Topic Reading-Vol.3520-11/30/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Bee gold: Why honey is an insect superfood

Honey is produced by bees but they don’t produce honey for humans. It is produced by bees but also provides bees with nutrition. There are approximately 20,000 bee species, which live in different places and collect different nectar. From different nectar, different honey is produced. Thus, floral diversity is crucial for bees’ nutrition and health. For instance, if a sick bee is offered different varieties of honey, it will choose the one that provides the best remedy. While we humans only enjoy different flavors and tastes of honey, the survival and society of bees totally depend on the component of honey they produce from the nectar they have access to. And the floral diversity has been severely affected by global warming and the destruction of nature by humans. Will there be much fewer bee species in the near future? Will there also be fewer kinds of honey available for humans?

Enjoy learning about physical, mechanical, and chemical works that make nectar from pollan, and then nectar to honey in the beehive.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211122-bee-gold-why-honey-is-an-insect-superfood

Topic Reading-Vol.3519-11/29/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

New Swedish Prime Minister resigns hours after being voted in

Sweden is one of the Nordic countries with a population of around 10 million. The nation is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, with legislative power vested in the 349-member parliament. Swedish people are highly conscious of politics, and the voter turnout in the last election was well over 87%. Though the Social Democratic Party holds more seats than other parties, they are still short of forming a government by themselves. Recently, the party succeeded in electing its party leader the first female Prime Minister of the nation but failed to pass a budget plan. After failing to pass the budget, the newly elected PM, Ms. Andersson, resigned in the hope to be reappointed as the head of a single-party government. It was only a few hours since she was appointed the leader of the country. Will she make a comeback to break the glass ceiling in the Nordic country where several parties have been getting enough seats to have an influence on forming a government and passing important bills?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the short-lived, first female in PM in Sweden.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/24/europe/sweden-first-female-prime-minister-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3518-11/28/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
This UK bank has moved to a four-day workweek without cutting pay
Most of the workers in industrialized countries work five days a week. This practice was first instituted in the US about a century ago, most notably at Ford Motor Company in 1926. The practice became gradually popular among other countries and workplaces especially after World War II, and work hours have also been reduced to 40 hours or less. This five-day workweek has been regarded as the de-facto standard for most employment opportunities even though work practice, tools, and technologies have changed drastically in most workplaces in the last 20 years. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many workers now choose or are forced to work online or from home. So, isn’t this the time to review when, how long and where to work to improve productivity and employees’ welfare? One UK bank recently adopted a four-day workweek with the same pay. Also, it reduced the weekly work hours from 37.5 hours to 34. Will the employees work more productively and happily? Will the bank attract more qualified and motivated workers?
Enjoy reading the article and think about your work-life balance.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/23/business/atom-bank-four-day-week/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3517-11/27/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The most important way of stopping another Covid surge

Vaccinated, recovered, or dead, says the German health minister fearing a further surge of Covid-19 cases before winter. Indeed, in winter, people tend to spend more time indoors windows and doors shut. Also, there are festive activities and gatherings during Christmas, year-end, and new year holidays. Though vaccination rates in most of the developed countries have reached nearly or over 70%, herd immunity doesn’t seem to have been achieved in most communities unless vaccination is mandated. There are people who resist getting vaccinated for some reason or other and they claim a constitutional right to refuse it. But don’t people also have the right to be protected from deadly diseases like Covid? Which right should be respected under the life-threatening pandemic? Also, if Covid-19 cases don’t decrease next year, how many more people get infected and lose their lives or the sense of smell (Vol.3515)?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how critical the situations are in the US and European countries where vaccination rates are much higher than in the rest of the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/20/opinions/covid-19-winter-surge-europe-reiner/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3516/11/26/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The boom in buying a car without ever leaving your sofa

If you are to buy a car, how will you choose one and where will you get it? When you buy a brand-new car, you might have seen the model on the street or in a parking lot. You also know the sticker price and expect quality assurance from the manufacturer. So, you may want to buy one online like a sofa or PC. But when it comes to buying a used car, you’ll probably look for one you like online and then you most likely want to take a look and check the car yourself, which could take your time and money to get to the car dealer. There, you will hear all the good things about the car until you buy it or leave the place. How about buying a used car online? You can then spend as much time as you want and at any time without leaving your sofa or desk. In fact, there are online used car sellers and marketplaces that show and explain cars, negotiate the price, close the sales, and register and deliver the car to your door front. As cars, especially electric cars are becoming a commodity item and digitally connected like a smartphone, people are getting more used to buying and registering cars online. Soon, you may get a next-day delivery soon by Axxxxx.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how online car purchase is getting popular in the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59295353

Topic Reading-Vol.3515/11/25/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

More than a million people in the US may not have regained sense of smell months after Covid-19 infection, study estimates

People lose some sense of smell as they age, just like the eyesight or hearing ability. But no particular virus or disease had been found to disrupt the sense of smell until the Covid-19 pandemic. A new study found that many Covid-19 patients experienced a lost or diminished sense of smell for months and some don’t seem to regain the sense ever. Olfactory Dysfunction, or OD, is the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing or eating. Those who suffer OD may smell differently or things that aren’t there. Such symptoms not only impair the taste of food or drink but also could affect the person’s life. For example, they may not notice the odor from their socks or pet’s urine. Also, they may not realize if the food about to eat is spoiled or something is burning in the kitchen. Scientists and doctors haven’t gotten clues as to what is causing such problematic symptoms or how people can regain the sense of smell yet.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about another damage that Covid-19 could cause to humans.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/18/health/covid-loss-of-smell-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3514/11/24/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards in UK

A credit card allows the cardholder to pay the sellers for goods or services based on the cardholder's accrued debt. The card issuer, such as a bank or credit union, creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the cardholder, from which the cardholder can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance. The transaction fee is paid by the seller and the fee rate greatly varies by the size and volume of the seller, ranging from below 1% of the purchase amount to up to over five percent. Visa is the world’s largest credit card brand with over a billion cards in circulation, followed by Mastercard. Most of the retailers that accept credit card payments usually take both brands. But recently, Amazon UK announced that it would no longer accept UK-issued Visa credit cards from January 19 because of the high transaction fees. Since many Amazon users register a credit card or two for payment, those who only or mainly use Visa cards are going to have to add or switch to another credit card. Whether this is a near-permanent move or just a threat to Visa to negotiate the transaction fee, it looks like a novel move that might trigger furious battles between credit card brands and retailers.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about a bold move by Amazon UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59306200

Topic Reading-Vol.3513/11/23/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

South Korea Suneung exam: 'I wanted to cry and quit everything'

The Suneung is South Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test, a standardized annual test usually held on the third Thursday in November. The one-day test determines which university each test taker can be enrolled in. About one in every five students is a previous year’s high-school graduate who wanted to try again to get better test results in their second attempt. The test starts at 8:40 am and finishes at 5:40 pm. The whole country tries to help the test takers get to the test sites on time by delaying the office hours to reduce traffic. Also, planes are grounded during the 25-minute listening test. 20 years ago, there were over 860,000 test takers for the national exam, but these days, there are only 400,000 plus students due to the decreasing birth rate. But it is still a life-determining test for students of South Korea, where premium job opportunities are limited to those who have outstanding academic credentials. Is it too much for high school students only to study for this one-day test?

Enjoy watching the video to learn about how Korean students are working on such grueling and pressuring this national examination.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-59315684

Topic Reading-Vol.3512/11/22/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

'Harry Potter' cast reuniting for retrospective special

Harry Potter is a fantasy seven-book novel written by J. K. Rowling, which was published from 1997 till 2007. They chronicle the lives of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry students, mainly about Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. The million-seller book series produced eight films, splitting the seventh book into two parts. The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 2001 and became an immediate hit around the world. You may also remember or have heard the famous “Hedwig’s Theme” composed by John Williams throughout the movie series. Now, in order to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the movie franchise, the original cast of the movie is gathering for a special program. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), and Emma Watson (Hermione) are among the stars to be seen in the program.

Will you be excited to see this Hogwarts alumni reunion?

Enjoy reading the article and think about what the reunion will be like.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/16/entertainment/harry-potter-special/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3511/11/21/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Taliban hold military parade with US-made weapons in Kabul in show of strength

The Afghanistan administration and military suddenly disappeared about two months ago when then the nation’s president fled from Kabul with bags of cash as the Taliban forces approached the capital. Also, foreign, mainly the US forces evacuated by the end of August, abandoning their own and given military weapons, ammunition, equipment, vehicles, and aircraft, which had cost around 28 billion dollars. Now, as the Taliban is transforming the insurgent force to a regular standing army, they are equipped with those precious US military assets. Also, many US-trained engineers and operators of this high-tech equipment and vehicles are now working under Taliban forces. On November 13, the newly formed Taliban military paraded in the capital city with US-made weapons to demonstrate how well they can make use of the abandoned military asset. But in order to use and maintain that high-tech equipment and vehicles, they need parts, services, ammunition, and software updates. How will the Taliban get them? Will Afghanistan be a new customer for the US military industry? Will the US recoup the massive grant from the former enemy?

Read the article and learn about these newly emerged the most-well equipped central Asian forces.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/15/asia/taliban-military-parade-us-weapons-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3510/11/20/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How to banish brain fog and boost energy this winter

Over 70% of the brain consists of water, which flushes out toxins and helps in-cell processes of the brain. So, it is essential to charge water regularly to your body before it is dehydrated. When you experience mild dehydration, you will feel brain fog, which impairs your cognitive performance, concentration, memory, and decision-making ability. So, how would you know if you are dehydrated? If your body is properly hydrated, your urine should be a pale color and if it’s dehydrated, it turns yellow. To avoid dehydroretinol, a healthy adult needs two to three liters of water a day depending on the body weight, temperature, humidity, and activity. Then how should you drink that much water? Well, the entire water intake doesn’t have to be from just water. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, steamed rice, and tofu contain a lot of water while cheese, bread, cakes do just a little. So, you want to keep yourself hydrated by drinking non-alcoholic, non-sugary drinks regularly and eating healthy fresh foods. Then, you can maintain your physical and mental health.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what water does to your body and brain.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/brain_fog

Topic Reading-Vol.3509/11/19/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Delhi shuts schools as it mulls ‘pollution lockdown’

Delhi ranked the most polluted capital in the world. But this year, India’s capital city is suffering the worst ever air pollution as levels of PM 2.5 particles reached 300 on the air quality index, 20 times higher than the maximum daily limit by the World Health Organization. PM 2.5 particles are the smallest and most harmful air dust that could enter the bloodstream. Besides the business activities in the city, the practice of burning agricultural waste in the neighboring states contributes to the worsening air quality along with the low level of wind especially at this time of year. For farmers, who feed the world’s largest population of 1.4 billion, burning the crop residue is essential to clear fields to prepare for the next season. But the air quality in the early part of November worsened so badly that Delhi had to impose “pollution lockdown,” closing all schools for at least a week, limiting business activities, and encouraging work-from-home.

Though India has been suffering from such severe air pollution in its homeland, it was one of the developing countries that were reluctant to take aggressive yet necessary measures to curb global warming at COP26. People in Delhi seem to need facemasks even after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the article and learn about how serious Delhi’s air pollution is.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/13/delhi-shuts-schools-as-government-considers-pollution-lockdown

Topic Reading-Vol.3508/11/18/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Is nuclear power the way forward to combat the climate crisis?

What does the world’s electricity mix look like? Over 60% of the world’s electricity is generated by fossil fuels, including coal, gas, and oil, around 25% by clean energies such as hydropower, wind, and solar, and a little over 10% by nuclear. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these low or no carbon power sources need to be increased to keep up with the increasing demand for electricity and replace fossil-fuel power generation. And some countries are planning to build more nuclear power plants on a massive scale like China and France. Technically, nuclear power is generated by nuclear reactions that heat water to produce steam to turn turbines. Though the mechanism seems simple, is nuclear power a good power source from safety, environmental, and economic standpoints? First, it is not as safe as other power sources. Nuclear power plants in Chernobyl in Russia, Three-mile in the US, and Fukushima in Japan caused environmental disasters. Also, nuclear waste is toxic for thousands of years. So, environmentally, it releases no greenhouse gasses but is dangerous and hazardous. Economically, it is not so expensive to run but it is awfully costly and time-consuming to build. Even though small modular reactors (SMR) could be built more easily than the conventional massive reactors, the capital cost is still high and neither the technologies nor the supply chains have been established to build smaller reactors.

Decarbonization is indeed a challenging task.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the pros and cons of nuclear power generation.

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/11/12/is-nuclear-power-the-way-forward-to-combat-the-climate-crisis

Topic Reading-Vol.3507/11/17/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Beijing, Washington ink joint climate declaration

At the very end of the COP26 in Glasgow, the two largest economies and greenhouse gas emitters, China and the US jointly announced that they had signed a joint declaration called the US-China Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s. It was a big surprise to everyone at the conference as the news conference was held only after an hour's notice, which means there could have been last-minute negotiations about the content and wording of the agreement. The two nations acknowledged the responsibilities of the largest greenhouse gas emitters and global warming contributors and agreed to reaffirm their commitment to keeping the global average temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. They also agreed to work closely, but not together, to reduce emitting methane and fossil fuels.

At least the three largest greenhouse gas emitters, including India, said something about their commitment to work on curbing the global warming crisis, either for a very long range or without immediate actions. Will the COP26 help enhance the world’s efforts to save the planet?

Enjoy reading the article and

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202111/11/WS618c5479a310cdd39bc749a6.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3506/11/16/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Climate change: Can India meet its targets?

India is the third-largest carbon emitter in the world after China and the US. It is one of the 140 or so countries that promised not to add the overall amount of greenhouse gases by 2050 to keep the temperature rise to 1.5C. At the COP26 summit, India has just promised to increase the non-fossil fuel electric power sources to 50% by 2030, which is now around 20%. Also, it intends to bring a third of the land under forest cover by limiting deforestation and promoting tree plantation. The nation also set an emissions intensity target, which measures emissions per unit of economic growth. That seems to justify the overall increase of greenhouse gas emissions while developing the economy of India’s world’s largest population in the next few decades. Indeed, a fall in carbon emission intensity does not actually reduce overall emissions. India still heavily depends on coal-based power for economic growth and people’s lives. How seriously will the democratically elected parliament members work on climate change? Environment or election?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about India’s environmental challenges.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-58922398

Topic Reading-Vol.3505/11/15/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Buyers show remorse over pandemic purchases

It’s been around 20 months since the coronavirus pandemic changed our lives. Many of us had no choice but to give up traveling, social gatherings, and commuting and end up spending time at home much longer than we had ever imagined. Then, those who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs or incomes thought of starting or setting up new things to make their at-home time more enjoyable or fruitful. Some people tried to start a new activity and bought items like gym equipment, musical instrument, kitchen appliances, DIY and gardening tools, and materials to name a few. Others spent their unused leisure budget on upgrading furniture, bath tab, or kitchen to entertain themselves. But how much of those new purchases have been made use of? Can people start or upgrade their at-home activities because of the pandemic?

Enjoy reading the article and learn what happened to the Covid purchases in the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59207124

Topic Reading-Vol.3504/11/14/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Sleep with your pet? How that may affect you (and your pet)

Is sleeping with your pet dog or cat good for you and your pet? For those highly popular, domesticated animals, sleeping with their human friends doesn’t seem to create any particular downside. Rather, it seems to create a tighter bond and higher trust with humans. However, that is not always the case for humans who need four to six 90-minute sleep cycles each night to repair the brain’s cellular level, consolidate memories and store new information to prepare for the next day. Anytime these sleep cycles are interrupted as is often the case when sleeping with a pet, you lose the chance to restore and refresh the brain. Remember, animals, especially cats, tend to move and disrupt sleep during the night, and each move could disrupt your continuous sleep. In the meantime, pet animals may give comfort and peace to their human friends especially to those who are depressed or feel anxious. So, if you can maintain your good sleeping cycles, your pet animal may be a good sleeping companion, provided that the pet wants that, too.

Enjoy reading the article and learning the pros and cons of an animal sleeping partner.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/05/health/sleeping-with-pets-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3503/11/13/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Delhi pollution: Are Diwali fireworks to blame?

The air quality of many cities in India is poor or even hazardous. In fact, 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India. Especially in this time of year, Delhi and other cities in northern India experience poor air quality due to crop burning and seasonal weather patterns. Furthermore, there is a popular festival called Diwali, India's biggest and most important holiday of the year that celebrates lights. People decorate their homes with clay lamps and enjoy firework festivities outside. Yes, a lot of fireworks, which seems to worsen the already poor air quality especially with PM2.5, a type of pollution involving fine particles fewer than 2.5 microns, or 0.0025mm, in diameter and is one of the most harmful particles for human health. During the festival, the PM2.5 levels go way above the recommended WHO guidelines in these cities. Also, another research found significantly increased levels of hazardous substances like Sulphur dioxide, ozone, lead, and copper during the Diwali period. So, why do people still burn such hazardous substances just for fun?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about Diwali and air quality in India.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46138064

Topic Reading-Vol.3502/11/12/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

COP 26: What Alaska’s shrinking island means for all of us

The impacts of a warming climate are of course not limited to tropical islands but also in Alaska. Billions of tons of ice are melting from glaciers each year, rising sea levels. With a population of only 600, this small village on the western edge of Alaska is under threat of global warming. In the last few decades, temperatures have been rising and permafrost has been thawing in the supposedly cold region, which has been gradually eroding the coastline. Also, as the ice isn’t forming and storms are getting more violent, the village is losing its land space. Melting ice is forcing the villagers to change their traditions like hunting and fishing. Band aiding measures like sea walls don’t seem to be enough to keep their lifestyles and lifelines, including the vital runway. Residents are afraid that the whole town needs to relocate at one point. If humans suffer this much, what about other lives like polar bears and seabirds?

Enjoy watching the video and learn about what is happening in an Alaskan village.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-59186214

Topic Reading-Vol.3501/11/11/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Should young children be made to wear face masks?

Just like adults, children are required or recommended to wear a mask at school in some countries like France and Italy while they are free from wearing a mask in other places like the UK. It is evident that much fewer cases have been reported in schools where teachers and students are required to wear masks as they provide an additional layer of protection. However, some people are concerned that mask-wearing could impair children’s development of emotional understanding. In fact, children start recognizing basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, and anger from voice tone, body posture, and facial expression even before they begin walking. So, if half of the face is covered by a mask, how can they recognize others’ emotions? But is it that different from wearing sunglasses? Interestingly, a study found that the difference between wearing a mask and sunglasses didn’t show any distinct difference to recognize the emotion of the wearer. Then what about language learning?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about what impacts mask-wearing could cause to young children.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211025-how-face-masks-affect-young-children

Topic Reading-Vol.3500/11/10/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Law clarifies family role in education

China adopted a new law that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of children’s welfare and education by family, school, the State, and society. It has long been accused that excessive studying to get better grades and pass entrance exams by over-loaded assignments and expensive private tutoring created over-stressed young children in China. Now, parents are responsible for family education and are prohibited to make their children study excessively. They are also required to help their children spend time studying, resting, and exercising in balance. In the meantime, local governments and schools are required to provide guidance, support, and services for family education. They are already expected to improve classroom teaching and develop after-school services to help students learn better without too much homework under the guidelines issued in July. Recently, China limited the time for online gaming on weekdays and weekends, restricted new off-campus tutoring services, and banned online tutoring services to improve young students’ health and welfare while reducing financial burden to their parents. Though these measures may seem too radical to impose at once in your country, do they sound too unreasonable?

Read the article and think about what the roles of family education should be.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202111/03/WS6181d7e6a310cdd39bc72ed9.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3499/11/9/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

COP26: 190 nations and organisations pledge to quit coal

A coal power plant burns coal to generate electricity. There are around 8,500 such power plants in the world and generate approximately 37% of the world’s electricity in total. It is an economical way to generate electricity because coal is easily available in many parts of the world. However, coal-fired power stations emit about one-fifth of world greenhouse gas emissions and are the largest cause of climate change. Although the number of such power plants is decreasing in Europe and the US because of the environmental concerns and pressures, more are still being built in Asia, especially in China to meet the increasing demand for electricity and run environmentally-friendly electric vehicles. At the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK, as many as 190 countries and organizations agreed to shift away from coal powerplants. However, heavily coal-dependent countries like Australia, India, China, and the US did not commit themselves to the agreement probably because the economy in the next few years is more important than the environment in the future. Sustainable Development Goals seem still far high to reach even after the gathering of the global leaders. Though they seem to have made small steps, they don’t seem to be enough to stop global warming.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about COP26 and coal power plants.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59159018

Topic Reading-Vol.3498/11/8/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

COP26: Should there be limits on meat eating? And more questions

In 2015, COP21 took place in Paris and every participating country agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees. It was an important milestone step to keep the planet sustainable because every fraction of a degree of warming will result in the loss of many more lives lost and livelihoods damaged. Now, COP26, the 2021 United Nations climate change conference is being held in Glasgow, UK. It has brought parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. World leaders seem to have committed many ambitious goals that may be achieved beyond their terms in their offices but rarely anything in the short term. Then, what can we do to reduce greenhouse gasses and the impacts of global warming? Should we eat less meat? Should we stop flying? What is the impact of methane on the environment? Are there any positive effects of warming temperatures?

Even though both are global issues, unlike Covid-19, the climate crisis requires the rethinking and re-engineering of nearly every aspect of our lives and economy in every country.

Enjoy reading the article and finding simple answers to these complex problems.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58925049

Topic Reading-Vol.3497/11/7/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why mandatory vaccination is nothing new

Ever since cowpox was found to be effective to develop immunity against smallpox in China in the 17^th century, and Edward Jenner developed a smallpox vaccine in Britain in 1796, vaccination has prevented many deaths. Because of the proven efficacy, mandatory vaccination was implemented in today’s Italy as early as during the Napoleon era. Several kinds of vaccination are being mandated in many countries, such as hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, poliovirus, tetanus, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. However effective and necessary it is, not everyone agrees to be vaccinated because of their beliefs, lifestyles, and uncertainties about the vaccines. Does the vaccine include the prohibited ingredients in their religion? Was it produced in a way their religion permits? Does it contain any animal product? Recently, a medical facility in the US that achieved a 95% Covid-19 vaccination rate had been taking a very careful and sensible approach toward vaccination such as the flu to its staff. The medical center found that it is essential to motivate the staff to get vaccinated through communication, interaction, and education. Indeed, sharing the goal with participating members is the key to success for any business.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how mandatory vaccination works.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211029-why-mandatory-vaccination-is-nothing-new

Topic Reading-Vol.3496/11/6/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Climate change: Human activity makes forests emit carbon

You may think forests have been acting as carbon sinks and harboring biodiversity. However, a recent study revealed that even the most protected forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites have emitted more carbon than having absorbed in the last two decades. These forests include the tropical rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia, the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras, and Yosemite National Park, US. What is alarming is that even these most protected forests are under threat of human pressures, such as agricultural encroachment and illegal logging. Also, substantial space of forests was lost due to wildfires, hurricanes and typhoons, and other extreme weather conditions, most of which were caused by global warming. It seems like a vicious cycle. The more carbon is emitted, the more wildfires occur, and then more carbon is emitted.

Will human ingenuity stop this downward spiral before it’s too late?

Enjoy reading the article to learn about this shocking research result.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59065127

Topic Reading-Vol.3495/11/5/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The metaverse: What is it and how soon will it work?

Facebook announced that it will change its name to Metaverse, where the company’s premium SNS platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp will all become parts of the new domain. Metaverse is a compound of “universe” meaning reality and ”meta“ meaning virtual reality, and abstraction refers to a third-dimensional virtual reality where the boundary between reality and virtual reality disappeared. It is a way to use the Internet through virtual reality (VR). Once you wear a VR headset, you can do all interactive activities in the virtual universe, including meeting with friends, attending a conference, watching and listening to a concert, doing shopping, and playing games. You’ll be able to take part in such activities with your avatar or without. Since no metaverse has been realized yet, only the potentials and opportunities are seen at the moment. But for Facebook, it is worth repositioning its business domain and changing its corporate name.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this new universe that might soon be realized on the Internet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/58981876

Topic Reading-Vol.3494/11/4/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The Taliban’s secretive war against IS

The Taliban, or the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a political movement and military organization that now rules Afghanistan. It is estimated that they have about 75,000 members in a country whose population is about 40 million. Their ideology is a combination of Sharia Islamic law and militant Islamism. They claim the war against foreign powers is over and they have brought peace and security to Afghanistan. Now, the militants-turned ruling body is facing attacks by insurgents, called the Islamic States, locally called Daesh, a militant Sunni Islamist group that spread in Syria, Iraq, and surrounding countries. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations. Even the Taliban, ex-militant, accuses IS of heretical extremists. They became active in Afghanistan especially after the Taliban took control with notorious acts including assassination, bombing, and beheading. For outsiders, the fight between the Taliban and IS sounds like an inter-factional conflict. But for the Taliban, IS is now an extreme insurgent that is posing a threat to their country.  

Read the article and learn about the Taliban vs. IS conflict.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59080871

Topic Reading-Vol.3493/11/3/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Covid: Double vaccinated can still spread virus at home

The good news is that those who are double-vaccinated for Coronavirus have a lower risk of getting infected by the highly infectious Delta variant. Also, even if they are infected, the symptoms are milder and lighter than those who aren’t vaccinated. The bad news is that they appear to be as infectious as unvaccinated people. So, if there are people who have been vaccinated and who have not been in a house or dormitory, those unvaccinated have a high risk of infection. That’s why the Delta variant is spreading violently even in countries where vaccination rates are high, like the UK. Another problem is that the point where we achieve herd immunity varies from disease to disease and variant to variant. It was originally thought 70% would achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus, but it was later found that the coverage needs be higher against new variants. It seems that social and health measures, such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and testing, remain essential even in vaccinated people at least for some time.

Read the article and learn about the efficacy and limitation of double vaccination.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59077036

Topic Reading-Vol.3492/11/2/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Life at 50C: Surviving in Kuwait's 'unbearable' heat

Kuwait is a small gulf country situated on the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, sandwiched by Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Of the 4.7 million population, approximately 3.2 million are foreign nationals. Summer in Kuwait is one of the hottest on earth. The temperature reached 54°C in July 2016, which still is the highest temperature recorded in Asia. Indeed, like other places in the Middle East, where average temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average, Kuwait is warming faster than ever before. When the temperature reaches 50°C, the ground temperature exceeds 70°C. So, what is life like in a desert country where the temperature regularly reaches 50°C? You don’t want to go out in the daytime. Air conditioning becomes one of the essentials after water and food. But how long can they keep cooling the inside while heating outside?

Enjoy watching the video and learn about life at 50°C.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-59054893

Topic Reading-Vol.3491/11/1/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why giant turbines are pushing the limits of possibility

Offshore wind power is the development of wind farms sited in water where higher wind power is available to turn the wind turbines. The UK, China, and Germany are the top three countries that generate offshore wind power energy. One advantage of offshore wind power over inland is the wind speed, which is much higher due to the absence of obstacles and smoother surfaces. Therefore, offshore is more suitable for larger wind turbines. The larger the blades are, the more power is generated. These days, a single turn of wind turbines could generate as much as 10 megawatts, enough to provide electricity to thousands of homes in the UK. Now, the race to put up larger wind turbines is heating up. Indeed, it is theoretically more efficient to install and maintain one giant wind turbine instead of two smaller ones. However, that is depending on how far the wind turbines are from the shore and users. Still, larger wind turbines, which could generate 15 megawatts in a single turn, are being engineered. Imagine an offshore powerplant where each turbine has a rotor diameter of 235 meters, longer than the height of a 60-story building. The size seems to matter for wind power turbines.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about giant wind turbines.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58704792