Raymond Wang: How germs travel on planes and how we can stop them

Click to see Mr Wang's discourse

VOCABULARY:

to pre-screen for sth - to examine or interview before further selection processes occur

In order to pre-screen the applicants for interviews, the recruiters asked them to solve a short test.

It is very difficult to pre-screen for Ebola, as in the early days after contracting the virus, the infected person usually does not notice any disquieting symptoms. 


to be in latent period - the interval between exposure to an infectious organism or carcinogen and the clinical appearance of the disease

She never knew she had cancer. It had been in the latent period for such a long time that she had never felt really ill, until it suddenly struck her, literally knocking her off her feet. 

Before the infected person shows any symptoms of the disease, it can stay in the latent period for months.


to exhibit symptoms  - to show signs of sth (esp. a disease)

Researches have discovered that people who regularly use the internet can exhibit symptoms usually seen in substance abusers.

People who have experienced a loss of a beloved person may exhibit symptoms of depression.


pathogen - an agent that causes disease (esp. a virus, bacterium or fungus).

Regular physical exercise increases immunity to common pathogens.

There are 3 types of pathogens causing influenza, all of them viruses.

to mesh sth - to coordinate so that people/things work closely together

They have never manage to mesh successfully their different managment styles. 

I have collected huge amounts of data on the subject, but I cannot mesh it, so I fail to find any definite conclusion.

composite material - a material made from two or more constituent materials, which has its specifiv properties

Adobe, made of straw mixed with mud, is one of the most ancient composite materials. 

The primary advantage of composite materials is the fact that they are light. 

Sebastian Wernicke: How to use data to make a hit TV show

How to use data to make a hit TV show

VOCABULARY:

data point - a single fact or piece of information; in statistics - a set of one or more measurements on a single member of a statistical population.

To have a comprehensive overview of the problem of obesity, we have to observe in the studied group such data points as age, occupation, type of lifestyle and eating habits. 

The investigation wouldn't have come to a standstill  if one important data point had been agreed on. 

data crunching - processing large amounts of data

While you're enjoying playing this game with such detailed graphics, you probably don't realise that your PC has to do some serious data crunching to provide you with this effect.

Everyday in global companies, computers crunch enourmous amounts of data on staff, clients, market, current demand etc.

bits and pieces - small things of different types

What a mess! You really need to tidy away all these bits and pieces of yours before the grandma's visit. 

Sue finally quit her tedious job. She was smiling to herself while collecting her bits and pieces from her desk. 

to take a leap of faith - to risk belief

We have always dreamt of a hitchiking trip around Europe, but we are too scared to take a leap of faith and just give it a try. 

I loved that old, semi-derelict house by the lake so much that I took a leap of faith and bought it. I have no regrets - after renovation, it's a perfect place to lead a peaceful life. 

data-savvy (inf) - well informed about or experienced in the domain of data

Google, being a data-savvy company, is perfectly skilled at processing and interpreting large amounts of information. 

They claim to be so data-savvy, but they can't even check the simplest information on the internet! 

a pinnacle - the most successful point, the culmination

After 15 years of hard work, he finally reached the pinnacle of his carrer.

In my opinion, "House of Cards" is the pinnacle of addictive TV shows. 

tech demo (technology demonstration)  - a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a conceivable product or future system

In 2015, Lexus revealed their tech demo of a hoverboard, an idea well known from "Back to the Future". 

This software is merely a tech demo. Potential buyers will have to wait another year to acquire a fully developed version. 

the basic setup - the elemental organisation or arrangement of sth

The complete format of your PC will mean a return to the basic setup. 

We've just redecorated our flat a little bit; the basic setup has been left untouched. 

TED Talk - Nonny de la Peña - The future of journalism? Virtual reality.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nonny_de_la_pena_the_future_of_news_virtual_reality

VOCABULARY

to push the envelope - to attempt to extend the current limits of performance. To innovate, or go beyond commonly accepted boundaries.

Her gymnastic skills are absolutely stunning. She's not afrait to push the envelope of athletic performance and always surprises spectators. 

 
to bawl - to shout or cry loudly 

I was watching my daughter playing in the garden. I heard the phone ringing, so I rushed to answer it. When I came back, little Adele was lying on the lawn and bawling. I saw blood dripping from her wounded knee. 

-Why are you bawling? I'm trying to focus here!!!
-Oh, you are always so insensitive! I won't tell you what happened if I'm a trouble to you!
 
to have a seizure - to have an attack

People with diabetes should mind the hours of meals. If the sugar in their blood drops too low, they risk having a seizure and even falling into a coma. 

-What happened to dad? Why is he in the hospital?!
-He's had a seizure. A heart attack. But he will be fine, the doctor said. 
 
peripheral vision - a part of vision that occurs outside the very centre of gaze.

John was jogging in the park, when suddenly, his peripheral vision captured two squirrels swiftly climbing a spruce.

Peripheral vision is an important feature - it allows you to notice potential danger appearing in your field of view.

duct-taped - fixed with a duct tape . See below.

When the police entered his flat, they found him fixed to a chair with a piece of rope, his mouth duct-taped so that he couldn't speak.

-What happened to mum's favourite vase?
-I broke it by accident.
-And you thought that duct-taping it would pass unnoticed? 

to commission - to arrange for someone to do a piece of work for you. 

We commissioned an expert to evaluate the potential price of the painting we found in the attic. 

For the expo, the organisers commissioned by a famous artist several scupltures representing innovation and progress. 

an outpouring - when an emotion is being expressed a lot in public.

Nobody has ever seen such an outpouring of rage as the one displayed that day in the supermarket by a 5-year-old boy to whom his mother refused to buy a light sabre. 

When Tom Hiddleston gets married, we can expect an outpouring of grief among his fangirls. 

to cock a gun - to pull back the hammer (or hammer mechanism) to ready the gun for fire.

'Say goodbye to life' he said, cocking his Walther. 

 Before you fire off a gun, you have to cock it.

TED Talk : Rose George : Inside the secret shipping industry

Rose George : Inside the secret shipping industry

http://www.ted.com/talks/rose_george_inside_the_secret_shipping_industry

VOCABULARY:

shipping the transport of goods by sea (or any other means)

Very few people think about how commercial goods are transported, so they are usually rather surprised to hear that we all owe 90% of deliveries to shipping. 

Should there be any problem with shipping, the delivery of commodities to the client might be delayed.

seafarer a person regularly travelling by sea

I bet there is no seafarer that suffers from sea sickness. 

A seafarer's life is really tough - weeks or months spent on waters, no women, no Internet.... 

vessel a ship or a large boat

Everybody on the lifeboats! Thevessel is going down!

The Titanic was said to be an unsinkable vessel and yet, over 1500 people lost their lives when it drowned. 


on a par with equal in importance or quality to

I never buy cheap perfumes - they will never be on a par with good old Chanel. 

This employee may have the least experience of all but he is on a par with the others in terms of efficiency. 

admiralty the jurisdiction of courts of law over cases concerning ships or the sea and other navigable waters

flag of convenience a flag of a country under which a ship is registered in order to avoid financial charges or restrictive regulations in the owner's country


dregs what is lefs of a liquid in a container, together with any sediment

I only drink instant coffee, because I can't stand dregs from the ground one.

(metaph) When she finally arrived home from work, she used the dregs of her energy to nibble a slice of bread and feed the cat before she fell half-alive on her bed. 

soot a deep black powdery or flaky substance consisting largely of amorphous carbon, produces by the incomplete burning of organic matter

No wonder that the air in Cracow is so polluted - if you look at the funnels during the winter season, you will see smoke full of soot coming out of them.

We should clean up fireplace - the pane is all black from soot, you can barely see the fire!

plight a dangerous, difficult or otherwise unfortunate situation

During the war, plights became a part of his everyday routine - he had to be very careful not to get shot.

Our hitchiking trip was great, though we got involved into a plight once, when a truck driver took a detour and for a couple of hours we had no idea where we were going. 

garrulous excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters

Christmas is coming, which means that we will have to listen to your garrulous old auntie again... She's definitely too talkative!

He was alively, garrulous man who liked feasting in a jolly company. 

to be in two minds be unable to decide between two alternatives

Honey, could you help me with the gift for your mother? I'm in two minds - I can't decide whether to buy her a book or a new baking tray.

Should I dye my hair red or black? I'm in two minds...

TED Talk of the week: Bandi Mbubi - Demand for a fair trade cell phone

Bandi Mbubi - Demand for a fair trade cell phone
http://www.ted.com/talks/bandi_mbubi_demand_a_fair_trade_cell_phone

VOCABULARY:

to boil down to sth - if a situation or a problem boils down to sth, that is the main reason or an esential meaning of it

All the troubles we are having with my son boil down to one thing - he cannot cope with our divorce.

Being a politician in rarely about altruism and community service - everybody knows that it all boils down to money.


heat conductor - a substance or an object made of such substance which can transfer heat.

Iron is a good heat conductor - you can observe it when you put an iron skillet over a burner of a stove that has been turned on. 

When feeling cold, it's good to have a boyfriend nearby - when he hugs you and your body becomes warm, you'll see that human body is a good heat conductor too! 


alloy - a substance composed of metal+metal or metal+nonmetal

Bronze is an alloy consisting of copper and tin.

Produced from a combination of polymers and metallic alloys, it is highly corrosion resistant and almost maintenance free. [Oxford Learner's Dictionary online]


to instill sth - to infuse slowly or gradually into the mind or feelings

The spooky atmosphere of the graveyard instilled fear in her as she was passing by. 

His wife's late arrivals at home instilled suspicion in his mind.


illicit trade route - a way through which illegally sold products are transported

Columbia is notorious for its intricate net of illicit drug trade routes. 

The police is aiming to work out secret illicit trade routes. 


misconduct - unacceptable or improper behaviour, especially by an employee or professional person

Mike was suspended for misconduct - he came to work completely drunk. 

Misconduct in the workplace can be a reason for disciplinary dismissal. 


to mount pressure on sb - to insist on somebody doing sth, taking up an action, starting to handle with a problem etc.

Environmentalists are mounting pressure on authorities to make them take up definite actions aiming to a reduction in air pollution.

Nurses are mounting pressure on the Polish government in order to obtain higher salaries. 

TED Talk of the week: Ann Morgan and her 'Reading the World in a Year" adventure.

Ann Morgan - My year reading a book from every country in the world
 
http://www.ted.com/talks/ann_morgan_my_year_reading_a_book_from_every_country_in_the_world?language=en

VOCABULARY: 

primed to do sth : prepared to act in a situation (because one has been given relevant information on it)  -> to prime: make sth ready for action or use

Having received a report on the situation on the front, the troop was primed to attack the enemy. 

Wooden furniture should be primed before painting. 

upshot (the upshot is that...) : the final or eventual outcome or conclusion of an action, discussion, series of events etc.

The discussion turned out to be completely pointless, as there was no upshot of it. 

The upshot of the series of terrorist attacks in France will remain unknown until the French government decides what measures should be implemented as a response. 

go to (great) lenghts to do sth : to work very hard to accomplish sth, to make great efforts trying to do sth

Mark went to great lenghts to succeed in his bar examination - he barely slept and spent most of his time craming.

If you want to lose weight, prepare for going to great lenghts to reach your goal - it always is a huge struggle. 

to go out of one's way to do sth : to do sth that inconveniences one, to make an unusual effort to accomplish sth

Please don't go out of your way to make me feel better. I have to handle my problems on my own.

Although I didn't feel like preparing a birthday party for my mother-in-law, I went out of my way to do it, because I wanted my wife to be happy. 

 

wordsmith : a skilled user of words

I love reading Shakespeare! In my opinion, he was the greatest wordsmith in the history of the English literature!

This boyfriend of yours is a true wordsmith, but I'm afraid that behind his sophisticated speech there's not much relevant content. 

 

cumulatively :1) in a way that increases in quantity, degree or force by successive additions

 Blogbogs are a great way to expand cumulatively your range of English vocabulary.

2) taken as a whole, in combination

Cumulatively, we have earned 19,000,000 zlotys this year, taking into account all sources of income.

 

incentive  : a thing that motivates or encourages sb to do sth

Young people in ageing european societies need a proper incentive to be more willing to have children.

I felt ashamed to come up and speak to Joseph, but seeing Madeleine approaching to him was a sufficient incentive to get my act together. 

TED Talk - Andrew McAfee - What will future jobs look like?

TED Talk of the week - Andrew McAfee - What will future jobs look like? 

https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_mcafee_what_will_future_jobs_look_like 

VOCABULARY:

gratuitous - being without apparent reason, cause, or justification

You really shouldn't charge him with such gratuitous accusations.

The assumptions behind the Hay diet remain gratuitous - there has been no scientific proof that avoiding mixing carbohydrates and proteins in one meal slows down metabolism. 

troubleshooter - 1) skilled worker employed to locate trouble and make repairs in machinery and technical equipment; 2) a person skilled at solving or anticipating problems, difficulties or disagreements

He has worked as a diplomatic troubleshooter in the Middle East conflict. 

The servers are down again, I'm afraid. I've already called the troubleshooter to help us fixing the problem. 

drudgery - hard or dull work, esp. not requiring a lot of skill and lacking prestige

Nowadays, mechanisation of agriculture largely relieved the farmers from their drudgery. 

I was fed up with that corporate drudgery, so I quitted and now, I'm happy as a freelance worker. 

toil – exhausting physical labour

 

Used to everyday toil but not fit for dance, he felt clumsy at the party thrown by Lady Susan. 

 She seemed feeble and delicate, but she dealt well with the toil of the country life.

 

dystopian vision – an imaginary perception of a place where everything is as bad as it can be

People fear that in the future, robots will take over our jobs, but I wouldn't produce such dystopian visions - I believe that the human factor will remain a fundament of economy. 

Orwell's visions of the future society were characteristic for dystopian novels.  

turn sb out – fig. to train or produce someone with certain skills or talents. 

 

 Nowadays, public universities turn out too many philosophers and psychologists, while the demand for these specialists has already been met. 

Eton College turned out many prominent personalities, among which we count numerous British Prime Ministers, writers, scientists and actors.