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Amazon Launches E-Book Lending for Libraries

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. Amazon.com launched its Kindle library-lending service in the United States last week. Millions of users of the Kindle reader and app can now borrow Kindle books from their local public library. The company is working with OverDrive, a leading supplier of e-books and other digital content to libraries. The service will be available through the websites of more than eleven thousand local libraries across the country. Users of other devices including the Barnes and Noble Nook and Sony Reader have already been able to borrow library books. Experts say Amazon's entry is likely to reopen a debate between publishers and libraries over e-book lending. Bill Rosenblatt is president of Giant Steps Media Technology Strategies, a consulting company. BILL ROSENBLATT: Publishers and libraries are enemies that occur in nature like snakes and mongese. Libraries would like to be able to make books available to everyone, all the time, with no limitations. And publishers, of course, would like to sell more books to the public. Mr. Rosenblatt says the debate in the United States centers on what is known as the law of first sale. BILL ROSENBLATT: Once you buy any kind of media product such as a book or a CD or a DVD or anything like that, you can do whatever you want with it. You can read it, you can give it away, you can lend it, you can resell it, you can burn it, you can use it as a Frisbee -- whatever you want. This law is referred to as 'first sale.'" This law is what permits libraries to lend books over and over again without having to pay publishers each time. But Bill Rosenblatt points out that it does not include digital products. Technology known as digital rights management can make e-books unreadable once they have reached a certain time or user limit. BILL ROSENBLATT: Several months ago, one of the major publishers, Harper Collins, which is a division of News Corp, announced that they were only going to allow e-books to be lent out twenty-six times, and then they would have to be purchased by the libraries again. Apart from HarperCollins, publishers are allowing libraries to purchase e-books for lending in perpetuity, meaning as many times as anyone wants to borrow them. HarperCollins says it took the action to protect the growing e-book industry and its own book sales. But Bill Rosenblatt says critics did not see it that way. BILL ROSENBLATT: Because a digital book lasts forever, as long as its stored somewhere in digital form, that it should be lendable forever, and that this business
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of restricting e-book lending to twenty-six times is sort of an unfair, artificial limitation that shouldnt apply because its a digital product. He says the debate over e-book lending will likely end up in court. And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

South Korea Tops 'Information Society' Report

Falling prices are fueling growth in high-speed Internet services, especially in developing countries. Last week the International Telecommunication Union released its "Measuring the Information Society 2011" report. The ITU, part of the United Nations, compared access, use and skills in one hundred fifty-two countries. The report says South Korea has the world's most developed economy in information and communication technology, or ICT. Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland were also among the top five in the ICT Development Index. The index compares two thousand eight and two thousand ten scores. Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Vietnam and Russia had some of the biggest improvements between those years. Susan Teltscher is head of the ICT Data and Statistics Division at the International Telecommunication Union in Switzerland. She says most of the growth in this industry has come from one source. SUSAN TELTSCHER: Mobile broadband is now leading the growth race among the different ICT indicators -- much higher than the other key indicators that we look at, like regular mobile phone subscriptions, fixed telephone or fixed broadband. Mobile broadband is really the most dynamic sector right now. And the good news is that its also starting to grow in developing countries. Mobile broadband subscriptions reached eight hundred seventy-two million by the end of last year. Three hundred million of those are in developing countries. Ms. Teltscher says growth in these countries can help reduce the digital divide with wealthier societies. SUSAN TELTSCHER: If we can bring Internet over the mobile phones, then we can really make a difference in terms of improving Internet access also in developing countries. She says falling prices are adding to the growth. SUSAN TELTSCHER: Especially in the broadband area, the prices dropped by over fifty percent between two thousand eight and two thousand ten -- which is a very encouraging finding because this was primarily drops in the developing countries." Even so, the report says people in many low-income countries are still paying too much for high-speed Internet connections. In Africa, for example, broadband
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service for a home or office cost almost three times an average monthly income last year. That was down from six and a half times as much in two thousand eight. Also, there are big differences in broadband speed and quality from country to country. National levels of technology development have traditionally been closely linked to national income levels. But Susan Teltscher at the ITU says a strong public policy on technology has made a difference in South Korea. SUSAN TELTSCHER: If you look at their income level and what they have been achieving in terms of ICT development, its actually higher than what you would expect given their national income. South Korea has the fourth largest economy in Asia. And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember

Ocean Storms and the Science of Nature's Power

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Im Christopher Cruise. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And Im Shirley Griffith. Today we tell about the science of severe ocean storms. Severe ocean storms that develop over the Indian Ocean are called cyclones. Storms that form over the northwestern Pacific Ocean are typhoons. And storms that form over the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are hurricanes. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: A storm with a misleadingly pleasant name recently brought death and destruction to parts of North America. Wide, slow-moving Hurricane Irene began to organize over the Lesser Antilles Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Later Irene gained strength. The storm stretched about one thousand seven hundred seventy kilometers along the eastern United States. Its destructive winds and heavy rain reached far inland. Even after it weakened, Irene carried disaster as far north as Quebec and Nova Scotia in Canada. A storm survivor in New England made a prediction as he repaired storm damage to his property. He said he believes fewer people will name their children Irene after this storm. Something similar happened after Hurricane Katrina struck the south central United States in two thousand five. Americas Social Security Administration says far fewer parents named their newborn daughters Katrina in the years immediately after the storm.

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SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: People have called some natural events by human names for centuries. For example, the name Thor was given to the mythical Norse god of thunder, the loud sound that follows lightning in the sky. An Australian scientist began calling storms by women's names before the end of the nineteenth century. During World War Two, scientists called storms by the names of their wives or girlfriends. American weather experts started to use women's names for storms in nineteen fifty-three. In nineteen seventy-nine, they began to use men's names, too.

NASA Katia was a tropical storm gathering force over the Atlantic Ocean in this photo from the International Space Station on August 31 CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Scientists decide on lists of names years in advance. They decide on them at meetings of the World Meteorological Organization. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida has one list for each of six years for Atlantic Ocean storms. The experts there name storms when they reach wind speeds of sixty-two kilometers an hour. That is true even if they never grow stronger. The first name used in a storm season begins with the letter A. The second begins with B and so on. The letters Q, V, X, Y and Z are never used. And the same list of names is not used again for at least six years. And different lists are used for different parts of the world. A name is retired when the storm with this name has been very destructive. In two thousand five, Greek letters had to be used for the first time to name storms in the Atlantic. That was the plan -- to call storms Alpha, Beta and so on -- if there
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were ever more than twenty-one named storms in a season. As it happened, there were twenty-eight. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The two thousand five Atlantic hurricane season was the first on record to have fifteen hurricanes. Four reached Category Five strength, also a first. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it was the first season when four major hurricanes hit the United States. The most destructive was Katrina. It was blamed for more than one thousand eight hundred deaths along the Gulf of Mexico. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Ocean storms develop when the air temperature in one area is different from the temperature nearby. Warmer air rises, while cooler air falls. These movements create a difference in atmospheric pressure. If the pressure changes over a large area, winds start to blow in a huge circle. High-pressure air is pulled toward a low-pressure center. Thick clouds form and heavy rains fall as the storm gains speed and moves over the ocean. Storms can get stronger as they move over warm ocean waters. The strongest, fastest winds of a hurricane blow in the area known as the eyewall. It surrounds the center, or eye, of the storm. The eye itself is calm by comparison. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Wind speeds in the most severe ocean storms can reach more than two hundred fifty kilometers an hour. Up to fifty centimeters of rain can fall. Some storms have produced more than one hundred fifty centimeters of rain. These storms also cause high waves and ocean surges. A surge is a continuous movement of water that may reach as high as six meters or more. The water strikes low coastal areas. Surges are commonly responsible for about ninety percent of all deaths from ocean storms. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: The National Hurricane Center in Miami keeps close watch on severe storms. It works with government officials and with radio and television stations to keep people informed. Experts believe this early warning system has helped reduce deaths from ocean storms in recent years. But sometimes people cannot or will not flee the path of a storm. That is what happened in many places in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina struck. Studies have shown that some people do not leave a storm-threatened area because they have no transportation or money for transportation. Another reason is that they fear that their property will be damaged by other people, if not by the storm. Still another is that people do not want to leave their pets or farm animals. Today, more plans exist for animal care during severe storms than in years before. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Weather experts use computer programs to create models that show where a storm might go. The programs combine information such as
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temperatures, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and the amount of water in the atmosphere. Scientists collect the information with satellites, weather balloons and devices floating in the oceans. They also receive information from ships and passenger airplanes and other flights. Government scientists use specially-equipped planes to fly into and around storms. The crews drop instruments tied to parachutes. The instruments collect information about temperature, pressure and wind speed. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Scientists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale to measure the intensity of storms based on wind speed. The scale provides an idea of the amount of coastal flooding and property damage that might be expected. The scale is divided into five groups or categories. The mildest hurricane is a category one. It has winds of about one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty kilometers an hour. This storm can damage trees and lightweight structures. It can also cause flooding. Wind speeds in a category two hurricane can reach close to one hundred eighty kilometers an hour. These storms are often powerful enough to break windows or blow the tops off houses. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Winds between about one hundred eighty and two hundred fifty kilometers an hour represent categories three and four. A more powerful storm is a category five hurricane. Researchers say forces other than wind speed help cause extensive destruction. And the lower the air pressure, the stronger the storm. Hurricane Irenes most damaging power, however, came from water. In some areas of Vermont, for example, storm surges caused record flooding. In all, Irene was blamed for more than forty deaths in the United States. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Some scientists believe climate change affects major storms. They say the warming of Earths atmosphere is already making the storms worse. Other scientists have published studies that disagree. Last year, a special committee of the World Meteorological Organization reported on severe storms. The committees work appeared in the journal Nature Geoscience. Ten scientists wrote the report. They represented both sides of the debate about global warming. The scientists reached no clear answer about whether rising temperatures on Earth had already intensified storms. Still, they made some predictions. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The committee said global warming might cause more powerful ocean storms in the future. It said the overall strength of storms measured by wind speed might increase two to eleven percent by the year twenty-one hundred. And there might be an increase in the number of the most severe storms. But there might be fewer weak and moderate storms.
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The current Atlantic Ocean hurricane season began in June. A tropical storm killed eleven people in Mexico. But experts say none of the first eight named storms of the season gained hurricane strength. That set a record. Then, in late August, came Hurricane Irene. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. June Simms was our producer. Im Christopher Cruise. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And Im Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

How Technology Has, and Has Not, Changed Since 911

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. It has been ten years since terrorists used hijacked airplanes to attack the United States. In the years since then, much has been done to improve security in the country. Intelligence sharing and cooperation between federal, state and local government agencies is said to be at an all-time high. There also have been improvements in airport security. But a new report says the United States is not as safe as should be. It says America is not yet prepared for a truly catastrophic disaster. The report is from the National Security Preparedness Group at the Bipartisan Policy Center. The group is led by former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean and former congressman Lee Hamilton of Indiana. The two men also led the 9-11 Commission. Congress asked the commission to investigate the September eleventh attacks and to make proposals for guarding against future attacks. The new report noted that nine of the reforms proposed by the commission have either been carried out ineffectively or completely ignored. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke about the report. HILLARY CLINTON: As the members of the 9-11 Commission recently reported, a number of their major recommendations remain unfulfilled. For example, much-needed radio frequencies have not yet been allotted to first responders to allow them to communicate effectively in a crisis ... an issue that I worked on for many years in the Senate and is long overdue for completion."

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AP A Transportation Security Administration officer finds unallowable liquids in a passenger's carry-on luggage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The TSA was created after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The 9-11 Commission found that communication was a major issue during the attacks ten years ago. Police, firefighters and medical crews had trouble talking to each other because they were using different radio frequencies. Officials said this lack of communication led to needless loss of life. The commission said the government should identify radio frequencies that would be used only for emergency communications. However, this has yet to be done. The report praised the deployment of US-Visit, a biometric entry system in the United States. Secretary Clinton says this new technology has helped strengthen Americas security. HILLARY CLINTON: We have emphasized innovation. For example, we are now using sophisticated new biometric screening tools to improve border security and the visa process. The US-Visit system uses digital fingerprints and photographic images to identify people entering the United States. The report notes that a similar system for those leaving the country has yet to be established. It says such a system may have helped officials find two of the hijackers involved in the 9-11 attacks. And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. You can learn English and much more at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember

So You Want To Be A Doctor? Medical Studies and Hospital Training Are Hard Work
FAITH LAPIDUS: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Im Faith Lapidus.
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CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: And I'm Christopher Cruise. Today, we look at how people train to be medical doctors in the United States. We also tell about a medical training program for students who have no interest in becoming a doctor. (MUSIC) FAITH LAPIDUS: It is not easy to become a doctor in the United States. The first step is getting into a medical college. More than one hundred twenty American schools offer study programs for people wanting to be doctors. People can get advice about medical schools from many resources. One of these is a publication called The Princeton Review. It provides information about colleges, study programs and jobs. The Princeton Review says competition to enter medical schools is strong. American medical schools have only about sixteen thousand openings for students. However, more than two times this many seek entry. Many of those seeking admittance are women. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Most people seeking admission contact more than one medical school. Some applicants contact many. An important part of the application usually is the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT. The Association of American Medical Colleges provides the test by computer. It is offered in the United States and in other countries. The applicant is rated on reasoning, physical and biological sciences and an example of writing. Applicants for medical school need to do well on the MCAT. They also need a good record in their college studies. FAITH LAPIDUS: People who want to become doctors often study a lot of biology, chemistry or other science. Some students work for a year or two in a medical or research job before they attempt to enter medical school. An interview, or direct meeting, also is usually required for entrance to medical schools. This means talking with a school representative. The interviewer wants to know if the person understands the demands of life as a medical student and doctor in training. The interviewer wants to know about the persons goals for a life in medicine. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: A medical education can cost a lot of money. One year at a private medical college can cost forty thousand dollars -- or more. The average cost at a public medical school is more than fifteen thousand dollars. Most students need loans to pay for medical school. Many finish their education heavily in debt. Some Americans become doctors by joining the United States Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service. They attend the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. These students attend without having to pay. In return, they spend seven years in government service.
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Doctors are among the highest paid people in the United States. Big-city doctors who work in specialties like eye care usually earn the most money. Some other doctors earn far less. That is especially true in poor communities. FAITH LAPIDUS: Most medical students spend their first two years mainly in classroom study. They learn about the body and all its parts. They also begin studying how to recognize and treat disease. By the third year, students begin working with patients in hospitals. Experienced doctors who have treated many patients guide them as they work. As the students learn, they think about the kind of medical skills they will need to work as doctors. During the fourth year, students begin contacting hospital programs for the additional training they will need after medical school. Competition to work at a top hospital is fierce. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Doctors-in-training in hospitals are known as interns or residents. Many are called interns during their first year. After that, the name of the job is resident. All fifty states require at least one year of hospital work for doctors-in-training educated at medical schools in the United States. Graduates of study programs at most foreign medical schools may have to complete two or three years of residency, although there are exceptions. (MUSIC) FAITH LAPIDUS: This month, about two hundred people will be taking classes at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, in Washington, DC. But these students have no interest in becoming a doctor. The classes are being held at Georgetown University. And the teachers are medical school professors. But this is not exactly a medical school. The students are instead attending a mini-med school.

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Georgetown University School of Medicine Students attend a "mini-med school" class at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC About seventy schools, research centers and hospitals in North America and Europe hold mini-med schools. Americas National Institutes of Health Office of Science and Education says the information offered in such schools is the same that medical students receive, but less detailed. Mini-med schools offer classes that give students a wider, more general explanation of a disease. Most of these schools are eight weeks long -- two hours a night once a week. Some give students a chance to visit laboratories, see films of operations and give them hands-on demonstrations. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Fifteen years ago, Herbert Herscowitz helped organize the mini-med school at Georgetown University. He wanted to invite people from the Washington area to the hospital and to meet its doctors. He says the university also wanted to improve relations with its neighbors. HERBERT HERSCOWITZ: Were an educational institution were offering education to our community neighbors and wed love you to come and see what we do at Georgetown. I thought we could extend our educational activities beyond the walls of Georgetown to our community neighbors. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Herbert Herscowitz has been at Georgetown since nineteen seventy. Today, he is the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Georgetown University Medical Center. He remains involved with the mini-med school as its co-director. Dean Herscowitz says the school has become increasingly popular. Over the past two or three years, all of its classes have been filled. Two hundred students pay one hundred dollars each to attend the eight class meetings. FAITH LAPIDUS: Georgetown holds two mini-med schools every year one in the spring, the other in autumn. The subjects differ from one season to the next, depending on what medical issues are in the news at the time. Dean Herscowitz says some students have been coming to the mini-med school for years.

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Georgetown University Medical Center Herbert Herscowitz of Georgetown University Medical Center HERBERT HERSCOWITZ: Weve got a number of groupies in this program people who have come to it for several years, have sat through some of the same lectures over the years, but they keep on coming back. Now I dont know if this is a way for them to spend their Tuesday evenings they have nothing else to do or if its a way for them to be educated about their health. FAITH LAPIDUS: Dean Herscowitz says the classes at the mini-med school help people know more about their bodies. The classes also help them ask the right questions when they see their doctor. HERBERT HERSCOWITZ: People attend to become educated about their own illnesses and their family illnesses. The lecturer will usually spend the break talking to people, (who) say that friend of mine has this, you know just like you might expect. There are a lot of referrals that are given out at that time and there are a lot of questions that say you better see your doctor - Im not gonna give you any advice at this point. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Dean Herscowitz says the school has had students as young as twelve years old. But most of the students, he says, are older and retired. Some retired medical doctors who have been out of school for many years attend the classes to learn the latest medical science. Other people attend classes to see if they want to go to medical school and become a doctor. Dean Herscowitz says the students receive a diploma when the program ends. HERBERT HERSCOWITZ: We have a graduation exercise at the end of the session, where my co-director and I march down the aisle in full academic regalia. We go through the process as it would be at a medical school graduation, where I bestow upon them the degree of doctor of mini-medicine with all rights and entitlements thereof.
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CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: While the diploma is not really worth anything, some students put it on the wall in their office or home. FAITH LAPIDUS: Would you like to attend a mini-med school? You can find a link to a list of these schools on our website. If you do not live near one of the schools, you might consider opening one, in partnership with a local hospital or medical school. The National Institutes of Health Office of Science Education has created a mini-med school planning guide. We have placed a link to the planning guide on our website. (MUSIC) CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson and Christopher Cruise. June Simms was our producer. Im Faith Lapidus. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: And Im Christopher Cruise. You can find transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. And you can find us on Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

Seeking Cleaner and Greener Electronics

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. Technology experts, government officials, policy makers and engineers are meeting this week in Italy. They have gathered in Rome for the first Green Standards Week conference. Italys Ministry of Economic Development and the International Telecommunications Union organized the conference. The event calls attention to the need for information and communication technologies to fight climate change and to build greener, more environmentally friendly economies. In recent years, the world has changed because so many people now use computers, mobile phones and other kinds of electronic devices. But the increasing use of information and communication technologies, also known as ICTs, also has led to more pollution, especially greenhouse gas emissions. This is mostly because of the energy used to manufacture, transport and operate such equipment. Still, many experts say ICTs offer the best chance for reducing greenhouse gases. The Global Information Society Watch reported last year that ICTs could help to cut total production of greenhouse gases by as much as fifteen percent by twenty twenty. Alan Finlay is with the Association for Progressive Communications. He also helped to prepare the GISWatch report. He says the effect of using ICTs to build cleaner environments is far more powerful than their harmful effects. ALAN FINLAY: When youre look at greening with ITs, youre looking at the impact of ICTs on the environment but also what ICTs can be used in order to improve the impact of other industries on the environment. And I think the
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overwhelming consensus is that you cant throw the baby out with the bath water. And ICTs can do more good in a sort of macro context. Mr. Finlay says the GISWatch report and events like the ITUs Green Standards Week are meant to look at the ICT industry as a whole. ALAN FINLAY: To our mind you cant really divorce issues like e-waste --which you see the massive negative consequences in Asia for instance, and direct impact on poor peoples lives and well being --- from the equation. So, both need to be looked at the same time. The ITU says a main goal of the conference is to set clear policies for measuring and improving the ICT industrys effect on the environment. Another goal is to note the importance of green ICT standards and values. The Rome meeting is taking place less than three months before the United Nations Climate Change Conference opens in Durban, South Africa. And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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