Topic Reading-Vol.2292-7/21/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

On sale in Australia: Avocados as big as your face

The avocado is the fatty fruit of the avocado tree, which is native to Mexico and Central America. The fruit consists of 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates (mostly fibers), and 2% protein. Avocados are rich in minerals and vitamins, such as vitamin B, C, E and K. Avocados fat is monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid, which may help protect against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Besides all these nutritious and health benefits, avocados go so well with any kind of food that they are now used widely in all food menus around the world. As the demand for avocados rises, suppliers are trying to increase production. Planting more trees is one way to produce more avocados and enlarging the size of the fruit is another solution. Now, Australian farmers are growing jumbo avocados, nicknamed "Avozillas," about five times as large as a regular one, without sacrificing any taste or nutritious benefits. They now probably are the most fat-and-calorie-rich fruit in the world.

Enjoy seeing the video and photos and think of a new recipe to make use of this giant avocado.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/giant-avocado-australia/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2291-7/20/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How much water should I drink a day?

As you probably know that over two-thirds of your body is water. There is no doubt how important water is to keep your body in good shape. You need to take enough water not to be dehydrated, a drop below normal levels of water in the body, especially when you work or exercise outside in a hot temperature, or when you suffer from diarrhea or vomiting.

How much water is enough to keep your physical and mental health? That’s depending on your age and gender, body weight and activities, and the temperature and humidity. Also, some food contains more water than others, such as steamed rice, fruits, and vegetables. Overall, two litters of water is needed to keep you healthy. The question is how to measure how much more water is needed? One easy and dependable way is to check the color of your urine. When it is light yellow or clear, you’re OK, but when it becomes darker, you ought to take more water, immediately. But too much water is no good either because the salt level in your blood goes too low.

Enjoy reading and learn how to keep your hydration level in balance.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-much-water-should-i-drink-day

Topic Reading-Vol.2290-7/19/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can the Middle East solve its water problem?

If you see a world map, there are noticeable places like the Middle East and North Africa where there is no or very little part if any painted green. People in the region basically get water from rivers and the underground, but that supply has been exceeded by the growing need. While their population is growing faster, the water supply in the region is getting scarce. Some of those countries are fortunately so oil-rich that they can afford to build and run expensive sea-water purifiers, or desalination plants. However, that process is harmful to the environment because of the energy needed to evaporate water and discharged chemicals and brine, water saturated with salt, into the sea.

According to a recent World Bank report, water is getting scarce in the region, and water conservation, production, and consumption are all essential to balance the supply and need.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the situation of global water supply.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/11/middleeast/middle-east-water/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2289-7/18/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

KLM's new airport robot Care-E will guide you to the gate

Wouldn’t it be a luxury if you had a personal guide to the boarding gate in the airport? Celebrities and special passengers are often assisted by their agents or airline staff. But most passengers have to find the way to the gate with their carry-on luggage, sometimes with playful children or a crying baby. It is quite a task especially in a large airport whose boarding gates are located so far away from the check-in counters. And what if the boarding gate or departure time is changed but you can’t hear or understand the announcement?

Now, there is another way to make use of smart robots in airports. A Dutch airline KLM has introduced a passenger assisting robot called Care-E to guide their passengers to the gate. The AI robot walks you to the gate at a normal walking speed and carries your luggage. Also, it’ll redirect you should the boarding gate is changed. All you need to do is to scan your boarding pass, no need to listen to or speak Dutch or English.

Enjoy watching the video and think what other service or assistance you want robots to do to help you in the airport.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/klm-airport-robot/index.htmlv

Topic Reading-Vol.2288-7/17/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The truth about only children - why the stereotype is wrong

If every couple had only one child, the world would go extinct in the future. In fact, the world fertility rate, the average number of children born to one woman while being of child-bearing age, declined from 2.57 to 2.45 between 2005 and 2015. In some Asian countries particularly like China, Japan, and South Korea are losing their populations because of the low fertility rate and the trend doesn’t seem to change sometime soon despite the measures and actions being taken by their governments. There are various factors why couples in those countries choose not to have more than one child, such as high education cost, late marriages, housing costs, and lack of support to raise children. Anyway, the world is producing more only children than ever before in human history. But is an only child so distinct from siblings in their behaviors, characteristics, and temperament? Population Research Center of the University of Texas conducted a research and made a brief video about their findings.

Enjoy watching the video and think about what an only child is like in the family, at school, and in a workplace compared with siblings.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-44701463/the-truth-about-only-children-why-the-stereotype-is-wrong

Topic Reading-Vol.2287-7/16/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Millennials may be less happy and healthy than their parents by middle age

While gig economy gives young people chance to manage their time flexibly, it seems to cast a shadow over their future, according to a recent study among adults in the U.K. who were born in the 1980s or early 1990s. Of course. Without job security, how could anyone feel secure about their daily living and future career development? The study also has found that the rising housing market makes the young adults less hopeful about their future.

Along with these economic uncertainties, those grownups with digital devices and online social network also seem emotionally unstable. They feel difficult to establish social relationships with others and communities.

With all these modern convenience and future ambiguity, the researchers think millennials in the UK are not as happy or healthy as their parents in the next decade or two. But weren’t their parents so happy when they were young? What about a fear of nuclear war, infectious disease or air pollution?

Enjoy reading the article and think if you’re happier than your parents’ generation.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/18/health/millennials-health-worse-than-parents-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2286-7/15/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can plastic roads curb waste epidemic?

Plastic lasts for long. Unlike paper or wood materials, plastic isn’t biodegradable. So, when it is wasted, its durability causes a big problem to the environment. But what if plastic is used as material to last for long?

A British Company came up with an idea and recipe to make use of used plastic, such as plastic bottles, diapers, carrier bags. The idea is to blend used plastic with asphalt to be used for road construction and repairs. They claim when used plastic is cooked at a right temperature and mixed at a right proportion with asphalt, the blended asphalt lasts longer than conventional asphalt. This plastic-blended asphalt has already been used in the UK, the Gulf, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Sounds like a brilliant idea to solve the plastic problems, doesn’t it?

Enjoy reading and learn how a problem can be turned into a solution.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/02/world/macrebur-plastic-roads/index.html