Topic Reading-Vol.3610-2/28/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Here's what workers really want from their employers

In many parts of the world, employers are struggling to get enough hands recently. While AI and robots are taking some part in jobs, there still are quite a few jobs needed to be done by humans. And when it comes to hiring or retaining good employees, it is a seller’s market. It is then quite important for employers, or sellers, to understand what the priorities are for their job candidates and employees. A recent study of over 13,000 US employees finds some changes in job priorities from 2015. As you know, these changes reflect the impacts of the Covid pandemic, remote work, and IT innovation including AI. Well, as things have been changing a lot faster and more, employees are shifting their priorities for their present situation and future career.

Enjoy reading the article and find out what US workers are prioritizing nowadays.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/21/success/employee-expectations-for-a-new-job/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3609-2/27/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Indonesia's new forest capital in Borneo heightens fears for orangutans' future

Are there any government’s promises of “will NOT” that have not been breached?

Lying on the northwest coast of the world’s most populous island, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and the largest city in Southeast Asia. As the city has been sinking as much as 17 centimeters a year, it suffers continual flooding along with the typical megacity problems like ecological breakdown and traffic congestions caused by rapid urban growth and motorization. The Indonesian government decided to abandon the old capital and build a new one on the island of Borneo, which is shared by 73%, 26%, and 1% by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei respectively. It promises to build a clean and green capital with minimal environmental impacts.

Relocating the capital of the most populous country in Southeast Asia is a megaproject. It raised serious concerns among environmentalists and animal conservationists. Indeed, the place where the new capital is going to be built is immensely rich in biodiversity with over 130 mammals and 11 primate species. It is estimated that about a half of the surviving orangutans, or about 57,000, live in Borneo. When the projected 1.5 million new residents start their living there, and will soon expand to the surrounding areas, it could cause environmental disasters to the area that have already been suffering from deforestation and agricultural activities. The highly intelligent but critically endangered orangutans have no other places to go but zoos.

Read the article and learn about how the capital relocation could destroy the biodiverse Borneo’s environment and threaten the lives of orangutans.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/indonesia-new-capital-borneo-orangutans-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3608-2/26/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Two glasses of wine enough to hit daily sugar limit

When you drink a glass of wine, you might recall how much alcohol it contains. Ordinary wine contains about 11% of alcohol on average. And you probably are aware of how many glasses you should or can drink at a time. But have you thought about how much calory or sugar it contains? Unlike other beverages like milk or fruit juice, alcoholic drinks aren’t required to label nutritious information, such as calories and sugar in many countries, at least in the UK. So, Alcohol Health Alliance UK conducted research on a variety of popular wines in the UK, including red, white, rose, and sparkling, none of which showed nutrition information on labels. They found that two glasses of wine could exceed the recommended daily free sugar limit. Free sugars are sugars that are added to food or drinks, including the ones in biscuits, chocolate, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, and fizzy drinks. In the UK, adults are recommended not to exceed 30 grams of free sugars a day (about seven sugar cubes). So, you may think a glass of wine is OK, but that is only as long as you aren’t taking any other free sugars. Indeed, wine is neither alcohol-free nor sugar-free.

Enjoy reading the article and think about your daily free sugar intake with or without wine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60390314

Topic Reading-Vol.3607-2/25/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why the 'sophomore slump' of adulthood hits so hard

The first year of a major life event is always exciting for school, job, or marriage. With new hope, expectations, experiences, discoveries, challenges, and acquaintances, people can spend a thrilling and fulfilling time. But when they get used to these initial excitements, they often realize that they are facing the same or even more demanding routines and requirements, which tend to occur in the second year. Some people then fall into the second-year, or sophomore slump. Have you ever experienced or gone through this kind of mental distress? Surprisingly, it is a natural feeling that is hard to avoid for many people after experiencing all sorts of newness in the first year. The road ahead looks steeper than before but the goal is hard to be seen. Unless you are self-motivated and encouraged by someone or something, it seems hard to go through this period. Are there any practical solutions?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about this second-year slump.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220217-why-the-sophomore-slump-of-adulthood-hits-so-hard

Topic Reading-Vol.3606-2/24/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Undercover footage reveals evidence of animal abuse on farm

An undercover animal welfare investigator filmed a large dairy farm in Wales last year. The footage shows a cow being kicked while it was stricken or hit with a shovel in her face. An animal rights lawyer says such conducts are clearly an assault against the animal and breached the law. The farm says any of its workers would be immediately disciplined if they had done such conduct. Also, newborn calves were separated from their mothers shortly after they were born, which is said to be a common practice in many dairy farms to maximize milk production for humans. The UK’s dairy industry is proud of keeping one of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

Cow milk and chicken eggs are the most popular and economical sources of nutrition for humans at the cost of animal welfare.

Enjoy watching the video and finding out how the producer of your milk is being treated.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-60394156

Topic Reading-Vol.3605-2/23/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why you can't have legs in virtual reality (yet)

In a metaverse, a network of 3D virtual worlds, you can enjoy social connections, games, shopping, and simulations using the user’s avatar. The user needs to wear a VR headset to view the 3D world, which also tracks your eye movements. It is an emerging concept that present technologies haven’t materialized realistically yet as it requires tracking the movements of the body. If the user is willing to put a number of sensors on many parts of their body, the system can track most of the body movements so that it can recreate the movements in the virtual world. But that seems unrealistic to make metaverse become a common 3D interactive platform or even replace Zoom. Also, tracking all the body movements takes a huge amount of processing power and data transmission. These are some of the reasons the present metaverse-like VRs don’t include the lower part of the body. But remember when the first digital animation films appeared on movie screens. Every year, things on the screen look more real, and technologies are advancing faster than ever powered by AI. So, developers will soon come up with marketable solutions as they have more than enough money to invest.

Enjoy reading the article about the present limitations and difficulties of the workable metaverse.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/15/tech/vr-no-legs-explainer/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3604-2/22/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

My 'dry' January: What I learned from a month without social media

Do you have any idea how much time you spend on and how many times you check SNS each day? It is rewarding when you get a favorable message on your post or to your attention. It is assuring when you get a response within the expected time, which varies by person and topic. But it could be depressing if you don’t find any messages, comments, or responses when you check your SNS account. As the smartphone becomes a ubiquitous and primary communication tool, people are getting more obsessed with the tiny screen not knowing how deeply they are addicted. So, what if you shut the SNSs down for some time, say a week or month? What will you lose and gain? You will probably find what is essential and what is wasteful to your life. Here is an example of a person who gave up all her SNS apps for a month as her new year’s micro resolution.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you want to try disconnecting yourself from your SNSs.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/16/health/social-media-phone-addiction-wellness/index.html