Whenever you read text, you don't pay much attention to the way the information is presented — particularly the font (字体) choice. That's because your main objective is reading comprehension.

Although printing design is overlooked by most of us, it's crucial in making texts clear, readable and appealing for audiences. Beyond the visual aspect, research shows that fonts play a significant role in the cognitive (认知的) processes while we read. A font's impact on the way you learn and keep information might be hard to notice consciously, but your brain is certainly tuned in. Perhaps surprisingly, hard-to-read fonts such as Bodoni or Comic Sansor are better for preserving information than fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. Participants recalled more information from the material they read when it was presented in a font that was difficult to read, according to a 2010 study.

"Difficulty can function as an alarm signal, giving the reader a sense that the task is challenging and will require mental effort," says Daniel Oppenheimer, a professor of Social and Decision Science. "Additionally, slowing down the reading speed to deal with the dis-fluency may help readers spot errors in a text. Hard-to-read fonts, which make it harder to engage with a material but don't actually draw away the reader, therefore generate "desirable difficulty"— and the resulting cognitive trouble may improve performance because they require more mental effort."

Font characteristics such as style, size and color play a role in information retention or recall, as well, because font design is vital to our familiarity — or unfamiliarity — with a given word, says Stephen Banham, a typography lecturer. Experiments have demonstrated a relationship between font size and memory: large font items may predict higher recall regardless of style, but very small font sizes can also introduce a desirable difficulty.

A document's specific method of formatting information also makes an impact. Using font styles like bold or italics to indicate significance can also improve information possession. That's because people are better able to remember information they consider important. Researchers found that bolded text has a higher recall than text in italic or regular styles, regardless of the font size. However, if an entire document is bolded, the emphasis is lost, and readers can no longer spot vital passages.

STEM Summer Programs for High School Students

STEM is a term that stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Here is a list of some of the best STEM summer camps for high school students. 

Future Matters Program

It is an 8-week paid summer research experience for high school students. This is a hands-on program for students interested in going after a career in medical research. Students will attend seminars led by faculty and participate in discussions with peers. 

Simons Summer Research

It is a seven-week program located at Stony Brook University. Students will have the opportunity to participate in special workshops, tours and events free of charge. They will conclude the program b producing a written research abstract and research poster. 

Research Science Institute

It is the first cost-free summer program of its kind. During this six-week program, students will dive deeper into the world of science and engineering by experiencing the entire research cycle. In this program students attend classes conducted by famous professors and prepare written and oral presentations to present their research. 

Program in Math for Young Scientists

This program is a six-week intensive mathematics program designed for students across the globe. Unlike common programs, it offers a great deal of independence for students to choose their own schedules and decide what they want to study. Besides learning, there is also "mandatory(强制的) fun time" built into the weekly schedule so that students are able to have non-math related activities.

The topic of "crossing your legs" has been hotly discussed on the Internet recently. The truth is that crossing one leg over the other, a common sitting posture preferred by many people, may actually do harm to one's health. So while seated, try not to do so any more.

Whether it is at the office, in a waiting room or relaxing at home, many people' s go-to posture is one leg over the other, crossed at the knee. If you're like many of us, you spend too many hours of your day seated and for most of that time, you have crossed your legs for comfort.

One study found that people who sat with their legs crossed for more than three hours a daywere more likely to lean forward and to round their shoulders. But the research relied on people's own estimations of how long they crossed their legs for.

When you cross your legs, you are putting compression and pressure on your leg and knee joints and nerves. The way you sit is a huge determinant of your health and the way your body moves and functions. Sitting with your legs crossed leaves your hips uneven and forces your pelvic bone(盆骨) to rotate. Therefore, the longer you sit in this uneven position, the more pressure is placed on your knee and spine(脊柱), increasing the likelihood that it will develop into a long-term issue.

If seated long, then more importantly for you, cultivate and develop a healthy habit of sitting position. And here are the followings. Switch sitting positions often. Take brief walks around your office or home. Gently stretch your muscles every so often to help relieve muscle tension. Keep your feet on the floor, with your ankles in front of your knees. Relax your shoulders; they should not be rounded. Keep your elbows in close to your body and let them be bent between 90 and 120 degrees. Make sure that your back, thighs and hips are fully supported. Try doing those and maybe some of them fit you.