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Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show

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Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar’s performance at Super Bowl LIX made him the first rapper to headline the N.F.L.’s biggest stage solo.

Did you watch the show? Were you already a Kendrick Lamar fan? What did you think of the performance? What specific aspects — whether the music, the staging, the dancing, the costumes, the symbolism or anything else — were most or least successful, in your opinion? Why?

Lamar made his Drake diss track “Not Like Us” the centerpiece of his set. What do you think of the ongoing beef between Lamar and Drake? Was the Super Bowl the appropriate stage to try to settle a vendetta?

Tell us in the comments, and then read the related review to learn what a New York Times critic thought.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Word of the Day: juggernaut

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Word of the Day: juggernaut

The word juggernaut has appeared in 438 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 11 in “‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Score, a Noisy Gem, Will Arrive at Last” by Christopher R. Weingarten:

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” changed the horror business when it splattered out in 1974, turning a spartan budget into a $30 million juggernaut and laying groundwork for the blood-soaked slasher genre that dominated the 1980s. Among its many innovations was its unconventional score, an abstract suite of bone-chilling scrapes, metallic clanks, ominous drones and mysterious stingers.

Can you correctly use the word juggernaut in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

If you want a better idea of how juggernaut can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Lesson Plan: Trump Administration Checks and Balances

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Lesson Plan: Trump Administration Checks and Balances

Mr. Trump’s actions raise serious constitutional questions. As a reminder, the Constitution created three branches of government:

  • The legislative branch, Congress, makes the laws.

  • The judicial branch, the federal courts, interprets the laws.

  • The executive branch, the president, carries out those laws.

The Constitution also created a system of checks and balances, enabling each branch to check the power of the other two branches so no single branch becomes too powerful. (The framers didn’t want another king.)

But what happens if one of those branches steps beyond its legal authority?

In “A Constitutional Crisis?” German Lopez writes:

In the United States, Congress, the president and the courts are supposed to keep an eye on one another — to stop any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. President Trump is showing us what happens when those checks and balances break down.

The president can’t shut down agencies that Congress has funded, yet that’s what Trump did, with Elon Musk’s help, to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The president can’t fire inspectors general without giving lawmakers 30 days’ notice, but Trump dismissed 17 of them anyway. Congress passed a law forcing TikTok to sell or close, and the courts upheld it, but Trump declined to enforce it. “The president is openly violating the law and Constitution on a daily basis,” said Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College.

In doing so, Trump has called the bluff of our constitutional system: It works best when each branch does its job with alacrity. Trump’s opponents are filing lawsuits, but courts are slow and deliberative. They can’t keep up with the changes the White House has already implemented. Congress could fight back, but the Republican lawmakers in charge have shrugged, as my colleague Carl Hulse reported. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina conceded that what the administration is doing “runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense.” But, he said, “nobody should bellyache about that.”

Congress, which is currently controlled by the Republican Party (the same party the president belongs to), has largely stayed quiet about Mr. Trump’s actions. That means the federal courts are left with the responsibility to decide if or when the president has exceeded his legal authority. But since Mr. Trump and his administration have seemingly defied so many laws so quickly, will the federal courts be able to keep up?

Are you worried that our system of checks and balances might fail?

In “Why Federal Courts May Be the Last Bulwark Against Trump,” Mattathias Schwartz writes:

More than 40 lawsuits filed in recent days by state attorneys general, unions and nonprofits seek to erect a bulwark in the federal courts against President Trump’s blitzkrieg of executive actions that have upended much of the federal government and challenged the Constitution’s system of checks and balances.

Unlike the opening of Mr. Trump’s first term in 2017, little significant resistance to his second term has arisen in the streets, the halls of Congress or within his own Republican Party. For now at least, lawyers say, the judicial branch may be it.

“The courts really are the front line,” said Skye Perryman, the chief executive of Democracy Forward, which has filed nine lawsuits and won four court orders against the Trump administration.

The multipronged legal pushback has already yielded quick — if potentially fleeting — results. Judicial orders in nine federal court cases will, for a time, partially bind the administration’s hands on its goals. Those include ending automatic citizenship for babies born to undocumented immigrants on U.S. soil; transferring transgender female inmates to male-only prisons; potentially exposing the identities of F.B.I. personnel who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol; coaxing federal workers to accept “deferred resignation” under a tight deadline; and freezing as much as $3 trillion in domestic spending.

The article continues:

But while the executive branch is entrusted with the capacity for swift, decisive action, the judiciary is slow by design, and the legal opposition to Mr. Trump’s opening moves may struggle to keep up with his fire hose of disruption.

Students, read one or both articles and then tell us:

  • Have you been following the new Trump administration closely? What’s your reaction to the president’s first few weeks back in office? Have you or your community been affected by any of these actions — and, if so, in what ways? Has Mr. Trump done anything so far that you either support or oppose? Why?

  • What is your reaction to the way Mr. Trump and his administration have grabbed powers that the executive branch has never had before, and the way they’ve taken multiple actions that appear to ignore or violate existing laws?

  • Are you worried that our system of checks and balances might fail in the face of Mr. Trump’s “fire hose of disruption”? Are you troubled that Congress is neglecting its responsibility to check the power of the president? Are you concerned that the judicial branch won’t be able to provide a sufficient check on the president? Or would you argue that the system is working as it should? Why or why not?

  • Whether or not you agree with some of Mr. Trump’s policies, do you think there is cause for concern about his methods of defying existing law? Are constitutional questions about the limits of presidential powers something members of all political parties should be concerned about? Or do you agree with Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, who said that “nobody should bellyache” if what the administration is doing “runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense”? Why?

  • Choose one of the examples of Mr. Trump’s actions that seem to defy legal limits and analyze it. What is the action that the Trump administration took? Why might this action be violating U.S. law? Then imagine you are a lawyer representing either the president or the people opposed to this action. What would you argue in court to defend your position?

  • A recent Times article reports that law professors believe we are “in the midst of a constitutional crisis.” Do you agree? What do you think it will mean for the country if the Trump administration keeps operating the way it has been for the past several weeks?

  • Our system of checks and balances is based on the three branches of government, but ultimately, all three branches serve the American people. What role do everyday Americans have in this moment? For example, demonstrators gathered in cities across the country last week to protest the Trump administration’s flurry of actions, and millions of calls have poured in to members of Congress. What power do these actions have? Whether you support or oppose what is happening in the U.S. government right now, what can you do to voice your opinion?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Writing Prompts on Love, Dating and Relationships

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Writing Prompts on Love, Dating and Relationships

Want to find out what it’s like to write about love and weddings for The New York Times? Join our online conversation with the Vows writer Rosalie R. Radomsky through Feb. 19.

Do you love love? Is Valentine’s Day your favorite holiday? Are you a hopeless romantic at heart?

If so, then these 10 questions all about love, dating and relationships are for you.

But even if not, we bet you’ll still find plenty to respond to.

Love — whether it’s for a romantic partner, a friend, a family member or a pet — is part of all of our lives. In these prompts, we invite you to tell us about the role it plays in yours. For example, what are the small ways you show love to those you care about? Have you ever experienced heartbreak? And what lessons have you learned from your relationships?

Each of the questions below links to a related writing prompt that we’ve asked students over the years, and they are all inspired by New York Times articles or images. Teenagers 13 and older can post their responses in the comments.

Do you believe in true love and soul mates? Do you like grand romantic gestures, like lavish gifts and love letters? Do you enjoy watching romantic comedies or reading romance books?

Or do you generally not give a second thought to love and romance in your everyday life?

Tell us your feelings on the prompt “How Much of a Romantic Are You?”

“Taking out the trash before my mom asks.”
“Writing my friends notes that put smiles on their faces.”
“Always giving my boyfriend the last bite.”

These are some of the little acts teenagers told us they use to express their love.

And, what makes them feel cared for?

“When teachers remember your name.”
“My mom waiting for me when I come home from school.”
“Someone noticing I’m upset and giving me a hug.”

Share the tiny gestures that help you feel and show love in our prompt, “What Are the Small Ways You Show Love to Those You Care About?”

Do you love Valentine’s Day? Hate it? Usually forget it exists at all?

Whatever your feelings, we invite you to post something inspired by this day on our Picture Prompt, “Valentines.” You might describe a memory from your own life, or use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem based on the image above.

Green, red, yellow, beige. The dating world today is filled with flags, each of which might give you a different clue about a potential relationship.

What behaviors are green flags, or signals that tell you to “go ahead” with a romantic prospect? Which are yellow, signs that make you think twice about continuing a relationship? Which are red, actions that cause you to hit the breaks immediately? Share them on our prompt, “What Green, Yellow and Red Flags Do You Look For When It Comes to Dating?”

And what about “beige flags,” that TikTok term used to describe a partner’s quirks that are less than a deal breaker, but not exactly a plus? Do you have any? Tell us on “What’s Your Take on Beige Flags in Relationships?”

Do you ever go on dates? Do your friends? If so, are there any unspoken rules that you and your peers follow? For example, who pays? How do you decide?

A Times article reports that even though young people today like to emphasize equity and equality, when it comes to courtship (specifically women and men in heterosexual relationships) they seem to be following the same dating rules their parents and older generations grew up learning.

“Men tend to foot the bill more than women do on dates,” the article says. “And there seems to be an expectation that they should.”

Where do you stand on this tradition and other dating norms? Weigh in on “Who Should Pay for Dates?”

“I do believe parents should be aware of their child’s dating history and have at least some control over it,” one student told us, “especially if their child is still a young teenager and doesn’t always make the best decisions.”

Another wrote, “Parents should stay out of their child’s dating life and relationships to allow them to figure things out on their own.”

What do you think? Tell us on “Should Parents Weigh in on Their Kids’ Dating Lives?”

Have you ever told another person “I love you”? Do you ever want to say those words but find them too hard to express?

The novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote an essay about his experience as an Asian American, and how his culture and upbringing made it harder for him to say those three words. “Struggle and sacrifice was how Asian parents say ‘I love you’ without having to say it,” he wrote.

What do the words “I love you” mean to you? Share your thoughts on “Do You Find It Hard to Say ‘I Love You’?”

After their relationship failed, a couple in Croatia decided to start a museum that displays objects from heartbroken lovers all around the world. It’s called the Museum of Broken Relationships.

Have you ever had your heart broken? Perhaps from the end of a romance or friendship, or from a different kind of loss, like the death of a pet or loved one.

What was that experience like for you? How did you cope with your feelings of grief? If you were to send an object to the museum, what would it be?

Share your story on “Have You Ever Experienced Heartbreak?”

Love is in your actions.
Love can’t be one-sided.
Love can come in many different forms.
You can’t “win” someone else’s love.

These are just a few of the many lessons teenagers told us they have learned from their friendships, romantic relationships and familial bonds. What would you add to the list?

Tell us on the prompt, “What Is One Lesson About Love You Have Learned?”

Want to flex your creative writing muscles? Use these images about love and relationships from our Picture Prompt collection to pen a short story, poem or personal narrative on the topic.

Or, see if you can write a love story in only 100 words, like readers do for Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories. Inspired by this series, our Picture Prompt “Friendship and Love” invites you to write a tiny tale of romance, friendship, family or any other kind of bonding, and then post it for others to read.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

How to Start a Blog or Website (updated for 2025!)

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How to Start a Blog or Website (updated for 2025!)

How to Start a Blog or Website (updated for 2025!)

Ever thought about starting your own blog or website? It’s a great way to express yourself, connect with others, or even grow a business. But let’s be real, the whole process can seem a bit daunting. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! This post walks you through the key steps, making the journey from idea to online reality much easier. Learn how to start a website or blog in 4 quick steps!

This tutorial will walk you through how to launch a self-hosted WordPress site on Bluehost (our preferred web host) in 3 simple steps.

How to start a blog or website

I know what you’re thinking: “I’m not techy enough,” or “I don’t have the time.” But trust me, starting a blog or website is much easier than you think. This post breaks down the process into manageable chunks, so you can take it one step at a time, at your own pace. No coding skills or endless hours are required!

Step 1 – Find a space for your new site

Think of a website or blog like building a house. First things first, you need some land, right? Online, that land is called hosting. It’s basically your little slice of the internet where your website lives, and you usually rent it out for a monthly or yearly fee.

To get your hosting in place, head to Bluehost and click on that big blue button.

Getting a Bluehost hosting

Note: receive exclusive pricing by signing up through this link.*

Step 2 – Select a plan

The “choice plus” plan is the most popular and really does give you the most bang for your buck, but if you want to start with the “basic” plan due to limited funds, know you can always upgrade in the future if needed.

If you haven’t thought about what you want to call your blog, now’s the time.

Next up, you’ll need a domain name – think of it like your website’s address. If you don’t have one already, no worries! You can easily create one. It’s how people will find your site and remember it. Ideally, your domain name should match your blog’s title (like ours is Designer Blogs, so our domain is www.designerblogs.com). If your dream domain is already taken, try playing around with variations of your title – the system will usually give you some suggestions.

Already have a domain you love? Check the box ‘I want to use a domain I already own‘!

RELATED: 5 Blog Investments Worth Making (read this for tips on choosing a killer domain)

Review your cart

Now check your package details and add extras. You do not really need any of them if you start your site, so do not feel pressured to check all the boxes.

Keep your shopping cart simple. All you really need right now is the hosting and a domain (if you’re getting a new one). Those other “free” goodies? They might seem tempting, but they’ll probably cost you later on when the free trial runs out. Trust me, you can always add them later if you need them.

Click the ‘Continue to Checkout’ button and enter your account information. Be sure to use a working email address because this is where your login info will be sent.

Finally, enter your billing information, confirm that you’ve read the fine print, and hit the ‘Submit Payment’ button.

Your hosting account will now be in place.

Follow the instructions on your screen to set up your Bluehost login details and install your new WordPress. Remember to note all the logins and passwords in a safe place, as you will need them later!

Step 3 – Open WordPress

If you follow all the steps, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you, and you can start working on your new blog right away.

You can log into your site by going to:

www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin (“yourdomain.com” being your own personal domain).

This will bring you to the login area on the backend of your site. Bookmarking your login page so you can easily access it when you need to log in is a good idea.

Enter the login info you wrote down from the previous step and then click “Log In.”

WordPress Login Screen - Designer Blogs

RELATED: How to Change Logo on WordPress Login Page

First, let’s get your basic settings in place, so in your dashboard, go to “Settings” and then “General.”

WordPress Dashboard Settings - Designer Blogs

Enter your site title and tagline here and correct other information if needed. Once ready, save all the changes.

WordPress General Settings - Designer Blogs

Now, I highly recommend that you change your permalink settings for SEO purposes. To do this, go to “Settings” and then “Permalinks,” select the “Post name,” and click “Save Changes.”

WordPress Permalink Settings - Designer Blogs

I also recommend you click through each option under “Settings” to get the additional options set up like you want. You can also visit our WordPress Tutorials page for additional help in setting up other areas of your site.

Step 4 – Make it Gorgeous!

You have learned how to start your own website, now it’s time to make it look fabulous! You have a few options when it comes to the look of your site. You can use one of the free generic themes that are included with your WordPress install. Go to “Appearance” and then “Themes” to find them. As you can see, there isn’t much to look at, and there isn’t much variety, but if it’s not within your budget to spend money on a theme right now, then it’s a good place to start.

Get something more unique

You can hire a blog design company (like Designer Blogs!) to create a fabulous design for you. We offer very affordable WordPress Themes or if you want a one-of-a-kind blog design, you can request a quote for a custom design.

Explore Our Latest Theme Additions

Browse ALL WordPress Themes

With either option, we take care of the design work (including installation), so you don’t have to worry about a thing!

We hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful and, by now, you know exactly how to start a website or blog. If you have any questions, please comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer!

*Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, which means your clicks and purchases help support Designer Blogs at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we absolutely love.

16 Software Developer Interview Questions and Answers

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16 Software Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Interviews can be intimidating, but they’re also exciting (yes, really!). First, they give you a chance to wow your interviewer with your programming knowledge and expertise. Second, they also allow you to peek behind the curtains of the companies you’re applying to and see whether you actually want to work there. (That’s why it’s essential to have a list of questions to ask your interviewer, but more on that later.)

Still, you’ll want to prepare before you walk into your interview. Reviewing some common interview questions beforehand will help put your mind at ease so that you can deliver your answers more confidently when the day comes.

So, to help you prepare, let’s take a look at some of the most common Software Developer interview questions and their answers.

Entry-level Software Developer behavioral questions

As an entry-level Software Developer, you can expect some behavioral questions that will help the interviewer understand who you are as a person.

1. What projects are you currently working on?

Since you’re applying for an entry-level job, the projects you list can be side projects. The interviewer wants to know that you’re actively coding, along with what type of technologies you use, and if you’re passionate about the work.

2. Why should we hire you for this position?

To answer this question, you’ll want to know about the company you’re applying to. You don’t want to be overconfident and respond with a generic answer like, “Because I’m smart, motivated, and want this job.” Instead, use your knowledge of the company to highlight how you can contribute to their goals.

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?

This question helps the interviewer determine if you’ll stick around for a while and if your goals match what the company can provide. Answer this question as honestly as possible.

First, you need to know what your long-term goals are. Then, find a connection between those goals and the job description. If the company has different levels of Software Developers, you might say that you want to work toward a mid or senior-level position.

Entry-level Software Developer technical questions

These types of questions will test your understanding of basic software development principles.

4. What is an abstract class, and why would you use it?

An abstract class is a class that contains abstract methods. These methods have declarations but no implementations. Instead, they’re implemented by sub-classes of the abstract class, which makes them more flexible and easier to customize.

5. Explain inheritance

Inheritance is when an object or class is based on another object or class and uses the same implementation. For example, you could have both a Car and a Motorcycle class that inherits from a Vehicle class.

6. What’s the difference between method overriding vs. overloading?

These are both examples of polymorphism. Method overloading is when you have the same method but change its signature, parameters, or return type. Method overriding is when you have a method that belongs to an extended class, and you change its behavior.

Senior-level Software Developer behavioral questions

Senior Software Developer candidates will likely face more complex questions during their interviews. These questions help the interviewer see if you’ve learned from your experiences and added value to companies you’ve worked for in the past.

7. What’s your biggest professional success so far?

Listing your professional accomplishments before your interview will help you prepare for this question. It helps if you choose those that involved working with a team or adding value to an enterprise.

8. Tell me about a time in your professional career that you failed

This question can be hard to answer if you aren’t prepared for it, so make a list of your failures before the interview and go through them. The interviewer wants to know that you can acknowledge your weaknesses and take responsibility for your failures.

Still, this question also gives you the chance to show that you know how to make the most of a bad situation. After explaining the problem, follow up with a description of how you resolved it to illustrate your problem-solving ability.

9. Have you ever identified a potential business problem and proactively implemented a solution?

This question is a test of your ability to handle and resolve unexpected work situations. Companies want a Senior Software Developer who can develop solutions without always relying on guidance.

Senior-level Software Developer technical questions

Senior Software Developer technical questions are usually more in-depth than those asked of junior developers and may include more algorithm and systems questions.

10. What are the differences between functional and object-oriented programming?

Your answer to this question shows your knowledge of the two main software development paradigms. Here are the differences between the two:

  • Functional programming relies on immutable objects and avoids mutating states. Object-oriented programming depends on state mutation and the in-place modification of objects.
  • The main concept in functional programming is the function. In object-oriented programming, it’s the class.

11. What sort would you use if you required tight max time bounds and wanted highly regular performance?

I would use a Balanced Tree Sort because it’s guaranteed to have an O(n log n) runtime.

12. How would you scale access to a system like LinkedIn?

There’s no exact answer to a question like this. The interviewer just wants to determine if you have systems design knowledge. Most of the time, questions like this are vague, and the interviewer expects you to ask for requirements to narrow down your answer.

Depending on those requirements, your answer could be something like this:

“I would maintain a cache for each users’ feed. Then use an asynchronous queue service to handle message consumption to update the feed cache and call push services. Because each push job is stateless, it’s linearly scalable by adding more workers to consume the queue.”

Questions to ask during a Software Developer interview

You should also ask your own questions during the interview to show the interviewer that you’re truly interested in the company. Here are some questions to consider asking during your Software Developer interview:

13. Why do you enjoy working here?

This question helps you determine if you’ll be a good fit for the company. It’ll also give you a sense of the organization’s structure and the personality of your future manager. If their answer doesn’t align with the type of work you enjoy, then maybe the job isn’t right for you.

14. What are the biggest challenges facing the team right now?

Asking this question demonstrates that you care about the direction the company is taking and your motivation to contribute to organizational goals.

15. What are the expectations for the first 30/60/90 days?

By asking this question not only will you show that you are proactive and forward-thinking, but it’ll also help to clarify what is expected of you in the early stages of the role and ensure that you’re aligned with the company’s immediate goals for the position.

16. Is there room for growth?

If you ask this question, it shows the interviewer that you’ll be a motivated employee who wants to move up the ladder and develop new skills. It also shows you plan to stay with the company long-term.

Preparing for a Software Developer interview

By reviewing Software Developer interview questions, you’ll be more relaxed in your next interview and confident that you can answer any questions that come up with ease. Using the questions above is a good way to get started.

For technical Software Developer interviews based on a specific programming language, you may want to check out the following courses:

To learn more about the interview process itself, check out our article on the differences between behavioral and technical interviews, as well as our complete guide on how to ace a technical interview. And for the ultimate interview prep, you can take a course from the interview prep section of our course catalog.

This blog was originally published in August 2021 and has been updated to include additional interview questions.

Have You Ever Experienced Heartbreak?

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Have You Ever Experienced Heartbreak?

Have you ever had your heart broken? Perhaps it was the end of a romance or a friendship. Maybe it was another kind of loss, like the death of a pet or of someone you loved.

Is there an object that reminds you of this relationship? Is it something that was a symbol of your time together?

In the article “When Relationships Fail, This Museum Keeps the Stuff Left Behind,” published in 2023, Alex Marshall writes about a museum in Croatia, which still exists today, that collects items from broken relationships all around the world. It begins:

When their relationship ended more than 20 years ago, the time came for Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic to divide up their stuff, including a TV, a computer and a bunch of vacation souvenirs. Then, they got to a toy bunny.

When they were lovers, the two Croatians had a cutesy ritual: When one of them came home, the other would wind up the fluffy rabbit and send it scampering around their house to welcome them. And when either went abroad on a business trip, they would take the white bunny with them and snap photos with it at tourist spots. It was such a symbol of their time together, Vistica said, that she didn’t think either of them should keep it.

At that moment, the pair could have fallen into a bitter argument — but, instead, they had a brain wave: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a place where everyone on the planet could send objects after a breakup?” Vistica recalled thinking. A global archive of failed romances could help couples move on from heartbreak, Vistica said; it would also let them say to the world, “This love existed.”

Today, the former lovers run the Museum of Broken Relationships, one of Croatia’s busiest — and quirkiest — tourist attractions. Located in a former palace in the old town of Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, the museum displays objects sourced from heartbroken lovers worldwide alongside text telling each item’s story. The objects’ donors, many of whom send in the objects by mail, are kept anonymous, an attempt to encourage them to be truthful.

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

  • What do you think about the Museum of Broken Relationships? Is sending meaningful objects to the museum a good way to help people cope with heartbreak and honor significant relationships in their lives?

  • What have been your experiences with romantic relationships? Have you dated or had a girlfriend or boyfriend? Have you ever broken up with someone or been broken up with? What was that like for you?

  • Have you experienced another kind of heartbreak? For example, the end of a friendship, the loss of a pet or the death of a loved one?

  • In the wake of these losses, how did you cope with your feelings and move on? What words of wisdom do you have for others who might be experiencing heartbreak?

  • If you were to send an object to the Museum of Broken Relationships from a significant heartbreak in your life, what would you send? Tell us the story of that item and what it meant to your relationship.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Word of the Day: logjam

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Word of the Day: logjam

The word logjam has appeared in 144 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 24 in “More Ships May Return to the Red Sea if Houthis Hold Their Fire” by Peter Eavis:

Some analysts say there may be a logjam of ships in some places as companies move vessels from the longer to the shorter route.

“You’re going to have too many ships at sea all at the same time,” said Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian and an associate professor at Campbell University in North Carolina. “And they would much rather come in and anchor and sit there, so what you’re going to start to see is some congestion in the ports.”

Can you correctly use the word logjam in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

If you want a better idea of how logjam can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Are You Worried About A.I. Taking Human Jobs?

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Are You Worried About A.I. Taking Human Jobs?

He also shares his concerns about the threats that artificial intelligence poses for the future of his work:

I imagine that soon enough, artificial intelligence will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on “The Simpsons” over almost four decades. It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound — or anyone else’s.

In my case, A.I. could have access to 36 years of Moe, the permanently disgruntled bartender. He’s appeared in just about every episode of “The Simpsons.” He’s been terrified, in love, hit in the head and, most often, in a state of bitter hatred. I’ve laughed as Moe in dozens of ways by now. I’ve probably sighed as Moe 100 times. In terms of training A.I., that’s a lot to work with.

But a voice is not just a sound. And I’d like to think that no matter how much an A.I. version of Moe or Snake or Chief Wiggum will sound like my voice, something will still be missing — the humanness. There’s so much of who I am that goes into creating a voice. How can the computer conjure all that?

A misconception about voice acting is that it takes only a voice. But our bodies and souls are involved to get the proper believability. When I first watched Dan Castellaneta, who plays Homer, and Harry Shearer, who plays Mr. Burns and many other characters, doing vocal recordings, I was almost embarrassed by how silly they looked. They were jumping around and giving a full performance to no one — just a microphone. I was 23. It took me a while to get up the courage to do that, too.

It can be as simple as running in place if your character’s running. If your character is crying, you work up real tears, real emotion. A lot of my characters have thrown punches or been punched in the face. If your character’s talking while he throws a punch, it’s hard to fake unless you actually throw a punch. Sometimes we’ll pick up a prop if it helps us get into the reality of the scene. I played a character who was cigar-chomping, so I stuck a highlighter in my mouth while I talked.

Tree and Frames

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Tree and Frames

What story could this image tell?

Choose three or more of the elements pictured in this illustration and use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem that connects them. Or, describe a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.

Tell us in the comments, and then read the related book review to learn more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

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