Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The journey from Kunming to Vientiane, step by step
Laos is a landlocked country in northeast-central mainland Southeast
Asia with a population of about 7.5 million. It consists of an irregularly
round portion in the north, which is bordered by Myanmar and Kunming, China,
and a peninsula-like region stretching to the southeast. The capital and the
largest city of Laos is Vientiane, which lies on a bend of the Mekong River bordering
Thailand. On December 3rd, 2021, a 1,035-km China-Laos Railway was
fully opened connecting Kunming and Vientiane. There are 8 passenger stations
along the rail line: four stations in China and four in Laos. The train line features
high mountains, deep valleys, primitive upland forest and rainforest views, and
some minority villages along the way. On April 13, a direct high-speed
international passenger service started operating, connecting the
1,000-kilometer-apart cities in about 10 hours. You may wonder if this is
really a high-speed rail journey, but there is a three-hour stop at the first
station in Laos where all passengers must go through immigration and customs. Departing
early in the morning from either terminal station, you’ll enjoy a full-day
train journey in the center of South East Asia. It may not be such a long train
journey if you consider how remote and untouched the area is compared with other
popular train lines.
Enjoy checking this long high-speed China-Laos Railway service.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202304/18/WS643dcac6a310b6054face215.html
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why ghost guns are America's fastest-growing gun problem
These days, gun control is getting even more difficult in America. In
2021, the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, seized
over 460,000 conventional guns from crime scenes, as well as nearly 20,000
ghost guns. Ghost guns are unsterilized and untraceable firearms that can be
bought online and assembled by anyone, including prohibited purchasers,
domestic abusers, and gun traffickers without a background check. They are
often sold through ghost gun kits, which include all of the parts and often the
equipment necessary to build these weapons, at gun shows and online every day
throughout the country. While the federal and state administrations have been
trying to mandate a serious number to be included in the key parts of ghost
guns, the use of such easily procured and assembled weapons has been
increasing. In fact, the number of crimes with ghost guns has increased by over
10 folds since 2021. And this problem isn’t limited to the US. As 3D printing technology improves, the use of
3D-printed firearms, though they aren’t as durable as conventional metal guns,
has been spreading outside the USA. Guns are lethal and dangerous as they can
be fired by anyone by intention or accident.
Read the article and learn about what ghost guns are about.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65170507
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
She spent 500 days alone in a cave for a human experiment … but didn’t
finish her book
In 2010, 33 Bolivian miners and children survived 69 days after having
been trapped 688 meters below ground, which was the longest time survived
trapped underground. On April 15, a 50-year-old Spanish woman emerged from a 70-meter-deep
cave after spending 500 days there, alone. She entered the cave voluntarily on November
20, 2021, not to escape from the Covid pandemic, and had had minimal contact
outside during that time. She had two birthdays in the cave and turned 50 when
she got out there. It was not an accident but an extensive physical, psychological,
and mental challenge for the elite athlete and also a rare experiment for
scientists to study the human mind and circadian rhythms in such isolation and
environment. What did she do during the solitary days in the dark, soundless
cave? Interestingly, she seems to have enjoyed the time there reading,
exercising, drawing, and knitting instead of counting how many more days she
had to stay there. Also, she hadn’t been bothered by any news on the ground for
500 days, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She seems to be quite fit to
take a round-trip journey to Mars, which would take over 400 hundred days.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how she survived and
enjoyed 500 days in the cave.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/14/europe/spanish-athlete-500-days-in-cave-intl-hnk/index.html
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The clean energy milestone the world is set to pass in 2023
Our planet has already passed the tipping point in terms of global
warming. The tipping point means the time or timing at which a change or effect
is no longer reversible. It often occurs during a transition phase from old to
new technologies. For example, the power of trains had shifted from steam to diesel
or electricity long ago, meaning it had passed the tipping point. However, even
though electric vehicles are becoming more popular these days, many more gasoline-powered
vehicles are still being sold. So, it’ll take some more years to pass the
tipping point. Once a tipping point is passed, the shift or trend is
accelerated and become irreversible, like global warming. There are several
factors to make a remarkable transition to a new method or technology, such as the
economy, convenience, availability, and awareness. Now, the world seems to pass
a critical tipping, or turning point in renewable energy this year, according to
a think tank in London. This means despite the growing demand for electricity,
the power sector as a whole is not expected to emit more greenhouse gas. Yes,
there still are coal and gas power plants and even more to be built, but
expansion in renewable energies like solar and wind is going to surpass the growth
in demand. That’s good news. Then, when will the tipping point arrive for non-fuel
cars to outsell conventional fuel vehicles?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about a good tipping point in the
power sector.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230414-climate-change-why-2023-is-a-clean-energy-milestone
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Explaining JUICE Mission to Jupiter and its moons
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, over 300 times the
size of Earth. The gassy and stormy planet orbits around 778 million kilometers
or 5.2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (Earth is one AU from the Sun),
taking about 12 Earth years for one orbit. First discovered by an Italian
astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610, there are over 80 moons that orbit Jupiter.
On April 14, The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) launched an Arian 5 rocket to
send a spacecraft to explore Jupiter and three of its largest and most intriguing
moons, Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa, each of which is between 25% and 40% the
size of Earth. Though there is no water on Jupiter, these three moons are believed
to have water under the ice surface, which could possibly support some
lifeform. The spacecraft will enter Jupiter’s orbit by 2031 and make a number
of flybys of the planet and the moons in the following years and study the habitability
of those three icy moons. What would we do if we found a sign or chance of any organism
or even possibilities of sustaining lifeform there?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the JUICE mission.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/13/explaining-juice-mission-to-jupiter-and-its-moons
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Car-charging and dog hotels: Seven perks to lure you to the office
While many workers of tech companies are being laid off, lucky
employees are offered various perks in their workplaces. As many workers have
gotten used to working from home during the pandemic, companies are trying to
encourage and entice their employees to come to work. Also, as the consumer prices
index soared to a 10% level in February and March, many employees and their
families in the UK are struggling to manage their living. So, some companies
are trying to make their workplaces more attractive for employees to come. Some
benefits are free electric car-charging points, lunch, and a dog hotel, which
all help employees save money and add another reason to come to work. Other
examples are a well-being zone to relieve stress, an office bar to socialize
with colleagues, and a dedicated quiet space to concentrate on some work, which
might offer some employees incentive to come to work. What motivates you to
come to work the most?
Enjoy reading the article and think about what is important for you to
work for.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64914894
Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Disneyland’s record-breaking regular shares his wisdom from nearly
3,000 park visits in a row
Some people walk in the park every day even on a rainy or stormy day as
part of their daily routine. But can you think of anyone who visits Disneyland
every day for years? Opened in 1955, Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim,
California. It is one of the world’s most beloved and visited wonderlands. Though
new attractions have been added from time to time, what makes the theme park most
attractive is the experience, atmosphere, and people. Indeed, you can sit and
walk around all day without riding any attractions in the park. There is a man
who visited the theme park every day nearly 3,000 times consecutively. He could
have kept coming to the park if the Covid pandemic hadn’t closed the doors. Why
did he come to the park day after day? What’s the difference between this
die-hard Disneyland visitor and those who walk in the same park every day? After
all, some people seem to enjoy walking in the park daily.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about a man who visited
Disneyland more often than its cast.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/disneyland-guinness-record-jeff-reitz-cec/index.html
