Topic Reading-Vol.3064-8/31/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Breakthrough AI identifies 50 new planets from old NASA data

Astronomers are finding new exoplanets nearly every day. The closest star from our Sun is Proxima Centauri, located 4.2 light-years, or nearly 40 trillion kilometers away. Astronomers have already found to exoplanets orbiting this neighbor star, so they are the closest planets from us. To your surprise, they are just two of the 4,200 exoplanets that have been confirmed as of August. But how are astronomers identifying extrasolar planets that don’t shine themselves in the faraway universe?

Basically, they observe stars and look for dips in light, which are presumably caused by passing planets of the solar system. Sounds like a heavily attention-required work, doesn’t it? But now, machine-learning can train artificial intelligence to validate unidentified exoplanet candidates only in seconds. In fact, some researchers identified 50 new exoplanets with the help of AI algorithms from already-scrutinized NASA data. They are expecting that machine learning will further improve the algorithm and find more extrasolar planets, potentially habitable ones that our descendants of future generations might someday pay a visit.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the quest for habitable planets of other stars.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/26/tech/ai-new-planets-confirmed-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3063-8/30/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Covid-19: South Korea closes Seoul schools amid rise in cases

No success stories to deal with coronavirus. In America, partygoers, beachgoers, and restaurant diners increased the transmission where such outings are allowed. New Zealand extended lockdown in Auckland, at the center of the new outbreak, after 100 days without any community transmission. Even South Korea, which had been regarded as one of the better-handlers of coronavirus, recently saw a spike of infections among school students. They now have closed most of the schools in the greater Seoul, where about half of the nation’s population lives.

In the northern hemisphere, summer vacations are about to end at most schools. Municipal offices, education boards, teachers, and parents are preparing for back-to-school season with fear and hope. One thing is quite certain, though. It’s not over yet.

Read the article and think about how many days students can go to school this school year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53901707

Topic Reading-Vol.3062-8/29/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Hong Kong reports 'first case' of virus reinfection

How immune will we be after a vaccination? That remains to be seen in a year or so as approved vaccines are going to be applied to a large number of individuals. But how free will we be from the novel virus once recovered from an infection? Antibodies are supposed to be developed once infected. And it was found that the severer the case is, the stronger the antibodies become. However, there is a new report by Hong Kong scientists about a case of reinfection to a man in his 30s who had recovered from his first infection several months ago. No details have been released and this is just one case out of 23 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection around the world. In fact, there are quite a few people who get infected by different types of seasonal flu in the same season. So, while medical experts warn not to jump on this report, it makes us worried about how we can protect ourselves from coronavirus.

Read the article and think about how many masks you’ll need before the pandemic ends.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53889823

Topic Reading-Vol.3061-8/28/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

These planter-like urinals are Amsterdam's answer to the problem of 'wild peeing

When you walk around Amsterdam, a popular tourist destination in the Netherlands, you may find something like a big aluminum trash bin with some green sprouting from the top. But it is not a recycle bin or planter. It is a urinal.

Amsterdam is also called, "Venice of the North" because of the numerous canals running across the city. Also, there are a number of craft beer breweries and famous Heineken. Whatever the causes might be, the city has open urination problems. To combat this historic problem in modern, civilized society, the local council installed the unique urinals at frequently peed hotspots after finding that there was a 50% reduction in wild peeing on a pilot project.

But who openly pee in the first place in a busy city like this, the residents or tourists?

By the way, do you know what these urinals are called? “GreenPees”

While these green urinals may reduce open pees by men, what about women and girls?

Enjoy reading the article and think if you want to see such open, green urinals in your town.

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/amsterdam-sustainable-urinal-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3060-8/27/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released

Have you seen “Jurassic Park” movie or read the book? It is a 1993 science fiction adventure movie based on the 1990 novel of the same title written by Michael Crichton. There, a wealthy businessman and a team of genetic scientists created a wildlife park of de-extinct dinosaurs. To control the population of the genetically reproduced dinosaurs, they kept only females. As feared by some scientists, they evolved to reproduce offspring by themselves.

Now, in order to reduce the population of female mosquitos, which carry diseases like dengue or the Zaka virus and bite humans, a pilot project was approved in Florida to release genetically modified male mosquitos. They are engineered to carry a protein that will kill off female offspring. Sounds like a similar attempt to the collapsed dinosaur zoo, doesn’t it?

When humans tried to challenge the laws of nature, unpredicted consequences could occur.

Enjoy reading the article and think if human ingenuity matches the natural evolution.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53856776

Topic Reading-Vol.3059-8/26/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Here's what happened when students went to school during the 1918 pandemic

In 1918, a deadly influence pandemic infected about half a billion people and killed as many as half a million of them across the world. Since the estimated world’s population then was about 1.8 billion, you can assume how infectious and deadly the so-called Spanish flu was. A hundred years later, the world is under coronavirus pandemic. Over 20 million confirmed cases and nearly 800,000 deaths have been reported so far. As effective vaccines are still under development, face masks, social distancing, and air circulation/ventilation are the most effective measures to avoid infections. Now, as the new school year is about to begin in many parts of the world, politicians, health officials, and teachers are under pressure if, when, and how they should open schools. While most colleges and universities have already decided to run classes online only or mainly, many middle and primary schools find it difficult to do the same. After all, schools are the place where students and teachers meet, interact with, and learn from each other. So, what did some of the major cities in the US did a century ago? There may be something we can learn from them.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the conditions under the pandemic a century ago.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/19/us/schools-flu-pandemic-1918-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3058-8/25/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Cooking food for over 100 restaurants: How a 'ghost kitchen' is adjusting to life in a pandemic

Food delivery service is on the rise especially when people are afraid of dining out or traveling because of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, Uber is carrying much fewer passengers but delivering much more food under the name of Uber Eats. With such third-party delivery service operators, struggling restaurants can make up some of the lost business or create new business. There are also new service enterprises that are moving one step further, called ghost kitchens or cloud kitchens. They have no signs, tables, or servers like ordinary restaurants do. They are located in economically convenient places to cook and deliver food. All they have are the central kitchen, cooks, and delivery men and vehicles. They basically prepare meals as instructed and deliver them to the customers of their clients. A ghost kitchen operator in Dubai has over 100 restaurant clients across the Middle East and prepares over 200,000 meals a week.

It sounds like an efficient food business model upfront. But will there be enough margin to share among the restaurant, Ghost Kitchen, and delivery service?

Enjoy reading the article and think if you want to check who cooked your next delivery meal.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ghost-kitchens-kitopi-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3057-8/24/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Wuhan hosts massive water park party as coronavirus concerns recede

A water park party this summer? That is unthinkable for most of you at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has hit every corner of the world. But in Wuhan, the very epicenter of the novel virus in China, many young people enjoyed dancing, swimming, or just relaxing on rubber boats in a big water park that reopened in June. No one was wearing a face mask or keeping the social distance. The park just looked like a swimming pool on a normal summer evening.

The residents of Wuhan underwent a 76-day lockdown from January 23. The city was completely blocked to and from other places. The residents weren’t allowed to go out of their community. Now, no confirmed case has been reported since May, people are celebrating the Coronavirus-free environment that they deserve.

But for how long? As there are people coming in and out of the city now, how long can the city be free from the virus?

Read the article and see the photos and think about when you’ll be able to enjoy the summer.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/18/asia/wuhan-water-park-party-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3056-8/23/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Coronavirus: Japan suffers its biggest economic slump on record

Japan’s economy had been struggling even before the coronavirus pandemic. So, it is not surprising that the country’s economy shrunk the largest in recent months. Indeed, Japan’s GDP declined by 27.8% on an annual basis during the April-June quarter from the previous period.

Yes, there was a sales tax hike from 8% to 10% last year, which might have had some impact on the economy in the October-December quarter. But the economy of the world’s third-largest GDP has been declining even without the impacts of sales tax or the novel virus. Why? Most of the service, commodity, real estate, property prices haven’t risen for some time except in downtown Tokyo and some other prime locations but only in major cities like Osaka, Yokohama, or Nagoya. As the population has been declining much faster than predicted (or hoped), Japan's society is aging faster than most other countries. In fact, the number of newborn babies last year was less than half of the baby-boomers era. So, even when the pandemic ends, how much recovery or new investment can be expected under the new norm?

Read the article and think about where Japan will go after the pandemic.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53802967

Topic Reading-Vol.3055-8/22/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Is winter holiday travel canceled? Not quite

The summer travel season didn’t seem to have taken place this year, not to mention the tours to Tokyo to watch Olympic games. Especially, most of international or air travelers gave up their usual vacations or trips since March because of the coronavirus outbreak. But what about the holiday season like Christmas and New Year holidays later this year? Can you, and your kids if you have any, stay home again during the next vacation season? Many people are afraid of being infected on airplanes, ships, or trains. In the meantime, holiday bookings have already started and some of the driving-range hotels and resorts are highly demanded. Of course, no one wants to be forced to stay at a hotel or a facility for quarantine for two weeks when they returned from a vacation trip. So, what holiday bookings are like?

Maybe, more importantly, you may want to know when effective vaccines become available before planning your trip.

Enjoy reading the article and think whether you want to book a holiday trip in advance.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/winter-holiday-travel-2020-covid-19/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3054-8/21/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Greenland's ice sheet has melted to a point of no return, according to new study

Greenland is the largest island in the world with a population of only 56,000, thus, it is the least densely populated territory in the world. Despite the name, nearly 80% of Greenland’s surface is covered by a permanent white ice sheet, which is seen only in Greenland and Antarctica. The ice sheet stretches 2,400 km long and 1,100 km wide with a thickness of two to three thousand meters. Also, there are glaciers and small ice caps around the periphery. Combined, the ice on this northern island is 2,850,000 cubic kilometers, which could raise the global sea levels over seven meters should it ever melt.

A new study has found that this vital ice sheet has been melting much faster than previously thought. Probably, you’ve heard this before and many times. But the researchers have concluded that the ice sheet melt has already passed a point of no return. So, even if climate change were stopped or reversed, natural snowfall would not replenish the loss of ice. The ice sheet and glaciers have found to be more fragile than we thought or hoped to be. And it seems that the world has fallen off the first step of a stairway.

Read the article and think about how long the stairway might be.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/14/weather/greenland-ice-sheet/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3053-8/20/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

US election 2020: A really simple guide

Though the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are postponed to next year, there is another big event which is watched by the world. US presidential election, which is scheduled to take place on November 3, the first Tuesday of the eleventh month. You might remember this unique, rather complex election system that shook the world four years ago when Trump beat Clinton even though she received more popular votes. Since the republicans, also known as GOP (Grand Old Party), and democrats are the two dominating political parties in the US, either Trump or Biden will become the head of the world’s most influential country. What is unique about the US presidential election system is that it is NOT the total number of votes but the electors, the sum of which is 538, are the ones that decide the next president.

Besides choosing the next president, voters also cast ballots to choose all 435 representatives and one-third of the senators (33), at the same time. As you can see, one election not only chooses the leader of the nation but also decides which party, democrats or republicans, takes control of the two congresses. A very decisive election, isn’t it?

Enjoy reading the article to learn about how the US presidential election is held.

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53785985

Topic Reading-Vol.3052-8/19/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Frankfurt sniffer dog catches whiff of hidden cash stash

Does money smell? It seems does to trained sniffing dogs. According to a custom’s spokesperson at Frankfurt international airport, one of the sniffing dogs helped customs officials find nearly a quarter-million euros undeclared cash, almost USD 300,000, just in a few days. The cash was hidden in travelers’ pockets or bags, which were invisible to human eyes but were certainly detectable to the trained dog’s nose.

Travelers in and out of EU countries are required to declare if they are carrying 10,000 euros or more in cash to prevent tax evasion, money laundering, illegal trade, and terrorism. Especially in today’s cashless society, bringing that much cash indeed sounds suspicious. The world may need more dogs to find such hidden cash transportation before international air travels resume after the Covid-19 outbreak.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how sensitive dogs’ noses are.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53763530

Topic Reading-Vol.3051-8/18/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos lands in Abu Dhabi: reports

Though Spain is a constitutional monarchy like the UK or Japan, the royalty still holds significant executive and legislative power. After Franco's death in November 1975, Juan Carlos succeeded to the position of King of Spain and head of state. When rebel forces rose in 1981, the king took personal command of the military and ordered the coup plotters. After the four-decade-long reign, he abdicated and succeeded the throne to his son Felipe, the present King of Spain, in 2014, upon which he lost his immunity from prosecution.

What a person would do if he or she is free from legal prosecution for such a long period or their lifetime? Now, the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos fled from his kingdom and is now in another kingdom whose religion is different from his. It is also reported that he stays on one of the floors of Emirate’s Palace Hotel. Indeed, the ex-king still wants to live in a “palace” even in an emirate.

Read the article and think why the ex-Spanish king is in an emirate, not even one of Spain’s former colonies, if not his own kingdom.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53710555

Topic Reading-Vol.3050-8/17/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Black women with natural hairstyles are less likely to get job interviews

Historically, women’s hair has been elaborately or moderately dressed in some special ways according to the custom, tradition, and perception of the society since before agriculture became popular. In some cultures, long straight hair was admired and preferred for women. In other times, the pushed back hairstyle was popular among upper-class women. Indeed, women’s hairstyles seem not only reflect the social trend but also represent the person’s identity, which, in turn, creates their perception by others. In America, a new study found that black women’s hairstyles seem to affect the chances to get job interviews. According to the research, straightened hair gets better chances than their natural hairstyles including afros, twists, or braids.

Since standard perceptions of beauty and professionalism are often set by the leading or majority group within the society, white women in America, hairstyle bias to black women do exist when it comes to job interviews.

Read the article and learn about what could create a racial bias for job applicants in America.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/12/business/black-women-hairstyles-interview-scli-intl-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3049-8/16/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

This school reopened and one child infected 25 teachers

In just a week or two, many schools will reopen after the summer vacation in the northern hemisphere. While students are looking forward to reuniting with their schoolmates, municipality offices, education boards, and schools are nervously preparing classes under the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, they need to set new rules and standards to run classes as safely as they can while providing opportunities for students to interact with others and teachers. In some places where Covid-19 is hitting hardest, classes are going to be run fully online just like colleges. Even though that could prevent the cluster from occurring, the school still is the place where students and teachers spend time together in most places.

But when this school in Jerusalem, Israel, where their swift and determined response to the coronavirus was once praised, reopened after closure, as many as 25 teachers were infected by the virus only from one student. Then those teachers might have infected …

Watch the video and learn how infectious Covid-19 is to anyone from anyone anywhere.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/11/world/ceres-dwarf-planet-ocean-scn-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3048-8/15/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A Japanese robotics startup has invented a smart mask that translates into eight languages

So many things have had to make a 180-degree turn since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Tourism, events, mass entertainment, and restaurants can generate very little if they stick to the old way. Many of them have been trying to seek alternative revenue opportunities, such as virtual tours, online events, and food delivery. But air travel is one of the hardest hits businesses and airports are nearly empty, especially for international flights. So, a Japanese startup that had been developing a multi-language guidance robot to be used at Haneda, Japan’s busiest airport, had no choice but to adapt the technology in some other way and came up with a smart mask that dictates, amplifies the voice, and translates speech into eight different languages, between Japanese and Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, and French. They also used crowdfunding to raise the necessary funds to mass-produce the smart mask and develop translation software for the international market.

When it rains, you need an umbrella unless you can stay where you are until the rain stops.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about human ingenuity to deal with the new norm.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/03/business/japanese-robotics-smart-face-mask-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3047-8/14/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What is WeChat and why does Trump want to ban it?

When you go to China, it’s not Facebook, Google, or email, but WeChat that does it all. It was originally a messaging app but it has become a lifeline platform as it added functions like searching, contacting, booking, reporting, payment, and bank services over time. It has 1.2 billion active users, most of whom live in mainland China. Users of WeChat not only stores personal information but also adds traces of any activity, interaction, and transaction every time the app is used. For example, information like when, where, and what the user ate lunch and paid how much, and with whom if he or she shared the bill. Such information of an ordinary citizen is only valuable for businesses to provide tailor-made recommendations and promote suitable products or services. But if the information, interactions, and transactions of business executives or government officials are shared by their competitors, especially by government controlled or subsidized enterprises, it could bring about a competitive advantage to China and pose risks to other countries. That seems to be the rationale the Trump administration is using to ban the use of Chinese app in the US.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what WeChat is about.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/07/tech/wechat-trump-ban-explainer/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3046-8/13/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Covid-19 is taking elevator anxiety to the next level. This Indian tech company has a solution

Touching something that is touched by others, like elevator buttons and touch panels, now makes you feel unsafe. Some study has found that there are more bacteria on elevator buttons than toilet seats. But when you ride an elevator, you need to push or touch the button of the floor you want to go to unless it is already lit. How do you do that? Do you always wear gloves when you go out or put ones on when you have to touch something? Do you use something to push or touch, or spray disinfectant on the button before you touch it? This is a very serious issue for those who live in a tall apartment or work in a multi-floor office building as they need to use an elevator multiple times a day. But when there is a problem, there are solutions. You could use a toothpick to press a button. At a shopping mall in Bangkok, foot pedals are installed to choose the floor with a foot. In some buildings, touchless buttons have replaced conventional buttons. Whichever the way it might be, you want to avoid touching an elevator button even after the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the article and think if you want to bring something to get on an elevator next time.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/03/business/india-touchless-elevator-buttons-hnk-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3045-8/12/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Going back to work or school? An algorithm may warn you to keep your distance from others

Companies and businesses used to encourage their people to interact with each other in person until the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. They set up offices and “campuses” in high-rent cities like New York and Tokyo with caféterias and game rooms. Now, they are moving in the opposite direction. Companies want their employees to keep social distancing, wear facemasks/shields, and avoid interactions at work.

You might have heard of or used a contact-tracing app to stay away from potentially coronavirus infected people. In some offices, factories, and warehouses, there are numbers of cameras that are monitoring if people are far enough apart and wearing facemasks. Such AI-powered surveillance systems are being used in large companies like Amazon, and managers are warned if their social distancing guidelines are not followed.

Do you feel protected or intimidated to be monitored all the time at your workplace?

Read the article and think about what makes you feel safer to work and live under the new normal.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/ai-social-distancing-in-offices-and-schools/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3044-8/11/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

This village in India plants 111 trees every time a girl is born

The male-to-female sex ratio at birth is slightly biased towards the male, at around 105 or 106, which means that there are 105 males for every 100 females at birth on average. Since males die younger than females, the sex ratio for the entire world population is very close to even, 101 males to 100 females. However, in some countries like China and India, boys are much more preferred than girls by parents. And some of them take artificial measures to produce/raise boys, such as selective pregnancy termination, abortion, and … even after birth. As a result, male-to-female sex ratios in these countries are very uneven. For example, it is estimated that the sex ratio at birth is 1.11 and 1.17 under the age of 24 in China, and 1.11 and 1.14 in India, where traditionally and culturally boys are favored. Also, there is a costly dowry system, which the bride’s family is obligated to give to the bridegroom and his family as a condition of marriage.

However, villagers in Piplantri, a village located in Rajasthan State in northern India, have been planting 111 trees every time a girl child is born in the village. They also ensure these trees survive and attain fruition as the girls grow up. In fact, they’ve planted over 350,000 trees, which represents 2,700 baby girls over time! It seems that the girls, women, and trees have brought fruits to the community.

Enjoy watching the video to learn about a fruitful tradition in a small village in India.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/great-big-story/2020/08/03/great-big-story-india-trees-girl-born-gbs.great-big-story

Topic Reading-Vol.3043-8/10/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Explorer's mission to photograph a century of climate change in Patagonia

How much warmer is it now compared with 100 years ago? Can you imagine the impacts of a one-degree difference in Celsius on nature? You know sea levels are rising as ice sheets melt in Antarctica, Greenland, Arctic Sea, and glaciers around the world. But how much?

Here is a photographer who takes photos of the same remote locations at the same time of year as the photos were taken a century ago to show the changes in nature in Patagonia, a sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. There used to be massive glaciers that covered the surface, but they disappeared completely or receded more than 10 kilometers. Where have then gone? The answer is so clear.

Though the newly taken photos look so beautiful, they also show nature is changing at a dangerously fast speed.

Read the article and compare the before-and-after photos to learn the changes in Patagonia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/04/americas/cristian-donoso-patagonia-climate-change-spc-c2e-intl-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3042-8/9/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The long road to returning first-ever samples from Mars

Is it worth spending billions of dollars to collect dirt samples from Mars’s surface and bring them back to Earth? It seems so. Since Mars has no tectonic or volcanic activities, not to mention the meteorological or aquatic influences like Earth, things and traces of potential lives once might have existed on the surface billions of years ago are expected to be preserved. So, NASA recently launched a rocket to send Perseverance rover to Mars to collect samples on an ancient lade bed and river delta, where lives might have existed three to four billion years ago. Five years after Perseverance’s landing on Mars, NASA and European Space Agency will cooperatively launch the Mars Ascent Vehicle lander and rocket to fetch the samples. It seems like a very complicated and nail-biting mission. First, the samples collected by Perseverance will be transferred to the ascent vehicle. Then, the vehicle will be launched to rendezvous with an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars in 2028. Once the ESA orbiter catches the samples, it will head back toward Earth and pass the samples to an entry vehicle that will be orbiting Earth. The sample containers will finally land on Earth in 2031. And that’s not the end. Some of the samples will be preserved for scores of years to be better analyzed in the future when more advanced analysis will be made. What a long-scope project it is!

Enjoy reading the article and learn a mission that is cooperated by many and in the future.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/01/world/mars-mission-samples-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3041-8/8/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

US firearms purchases skyrocket during pandemic, according to FBI records

In America, any adult can buy firearms if they pass the background check that is conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. Therefore, this firearm background check is a good indicator to show how many firearms are being purchased. And the FBI saw a record 3.9 million firearm transactions in June alone and 3.6 million in July, nearly 80% more than the previous year. Why are Americans buying more guns in such a time of difficulty? They tend to buy more guns when a deadly shooting incident occurs, maybe because they want to protect themselves more or stock up their guns before stricter gun regulations take place. This year, gun sales also sparked in March to 3.7 million. It seems that Americans are buying more guns when the coronavirus infections surge. Indeed, their lives are threatened by an agent, but are Americans trying to protect themselves by guns instead of face masks or social distancing? Has the $600 weekly Federal ​Pandemic Unemployment Assistance been boosting gun sales?

Read the article and think if it is effective to protect yourself with firearms when hundreds of people have been dying each day by the novel virus.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/03/politics/gun-background-checks-fbi/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3040-8/7/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A massive asteroid shower hit Earth and the moon 800 million years ago, study says

When was the last time you took a shower? Unless you’ve been hospitalized for some time, it probably was hours or a day before. Then, when do you think our planet and the moon took an asteroid shower? It is believed that about 66 million years ago, a meteor the size of a mountain slammed into Earth, filling the atmosphere with gas, dust, and debris that drastically altered the climate, which made dinosaurs went extinct while some mammals, birds, small reptiles, fish, and amphibians survived. You probably have known this presumption, haven’t you?

But some scientists now believe that our planet and the moon were hit by a massive asteroid shower about 800 million years ago and it might have initiated the ice age by the massive impact. How do they find such traces? Those researchers study the moon and asteroid to find what happened so long ago because they hold a more original state than the earth, where volcanic activities, geologic processes like erosion, and weathering erase the trace of the past incident. That’s one of the reasons rockets are sent to the moon and asteroid to bring back the sample of the ancient trace.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how the earth was impacted by asteroids.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/21/world/moon-earth-asteroid-shower-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3039-8/6/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Hackers post fake stories on real news sites 'to discredit Nato'

In Florida, a teenager was charged for hijacking the Twitter accounts of multiple high-profile figures, including former President Barack Obama, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, entrepreneur Elon Musk, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden. The 17-year-old hacker put false tweets on their accounts requesting for Bitcoin donations.

In Europe, hackers broke into real new websites and posted fake stories for their cause to stir up the anti-NATO sentiment. It is suspected that Russian interests are behind the hacking to stop NATO to deploy its forces in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, each of whom was a former member or ally of the Soviet Union.

If such popular and trusted accounts or websites are hijacked so easily, what can be trusted, especially before elections or polls? Since anything could go viral so quickly and widely, readers and viewers seem to be required to judge what is authentic or not.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you keep a critical eye on what’s shown on the web.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53594440

Topic Reading-Vol.3038-8/5/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How Covid-19 could destroy indigenous communities

According to a UN factsheet, there are over 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries in the world. Indigenous peoples and communities that still keep their historical continuities that were developed in the pre-invasion and pre-colonial era. They practice unique cultures, lifestyles, traditions, languages, and beliefs of their own that are distinct from the surrounding societies. Among the indigenous peoples are those of the Americas, such as the Navaho in the USA, the Mayas in Guatemala or the Aymaras in Bolivia, the Inuit, and Aleutians of the circumpolar region, the Aborigines of Australia and the Maori of New Zealand. They are more isolated than those in the same country in many ways such as jobs, income, education, information, and access to medical services. So, when the whole world has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, indigenous people are actually more vulnerable. How are they trying to survive such a difficult time?

Read the article and learn about how peoples of indigenous descent are coping with the outbreak of Covid-19.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200727-how-covid-19-could-destroy-indigenous-communities

Topic Reading-Vol.3037-8/4/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A landmark study shows what makes a successful relationship

What makes a good and lasting partner relationship? Does it depend on what your personal qualities are and who your partner is? The answers seem to change after a year, a relatively short period for married couples, from what they predict the quality of relationships before the study to what measures they would best predict that. A study in Canada found that how the couple perceives and values each other and their relationship as a whole seems to attribute more than an individual’s characteristics. In other words, it is the dynamics of the relationship that is built by many parts. If that is the case, relying on apps that find an ideal partner is just an illusion? Neither love at first sight nor a perfect couple guarantees a lasting relationship?

Maybe an arranged marriage is as practical and endurable as a marriage for love because it is based on the assumption of a forever lasting relationship.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how couples predict what makes them united.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/29/us/what-makes-a-relationship-successful-study-wellness-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3036-8/3/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Virgin Galactic's rocket plane will use 16 cameras to capture space tourists' every move

A space trip is surely an exceptionally extraordinary experience. Even if the time duration could be just a few minutes to a few days, pretravel research, planning, and inspiration are invaluable. Also, post-trip memories are irreplaceable, not to mention the time you enjoy experiencing micro-to-zero gravity and a spectacular view of Earth and space. So, all-in-all, the $250,000 ticket price for a 2.5-hour space trip on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, from liftoff until the touchdown including a six-minute weightlessness time, may not be overly expensive for some people. Each of the six passengers will sit in a custom-designed seat, enjoy the magnificent view through round-shaped windows, and see themselves floating in microgravity. Want to check the interior of the spaceship now?

Enjoy watching the video about the experience worth more than a quarter-million dollars.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/virgin-galactic-space-ship-interior-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3035-8/2/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

'I was too fat,' Boris Johnson says in UK launch to tackle obesity

Born in 1964, he was 55 when he was hospitalized for Covid-19 infection this past April, where he learned a lifelong lesson. He had been overweight. Now the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, wants others to follow his suit to lose weight. This is a 180-degree turn from his previous criticism on previous governments’ proposal to similar moves. However, having spent in an intensive care unit for a few days wandering between life and death, he is now determined to promote healthier Britain. Indeed, over 60% of British adults are either overweight or obese. Also, 20% of children aged 10-11 are obese, which could pose a higher risk of diabetes and heart diseases in the future.

So, in order to endorse the government’s action to encourage people to lose weight, he posted a video to his Twitter account about his own determination and action.

Yes, anyone can change his or her mind, but it’s not easy to change others’.

Enjoy reading the article and watch the video to learn about once overweighed and coronavirus-infected prime minister’s message.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/27/uk/boris-johnson-weight-obesity-uk-gbr-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3034-8/1/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Beethoven 250: The ultimate song of health after illness

This is supposedly a big year for Western music history. Beethoven’s 250^th anniversary. Indeed, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. He was taught composition when he was ten and published his first work in 1783. He moved to Vienna in 1792 and was acquainted with famous composers like Joseph Haydn, a renowned violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, and Beethoven’s life-long financial supporter, Prince Lobkowitz, all of whom gave their part of the influence on Beethoven’s works. He wrote most of his famed works before 1812 despite his deafness and The French invasion of Vienna. Then he went into a difficult emotional period until 1822. During his final years between 1823 and 1826, he composed his most acclaimed works, including the ninth symphony and his late string quartettes, one of which is Opus 132, string quartet #15 in A minor. The third movement of the quartet, Molto adagio – Andante (F Lydian), is accompanied by his note, "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart" (Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian mode. What kind of music is it?

Enjoy reading the article about what this holy song of thanksgiving by Beethoven is.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200720-beethoven-250-the-ultimate-song-of-health-after-illness

For those who aren’t familiar with this movement, try this first; Eschner String Quartet