Topic Reading-Vol.1426-3/7/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Scott Kelly: I can spend another year in space

How does this sound to you? You’re paid well for a year, fed nutritious food, provided free rent, Internet connection, 24/7 medical and biological monitor service. What’s more, you can enjoy astonishing view that nowhere on earth offers all the time. No labor work to lift or carry heavy things at all.

Interested? OK. But here are some drawbacks. The space is totally isolated and shielded from outside, food is neither fresh nor cooked but preserved, the roommates are just a few, and furthermore, no gravity.

Yes, this is what an American astronaut experienced in the International Space Station with a Russian mate. He is now thoroughly examined by medical and physical experts for some time to study how human body, brain and mind are affected in an isolated zero-gravity space.

Why do they do this sort of costly experiment?

Enjoy reading and learning what the life in and view from space is like.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/25/us/astronaut-scott-kelly-one-year-mission-ending/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.1425-3/6/2016

 Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What the march of the machines means for your job

It’s no longer science fiction, Artificial Intelligence, or A.I. It is happening and growing. Computers now learn from data and information by themselves. They can also learn from the experiences and results of their actions and outputs, and fast. They don’t need to be revised the programs but they modify and improve the algorithms themselves. Sounds impressive but also scary if robots think and act autonomously. Imagine they do your jobs more efficiently and economically, where would you go?

There seem to be jobs to be replaced by such intelligent machines, just like collateral or administrative jobs that have already been disappeared from most work places.

So what do you need to do to be competitive or valuable in the future work environment?

Enjoy reading and learning what you may want to or want your children to try doing to stay valuable in the world full of AI.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160225-what-the-march-of-the-machines-means-for-your-job

Topic Reading-Vol.1424-3/5/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Chinese test tube baby born from frozen embryo after 12 years

Smart choice and investment. This Chinese couple has been paying 50 cents a day to keep their embryos frozen for 12 years in case, or hoping, to have another baby. Thanks to the recent lift of the one-child policy, they took a chance to have their second child. And the second son was successfully born weighing healthy 3,440 grams.

The new born baby boy is one of the five million babies born through IVF worldwide since 1978. As nearly one in eight of the child-bearing age is estimated to have infertility problem in China, this news may further promote IVF especially when a second child is no longer a dream or breach of the law.

Enjoy reading and thinking if 12 years is possible, what about a couple of hundred years, like “The Songs of Distant Earth” by Arthur C. Clark’s novel.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-02/26/content_23661735.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.1423-3/4/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What is India's caste system?

What is it like to live in a historically and religiously segregated society? Will you bear with your last name that identifies your social and religious class?

That what India’s caste system is like. There are four main castes and 3,000 castes that are further divided into 25,000 sub-castes. And inter-caste marriages had not been common until recently. In large cities where more people from different castes live, study and work together, the caste system has become less influential. But in rural or certain regions, the practice still remains firm even though it is legally abolished. In fact, there are quotas for certain low-caste people for government and teaching jobs as part of affirmative action efforts and political maneuvers.

So why have recent protests occurred leaving many to die?

Enjoy reading and learning what this India’s thousand-year old segregation is about.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616

Topic Reading-Vol.1422-3/3/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why do the British say ‘Sorry’ so much? 

Is that the nationality or personality? Instead of saying, “Hey” or “Excuse me”, Brits seem to say “Sorry.” That doesn’t mean they are apologizing to the other but just asking for an attention or interruption. It may be part of their so-called negative politeness attitude, keeping a safe distance from others instead of being part of others. It is sort of self-protection in a culture where social classes had existed until recently. The same behavior can also be seen in Japan where sumimasen, meaning sorry, could mean both apology and calling for attention.

It may also be because of the weather in England where rain is part of life. People might feel natural and common to say “sorry about the rain” to start a conversation. In Japan, people also often start a conversation but in more positive fashion saying, “good day, isn’t it?”

Enjoy reading and finding this interesting British tendency.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160223-why-do-the-british-say-sorry-so-much

Topic Reading-Vol.1421-3/2/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Harvard abolishes 'master' in titles in slavery row

You needn’t worry about your master’s degree, if you have one at Harvard. They’ve just agreed to change the title of “House master”, who is in charge of residential halls at the university to "faculty dean," in response to the students’ protest that “master” echoes of slavery.

Such disputes about race and identity seem to have affected many universities and colleges in the U.S., about the seals, statues, building names and links used in the campus. They are also seen in institutions in other countries such as South Africa and England.

However, the way schools are handling these protests is quite different. Oxford rejected a demand to remove a statue of the 19^th century politician from one of its colleges saying the world is not always comfortable for all.

Enjoy reading and thinking whether students should be able to confront ideas that make them uncomfortable.

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35659685

Topic Reading-Vol.1420-3/1/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

From Xi to shining Xi: China's propaganda machine goes into overdrive

Firm grip on Media, if not direct control. After solidifying the commandership of the military, China’s mighty leader seems to have demonstrated his force in the media.

There has been propaganda campaigns in English on the web to appeal to foreigners and domestic media how mighty and influential the communist party and the leadership are. Now, there are more appearances of the incumbent leader than any other his predecessor on the paper and the net. It looks as if they are creating and spreading absolute leadership, if not dictatorship, sentiments within the most populated country in the world.

The state media, being visited by the supreme leader, was left no choice but to vow its loyalty to the leader and party, and aired a special show in the most-viewed hour during the Lunar New Year holidays.

Enjoy seeing the funky show created by the state media and think what it would do and was meant for.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/23/asia/china-xi-jinping-propaganda/index.html