Topic Reading-Vol.3610-2/28/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Here's what workers really want from their employers

In many parts of the world, employers are struggling to get enough hands recently. While AI and robots are taking some part in jobs, there still are quite a few jobs needed to be done by humans. And when it comes to hiring or retaining good employees, it is a seller’s market. It is then quite important for employers, or sellers, to understand what the priorities are for their job candidates and employees. A recent study of over 13,000 US employees finds some changes in job priorities from 2015. As you know, these changes reflect the impacts of the Covid pandemic, remote work, and IT innovation including AI. Well, as things have been changing a lot faster and more, employees are shifting their priorities for their present situation and future career.

Enjoy reading the article and find out what US workers are prioritizing nowadays.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/21/success/employee-expectations-for-a-new-job/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3609-2/27/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Indonesia's new forest capital in Borneo heightens fears for orangutans' future

Are there any government’s promises of “will NOT” that have not been breached?

Lying on the northwest coast of the world’s most populous island, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and the largest city in Southeast Asia. As the city has been sinking as much as 17 centimeters a year, it suffers continual flooding along with the typical megacity problems like ecological breakdown and traffic congestions caused by rapid urban growth and motorization. The Indonesian government decided to abandon the old capital and build a new one on the island of Borneo, which is shared by 73%, 26%, and 1% by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei respectively. It promises to build a clean and green capital with minimal environmental impacts.

Relocating the capital of the most populous country in Southeast Asia is a megaproject. It raised serious concerns among environmentalists and animal conservationists. Indeed, the place where the new capital is going to be built is immensely rich in biodiversity with over 130 mammals and 11 primate species. It is estimated that about a half of the surviving orangutans, or about 57,000, live in Borneo. When the projected 1.5 million new residents start their living there, and will soon expand to the surrounding areas, it could cause environmental disasters to the area that have already been suffering from deforestation and agricultural activities. The highly intelligent but critically endangered orangutans have no other places to go but zoos.

Read the article and learn about how the capital relocation could destroy the biodiverse Borneo’s environment and threaten the lives of orangutans.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/indonesia-new-capital-borneo-orangutans-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3608-2/26/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Two glasses of wine enough to hit daily sugar limit

When you drink a glass of wine, you might recall how much alcohol it contains. Ordinary wine contains about 11% of alcohol on average. And you probably are aware of how many glasses you should or can drink at a time. But have you thought about how much calory or sugar it contains? Unlike other beverages like milk or fruit juice, alcoholic drinks aren’t required to label nutritious information, such as calories and sugar in many countries, at least in the UK. So, Alcohol Health Alliance UK conducted research on a variety of popular wines in the UK, including red, white, rose, and sparkling, none of which showed nutrition information on labels. They found that two glasses of wine could exceed the recommended daily free sugar limit. Free sugars are sugars that are added to food or drinks, including the ones in biscuits, chocolate, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, and fizzy drinks. In the UK, adults are recommended not to exceed 30 grams of free sugars a day (about seven sugar cubes). So, you may think a glass of wine is OK, but that is only as long as you aren’t taking any other free sugars. Indeed, wine is neither alcohol-free nor sugar-free.

Enjoy reading the article and think about your daily free sugar intake with or without wine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60390314

Topic Reading-Vol.3607-2/25/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why the 'sophomore slump' of adulthood hits so hard

The first year of a major life event is always exciting for school, job, or marriage. With new hope, expectations, experiences, discoveries, challenges, and acquaintances, people can spend a thrilling and fulfilling time. But when they get used to these initial excitements, they often realize that they are facing the same or even more demanding routines and requirements, which tend to occur in the second year. Some people then fall into the second-year, or sophomore slump. Have you ever experienced or gone through this kind of mental distress? Surprisingly, it is a natural feeling that is hard to avoid for many people after experiencing all sorts of newness in the first year. The road ahead looks steeper than before but the goal is hard to be seen. Unless you are self-motivated and encouraged by someone or something, it seems hard to go through this period. Are there any practical solutions?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about this second-year slump.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220217-why-the-sophomore-slump-of-adulthood-hits-so-hard

Topic Reading-Vol.3606-2/24/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Undercover footage reveals evidence of animal abuse on farm

An undercover animal welfare investigator filmed a large dairy farm in Wales last year. The footage shows a cow being kicked while it was stricken or hit with a shovel in her face. An animal rights lawyer says such conducts are clearly an assault against the animal and breached the law. The farm says any of its workers would be immediately disciplined if they had done such conduct. Also, newborn calves were separated from their mothers shortly after they were born, which is said to be a common practice in many dairy farms to maximize milk production for humans. The UK’s dairy industry is proud of keeping one of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

Cow milk and chicken eggs are the most popular and economical sources of nutrition for humans at the cost of animal welfare.

Enjoy watching the video and finding out how the producer of your milk is being treated.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-60394156

Topic Reading-Vol.3605-2/23/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why you can't have legs in virtual reality (yet)

In a metaverse, a network of 3D virtual worlds, you can enjoy social connections, games, shopping, and simulations using the user’s avatar. The user needs to wear a VR headset to view the 3D world, which also tracks your eye movements. It is an emerging concept that present technologies haven’t materialized realistically yet as it requires tracking the movements of the body. If the user is willing to put a number of sensors on many parts of their body, the system can track most of the body movements so that it can recreate the movements in the virtual world. But that seems unrealistic to make metaverse become a common 3D interactive platform or even replace Zoom. Also, tracking all the body movements takes a huge amount of processing power and data transmission. These are some of the reasons the present metaverse-like VRs don’t include the lower part of the body. But remember when the first digital animation films appeared on movie screens. Every year, things on the screen look more real, and technologies are advancing faster than ever powered by AI. So, developers will soon come up with marketable solutions as they have more than enough money to invest.

Enjoy reading the article about the present limitations and difficulties of the workable metaverse.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/15/tech/vr-no-legs-explainer/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3604-2/22/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

My 'dry' January: What I learned from a month without social media

Do you have any idea how much time you spend on and how many times you check SNS each day? It is rewarding when you get a favorable message on your post or to your attention. It is assuring when you get a response within the expected time, which varies by person and topic. But it could be depressing if you don’t find any messages, comments, or responses when you check your SNS account. As the smartphone becomes a ubiquitous and primary communication tool, people are getting more obsessed with the tiny screen not knowing how deeply they are addicted. So, what if you shut the SNSs down for some time, say a week or month? What will you lose and gain? You will probably find what is essential and what is wasteful to your life. Here is an example of a person who gave up all her SNS apps for a month as her new year’s micro resolution.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you want to try disconnecting yourself from your SNSs.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/16/health/social-media-phone-addiction-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3603-2/21/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Roblox: The children's game with a sex problem

It is already happening, out-of-rule activities in virtual spaces. There are a number of online games that are played by avatars, some of which are created by the players themselves, like Roblox. Though explicit sexual content is prohibited and policed by the game’s provider, some could escape from the safety net. Imagine sexual games were played by the avatars of young children, how badly they could be influenced. But it is already happening in popular children’s games in the world. While responsible game or platform providers try policing out-of-rule activities, there could be less-responsible ones that just want to make money from the games. Also, if you think about metaverse where anyone can anonymously do things they can’t normally do in the real world, such as sexual assault, violence, harassment, and propaganda, how far will it go? Regulators might need to start drafting rules and guidelines before metaverses appear.

Enjoy reading the article and think about the potential reality of virtual reality.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60314572

Topic Reading-Vol.3602-2/20/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Pharmaceuticals in rivers threaten world health - study

Rivers seem to be more polluted by medicine than previously thought, especially in low-to-middle-income countries, a new study found. Sewage dumping, poor wastewater management, and pharmaceutical factories are to blame. Even state-of-art wastewater treatment plants cannot completely or sufficiently degrade pharmaceutical compounds before dumping them into rivers or lakes. Such active pharmaceutical ingredients like antibiotics affect the proper development and reproduction of aquatic organisms. And that could impair the effectiveness of medicines eventually. Also, water contamination isn’t limited to medicines. Caffeine, nicotine, and painkiller, collectively called lifestyle consumables, are found in the sample waters. The life of any aquatic creature solely depends on the water they live in. And global warming and water pollution are both caused by humans.

Read the article and learn what is being done to rivers around the world.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60380298

Topic Reading-Vol.3601-2/19/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The crippling expectation of 24/7 digital availability

How soon are we expected to respond to an online message, within the day or an hour? In the era of PC-email, responding within 24 hours was quite acceptable. But we now live in the ubiquitous world where everyone carries a mobile device that notifies an incoming message or a post immediately, 24/7. So, you may assume that the person whom you sent a message to or post a comment on their SNS can read it right away. Then, you expect the person should give you a response at their earliest convenience. And if you don’t get any response for some time, say a few hours, you may become irritated or worried, or even feel neglected. But even though the sent message or post is received at once, it may not be read right away. Also, the recipient might be too busy doing something to respond, or they may want to take some time to respond. As you can see, the sender’s expectation and recipient’s perception aren’t always the same. In fact, no common etiquette or social norm has been established for online response time. We seem to have been equipped with devices that have changed social practices too drastically to live with.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what to expect from the other end of online communication.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220207-the-crippling-expectation-of-247-digital-availability

Topic Reading-Vol.3600-2/18/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Understanding zero-infection approach

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in Wuhan two years ago, China has responded with all possible measures, including massive and long-lasting lockdowns, facemask and vaccination mandate, and zero-tolerance measures against new infections like tight border controls. China’s effort to defeat the pandemic forced many people, even in China’s scale, to stay under strict lockdown for weeks, like Wuhan in 2020 and Xi’an last year. But will these measures be able to prevent highly transmissible Omicron from spreading? Well, considering the size of the nation and population, they seem to have no choice but to continue until Covid-19 becomes endemic. Imagine Chinese people got infected at the same rate as the U.S. Hundreds of millions of people could become contracted and millions could die. Also, if Chinese people resume traveling abroad as they used to do before the pandemic, the endemic could become a pandemic again. So, in a sense, you might say China is helping the world by its strictest zero-infection approach at the cost of its economy and people. But why can China afford to keep closing its borders while other countries are easing their restrictions?

Read the article and learn about what China says about its rigid zero-infection policy.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202202/12/WS6207119da310cdd39bc86343.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3599-2/17/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The airport tech helping to prevent delayed flights

Flight delays occur all the time. When a passenger aircraft arrived at the gate, the passengers need to be disembarked, the cabin needs to be cleaned, the baggage needs to be unloaded and loaded, the hungry aircraft needs to be refueled and restocked, the flight crew needs to be replaced, and finally departing passengers can board. If all these turnaround processes go as scheduled, you can board your flight on time. Yes, if everything goes smoothly. But if anything goes wrong or gets delayed, the subsequent processes are put off. And each process is fulfilled by different personnel with specific skills and qualifications, just like a factory assembling line. In order to reduce delays for turnaround time, an Israeli company came up with a high-tech solution by AI that identifies any delay in the process and proposes countermeasures to the airport operators and airline’s ground personnel. Will we see fewer delays after the pandemic?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how technologies are being used at today’s airports.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60228430

Topic Reading-Vol.3598-2/16/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Neanderthal extinction not caused by brutal wipe out

Neanderthals are an extinct species of archaic humans who were thought to have lived mainly in Europe from as long as 400,000 years ago. They were as tall as pre-industrial modern humans but were more toughly built to cope with the cold climate. They produced stone-tool, create fire, and crafted clothes. Also, they treated injuries, stored food, and enjoyed cooking. They were thought to become extinct soon after the ancestors of modern humans, Homo sapiens arrived from Africa around 40,000 years ago. But recently, researchers found evidence of Homo sapiens in the area where Neanderthals lived 54,000 years ago. This indicates there was a time when Neanderthals and Homo sapiens coexisted in the same area for as long as 14,000 years. If those two different species lived or interacted in the same area, there might have interbred. Indeed, modern humans have a small amount of Neanderthal DNA. If you are interested, Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children might show you what their interaction during the co-existing period was like.

Enjoy reading the article and learning more about the days of early humans.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60305218

Topic Reading-Vol.3597-2/15/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why the Dutch embrace floating homes

The Netherlands means “lower countries.” In fact, most of the country is built on reclaimed land and a third of which is below sea level. It is a small densely populated country but demands for homes are growing. Should they reclaim more land while the sea level is rising? One solution is to build houses in the water, called floating houses. Unlike houseboats, floating houses are attached to a pillar which allows the house to bob up and down. So, those houses ascend when waters rise and descend when they recede. They are often prefabricated in other places and then brought to the place where local sewer and power systems are installed. They are indeed resistant to sea level rise but are shaken by the severe wind, rain, and waves.

Which sounds safer and more comfortable to live in, a lower land or floating house?

Enjoy reading the article to learn about a new way of living on the waterfront.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220202-floating-homes-the-benefits-of-living-on-water

Topic Reading-Vol.3596-2/14/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

World’s glaciers hold less ice than thought: Study

The good news is that the al sea level would rise 7.6 centimeters less than previously thought if all glaciers were melted. The bad news is that less water is stored in the mountains, which could affect regions around glaciers that rely on water supply from the rivers from those mountains. A recent study that used high-resolution satellites found glacier retreat seems to have been sped up in the last two decades due to global warming. At present, glacial ice melt contributes about 30% of annual sea-level rise. The rest comes from massive ice sheet melts from Antarctica and Greenland. The point is that glacier melt directly and immediately affects the lives in the surrounding regions.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about another sign of accelerating global warming.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/7/worlds-glaciers-contain-less-ice-than-thought-new-report-finds

Topic Reading-Vol.3595-2/13/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Cut nearly 300 calories a day by doing something you already do

The better sleep you have, the better life you’ll enjoy. Of course. But you may say there are so many things to do each day that you have no choice but to sleep less than you want or should. Indeed, people are getting busier while more things are done by machines more efficiently. But a recent study found that a good night’s sleep not only improves your health and productivity but also controls your weight. The study’s participants tried to sleep about eight and a half hours a night for two weeks, an hour or two longer than usual. Surprisingly, those who had a healthier length of sleep time decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day, without any restrictions. There is some internal mechanism that controls appetite, which seems to be affected by how well and how long the person slept. Indeed, sleep hygiene is essential for our health and performance. But in case you have difficulty sleeping, you might want to avoid staring at blue light-emitting devices, such as TV, PC, or smartphone an hour before bed. Also, keeping the room temperature somewhere around 18 degrees helps you sleep better.

So, why not try going to bed earlier? You won’t lose anything but some weight.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about sleep hygiene and your health.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/07/health/sleep-weight-loss-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3594-2/12/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The fast fashion graveyard in Chile's Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert stretches 1,600 kilometers between the Pacific coast and the Andes Mountains in Chili. It is the driest and the largest fog desert in the world with an annual rainfall of just about 15 millimeters on average. Though the lack of humidity, rain, and light pollution all together produce a dusty, rocky landscape, over 500 flora species have evolved in the desert. Also, outside of the aridest area, lizards and birds live permanently.

Chili is the large importer of used clothing and unwanted garments from Europe and the US. They are supposedly resold to users in the domestic markets and other Latin American countries. However, only 15% of those imported garments are resold or reused and the rest is illegally dumped in unauthorized landfills in the Atacama Desert, creating a huge mess. Also, since quite a lot of those garments are made of polyesters, it’ll take hundreds of years to disintegrate. It threatens the desert’s unique biodiversity and the health of inhabitants around the desert.

Is this part of the supply chain?

Watch the video to learn about the fate of unwanted garments.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-60249712

Topic Reading-Vol.3593-2/11/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Iceland to end whaling from 2024 amid controversy and falling demand
Hundreds of whales of any kind are caught each year by Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Russia, the UA, Norway, and Japan. Although whale products, such as meat and blubber, aren’t as essential as they used to be, they still are commercially valuable. Thus, despite the strong and widely-supported opposition, whale hunting continues. Whaling also seems emotionally important for countries like Norway and Japan where whale hunting still is commercially and traditionally justified. They don’t want to be told by others what they can hunt and eat. However, as demands for whale products decline, whaling countries seem to feel less incentive for commercial whaling. Recently, Iceland has said it will not hunt any more whales from 2024.
Hunting sea mammals is a highly controversial issue, whales, dolphins, sharks, walrus, and seals. While shark meat is consumed widely and openly, dolphin meat is not. Why?
Read the article about Iceland’s recent decision to stop whaling for commercial reasons.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/05/europe/iceland-whaling-to-end-2024-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3592-2/10/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Best Turkish foods: 23 delicious dishes

Turkey is a transcontinental country located mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia bridging Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. It is encircled by the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Anatolian peninsula is one of the oldest settled regions in the world where there are ancient ruins of thousands of years old. Also, there are 50 or more ethnic groups in the country. So, geographically, meteorologically, historically, and culturally, Turkey is a very diverse country. Accordingly, there are very different kinds of food in the country. How many Turkish dishes do you know besides kebab?

Enjoy seeing the photos and descriptions of 23 selected Turkish dishes and think which ones you want to taste.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/best-turkish-foods/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3591-2/9/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Child care workers are vanishing and it's hurting the entire economy

It seems to be a catch-22 situation, where there is no viable solution because of mutually conflicting conditions. While minimum wages for many jobs have been showing a steep increase for the last few years in the US, childcare workers don’t seem to have been enjoying the benefit as much as other laborious jobs do, such as warehouse, delivery, and restaurant workers. Also, they aren’t usually given benefits such as insurance or paid leaves like other workers. Then, as worker shortage and average wage increase, fewer childcare workers or services become available. This situation isn’t easy to be changed. If childcare expenses become too high, working parents won’t go out for work. Also, if they can’t get affordable childcare, they can’t work outside either. Then, should the federal or local governments offer financial aid for the childcare industry or working parents? The problem is getting more serious under the pandemic where childcare providers are forced to close their facilities and services. And if affordable childcare isn’t available, expecting parents may hesitate to produce more children, which is already happening in many developed countries. Indeed, childcare is an essential element of the economy and social structure.

Read the article and think about this rising dilemma for working parents.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/28/economy/child-care-labor-force-declines/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3590-2/8/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Alice, the first all-electric passenger airplane, prepares to fly

A new electric passenger aircraft is about to fly. Alice is an all-electric aircraft developed by an Israeli company. It uses batteries just like electric vehicles on the road. It can fly for an hour at about 460 kilometers per hour, approximately half the speed of Boeing’s 737. The commuter version of the aircraft can carry nine passengers, two pilots, and 380 kilograms of cargo. With further improvement or innovation of battery capacity, the company hopes to develop larger versions that can carry 20 to 40 passengers within a decade. While human ingenuities may bring about technological innovation to longer-lasting batteries, will they also reduce the total carbon footprint of power generation? Hope we won’t burn more coal to fly electric airplanes.

Enjoy reading the article to learn about all-electric passenger aircraft.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/31/tech/alice-eviation-test-flight/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3589-2/7/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Plane battling winds at Heathrow nearly topples over

A go-around, also known as a balked landing, is an aborted landing of an aircraft. It could be conducted when an airplane is on final approach or has already touched down. When the pilot is instructed by the air controller or decides to perform a go-around, the pilot applies full power to the engine(s), adopts an appropriate climb attitude and airspeed, and raises the landing gear. It is a safe maneuver and occurs 1-3 per 1000 approaches.

On January 31, BA flight 1307 was on approach to London Heathrow from Aberdeen, Scotland. During the final landing, the Airbus A-321neo was caught in intense winds and was almost flipped over. The pilot aborted the landing and performed an emergency go-around. It landed safely only 16 minutes later, and no one on board was injured. It sounds like just one of those safely performed go-arounds but the video shows differently.

Enjoy watching the video and learn about this supposedly safe but actually scary moment.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/heathrow-landing-goaround-wind/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3588-2/6/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Myanmar: What has been happening since the 2021 coup?

Myanmar, also called Burma, is a southeast Asian country with a population of 54 million. It became independent from Britain in 1948 but had been under a military regime until 2011. After the 2010 general election, the nation became civilian-controlled, though just nominally. When the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won a majority in both houses in the 2020 general election, the military seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021. There have been protests, resistance, and even attacks on the military, which have left many deaths and casualties on both sides. The military said it would hold a “free and fair” election once the state of emergency is over. But who imposed the state of emergency against the elected government? Also, thousands of Rohingya, Muslim minorities, were killed and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh after the army crackdown and genocide in 2017. Then-in-power Aung San Suu Kyi denied such allegations. When will people in Myanmar, including non-Buddhists, ever have peace?

Read the article and learn about what has been happening in Myanmar.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55902070

Topic Reading-Vol.3587-2/5/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

'Battle Drums' celebrates Chinese New Year and Winter Olympics

A battle drum or war drum is a drum used to be beaten as a summons to war or as an accompaniment to marching or fighting. One week before The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in order to inspire the international sports event, battle drums, or war drums were played on the ice at the foot of the Great Wall. Figure skaters in traditional costumes skated around the drum performers.

The world is still during the war against the coronavirus pandemic, one of the toughest enemies to mankind. Along with the performances and games in the Winter Olympic games, the drum beats may inspire our spirits to overcome the battle against the novel virus.

Enjoy watching the video and the beats.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202201/28/WS61f35d83a310cdd39bc83e34.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3586-2/4/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The rise of the anti-work movement

It has already been nearly two years since the coronavirus pandemic began. Employees across the world, especially the frontline workers including care workers and medical staff, have been overloaded by added tasks, requirements, pressures, and private obligations. More people are experiencing mental health problems and burnout, especially among low-wage and essential workers. It seems that workers at all income levels have been suffering pressures by workload and responsibilities, and as a result, more people started switching or quitting their jobs. And there is even a rapidly-growing anti-work movement that questions the economic order and modern workplace. Supporters of the anti-work movement think they should self-organize instead of being controlled by employers and work only as needed instead of creating excess capital or goods. Indeed, the novel virus pandemic has given us the chance not only to change the ways how to study, work, and interact with others but also to think about the purpose and value of our work.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this anti-work movement.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement

Topic Reading-Vol.3585-2/3/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Ancient Bhutan trail set to open for first time in 60 years

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas sandwiched between the Tibetan part of China and India. In the Bhutanese Himalayas, there are peaks higher than 7,000 meters above sea level. Bhutan has one of the largest water reserves for hydropower in the world because of the glaciers. However, global warming has been melting glaciers and raising concerns. Naturally, Bhutan became the first country in the world to achieve carbon neutrality and plans to reach zero net greenhouse gas emissions and to produce zero waste by 2030.

Bhutan used to have a Buddhist pilgrimage route that had been used by messengers, monks, armies, traders for thousands of years until the 1960s when the kingdom started building roads. Thanks to the initiative by the king of Bhutan, this ancient trail has been reconstructed as the Trans Bhutan Trail and is now ready to welcome hikers from this coming spring. Ambitious hikers can walk as long as 400 kilometers across the country in about a month. But it’ll take not only time but money because of the $250 daily fee for accommodation, meals, and guide service that is set to avoid over-tourism. Most hikers will probably take a few-day excursion instead. However, the biggest hurdle might still be the coronavirus pandemic.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photos of about-to-open the Trans Bhutan Trail.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/trans-bhutan-trail-reopening-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3584-2/2/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

AI: Why chefs are turning to artificial intelligence

No human can be free from prejudice. No one can live forever. So, it is impossible for any human expert to blend all sorts of ingredients to create the best possible flavor, either for food or perfume. It is the same advantage that chemists take of artificial intelligence to create a new compound that humans can even think of or have to spend thousands of years. With its deep learning capacity, speed, and non-biased objectivity, AI is now helping human experts create new menus or perfume. AI takes a very different approach from humans to analyze what humans like to taste or smell as if playing a piano with thousands of keys. With the help of AI, master chefs and flavorists are presented the best combinations of ingredients for their desired product. Machine learning and human expertise, and AI objectivity and human subjectivity. The world seems to become more hybrid than ever.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how AI helps human experts to create new things.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59651077

Topic Reading-Vol.3583-2/1/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What’s your sleep IQ?

Do you always sleep well at night? If you are working or raising kids, you may never have enough sleep time. But there are ways to sleep better even if you have limited time for sleep. And there are habits and signs of good sleep, such as if you remember your dreams or how often you wake up at night. Also, there are things you should or shouldn’t do, like having a nightcap or checking in on SNS before going to bed.

Try this sleep IQ test and find out if you’re having a good night’s sleep.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/sleep-but-better-quiz/