At that age， I'd take any excuse to make estimates and do minor arithmetic. I'd calculate our gas mileage -- figure out useless statistics on things like grocery spending. I'd been hearing an ad campaign about smoking. I can't remember the details， but basically the ad said， every puff of a cigarette takes some number of minutes off of your life: I think it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate， I decided to do the math for my grandmother. I estimated the number of cigarettes per days， estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on. When I was satisfied that I'd come up with a reasonable number， I poked my head into the front of the car， tapped my grandmother on the shoulder， and proudly proclaimed， "At two minutes per puff， you've taken nine years off your life！"

现代时代最重要的政治发展是现代国家的崛起。

Sustainability starts with respecting the wisdom of traditional farming while innovating for tomorrow.

Mathematics is a living subject, constantly evolving with new ideas and discoveries.

最大的自由是选择自己思想的自由。

To live is to endure, to find meaning in the chaos, and to keep moving forward despite the pain.