Learning English Podcast - Climate Meetings, Brain Biocomputer

Ashley Thompson and Dan Novak are the hosts of the VOA Learning podcast for Monday, December 18, 2023.
Last week, 200 nations promised to move away from fossil fuels at the climate meeting in Dubai. Greg Stachel and Gena Bennett have a report looking at what has happened to all these climate promises from past meetings in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Paris, Glasgow and Sharm el-Sheik.
For the Science and Technology report, Bryan Lynn says that American researchers have combined lab-grown human brain tissue with computer hardware to create a working biocomputer. The brain cells used in the experiment were able to recognize speech and complete simple math problems. Bryan further explains to Dan Novak, the co-host, that this is the first time scientists have connected the “brain organoid” with actual computer circuitry to improve performance. However, the system is still below the accuracy rate of traditional AI networks. And scientists are working to improve on that.
In the Lesson of the Day, Andrew Smith and Jill Robbins are back with an episode of Let’s Learn English. They look at the language exchange between Anna Matteo and a visitor to Washington, D.C., especially the use of the present perfect tense to talk about the experience. Jill explains that we often use the pattern to talk about an action in the past that is important in the present. Anna and her new friend then talk about all the museums, and the zoo, to visit.
A Short History of UN Climate Deal Promises learningenglish.voanews.com/a...
Scientists Create ‘Biocomputer’ with Lab-Grown Brain Tissue learningenglish.voanews.com/a...

[@engvoice]

VOCABULARY FROM VIDEO: Thank you, VOA Learning English, for this insightful video. It offers a comprehensive overview of key climate meetings, advancements in bio-computing, and language learning strategies. VOCABULARY: 0. COP 28 (Abbreviation) 01:09 -Context: 'United Nations delegates from nearly 200 countries recently held a climate meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.' -Explanation: COP 28 refers to the 28th Conference of the Parties, a major UN climate change conference. 1. $100 Billion Goal (Phrase) 03:46 -Context: 'Wealthy countries did not reach their goal of $100 billion by the start of the 2020s.' -Explanation: The $100 billion goal involves financial assistance from developed nations to support climate-related initiatives in developing countries. 2. Paris Agreement (Proper noun) 05:00 -Context: 'The Paris Agreement is widely considered the single biggest U.N. agreement on climate change.' -Explanation: The Paris Agreement is a significant international treaty aiming to limit global temperature increases and address climate change. 3. Organoid (Noun) 11:13 -Context: 'The scientists made brain-like tissue that took the form of what they called a brain organoid.' -Explanation: An organoid is a collection of specialized cells grown from stem cells in a lab, resembling real human tissue and organs. 4. Brain-Aware System (Noun phrase) 13:01 -Context: 'The researchers attached the brain organoid to a set of traditional electronic computing circuits. The system was used to establish communication between the organoid and electronic circuits.' -Explanation: A brain-aware system involves connecting brain-like tissue (organoid) with traditional electronic circuits to enhance communication and potentially improve AI computing. 5. Present Perfect Tense (Grammar) 21:20 -Context: 'Jean says, 'I've just flown in from Boston.' Anna says, 'I have lived here for over a year.' -Explanation: The present perfect tense is used to express actions that occurred in the past but have relevance or impact on the present. I posted more learning listening video on my youtube too!

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