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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Plane battling winds at Heathrow nearly topples over

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

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

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

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Myanmar: What has been happening since the 2021 coup?

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

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

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

'Battle Drums' celebrates Chinese New Year and Winter Olympics

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

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

Enjoy watching the video and the beats.

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The rise of the anti-work movement

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

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

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

AI: Why chefs are turning to artificial intelligence

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

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

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

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

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What’s your sleep IQ?

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

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

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