subject: Is Trivia Big On Small Talk? [print this page] Arabic is harder to learn than other languages. Researchers at the University of Haifa tested the reading speed and accuracy of Arabic, Hebrew and English in children and adults, as well as in those for whom Arabic was their native language. The results showed that although both sides of the brain are involved in reading Hebrew and English, only the left side is involved in reading Arabic. Identifying the location and number of dots is critical in differentiating Arabic letters, but it's too complex for the right brain. Thus learning Arabic takes longer because we're not "right-minded".
We may be budget-minded choosing an airline, but what passengers pay for air travel has nothing to do with their satisfaction. According to a USA TODAY analysis of government and consumer survey data dating back to 2004, passengers rank discount airlines higher in quality and service than the traditional, big-network airlines. JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier ranked among the top airlines while US Airways, United, Delta and American ranked lowest. Newer planes and service are what affected consumer satisfaction and consumer satisfaction leads to an improved bottom-line for airline earnings. Of course, bigger airline seats would improve passengers' "bottom-line".
High fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in soft drinks and many other foods, may not improve "bottom-lines", but it may get a new name. Because Americans' concerns about health and obesity have reduced consumption to a 20-year low, the Corn Refiners Association wants to rename high fructose corn syrup "corn sugar". Although a decision by the FDA could take until 2012, renaming other products has been successful. Euric acid rapeseed oil became much more popular after being renamed "canola oil" in 1988 and prunes were renamed "dried plums" in 2000. Basically, the makers of high fructose corn syrup want to "sugarcoat" its image.
An image wasn't enough for a Dutch contractor. He spent over 5 years building a working replica of Noah's Ark to the exact scale given in the Bible. The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. A cubic is an ancient measurement equal to approximately 20.3 inches. Thus the ark is about two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a 3-story house. There's a petting zoo on the top deck, life-size animal models in the hold, a 50-seat theater near the keel and a massive central door where visitors can enter two-by-two.
