Topic Reading-Vol.2394-10/31/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit in 2019

Lonely Planet is one of the world's leading travel media companies with guidebooks to every destination, a popular website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated community for travelers. Its website features must-see spots and allows travelers to share their experiences with others. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/

They picked 10 top destinations to visit in 2019, some are very famous and popular like Miami, Florida and Copenhagen, Denmark, and others are less-familiar places such as Novi Sad, Serbia and Zadar, Croatia. They chose these top ten destinations from nominations from their staffers and contributions around the world. Since everyone has their own taste and different experiences, such nominations are a collection of subjective opinions. And of course, the final choices are also made by subjective judgment and intention by the editing team. But why not? Recommendations and reviews that you often check on the Internet, such as restaurants and electric gadgets, are mostly made by individual experience and opinions anyway.

Enjoy checking these 10 recommended travel destinations and plan your travel for next year.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/lonely-planet-top-10-cities-2019/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2393-10/30/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Here's how much fast food Americans are eating

Is McDonald’s a treat or a last resort? A recent study found that nearly 40% of adults in the US eat fast food on any given day. That means the rest of adults eat home-made meals including sandwiches or cereals, restaurant or airplane meals, or prepared or packaged foods like salad or lasagna. Considering the overweight and obesity ratios among Americans, fast food consumption, often accompanied by sugary drinks, seems more than too much. Since fast food is often rich in fat, calories and sodium, frequent eaters raise the risk of suffering obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

Another finding of the survey is also surprising. People with higher income ate more fast food than those with middle income, and people with lower income ate less fast food than the middle class. Fast food doesn’t seem to be a meal of convenience for everyone.

Enjoy reading and think what food you consider as fast food and how often you eat it.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/03/health/fast-food-consumption-cdc-study/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2392-10/29/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Why did this lioness kill the father of her cubs?

Does this happen in the wild? A 12-year-old lioness attacked and killed a lion that had lived together for eight years and made cubs with. The male lion was two years younger and 11kgs lighter than her, but he still weighed over 150kgs. How could that sort of domestic violence happen in a captive situation where there is enough food for all the residents?

Though researchers know that lions sometimes attack cubs or other male lions to ensure their lionesses aren’t mated by others, they are unsure about the cause or motive of such deliberate murder by a lioness in a captive situation or in the wild.

Did she kill him to protect her cubs or another lion that she was developing a new relationship with?

Did she kill him because he had threatened her cubs or another lion that she had been developing a new relationship with? Or, had she disliked him so long that she was no longer bear with him?

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the video and think what could upset a female companion.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45947416

Topic Reading-Vol.2391-10/28/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

World's longest sea crossing: Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge opens

A super-mega-project, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) just opened on October 23, 2018. The bridge-tunnel motorway spans the Lingdingyang channel to connect Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai, three major cities on the Pearl River Delta only in half an hour. It consists of 48 kilometers of bridge sections with magnificent views of and a seven-kilometer undersea tunnel without a view. There are no railroads or public transportation services over the bridge. So, those who want to drive over and under the channel are required to get a permit and carry a passport. There is another hassle for drivers. While cars drive on the left in Hong Kong and Macau, they do on the right in mainland China. So, drivers must change the lanes at the crossing.

Also, because of the long distance, drivers might get sleepy. But don’t worry. Drivers are viewed by special cameras to check if they yawn three times or more. Do you want to find out what will happen if you yawn multiple times?

Enjoy reading and watching the video to learn about this historic project in China.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-45937924

Topic Reading-Vol.2390-10/27/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

India treats 'Netflix addiction' as internet use surges

As online media and SNS giants add more users, people tend to spend more time on the screen of their smartphones. Also, the number of young people who are addicted to watching screens and playing games is increasing rapidly. Some of such young addicts spend most of their conscious-hours alone with their smartphones, without making interactions with anyone or paying attention to anything other than the monsters or enemies they fight in the games.

This kind of phenomena is spreading to any place where affordable phones and internet connection become available, including India. More young people are now secluding themselves from social interaction but only engaging with others online.

Who is your best friend? Is such a question has become obsolete among smartphone addicts?

Enjoy reading and think what we will see as problems in online cultures a decade from now.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/17/health/india-netflix-addiction-treatment-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2389-10/26/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Online sellers 'pay for positive reviews'

Which reviews do you usually check when you buy something, user reviews, professional reviews by a consumer organization or magazines, or promotional reviews from the seller? Nowadays, many buyers of products or services tend to look at reviews by other buyers and users on the Internet because it is so easy to access and seems more dependable than other reviews. In particular, the star rating, a rating by stars usually 1-5, has become so influential in online marketing because it’s easy and simple. But how much do you rely on or trust such reviews? Sometimes, you may find quite polarized reviews that have only very good and very bad and none between. In other times, you may see only a few extremely positive reviews but no other reviews at all. Are these reviews trustworthy?

Enjoy reading and think about how you would make use of this convenient online reference tool.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45916368

Topic Reading-Vol.2388-10/25/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Not exercising worse for your health than smoking, diabetes and heart disease, study reveals

What’s your lifestyle like? Do you sit on a sofa to read or watch TV most of your free time, or move your eyeballs and index finger on the smartphone display whenever you can? According to a new study, these sorts of sedentary lifestyle were found worse to one’s health and life expectancy than most chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems, even smoking.

In the study, researchers studied 122,000 patients in a US hospital over two decades. What makes this research unique is that instead of relying on self-reporting patients’ exercise, all the patients were tested their fitness levels by undergoing exercise treadmill testing.

The results are astonishing. Those who indulge a sedentary lifestyle seem to suffer diseases at a much higher rate than those who are fit, men or women at any age. The researchers suggest that those who are unfit should get a doctor’s prescription, which doesn’t cost any; Exercise.

You know all these, don’t you? Do you need to be a prescription?

Enjoy reading and think if you are fit, unfit or between. Then, prescribe yourself proper physical exercise.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/19/health/study-not-exercising-worse-than-smoking/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2387-10/24/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Pilot pulls off incredible sideways landing at Bristol Airport

Safety is the highest priority for transportation business, especially for airlines that carry passengers. Punctuality, seat occupancy, and fuel efficiency all come after the safety of the passengers. So, pilots are trained to avoid risks when they take off, fly, and land.

Recently, one of the techniques to land a plane safely in heavy winds was implemented at Bristol airport, England and was video-recorded. The technique applied during the landing is called crabbing to ground the plane. In the video, you’ll see the nose of the airplane heading toward the side wind until it touched down. Looks quite amazing.

But how were the passengers and crew members on the airplane feeling or seeing during this extraordinary maneuver?

In the meanwhile, some other airplanes were forced to divert to other airports after a few attempts. Was that then a miracle or safe landing?

Enjoy watching this jaw-dropping landing video by a skilled pilot who only became captain last year.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/plane-sideways-landing-uk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2386-10/23/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Harvard - should race count in university admissions?

What is fair to some may be unfair to others. One of the most prominent higher education institutes in the world, Harvard University, has been maintaining the affirmative action based admission policy to ensure students diversity in their campus. Affirmative action has been practiced in many workplaces and colleges in the US to remove racial and gender discriminations, and colleges are permitted to consider race as a factor when admitting students. However, those who could have been enrolled if the admission had been made strictly by academic qualifications are not happy with the policy and filed a lawsuit against Harvard.

What are the missions, objectives or practices of higher education? Should colleges enroll only those who qualify the academic requirements regardless of the race or gender? Or, should they ensure diverse ethnic and social mix that students will be likely to work in or engage after graduating from college?

Enjoy reading and think which academic environment is more educational for students.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45867300

Topic Reading-Vol.2385-10/22/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

How the Finish survive without small talk?

Small talk is not a small thing, especially in English-speaking cultures where “how are you?” is like a start button for social interactions. No serious answer is expected to it. However, Finnish people take it as a real question and try to answer seriously. That’s because small talk isn’t common in Finland. Unless they have an agenda that require verbal interaction, they opt not to speak to others. However, that doesn’t mean they dislike talking. In fact, they become quite talkative when they are in a sauna or with their close friends. They just respect others’ comfort and try not to bother it. Also, they tend to choose to not say anything to avoid any misunderstanding. Silence seems to be part of a conversation.

Is small talk common in your culture?

Enjoy reading and think if ‘Silence is gold, talking is silver’ culture fits your personality.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20181016-how-the-finnish-survive-without-small-talk

Topic Reading-Vol.2384-10/21/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Russian Orthodox Church cuts all links with Constantinople

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe that became independent in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved. The country’s population is a little over 40 million, excluding Crimea, which was annexed to Russia in 2014. Ethnically, the vast majority of the population is Ukrainians and the dominant religion is the Orthodox Catholic Church, or The Eastern Orthodox Church. Traditionally, the Russian Orthodox Church has regarded Ukraine’s parishes under its jurisdiction.

However, The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, or simply Constantinople, which plays a role of the Mother Church of most modern Orthodox churches, has recently recognized the independence of the Ukrainian Church from Moscow. This decision is seen as the most historic Orthodox separation since the schism with Catholicism back in 1054.

Surely, the Russian Orthodox Church is not happy about this split and is fiercely criticizing the decision, especially when the territorial dispute over Crimea is unresolved. For Ukrainians, this is an endorsement of independence from Russia’s influence religiously at least.

Will there be then any influence on the political relationship between Russia and Turkey?

Enjoy reading and learn about this historic schism of the millennium-old the Orthodox Catholic Church.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45870939

Topic Reading-Vol.2383-10/20/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

How China’s giant solar farms are transforming world energy?

Nowadays, when you drive or ride in the desert, you’ll most likely find solar panels and windmills in the middle of nowhere. If you drive along some river, you may find a dam that also produces hydroelectric power. In the meanwhile, there are fossil-fuel power stations in or near large cities. And of course, there are nuclear power plants somewhere between.

Which source of power is more economically efficient and environmentally friendly?

China has the world largest solar energy capacity in the world, having been subsidized and incentivized by the government. One reason is to become cleaner and friendlier to the environment. Another reason is to stimulate economic activities in uninhabited or undeveloped areas such as western desert and Tibet plateau.

Just like steel, construction, highspeed railways, and mobile phone industries, once they have become the world largest market, they export the products and technologies to the world. In fact, China produces over 60% of the world solar panels.

But there is one clear but not present danger. Though it is not as problematic as nuclear waste, solar panels on the ground and roofs will need to be broken up after a few decades. When they become industrial waste, they won’t be as clean as when they produced power because of the harmful chemicals like sulphuric acid.

Stop global warming and worry about waste later.

Enjoy reading and think if you want to install solar panels on your roofs if you haven’t.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180822-why-china-is-transforming-the-worlds-solar-energy

Topic Reading-Vol.2382-10/19/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Why is it so hard for Africans to visit other African countries?

500 million citizens of 28 EU states enjoy visa-free travels within the block. While many of those Europeans can also visit most of the African countries without a visa, more than half of the 54 countries in Africa still require other African citizens to obtain a visa to enter their country.

Even though the African Union, AU, decided in 2013 to remove visa requirements for all African citizens by 2018, there is only one country, Seychelles, that grants visa-free entry to all African citizens. In fact, visa double standard, which requires a visa to other Africans but doesn’t to people from other parts of the world, is still a common practice among most of the African states. Why so?

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the map to find how closed African countries are to each other.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45677447

Topic Reading-Vol.2381-10/18/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers
The health benefits of eggs

Eggs are nutritious. They are rich in protein, vitamins, and fat.

Eggs are convenient, too. They last for weeks if stored properly. They can simply be boiled or poached to be eaten.

Also, eggs are much more economical, compared with other sources of nourishment like animal meat or seafood. Usually, an egg costs less than a candy bar or an apple.

Not so surprisingly, eggs are environmentally friendlier than meat or dairy products. Chickens can be raised with much less carbon footprint and grains compared with pigs or cows.

Eggs also have culinary benefits. There are not only numbers egg dishes but also egg-enriched dishes, sauces and food products like mayonnaise.

Despite all these nutritional, economic, environmental and culinary benefits, eggs had not been recommended because of its cholesterol. However, just like butter over margarine, the benefits of eggs have been recently reviewed and now eggs are recommended highly.

An egg a day may keep the doctor away, or may an egg be with you.

Enjoy reading and think of revising your daily food menu.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs

Topic Reading-Vol.2380-10/17/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Sky battles: Fighting back against rogue drones

As more drones fly in the air to shoot photos, spray pesticides, or deliver goods, new security concerns arise. There are numbers of incidents of near-misses not only around airports but also in mid-air. Also, a drone could be abused by terrorists to carry and drop harmful objects like a bomb or chemical substance to a target, such as a military facility, prison, and stadium. Sounds scary indeed, doesn’t it? So, how can we prevent such malicious attempts from succeeding? Shooting down a suspicious drone sounds like an easy countermeasure. But it could still cause a damage or harm if the drone is carrying explosives or chemical materials.

In fact, there already are several ways to capture or disable intruding drones to protect a perimeter.

Enjoy reading and learn about arising technologies in the air.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45824096

Topic Reading-Vol.2379-10/16/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Same-sex mice have babies

A historic accomplishment in genetic engineering. Bi-maternal, or two mammas mice were created in China. They are not only healthy but also fertile. It may recall you the movie and book, Jurassic Park, where male dinosaurs created their offspring without female.

Parthenogenesis is a type of reproduction in which living things develop from eggs that have not been fertilized. In Jurassic Park, it occurred naturally in order to keep the species by themselves. But in this scientific experiment, researchers took an egg from one mouse and a special type of cell from another, and then applied gene-editing technologies. Though the similar approach to create double-dad mice didn’t go as well as this female-only reproduction, for now, it may not be too long before such mice survive and reproduce.

Will this please the female worriers in a Greek mythology, the Amazons?

Enjoy reading and think if such technology is really needed or pursued.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45801043

Topic Reading-Vol.2378-10/15/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Japan’s special take on a packed lunch

When you travel around Japan by train, you’ll most likely find some or many of your fellow passengers eating packed meals during lunch hours or any other time of the day. In Japan, it has been customary to eat a packed meal on the train for over a century. And these packaged meals aren’t just for convenience but are prepared to entice travelers. In fact, it is considered as part of the entertainment for a train trip. People enjoy seeing sceneries while tasting local and seasonal delicacies. Any major train stations that bullet or express trains stop, there is a wide variety of packed lunches stacked on the shelves to choose from. Sometimes, department stores or supermarkets have “Ekiben Fair,” which offers popular or never-heard-of packed lunches to their shoppers. Indeed, it is another deep-rooted Japanese food tradition.

But be careful. Eating a packed lunch on a local commuter train is considered unruly.

Enjoy reading and think if you want to try one when you visit Japan.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20181009-japans-special-take-on-a-packed-lunch

Topic Reading-Vol.2377-10/14/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Scientists: Time running short before climate change effects are 'irreversible'

How long will humans keep ignoring the intelligence about what is going to happen to the earth’s climate? The consequences of global warming are well known, and the actions needed to prevent climate and environmental disasters from happening have been proposed enough.

A recent UN panel’s report shows that carbon dioxide emissions by human activities need to be reduced by half of 2010 levels in the next decade to avoid irreversible, catastrophic climate change. Such reduction obviously requires historic, decisive, and drastic actions as no one wants to give up what they are enjoying, or hope to enjoy the convenience and practices, not to mention business activities that heavily depend on energy consumptions.

Yet, the United States of America, the second largest carbon dioxide emitter by human activity, is going backwards under the current administration and Congress. The US had been one of the most influential bodies to lead such actions until two years ago but unfortunately, it seems no longer interested in taking such initiatives for the next two years, at least.

Will human ingenuity ever take such actions while there still are wars, nuclear weapons, genocides, and famines in many places around the world.

Enjoy reading the article and watch the video to learn how significant the impact of global warming that is on its way to everywhere on the planet.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/united-nations-report-details-looming-climate-crisis/story?id=58354235

Topic Reading-Vol.2376-10/13/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

As global temperatures rise, so will mental health issues, study says

A rise in temperatures in a certain place seems to have quite an impact on mental conditions in a negative way to the residents, according to a new study in the U.S. The research compiled data of two million responses about their mental health status over a decade. The number of the respondents who reported anything that falls within the range of stress, anxiety, depression, emotional issues increased more in places where there was an increase of just one degree Celsius. The same trend was also found in regions that were hit by a disastrous hurricane like Katrina.

Unfortunately, those whose incomes are relatively lower seem to have been affected more by such meteorological changes. If so, the global warming we are experiencing now is going to cause not only ecological and environmental disasters but also mental and subsequently physical problems to those who live in warmer regions.

Read the article and think what strategies you are going to develop to cope with the ongoing climate change.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/08/health/climate-change-mental-health-study/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2375-10/12/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

How France created the metric system?

The metric system is an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement. The modern metric system consists of the meter for length, kilogram for mass, second for time, and ampere for electromagnetism. However, there are three countries that still are reluctant to use this modern convenience; the U.S., Liberia, and Myanmar.

When and where did this world standard system originate? It came out of the French revolution which wanted to replace old monarchy and church customs with new systems. Unlike then-more-modernized China or Japan, there were as many as 250,000 different measurement units just in France alone before the revolution. But it wasn’t an easy task to standardize how long and how heavy a thing is. In fact, it took decades before the system became the nation’s de-facto standard.

Now you might have realized that why not “meteric” but “metric” in English. That’s because “metre” in British English came from French “mètre”.

Enjoy reading and learn how the metric system was created and how it became popular.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180923-how-france-created-the-metric-system

Topic Reading-Vol.2374-10/11/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Amazon is using AI in almost everything it does

Amazon started its business as an online bookstore, added CDs and videos, and diversified into a mass retailer, selling almost everything. Soon, they offered their online store, warehousing and shipping & delivery infrastructures to other sellers as Amazon Marketplace. They also offered their computing platforms to individuals, companies and even governments as on-demand, cloud services, called Amazon Web Services, or AWS. Amazon also developed some consumer electronic products such as Kindle and Echo. They now have a plan to add thousands of brick-and-mortar stores called Amazon Go where shoppers can simply grab what they want and leave the store without stopping.

You may already have known, heard of, or experienced these Amazon’s business activities. But what is there behind these advanced technologies and services?

Enjoy watching the video and learn what roles AI plays behind Amazon.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2018/10/03/amazon-ai-behind-the-scenes-orig-mss.cnn-business/video/playlists/business-amazon/

Topic Reading-Vol.2373-10/10/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

A supermarket is offering to deliver groceries to your fridge while you're out

What is the last part of the process of purchasing? Online retailers offer customers easy and convenient shopping experience on either smartphone or PC whenever and wherever they are. Prices are very competitive with or even predatory to brick-and-mortar supermarkets or discounters. Payment is done automatically from the registered bank account, credit card or online payment service, such as PayPal, WeChat Pay or Ali Pay. So, what could deter customers from buying online, or choose one shopping site from others?

Patience. One survey found that online shoppers don’t want to be home just to wait for deliveries. Seems to make sense, doesn’t it? If you or both of you work during the day and get home late, there is no chance to receive a delivery. On weekends, you may want to go out to meet your friends, do any leisure activities, or simply not to be bothered by anyone at all.

So, what about having the deliverer leave the delivery items inside the door or even in the fridge? With a smart lock, you don’t have to worry about being intruded by someone else other than the scheduled deliverer. But will that be an ultimate convenience or annoyance?

The next step could be to have the deliverer prepare your dinner or feed your pet.

Enjoy reading the article and think how much convenience you would want for a grocery shopping.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/05/business/waitrose-home-delivery/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2372-10/9/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

The hunt for Planet X turns up a new solar system object

We know so little about our solar system, our galaxy, and the universe.

Our solar system is believed to have been formed some 4.6 billion years ago. There are eight planets, five dwarf planets, and two belts, one between Mars and Saturn and the other outside of Neptune’s orbit in the solar system.

Astronomers have been searching for another orbing object, called Planet X, outside the current boundary of our solar system. Though the planet hasn’t been discovered yet, a dwarf-like object was found at around 2,000 times the distance between us and the sun. It is thought to take as long as 40,000 years to go around the sun. As you know, it takes only a year for Earth to orbit the sun and 165 years for the farthest planet Neptune.

This new dwarf planet was nicknamed the Goblin as it was first observed during the Halloween period. What is significant about this discovery is that the move of the Goblin seems to be strongly influenced by nearby massive force, presumably Planet X.

Enjoy reading about this exciting discovery in our solar system.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/02/us/planet-x-search-new-object/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2371-10/8/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

A potted history of instant noodles 

Do you like instant noodles? They are one of the most popular precooked meal in many places in the world. Nearly 100 billion servings were consumed a year. The largest market is China that sold over 40 billion servings, followed by Indonesia’s 13 billion. Combined, these two populous countries ate over half of the global consumption in 2015.

Instant noodles are usually sold in a precooked and dried noodle block with flavoring powder. They were invented in Japan in 1958 when the growing population needed food that would fill their stomachs quickly. Cup noodles are a popular package of instant noodles in a plastic or paper food container with flavoring and soup powder, which was also created in Japan 13 years later when busy individuals wanted even easier and faster snack.

Though instant noodles are convenient and stomach-filling, they are also too rich in carbohydrates, fat, and sodium. So, they become popular when the economy is developing, and people need the energy to get along, but the consumption declines when people start to become more health conscious. In fact, the market for instant noodles in China has already started to decline.

Enjoy watching the video about instant noodles and think if you want one for your next meal or snack.

https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/instant-noodles/p06m64hx

Topic Reading-Vol.2370-10/7/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Reviving the old silk road

Dunhuang is a small city in northwestern Gansu Province, China. As it lies on the edge of the Gobi Desert, it was once a frontier garrison and gate town to the Silk Road, connecting the then central region of China with the western regions, which are present-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The ancient town is now more known for the Mogao Grottoes, one of the most prominent world cultural heritage sites. The caves consist of 492 grottoes that contain paintings and sculptures created between the 4^th and 14^th centuries. The number of visitors each day is limited to 6,000 to preserve the valuable artworks and the tickets are hard to get during peak seasons.

Since the launch or the Belt and Road Initiative, Dunhuang has been revitalized as the gate city to the West in culture, tourism, and businesses.

Enjoy reading and learn what this ancient town offers now for new China and Central and Western Asia.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201809/29/WS5baed0b0a310eff3032802be_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2369-10/6/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Roald Dahl's Matilda confronts Donald Trump in new statue

Written by a British author Roald Dahl, Matilda is a five-and-half-year-old girl in England who is often treated unfairly by her own parents and the schoolmistress. When she faces rough treatment, she uses her tremendous intelligence and inherent telekinetic forth to cope with the offenders.

Now, to celebrate the 30^th birthday of this popular story character, a new statue of a figure was erected before Matilda’s in the author’s museum in England. Guess who was chosen to be a most-likely encounterer of this bright, formidable girl.

Roald vs. Donald.

Enjoy reading and imagine what Matilda would say to the US president.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/01/uk/matilda-trump-statue-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2368-10/5/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

McDonald's removing artificial additives from its burgers

Surprise! No AI at McDonald’s! The world largest food restaurant chain, which operates 35,000 outlets in 119 countries, is removing AI from its burgers, not Artificial Intelligence but Artificial Ingredients. The company announced that they will not use artificial preservatives, flavors or coloring in their beef burgers, all the buns, the cheese, and the sauce any longer.

Though how much health benefits this change will bring to their burger eaters is not clarified, the message is clear and simple. Some may ask, “Have they used such artificial ingredients?”

After all, AI is not something that is easily recognized.

Will it make their daily 68 million customers healthier or bring more customers to their drive-throughs or counters?

Enjoy reading and think if a no-AI burger attracts you more than an AI burger.

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/27/news/companies/mcdonalds-artificial-ingredients/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2367-10/4/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

2,569th birthday of Confucius celebrated in China

Born in 551 BCE, Confucius (孔子) was a Chinese philosopher, teacher and political figure whose teachings focused on creating ethical models of family, society, and ruling. He emphasized the importance of loyalty of family, respect for ancestors and elders and ruling with disciplines and orders in governance as well as parental affection to the people.

His sayings and dialogues were collected in Lunyu (論語) (pronounced Lúnyǔ!), commonly translated as "Confucian Analects." It is still read, taught and referred to especially in China, Korea and Japan, and also in many other places in the world.

Even after 25 centuries of time, Confucius is regarded as one of the most influential persons who shaped the lives of humanity.

Enjoy reading the article about the commemoration of this great figure and see the photos of the ceremony.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201809/29/WS5baebe28a310eff303280261_1.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2366-10/3/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Could we be facing choc-apocalypse?

How much chocolate or Choco-inclusive sweets do you eat? The Swiss eat the most chocolate in the world, as much as eight kilograms per person a year. And other Europeans and Americans love the delicacy, too, maybe because it goes very well with their favorite drink, coffee. Recently though, more people in different food cultures, such as India and China are eating more chocolate than before. Together, these two most populous countries represent over one-third of the global population. The consumption of chocolate in these countries have been rising for health and wealth reasons as their middle class grows and lifestyles become westernized.

If you look at the supply side, Cocoa, the main ingredient of Chocolate is only produced in humid tropical climate and shades of rainforests like West Africa. About half of the entire cocoa production comes from only two countries in the region, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The places where cocoa can be grown is in fact limited. Also, cocoa plants are quite vulnerable to pests and diseases. It doesn’t seem so easy to increase the supply.

As consumption grows, will there be enough chocolate in the future?

Enjoy reading and learn the future prospects of the delicacy.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180926-could-we-be-facing-a-chocapocalypse

Topic Reading-Vol.2365-10/2/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

Amazon to open 'four-star' store in New York

How much do customer reviews matter to you when you choose a song, pick a restaurant, or book a hotel? It seems the world is filled with stars. Music, movies, books, travel spots, stores, plumbers, tutors, car sharing, food deliveries, and so on. You can save time by just checking the number of stars to expect the quality or satisfaction level of the goods or services. For your convenience, the ones with four stars or more are shown on the first page of the search.

Some stores carry items that sell well or generate higher margins while others stock up any item that customers may add to their shopping cart. But what about a brick-and-mortar store that sells only highly reviewed items by other buyers like online shops? That is what the e-commerce/service giant Amazon has just opened in a popular shopping district in New York.

Would you be interested in visiting a store to find what others like?

Enjoy reading and think if you’ll see stars on all items in other retailers in the future.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45666282

Topic Reading-Vol.2364-10/1/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers

How to use seawater to grow food in the desert

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Though it has the Dead Sea on its western borders and a small shoreline on the Red Sea, the country is landlocked. Very hot and dry. In fact, it is the second most water scarce nation in the world with only less than one-sixtieth of water that the US has per person. Obviously, it is not suitable land for farming. Thus, as much as 98% of the nation’s import is food. In the meantime, what they have is heat and sunshine. With 330 sunny days a year, the land gets enough energy to run an air conditioner per square meter. If they could make use of these inherently available natural and clean resources to farm the desert, they would be able to produce food and create jobs while reducing import.

How could they provide fresh water, food and renewable energy in such a hot and dry region while vegetating areas of such an uninhabited desert? The Sahara Forest Project is working on this challenge.

Enjoy reading and learn how to turn a dry desert into a clean, green farm.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180822-this-jordan-greenhouse-uses-solar-power-to-grow-crops