Tag: technology

Valencia’s Beach Cleaning Robot PlatjaBot

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The advent of cleaning robots signifies a transformative shift in the cleaning industry, particularly within service-oriented frameworks. Emphasizes that autonomous cleaning robots facilitate value co-creation among stakeholders by introducing efficiency and innovation into traditional cleaning practices.

Cleaning robots are becoming increasingly popular in households around the world. Thes advanced devices are designed to make our lives easier by taking care of the tedious cleaning task.

Read the article and learn about the first cleaning robot in a Spanish city.

https://smartcitiesconnect.org/valencia-introduces-platjabot-revolutionary-beach-cleaning-robot/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to sift through something” mean? “The device called PlatjaBot – is a caterpillar-type vehicle that can collect up to 10 centimeters of soil at a time and sift through it to remove any waste.” Give 2 synonyms and use this phrase in a sentence.
  2. What is a “pilot project” mean? “This PlatjaBot pilot project is part of Valencia’s Municipal Sandbox Ordinance, which was approved earlier this year.” Give 2 similar expressions and use this term in a sentence.
  3. What does the adjective “cumbersome” mean? “According to the City, the ordinance is a regulation that “allows technology to be tested in an experimental phase in a real environment, such as the entire city of Valencia, and do so without the cumbersome administrative procedures that usually accompany these authorizations.” Give 2 synonyms and use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the PlatjaBot? What are the features of this robot? What issues can you think of associated with this piece of machine?
  2. What do you think about this invention as a whole?
  3. “We are the first Spanish city to have a law that allows technology to be tested in a real environment.” What do you think about that?
  4. Is your city a Green Capital? Why or why not?
  5. What other invention/s like PlatjaBot have you found interesting recently? Talk about it/them.

AI Technology to Identify Future Olympians

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A new AI-driven system is set to revolutionize the way future Olympic champions are identified by detecting athletic talent at an early stage. The developers are working on creating a portable version of this technology, which could bring cutting-edge sports science to even the most remote areas, offering new opportunities for discovering the next generation of elite athletes.

Read this article to learn more about this AI-powered talent spotting system.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmj2jkppvx3o

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “holy grail” mean in this context? “…spotting potential at a young age is the “holy grail” of sport.” Use this phrase in a sentence in this context.
  2. Define “roll out” in this sentence, “It is hoped that the system can be rolled out further and used to offer opportunities to people in areas which it would be impossible to reach with bulkier assessment systems.”. Make a sentence with this phrasal verb and give two synonyms.
  3. What does “computer vision” mean? “We’re using computer vision and historical data, so the average person can compare themselves to elite athletes and see what sport they are most physically aligned to.” Create a sentence with this term.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the potential benefits and challenges of using AI to predict athletic success at an early stage?
  2. Do you think using AI to find talented athletes is a good idea? Why or why not?
  3. How would you feel about the idea of AI making decisions about your future success in sports or other activities?
  4. How do you think the introduction of AI technology might influence your goals and dreams? Would it motivate you or change your plans in any way?
  5. If you could design an AI system for any purpose, what would it do, and how would it help people?

Cloud Computing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Cloud computing is a technology that delivers various computing services over the internet, including storage, processing power, databases, networking, software, analytics, and more. These services are provided by cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and others.

Read the lesson and learn a bit more about cloud computing.

https://www.english-online.at/technology/cloud-computing/cloud-computing-applications.htm#google_vignette

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is cloud computing? “Cloud computing allows people from different parts of the world to work on a project together. ” Use this term in a sentence.
  2. What does back and forth mean? “Companies around the world can work together on a single computer and do not have to send data back and forth.” Use phrase in a sentence.
  3. What does to march forward mean? “In any case, cloud computing is marching forward and in a few years we may only be having a web browser running on our PCs.” Use this expression in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the things you know about cloud computing.
  2. How does cloud computing provide flexibility to users?
  3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud computing?
  4. How does cloud computing support remote work? Elaborate.
  5. Why do you think cloud computing is the future?

Tidal Kites Harness Ocean Energy

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

The quest for sustainable renewable energy sources continues. The remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic had to find an alternative energy source. Marine energy firm Minesto’s “Dragons” utilize the powerful currents from the seas surrounding the whole archipelago to harness energy. 

Watch the video and discover how tidal kites work. 

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0j6gphs/tidal-kites-new-technology-harnessing-ocean-energy

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “untapped” mean? “Ocean energy is still largely untapped. So what are the barriers that have prevented it from taking off?” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “to unlock the potential” mean? “If we can unlock the potential, it can really dramatically change the energy mix in the islands. Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “a leap forward” mean? “Now, this Dragon has begun to fly and it’s sending energy to the grid. It’s just one machine, but potentially a big leap forward for harnessing energy from our seas.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your insights on “the Dragons”?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of tidal turbines and tidal power?
  3. What are some of the biggest renewable energy sources used in your country? Why might that be?
  4. Do you think tidal energy could be beneficial in your country? Explain.

Finland’s Startup Makes Food Out of Thin Air

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Finland’s wizards have been making waves in the culinary world with their innovative technique of creating food out of thin air. This groundbreaking approach involves utilizing a process known as air-based protein production to generate nutrient-rich edibles without the need for traditional agricultural methods. By harnessing the power of microbes, these wizards are able to transform carbon dioxide and water into proteins that can be used as ingredients in a variety of dishes.

As this technology continues to evolve, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about food production and consumption. By pushing boundaries and challenging conventional norms, Finland’s wizards are paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient future in which hunger may become a thing of the past.

Learn more about this innovation by watching the video.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “ploughing” mean? “But instead of ploughing, fertilizing, and harvesting, the flower stems from dried liquid made in a miniature bioreactor inside a laboratory.” Use this term in a sentence.
  2. What does “to suck (something) in” mean? “The process requires significantly fewer resources than meat or milk and the use of direct air capture to suck in CO2 from the atmosphere is good news for the environment.” Use this term in a sentence.
  3. What does “introduce” mean here, “The company hopes to introduce their product to the market in early 2023.” Use this term in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the process of producing food out of thin air.
  2. What are your thoughts on this technology?
  3. If this kind of innovation continues, what do you think the future of food production will look like?
  4. Have you ever tried a lab-grown food? How does it taste like? If not yet, would be interested to try it?
  5. Share your thoughts on this statement, “Our gift to the society is disconnection from agriculture. We don’t use any agricultural raw materials even. Therefore, we can let agricultural land to be freed from agriculture and basically let forest grow back.“.

Banning Social Media for Children Under 14

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Florida has recently approved a groundbreaking law that bans children under the age of 14 from having a social media account. This legislation aims to address concerns about the impact of social media on very young users and to promote a safer online environment for children.

Read this article and listen to the audio to learn more about this law.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/florida-bans-social-media-for-children-under-14/7545764.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of “veto”? “DeSantis vetoed that version of the bill, saying he thought it was too restrictive of parental rights.” Give a synonym of the word “veto” and make a sentence with it.
  2. What does “to leave it up to someone” mean? “The new law leaves it up to parents to decide whether their 16- and 17-year-olds can sign up for social media accounts.” Make a sentence with this expression.
  3. Define “strike down”. “DeSantis noted that another bill he signed into law two years ago was recently struck down by a federal appeals court.” Use this in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on Florida’s new legislation prohibiting social media use for children under 14? Do you think this kind of bill is need in your country? Expound.
  2. Do you believe this law will effectively protect children from the dangers of social media? Explain.
  3. Share your opinion on this, “Parents – not the government – should be the ones to decide which restrictions are best for their child.”.
  4. How could this law impact the way children interact and communicate with their peers?
  5. Do you think there are more effective ways to address the challenges social media presents to young children instead of an outright ban?

Miniature Fiber Laser

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Scientists have developed a new miniature fiber laser that is sharper, smaller, and smarter than previous versions.

Read the article to know how this laser technology could have significant applications in fields such as medical diagnostics, communications, and environmental sensing, due to its enhanced precision and reduced size​.

https://scitechdaily.com/sharper-smaller-smarter-scientists-develop-groundbreaking-miniature-fiber-laser/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is “optical gain source”? “Fiber lasers use an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements (erbium, ytterbium, neodymium, etc) as their optical gain source.“ Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “gold standard” mean here, “Fiber lasers are also the ‘gold standard’ for low-phase noise, meaning that their beams remain stable over time.”? Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “tunability” mean? “Now, scientists led by Dr Yang Liu and Professor Tobias Kippenberg at EPFL have built the first ever chip-integrated erbium-doped waveguide laser that approaches the performance with fiber-based lasers, combining wide wavelength tunability with the practicality of chip-scale photonic integration.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the key advancements in the new miniature fiber laser that make it sharper and smaller than previous versions?
  2. How might this new fiber laser technology be applied in medical diagnostics?
  3. What specific improvements does this fiber laser offer for communications and environmental sensing applications?
  4. Which research institutions or scientists were involved in the development of this groundbreaking miniature fiber laser?

Virtual Reality as a Reliable Shooting Performance-Tracking Tool

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Virtual reality (VR) technology has shown promise beyond training scenarios. A recent study indicates that VR can accurately track and record shooting performance, offering a reliable tool for law enforcement and military training.

Read this article to know why this development could lead to more effective and personalized training programs.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240611171431.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,track%20individuals’%20progress%20over%20time.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “marksmanship” mean? “We’ve figured out how to export the data and interpret it. We’ve focused on the three big challenges of marksmanship, decision-making and reaction time to measure 21 relevant variables — allowing us to put a report in a user’s hand and say, ‘This is how accurate, precise, focused and fast you are.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “reproducibility” mean? “We were using it as an outcome variable for research, and we found that it has very good day-to-day reproducibility of performance, which is crucial for research.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “screening tool” mean? “This equipment is close to what the military and police use every day, so this has potential to be used as a screening tool across the country.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on incorporating virtual reality technology into training protocols.
  2. How does virtual reality technology accurately track and record shooting performance in training scenarios?
  3. What are the potential benefits of using VR for law enforcement and military training compared to traditional methods?
  4. How might the integration of VR into training programs improve the personalization of training for individuals?
  5. What specific features of the VR system make it a reliable tool for monitoring and enhancing shooting performance?

Autonomous Drone Navigation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Advances in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing autonomous drone navigation. New algorithms and machine learning techniques are enhancing drones’ ability to navigate complex environments.

Read the article to know why this is more efficient and reliable for tasks ranging from delivery services to environmental monitoring​.

https://scitechdaily.com/ai-unleashed-revolutionizing-autonomous-drone-navigation/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “light detection and ranging or lidar” mean? “In recent years, advancements in visual sensor technology like light detection and ranging, or lidar, and thermal imaging have allowed drones to perform limited advanced-level tasks such as object detection and visual recognition.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. Define “deep learning” and “machine learning”. “When combined with the team’s algorithms — powered by deep learning and machine learning, a subset of AI — drones could assist in developing 3D or 4D advanced imagery for mapping and monitoring applications.” Use these terms in sentences.
  3. What does “line of sight” mean? “Currently, someone must manually fly a drone and have a high level of situational awareness to keep it clear of obstacles in its surroundings, like buildings, trees, mountains, bridges, signs or other prominent structures, while staying within the drone pilot’s line of sight.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What new techniques are being used to enhance the navigation capabilities of autonomous drones?
  2. How might these advancements in AI improve the efficiency of drone delivery services?
  3. In what ways could environmental monitoring benefit from improved autonomous drone navigation?
  4. What challenges do autonomous drones face in navigating complex environments, and how are these being addressed by recent AI developments?

Colorado Springs Is Becoming a Smart City

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Smart cities are urban areas that utilize technology and data to improve the quality of life for their residents. These cities integrate various systems such as transportation, energy, healthcare, and communication to create a more efficient and sustainable environment. The goal of a smart city is to enhance the overall well-being of its citizens by providing better services and infrastructure.

One key aspect of a smart city is the use of IoT (Internet of Things) devices to collect data and analyze patterns. This data can then be used to make informed decisions about resource allocation and city planning. For example, sensors can monitor traffic flow in real-time, allowing for adjustments to be made to reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Watch the video and learn how Colorado Springs is turning itself into a smart city.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “hidden in plain sight” mean? “This is one of 40 smart trash cans in Colorado Springs, which since 2017, has been implementing different kinds of smart technology hidden in plain sight throughout the city.” Use this idiom in a sentence.
  2. What does “informed decision” mean? “And so by deploying these technologies, it enables us to get data from this infrastructure that’s out there and help us make more informed decisions.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  3. What does “micromobility” mean? “And we’re beginning to expand where scooters are throughout our community. Micromobility wasn’t even a concept 5-10 years ago.” Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What makes Colorado Springs a “Smart City”?
  2. Which forms of smart technologies are being employed in your city? Which ones do you think are needed to be added?
  3. Is there free wifi available everywhere in your city, and if so, how is it? If not, do you think they should equip the every area of the city with wi-fi?
  4. What technological advancement, in your opinion, can foster a stronger sense of community?
  5. Share your thoughts on this, “Technology won’t solve our problems, but the data that we’re collecting and the people that are utilizing that data will have an impact on improving that situation into the future.“