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Email:
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Everyday life is
full of challenges. Humans do a lot of
things right, but we're all
error-prone. This section is dedicated to making us
all a little less so. |
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Topic |
Text |
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Directional Dilemmas
The human body has two opposite but
essentially equal sides. Few
people have trouble distinguishing up
from down, since head and
feet are clearly different. But when
faced with a decision involving left
or right, there's a 50-50 chance
of getting it right, or wrong! Ditto
for West and East,
clockwise and counterclockwise
and similar either-or options. |
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Left vs. Right
Have you
ever gone left when someone told you to
turn right? Or raised your right hand
when told to raise your left? It seems
like choosing correctly between right
and left would be a simple matter. But
our bilateral bodies and brains
complicate things. |
1 page |
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Gas Tanks Take Sides
When you drive up to a gas station
to fill up your car, are you sure which
side your gas tank spout is on? How about with
an unfamiliar vehicle, like a rental
car? The answer may be right in front of
your nose! |
1 page |
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Daylight Saving
Time
After the switch to Daylight Saving
Time, does it get lighter or darker in
the evening? Lighter or darker in the
morning? How
is daylight "saved"? As the Summer
Solstice approaches, do days get longer
or shorter?
Why
have Daylight Saving Time? |
5 pages |
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Time Zones /
International Dateline
When you travel or phone across time
zones, do you gain or lose time? When
you cross the International Dateline, do
you gain or lose a day? These are
important considerations when you
have connecting flights or don't want
to phone too early or too late. |
2 pages |
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Be Clock Wise
Clockwise
and counterclockwise specify rotational directions, but they are easily
mixed up. To tighten a bolt or close a valve, which
way would you turn it? What if you
were viewing it from behind or the threads were reversed? Which way would turn a
tangled strand to untwist it? |
4 pages |
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Clock Bearings
A
clock bearing is a
direction
based on the numbers on a clock
face.
Where would you look to
avoid an object hurtling towards you
from 10 o'clock? If an object was
directly to your right, which clock
position would that be? |
1 page |
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Compass
Bearings
A compass
bearing is a
direction based on the
points or degrees on a navigational
compass. If you're traveling
South, would West be on your right or
left? Which direction would you face if
you were told to look Northeast? |
1 page |
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Plugs & Batteries
Which way should you rotate a
2-prong polarized plug (one end wider
than the other) so it fits into a 3-hole
receptacle on the first try? When it's
dark and you need to replace a battery
in a device, which end of the battery is
positive? Which way should you insert
it? |
2 pages |
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British Isles
Driving Tips
How to keep out of trouble and
survive when driving on the "wrong"
(left) side of the road! Based on a
experiences gained in May 2006 on a
car tour of England, Wales, Ireland,
& Scotland. Includes advice on trip
planning, road signs, and roundabouts. |
2 pages |
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Number Nuances
Formal mathematics is a challenge for
most everyone, but even everyday dealings with numbers and measurements can be confusing.
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Liquid Measures
When cooking or baking, it's useful
to know liquid measures.
How many teaspoons in a Tablespoon?
How many cups in a
quart?
How much does a gallon of water weigh?
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1 page |
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Celsius vs. Fahrenheit
When traveling, you may be
confronted with an alternate temperature
scale.
30° Celsius is how many degrees
Fahrenheit?
30° Fahrenheit is how many degrees
Celsius?
Which is colder: 30°C or 30°F? |
2 pages |
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Day of the Week
Sometimes, you need to know a future or past day of the week.
If today is Tuesday, which day of the week will it be in 17 days?
If today is Sunday, which day of the week was it 23 days ago? |
1 page |
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Centuries vs. Years
It's easy to get centuries
and years mixed up.
Is 1700 in the 16th, 17th, or 18th
century?
Did the 14th century include
1300, 1400, or 1500?
In which two
centuries did the 50 years from 1775 -
1825 occur? |
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Counting Sequential Items
On the calendar, how many days are there from
December 2 to 6?
In
a book, how many pages are there from
page 10 to 20? |
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