll ever see that come back." — FewWill13. "Great animated TV. Spongebob started in the 90s (99 but it counts)‚ Hey Arnold‚ X-Men‚ Batman‚ Justice League‚ Dexter's Lab‚ Powerpuff Girls‚ Boomerang cartoons... the list goes on." — Phreedom Phighter14. "Fast food restaurant interiors." — Glum-Leg-1886 Another fantastic photo of Taco Bell in the 1990s‚ before the disease of modernismpic.twitter.com/GIiAyNWxiu — Jules (@Jules) 1590273071 15. "Hypercolor shirts and neon puff paint designs on t-shirts. But here in a few months‚ that'll be changed to abortion and voting rights‚ probably." — TheDoctorisen16. "News that was news instead of rage bait." — nmj9512317. "We had a stable country with a vigorous economy. In fact‚ we drew a budget surplus some of those years." — jeremyxtThis article originally appeared on 05.17.22

Software developer Angie Jones' recent girls trip revealed that America still has a long way to go when it comes to race.To most‚ that's not surprising. But what's unique is how the specific experience Jones and her friends went through revealed the pervasive way systemic racism still runs through our culture.Jones is the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Applitools‚ holds 26 patented inventions in the United States of America and Japan‚ and is an IBM Master Inventor.On July 27‚ she tweeted about a flight she took with nine other Black women and they all sat in first class. "People literally could not process how it was possible‚" she wrote. "Staff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled 'are they a higher class of people than I am?!'" — (@) Jones and her friends were the targets of racism that ranged from the seemingly unconscious — people who assumed that Black people don't sit in first class — to the blatant — those who were seriously bothered that Black people were being treated as having a higher status.It's interesting that she didn't mention anyone saying "good for you" for succeeding in a world that often holds people of color back. Instead‚ she was greeted with incredulity and jealous rage.There are a lot of white people who can't stand the idea of a Black person being elevated above them. It's disturbing that in 2021 there are still some who will admit it publicly.Jones' tweets inspired a lot of people to share their stories about the racism they've experienced while flying first class. — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) Jones' tweets also angered some people to the point that they denied her story. To which she responded‚ "To those saying I'm lying‚ you're a huge part of the problem‚" she wrote. "You tell yourself a notable person is lying (for what reason‚ I cannot figure out) before you believe there are actual racists in...America." — (@) One Twitter user came up with the perfect retort to the person who asked‚ "Are they a higher class of people than I am?!" — (@) This article originally appeared on 07.29.21

When we recognize kids' unwelcome behaviors as reactions to environmental conditions‚ developmental phases‚ or our own actions‚ we can respond proactively‚ and with compassion.Here are 10 ways kids may seem like they're acting "naughty" but really aren't. And what parents can do to help.1. They can't control their impulses.Ever say to your kid‚ "Don't throw that!" and they throw it anyway? Research suggests the brain regions involved in self-control are immature at birth and don't fully mature until the end of adolescence‚ which explains why developing self-control is a "long‚ slow process." A recent survey revealed many parents assume children can do things at earlier ages than child-development experts know to be true. For example‚ 56% of parents felt that children under the age of 3 should be able to resist the desire to do something forbidden whereas most children don't master this skill until age 3 and a half or 4. What parents can do: Reminding ourselves that kids can't always manage impulses (because their brains aren't fully developed) can inspire gentler reactions to their behavior.2. They experience overstimulation.We take our kids to Target‚ the park‚ and their sister's play in a single morning and inevitably see meltdowns‚ hyperactivity‚ or outright resistance. Jam-packed schedules‚ overstimulation‚ and exhaustion are hallmarks of modern family life.Research suggests that 28% of Americans "always feel rushed" and 45% report having "no excess time." Kim John Payne‚ author of "Simplicity Parenting‚" argues that children experience a "cumulative stress reaction" from too much enrichment‚ activity‚ choice‚ and toys. He asserts that kids need tons of "down time" to balance their "up time."What parents can do: When we build in plenty of quiet time‚ playtime‚ and rest time‚ children's behavior often improves dramatically.3. Kids' physical needs affect their mood.Ever been "hangry" or completely out of patience because you didn't get enough sleep? Little kids are affected tenfold by such "core conditions" of being tired‚ hungry‚ thirsty‚ over-sugared‚ or sick.Kids' ability to manage emotions and behavior is greatly diminished when they're tired. Many parents also notice a sharp change in children's behavior about an hour before meals‚ if they woke up in the night‚ or if they are coming down with an illness.What parents can do: Kids can't always communicate or "help themselves" to a snack‚ a Tylenol‚ water‚ or a nap like adults can. Help them through routines and prep for when that schedule might get thrown off.4. They can't tame their expression of big feelings.As adults‚ we've been taught to tame and hide our big emotions‚ often by stuffing them‚ displacing them‚ or distracting from them. Kids can't do that yet.What parents can do: Early-childhood educator Janet Lansbury has a great phrase for when kids display powerful feelings such as screaming‚ yelling‚ or crying. She suggests that parents "let feelings be" by not reacting or punishing kids when they express powerful emotions. (Psst: "Jane the Virgin" actor Justin Baldoni has some tips on parenting through his daughter's grocery store meltdown.)5. Kids have a developmental need for tons of movement."Sit still!" "Stop chasing your brother around the table!" "Stop sword fighting with those pieces of cardboard!" "Stop jumping off the couch!"Kids have a developmental need for tons of movement. The need to spend time outside‚ ride bikes and scooters‚ do rough-and-tumble play‚ crawl under things‚ swing from things‚ jump off things‚ and race around things.What parents can do: Instead of calling a child "bad" when they're acting energetic‚ it may be better to organize a quick trip to the playground or a stroll around the block.6. They're defiant.Every 40- and 50-degree day resulted in an argument at one family's home. A first-grader insisted that it was warm enough to wear shorts while mom said the temperature called for pants. Erik Erikson's model posits that toddlers try to do things for themselves and that preschoolers take initiative and carry out their own plans.What parents can do: Even though it's annoying when a child picks your tomatoes while they're still green‚ cuts their own hair‚ or makes a fort with eight freshly-washed sheets‚ they're doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing — trying to carry out their own plans‚ make their own decisions‚ and become their own little independent people. Understanding this and letting them try is key.7. Sometimes even their best traits can trip them up.It happens to all of us — our biggest strengths often reflect our weaknesses. Maybe we're incredibly focused‚ but can't transition very easily. Maybe we're intuitive and sensitive but take on other people's negative moods like a sponge.Kids are similar: They may be driven in school but have difficulty coping when they mess up (e.g.‚ yelling when they make a mistake). They may be cautious and safe but resistant to new activities (e.g.‚ refusing to go to baseball practice). They may live in the moment but aren't that organized (e.g.‚ letting their bedroom floor become covered with toys).What parents can do: Recognizing when a child's unwelcome behaviors are really the flip side of their strengths — just like ours — can help us react with more understanding.8. Kids have a fierce need for play.Your kid paints her face with yogurt‚ wants you to chase her and "catch her" when you're trying to brush her teeth‚ or puts on daddy's shoes instead of her own when you're racing out the door. Some of kids' seemingly "bad" behaviors are what John Gottman calls "bids" for you to play with them.Kids love to be silly and goofy. They delight in the connection that comes from shared laughter and love the elements of novelty‚ surprise‚ and excitement.What parents can do: Play often takes extra time and therefore gets in the way of parents' own timelines and agendas‚ which may look like resistance and naughtiness even when it's not. When parents build lots of playtime into the day‚ kids don't need to beg for it so hard when you're trying to get them out the door.9. They are hyperaware and react to parents' moods.Multiple research studies on emotional contagion have found that it only takes milliseconds for emotions like enthusiasm and joy‚ as well as sadness‚ fear‚ and anger‚ to pass from person to person‚ and this often occurs without either person realizing it. Kids especially pick up on their parents' moods. If we are stressed‚ distracted‚ down‚ or always on the verge of frustrated‚ kids emulate these moods. When we are peaceful and grounded‚ kids model off that instead.What parents can do: Check in with yourself before getting frustrated with your child for feeling what they're feeling. Their behavior could be modeled after your own tone and emotion.10. They struggle to respond to inconsistent limits.At one baseball game‚ you buy your kid M&;Ms. At the next‚ you say‚ "No‚ it'll ruin your dinner‚" and your kid screams and whines. One night you read your kids five books‚ but the next you insist you only have time to read one‚ and they beg for more. One night you ask your child‚ "What do you want for dinner?" and the next night you say‚ "We're having lasagna‚ you can't have anything different‚" and your kids protest the incongruence.When parents are inconsistent with limits‚ it naturally sets off kids' frustration and invites whining‚ crying‚ or yelling.What parents can do: Just like adults‚ kids want (and need) to know what to expect. Any effort toward being 100% consistent with boundaries‚ limits‚ and routines will seriously improve children's behavior.This story first appeared on Psychology Today and is reprinted here with permission.

A lot of parents are tired of being told how technology is screwing up their kids. Moms and dads of the digital age are well aware of the growing competition for their children's attention‚ and they're bombarded at each turn of the page or click of the mouse with both cutting-edge ideas and newfound worries for raising great kids.But beneath the madness of modernity‚ the basics of raising a moral child haven't really changed.Parents want their kids to achieve their goals and find happiness‚ but Harvard researchers believe that doesn't have to come at the expense of kindness and empathy. They say a few tried-and-true strategies remain the best ways to mold your kids into the morally upstanding and goals-oriented humans you want them to be.Here are six practical tips:1) Hang out with your kids.This is‚ like‚ the foundation of it all. Spend regular time with your kids‚ ask them open-ended questions about themselves‚ about the world and how they see it‚ and actively listen to their responses. Not only will you learn all sorts of things that make your child unique‚ you'll also be demonstrating to them how to show care and concern for another person.2) If it matters‚ say it out loud.According to the researchers‚ "Even though most parents and caretakers say that their children being caring is a top priority‚ often children aren't hearing that message." So be sure to say it with them. And so they know it's something they need to keep up with‚ check in with teachers‚ coaches‚ and others who work with your kids on how they're doing with teamwork‚ collaboration‚ and being a generally nice person.3) Show your child how to "work it out."Walk them through decision-making processes that take into consideration people who could be affected. For example‚ if your child wants to quit a sport or other activity‚ encourage them to identify the source of the problem and consider their commitment to the team. Then help them figure out if quitting does‚ in fact‚ fix the problem.4) Make helpfulness and gratitude routine.The researchers write‚ "Studies show that people who engage in the habit of expressing gratitude are more likely to be helpful‚ generous‚ compassionate‚ and forgiving — and they're also more likely to be happy and healthy." So it's good for parents to hold the line on chores‚ asking kids to help their siblings‚ and giving thanks throughout the day. And when it comes to rewarding "good" behavior‚ the researchers recommend that parents "only praise uncommon acts of kindness."5) Check your child's destructive emotions."The ability to care for others is overwhelmed by anger‚ shame‚ envy‚ or other negative feelings‚" say the researchers. Helping kids name and process those emotions‚ then guiding them toward safe conflict resolution‚ will go a long way toward keeping them focused on being a caring individual. It's also important to set clear and reasonable boundaries that they'll understand are out of love and concern for their safety.6) Show your kids the bigger picture."Almost all children empathize with and care about a small circle of families and friends‚" say the researchers. The trick is getting them to care about people who are socially‚ culturally‚ and even geographically outside their circles. You can do this by coaching them to be good listeners‚ by encouraging them to put themselves in other people's shoes‚ and by practicing empathy using teachable moments in news and entertainment.The study concludes with a short pep talk for all the parents out there:"Raising a caring‚ respectful‚ ethical child is and always has been hard work. But it's something all of us can do. And no work is more important or ultimately more rewarding."This article originally appeared on 06.16.15