Tag: Science and Technology

Way to Target Sound to Individuals

B1- Intermediate 

The way we listen to music is changing. At present, we can hear audios or listen to music using high-tech earbuds. Someday, listening to music even when you are out in public will be possible without using any headphones.

When someone sets up an audible enclave, only they can hear something that is supposed to be for them.

Read the article about audio enclaves.  Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2503/250327-audio-enclaves-4.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “beam of sound” mean here, “New technology will aim beams of sound at us, without others hearing.” Use this phrase in a sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does “enclave” mean? “Someone within an audible enclave can hear something meant only for them, enabling…quiet zones.” Use this word in a sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “overhear” mean? “People could set up an enclave to make sure their conversations are not overheard.” Use this word in a sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this technology?
  2. What are the pros and cons of this technology?
  3. Would you be interested to use an audio enclave? Why or why not?
  4. What other uses can you think of for the audible enclaves?
  5. What is your opinion about receiving personalized ads through this device?

North America Is Dripping Down into Earth’s Mantle

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Geologists have identified a massive ancient slab of Earth’s crust beneath North America that is slowly sinking into the mantle, a process described as “dripping.” This phenomenon is occurring beneath regions from Michigan to Alabama and provides new insights into the dynamic processes shaping our planet’s interior.

Read the article to know why understanding these subterranean movements is crucial for comprehending seismic activity and the geological evolution of continents.

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/north-america-is-dripping-down-into-earths-mantle-scientists-discover

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “slab” mean here, “An ancient slab of Earth’s crust buried deep beneath the Midwest is sucking huge swatches of present-day’s North American crust down into the mantle.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “splinter” mean? “The Farallon plate splintered due to the advance of the Pacific plate roughly 20 million years ago, and remnant slabs subducted beneath the North American plate slowly drifted off.“ Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “full-waveform inversion” mean? “The discovery was possible thanks to a wider project led by Hua to map what lies beneath North America using a high-resolution seismic imaging technique called “full-waveform inversion.“ Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you imagine life would be like if we could actually see this crust sinking beneath our feet? How would it change how we view the Earth’s inner workings?
  2. Do you think understanding this process could help us predict future geological events, like volcanic eruptions or earthquakes?
  3. How does this “dripping” crust affect the way we think about seismic activity and earthquakes in areas like Michigan or Alabama?
  4. Isn’t it fascinating that there’s an ancient piece of Earth’s crust slowly sinking into the mantle—what do you think that means for the planet’s long-term evolution?

Scientists Discover New Species

B2 – Upper Intermediate

During a 38-day expedition in Peru’s Alto Mayo region, scientists uncovered 27 new species, including mammals, fish, amphibians, and butterflies. This discovery highlights the rich biodiversity of the area.

Read the article to know more about the importance of conservation efforts in densely populated regions.

https://people.com/scientist-discovers-27-new-species-peru-alto-mayo-landscape-8763717

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to construct a corridor” mean? “Before constructing this corridor, Conservation International needs to know “where the most important species live, especially those that are new to science, rare, or threatened with extinction.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. Explain “human-influence”. “According to Trond, the Alto Mayo Landscape is the most “highly populated and human-influenced” landscape in which RAP has worked.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “knowledge gap” mean? “Trond’s expedition went to the Alto Mayo Landscape to fill these “knowledge gaps” so that the corridor can develop a land-use plan that supports biodiversity conservation, agricultural sustainability, and habitat connectivity across the broader region.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think makes the Alto Mayo region in Peru such a great place for finding new species?
  2. How do you think finding these new species helps scientists learn more about the rainforest and how it all works together?
  3. With all these new species found, do you think there’s enough being done to protect their home from things like deforestation?
  4. Do you think discoveries like this could inspire more people to visit or support conservation in places like Peru?

AI Shaping Proteomics and Multiomics

B2 – Upper Intermediate

This project leverages the extensive genetic database to train AI models, identifying precise disease subtypes for tailored treatments.

Read the article to know more about the launching of proteomics utilizing artificial intelligence to better understand and treat diseases.

https://www.technologynetworks.com/proteomics/articles/how-is-ai-shaping-proteomics-and-multiomics-395403

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain the word “underpinning”. “Discovery research is incredibly important for interrogating the underpinning mechanisms of biological states, such as health and disease.” Use it in a sentence and give 2 synonyms.
  2. What does the word “bottleneck” mean here, “There’s one drawback, however; DIA generates large amounts of data, which creates a bottleneck.” Use it in a sentence and give 2 synonyms.
  3. Explain “pan-cancer cohort”. “Local models were trained on simulated sites that contained data from a pan-cancer cohort and 29 cohorts that were held behind firewalls, representing 8 countries and 19,930 DIA-MS runs.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about AI being used to analyze genetic and protein data to personalize disease treatments?
  2. Do you think AI-driven medical advancements will make healthcare more accessible, or could it widen the gap between those who can afford cutting-edge treatments and those who cannot?
  3. Since proteomics helps in understanding how proteins influence diseases, what conditions do you think could benefit the most from this research?
  4. Would you be open to having your genetic and protein data analyzed by AI to predict potential health risks, or would privacy concerns hold you back?

Warning on AI Books

B1 – Intermediate 

Scottish National Poet Peter Mackay expressed his concerns over the effects artificial intelligence (AI) on the publishing industry. He proposes that all books should be labeled whether they are written by a human or AI.

Read the article about putting a mark or symbol on all books written by AI and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2502/250213-ai-book-warnings.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to make a living” mean? “It’s very hard to make a living as a writer anyway, and [now] you are having to compete with [all the] knowledge of every book written.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ’make a living’ in your own sentence.
  2. What does “input” mean in this sentence, “He believes the public needs to know about the level of AI input in a book.”? Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ’input’ in your own sentence.
  3. What does “call” mean in this context, “Mr. Mackay’s call comes just before the USA and UK refused to sign an international agreement on AI to keep it “clean” and “ethical”.”? Use this word in a sentence and give 2 synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Should we really be worried about AI in terms of the creation of new literature? Share your opinion.
  2. Do you agree or disagree with this, “The public needs to know about the level of AI input in a book.”? Share your insights.
  3. How important is it to keep AI “clean” and “ethical”?
  4. What is your opinion on this, “Pro-growth AI policies” were more important than safety.”?
  5. Which would you prefer – a 100% human-written, 100% AI-made or AI-human hybrid books? Explain your choice.

Fake Videos about Santorini Volcanic Eruption

B1 – Intermediate 

Santorini in Greece is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. 

Some fake videos has become viral on social media showing a volcanic eruption. But they were later on identified as AI-made.

In another video, it shows an island with what appears to be smoke. This one was not actually AI-made, but it is actually from an eruption in New Zealand in 2019. They only put the wrong caption for it.

Some believe Turkey is responsible for this misinformation so the fake news could negatively affect the tourism in Santorini.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about Santorini being targeted by fake viral videos on social media.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/fake-videos-about-santorini-eruption-level-3

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “mislead” mean? “They have gained thousands of views on TikTok and X, misleading many people.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ’mislead’ in your own sentence.
  2. What does “distort” mean? “Another video of people running in fear has distorted figures, proving it was AI-made.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ’distort’ in your own sentence.
  3. What does “in place” mean? “A state of emergency is in place until March, and thousands have left the island.” Use this phrase in a sentence and give 2 synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. How could these fake videos and misinformation affect Santorini, especially their tourism?
  3. What is your opinion about this, “Rumors claim Turkey is behind the misinformation. Allegedly Turkey wants to hurt Santorini’s tourism, but there is no evidence.”?
  4. How serious is the problem with misinformation? Talk about it.
  5. Give other examples of misinformation on social media or the internet that have affected any city in your country or your country itself. And how was that situation handled by the government?
  6. How can we protect ourselves from misinformation?

Scientists Closer to Reverse Aging

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Since time passes by so swiftly, we all age with it. However, there are others who are incredibly wealthy who do not want to age naturally, slow down, or take it easy. After all, wealth is the source of power, and funding eminent scientists to develop age-reversing technology is the finest use of that wealth that is possible. It is something we’ve all secretly wanted for a long time, whether we deny it or not.

Take a look at the video and learn more about how scientists are closer than ever to reverse aging.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain “loss of viability and increase in vulnerability”. “Aging is as inevitable and progressive process of loss of viability and increase in vulnerability.”. Create a sentence using this phrase.
  2. What does “accumulation of changes” mean? “Aging is really an accumulation of changes.” Use this term to make your own sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “long stretch“? “.,but to go from there to ask, you know, can we now start using this in humans?. It’s a long stretch.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ‘long stretch’ in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about cellular reprogramming being the main factor in life longevity?
  2. Do you wish to live longer and invest in programs that will help you achieve it? Explain your stance.
  3. What do you think would happen if we were able to live for thousands of years and our offspring were also able to benefit from the process of cellular reprogramming that keeps them safe from illness and disease?
  4. Why do most ultra-rich individuals invest in longevity? 

People Will Fall in Love with AI Voices

B1 – Intermediate 

In the film “Her” starring Joaquin Phoenix, he starts using a new operating system. He meets “Samantha”, an AI assistant. At first, they become friends and then eventually, he falls in love with his AI assistant.

Science fiction.

But now, scientists are afraid it is highly likely for humans to form some kind of emotional dependency on or even love for their AIs or chatbots.

Read the article to know more about scientists’ worries about the possibility of people falling in love with AI.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2408/240812-emotional-attachment-to-ai.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “reshape” mean? “They will reshape how we interact with family, friends and colleagues. ” Use the word in your own sentence and give a synonym.
  2. What does “usurp” mean? “They may even usurp communication among humans.” Use the word in your own sentence and give a synonym.
  3. What is “societal bias”? Give a synonym of this term. “Wired.com writes that the new  chatbot includes “the potential to amplify societal biases, spread disinformation, and aid in the development of chemical or biological weapons”.” Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. Do you think this is possible to happen? Why or why not?
  3. Share your opinion on this, “Users might form social relationships with the AI, reducing their need for human interaction.”.
  4. What are the pros and cons of talking to AI?
  5. How do you think chatbots could change society?

Hoverbikes for American Soldiers 

B1 – Intermediate

Hoverbikes are some of the stuff we see in science fiction. It is a one-person transport that flies above the ground. This dream could soon be a reality thanks to a few British developers and American engineers working on it.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the prototype hoverbike for the American Department of Defense.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/hoverbikes-for-american-soldiers-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “running cost” mean? “The aircraft would replace many of the jobs a helicopter is currently used for, with the advantages being safety, price and running costs.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the word “on-board” mean in this context? “It also has on-board sensors and autopilot features, which allow the hoverbike to act like a drone.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. Define the adjective “unmanned“. “The US Department of Defence is interested in hoverbike technology because of its versatility – a hoverbike can be used to transport supplies, fly unmanned and operate as a surveillance platform“. Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your own words, describe this state-of-the-art hoverbike.
  2. What are the practical uses of this modern hoverbike in law enforcement and infrastructure?
  3. What do you think are the risks associated with hoverbikes being used and sold commercially?

Doctor Wants Social Media Health Warnings

B1 – Intermediate 

A survey in 2022 revealed that young people between the ages of 13 to 17 use at least one out of five social media platforms more than several times every day. There are several effects of massive social media use on teenagers. The most alarming effect is the negative impact on their mental health.

Read the article and know more about the proposal by a top US doctor for social media platforms to put mental health warnings on their websites.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2406/240620-social-media-health-warnings.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the verb “address” in this context? “This is something the USA’s top doctor wants to address.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
  2. Define the word “youngster“.”He said algorithms lead youngsters to extreme sexual and violent content.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of the word “profound“? In 2023, he warned that social media presented, “a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents”. Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about Dr. Murthy’s idea?
  2. What are the long-term and short-term negative effects of social media on teens?
  3. What are the positive effects of social media on teens?
  4. How does a display of mental health warnings on social media platform help reduce these negative effects?
  5. Do you think ‘healthy social media’ exists? If yes, how can we have it?