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Education

The Onion Test, Coolant Concerns, Air Bags for Motorcycles, Ibm Mints New Science Teachers

by Linda Wang
September 26, 2005 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 83, Issue 39

The ordure of the day

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Credit: PHOTO BY LINDA WANG
Credit: PHOTO BY LINDA WANG

An onion is an onion, right? not so. According to a Sept. 13 article in USA Today, fast-food chains are finding that visual presentation is almost as important as taste, and an onion's color is no exception.

In an experiment conducted by Pizza Hut, customers overwhelmingly chose pizzas topped with red onions, even though red onions have a more mild taste than yellow onions. In a Subway experiment, researchers found that customers chose red onions to yellow, 3 to 1.

In 1997, Pizza Hut switched from yellow to red onions on all its pizzas. In 2003, Subway did the same with its subs. And last year, Burger King began using red onions in its salads, although the chain is sticking, for the time being, to yellow onions in its Whopper sandwiches.

Still, some restaurant chains, such as Domino's Pizza, are not convinced. The franchise found, after testing, that the quality and consistency of red onions were harder to ensure. Red onions are also more expensive and harder to grow than their yellow cousins.

Nevertheless, the popularity of red onions is on the rise. According to the National Onion Association, in 2004, 7% of the overall onion market nationwide consisted of red onions, up from 5% five years before.

Coolant concerns

An article in the October issue of Popular Mechanics warns car owners about the dangers of using cheap hydrocarbon coolants in their air-conditioning systems.

For years, the refrigerant of choice was R12, a chlorofluorocarbon marketed by DuPont under the Freon trade name. However, because of environmental concerns, the automotive industry replaced R12 with a hydrofluorocarbon, R134a, in the mid-1990s.

But a shortage of R134a has led to the increasing use of cheap hydrocarbon refrigerants, typically a blend of propane or natural gas and other flammable gases, such as butane. Though effective and efficient, these alternatives are also highly explosive and dangerous. In fact, hydrocarbon refrigerants are illegal in 19 states.

It's unclear how many cars have been recharged with cheap hydrocarbon refrigerants. The article suggests that car owners who have concerns about what's in the air-conditioning system get it checked out at a reputable repair shop.

Air bags for motorcycles

Honda Motor Co.'s new gold wing motorcycle, which rolls into U.S. showrooms next spring, will be sporting something entirely new: an air bag system.

The air bag, which inflates after sensors detect an oncoming crash, can reduce the speed at which riders are thrown off the motorcycle and potentially prevent fatalities and serious injuries, according to a Sept. 13 article on CNN.com. The Japanese automaker hopes to offer the air bag on more motorcycles in the future, including those in the Japanese and European markets.

IBM mints new science teachers

Among the next generation of math and science teachers could very well be former IBM employees. The company, worried that the U.S. is losing its competitive edge, has started a program to financially support employees who want to switch to careers in education.

According to a Sept. 16 article in CNN.com, up to 100 IBM employees will be eligible for the program in its trial phase. If selected, employees can take a leave of absence from the company and receive up to half of their salary, including benefits.

Because of the pay cut, the company expects most of the candidates to be employees nearing retirement. Those selected for the program could receive up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursements and stipends while they study for their teaching credentials. The company also plans to offer a mentoring program that would give its former workers guidance and teaching materials over the Internet.


This week's column was written by Linda Wang. Please send comments and suggestions to newscripts@acs.org.

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