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Readers response: What airline will you always prefer to travel with?

<p>When it comes to travelling, many people have their preferences of their favourite airline after past good experiences.</p> <p>Many seasoned travellers always opt to fly with their preferred airline (when it's possible), instead of running the risk of an uncomfortable experience. </p> <p>We asked our readers which airline they will always prefer to travel with, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Irene Hood</strong> - Singapore Airlines. Lovely cabin crew, smooth flights every time.</p> <p><strong>David Slattery</strong> - Had quite a few nice flights with Turkish, both short and long haul.</p> <p><strong>Sue Packer</strong> - Just came back from Europe with Emirates, great service, great food and the plane left on time!</p> <p><strong>Rick Kehoe</strong> - Qantas if available. I have never had a bad flight experience after many flights both domestic and international.</p> <p><strong>Anita Thornton</strong> - Finnair is a great airline!</p> <p><strong>Diane Green</strong> - For overseas travel, Japan airlines gave the best service. For domestic, Virgin.</p> <p><strong>George Jan Cafcakis</strong> - Qatar! It’s definitely the best.</p> <p><strong>Russell Campbell</strong> - Singapore, but I just travelled on Vietnam Airlines and they were also good.</p> <p><strong>Goldie Kilford</strong> - Air New Zealand for sure. </p> <p><strong>Peter King</strong> - Safety: Qantas. Service: Qatar. On time: Lufthansa &amp; Swiss. Friendly Crews: Fiji Air and Air New Zealand. Best Cattle Class Seat Pitches: All Nippon, Korean, Japan. Worst Airline: Jetstar!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Tips

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Woman “bullied” on plane over budget seating trick

<p dir="ltr">A young woman has recalled a flight from hell when she was “bullied” by a couple who were trying to utilise a seating hack that went viral on TikTok. </p> <p dir="ltr">The solo traveller took to Reddit to recount the story and ask social media users if she was in the wrong for her action. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman began by saying she usually pays more to select her plane seat ahead of time, but a medical emergency on another plane had her waiting on standby and left with no option other than to sit in a middle seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she was finally able to board, she was greeted by a couple who had purchased both the window and aisle seats in a bid to have more space, utilising a travel “trick” that has been popular on TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">The method, which has been dubbed the 'poor man's business class', usually leaves travellers with an empty middle seat and more space, and few travellers opt to pick a middle seat. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When I got to my row the man and woman were chatting and sharing a snack... it was obvious they were together. I mentioned to the man that I'm in the middle, and he got up to let me in,” the unsuspecting traveller wrote on Reddit.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked them if they would prefer to sit together, I said I was totally okay with that. The woman reacted rudely to this and said ‘you're not supposed to be sitting here anyway’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After noticing how the plane was full, she offered to show the pair her new ticket with the correct seat number on it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She flicked her hand at my ticket and made a disgusted sound. I offered again if they wanted to sit together to which she didn't reply, her partner said it's okay and... made some small talk,” she continued. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man’s girlfriend then interrupted their conversation to ask,”'Did you use one of those third party websites to book your flight? It's so frustrating when people cheap out to inconvenience others.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The American woman explained that she had booked her flight directly and she had been placed on standby like everyone else and didn't choose the middle seat - she was assigned it.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then tried to keep the peace by refusing to engage with the furious woman.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was so done with her attitude, I put my headphones on and attempted to do my own thing,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the “entitled” girlfriend wasn't letting it go, as the woman explained, “This woman kept reaching over me and tapping her partner and trying to talk to him in a way that was super intrusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could tell even her partner was trying to engage her less so that she would hopefully stop, but she didn't.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think they tried to pull that tactic where they don't sit together on purpose...hoping no one will sit between them. But on full flights it doesn't work. And even so - it's not the other person's fault.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The traveller's post was met with hundreds of comments slamming the girlfriend’s behaviour, as one person wrote, “It's like a toddler having a tantrum.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was disappointed and a total a**hole. Gross entitled people,” another added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another person applauded the traveller’s level-headed behaviour, writing, “Wow! You are my hero for keeping it classy - I’m afraid I would not have been as kind as you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Dog people vs cat people: what your pet preference says about you

<p>Ask anybody whether they’re a cat or a dog person, and chances are, they’ve got a quick answer. But does your pet preference actually say much about your true personality? Well, there’s an increasing body of research that suggests it might.</p> <p><strong>Dog people are more extraverted</strong></p> <p>A 2010 study confirms the pervading cultural belief that dog people are more outgoing and social. Psychologist Sam Gosling at the University of Texas at Austin conducted a study with 4,500 participants answering questions that measured their personality inclinations among the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They also indicated whether they considered themselves a cat person, dog person, both or neither.</p> <p>Dog people scored higher on extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness whereas cat people were more neurotic and open, which in this context means creative, philosophical and open to non-traditional ways of thinking.</p> <p>“Once you know the findings, it kind of falls into place,” Gosling noted. “You think, of course, agreeableness and extraversion – dogs are companionable, they hang out, they like to be with you, they like your company, whereas cats like it for as long as they want it, and then they're off.”</p> <p><strong>Cat people scored higher in intelligence</strong></p> <p>In a 2014 study involving 600 college students led by Denise Guastello, an associate professor of psychology at Carroll University in Wisconsin, found dog owners were more lively, outgoing and rule-following, while cat owners are more introverted, sensitive, non-conformist and scored higher on intelligence tests.</p> <p>“It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they’re going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog,” said Guastello. “Whereas, if you’re more introverted, and sensitive, maybe you’re more at home reading a book, and your cat doesn’t need to go outside for a walk.”</p> <p>Interestingly, the study also found the different qualities the pet owners valued in their dogs or cats: 38 per cent of dog lovers reported companionship was the best quality of canines, while 45.6 per cent of cat lovers said affection was the top cat trait.</p> <p>However, ultimately these studies are of course, generalisations and the traits don’t apply to all dog owners or cat owners. And in the end, what does it matter – each pet owner loves animals and that in itself says a lot more about a person!</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Why smart people prefer fewer friends

<p>While we know that loneliness can be bad for our health, it seems that not everyone wants to be surrounded by a big group of friends. For those with a higher IQ, in fact, a smaller circle of friends is preferred.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26847844">In their study of wellbeing</a></strong></span> published in the British Journal of Psychology, researchers looked at what it is that makes people happy. Using a group of 15,000 people aged 18 to 28, they found that those living in more densely populated areas deemed themselves a being less satisfied with their quality of life. They then looked at the number of interactions the people had with their inner circle of friends, and it appeared that the more connections they made, the happier they reported being.</p> <p>However there was a significant exception to this ‘more is better’ approach to friendship. For those with the highest IQs, the correlation went the other way – they were less likely to claim to be satisfied with their quality of life if they were interacting with their friendship group more often.</p> <p>Does this sound familiar? Do you know some very smart people (or you may even be the smart one) who prefer to spend time on their own rather than being out and about with friends? It seems that for the super intelligent, spending time socialising can be seen as a missed opportunity to better oneself. Meaning that instead of going to a party or a film, they would prefer to spend time studying, reading, or partaking in activities that will help them achieve their own personal goals.</p> <p>These are the people who would stay home to study when everyone else was going on a road trip for the weekend. The person who started their own business and spent every spare minute they had on it. They would even miss special occasions as they were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn’t notice the time.</p> <p>So if you are on the receiving end of a ‘no thank you’ to your invitation to socialise from your high IQ pal, now you know not to take it personally. It’s not that they don’t see friendship as valuable and important, they just really value their own time and space to try and reach their goals.</p> <p>Have you noticed that your highly intelligent friends tend to socialise less? Or are you the smart one that tends to pull away in order to focus on your own pursuits?</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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Artificial intelligence could sway your dating and voting preferences

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>AI algorithms on our computers and smartphones have quickly become a pervasive part of everyday life, with relatively little attention to their scope, integrity, and how they shape our attitudes and behaviours.</p> <p>Spanish researchers have now shown experimentally that people’s voting and dating preferences can be manipulated depending on the type of persuasion used.</p> <p>“Every day, new headlines appear in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) has overtaken human capacity in new and different domains,” <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249454" target="_blank">write</a> Ujue Agudo and Helena Matute, from the Universidad de Deusto, in the journal <em>PLOS ONE</em>.</p> <p>“This results in recommendation and persuasion algorithms being widely used nowadays, offering people advice on what to read, what to buy, where to eat, or whom to date,” they add.</p> <p>“[P]eople often assume that these AI judgements are objective, efficient and reliable; a phenomenon known as <em>machine bias</em>.”</p> <p>But increasingly, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6404/751.full" target="_blank">warning bells</a> are sounding about how people could be influenced on vital issues. Agudo and Matute note, for instance, that companies such as Facebook and Google have been <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/18/a-digital-gangster-destroying-democracy-the-damning-verdict-on-facebook" target="_blank">accused </a>of manipulating democratic elections.</p> <p>And while some people may be wary of explicit attempts to sway their judgements, they could be influenced without realising it.</p> <p>“[I]t is not only a question of whether AI could influence people through explicit recommendation and persuasion, but also of whether AI can influence human decisions through more covert persuasion and manipulation techniques,” the researchers write.</p> <p>“Indeed, some studies show that AI can make use of human heuristics and biases in order to manipulate people’s decisions in a subtle way.”</p> <p>A famous <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11421" target="_blank">experiment</a> on voting behaviour in the US, for instance, showed how Facebook messages swayed political opinions, information seeking and votes of more than 61 million people in 2010, a phenomenon they say was demonstrated again in 2012 elections.</p> <p>In another example, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/33/E4512.full.pdf" target="_blank">manipulating the order </a>of political candidates in search engines or boosting someone’s profile to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://core.ac.uk/display/132807884" target="_blank">enhance their familiarity </a>and credibility are other covert ploys that can funnel votes to selected candidates.  </p> <p>Worryingly, as Agudo and Matute point out, these strategies tend to go unnoticed, so that people are likely to think they made their own minds up and don’t realise they’ve been played.</p> <p>Yet public research on the impact of these influences is way behind the private sector.</p> <p>“Companies with potential conflicts of interest are conducting private behavioural experiments and accessing the data of millions of people without their informed consent,” they write, “something unthinkable for the academic research community.”</p> <p>While some studies have shown that AI can influence people’s moods, friendships, dates, activities and prices paid online, as well as political preferences, research is scarce, the pair says, and has not disentangled explicit and covert influences.</p> <p>To help address this, they recruited more than 1300 people online for a series of experiments to investigate how explicit and covert AI algorithms influence their choice of fictitious political candidates and potential romantic partners.</p> <p>Results showed that explicit, but not covert, recommendation of candidates swayed people’s votes, while secretly manipulating their familiarity with potential partners influenced who they wanted to date.</p> <p>Although these results held up under various approaches, the researchers note the possibilities are vast. “The number of variables that might be changed, and the number of biases that an algorithm could exploit is immense,” they write.</p> <p>“It is important to note, however, that the speed with which human academic scientists can perform new experiments and collect new data is very slow, as compared to the easiness with which many AI companies and their algorithms are already conducting experiments with millions of human beings on a daily basis through the internet.”</p> <p>Private companies have immense resources and are unfettered in their pursuit of the most effective algorithms, they add. “Therefore, their ability to influence decisions both explicitly and covertly is certainly much higher than shown in the present research.”</p> <p>The pair draws attention to the European Union’s Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI and DARPA’s explainable AI program as examples of initiatives to increase people’s trust of AI. But they assert that won’t address the dearth of information on how algorithms can manipulate people’s decisions.</p> <p>“Therefore, a human-centric approach should not only aim to establish the critical requirements for AI’s trustworthiness,” they write, “but also to minimise the consequences of that trust on human decisions and freedom.</p> <p>“It is of critical importance to educate people against following the advice of algorithms blindly,” they add, as well as public discussion on who should own the masses of data which are used to create persuasive algorithms.</p> <em>Image credits: Shutterstock            <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=148292&amp;title=Artificial+intelligence+could+sway+your+dating+and+voting+preferences" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication -->          </em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-could-sway-your-dating-and-voting-preferences/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Natalie Parletta.</em></p> </div> </div>

Technology

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Travel expert’s tip for ultimate plane seat preference

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A travel blogger has shared her Holy Grail tip for getting the most out of a plane journey by having extra space. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chelsea Dickenson, who goes by @cheapholidayexp on social media, has been sharing her holiday tips and tricks to help travellers get the most out of their holidays for years, but her latest plane hack has proven to be very popular. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The savvy traveller revealed how people travelling in pairs can secure a whole row of seats to themselves on a plane, by using a common superstition to their advantage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Chelsea’s video that she shared to TikTok and Instagram, she explained that when booking seats on a plane for two people, it’s important to look for an empty row of three seats. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CU4wk9RI50_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CU4wk9RI50_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chelsea | Cheap Holiday Expert (@cheapholidayexp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once a free row is found, the pair should book their seats on the window side and aisle side, leaving one free seat in the middle. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Chelsea, it’s unlikely someone would book a single seat in the middle of two others. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She also suggests booking towards the back of the plane, as the front rows often fill up the quickest. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Surprisingly, one way travellers are almost guaranteed to have the empty seat remain free is to book in the 13th row, as the number is shrouded in superstition! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Chelsea says this hack doesn’t always work, if the middle seat is booked you can always ask the solo traveller if they would like to switch so you can be seated next to your holiday partner. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video has garnered over 300,000 views across her social media channels, with many viewers pledging to try the hack in their future travels. Give it a whirl!</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Shutterstock / Instagram @cheapholidayexp</span></em></p>

Travel Tips

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Why mosquitoes prefer to bite some people over others

<p>It’s always you, isn’t it? The person busy swatting away buzzing backyard mosquitoes or nursing an arm full of itchy red lumps after a weekend camping trip.</p> <p>You’re not imagining it – mosquitoes really are attracted to some people more than others.</p> <p><strong>Why do mosquitoes need blood?</strong></p> <p>Only female mosquitoes bite. They do it for the nutrition contained in blood, which helps develop their eggs.</p> <p>Mosquitoes don’t just get blood from people. They’re actually far more likely to get it from biting animals, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-australian-wildlife-spread-and-suppress-ross-river-virus-107267">birds</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-18/australian-geographic-nature-photographer-of-the-year-winners/7753248">frogs</a> and reptiles. They even <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-018-0096-5">bite earthworms</a>.</p> <p>But some mosquitoes specifically target people. One of the worst culprits is the <em>Aedes aegypti</em> species, which spreads <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/index.html">dengue</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/">yellow fever</a> viruses.</p> <p>Another that prefers humans are the <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes, responsible for spreading the parasites that cause <a href="https://www.who.int/malaria/en/">malaria</a>.</p> <p><strong>How do mosquitoes find us?</strong></p> <p>Most mosquitoes will get their blood from whatever is around and don’t necessarily care if they’re biting one person or another.</p> <p>Although it’s our blood they’re after, there is no strong indicator they prefer a particular blood type over another. Some studies have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/41/4/796/885285">suggested they prefer people with type O blood</a> but that’s unlikely to be the case for all types of mosquitoes.</p> <p>Whether we’re picked out of a crowd may come down to heavy breathing and skin smell.</p> <p>When they need blood, mosquitoes can pick up on the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-entomological-research/article/role-of-carbon-dioxide-in-hostfinding-by-mosquitoes-diptera-culicidae-a-review/2506B86EF63852B2D02EC3FCEE1E3B8B">carbon dioxide</a> we exhale. Around the world, carbon dioxide is one of the most common “baits” used to attract and collect mosquitoes. If you’re exhaling greater volumes of carbon dioxide, you’re probably an easier target for mosquitoes.</p> <p>When the mosquito gets closer, she is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214574517300342">responding to a range of stimuli</a>.</p> <p>Perhaps it’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471492210002618">body heat and sweat</a>: exercise that increases body temperature and perspiration can attract mosquitoes.</p> <p>Perhaps it’s body size: studies indicate <a href="https://academic.oup.com/trstmh/article/96/2/113/1909983">pregnant women are more likely to be bitten</a> by mosquitoes.</p> <p>How hairy are you? Mosquitoes may have a tough job finding a path through to your skin if there is an abundance of body hair.</p> <p>More than anything else, though, it’s about the smell of your skin. Hundreds of chemicals are sweated out or emitted by our body’s bacteria. The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214574517300536">cocktail of smells they create</a> will either attract or deter mosquitoes.</p> <p><strong>It’s not just who they bite but where</strong></p> <p>Mosquitoes could also have a preference for different parts of the body.</p> <p>One study showed mosquitoes are more attracted to hands and feet <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep27141">than armpits</a>, but that just turned out to be because of deodorant residues.</p> <p>Mosquitoes may also be more attracted to our feet: studies have shown cheese sharing similar bacteria to that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15275226">found between our toes</a> attracts mosquitoes!</p> <p><strong>Who is to blame for this misery?</strong></p> <p>It’s not your diet. There is no evidence that what you eat or drink will prevent mosquito bites. Some food or drink may subtly change how many mosquitoes are likely to bite you but it won’t make that much difference.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/9/4/129">Eating bananas</a> or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2832015/">drinking beer</a> has been shown to marginally increase the attraction of mosquitoes but the results aren’t enough to suggest any dietary change will reduce your mosquito bites. That’s why our supermarket shelves aren’t full of “mozzie repellent” pills.</p> <p>Your irresistibility to mosquitoes may not be your fault. Blame your parents. Studies have shown the chemicals responsible for the “<a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/2230769">skin smell</a>” that attracts mosquitoes has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4406498/">a high level of heritability</a> when twins are exposed to biting mosquitoes.</p> <p><strong>What can you do about it?</strong></p> <p>We have to be careful about generalisations. There are thousands of types of mosquitoes around the world and all will have a different preference for what or who to bite. And the attraction of individuals and the scenario that plays out in one part of the world may be much different in another.</p> <p>Remember, it only takes one mosquito bite to transmit a pathogen that could make you sick. So whether you’re a mosquito magnet or feeling a little invisible because you’re not bitten so often, don’t be complacent and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-best-and-worst-ways-to-beat-mosquito-bites-70274">use insect repellents</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128788/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Lecturer and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/feel-like-youre-a-mozzie-magnet-its-true-mosquitoes-prefer-to-bite-some-people-over-others-128788">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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Why David Bowie always preferred to cruise rather than fly

<p>The Thin White Duke was a big fan of cruising, but the reason might surprise you.</p> <p>In the early 1970s David Bowie was on a stormy flight that triggered a severe fear of flying. For years afterwards, he refused to set foot on a plane. He was quoted as saying at the time “If it flies, it’s death. I won’t fly because I’ve had a premonition I’ll be killed in a plane crash if I do. If nothing happens by 1976 I’ll start to fly again.”</p> <p>The only problem was, Bowie has a huge world tour on the books beginning in 1972. The British singer-songwriter was now popular in the USA and was about to embark on his first ever tour, the Ziggy Stardust Tour. The 83-day tour criss-crossed the country, covering more than 25,000 kilometres with concerts in New York City, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. And all of it was done by road or rail.</p> <p>Once the US tour was completed, the next stop was Japan. So Bowie and his crew boarded a ship to cruise across the Pacific. He then completed the Japanese leg of his tour by land. To return home to the UK, Bowie chose a journey on one of the world’s most iconic trains, the Trans-Siberian Express.</p> <p>Over the years, Bowie continued to tour around the world and – even though his 1976 deadline had passed – he often used cruise ships when he had the time. He sailed on the famous QE2 as well as the SS Leonardo Da Vinci, the Canberra and the Oronsay. Often he would give impromptu acoustic performances for the passengers and crew while onboard.</p>

Cruising

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If you prefer this seat you're selfish

<p>While the middle seat on planes generally doesn’t win many fans, travellers are generally fiercely divided about what offers the better option out of the aisle or window seat.</p> <p>And according to phycologists, your preference says a lot about your personality:</p> <p><strong>If you choose an aisle seat</strong></p> <p>According to University of Washington professor Jonathan Bricker, PhD, if you chose an aisle seat you’re generally going to be someone who values their freedom.</p> <p>“You know you have the ability to get up and walk around without having to ask anyone or climb over your seat mate,” Professor Bricker says.</p> <p>But apparently also be a sign of an introversion</p> <p>Professor Bricker added: “In a large group of people, introverts feel physically uncomfortable and tend to want to stay on the periphery — they don’t like to be surrounded by people or objects on all sides.”</p> <p><strong>If you choose a window seat</strong></p> <p>The window seat is a tricky one. It’s arguably the comfiest seat on the plane with the extra gap between the armrest and the wall, and a spot to lean on. But the person sitting here also has to ask whenever they’re going to the bathroom.</p> <p>“Passengers who favour the window seat like to be in control, tend to take an ‘every man for themselves’ attitude towards life, and are often more easily irritable,” Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Street’s Private Therapy Clinic told The Telegraph.</p> <p>“They also like to ‘nest’ and prefer to exist in their own bubble.”</p> <p>Behavioural Psychologist Jo Hemmings added: “Champions of the window seat tend to be more selfish as well as less anxious, seasoned flyers who are more confident in disturbing others.”</p> <p>What do you prefer, aisle or window?</p>

International Travel

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Why I prefer river cruises over ocean cruises

<p>The flamboyant and courageous among us demand oceans. The more introspective prefer rivers: slow moving, intimate landscapes, centuries of history.</p> <p>On a river cruise, the living is easy. Especially aboard Avalon Waterways' Passion as it placidly wends through the 69 locks between Amsterdam and Budapest - or Budapest and Amsterdam, if you prefer - on the Rhine and the Danube.</p> <p>I preferred the former, along with 159 other passengers and 55 crew, beginning on a crisp April day in 2017. I unpacked once in my cosy bolt hole and sailed for 15 days through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and, finally, Hungary before I even thought about the suitcase hidden under the bed. It's hard to beat Amsterdam in April - that's when the vast fields of tulips bloom. The bands of colour stretch past the chartered bus window for those of us who've signed up for the Keukenhof Gardens tour.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40300/in-text-1_497x280.jpg" alt="In Text 1 (14)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>The castle in Bemberg, Bavaria, Germany. Image credit: Deborah Sloan.</em></p> <p>And that is the beauty of these small river cruise tours. You can do as much or as little as you like. You can take the extra tours offered each day - in Avalon Waterways' case, paying about €50 or so - or stick to the included guided tours of every city/town/village/ruin you encounter along the 15-day way.</p> <p>You actually don't even have to leave the boat. Sit in the comfort of your cabin, or the lounges both fore and aft, or up on the top deck, or in the dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and watch the world go by. And what a world - ancient castles rear up on rocky hillsides, ancient villages squat solidly at their bases, church steeples punctuate like exclamation points. Ignore the occasional car (and the sumptuous surroundings of the Avalon Passion) and you could be sailing through a Renaissance landscape, even a Medieval one.</p> <p>And since the number of passengers is small, you soon make friends to spend time with. Avalon is known for its good mix of nationalities, unlike some cruise lines that advertise almost solely in America or Britain. </p> <p>And then there's the food. Full cooked breakfast or just a quick danish, a carved roast at every luncheon or just a warming bowl of soup, then full-on dinners with a choice in three to four courses. The chef designs menus to match the countryside, so Germany saw bratwurst and sauerkraut, Hungary saw goulash and paprika chicken.</p> <p>Oh - and the daily dose of cake. There's a whole cake hour every day, lodged about halfway between lunch and dinner. And should you get peckish in the middle of the night, there's one small lounge constantly stocked with cookies, doughnuts and danishes. Coffee and tea, too, of course.</p> <p>Then there's the wine - or beer, should you prefer. Endless glasses at lunch and at dinner. Indeed, champagne showed up more than once on the breakfast buffet. Plus there's the ridiculously cheap daily happy hour in the lounge. And sometimes demonstrations of more foodstuffs and alcohol as before-dinner entertainment. And music and lectures and documentaries and varied amusements to suit the passing parade.</p> <p>And amid all these calories, a world you would never see otherwise floats by. You sail mainly at night so you can disembark and explore with knowledgeable guides tiny cobblestoned towns of medieval buildings and fortresses and Napoleonic cannonballs lodged willy-nilly. Or antique musical instruments in a museum housed in a 1000-year-old building with remnants of original frescoes gazing down. Or make comparisons between one town's plague monument with the next. Or one town's castle with the next. Or one town's cathedral with the next. Or one town's shopping with the next.</p> <p>Some of these are villages so obscure, the names are hard to retain: Regensburg, Miltenberg, Bamberg, Durnstein. You see a few big cities - Amsterdam, Vienna, Cologne, Nuremburg, Budapest - but mostly it's just small places, built in stone with marks on the walls to show the height of various floods over the centuries.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40299/in-text-2_497x280.jpg" alt="In Text 2 (10)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>The old bridge in Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany. Wurzburg is on the Main, which connects the Rhine and the Danube.</em></p> <p>It's life on a river. And for two weeks, you live life at a meandering, mesmerising pace.</p> <p><strong>MORE INFORMATION <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/%20avalonwaterways.co.nz" target="_blank">avalonwaterways.co.nz</a></span></strong>.</p> <p><strong>GETTING THERE</strong> Multiple airlines fly to Europe. Try Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Emirates or Cathay Pacific. </p> <p><strong>CRUISING THERE</strong> Avalon Waterways offers river cruises across Europe. Check <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.avalonwaterways.co.nz/" target="_blank">avalonwaterways.co.nz</a></strong></span> for current itineraries.</p> <p><em>The writer travelled on her own dime.</em></p> <p><em>Written by Deborah Sloan. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Deborah Sloan.</em></p>

Cruising

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Children prefer to read books on paper rather than screens

<p><em><strong>Margaret Kristin Merga is a lecturer and researcher in adolescent literacy, health promotion and education at Murdoch University. Dr Saiyidi Mat Roni is a lecturer in accounting information system at Edith Cowan Unviersity.</strong></em></p> <p>There is a common perception that children are more likely to read if it is on a device such as an iPad or Kindles. But <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1UgVS1HucdAJy9" target="_blank">new research shows</a></strong></span> that this is not necessarily the case.</p> <p>In a study of children in Year 4 and 6, those who had regular access to devices with eReading capability (such as Kindles, iPads and mobile phones) did not tend to use their devices for reading - and this was the case even when they were daily book readers.</p> <p>Research also found that the more devices a child had access to, the less they read in general.</p> <p>It suggests that providing children with eReading devices can actually inhibit their reading, and that paper books are often still preferred by young people.</p> <p>These findings match <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=381519903117510;res=IELHSS" target="_blank">previous research</a></span></strong> which looked at how teenagers prefer to read. This research found that while some students enjoyed reading books on devices, the majority of students with access to these technologies did not use them regularly for this purpose. Importantly, the most avid book readers did not frequently read books on screens.</p> <p><strong>Why do we think children prefer to read on screens?</strong></p> <p>There is a popular assumption that young people prefer to read on screens. This was mainly driven by education writer Marc Prensky who in 2001 <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/10748120110424816" target="_blank">coined the term “digital natives”</a></span></strong>. This term characterises young people as having high digital literacy and a uniform preference for screen-based reading.</p> <p>But young people do not have a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2465&amp;context=edupapers" target="_blank">uniform set of skills</a></strong></span>, and the contention that screens are preferred is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/3/4/237/pdf" target="_blank">not backed up</a></strong></span> by research.</p> <p>Despite this, the myth has already had <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=381519903117510;res=IELHSS" target="_blank">an impact on book resourcing decisions</a></span></strong> at school and public libraries, both in Australia and in the US, with some libraries choosing to remove all paper books in response to a perceived greater preference for eBooks.</p> <p>But by doing this, libraries are actually limiting young people’s access to their preferred reading mode, which in turn could have a detrimental impact on how often they choose to read.</p> <p>Young people are gaining increasing access to devices through school-promoted programs, and parents face aggressive marketing to stay abreast of educational technologies at home.</p> <p>Schools are motivated to increase device use, with Information and Communication Technology being marked as a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/information-and-communication-technology-capability/introduction/introduction" target="_blank">general capability</a></strong></span> to be demonstrated across every subject area in the Australian Curriculum.</p> <p>The drivers toward screen-based recreational book reading are strong, but they are not well-founded.</p> <p><strong>Why are students more likely to prefer paper books?</strong></p> <p>Reading on devices through an application leaves more room to <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750" target="_blank">be distracted</a></span></strong>, allowing the user to switch between applications.</p> <p>For students who already experience difficulty with attention, the immediate rewards of playing a game may easily outweigh the potentially longer-term benefits of reading.</p> <p>Digital literacy could also be an issue. In order to use a device to read books, children need to know how to use their devices for the purpose of reading books.</p> <p>They need to know how to access free reading material legally through applications such as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank">Overdrive</a></strong></span> or websites such as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/" target="_blank">Project Gutenburg</a></strong></span>.</p> <p><strong>Tips for encouraging your child to read</strong></p> <p>Research shows that reading books is a more effective way to both <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608013000642" target="_blank">improve and retain literacy skills</a></strong></span>, as opposed to simply reading other types of text. Yet international research suggests that young people are <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/48624701.pdf" target="_blank">reading fewer and fewer books</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>While equipping children with devices that have eReading capability is unlikely to encourage them to read, there are a number of strategies, supported by research, that can help encourage children to pick up a book. These include:</p> <ul> <li>Be seen to enjoy reading. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eie.12126/abstract" target="_blank">This study</a></strong></span> found that a number of students did not know if their literacy teachers actually liked reading. Teachers who were keen readers inspired some students to read more often and take an interest in a broader range of books.</li> <li>Create (and regularly access) <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01930826.2016.1185854" target="_blank">reading-friendly spaces</a></strong></span> at home and at school. Loud noises, poor lighting and numerous distractions will not help provide an enjoyable reading experience, and are likely to lead to frustration.</li> <li>Encourage regular <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eie.12026/full" target="_blank">silent reading</a></strong></span> of books at school and at home. Giving children time to read at school not only encourages a routine of reading, but it also may be the only opportunity a child has to read self-selected books for pleasure.</li> <li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0004944114565115" target="_blank">Teachers</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eie.12043/full" target="_blank">parents</a></strong></span> should talk about books, sharing ideas and recommendations.</li> <li>Continue to encourage your child and students to read for pleasure. While we know that children tend to become disengaged with books over time, in some cases this can be due to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eie.12043/abstract" target="_blank">withdrawal of encouragement</a></strong></span> once children can read on their own. This leads children to falsely assume that reading is no longer important for them. Yet reading remains important for both children and adults to build and retain literacy skills.</li> <li>Find out what your child enjoys reading, and support their <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eie.12071/full" target="_blank">access</a></span></strong> to books at school and at home.</li> </ul> <p><em>Written by Margaret Kristin Merga and Saiyidi Mat Roni. First appeared on <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Books

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What do your colour preferences say about you?

<p>It might sound strange, but <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/habits-not-hacks/201408/color-psychology-how-colors-influence-the-mind" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">some psychologists believe</span> </strong></a>there is a strong link between our colour preferences and our personality – so much so that marketing agencies use these findings to appeal to certain types of people.</p> <p>So, what do your colour choices say about you? Take this quiz from <a href="http://www.playbuzz.com/christinayang10/what-does-this-unique-color-test-say-about-your-emotional-state#eightieth" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Playbuzz</span></strong></a> to find out. Simply scroll through the gallery above to see three different colour charts, choose the one that most appeals to you and read your description below.</p> <p><strong>Number 1 – pink colour chart</strong></p> <p>If you picked this combination, you’re outgoing. You’re not afraid to be yourself and you don’t make apologies for just being you. You feel comfortable talking to strangers and rarely have an awkward pause in your conversations.</p> <p><strong>Number 2 – green/blue colour chart</strong></p> <p>If you picked this combination, you’re warm. You light up the room with your air of positivity and always try to leave a good first impression with everyone you meet. People are attracted to your honesty, optimism and how engaging you are.</p> <p><strong>Number 3 – blue/purple colour chart</strong></p> <p>If you picked this combination, you’re bold. You’re not scared to try new things and love a good adventure. You’re able to quash any doubts (whether from others or even yourself) and are willing to fight for what you believe in. You’re determined and don’t stop until you achieve </p>

Mind

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109-year-old woman prefers sweets to men

<p>109-year-old British lady, Nellie Wright, has credited her longevity to her love of sweets over men.</p> <p>The never-been-married centenarian told Yorkshire Post, “I’ve stayed away from men all my life.”</p> <p>She added, “That’s my secret, no men. And living off Jelly Babies – I eat a packet a day.”</p> <p>At her 109th birthday party, she told her guests it was “marvellous” that she had lived this long and that she’s had a “wonderful life”.</p> <p>As part of her birthday presents, which included a few Jelly Babies, Wright also received a special message from the Queen.</p> <p><img width="353" height="235" src="http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/5720da9a1900002e0056c58d.jpeg?cache=fvbdqjb0r8" class="image__src" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/i-found-retirement-overrated/"><em>Retirement is overrated. Here’s what I did instead.</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/man-sells-bakery-to-homeless-man-who-saved-his-life/"><em>French baker to sell business to homeless man for $1.50</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/funny-retirement-gift-ideas/"><em>6 of the funniest retirement gifts</em></a></strong></span></p>

Body

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The craziest roads – most of which we’d prefer to avoid!

<p>If you love nothing more than a driving holiday, then you’d probably love taking a trip on some of these incredible, mind-blowing roads from around the world. From Chile and China to France and the USA, we’ve found crazy roads you’ll find hard to believe even exist. </p> <p><strong>Estrada da Serra do Rio do Rastro - Santa Catarina, Brazil.</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="325" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6550/brazil_500x325.jpg" alt="Brazil"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Estrada de Los Caracoles – Chile</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="499" height="338" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6551/chile_499x338.jpg" alt="Chile"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Tian Men Shan Road – Hunan province, China</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="498" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6552/china_498x375.jpg" alt="China"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Lombard Street – San Francisco, USA</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="278" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6553/sanfran_500x278.jpg" alt="San Fran"/></strong></p> <p><strong><strong>Iroha-zaka Road, Japan</strong></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="378" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6554/japan_500x378.jpg" alt="Japan (3)"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Millau Viaduct; the tallest bridge in the world – River Tarn, France</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="333" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6555/france_500x333.jpg" alt="France"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Judge Harry Pregerson intersection - Los Angeles, USA</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="499" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6557/judgeharry_499x330.jpg" alt="Judge Harry (1)"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Garganta del Dades – Morocco</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="498" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6558/morocco_498x280.jpg" alt="Morocco"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Storeisundet Bridge, Norway</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="424" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6559/norway_500x424.jpg" alt="Norway (1)"/></strong></p> <p><strong>Dalton Highway – USA</strong></p> <p><strong><img width="499" height="332" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/6560/usa_499x332.jpg" alt="USA"/></strong></p> <p> </p>

International Travel