Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Crack Open a Krating Daeng
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TL;DR
This Atlantic Trivia article debunks a common learning retention myth and encourages experiential learning through daily trivia questions. It includes questions on literature, health issues, and beverage history, with answers and related story links.
Key Takeaways
•The 'cone of learning' retention percentages are not scientifically backed but highlight the value of experiential learning.
•Atlantic Trivia offers daily questions to engage readers with stories on topics like stay-at-home dads, Havana syndrome, and Red Bull's origins.
•Answers to trivia questions provide insights into stereotypes, geopolitical issues, and market trends, linking to deeper articles for further reading.
Test your knowledge—and read our latest stories for a little extra help. Illustration by Sophy Hollington There’s an old rule of thumb that you retain about 10 percent of what you read, 20 percent of what you hear, 30 percent of what you see via image or video, and so on up the ladder of experiential learning, until you get to a 90 percent retention rate for the things you learn by doing yourself.
The teeny problem is that none of this is backed by science; it’s a bastardization of the “cone of learning” that the education theorist Edgar Dale developed but never intended to be prescriptive.
But doesn’t it feel right? So don’t just read Atlantic stories. Dothem, with this week’s Atlantic Trivia.
In a 1977 book by Beverly Cleary, what titular little girl suddenly finds herself spending more time with Mr. Quimby, her out-of-work father? — From Eric Magnuson’s essay on literary depictions of stay-at-home dads
What term collectively refers to the mysterious and debilitating health issues that have affected dozens of U.S. personnel in Cuba since the mid-2010s? — From Vivian Salama’s article on where Cuba fits into President Trump’s interventionism
The popular Thai beverage Krating Daeng—named after a horned bovine of Southeast Asia—was adapted for the West in the 1980s by an Austrian businessman who gave it what English name? — From Ellen Cushing’s article on how a certain category of drink is pivoting toward women
And by the way, did you know that the United States once reportedly planned to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro with a booby-trapped seashell? U.S. intelligence knew that Castro was an avid scuba diver, so it allegedly planned to load a particularly irresistible-looking mollusk with explosives and hope that Castro drifted by to investigate.
The scheme stands out as particularly outlandish, which is really saying something: The retired Cuban counterintelligence chief Fabián Escalante alleged that the CIA came up with 638 plans in total to assassinate Castro.
See you tomorrow.
Answers:
Ramona. Magnuson, who recently pulled together what he reckons is literature’s most comprehensive list of stay-at-home dads, notes that Ramona’s time with her father isn’t of particularly high quality; he mostly smokes and watches TV. It’s a sad stereotype of the incompetent at-home dad, Magnuson writes, that persists even decades later. Read more.
Havana syndrome. For decades, Vivian writes, Cuba has been a “persistent and bipartisan annoyance,” and now, after dramatic interventions in Venezuela and Iran, Trump might think he has the momentum to end that annoyance once and for all. She expects that the pressure for regime change will only grow. Read more.
Red Bull. The energy-drink market has transformed time and again since then, Ellen writes. In the early 2000s, it aligned itself with masculinity. After that, energy drinks were all about fitness. Now, in pastels and pinks and such flavors as Guava Lava, Ellen says, the drinks are coming for the ladies. Read more.
How did you do? Come back tomorrow for more questions, and if you think up a great question after reading an Atlantic story—or simply want to share a fact—send it my way at [email protected].
