Upper-intermediate

The Swiss Cheese model of defense

Human beings are flawed. So no system of defense that depends on human action is going to be able to protect us 100% of the time. But we can prevent most problems. In 1990, Professor James Reason came up with the "Swiss Cheese model" to create defenses that are hard to break through.

Think about Swiss cheese—it has lots of holes in it, right? Well, the Swiss Cheese defense model takes the "holes", or human flaws, into account by using several layers of defense. Each layer has holes, but not every layer has the same holes. So, put enough different layers together and there won't be a complete series of holes that line up to allow something through. Each human failure will be blocked by other successes.

The success of Bookshop

According to The Guardian, a newspaper based in the United Kingdom, Bookshop is a socially conscious alternative to Amazon that allows readers to buy books online while supporting their local independent bookseller.

Bookshop was founded by writer and co-founder of Literary Hub, Andy Hunter. It allows independent bookshops to create their own virtual shopfront on the site, with the stores receiving the full profit from each sale. Customer service and shipping are handled by Bookshop and its distribution partners.

Personal: Looking back on 2020

This year has certainly been a rollercoaster. There were highs and lows, not to mention a lot of uncertainty—sometimes all you could do is throw your hands up and hope for the best. 

Looking back on 2020, there are a few things that changed. 

First, since restaurants were closed during lockdown, my approach to home cooking changed. Before COVID, I took an ad-hoc approach to meals. But with limited trips to the grocery store and fewer options for take-out dinner, I started planning and following recipes more carefully. The result was better meals with fewer headaches. That was one takeaway: prepare well and rely on experts to write the recipe. 

Secondly, I've started taking hygiene even more seriously. I wash my hands for longer (20 seconds at least) and I avoid touching things out in public—that includes buttons at pedestrian signals and packages at the supermarket. That's another takeaway: do simple things to avoid getting sick. 

Giant beasts made of rice straw

Rice straw, or wara, is the waste left over from rice production. It used to be used to make tatami mats, bags, and other daily goods, including shoes. But these days most things are made from plastic and other synthetic materials, so farmers are left with mountains of useless wara. In 2007, farmers along with the tourism board of Niigata City in the Niigata prefecture, asked Professor Shingo Miyajima of the Department of Science and Design at the Musashino University to come up with a creative solution to the problem. He suggested using it to make art.

Black holes support relativity

Albert Einstein spent nearly a decade developing his theory of general relativity, which he published in 1916. The theory asserts that gravity is matter warping space-time and so gravitational bends in space can alter the passage of time. While an appealing theory, it is yet unproven.

According to CNN, the first image of a black hole, captured in 2019, has revealed more support for Einstein's theory. The new finding has suggested his theory is now 500 times harder to disprove.

The black hole in this study is 6.5 billion times more massive than our sun. The research team measured the distortion in the black hole’s gravitational pull and found that the size of this black hole's shadow aligns with the theory of relativity, or matter warping space-time to create gravity.

While the theory of relativity has passed all of the tests thrown at it over the past century, further study is needed to confirm whether it continues to match up with astrophysical objects.

The mission of the century

CNN reports that according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), providing a single dose of a future coronavirus vaccine to all 7.8 billion people in the world will require the use of 8,000 Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, and that planning needs to begin now.

IATA's director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said in a public statement that "safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry."

There are multiple vaccines being tested in human trials simultaneously around the world. Once a vaccine is approved for use, licensing and large-scale manufacturing will take place. However, without proper planning, these vaccines won't be able to fly the skies.

The decline of the yakuza

The Guardian reports that more than a decade of police crackdowns on major gangs and economic uncertainty are making it harder for the yakuza to tempt young men with promises of easy money.

For the first time since records began in 2006, 51% of regular yakuza members are aged 50 or over, according to a new report by the national police agency. Less than 15% are under 40, and those over 70 account for just over 10% of total membership.

Stricter laws, including those targeting businesses with links to gangs that had once operated with near-impunity, have made a life of crime increasingly unappealing. Yakuza members are forbidden from opening bank accounts, obtaining a credit card, taking out insurance policies or even signing a contract for a mobile phone.

Venture capitalism and online games

Unable to hold face-to-face meetings with potential investors, venture capitalists are seeking new ways to meet start-ups, including a service which arranges virtual meetings inside the video game, Fortnite.

Matchbox.vc matches technology investors with start-up executives through video game sessions in the hopes that companies will find their dream investment.

“Games are an incredible way for people in tech to connect,” said the site's co-founder, Alex Walsh. “It's a lot less stressful since both parties are doing something they enjoy, making it perfect for a first meeting. It's just like any other activity that's been tangential to business for years, like golf, getting coffee, or going for a walk.”

Flip-flops made from algae

Algae is used in lots of ways, from food to health supplements to fuel. Now we can add flip-flops to the list. Flip-flops, commonly made from rubber, foam or plastic, are hugely popular all over the world. When people lose theirs on the beach, which happens frequently, the flip-flops are swept into the ocean to join the rest of the plastic pollutants collecting there. 

To solve this problem, new biodegradable "plastics" are being developed using something else found on the beach: algae. A chemistry professor at University of California, San Diego, Mike Burkart, is spearheading a project to make flip-flops out of algae so that, instead of creating pollution, they decompose naturally. Major shoe manufacturers are talking with Burkart about using his material, as are producers of food storage containers and other plastic items. 

COVID vaccine: Phase 3's importance

Currently, 34 vaccine candidates for the novel coronavirus are in various stages of clinical development, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the process is long, typically many years. In the race for a vaccine, there is some debate on the merits of rushing through the process.

The vaccines process is long because there are 3 phases of trials. The first two trials focus on effectiveness—does the vaccine work or not. This is a relatively straightforward question and it can be proven in relatively small sample sizes. So, just a few hundred people are needed to test it. However, Phase 3 is used to prove the safety and efficacy of the vaccine—does it have significant side-effects, is it safe for people with compromised immune systems, and can everyone use it?

Harvesting human cells from animals

CNN reports that scientists have created a mouse embryo that's 4% human. The hybrid is what scientists call a human-animal chimera, a single organism that is made up of two different sets of cells. This human-mouse chimera has by far the highest number of human cells ever recorded in an animal.

The team's experiment indicates that there is enough evolutionary compatibility between mice and humans that mouse embryos are a relatively good environment for cultivating human cells. This breakthrough could potentially generate better mouse models to study human diseases, including Covid-19. Mice can also be used to grow human immune cells or respiratory cells.

Opinion: Critical thinking needed!

This opinion is a rant—a passionate, typically angry, speech or piece of writing about one particular topic.

This rant is about American anti-maskers—people who are opposed to wearing a face mask during the coronavirus outbreak. 

Take a deep breath and try to read as emphatically as you can.

"I can't stand it! These people who won't wear masks even though all the medical science says it helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. I hope all the anti-maskers have never taken meds for anything, or know anyone who has. That includes blood pressure meds, insulin, asthma inhalers, allergy medicine, pain relievers, eye drops—heck, even bandaids! What do they put on a cut? Natural remedies like moss and honey? I highly doubt it. So they're either totally ignorant, or total hypocrites.

Gender equality on traffic lights

The iconic "Sophie" pedestrian crossing signal (pictured above) first appeared outside City Hall in Amersfoot, the Netherlands, in December 2000. Since then, she has inspired female figures on crossing signals around the world. As Dutch Ambassador Wim Geerts said in 2013, "Sophie is much more than a traffic light, as she encourages us to think about women's rights." She also seems to improve pedestrian safety—more people stop for Sophie than for lights with common male figures.

Some people criticize "Sophie" and other female figures as promoting stereotypes of women. They always wear a skirt, and Sophie has ponytails which are commonly associated with little girls. Rather than add stereotypical images of women, these critics recommend creating a non-gendered stick figure.

A mascot for the pandemic

Mascots, or yuru-kyara, are incredibly popular in Japan. There are yuru-kyara for everything, from sports teams to prefectures to a toilet disinfectant (seriously). Now they're offering the world a mascot for the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The yōkai (supernatural being) Amabié was first described in 1846, during a series of severe epidemics in Japan. It has three legs, a fish-like body, and the head of a bird with long, flowing hair. The original story goes that Amabié was spotted by an unnamed man on top of the ocean waves, glowing with a strange light. It gave its name to the man and prophesied a good harvest. Then Amabié said, "Should an epidemic come, draw me and show me to those who fall ill and they will be cured,” and disappeared into the water, supposedly never to be seen again.

Facial masks and deafness

Around 48 million people have some degree of hearing loss. Given the rise of wearing face masks in public, hearing-impaired people are struggling to understand those wearing ordinary masks as they muffle their voices. One way to solve this problem is to put on masks with clear windows.

When wearing such a mask, people can see your lips, which allows the deaf or hard-of-hearing to lipread and see facial expressions.

Alicia Austin teaches infants and children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Currently, Austin has many online lessons with her students, and she says that wearing a mask can make communication problematic. She says that children need to see facial expressions and recognition to learn, even if they do not have a hearing disability.

SIM-jacking and scamming

Technology has been quite a godsend for fraudsters. In the past, if you wanted to recreate a valuable painting you needed to painstakingly paint it, or if you wanted to open a fraudulent bank account, you had to physically grow a moustache to fool a bank teller. But these days, it's much easier. To beat two-factor authentication, scammers can simply transfer your phone number to a new SIM card and gain access to every penny you own.

Nestle renames insensitive products

Classic Australian lollies Redskins and Chicos are set to be renamed so they don't marginalise consumers, confectionery company Allens has announced.

The decision was made by the brand's parent company, Nestlé, because a redskin is a slang term for Native Americans in the U.S., where it is considered offensive. Chico, which is Spanish for "boy", is also used in a derogatory way. 

"This decision acknowledges the need to ensure that nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues," the company said in a statement. "These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestlé's values, which are rooted in respect."

The company has yet to announce new names for the popular treats.

Tech trends for the next 10 years

In a Forbes article, Bernard Marr predicts the 25 most important technology trends that will define the next 10 years. Not surprisingly, a number of them involve A.I. and IoT. Others will come from things like virtual, augmented and mixed realities; nanotechnologies; 3D printing; and Big Data.

The past 20 years have given us major technological game-changers, like Bluetooth, social media, and, of course, the iPhone. Other innovations include flash drives, hybrid cars, GPS, and the Cloud.

The speed of change in technology is increasing exponentially—every new development drives a number of others, each of which drives more, resulting in faster and faster change. It looks like this:

What technology trends do you think will drive the next 10 years?