Editor's note

Kids come up with the most amazing questions; like Samson, aged four, who wonders how clouds stay up in the sky. Most adults would be stymied, but atmospheric scientist Jim McQuaid is an expert on clouds – he even flew up in an airship to weigh one, once. His fascinating response forms part of The Conversation’s Curious Kids series – where children of all ages can have their questions about the world answered by experts. Earlier this week, Sarah, aged 12, found out whether an insect flying in a moving car has to move at the same speed, to keep up.

Most parents are well informed about how their children should develop and what they can do to help them. But it’s often less obvious how culture affects this process. Ching-Yu Huang argues that knowledge about cultural differences in children’s thinking and memory has important practical implications in many areas where you have to understand a child’s psychology.

Research from King’s College London has revealed a depressing gender imbalance among the people called on to comment as experts for online news. It seems four in five are men. Laura Jones appeals to journalists to update their contact lists.

Emily Lindsay Brown

Editor for Cities and Young People

Top stories

windy_sydney/Flickr

Curious Kids: how do the clouds stay up in the sky?

Jim McQuaid, University of Leeds

Even a small cloud can weigh as much as four tonnes – but gravity, chemistry and temperature keep them floating in the sky.

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

How culture influences children's development

Ching-Yu Huang, Bournemouth University

Culture plays a role in forming a child's identity, conversational style and memory. This has many implications for how to deal with children, from school to the judicial system.

Shutterstock

Research shows four in five experts cited in online news are men

Laura Jones, King's College London

The shocking lack of gender balance is not just bad for women. It's doing the public a major disservice.

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