Topic Reading-Vol.5301-10/29/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'Powerful and beautiful': Here's why we all need body fat

It is well known that too much body fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. But it doesn’t mean that less body fat is better for your health. In fact, body fat regulates the body’s functions, takes up extra nutrients and releases them when needed, and acts as a layer of insulation. Also, body fat cells produce hormones that indicate the body’s energy level. When the body fat level is too low, the body tries to save energy and, in a serious case, body systems, including immune function, shut down. When the body depletes body fat, muscles are broken down, and bones are no longer built or repaired. Though it varies by person, age, and lifestyle, 10-20% body fat for men and 20-30% for women are considered healthy, while over 30% is excess.

Read the article and learn how body fat works in your body and affects your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260925-its-bad-for-our-health-to-have-too-little-fat

Topic Reading-Vol.5300-10/28/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Fridges in French supermarkets hit by cyber attack

Supermarket freezers are usually set at or below -18°C for general frozen foods and below -20°C for Ice Cream to keep the food safe and fresh for longer. At night, the temperature of these freezers rises slightly for a short period for defrosting. Supermarket chains usually manage such temperature controls by software. Earlier this month, a cyber attack hacked the temperature control system of several major food retail chains across France and commanded the freezers to heat up and stay hot. Hundreds of supermarkets were affected, and some freezers warmed to 50°C. Some supermarket chains disconnected their control systems from the Internet to prevent further attacks and investigated their security systems. Those affected stores had to dispose of the warmed frozen foods and restock their shelves. Food security is now threatened by evil hackers and malware. Weaponizing energy, food, and medicine is a serious threat to ordinary citizens. Once AI is used by a malicious hand or goes rogue by itself, how can we stop it?

Read the article and learn about a recent cyber attack on freezers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crq5nzxv9q4yo

Topic Reading-Vol.5299-10/27/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Think you can’t live without a smartphone? Why a flip phone might be an upgrade

Which device do you think improves your well-being, a smartphone or a dumb phone? Teenagers in the US spend eight hours on screens, about half of the time their eyes are open. Some people are afraid of not being connected to their social circles, and others cannot stay away from images or feeds that keep appearing on the screen. Also, we rely heavily on smartphones for convenience, such as QR codes, directions, tickets, payments, applications, and so on. The more we rely on our smartphones, the less we activate our brains. But will we be so technically disconnected, socially isolated, physically inconvenient, or cognitively dumb without smartphones? A young lady based in upstate New York, fed up with her smartphone soon after her 27th birthday, has been living without one ever since. What is life without a smartphone?

Read the article and learn about a life without a smartphone.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/11/health/living-without-a-smartphone-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5298-10/26/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

K-pop giants Stray Kids join BTS in boycotting the Grammys

Formed in 2013, BTS is a seven-member Korean male pop group that pioneered the modern global K-pop boom. Another K-pop giant is Stray Kids, an eight-member group formed in 2017. Both groups were strong contenders for the newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The new Grammy category requires the candidate songs to use one or more Asian languages, and the award is determined by musical style and language, not nationality or ethnicity of the performers. However, BTS announced in July that they would not submit music for consideration in any category for Asian pop music because they believe music should be loved for what it is regardless of the region or language. Earlier this month, Stray Kids followed suit and boycotted the award, stating that their priority is not to aim for award results or records, but to make their fans happy and satisfied. Both groups are the two most dominant male K-pop acts in the US, and their songs have continuously been at the top of the charts. They may not need to be recognized by the prestigious award so much.

Read the article and think if the newly created regional award excludes or segregates certain musical styles or languages from the main categories.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5398kkx27ewo

Topic Reading-Vol.5297-10/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Why athletes are training their brains as well as their bodies

Athletes need to train physically to become faster, stronger, or better. But in the last mile, stretch, round, or minutes of the competition, what makes athletes perform at their best isn’t just physical strength but also mental toughness. It is the brain that commands your body to physically perform, after all. So, if athletes are trained to become resilient to mental fatigue, they may perform beyond their current limits. That is what brain endurance training (BET) helps them develop. It trains your brain to handle psychological stress, lower your perceived rate of exertion, and maintain decision-making quality when you are exhausted. BET can be implemented with a cognitive app that guides you to perform 15-20 minutes of training either immediately before, during, or after your regular physical workout. The benefits of brain endurance exercises can be enjoyed by those who want to overcome mental fatigue in high-pressure and demanding tasks, such as executives and doctors. But be warned that BTS is a highly demanding training because it is meant to exceed current physical limits.

Read the article and learn about the endurance training for your brain.

https://edition.cnn.com/world/brain-endurance-training-athletes-spc

Topic Reading-Vol.5296-10/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Bigger than Manhattan: The record-breaking airport megahub that conquered the world

While mega hub airports in the Middle East have been affected by the US-Iran war, Istanbul International Airport is handling more international flights and passengers, taking advantage of its geographical position and capacity. According to a global travel data provider, Istanbul Airport (IST) served more international connections and destinations on seemingly the busiest day of the year, August 2, than London Heathrow (LHR), the previous year’s top. IST operates 24/7 with one massive main passenger terminal under a single roof. It has three runways and will soon add another one, which will provide more capacity and better punctuality. Currently, over 84 million passengers pass through IST each year, and the airport plans to increase its capacity to 200 million passengers per year with six active runways. The airport sits about 40 km from the city center and is connected by metro (though it requires a gruesome transfer), so transit passengers may choose to visit the world-famous tourist sites. While airspace over Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East is disrupted by the ongoing wars, Istanbul Airport is gaining momentum as the main hub between Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Read the article and learn about Istanbul’s mega airport.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/istanbul-airport-connectivity

Topic Reading-Vol.5295-10/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The radical idea that temperature sets when we sleep

We know the ambience affects how deeply we sleep and how refreshed we feel after sleep. The darker and quieter the place we sleep in is, the better our sleep quality tends to be. That’s because light exposure affects melatonin, a natural hormone that regulates the body’s circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle. Also, a regular wake-up and sleep cycle helps us sleep better because our circadian rhythms, cycles of mental, physical, and behavioural changes, occur in a 24-hour period. Another factor for better sleep is temperature. Since our core body temperature falls by about 1C from its daytime high to nighttime low, warmer ambience won’t help our sleep. When the bedroom is too warm, you tend to have difficulty falling asleep. When the sun sets, the ambience becomes darker, quieter, and cooler in the natural environment. Today’s environment, especially in towns, seems quite different from the one humans have evolved for.

Read the article and learn about the factors that affect our sleep.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261007-how-does-temperature-affect-your-sleep