每日口說挑戰【經濟學人】基因編輯大幅降低化妝品的成本 (Gene Editing Technology in Cosmetics Industry)

[Transcript]

Today’s story is brought to you by The Economist. Hey folks, today we’ll be discussing an interesting topic — how gene-editing could reduce the cost of cosmetics. Some may be thrilled, thinking “yes, cheaper cosmetics!”, while others worry about the potential harms of artificial chemicals. Is the cosmetics industry finally about to get a makeover? Well, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s been going on forever now. For centuries, the industry has exploited natural resources by extracting ingredients from animals and plants.

Take the chemical substance “squalane” for example. Humans have hunted sharks for the plentiful supply of an oil they produce in rich quantities called "squalene". Squalene, which is commonly turned into a chemical called "squalane", is a key ingredient in skincare products that has been used for decades. If you've ever used sunscreen or moisturizer, chances are pretty good that the product contains squalane. Yup, feel free to go check it now. Luckily, scientists have come up with alternatives to save these poor sharks.

We can actually replace the production of all the squalene in the world, replace three million sharks that are killed by simply using sugar cane that's grown on one square kilometer of land. Yup, that's it. Sugar is used as the main energy source to fuel this new chemical reaction and the process has a less environmental impact on the natural world than hunting sharks.

Another example would be rose oil, which is used in perfumes. It takes around 200,000 petals to make five milliliters of rose oil. Forget about the roses for a second, think about the land usage and the water usage that comes along with it, which has become increasingly problematic with the changing climate. And yes, there is a new solution to this issue, thanks to our scientists once again, you’ll find out how they did it in today’s video. But we really have to ask ourselves, why are we spending so much time and resources coming up with solutions, while we keep on causing all kinds of trouble? Like an endless cycle.

[Sentence of the day]

Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.

[Vocabulary words]

1. potential
someone's or something's ability to develop, achieve, or succeed

i.e. I don’t know... I don't feel I'm achieving my full potential in my present job.
不曉得耶，我覺得目前的工作沒有完全發揮我的潛力。

2. derive
to take or receive something from something else

i.e. Many English words are actually derived from the French language.
許多英文字其實源自於法語。

3. ingredient
one of the parts to make up something
i.e. The list of ingredients included 200 grams of almonds.
清單上列出的材料包括200克的杏仁。
i.e. Trust is a vital ingredient in a successful marriage.
信任是婚姻幸福的重要因素。



Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
Leave me a comment down below to share your thoughts and ideas.
Today’s episode is brought to you by The Economist.
This is Ken Miao. I’ll see you again next week. Bye.

Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.

關於squalene, squalane, 這篇文介紹得很清楚
https://www.medpartner.club/squalane-squalene-moisture-myth/?amp=1

Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients. 基因編輯技術 有可能取代全部取自動物的成份。
◆ edit [ˋɛdɪt] (vt.)編輯,校訂;剪輯,剪接(影片,錄音等);主編(報紙,雜誌等),擔任(出版物等)的編輯
◆ derive [dɪˈraɪv]
(vt.)取得,得到;衍生出,導出;引申出,推知[(+from)]
(vi.)起源,由來;衍生,導出[(+from)]
◆ potential [pəˈtɛnʃəl]
(n.)可能性,潛力,潛能;[物]勢,位,電勢,電位;[文]潛在語氣
(adj.)潛在的,可能的;[物]勢的,位的,電壓的;[文]表示可能性的
◆ ingredient [ɪnˈɡridiənt] (n.)(混合物的)組成部分,(烹調的)原料 ;(構成)要素,因素

Today’s story is brought to you by The Economist. Hey folks, today we’ll be discussing an interesting topic — how gene-editing could reduce the cost of cosmetics([kɑzˋmɛtɪks]化妝品). Some may be thrilled(非常興奮的), thinking “yes, cheaper cosmetics!”, while others worry about the potential harms(傷害n.) of artificial(人工的) chemicals(化學物). Is the cosmetics industry finally about to get a makeover(改造,大革新)? Well, let’s not kid(哄騙v.) ourselves, it’s been going on forever now. For centuries, the industry has exploited(exploit[ɪkˋsplɔɪt]開發v.) natural resources by extracting(extract[ɪkˋstrækt]提取v.) ingredients from animals and plants. Take the chemical substance “squalane(角鯊烷)” for example. Humans have hunted(獵捕) sharks for the plentiful(豐富的) supply of an oil they produce in rich quantities called "squalene(角鯊烯)". Squalene, which is commonly turned into a chemical called "squalane", is a key ingredient in skincare products that has been used for decades. If you've ever used sunscreen(防曬用品) or moisturizer([ˋmɔɪstʃəraɪzɚ]潤膚產品), *chances are(有可能) pretty good that the product contains squalane. Yup, feel free to go check it now. Luckily, scientists have come up with alternatives(替代物) to save these poor sharks.

☺Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.
基因編輯技術有可能取代所有這些動物身上取得的成分。
【心得】戴口罩後連防曬乳都沒在擦了:p

今天忘了錄音，現在才想起來…

Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.

DAY 1301
Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.

Gene editing technology has the potential to replace all of these animal-derived ingredients.
基因編輯技術有可能取代所有這些取自動物的成分。