Topic Reading-Vol.4693-2/28/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A samba queen's guide to Rio de Janeiro

Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Southern Hemisphere for its natural settings, carnival, bossa nova, and beautiful beaches like Copacabana. Among all these attractive features, what makes Rio popular the most is samba, a lively and rhythmic Brazilian music and dance style with deep African and Portuguese influences, and the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the biggest carnival celebration in the world. It features extravagant parades, lively street parties (blocos), and samba music, drawing millions of people from around the world. The highlight is the Samba Parade, where top samba schools compete at the Sambadrome, showcasing dazzling costumes, massive floats, and energetic performances. Also, there are over 70 official samba circles across the city that promote a number of events during the year that connect them with the local community. 

This year’s festival is held from February 28 to March 8. 

Read the article and learn about the samba and the carnival in Rio de Janeiro. 

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250221-a-samba-queens-guide-to-rio-de-janeiro

Topic Reading-Vol.4692-2/27/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Your kitchen sponge teems with bacteria – should you use a brush instead?

Most of us use kitchen sponges to wash and clean dishes, cutting boards, and kitchen utensils. But are those sponges clean? Actually, sponges have holes and pockets where harmful bacteria or fungi can settle and grow. Even though not all bacteria are harmful to our health, some of them could cause diseases, such as salmonella and e-coli. How can we reduce or eliminate such pathogenic bacteria from kitchen sponges? Heating a sponge in a microwave, rinsing it with hot, soapy water, spraying disinfectant, or putting it in a dishwasher surely kills the vast majority of the pathogens but not all. Another way is to use a kitchen brush instead, which doesn’t harbor as many bacteria as a sponge does. Whichever the method might be, you want to clean the sponge or brush, the knife, and the cutting board thoroughly, especially after they’ve touched raw meat or seafood. 

Read the article and learn how to reduce pathogenic bacteria from your kitchen sponge. 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250218-when-should-you-throw-away-your-kitchen-sponge

Topic Reading-Vol.4691-2/26/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Northern hairy-nosed wombat: Back from the brink

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of three surviving species of Australian marsupials known as wombats. It is one of the rarest land mammals in the world and is critically endangered. The wombats weigh about 32 kilograms and grow up to one meter long. They eat mainly grass, dig extensive burrow systems with their rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws, and spend most of their time there alone. When their natural habitats were converted to farmland, their population started to decline, and by the 1980s, their population had reduced to no more than 35 individuals. Since northern hairy-nosed wombats do not eat anything that is provided in a captive environment, the only way to save this critically endangered species is to conserve their natural living environment. After fences were erected to protect their habitat, the population began to increase to 113 individuals including only 30 breeding females in 2003, 230 individuals in 2015, over 300 by 2021, and more than 400 by 2024. But because of their fragile nature, continuous conservation efforts are needed for the survival of this endangered species in the natural environment.

Read the article and learn about Australia’s well-conserved endangered species.

https://edition.cnn.com/science/gallery/northern-hairy-nosed-wombat-photos-c2e/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4690-2/25/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

This alien-like field of mirrors in the desert was once the future of solar energy. It’s closing after just 11 years

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is a concentrated solar thermal plant located in the Mojave Desert, near the California–Nevada border. It uses 173,500 heliostats, mirrors that track the sun, to focus sunlight onto the three 140-meter-tall towers that generate steam to power turbines and produce electricity. When conceived in 2014, the concentrating solar power system was thought to be a potential breakthrough in renewable energy generation. But it was technically too challenging to control that many mirrors to track the sun, concentrate its rays onto the three towers, and turn the water to steam to drive turbines all in a synchronized way. Also, innovations reduced the cost of solar panels drastically in the last decade, which has made Ivanpah uncompetitive. Now, the much-disputed project is going to be closed next year, having wasted a $1.6 billion loan guarantee by the federal government. Then what will the 1,400 ha land be like when the plant is closed? Will it be reclaimed somehow or just abandoned? At least, no more birds will be burned or incinerated when they fly between the panels and the towers.

Read the article and learn about this futuristic solar power plant in the California desert.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/13/climate/ivanpah-desert-solar-closing/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4689-2/24/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

How much coffee is too much, according to a doctor

Coffee is rich in caffeine, and many people drink coffee to start the day. That’s because caffeine is a natural stimulant that can help you feel more awake and less tired, improve focus and cognition, and help treat headaches when taken with pain relievers. Then how much coffee is beneficial or harmless to your physical and mental health? According to the US Food and Drug Administration, about three to four short-size or two tall-size Starbucks coffees a day are not too much for adults. Also, coffee contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have effects on reducing cancer risk and cardiovascular diseases and helping process cholesterol. However, caffeine is also contained in other beverages like energy drinks, cola, and tea. To enjoy the benefits of coffee and avoid restlessness and sleeping difficulty, try counting how many regular servings of caffeinated drinks you’ve had a day and avoid taking any before going to bed.

Read the article and learn about how to enjoy the benefits of coffee.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/13/health/caffeine-longevity-heart-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4688-2/23/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Are noise-cancelling headphones to blame for young people's hearing problems?

Noise-canceling headphones suppress unwanted ambient sounds by using active noise control. They use a built-in microphone to analyze the ambient sound waves around the listener and then generate the opposite sound waves to reduce surrounding sound. They could help prevent hearing loss by eliminating the need to increase the volume to listen to music in the first place. Also, noise-canceling devices help protect the ears from high-frequency and loud noise such as in construction sites or factories. However, activating such noise-canceling sound waves is like creating a false environment, and extensive use of such a device could delay the development of high-level listening skills in the brain, especially in the late teens. Indeed, your ears hear the sounds and noises around you, your brain judges which ones are essential to you, and then you pay attention or listen to them. As more people use noise-canceling headphones while watching videos with subtitles, the number of people who experience auditory processing disorder, a neurological condition where the brain has difficulty distinguishing sounds and spoken words seems to be increasing. 

Read the article and learn what noise-canceling devices could do to your brain health.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkjvr7x5x6o

Topic Reading-Vol.4687-2/22/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

World's sea-ice falls to record low

Ice does cool the water around it when it melts. But sea ice around the north and south poles does more to the planet. It reflects substantial Sun’s energy back into space and keeps the planet cooler. When the ice layer shrinks, the ocean below the ice absorbs more heat and warms the planet further. Unfortunately, as polar regions are warming faster than the global average, the amount of polar sea ice is declining steadily. In fact, it is found that the natural cooling effect of polar sea ice has declined by about 14% since the 1980s. The thinner the ice cover is, the stronger the impact weather events could cause, resulting in more sea ice melting. Then sea levels rise further and extreme weather events occur more frequently. And of course, the lives of polar bears and penguins are threatened. It seems like the door of the freezer has opened and the ice inside has started melting.

Read the article and learn the impact of sea ice melting in the polar regions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgeydkz08go

Topic Reading-Vol.4686-2/21/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Robotic exoskeletons help Chinese tourists climb the country’s most punishing mountain

An exoskeleton is a wearable device that supports the human body. They can be worn to help walk, carry things, or climb slopes or steps. Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China. The 1,545-meter-high mountain can be climbed by around 7,000 steps. During the Chinese New Year, 10 AI-powered exoskeletons were tried to help climbers reach the summit. The users need to wrap their waists and thighs with the device, which senses the wearer’s movements and provides synchronized assistance. While climbers seem happy being assisted by the exoskeleton, they feel awkward when they take the device off. Such physical movement assistant devices are also expected to hit China’s growing elderly care market as the population over 60 years old is rising to 30%, or over 400 million by 2035. In the meantime, exoskeletons are already in use in logistic businesses to help workers lift and move heavy loads without having to strain their muscles excessively. More user-friendly names may help ease resistance to using such AI-assisted robotic exoskeletons. 

Read the article and learn how exoskeletons help people accomplish physical tasks.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/robotic-exoskeleton-hiking-china-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4685-2/20/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'It risks becoming a Venice in the desert': The dark side of Uzbekistan's tourism boom

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia and is famous for its historic cities. Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia. It was rebuilt as a model Societ city after the 1966 Taskent earthquake. Samarkand prospered from its location on the Silk Road between China, Persia, and Europe. It is known as a center of Islamic scholarly study and has many historical monuments, including Retistan Square. Bukhara is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact with Muslim architecture, a massive fortress, and bazaars. Khiva is a desert oasis and a well-preserved example of medieval walled city planning. Old towns like Bukhara and Khiva had been living organisms of residents and visitors in and around the fortress until recently. Now, Uzbekistan is working on increasing the number of tourists from 6.6 million in 2023 to 15 million in 2030 through new attractions, hotels, and services. For example, five-star hotels and a large leisure complex are being built in and around Bukhara where city dwellers lived for centuries. Will these Silk Road cities become popular, over-crowded tourist destinations where tourists just visit popular places to take photos and shop for imported mass-produced goods? 

Read the article and learn about how Uzbekistan is changing.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250207-the-dark-side-of-uzbekistans-tourism-boom

Topic Reading-Vol.4684-2/19/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Germany's once-mighty car industry is in crisis. What will it take to fix it?

The auto manufacturing industry generates about six percent of Germany’s GDP employing nearly 800,000 workers directly and supports millions of other jobs. Job security and wages of German auto workers are much higher than those of any other European workers. Volkswagen (VW), Mercedes Benz, and BMW are the German Big 3 auto giants. However, their unit sales have gone down by over 10% in the last several years as car sales across Europe declined and their sales in China fell. Also, the investment in developing electric cars sucked up their financial, engineering, and marketing resources, but EV sales in Europe have slowed recently as government subsidies were removed. Then China, once a lucrative market for German car brands has been taken over by domestic EV brands like BYD, which are technologically competitive or even superior to traditional auto brands. (Vol.4683) What will happen to German workers and the auto industry? Will the far-right politicians fix their problems?

Read the article and learn about the rough road the mighty German automobile makers and workers are driving on.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6pzwj6qq7o

Topic Reading-Vol.4683-2/18/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A Chinese EV giant is now offering free driver assistance tech on cars under $10,000

BYD Auto was founded in 2003 in Shenzhen, China, as part of the BYD group that manufactures rechargeable batteries and electronic products and also provides energy application services and rail systems. It is now the world’s number one EV manufacturer having sold 4.27 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) last year, surpassing the EV rival Tesla and Japan’s innovative Honda. This month, BYD Auto announced that it was releasing a “DiPilot” assisted driving system across its range of cars, including a 69,800 yuan ($9,555) low-cost vehicle, just like conventional safety features like seatbelts and airbags. The driving system can improve road safety by monitoring road conditions and avoiding dangers, while big data and AI models will improve the tech over time. Tesla buyers are also offered similar driving assisting features including Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer with a fee or subscription. The rules of the game in battery vehicles are rapidly changing, including government subsidies, incentives, and regulations. Also, the types of battery vehicles are being diversified into full-battery vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Will this driving assistance feature become a new standard for EVs in China and beyond? 

Read the article and learn about the new features of the world’s top EV manufacturer.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/11/cars/china-byd-smart-driving-tesla-hnk-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4682-2/17/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

'We left pieces of our life behind': Indigenous group flees drowning island

Gardi Sugdub is a 400m-long, 150m-wide island 1.2km off the northern coast of mainland Panama. Because of the increasing population and rising sea levels, a new village called Isberyala was created by the Panamanian government for the island residents to relocate. Last year, of the 1,100 GardiSugdub residents, about 1,000 took a 15-minute boat ride and a five-minute drive to settle in this newly constructed village where water and electricity are constantly available. Each house has a small piece of land where the residents can grow vegetables and fruits, a luxury on the tiny, overpopulated island. In the meantime, about 100 villagers remain on the island where they have no running water and limited electricity but enjoy living their traditional lifestyles. The choice to begin a new life or stick to the lifestyle you’ve been having is difficult to make. But those who live in coastal areas may soon have no choice but to relocate to someplace higher sooner or later if sea levels keep rising.

Read the article and learn about Panamians who had to leave their native island.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz0lg9pedz1o

Topic Reading-Vol.4681-2/16/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Fentanyl in the US: A visual guide

Recently, the US has been facing a severe fentanyl crisis with thousands of overdose deaths annually, surpassing deaths from car accidents and gun violence. What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. When prescribed by a doctor, fentanyl can be given as a shot, a patch to put on a person’s skin, or as lozenges like cough drops. Fentanyl is also sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like other prescription opioids. When people overdose on fentanyl, their breathing can slow or stop, which decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain and could lead to a coma, permanent brain damage, and even death. How do Americans get fentanyl without a prescription? Who are the suppliers and distributors? 

Read the article and learn about the supply chain of this fatal opioid. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/08/health/fentanyl-drug-us-explained-dg/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4680-2/15/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What we know about North Korea's first post-pandemic destination for Western tourists

Established in 1991 to promote economic growth through foreign investment, Rason is a special city on the northeast tip of North Korea near the border with China and Russia. There are three ice-free ports in the area whose piers are operated by Chinese and Russian companies. Recently, this border city was opened up to tourists from China and other countries except the US and South Korea. This is the first time that non-Russian travelers can visit the DPRK since before the pandemic. Only Russian nationals have been able to visit several locations in North Korea since early last year. Though Rason is not the most thrilling on paper, it is unique in its location and situation with revolutionary sites, local museums, and a few industrial sites. Even though tourism to North Korea is not subject to international sanctions, there is some controversy about visiting there because the country is sending troops and supplying weapons to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. Because of the geographical location and political situation, access to this special district is practically limited through China and Russia. But be reminded that photo shooting is strictly limited in North Korea.

Watch the video and learn about this newly-opening tourist destination in North Korea.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/07/world/video/north-korea-western-tourism-ripley-lead-digvid

Topic Reading-Vol.4679-2/14/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The perfect, but slow, way to boil an egg - according to science

If you like boiled eggs, which style do you like, soft-boiled or hard-boiled? A soft-boiled egg has semi-cooked white with mostly runny yolk. The runniness of the yolk can be controlled by the length of boiling time somewhere between six to eight minutes. A hard-boiled egg has a firm white and fully cooked yolk. It takes around 10 minutes in boiling water. But if you boil an egg longer than that, the yolk becomes too dry. The reason for the difference in cooking time between albumen, the white part of the egg, and the yolk is that while the yolk requires 65C to cook, the albumen needs 85C. Recently, researchers discovered an innovative way to make an ideal and nutritious way to make boiled eggs by taking these different hardening temperatures into cooking. Unfortunately, the method requires a pan of boiling water and a bowl filled with luci-warm water. Also, it takes 32 minutes to complete, three times longer than making hard-boiled eggs in a conventional way. 

If you love hard-boiled eggs, read the article and learn the newly discovered way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs for your taste buds and health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250206-the-perfect-way-to-boil-an-egg-according-to-science

Topic Reading-Vol.4678-2/13/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Five daytime hacks to fight fatigue and improve your sleep (while you're awake)

If you want to enjoy a good night's sleep, you should refrain from caffeine a few hours before your bedtime. Also, you want to relax and avoid using a phone or PC before going to bed. Then, make sure that the bedroom is dark, quiet, and moderate in temperature. But there are a few more tips that you can do during the day to help improve your sleep. First, maintain sufficient iron levels by taking red meat, poultry, fish, beans, and dark leafy greens. In the meantime, you want to balance your diet with sufficient vegetables and fruits. Also, eating breakfast regularly not only improves your brain performance during the day but also your sleep quality. Of course, modest, regular exercise is another way to make you sleep longer and better. And last but not least, reduce or quit smoking and drinking, if you do. You might have realized that all these tips are not only for your sleep but also for your health. Indeed, good sleep and good health are closely interconnected.

Read the article and learn the tips to sleep better.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250114-five-science-backed-daytime-hacks-to-improve-your-sleep

Topic Reading-Vol.4677-2/12/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

What is Naadam? The story behind Mongolia’s ‘Three Manly Games’

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206, and his descendants expanded the empire’s territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and Persian Gulf in its heyday. Today’s Mongolian People’s Republic was established as a socialist state in 1924. Mongolians still keep and celebrate their nomadic culture through Naadam, a traditional festival consisting of three main sports: wrestling, horse racing, and archery, essential skills for nomads and soldiers. Naadam has been a national holiday for over 100 years and was added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Anyone can participate in the games except for men-only wrestling. The main events are held between July 11 and 13 in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, with parades and wrestling at the national stadium, archery competitions at the National Archery Field, and horse racing at fairgrounds outside the city. The Mongolian government wants to boost tourism by allowing nationals from 61 countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Also, 2,500 tickets for the 11,000-seat stadium are reserved for foreigners. Interested in visiting Mongolia to enjoy the traditional festivals and beautiful summer?

Read the article and learn about Mongolia’s Naadam festival.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/naadam-festival-mongolia-three-manly-games-cmd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4676-2/11/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Baby shark mysteriously born in aquarium tank housing only females

At an aquarium in Louisiana, USA, a baby shark hatched from an egg in a tank that contained two female sharks that had never had any contact with male sharks over three years. How did that happen? One possibility is parthenogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg. It occurs naturally in some plants, algae, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and animals, such as whiptail lizards, Komodo dragons, snakes, and sharks. The offspring are genetically identical to their mother. Parthenogenesis is the last method a species might use to produce offspring but it limits genetic diversity. Another possibility is that fertilization occurred long after mating, called delayed fertilization. In one case, a female shark was found to have kept sperm longer than 45 months. But why? Genetic testing will soon determine how this new baby shark was produced.

Read the article and learn how a baby shark was born in a female-only tank.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/03/science/shark-egg-hatches-no-males-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4675-2/10/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Greenland is getting a lot of international attention for its mineral resources – but what is hiding under the ice?

The USA bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 to gain geopolitical advantage and access to natural resources. Also, it has shown interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, from time to time. The world’s largest non-continental island looks as large as the African continent on Mercator maps but it is actually about four times smaller than the USA. As it lies between latitudes 59° and 83°N, it is mostly covered with the slow-flowing Greenland Ice Sheet. Now, the US administration is showing a bold interest in purchasing this icy island from Denmark. While geographically not so attractive to the US, geopolitically, Greenland sits at a crucial chokepoint for naval and submarine traffic in the North Atlantic. Geologically, Greenland is believed to be rich in critical minerals that are essential for new technologies, especially in energy. Economically, however, it won’t pay off so easily due to a lack of transportation infrastructures like roads and rails. Environmentally, Greenland is so volatile to global warming, including melting ice sheets and glaciers, rising sea levels, and changing ecosystems. Emotionally, people in Denmark, the USA, and Greenland may have different views. 

Read the article and learn how attractive, resource-rich, but challenging Greenland is to explore.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250121-the-enormous-challenge-of-mining-greenland

Topic Reading-Vol.4674-2/9/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A flying phobia affects more than 25 million Americans. Here’s how to manage it

Most people have a fear of something, such as darkness, heights, enclosed spaces like an elevator, some animals like snakes or spiders, speaking in public, or flying. When a fear or dislike becomes extreme, it is considered a phobia, such as monophobia (being alone), zoophobia (animals), acrophobia (heights), and aerophobia (flying). Those who are diagnosed with aerophobia show physical symptoms, including fast heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, chest pain, or vomiting as well as emotional symptoms to become panicked or behavioral symptoms to cancel a flight. There are ways to ease such extreme anxieties about flying, including meditation, muscle relaxation, deep breathing, relaxing music, or just talking with someone. Also, learning how an airplane flies or how safe flying is compared with driving might help reduce anxiety. If you have a fear of flying, try some of the countermeasures before giving up flying.

Read the article and learn what aerophobia is about and how to ease and cope with it.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/02/travel/fear-of-flying-plane-crash-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4673-2/8/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Moon added to list of vulnerable sites by World Monuments Fund

Over a half-century ago on July 21, 1969, a US astronaut took the first step on the moon as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. He and the lunar module pilot spent about two hours exploring the moon’s surface, collecting soil samples, leaving a memorial disk, and planting the American flag. Ten more American men walked on the Moon in the next three years and left footsteps, equipment, and memorial objects. All of these things and sites can be considered historical artifacts and preserved as testimonies of humans’ first steps beyond Earth, according to the World Monuments Fund, which highlights 25 heritage sites at risk every other year. The fund claims these memorial remains and objects are our collective narrative and be preserved when new moon missions are underway. It also listed other sites that face challenges such as climate change, over-tourism, natural disasters, and conflicts, like Gaza’s historic urban fabric and Kyiv’s Teacher’s House. Humans create artifacts and often destroy them.

Read the article and learn about the monuments on the Moon.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/17/science/moon-world-monuments-vulnerable-intl-scli/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4672-2/7/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A newly discovered asteroid has a slim chance of hitting Earth in 2032

Until December 27 last year, there had not been any known large asteroids that have a 1% or higher chance of hitting our planet. But a telescope located in north-central Chili first spotted an asteroid that is 40 to 100 meters wide. Space agencies calculated that the asteroid, named 2024 YR4, has a 1.2% chance of hitting the Earth on December 22, 2032. If it ever hit our planet, the impact could produce blast damage as far as 50 km from the impact site. Since the asteroid is traveling away from the Earth for now, no further information or data is available until it returns to Earth’s vicinity in 2028. Is there any space defense system against incoming asteroids? In 2022, NASA carried out the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission to assess the effectiveness of asteroid deflection technology by crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid at high speed to change the course of a celestial object. Another mitigation tactic is to evacuate people, animals, and things from potentially impacted regions. How about destroying an asteroid by nuclear bombs like the 1998 movie “Armageddon”? 

Read the article and learn about an asteroid that will come very close to our planet in 2032.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/31/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-earth-impact-chance/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4671-2/6/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Men got taller and heavier at twice the rate of women over past century, study shows

In general, men are taller and heavier than women of the same age of the same ethnic group. And interestingly, their differences are widening. According to data from 100,000 people across 69 countries, men have gained height and weight at more than twice the rate of women over the last century, thanks to better ecological, economical, and nutritious situations. Biologically, men tend to grow larger, thus stronger, to gain access to women so that they get a better chance to pass their genes. In the meantime, since it takes longer and more resources for the male body to grow, males are more vulnerable to problems or environmental influences like diseases or hunger. Does it mean humans keep growing so long as we are fed nutritiously and free from biological or environmental problems? 

Read the article and learn how much taller and heavier we’ve grown.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/23/science/men-taller-heavier-rate-women-intl-scli-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4670-2/5/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in US

The Gulf of Mexico is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, and on the southwest and south by Mexico, and the length of each coastline is about the same. The name the Gulf of Mexico appeared on world maps in the 16th century and has been used so commonly until last month when the US President ordered to rename it to the Gulf of America in US government documents. Though the name change is mandated in the US only, it will be shown on popular Google Maps for US users. Disputes over geographical naming aren’t limited to the US and Mexico. The name Sea of Japan predominantly appears on world and regional maps but both Koreas insist it be called the (Korean) East Sea. 

Another name change the administration has made is Mount Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. It had been called Denali by the native Alaskans until it was renamed McKinley after the 25th President of the US in 1917. Then the original name was restored in 2015 by then President Barack Obama. Now, it is called McKinley again, at least officially. 

In fact, one place is often called differently over time or by country. For example, Mount Everest is called Chomolungma in Tibet and Sagarmath in Nepal. Also, Mumbai, India used to be called Bombay until 1995. Will there be more name changes in the next four years in the US?

Read the article and learn about the recent name changes on the US map.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8634nwxd46o

Topic Reading-Vol.4669-2/4/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Doomsday Clock 2025: Scientists set new time

Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. The Clock is a metaphor, not a prediction, for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technological advances, such as nuclear risk, climate change, biological terrorism, and artificial intelligence. When the clock is at midnight, humanity will be wiped out because of catastrophic events like nuclear exchange or climate change. The minute hand on the Doomsday Clock has been reset 26 times since its debut. Most recently on January 28, the hand was moved to a second closer to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest ever to the Doomsday because sufficient progress wasn’t made on global challenges. When the Doomsday Clock shows a new time, attention arises and talks begin around the world. Then if sufficient actions are taken, the minute hand may be moved backward. 

Read the article and learn what the Doomsday Clock is about.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/28/science/doomsday-clock-2025-time-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4668-2/3/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Ukraine country profile

We all know that Ukraine has been at war with Russia for about three years. Most of us also know that its capital is Kyiv and the president is Volodymyr Zelensky, who always wears an olive green military shirt wherever he goes or appears. Geographically, Ukraine is the second-largest European country after Russia. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, and Poland to the west. Nearly 80% of the population are Ukrainians and 17% are Russians. Its black soil is some of the most fertile in the world, producing wheat, maize, sunflowers, and barley. But its history is with waves of repression. After the Mongolian invasion in the 13th century, the area was contested, divided, and ruled by neighboring powers for the next six centuries, including Poland, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. It was only in 1991 that today’s Ukraine declared independence after the Soviet dissolution. Then in 2014, its Crimean peninsula was seized by Russia, and in 2022, the whole country was invaded. Are you interested to learn more about Ukraine?

Read the article and learn more about Ukraine for the third commemoration of Russia’s invasion.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18018002

Topic Reading-Vol.4667-2/2/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Nepal increases Mount Everest climbing fee to $15,000

Nepal is mainly situated in the Himalayas with eight of the world's 10 tallest mountains, including Mt. Everest. Income from permit fees for those popular peaks is a key source of revenue for Nepal, with mountain climbing and trekking contributing more than 4% to the country's economy. The most popular yet challenging peak Mount Everest has been climbed thousands of times, and it has become more crowded every year. During the spring climbing season of 2023, 667 climbers scaled the peak, bringing in thousands of support staff to the base camp between March and May. Recently, Nepal’s tourist department announced that from September this year, those seeking to summit the world's tallest mountain during the peak season are required to pay $15,000, a 36% rise on the longstanding fee of $11,000. Fees for those wanting to climb outside the peak April to May period will also increase by the same percentage to $7,500 from September to November and $3,750 from December to February. However, the price hike isn’t expected to discourage eager climbers from the world because they have to pay over $30,000 for traveling, hiring/buying expensive climbing gear, oxygen bottles, and qualified Sherpas as buddies on top of the permit. The question is how well the increased revenue is spent on safety, environment, and infrastructure. 

Read the article and learn about the highest climbing fee for the highest peak in the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/nepal-increases-mount-everest-climbing-fee-2025-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4666-2/1/2025

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

A new definition of obesity goes beyond BMI. What this could mean for you

Body mass index (BMI) is a calculation performed by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in square meters. BMI under 20 is considered underweight, over 25 is overweight, and over 30 is obese. For example, think of a man whose height is 170cm. If he weighs 55kg, his BMI is 19 (underweight), if he weighs 70 kg, it’s 24.2 (normal), if 80 kg, 27.7 (overweight), and if 90 kg, 31.1 (obese). There are nearly 900 million adults in the world who are considered obese. Since BMI is simple and easy to calculate, it has been used widely to classify individuals' weight conditions regardless of their age, ethnicity, or body structure. For example, the BMI of a muscular person is calculated the same as a fat person if their weight and height are the same. Recently, an international commission proposed excess body fat and waist circumference be included in defining obesity and used as part of an initial screening for further assessment, such as waist-to-hip ratio, bone density, and body fat percentage. Also, among those who are diagnosed as obese, some may be clinically obese and their body systems are already affected by the excess fat. They need medical care. Others are still pre-clinically obese and need medical attention. It may be good news for those who are muscular or whose bone density is high, but not for everyone whose BMI is late 20s or higher. 

Read the article and learn about the proposed use of BMI.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/24/health/obesity-bmi-diabetes-cardiovascular-health-wellness/index.html