Topic Reading-Vol.3245-2/28/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The greatest security threat of the post-truth age

When our security is threatened, we take some action to protect our interests or safety. For example, if someone breaks into your house, you call the police. That’s home security. If you have cash more than needed, you’ll probably save or invest it instead of keeping it in your wallet. That’s financial security. When a neighboring country has crossed the border to invade your territory, it is national security. Then your defense forces are deployed. In any case, people usually take a countermeasure to protect their interests. However, when it comes to an environmental crisis or epidemic, not everyone shares the same security threat. Some may be more conscious about waste, recycling, or pollution while others don’t pay attention at all. Also, most people follow the social distance guidelines and face mask requirements but some ignore these essential preventive measures. Furthermore, certain people resist vaccination, which makes it difficult to contain the infectious disease within the community.

Such epistemic or cognitive security seems to become a more serious problem in the 21^st century where people tend to get information mainly or only from preferred sources or online communities, such as SNS and reviews.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about another security threat in our days.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210209-the-greatest-security-threat-of-the-post-truth-age

Topic Reading-Vol.3244-2/27/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Singapore vending machines now dispense salmon, crab and even cacti

There are several ways to get steak meat. You can go to a supermarket or butcher to buy fresh beef. You can order frozen beef online. You can also order a delivery service for a cooked steak. But none of these options is usually available instantly at midnight. Now, there is another way to get steak meat or salmon 24/7 in Singapore, the largest city-state where people are always busy. Vending Machines. They are actually contactless, safe, and easy to buy. You don’t need to worry about the social distance. You may think it’s odd to buy regular meals by a vending machine but the industry is growing having been promoted by entrepreneurs. In fact, the cost to install and operate vending machines is far cheaper than opening a store or a restaurant. There is even a chain of unstaffed convenience stores, that sell everything from plasters to baked beans out of machines. As the variety expands, more people might use vending machines as another option to get food. The question is how close the vending machine is that sells the food you want.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you may try a vending-machine-meal at home.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56066064

Topic Reading-Vol.3243-2/26/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Three killed in New Orleans gun shop shooting

Read the headline, “A shooting at a gun shop”. Sounds very scary, doesn’t it? In the state of Louisiana, concealed weapons permits are processed at the state level. But there is no permit, background check, or firearms registration required when buying a handgun from a private individual. Also, the state does not prohibit the open carry of firearms in public. It is legal to carry a gun without a permit for anyone at least 18 years old, as long as he or she is not prohibited from carrying a firearm.

So, a shooting could occur at any retail store at any time by anyone. And if that happens at a gun shop, where gun lovers flock to, others like the shop staff and customers, could shoot back to defend themselves. That is what happened at a “Discount Firearms” shop in New Orleans on Saturday. Such incidents could occur at a restaurant, supermarket, or even at a toy store.

In fact, the US has the highest estimated number of guns per capita, about 120 guns for every 100 people. There are more guns than the population in America.

Read the article and think about what makes American gun owners feel so unsafe.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56144794

Topic Reading-Vol.3242-2/25/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

This AI reads children's emotions as they learn

Will AI help us facilitate better interaction and teaching? It seems it will. There is a startup in Hong Kong that has developed an AI-assisted system to read students’ emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise during class. The system was trained to read the facial data of the students and interprets their emotional expressions without recording their faces. It helps teachers recognize how well their students understand the class or tasks even online. In fact, it is not easy for any teacher to know how their students are feeling in the classroom where dozens of students are studying at the same time. The AI emotion reading technology might give teachers a chance for earlier intervention without waiting to see the test results, which is too late. Indeed, AI is taking human’s knowledge, experience, and intelligence as it is trained with massive data, whose volume is way beyond the capacity of any human. Since AI has been practically used only for a few years so far, it won’t be so long before many of humans’ subjective judgment and analysis is replaced by AI.

Can it be used to read the feeling of your loved ones?

Enjoy reading the article and watching the video and think how you’ll be using AI a few years from now.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/16/tech/emotion-recognition-ai-education-spc-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3241-2/24/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Covid and suicide: Japan's rise a warning to the world?

In Japan, the number of people who took their own lives rose last year by 750, nearly four percent. It had been declining since 2009 when the world suffered a financial shock. While fewer males committed suicide last year, nearly 7,000, about 15% more women over the previous year, killed themselves Why?

Many women work in the tourism, retail, and restaurant industries whose businesses were badly hit by the coronavirus. And many of them are non-permanent, part-time workers, who are the first to be laid off. Also, nowadays, many women choose to live by themselves to avoid being house-wifed or unfairly-burdened. Indeed, traditional gender roles are still expected in Japan. So, Japanese women were more vulnerable last year financially and socially. Finally, there was a spike in women’s suicide in October especially among those who were in their 40s. It is presumed that the suicide of a famous then 40-year-old actress somehow affected the already vulnerable women of the same generation.

Though vaccinations have started in some countries, the pandemic is still spreading around the world and many businesses are struggling to survive. We may find similar reports from other countries soon.

Read the article and learn about the factors that could make people more vulnerable.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55837160

Topic Reading-Vol.3240-2/23/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Thousands of turtles have been rescued from freezing waters in Texas

As normally-warm Texas suffered from sub-zero temperatures and power outages, people and animals on land had to endure unprecedented cold winter days. In Texas, houses aren’t built for such low temperatures, people aren’t used to ice and snow, and animals aren’t covered with fat or fur. People all struggled to get heat by boiling water or covering themselves with blankets. The severe winter temperatures also affected creatures in the water. Sea turtles were among such unfortunate examples. Unlike sea animals like dolphins, turtles are ectotherms, or cold-blooded, whose internal temperature varies according to the surrounding water. So, at low temperatures like below 10°C, they can become cold-stunned and unable to swim. They float up to the surface and become vulnerable to be hit, eaten, or stranded. Indeed, turtles become so motionless and defenseless that immediate rescue is imminent. Fortunately, with the efforts of heartwarming Texans, who themselves are enduring the cold, over 2,600 turtles had been rescued as of Feb. 18^th. Also, a space venter SpaceX provided the rescue team with a power generator to heat the facilities that housed the rescued turtles. It is grateful that a space venture’s interest also lies in the creatures of Mother Earth.

Enjoy reading the article and see the photos of the sea turtles rescued by humans.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/18/us/texas-turtles-freezing-rescue-texas-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3239-2/22/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China overtakes US as EU's biggest trading partner

If you’ve read just the headline, you might think China has become a more significant trade partner than the US for European countries. Indeed, last year’s sheer trade volume between the EU and China surpassed the one with the US, which was partly boosted by China’s quick recovery from the pandemic. But the US is still the EU’s biggest export market. Also, if you take trade in services and investment into account, the overall transatlantic economic relationship remains much stronger than that between Europe and China. However, if the US keeps its arrogant, protective trade policies, not only the EU but also other economic allies will have no choice but to deepen their economic ties with China. In fact, late last year when the US was in political chaos, the EU finalized an investment agreement with China to boost market access.

After all, it’s not the issue of which side of the Pacific Ocean is more important to the EU and other countries. China is becoming a more important trade and business partner for all the countries but the US.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the numerical aspect of the China-EU relationship.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56093378