Topic Reading-Vol.4084-6/30/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Daytime naps may be good for our brains, study says

Is napping helpful or harmful to your brain health? It seems to depend on how long the nap is. While taking a short nap, say 10 to 15 minutes in the early afternoon may help maintain brain health as we age, frequent excess napping could develop health problems like dementia, high blood pressure, and stroke, according to studies. One reason is that excess napping is a result of poor sleep at night. In fact, a good night’s sleep cannot be fully compensated by daytime napping, and excess daytime napping could cause sleep disorders at night. So, take a short daytime nap but not for a long time or too often.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the pros and cons of daytime napping.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/20/health/daytime-naps-brain-health-scli-intl-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4083-6/29/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Biggest plane deal in history: Airbus clinches massive order from India’s IndiGo
As India’s population and economy grow, more people are expected to fly over the country and across the border. In February, the prime minister said India is going to be the world’s third-largest aviation market and will need more than 2,000 new aircraft over the next 15 years. So,
Air India, India’s largest international and second-largest domestic carrier, placed orders for 470 aircraft to Boeing and Airbus, 220 and 250 aircraft respectively. Then this month, IndiGo, an Indian low-cost carrier and the largest airline in India placed an order for 500 A320 narrow-body aircraft to Airbus to be delivered between 2030 and 2035, the largest single order in commercial aviation history. Combined, nearly 1,000 new aircraft were ordered by India this year alone. In fact, the country’s railways are old and overcrowded, highspeed railways are still under construction, and national highways cover only 170,000 kilometers or so. So, air travel is going to be the choice for many Indians in the coming years. While some European countries are trying to restrict short domestic air travels for the sake of the environment, India is going to expand its aviation industry very aggressively.
Read the article and learn about what India’s aviation is going to be like.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/19/business/airbus-indigo-plane-deal-biggest-history/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4082-6/28/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Can humans and rats live together? Paris is trying to find out
Rats and mice are both rodents, so look similar - the biggest difference is their size. Rats are larger and heavier while mice have smaller slender bodies. Mice also have long slender tails (for their body size) covered in hair compared to rat tails which are shorter, thicker, and hairless. In the wild or “a city”, rats can live one to three years depending on the species and food supply. Indeed, there are quite a few rats in cities like Paris where food and shelters are available. Food waste, garbage bins, storage, sewers, and even kitchens are the places where rats find their food. Indeed, rats have lived with humans for thousands of years. Now, Paris is seeking better ways to live with rats instead of trying to eliminate them. That doesn’t mean the city wants to see rats on the surface, especially not the ones that carry diseases like plague. But they hope to find ways through scientific research and study to coinhabit with rats peacefully.
Enjoy reading the article about Paris’s cohabitation attempt with rats.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/paris-rats-cohabitation-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4081-6/27/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Amritsar: The Indian city where no one goes hungry
Founded by Guru Nanak Dev Sikhism in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century, Sikhism, or Sikhi, is the world’s fifth-largest religion with nearly 30 million believers. It is a monotheistic religion that promotes devotion to God, truthful living, equality, selfless service, and a strong sense of community and emphasizes the importance of leading a spiritual life while actively participating in the world. Sikh men are easily identifiable by their articles of faith, which include uncut hair covered with a turban. Sikh women also maintain their hair and often wear a turban or cover their heads with a scarf. The holiest site of the Sikh religion is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, in Punjab, a northeastern state of India. There, 100,000 free meals are served 24/7 to anyone as “seva”, a voluntary service practiced for others without expecting any returns. Seva is also practiced everywhere in the city. If someone is in trouble or in need of assistance, help is always on its way. Indeed, generosity is the heart of Sikh people.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about Seva, Sikhi’s generosity.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230612-amritsar-the-indian-city-where-no-one-goes-hungry

Topic Reading-Vol.4080-6/26/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Qantas reveals economy seats for 19-hour NYC-Sydney ultra long-haul flights
The current longest non-stop commercial flight is SQ23 from New York’s JFK international airport to Singapore Changi Airport, which takes 18 hours and 50 minutes. If you think it’s too long to sit in a tiny economy-class seat, you can take a one-stop flight that takes extra four hours including a two-hour layover. Whichever flight you take, you’ll need to bear a very long time in the cabin. Now, Qantas Airways, Australia’s flag carrier, has recently revealed the economy-class design of the upcoming longest-ever 19-hour nonstop flight between Sydney and New York and Sydney and London. For such a long-haul flight, just inch-longer legroom and free Wi-Fi won’t be enough to keep the passengers’ wellness in good shape. So, the airline will provide wellness zones where passengers can do a little exercise to stretch their bodies and refresh their tired minds. Still, economy-class passengers will have to bear the 3-3-3 seat configuration for 19 hours. An aisle seat seems like a good upgrade.
Enjoy reading the article and seeing the wellness offer on a gruelingly long flight.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/qantas-project-sunrise-economy-seats/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4079-6/25/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Traveling abroad? Don’t be tempted to pay your way using your home currency

When you travel to a place where the local currency isn’t the same as the one in your home country, you’ll need to exchange cash or use your card or smartphone for payment. Whichever the means might be, you may try to figure out how much you’re really spending by converting the bill into your currency. There, some shops and restaurants offer a dynamic currency conversion service, which charges the fee in your currency instead of the local one. It surely sounds convenient for travelers, but it comes at a cost. In fact, the conversion fee could go over seven percent of the payment, a few times more expensive than paying in the local currency. And this conversion fee isn’t usually shown to you when you use the service. Also, as the shop or restaurant earns around 1% of the transaction value, they might encourage you to pay in your home currency. So, when you travel abroad, you should keep both the currency exchange rate and the conversion rate when you spend money.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about a tricky currency conversion service.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/foreign-travel-pay-local-or-home-currency/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4078-6/24/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
An ‘unprecedented drought’ is affecting the Panama Canal. El Niño could make it worse.
Completed in 1914, Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the narrow Isthmus of Panama. The 65-kilometer-long canal shortens the voyage to round Cape Horn by about 15,000 kilometers between the east and west coasts of the US. The canal uses a lock system that lifts ships up 26 meters to the main elevation of the canal and down again. This system uses fresh water from reservoirs. However, Panama suffers from a severe drought now and expects the situation to get worse in the coming months. So, the Panamanian government is imposing surcharges and weight limits on ships sailing through the canal. If things got really worse, ships might have to take a longer route between the oceans or unload the cargo for ground transport. Whichever the case might be, it would take a longer time and higher cost as well as more greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the article and learn about how vital Panama Canal is for ocean transport.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/13/americas/panama-canal-water-levels-climate-intl-latam/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4077-6/23/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Europe’s ‘crazy’ tourism summer has already started. And it’s going to get much worse
With an unused vacation budget and pent-up demand for traveling, Europe is going to be too busy and expensive for many travelers this summer. As Europe and the US moved out of the Covid restrictions sooner than other parts of the world, air traffic has already been as heavy as in pre-pandemic time.  Also, the hospitality industry like hotels and restaurants has been suffering from inflation and labor shortages to welcome a rising number of customers and guests. Thus, traveling to and within Europe is outrageously expensive and crowded. People tend to visit places where everyone else does and at a time when many people do. And the capacity of air travel, hotels, restaurants, and places of interest hasn’t increased much after the pandemic yet. So, what should you do? Giving up or putting off traveling is one option. But rescheduling and adjusting your travel plan is another solution. Whichever the choice might be, careful research and smart planning are the keys to realizing your dream travel.
Enjoy reading the article and plan your summer travel smartly.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/travel-europe-crazy-tourism-summer/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4076-6/22/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The photo that made the plastics crisis personal
In the middle of North America and Asia, Midway Atoll lies about 2,000 km northwest of Hawaii. In such a place middle of nowhere, albatrosses, one of the largest seabirds on Earth inhabit. They feed primarily on squid and small fish which they catch from the water surface and also eat floating animal carcasses. But the stomachs of thousands of dead birds there are full of discarded plastic items like bottle tops and toothbrushes. The poor birds apparently ate them as they thought they were the remains of dead animals or fish. Think of a small puppy that has eaten a few plastic bottle tops. It’s a medical emergency because they won’t be digested or discharged, and stay in the stomach until it dies. And if you see the photos, you’ll be stunned to know how much plastic waste those dead seabirds had eaten. Then, think of fish that also unknowingly eat nearly-invisible microplastic as they breathe. Humans are indeed destructing the environment where other species peacefully live in.
Read the article and see the photos to learn about what plastic waste could do to sea birds.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230531-the-photo-that-changed-the-worlds-response-to-the-plastics-crisis

Topic Reading-Vol.4075-6/21/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Competency, skills key to getting a job
This year in China, a record 11.6 million students have graduated from higher education institutions, including over a million graduates with a master’s degree. But over 20% of those college graduates haven’t found their jobs and many have taken jobs that they hoped to get. Still, a record 12.9 million, or nearly 60% of high school graduates have taken the college entrance examination, known as gaokao this year. Higher education indeed gives students the chance to learn intellectual perspectives, acquire diverse knowledge, develop critical thinking, acquire problem-solving skills, and work independently and in a team. However, what is valued in today’s world is no long degrees but personal competence and skills. Think of other applicants for a job you want. They are all as educated as or even more educated than you are. Then what matters to stand out is not what you did but what you can and you are. So, however hard you study for exams, the name and campus of the university won’t always promise or help your future so much.
Read the article and learn about what students should be aware of when getting a good job.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202306/09/WS64825808a31033ad3f7bb41c_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4074-6/20/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
This country’s love affair with air conditioning shows a Catch 22 of climate change
Singapore is an island city-state located only 137 kilometers north of the equator. It is a highly developed and densely populated country where 5.6 million people live in space just about the same size as New York City. The climate in Singapore is equatorial, hot, humid, and rainy throughout the year, thus people rely on air conditioning, which makes the city-state even hotter. Also, urban structures and roads of the city trap the heat during the day and release it at night, which causes the urban heat island effect. So, on top of global warming, there is local warming in this already hot city-state. Air conditioning indeed helped Singapore transform from a British colony into one of the most developed business and financial centers and brought its per capita GDP to one of the highest in the world. But as people get used to living in air-conditioned environments throughout the year as the outside temperatures rise, Singaporeans are accelerating both local and global warming, just like any other densely-populated urban megacities.
Read the article and learn about Singapore’s love for air conditioning.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/09/asia/air-conditioning-singapore-climate-change-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4073-6/19/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Lancet study: More than 100 million people in India diabetic
Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects how one’s body processes blood sugar (glucose). If you have diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels, and have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Now, a new study estimates that around 100 million people in India suffer from diabetes, and another 130 million people live with pre-diabetes, those who have a higher risk of developing diabetes in the near future. Combined, one in every four people in the world’s most populous country has or is soon to have this chronic metabolic disorder. Why so many in India? Is the Indian diet so sugary or fatty? Don’t they exercise at all? Have their lifestyles changed too much?
Read the article and learn about India’s underlying health danger.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65852551

Topic Reading-Vol.4072-6/18/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Siberia swelters in record-breaking temperatures amid its ‘worst heat wave in history’
Siberia is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. The latitude range of Siberia is approximately between 41 and 81 degrees North. It is known for long, harsh winters with a January average of -20°C in Novosibirsk, Siberia’s largest city, while the average July high is 26°C. Early this month, many parts of Siberia experienced record-high temperatures over 35 degrees, just like over a dozen major Chinese cities saw record seasonal highs. Indeed, global warming is causing extreme temperatures more frequently in the high latitudes, melting ice sheets and permafrost, and Siberia is one of the fastest-warming regions in the world. As El Niño, the warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean has just begun this month, the world is going to experience more extreme temperatures and heat waves this summer.
Read the article and learn about what happened in Siberia in this early summer.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/08/asia/heat-wave-siberia-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4071-6/17/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why millions of usable hard drives are being destroyed
A hard disk drive (HDD) is a data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage. Modern HDD stores have a capacity of terabytes of data. Though these devices can be used for years, most of their large users like data centers replace them after five years or so when their warranty expires. Then what happens to those removed hard disk drives? Technically, they could be cleared or purged for reuse. But millions of still-usable HDDs are destroyed each year through melting or incineration in order to make it impossible for any data to be retrieved from them. Since HDDs are a commonly used storage device, they could be reused nearly with any computer or at any data center. Can’t they be reused more?
Read the article and learn about what is happening to millions of used HDDs.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65669537

Topic Reading-Vol.4070-6/16/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How computer games encourage kids to spend cash
Gaming is one of the most common pastime activities for many men and women and for adults and children. It not only excites the players but also relieves stress and loneliness, and helps develop cognitive skills. Without games, many children would have had difficulty managing their time during the Covid pandemic. But gaming businesses now rely more on revenues generated by microtransactions rather than the sale of the game. Microtransactions in games refer to the sale of virtual goods or in-game content using real-world currency. They allow players to enhance their gaming experience or progress faster by purchasing items such as cosmetic upgrades, virtual currency, or gameplay advantages. The problem is that kids who are addicted or obsessed with such games tend to spend so much real-world money on buying virtual goods and content. How should parents manage their children who constantly ask for more money on their games?
Enjoy reading the article about what microtransactions do to children.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65372710

Topic Reading-Vol.4069-6/15/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s ‘hot zone for climate threats’
Cox’s Bazar is a coastal city in Southeastern Bangladesh with a population of around 2.8 million. Since 2017, as many as one million Rohingya refugees have arrived in the district from Myanmar. Most of them now live in the government-run Kutupalong refugee camp, the world’s largest, which is supported by the US, Canada, Japan, EU, Finland, and Sweden. The overly congested and poorly built camp has suffered the Covid pandemic, fires, and natural disasters, such as monsoon rains and cyclones. Since Cox’s Bazar lies on a low-lying coastline, the camp is also extremely climate-vulnerable to rising sea levels and floods. Unlike other Bangladesh communities, there are no shelters for the camp’s residents against natural disasters. The Rohingya refugees may have to become refugees again in Bangladesh if effective solutions and actions are taken.
Read the article and learn about how vulnerable the Rohingya refugees still are.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/5/rohingya-refugees-in-bangladeshs-hot-zone-for-climate-threats

Topic Reading-Vol.4068-6/14/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
History Illustrated: Wagner and the Rise of a Russian Mercenary
Established in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, The Wagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization that has a very close link with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It operates in support of Russian interests and receives equipment from the Russian military. Wagner was involved in various foreign conflicts and military operations, including the Ukraine crisis, the Syrian Civil War, and conflicts in Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic. Also, it has been playing a key role in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is known that the group has been recruiting convicts from prisons and sending them to Ukraine. Now, how does AI illustrate the history and profile of this paramilitary group?
Enjoy seeing the AI-aided illustrated history of the Russian Mercenary.
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/5/29/history-illustrated-wagner-and-the-rise-of-a-russian-mercenary

Topic Reading-Vol.4067-6/13/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What are the risks of being an older father?
As people live longer and become more educated, they tend to make children later in their lives. In fact, the average age of new fathers in the US increased by 3.5 years between 1972 and 2015. Recently, an 83-year-old American actor, Al Pacino, and 79-year-old actor Robert De Niro, both revealed that they are having a new child with their much-younger partners. While they don’t seem to have financial or social problems to have a new child in their later life stage, studies show old father’s sperm increase the risks of fertility problems in pregnancy and childhood health, including, miscarriage, low birth weight, heart disease, and cancer in newborns. So, should men freeze their sperm when they are young?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the risks of fathering children in old age.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230602-what-are-the-risks-of-being-an-older-father

Topic Reading-Vol.4066-6/12/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Don’t use sugar substitutes for weight loss, World Health Organization advises
Non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), also known as artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, are substances used to sweeten foods and beverages without adding calories or significantly impacting blood sugar levels. The use of non-sugar sweeteners has been increasing especially after the 2015 World Health Organization’s guidelines to limit daily sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy intake. For example, if you drink a can of soda, you’ll take about or more than enough recommended daily sugar intake. So, non-sugar sweeteners are being widely used in beverages and foods to make people feel less guilty, or used by people who want to reduce weight or the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes. Indeed, sugar substitutes offer benefits such as low or zero calories, diabetes management, and dental health. In the meantime, frequent consumption of non-sugar sweeteners may train the palate to prefer intensely sweet flavors, which could make it more challenging to appreciate the natural sweetness of whole food. As a result, non-sugar sweeteners don’t seem to contribute to reducing weight, according to new guidance from the WHO. So, don’t sweeten the food and drinks too much whether by sugar or NSS!
Enjoy reading the article to learn about how sugar substitutes affect your health.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/15/health/who-sweeteners-weigh-loss-guideline-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4065-6/11/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Women lead Indian families as men migrate
More than half a century ago, India was one of the first countries in the world to elect a woman as prime minister, and the country currently has several highly influential women politicians. However, in domestic settings, Indians tend to say men should have more prominent roles than women. About nine-in-ten Indians agree with the notion that a wife must always obey her husband. Since ancient times, with few exceptions, the status of women in Indian society has always been inferior. Even now, most societies in India are still influenced by the patriarchal system, partly because many women had been less educated than their husbands until recently. But things have been changing as more women become responsible for their households as they become financially and domestically influential while their husbands migrated to other places for jobs. Here is an example of a woman who married at the age of 15, had been a typical domestic wife, but became independent, confident, and responsible for her family.
Enjoy reading how some of India’s domestic wives have been changing.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65751270

Topic Reading-Vol.4064-6/10/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Using pig fat as green jet fuel will hurt planet, experts warn
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), made from renewable biomass and waste resources, has the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel. It can be produced from a number of sources (including waste oil and animal fats, green and municipal waste, and non-food crops. The aviation industry estimates that SAF could contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net-zero in 2050, which will require a massive increase in production. For example, it would need fat from 8,800 pigs to fly a commercial jet from New York to Paris. Apparently, there won’t be enough dead pigs even to supply a fraction of SAF. But if the airline industry tries to get more animal fat to meet the SAF usage target, like 10% by the UK and 6% by the EU, other industries that have been using those animal fats will get pressure and try to look for alternatives like palm oil. The problem is that to produce more palm oil, new plantations would be needed by clearing older forests that store carbon. Indeed, SAF itself is clean energy to fly airplanes but it seems to come at a cost.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how pig fat could help fly an airplane.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65727664

Topic Reading-Vol.4063-6/9/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Artificial intelligence could lead to extinction, experts warn
If you ask ChatGPT about potential threats of AI, it lists key areas like; Job Displacement, Bias and Discrimination, Privacy and Security, Autonomous Weapons, Lack of Accountability and Transparency, and Superintelligence. It also says careful consideration, proactive regulation, and responsible development and deployment of AI technologies are all needed to avoid or reduce these risks. Now, the Center for AI Safety, a research and field-building nonprofit organization, believes that while artificial intelligence has the potential to benefit the world in many areas, it also has the potential to lead to the extinction of humanity if it is not used, managed, and regulated properly. It is concerned that advancement in AI could magnify the scale of automated decision-making that is biased, discriminatory, exclusionary, or unfair, which could increase and spread misinformation. Also, if AI tools are used to create chemical weapons, robot soldiers, or autonomous defense or attack systems like the ones that appeared in the Terminator movie, it would be disastrous. It seems that now is the time to use Human Ingenuity to make and use Artificial Intelligent safely and effectively.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what experts think of the potential of AI.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65746524

Topic Reading-Vol.4062-6/8/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Too few jobs, too many workers and ‘no plan B’: The time bomb hidden in India’s ‘economic miracle’
While inaugurating the new parliament building for the world’s most populous and democratic country (Vol.4061), India’s young people are struggling to get jobs. Unlike China where there aren’t enough workers to support the growing number of elderlies, there aren’t enough jobs to support the growing number of young workers in India. In fact, over 40% of India’s population is under 25 years old, 45% of whom are unemployed. Furthermore, their competition to get a job is getting tougher these days as the population of young people grows and becomes more educated. For example, more than one million people apply each year for a civil servant position, which is considered a golden ticket in India, a similar situation to China’s “iron rice bowl.” So, young people in India have to live under fierce competition to get better degrees and pass exams for good universities, even though a good academic degree won’t guarantee a good job opportunity any longer. As a result, many of them have no time for social life or love affairs. How and when will they find better job opportunities and lives?
Read the article about how serious the unemployment problem is for young people in India.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/27/economy/india-economic-miracle-issues-youth-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4061-6/7/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
New parliament: PM Modi inaugurates building amid opposition boycott
India is the world’s largest democratic country. In the last general election in 2019, there were over 900 million registered voters and a little over 600 million voters cast their votes to elect 543 representatives of the Lok Sabha (House of the People). Also, there is the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States) which consists of 250 elected and appointed members. Each of the houses has equal footing in most of the legislation but in the case of conflicting legislation, a joint setting can be held. Indeed, India’s parliament building is where decisions and legislation are made for the world’s most populous country. Now, a new parliament building was inaugurated in New Delhi on May 18 by Prime Minister Modi, not the President, not President Murmu, the head of state. It has the capacity to seat 1,272 members of the parliament, way more than the combined number of both houses. The prime minister said the new parliament building is the temple of India’s democracy and it's giving the message of India's determination to the world. However, the inauguration ceremony was criticized by many. Why?
Read the article and learn about the new parliament building of the largest population and democratic country.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65718127

Topic Reading-Vol.4060-6/6/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why car parks are the hottest space in solar power
There are several ways to install solar panels to generate cleaner energy. One of the most conventional and economical ways is to put the panels on the roof, which can be done anywhere. Another way is to build a large-scale solar energy farm in a remote location. Also, floating solar panels can be placed on the surface of water reservoirs. In the UK recently, the number of parking spaces that are covered by solar panels has been increasing, especially in hospitals, shopping centers, factories, and offices. Since the space is already available, it sounds like a very viable option even though it costs more to build the steel supports than simply putting panels on roofs. Also, at car parks in offices, factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, and stadiums where cars are parked for hours, electric vehicles can be charged by the solar panels that cover them from rain or heat. Yes, solar car parks can save energy and money for landowners and facility providers while generating cleaner energy for the cars and power grids, if connected.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what solar car parks could do to the environment.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65626371

Topic Reading-Vol.4059-6/5/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
New York City is sinking due to its million-plus buildings, study says
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is located on the northwest coast of Java Island and is built on a low-lying plain intersected by 13 rivers. The city is sinking due to excessive groundwater extraction, soil compaction, and the weight of the buildings and infrastructure. So, the country is moving its capital to a new site on the east coast of the island of Borneo. Surprisingly, dozens of the world’s most populous coastal cities are sinking faster than sea level rising, too. Using a combination of computer modeling, satellite measurements, and GPS data, a recent study found that New York is sinking up to four millimeters a year. Researchers estimated that the total weight of all the skyscrapers and tall buildings is over 760 billion kilograms, nearly the same weight as 1.9 million fully-loaded B747s. Though the rate of subsidence is not as severe as the one in Venice, Italy, where the ground surface submerges in the famous canals from time to time, Big Apple is going to have more floods when it is hit by heavy rainfalls and hurricanes. What about other mega coastal cities like Hong Kong and Bangkok?
Enjoy reading and learning about the impacts of subsidence on mage coastal cities.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/23/world/nyc-sinking-sea-level-climate-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4058-6/4/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
World’s first 3D-printed mosque to be built in Dubai
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process in which a digital file is used to create a three-dimensional solid object. In the 3D printing process, sequential layers of material are laid down by the ‘3D printer’ until object creation is completed. It has been used not only to make objects, tools, and parts but also finished products. Also, 3D printing is expected to revolutionize the construction industry as it offers faster, more cost-effective, and more sustainable construction methods as digital design and construction could save time, reduce construction costs and human-caused errors, and innovate new and sustainable designs. And Dubai is aiming to be the world’s capital of the 3D-printing. It plans to build 25% of new construction in the emirate by 3D printed structure. In fact, in 2019, it already built the world’s first 3D-printed office, the municipality building. Now, the emirate has announced that it will build the world’s first 3D-printed mosque. The two-story, 2,000-sqm concrete mosque will accommodate as many as 600 worshippers. It must be built in accordance with halal principles.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the new application of 3D printing.
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/3d-printed-mosque-dubai-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4057-6/3/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
AI optimism: How embracing artificial intelligence is getting workers ahead
Many workers are wondering if AI tools will replace or help their jobs. It seems that both are happening at the same time. Indeed, AI tools do some or most part of your administrative tasks such as finding information, simulating tasks, or summarizing and organizing thoughts. Some people think that they are taking their jobs while others use AI tools as their personal assistants or copilot. In fact, more people now think that AI tools actually help them focus more on the tasks where their skills, creativity, and thinking are needed. For example, instead of reading all the relevant information, meeting minutes, and email responses, which could take hours of your precious work time, you can have your AI assistant summarize it in just a few minutes. Then, you can work on what you should be doing based on the information, responses, and interactions. If you try to work with emerging AI tools, you may have a better chance to do your job faster, better, and more creatively.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about how AI tools could help your jobs.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230522-ai-optimism-how-embracing-artificial-intelligence-is-getting-workers-ahead

Topic Reading-Vol.4056-6/2/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
France bans short-haul flights to cut carbon emissions
When traveling just between cities where there are several modes of transport to choose from, such as flight, train, bus, car, or boat, you can choose one from several factors, such as convenience, time, schedule, cost, and preference. Nowadays, there is another factor that is drawing attention, CO2 emission. You might have noticed that the amount of CO2 emission is shown on the flight-booking website along with the time, schedule, and price. So, if you travel for 300 kilometers, would you take an hour-flight, ride a four-hour train, or enjoy or endure a five-hour drive? And if it’s a round trip, will you choose another way? Now, in France, in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and promote greener travel, short-haul flights are banned between cities that can be traveled by train in less than two and a half hours. For example, you can still fly between Paris and Marseille, the second-largest city in France, and Lyon, the third-largest, but you cannot between Marseille and Lyon because you can travel only in two hours by train. Good move for the environment and the national state-owned railway company as long as people avoid driving alone or riding on a bus instead.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about what
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65687665

Topic Reading-Vol.4055-6/1/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Don’t drop it: World’s most expensive ice cream costs $6,400
If you order a double-scoop ice cream at Baskin Robbins in the US, you’ll be paying around $4. If you order premium ice cream for dessert at a Michelin-star restaurant, you may be paying five to ten times more than that. Now, a French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Osaka, Japan offers the world’s most expensive ice cream named “Byakuya” (white night in Japanese) at $6,380 per serving. The restaurant spent a year and a half of trials and errors to develop this mouthwateringly luxurious ice cream, whose ingredients include Italian white truffles and an edible gold leaf. The good news is that you can enjoy this luxurious ice cream anywhere in Japan as it can be shipped directly to the customers with detailed instructions on how to best enjoy the frozen dessert. Another attraction to visit Japan! (if you are an ice cream enthusiast)
Enjoy reading the article and thinking if the most expensive ice cream is the most delicious (to you).
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-most-expensive-ice-cream-intl-hnk/index.html