Topic Reading-Vol.5200-7/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What happens to your brain in space?

In space where gravity is close to none, our body functions deteriorate. Muscles quickly weaken and shrink because they no longer have to fight Earth’s gravity to maintain posture or move around. Bones quickly lose density without the mechanical stress of weight-bearing. That’s why astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) need to exercise rigorously for two hours each day to maintain their body functions. Still, their faces get rounder in space without gravity to pull blood and other bodily fluids downward. Then what will happen to the brain in microgravity if you stay for months? Research shows that the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and body awareness physically adapt to microgravity, just as other parts of the body do. For a round-trip to Mars, it takes six to nine months for each one-way journey in microgravity and over a year in one-third gravity to wait for a launch window for Earth. For astronauts, it’ll be quite a challenge physically, cognitively, and mentally to live without gravity for a long time.

Read the article and learn how extraordinary a long stay in space is.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260707-what-happens-to-your-brain-in-space

Topic Reading-Vol.5199-7/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Japan is running out of royals. So why won’t it let women become emperor?

Before the current 126th emperor Naruhito took the throne in 2019, there were eight empresses in Japan’s 27-century-old imperial family. But in 1989, the Imperial House Law banned female emperors. Then in 1947, the imperial family was downsized to the immediate relatives of then Emperor Hirohito, abandoning 11 collateral branches. The current shortage of successors began from there because he had only two sons, one of whom had no children. Now, Emperor Naruhito is 66 years old and has just one daughter. His only brother is 60 and has two daughters and one son, who will turn 20 this September. Japan’s royal family members perform a variety of duties, such as attending state functions, public activities, and court ceremonies, but now they are done by fewer members because female members leave the royal family once they get married. Another serious issue is succession. There is only one male in the next generation of the current royal family. While the emperor's only child, Princess Aiko, is widely popular among Japanese citizens, conservative politicians and scholars dismiss the chance of creating an empress. So, how will the world’s longest royal family survive?

Read the article and learn about the existential problem of Japan’s royal family.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/asia/japan-royal-crisis-women-emperor-ban-intl-hnk

Topic Reading-Vol.5198-7/18/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'Once it's gone, it's gone': How to future-proof your hearing

You know how noisy electrified music concerts and sporting events are. Also, a gasoline-powered leafblower, lawnmower, and buzzsaw are too noisy for unprotected ears. Surprisingly, fresh air from the car window on a highway is noisier than you might think. In addition, many people listen to music through headphones all the time without realizing how loud it is to their ears. All these unnaturally loud sounds bend or break tiny hairs in the ear, whose motion is translated into electrical impulses that our brain interprets as sound. Unfortunately, once these hairs are damaged, they cannot be fixed or reborn, and therefore, the loss becomes permanent. That’s why listening to music through headphones for a prolonged period of time, and every day, would impair hearing ability without realizing it until later in life. It’s not just your eyes but your ears, too, that could be damaged by the screen and headphones.

Read the article and learn how hearing can be affected by loud sounds.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260709-how-to-future-proof-your-ears

Topic Reading-Vol.5197-7/17/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

See if you can spot an AI deepfake with our test

Nowadays, photos taken by smartphones are usually edited or enhanced to some extent through intelligent systems to make them look clearer or more vibrant. AI deepfake technology can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, and synthesize faces of individuals whose images have been shown on the web or shared online. The technology has become so advanced that deepfake photos are now hardly distinguishable. However, trained eyes can tell whether the images shown are real or fake in most cases, according to an international study conducted by Australian researchers. In the meantime, as AI is being trained with more data, it'll create more realistic deepfake images over time. Maybe only AI can distinguish real images from fake images.

Read the article and learn if and how humans identify AI deepfakes.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d2wgvg55jo

Topic Reading-Vol.5196-7/16/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Seven things you shouldn't do when eating in Italy

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, especially when it comes to what to eat and how to eat it.

Just like any other national or regional food, the culinary practices of Italian food are deeply tied to geography, history, and culture, and reflect the local environment and ingredients. Also, it is designed to be enjoyed in an orchestrated manner, starting with antipasto, followed by pasta, a main dish with seasonal vegetable side dishes, and dolce. Another important tip you want to know is that not all Italian food goes well together. For example, you do not want to sprinkle mountain-produced permesian over seafood. You also want to avoid ordering a rich, creamy cappuccino after lunch or dinner. Finally, expect your lunch or dinner at a restaurant to take hours because it is a social ritual. After all, you want to enjoy a meal rather than simply filling your stomach.

Read the article and learn how to avoid mistakes when you eat real Italian food.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260709-seven-things-you-shouldnt-do-when-eating-in-italy

Topic Reading-Vol.5195-7/15/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Sick of Earth? NASA is recruiting volunteers for a yearlong Moon and Mars simulation

Though it is not quite like flying to, living on, and returning from the red planet, you’ll experience what they are going to be like in the same space and environment. NASA is now recruiting volunteers who are willing to commit themselves to spending 14 months in a simulator with three others. The participants will spend several months inside a mock 60-square-meter spacecraft unit, move into a one-story, 84-square-meter facility to do on-Mars duties, and then go back to the spacecraft unit for the return journey. The mission crew will live on a Martian day, about 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. Also, their diet is limited to space food and a few vegetables they grow in the simulator. They are expected to perform all scheduled tasks, exercises, and rests. What the participants will miss is Mars's gravity, which is only 38% of Earth’s, and the hundreds of days the mission will require to stay on Mars before the return journey. Can you maintain physical, mental, and emotional health in a confined environment with only three co-participants?

Read the article and learn what NASA’s yearlong simulation program is like.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/09/science/nasa-moon-mars-simulation-scli-intl

Topic Reading-Vol.5194-7/14/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Most popular baby names for boys and girls in 2025 revealed

Nearly 90% of the UK’s 69.5 million population lives in England and Wales. There, 585,000 live babies were born last year. Some people might assume their popular names are like Charles, William, Harry, Edward, George, Tony, Gordon, or David for boys, and Camilla, Catherine, Sophie, Charlotte, Theresa, or Mary for girls, just like the UK’s royal families and PMs. In fact, Muhammad, Noa, and Leo are the top names for boys, and Olivia, Lily, and Amelia for girls, last year. Muhammad, also spelled Mohammed or Mohammad, is an Islamic name and a direct tribute to the founder of Islam. This Islamic name is so popular in the UK because the Muslim fertility rate is about twice as high as that of other Britons. Would you like a popular, familiar name or a unique, iconic name for your baby?

Read the article and learn the most popular baby names in the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevlw4wnlmxo