燕山大学 刘立军 编写
TRANSCRIPT
This is Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.
The big hurricanes last summer - Harvey, Irma and Maria - knocked out internet service for many residents. But another threat to the internet is just plain old sea level rise.
"Uh, yeah, I mean some is already happening." Carol Barford, a biogeochemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "There's a lot of data out there that shows that sea level on the coast is rising."
And that, she says, means big problems for internet connectivity in major coastal cities like New York, Seattle and Miami. Barford and her colleagues forecast that danger using a map of global internet networks, along with sea level rise data from NOAA.
"So there are two maps, where's the internet stuff and where's the flooding. And when they're superimposed, where they coincide, there are problems."
Using NOAA's extreme sea level rise estimate, recommended for forecasts involving long-term infrastructure like this, the researchers say that 15 years from now, 4,100 miles of fiber-optic cable could be underwater. And 1,100 internet hubs could be surrounded by water. And remember, our land-based infrastructure isn't waterproof, like transoceanic cables are.
"Seawater comes in, and cabling is not meant to work underwater. So signals will be interrupted and dropped. The actual infrastructure itself might deteriorate." The researchers presented the peer reviewed findings at the Applied Networking Research Workshop in Montreal this week.
They also write that large internet service providers including AT & T, Century Link and Inteliquent face the greatest risk. So if these predictions play out, internet companies need to harden their networks soon, they say. Or we could lose service during the emergency - right when we need it most.
Thanks for listening for Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.
Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/201902/577424.shtml
VOCABULARY
1. biogeochemist n. 生物地球化学家
2. coincide v. (formal) (of objects or places 物品或地方) to meet; to share the same space 相接；相交；同位；位置重合；重叠。例如：
At this point the two paths coincide briefly. 两条小路在这个地方有一小段合在了一起。
The present position of the house coincides with that of an earlier dwelling. 这栋房子现在的位置恰与原住宅的位置一致。
3. infrastructure n. (可数名词, 不可数名词) the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organization to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport and water and power supplies （国家或机构的）基础设施，基础建设
4. fiber-optic n. 光导纤维
5. hub n. (常用单数形式) ~ (of sth.) the central and most important part of a particular place or activity （某地或活动的）中心，核心。例如：
the commercial hub of the city城市的商业中心
to be at the hub of things (= where things happen and important decisions are made) 在核心部门
a hub airport (= a large important one where people often change from one plane to another)大型中转机场
6. waterproof adj. that does not let water through or that cannot be damaged by water 不透水的；防水的；耐水的。例如：
waterproof clothing防水衣
a waterproof camera防水照相机
QUESTIONS
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
This is Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.
The big hurricanes last summer - Harvey, Irma and Maria - knocked out (Q1) _________________ for many residents. But another threat to the internet is just plain old sea level (Q2) ___________.
"Uh, yeah, I mean some is already happening." Carol Barford, a biogeochemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "There's a lot of data out there that shows that sea level on the coast is rising."
And that, she says, means big problems for internet (Q3) _____________________ in major coastal cities like New York, Seattle and Miami. Barford and her colleagues forecast that danger using a map of global internet networks, along with sea level rise data from NOAA.
"So there are two maps, where's the internet stuff and where's the flooding. And when they're superimposed, where they (Q4) _________________, there are problems."
Using NOAA's extreme sea level rise estimate, recommended for forecasts involving long-term infrastructure like this, the researchers say that 15 years from now, 4,100 miles of fiber-optic cable could be underwater. And 1,100 (Q5) ______________________ could be surrounded by water. And remember, our land-based infrastructure isn't (Q6) ___________________, like transoceanic cables are.
"Seawater comes in, and cabling is not meant to work underwater. So signals will be interrupted and (Q7) _________________________. The actual infrastructure itself might deteriorate." The researchers presented the peer reviewed findings at the Applied Networking Research Workshop in Montreal this week.
They also write that large internet service providers including AT & T, Century Link and Inteliquent face the greatest (Q8) _______________. So if these predictions play out, internet companies need to (Q9) __________________________ their networks soon, they say. Or we could (Q10) __________ during the emergency - right when we need it most.
Thanks for listening for Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.
KEY
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
This is Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.
The big hurricanes last summer - Harvey, Irma and Maria - knocked out (Q1) internet service for many residents. But another threat to the internet is just plain old sea level (Q2) rise.
"Uh, yeah, I mean some is already happening." Carol Barford, a biogeochemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "There's a lot of data out there that shows that sea level on the coast is rising."
And that, she says, means big problems for internet (Q3) connectivity in major coastal cities like New York, Seattle and Miami. Barford and her colleagues forecast that danger using a map of global internet networks, along with sea level rise data from NOAA.
"So there are two maps, where's the internet stuff and where's the flooding. And when they're superimposed, where they (Q4) coincide, there are problems."
Using NOAA's extreme sea level rise estimate, recommended for forecasts involving long-term infrastructure like this, the researchers say that 15 years from now, 4,100 miles of fiber-optic cable could be underwater. And 1,100 (Q5) internet hubs could be surrounded by water. And remember, our land-based infrastructure isn't (Q6) waterproof, like transoceanic cables are.
"Seawater comes in, and cabling is not meant to work underwater. So signals will be interrupted and (Q7) dropped. The actual infrastructure itself might deteriorate." The researchers presented the peer reviewed findings at the Applied Networking Research Workshop in Montreal this week.
They also write that large internet service providers including AT & T, Century Link and Inteliquent face the greatest (Q8) risk. So if these predictions play out, internet companies need to (Q9) harden their networks soon, they say. Or we could (Q10) lose service during the emergency - right when we need it most.
Thanks for listening for Scientific American - 60-Second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.