Topic Reading-Vol.4054-5/31/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Tom Hanks says AI could see him featuring in movies long after his death

AI is already everywhere in workplaces. (Vol.4053) It is also being used to create figures, objects, and scenes on screens. Deepfake AI is a type of artificial intelligence used to create convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes. It is in fact deep learning and fake. Deepfakes transform existing source content where one person is swapped for another. They also create entirely original content where someone is represented doing or saying something they didn't do or say. It has already been used in movies. For example, Tom Hanks’s character appeared in a computer-animated Christmas fantasy adventure movie “Polar Express” nearly two decades ago. Recently, a younger version of the famous actor was shown in “A man called Otto.” The Oscar-winning actor thinks now that his character and voice could appear in films even after his death, and the audience would enjoy it even though the fake Hanks wouldn’t exactly be the same as the real him. If the deepfake AI became an easy-to-use app, would people use it to create a person in their desired age and appearance?

Enjoy reading about another potential of AI in the entertainment industry.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/entertainment/tom-hanks-ai-movies-scli-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4053-5/30/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The rise of generative AI in the workplace is inevitable. There’s a lot to be excited about it.
Generative AI is a type of Artificial Intelligence that can create a variety of data, such as images, videos, audio, text, and 3D models by learning patterns from existing data and creating knowledge. It is capable of solving complex problems, creating art, and scientific research, and has already been used in businesses and research. For example, you can have generative AI like ChatGPT help you create an outline, process or summarize information, or plan a trip. In fact, generative AI can help you identify bias, misunderstanding, or overlooked issues in your report or analysis, too, as its machine learning models get more updated information constantly to become even more intelligent. You might think if such an intelligent tool could replace your job. It will surely reshape job responsibilities, practices, and requirements. Some jobs may be eliminated or replaced but new jobs are created, such as data scientists and machine learning specialists. Like we managed and evolved through automation and digital technologies, we will learn to work with AI eventually. So, your attitude toward taking advantage of this new arising, and expanding technology is the key to your future carrier.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what and how machine learning could help your job.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230515-workplace-ai-how-artificial-intelligence-will-transform-the-workday

Topic Reading-Vol.4052-5/29/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What mosquitoes are most attracted to in human body odor is revealed

In summer, you may spend more time outside or in nature where there are one of the most unwanted insects, mosquitos. They bite you and leave itchy red bumps. But in large areas of Africa and South Asia, parts of Central and South America, and some Pacific islands, female mosquitoes might transmit Malaria parasites, which cause one of the most devastating diseases to humans. Every year, over 600,000 people died of Malaria. Also, mosquitoes spread other life-threatening viruses like dengue fever, Zika, and Chikungunya. You might know that some people attract more mosquitoes than others. And if we know what smells attract mosquitoes, we might be able to develop more effective repellants or traps. So, some researchers set up a screened facility to test which breath and body odor scents attract the type of mosquitoes that could carry Malaria parasites, without having the participants being bitten by the mosquitoes.

How did they do that and what did they find?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the research that tried to find mosquitoes’ preferred odors.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/19/world/mosquito-human-body-odor-malaria-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4051-5/28/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The world’s largest lakes are shrinking dramatically, and scientists say they have figured out why
Lakes and reservoirs play a vital role in our lives as they hold almost 90% of the surface freshwater for drinking, irrigation, and power generation. A recent study of the world’s 2,000 largest lakes and reservoirs, the total of which holds around 95% of freshwater storage, in the last three decades found that over half of them have lost substantial amounts of water. The report suggests that the majority of the water loss in natural lakes seems to have been caused by human activities and climate change. The amount of water in lakes and reservoirs changes by several factors like temperature, precipitation, runoff, evaporation, and human use. For example, the warmer the temperature is, the more water evaporates. Also, when ice sheets melt, water beneath the ice sheets is exposed to the air and evaporates. As the world’s population has increased by nearly 2.5 billion in the last three decades and is expected to add another two billion in the next decades while global warming is accelerating, we may have severe water shortages in many parts of the world while experiencing storms and floods in low-lying areas. Will humans take preventive actions to secure enough water or wait to be awakened by severer droughts?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about how volatile the freshwater reserve is in the world.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/18/world/disappearing-lakes-reservoirs-water-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4050-5/27/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘Sounding the alarm’: World on track to breach a critical warming threshold in the next five years
In 2015 at the Paris Climate Agreement, the world’s leaders and scientists agreed to limit global warming to below 2.0, preferably 1.5, degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. Beyond this temperature increase, extreme weather events, such as drought, wildfires, heatwaves, storms, and floods will occur more frequently and intensely, and substantially more polar ice sheets are going to melt and raise sea levels. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is a good chance that the global temperature will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius before 2027 due to increasing warming pollution and the upcoming El Niño, which tends to cause a heating effect globally. So now the world is about to experience the long-warned extreme effects of global warming. Will they trigger a global warning?
Read the article and learn about this critical alarm by WMO.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/17/world/global-warming-breach-wmo-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4049-5/26/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Mars on Earth: NASA researchers will spend a year living in a simulated habitat
There are physical and psychological challenges to getting to and returning from Mars as it takes several months in each way without gravity. Therefore, hibernation is one way to keep the astronauts healthier. (Vol.4043) But what about the life on the red planet whose gravity is only 38% of that on Earth and air is 100 times less dense than Earth’s atmosphere? Besides all these unusual living conditions, there are physical and psychological issues that Mars researchers will need to deal with, such as nutrition, isolation from families and friends, and social interaction with other crew members as they are expected to spend over a year before boarding the return ship to the Earth. Several experiments have been conducted to examine how people deal with such extreme conditions in analogs, or mock Mars stations. Now, NASA is about to launch a 378-day isolated mission to simulate an extended stay on Mars. Four members of scientists and engineers will live and perform tasks in a 160 square meters mock station that is completely isolated from the outside. Though they won’t experience the reduced gravity like on Mars, they will have to endure what they could get in 282 million kilometers away from the Earth. If you include the time for the roundtrip and stay on Mars, it’ll be over two years. Can you live only with the same type of food and the same crew members in a small cabin and station for that long? That’s why experiments are essential before sending people to Mars.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the challenges that people will face on Mars.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/world/chapea-nasa-mars-analog-spc-scn-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4048-5/25/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Can a wind turbine handle hurricane speed winds?
Wind turbines are generating more power these days. In fact, a third of the UK's electricity came from wind farms in the first three months of this year. (Vol.4048) A wind turbine converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Large three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbines with blades upwind of the tower are very popular types of winder farms. The size and height of turbines have been increasing recently. The blade length of offshore wind turbines is now as long as over 100 meters, which is supported by a tubular steel tower as high as 160 meters. Can those massive blades and towers withstand extreme weather conditions like tropical cyclones, typhoons, or hurricanes? Even though those turbine blades are remarkably strong, the forces of nature especially at sea are unpredictable especially when more extreme weather events are occurring around the world due to global warming. Wind power is surely an essential power source to reduce the use of fossil fuels, but there seem to be a number of challenges to be overcome physically and commercially.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the challenges wind turbines face.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65261147

Topic Reading-Vol.4047-5/24/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Wind is main source of UK electricity for first time
Humans have been using wind flow, or motion energy, for many purposes: sailing, flying a kite, rotating windmills, and more recently, generating electricity. Wind energy or wind power is generated when a wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which spins a generator, which creates electricity. It is one of the most prospective renewable energies, like solar, to replace fossil fuel energies. The UK is aiming to generate its electricity all by renewable energies by 2035. In fact, over 40% of its electricity is already generated by renewable energies, having surpassed fossil fuels like gas and coal. At the moment, electricity accounts for less than 20% of the nation’s power needs as home heating, manufacturing, and transport all require some sort of energy. The problem with wind power is that the location of the power generated and the power used is often far apart. In fact, the majority of wind power is generated by offshore wind farms, some of which aren’t connected to the power grid. However, it seems that the UK is right on the track of switching to renewable energies.
Enjoy reading the article about how wind power is a major source of energy in the UK.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65557469

Topic Reading-Vol.4046-5/23/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Modern singing is radically different to the kind familiar to our ancestors.

Singing styles in the Western world have been changing as new technologies, ambiance, and cultures emerge. During the Middle Ages, singers tried to match the tone of the woodwind and strings of that time. Later, high-tone boyish songs sung by castrated men, castrati, dominated concerts and churches. Then in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, new singing skills and techniques were developed for operas. One thing common among these singing styles is that they were sung to be listened to directly by the audience, thus loud. But when microphones, amplifiers, and speakers appeared in concert halls in the 20^th century, singers no longer had to shout at the audience. They could then sing more softly, naturally, and intimately as if they are talking or whispering to someone. Those songs were then recorded, mastered, and distributed to the audience. Are new singing styles going to emerge when people listen to music mostly through earphones while doing other things?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the changes in singing styles.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230511-how-singing-has-changed-over-the-centuries

Topic Reading-Vol.4045-5/22/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Michelin-star meals on the edge of space offered for $130,000
Flying faster than the speed of sound may be one way to entice air travelers. (Vol.4044) But how about viewing the planet from a much higher altitude and enjoying luxurious dining? A French space tourism venture is now selling “pre-reservation tickets” for seats on a stratospheric balloon that is projected to fly later next year or the year after next. The balloon will host six passengers and fly up 25,000 meters high, 2.5 times higher altitude than the cruising altitude of commercial airliners. There, the passengers will be able to enjoy admiring a magnificent view of the planet and a Michelin-star meal in a pressurized capsule for three hours. Even though this balloon trip is not really a space trip where the passengers can enjoy zero gravity and a complete view of the planet, it seems attractive to many because there are no pre-boarding training or age restrictions. Yes, anyone who can afford $130,000 will be able to experience this extraordinary balloon cruise dining. Surprisingly, seats for 2024-2025 flights have already pre-booked. Do you want to buy a pre-reservation slot for 2026?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about another kind of luxurious air travel.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/zephalto-celeste-edge-of-space-dining-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4044-5/21/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Frankfurt to Dubai in 90 minutes? Europe enters the hypersonic plane race
Today’s commercial jets usually cruise at around 900 km/h, just about three-quarters of the speed of sound, or Mach 0.75. The only and the last commercial hypersonic plane, Concord, which had its last flight two decades ago, cruised at 2,158 km/h, roughly Mach 1.8. While there have been a number of projects that aimed to bring about the next hypersonic commercial jets, none seems to have gotten any closer to realization than this European hypersonic startup, Destinus. Headquartered in Switzerland, the aerospace, defense, and energy solutions company combines hypersonic jets with hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen is a cleaner fuel to fly aircraft faster than conventional jet fuel, a blend of kerosene and gasoline. Though the cost to produce hydrogen is still too expensive for commercial flights, the company expects it to drop significantly in the coming years. Also, the aircraft is going to be autonomously flown, meaning no pilot on board to fly five times faster than the speed of sound. If you think of today’s drones and rockets, that might not be so surprising.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the next-generation supersonic plane.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/destinus-hypersonic-plane/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4043-5/20/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Will we ever...hibernate in space?
It’ll take several months to go to Mars, stay there, and get back to Earth. You’ll need a lot of air, food, and water just to stay alive. Also, you’ll need to spend months in a small cabin where there are only a few small windows to just see dark space. But if you’re in a state of torpor, you won’t need as much air, food, or water as you’re in normal condition because your metabolic rate decreased considerably. And of course, you won’t need to kill time in a tiny space just waiting to get to the planet. Furthermore, if you’re hibernated, you won’t lose as much muscle and bone density as you breathe regularly in space where there is no gravity. So, hibernating isn’t just to kill time but it is physically needed for space traveling unless breakthrough technologies make space trip much faster.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the benefits of hibernation.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230509-will-we-everhibernate-in-space

Topic Reading-Vol.4042-5/19/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why teaching robots to blink is hard but important
We blink from time to time to keep our eyes lubricated. We also blink, or not to blink to convey attention and emotion. For example, an actor keeps his eyes wide open without blinking for some time to show how much he is astonished or moved. On the other hand, we may blink to send a message of agreement like nodding. Indeed, we tend to blink to send social signals naturally and unconsciously. So, if blinking is not just a physiological function but also a non-verbal communication means, should we have human-face social robots blink to be more communicative with us? In fact, research in Italy shows that 13-year-olds and adults both prefer robots that blink over ones that don’t. But you do not want a robot to blink awkwardly or untimely. It requires some engineering and technology to make robots blink naturally like humans as the timing and speed of the blink are both essential. Have you blinked after reading this introductory passage?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what blinks mean to us.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65251892

Topic Reading-Vol.4041-5/18/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Ocean temperatures are off the charts right now, and scientists are alarmed
Record high temperatures on the ground have already been reported this year. But what the situation is like on 70% of the planet’s surface? The oceans have recorded the warmest temperature in the last four straight years. Such rising temperatures affect marine life and diversity significantly, not to mention the melting ice sheets from Greenland and Antarctica and rising sea levels. Also, the oceans absorb almost 90% of the excess heat and about a quarter of the carbon pollution humans produce. However, the warmer the waters are, the less they absorb carbon, which results in more carbon being left in the atmosphere and acceleration of global warming. The recent ocean warming occurred during the last La Nina, the cool phases of a recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific. Now, its counterpart El Nino is predicted to occur this year. What will the global temperatures be like this year and beyond? Record high temperatures have already been reported in various places around the world so far this year (Vol.4040). Indeed, the consequences of such ocean warming are going to be significant.
Read the article and learn about the impacts of rising ocean temperatures.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/05/world/ocean-surface-temperature-heat-record-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4040-5/17/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Climate change: Vietnam records highest-ever temperature of 44.1C
Thanh Hoa is situated about 150 kilometers south of Hanoi. Average high temperatures during May and August are between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature could reach over 40 degrees. On May 7, a record temperature of 44.1 degrees was recorded in the region. People had to start and finish their jobs much earlier to avoid the heat. Similar levels of extremely high temperatures were also reported in the western part of Thailand and Myanmar. As Spain recorded 38.8C last month, the hottest temperature for the month, the world seems to be rapidly getting hotter. How hot will this summer be in the northern hemisphere? Will the global temperature go over 1.5C from the pre-industrial level even sooner than 2030?
Read the article and learn about the extremely hot temperatures already recorded this year.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65518528

Topic Reading-Vol.4039-5/16/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Sperm donor who fathered 550 children ordered to stop
There used to be mighty and wealthy rulers who had numbers of wives and concubines and produced dozens of offspring. Those offspring usually were aware that they were half-brothers or half-sisters of the ruler. But what if they didn’t know the kinship and formed a family? Recently, a Dutch man was found that he had donated his sperm to a number of fertility clinics in the Netherlands and other countries and produced over 500 children of his. He kept donating his semen even after he was banned from doing it in 2017 when he had already fathered over 100 children in the Netherlands despite the nation’s clinical limit of 25 children. Now, hundreds of parents are surprised that their children have hundreds of unknown half-siblings. Will DNA testing clarify their uncertainties?
Read the article and learn about a man who fathered hundreds of children recently.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65429936

Topic Reading-Vol.4038-5/15/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Can Morocco solve Europe’s energy crisis?

Morocco lies in Northwestern Africa, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. A large part of the country is mountainous and has either a hot desert or a hot summer Mediterranean climate, ideal for solar and wind power. The country with a 37 million population has ambitious plans to generate over 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade in order to be an industrial hub for exporting green industrial products. For example, opened in 2016, Morocco’s proud Noor Power Station is the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant that generates over 500 MW. Morocco also plans to export electricity from clean energy to Europe even while depending much of the electricity generation on fossil fuels. Why not green the domestic market first? The nation wants to bring in foreign investments to stimulate the domestic economy and create job opportunities.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about Morocco’s ambitious clean energy initiatives.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65415529

Topic Reading-Vol.4037-5/14/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy
Though most of its terrain consists of arid and infertile deserts, lowlands, and mountains, Saud Arabia is geographically a vital country as it is the only country that has a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The kingdom also holds religious significance as home to the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. Economically, it is the largest in the Middle East, thanks to its abundant oil resources. In fact, it is the world’s top oil exporter and holds a significant role in the oil market. However, diplomatically, it had been very conservative and even harsh against Iran, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen’s Houthis. However, the kingdom seems to have changed its diplomatic policies to be open and friendly to those countries and parties. Indeed, if the desert oil producer wants to be a global economic player as well as a tourism and business hub, it needs to be open, friendly, and welcoming to others. And diplomacy is one that they can focus on first as it hardly requires any cost or effort but a change in policies and attitudes.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about Saudi’s new diplomatic initiatives.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/03/middleeast/saudi-diplomacy-iran-sudan-mime-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4036-5/13/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
What chicken feet tell us about daily life in Egypt
Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East with a population of a little over 100 million. Egypt’s long history and monuments attract many tourists from all over the world and generated about 5% of the gross domestic product, GDP, before the pandemic. But the country is facing a deepening economic crisis and the government has been borrowing money to keep feeding people with the help of subsidies and economic aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In fact, the currency devalued over 50% compared to the U.S. dollar in just the last year. Since Egypt heavily depends on food imports, food prices soared more than 60% over last year. Recently, the government advised people to eat chicken feet as a replacement for chicken meat, which is a popular part of chicken among some Asian countries. Even though some oil-rich Gulf countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia invested in Egypt to help the economy, such financial support won’t last so long. As nearly half of the state’s revenue is used to pay back the debts, how long people can get the heavily government-subsidized bread is unclear.
Read the article and learn about how people in Egypt are struggling with inflation, especially food.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-64951519

Topic Reading-Vol.4035-5/12/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
What happens to your body on a long-haul flight
Besides jet lag, what sorts of physical problems could develop during a long flight? You’ll get dehydrated as the air in the cabin is much drier than the one on the ground. Accordingly, you might feel sleepy because the air is thinner. Also, when the cabin pressure changes in ascending or descending, you may experience earaches as the air pressure on either side of your eardrum differs. Your head might ache as air is trapped in your sinuses, too. In addition, if you keep sitting on the seat for hours, either on the plane or in the room, you might develop blood clots. They form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin and can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs. This is problematic as it takes hours or longer for blood clots to form and grow, and eventually move along the veins. So, what should you do to reduce, ease, or avoid these physical problems?
Read the article and learn about the problems and countermeasures to keep you in better shape during a long flight.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/what-happens-to-your-body-on-long-haul-flight-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4034-5/11/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
One in 5 young people in Chinese cities are out of work. Beijing wants them to work in the fields
In China, as many as 11 million youths, or one in five job seekers cannot get jobs in urban cities and towns. And now, over 11 million new college graduates are about to join the already-overcrowded white-color job market mainly in urban job markets. In the meantime, there has been a serious shortage of blue-collar workers, such as farmers, mechanics, servers, and factory workers, which just require vocational or middle school education and training. Many of such jobs are often available not in major cities but in the countryside.
The Down to the Countryside Movement was a policy instituted by the legendary Chinese leader Mao Zedong between the mid-1950s and 1978, which sent 17 million youth from cities to rural areas in order to have them learn from the workers and farmers there. The movement prevented the sent-down youth from attending universities. Now, the central and local governments are trying to solve this job-unmatching problem by promoting similar movements. The influential Communist Youth League encourage college graduates to take off their scholar gowns and roll up their trousers and go down to the fields. Indeed, many college graduates seem to be overeducated to meet today’s and maybe tomorrow’s workforce needs. Is this job unmatching problem limited to China?
Read the article and think if what education and training could provide better job opportunities for the youth when lifelong education and learning provide more up-to-date job requirements.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/30/economy/china-youth-unemployment-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4033-5/10/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

The mothers working from home without childcare

Especially during the pandemic, more child-rearing parents started working from home as many childcare facilities closed their doors at least temporarily. It may sound physically accommodating and economically advantageous for those parents who work and care for their children as they can save the time and money to send the kids to childcare facilities. But it isn’t as easy as you might think to work professionally while caring for children at the same time and place. Children, especially toddlers, need constant attention as they try to do all stupid things, not to mention their attempts to get attention from parents even while they are busy talking with customers or writing programs. Even though the pandemic has waned somehow, not all childcare facilities have resumed their services as they are struggling with the shortage of care workers and rising inflation. So, there are a number of working parents, many of whom are mothers, who are striving to balance the two demanding tasks at the same place and at the same time without compromising their standards or commitment.

Read the article and learn about the dark side of working from home.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230426-the-mothers-working-from-home-without-childcare

Topic Reading-Vol.4032-5/9/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Ocean census aims to discover 100,000 previously unknown marine species

How much and how well do we know about ocean species? It is thought that over two million species exist in the oceans and only 240,000 of which have been identified. In fact, it was just in 2020 when the longest sea creature, a 45-meter-long siphonophore, was discovered. So, in order to discover those remaining unknown ocean species, a global alliance called Ocean Census was recently formed. It aims to identify 100,000 new species in the next decade by using advanced technologies like high-resolution imaging, machine learning, and sequencing of DNA in seawater. How does DNA in seawater help identify species? Since all living organisms disperse genetic material into the environment, you can detect and track species by examining the sample waterborne DNA from the deep water. The initiative also aims to find how marine ecosystems are adapting to climate change. While rockets and telescopes help us study space and extraterrestrial life, submersibles and cameras do the same for species in the deep sea.

Enjoy reading the article and watching the video of a giant jellyfish to learn about the research project on living marine species.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/27/world/ocean-census-launch-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4031-5/8/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Covid global health emergency is over, WHO says
On May 4, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. It is now dependent on each country to manage Covid in the way it thinks the best. Covid-19 was first declared the outbreak a global health emergency on January 30, 2020, and referred to as a pandemic on March 11. The pandemic caused over 765,000,000 cases and around seven million confirmed deaths, but it is estimated that as many as 20 million people have died of the virus. Thanks to 13 billion vaccine doses and preventive measures, including social distancing, wearing masks, improving ventilation and air filtration, and quarantining, one of the deadliest outbreaks in history has waned, and businesses, social activities, and traveling have resumed to nearly normal. However, be warned that even though the emergency may have ended, Covid-19 is still a pandemic and the threat is still there.
Read the article about WHO’s announcement on Covid-19.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65499929

Topic Reading-Vol.4030-5/7/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
American living standards are on the line in the debt ceiling drama
In the US, the debt ceiling is a limit on the amount of national debt that the federal government can pay off the debt and spend. Since it is a legislative limit, it requires heated political debate and negotiation to decide how much more debt to be allowed in the respective fiscal year. Since 1960, the US Congress has raised or extended the debt limit nearly 80 times, over every fiscal year. If it failed to raise the limit, the US government wouldn’t be able to finance essential operations, such as national defense, Social Security, and Medicare. It is catastrophic for the economy and people’s lives not only in the US but also in the world as a default would trigger a sharp rise in the cost of borrowing. Indeed, the US dollar is the most trusted world reserve currency. Since the economy is based on confidence, US’s default on the debt would crush the financial market, business, and consumer confidence around the world. The question now is if the US needs to keep the debt ceiling in each fiscal year. An all-or-nothing approach might be too problematic than just approving each fiscal year’s budget.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/27/economy/us-living-standards-debt-ceiling/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4029-5/6/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Thailand’s crawling queen and coronation rites from around the world
On May 6, a coronation ceremony was held in the UK, for the first in 70 years. There are as many as 43 sovereign states that put a monarch as head of state. Though most of them are symbolic, absolute monarchs remain in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Brunei. And each monarch has its unique coronation traditions. For example, while the King of the UK is anointed with holy oil, the King of Thailand pours sacred water over himself. As for the coronation chair, the UK still uses a 700-year-old wooden chair. In Japan, whose imperial family was founded in 660 BCE, uses purple curtains to conceal and unveil the emperor and empress. The Zulu King, one of the eight monarchs in South Africa, wears very special clothing during the coronation, the hide of a lion that was hunted. As for the crown, the King of the UK puts on a heavy golden crown that weighs a kilo while in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked country in South Africa, a calfskin headband and feather are put on the new king’s head.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the coronation specials of different monarchies.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65258353

Topic Reading-Vol.4028-5/5/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
These are the places most at risk from record-breaking heat waves as the planet warms
As we continue to burn fossil fuels, we are likely to experience many more record-high temperatures and unprecedented heat waves. Extremely high temperatures could cause serious physical problems to us, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness, and heat stroke.  Also, heat waves could reduce air quality, cause severe drought, and ignite wildfires, which have been witnessed more often in many parts of the world recently. A new study identified that areas like Afghanistan and Central America are the most vulnerable to heatwaves because of the increasing population and limited access to healthcare and energy supplies. Since record-high temperatures were marked in many parts of Asia and Argentina just so far this year, there may be more extreme heat events this summer and onwards. Are we doing enough to prevent or prepare for such imminent dangers?
Read the article and learn what extreme heat events could do to vulnerable regions.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/25/world/heatwaves-temperature-record-climate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4027-5/4/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
McDonald’s is upgrading its burgers
The world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain, McDonald’s, is serving nearly 70 million customers daily at over 40,000 outlets in more than 100 countries. The restaurant chain is best known for hamburgers and French fries even though its menu offerings vary by market. In general, to generate more revenues in the fast-food chain business, you could add more outlets, increase customer traffic, expand the menu offerings, raise the prices, and/or improve sales per customer. Since the restaurant chain’s core business is burgers, it is essential to keep improving and upgrading its core menu items, burgers. So, it takes well thought-out and tested preparation to make any changes to its menu as there are so many outlets, grills, employees, and of course customers. Indeed, you need to meet or exceed customers’ expectations. Even a small change could make the customers like or dislike not only the particular menu item but also the entire menu, thus the restaurant. Will McDonald’s customers like softer buns, gooier cheese, and more Big Mac sauce? All these upgrades McDonald’s is introducing will soon be judged by its customers, the company executives, and shareholders.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about small changes that could have big impacts on the largest fast-food restaurant chain.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/17/business/mcdonalds-burgers/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4026-5/3/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Nuclear weapons: Why South Koreans want the bomb
How seriously or to what extent are South Koreans thinking about arming the nation with nuclear weapons? Will nuclear armaments deter the North’s aggression or bring the peninsula peace? The US military has been stationing over 20,000 troops in South Korea, including the Air Force, Navy, and Marines since 1957. It is part of the US’s commitment to defend South Korea while having the nation give up nuclear armaments. However, as North Korea is becoming more aggressive in nuclear-capable ballistic missile testing, South Koreans, including the president and politicians, have started discussing this once-inconceivable option for fear of not getting full support from the US. Are people in India and Pakistan feel safer with their nuclear weapons? Won’t talks, exchanges, or trades bring mutual benefits and peaceful coexistence to neighboring countries? After all, 26 million North Koreans and 52 million South Koreans are both Koreans, living on one peninsula, speaking the same language, and sharing the same culture and traditions.
Read the article and think about how fear could make people overreact.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65333139

Topic Reading-Vol.4025-5/2/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
Northern elephant seals sleep in the deep to avoid predators
The elephant seal, a large sea mammal, has two species, the northern and southern. The northern elephant seals swim off the coast of California and the southern seals dwell in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters. They eat squid, and fish, including small sharks and rays, and could grow as heavy as five tons and as large as six meters. They spend 80% of their lives in the ocean and usually dive under 300 to 600 meters deep for about 20 to 60 minutes, but they can hold their breath for 100 minutes or longer and dive as deep as 1,000 meters deep. Recently, a new study of Northern elephant seals found that they sleep hundreds of meters below the surface for about 20 minutes at a time. When the time comes to breathe, they wake up and swim up to the surface. But why do they sleep in such deep water? Researchers believe that they can sleep safely at such depths where their predators, killer whales and great white sharks, don’t dare to come down to attack them. Though elephant seals are no longer an endangered species and are safe from their predators in the deep ocean, they are still threatened by human activities, including marine debris, fishing, and boat collisions.
Enjoy reading the article about this unique giant sea mammal species.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65338500

Topic Reading-Vol.4024-5/1/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  
South Korea is paying ‘lonely young people’ $500 a month to re-enter society
A reclusive person seeks solitude, lives alone, and deliberately avoids the company of others. As modern societies, including schools, workplaces, and neighbors, and connections between relatives, and even friends become more individualized, some people choose to live a very solitary life. Such a move seems to have further accelerated with the smartphone, a device intended to be used and enjoyed individually, and the Covid pandemic, which cut off social interactions for some time. Now, over three percent of young South Koreans aged 19 to 39 are regarded as reclusive, socially disconnected individuals who avoid interacting with anyone outside their own world or space. Since such people are thought to become unhealthy physically and/or mentally, the South Korean government announced providing financial aid, about $500 a month, to lonely young people in poor families. As the nation is having fewer births year after year, it is essential to get every young citizen to participate in social activities. But will the money bring those reclusive youths out of their own world?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the rising problem of reclusive youths.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/14/asia/south-korea-youth-recluse-stipend-intl-hnk/index.html