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słownik polsko - angielski język polski - English płuco po angielsku: 1. lung Kylie's right lung had a small tumour in it, so she had to have an operation. Smokers are far more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers are. The patient's lung tissue was damaged from years of working in a coal mine. The man had a punctured lung. lung cancer For him a doctor to get lung cancer from smoking - it's a typical case of 'Do as I say not as I do.' Breathe in deeply and let the fresh air fill your lungs. Her lung collapsed and she stopped breathing. Scientists have established the relationship between lung cancer and smoking. by cigarettes you have a sick lung Definition your lungs are the two organs in your chest that fill with air when you breathe and that process the air to make oxygen for your blood He felt a sharp pain in his lungs. Why do you have two lungs but only one heart? He has got pneumonia and his lungs are in a bad state. A study shows lung cancer accounts for 17% of women's cancer deaths. Angielskie słowo "płuco" (lung) występuje w zestawach: Matura masters Intermediate Unit 3 słówka Vocabulary III - Appearance, Body Parts wybrane części ciała zewnętrzne+wewnętrzne Angielski słówka intermediate module 1 matura prim... Systems & organs – Medical English; Układy i narzą...
Insight_Fall2018_museums_Essig_250x235.pngBecause they are not normally open to the public, visitors to the Valley Life Sciences Building may not realize they are surrounded by some of the best natural history museums in the country. Collectively, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), the UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP), the Jepson and University Herbaria, and the Essig Museum of Entomology have millions of samples—from fossilized plants to specimens of rare mammals—and important documentation such as field notes and photographs. These research museums help scientists from UC Berkeley and around the world answer questions about topics such as evolution and the impact of climate change, and are a valuable teaching resource for hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students each year. The museums have a long history. The oldest is the University Herbarium, founded in 1895 with plant specimens from California dating back to the 1860s. It now has over two million specimens that include plants, algae, lichen, and fungi from around the world. It is housed with the Jepson Herbarium, founded in 1950, which focuses on vascular plants of California and has over 100,000 specimens. Insight_Fall2018_museums_herbaria_250x309.pngThe MVZ and the UCMP were founded by naturalist and philanthropist Annie Alexander in 1908 and 1921, respectively. Alexander contributed the funding to found the museums, as well as thousands of plant, animal, and fossil specimens that she collected. The MVZ has one of the largest vertebrate research collections in the country and the largest of any university museum, with over 700,000 specimens including birds, reptiles, and mammals and over 100,000 tissue samples, as well as books Insight_Fall2018_museums_ammonite_400x362.pngdating back to 1658, sound recordings, and other invaluable resources. The UCMP has one of the largest paleontological collections of any university museum, with fossil prokaryotes, plants, and animals collected from all continents. The Essig was formalized as a museum in 1939, though its collections date back to the 1880s. With nearly 6 million specimens on pins, in alcohol, and on microscope slides, it specializes in the insects and spiders of western North America, particularly California, and the eastern and remote Pacific Basin. The gynandromorph— half male/half female—California dogface butterfly pictured (top left) is one of its unique specimens. Collectively, these museums provide detailed documentation of life on Earth from prehistoric to modern times. The general public can get a rare peek at these fantastic collections once a year on Cal Day, so come visit on April 13, 2019! Back to Main Fall 2018 Newsletter Page
blockchain core features Since the advent of blockchain technology, many experts have touted it the second internet. Others believe that it has the potential to bring us to the next era of the internet where applications run a lot faster and with more security. Just before we get on with the core features of blockchain technology which has got everyone talking, you can get a simple explanation of the invention by clicking this link. If you already have a basic knowledge of the tech, then we can get on with this. Five Core Features Of Blockchain Technology That Makes it Special A Highly Trusted and Fast Means of Exchange When it comes to the transfer of financial assets, traditional banking systems can be slow especially when large volumes of the fund is involved. However, this is not the same when blockchain technology is employed. Transaction on modern blockchain networks such as EOS is completed in split seconds while there is no limit to a number of transactions that can be conducted by a single user. Without a doubt, this has made asset transfer easier for individuals and ultimately saves a lot of time for both parties to a transaction. Moving forward, all blockchains commonly hold trust as an atomic unit of service. Users can trust that transactions will be executed exactly as the protocol commands removing the need for a trusted third party. Two parties are able to make an exchange without the oversight or intermediation of a third party, strongly reducing or even eliminating counterparty risk. A Transaction Platform A blockchain network validates value-related transactions of digital money or assets. Each time a consensus is reached, a transaction is recorded on a “block” (a storage space). The blockchain keeps permanent track of every transaction for future verification. The Bitcoin network, which represents one of the first demonstrations of blockchain technology proved how this is possible by allowing millions of people to exchange money freely. Unrivaled Security One of the major issues with today’s digital economy is online security, but blockchain technology has addressed this to a very large extent This is due to the decentralized networks which means that they have no central point that can be attacked by hackers. Coupled with the use of strong cryptography, blockchain networks create transactions that are impervious to fraud and establishes a shared truth. Superior Immutability Creating immutable ledgers is one of the main values of the blockchain. Values stored on it cannot be altered or deleted because, in its setup, the data blocks are linked and secured with a special cryptography, called Hash. core features of blockchain technology In theory, records stored on a blockchain can exist for eternity with no one having the power to tamper with it. Decentralized Systems If you can visualize a Facebook that is owned by no one and is kept running by the activity of its users, then you can understand the form of decentralization promised by blockchain technology. Blockchain provides digital autonomy where users are the government of the whole network and managers of their own jurisdiction (account). So what’s so special about this? Well, any database that is centralized can be hacked and they require trust in the third party to keep the database secure. But with decentralized technology, users are given the power to store assets in a network which can be accessed over the internet. Through this, a person has a direct control over his account by the means of a key that is linked to it. With this key, a user has the power to transfer his assets to anyone he wants without consulting any third party. Rounding Up With the core features of blockchain technology listed above, it is clear to see why the technology is highly touted. It has already brought about remarkable improvement across several sectors of the world economy and looks set to do more in the near future. African blockchain startups are also championing the technology in the region and it will only be a little while until we see blockchain technology everywhere. Hold on. Would you love similar contents in your mailbox? Submit your email below, we won’t spam you. Spread the love • 5 Wilfred Michael Wilfred Michael is a tech lover with a passion for writing articles in the field. He is diligent, creative, friendly and easy going with folks who share the same goals or work in the same space. He is also religious and has a little thing for soccer. Wilfred is a big fan of the blockchain technology! You may also like Leave a reply
Mike the Psych's Blog What if psychologists ruled the world? In real life? Women more likely to be addicted to their smartphones Do you never leave a room without your phone in your hand? Do you check Facebook or other social media in your bedroom at night? Tell fibs about how long you spend on it? If so you could be a victim of smartphone or internet addiction. Women are more likely to have this problem and are far more reliant on their devices than men according to research by UK Addiction Treatment, the largest company of its kind in the UK. It has recorded a 160% rise in women needing help for internet-based addiction in the past two years. Last year it treated almost a third of the it’s private and NHS patients for the problem and most were women who find themselves unable to stop using social media or playing games on their phones or computers. They feel anxious, irritable or depressed when they can’t use the internet and put it before basic needs. Last year the company helped 475 women and 375 men, up from 180 women and 220 men in 2015. They are not sure why there is a gender difference but it could be because women are more likely to be at home with children or unemployed. Most patients were in their 30s or 40s, younger people understand the internet better, said Eytan Alexander the company’s founder. “It’s about escapism and we see female patients using drugs to enable them to stay up into the night to play games on their phones or stay on social media”. The World Health Organisation recently declared that “gaming disorder” was a new mental health condition. The government is also concerned about the effect of this on children who see their parents, and particularly their mothers, as role models. They are advising parents to leave their phones in the kitchen at night to set a good example to their children. They also advise that all computers should be turned off two hours before bedtime and no internet in the bedroom! And that applies to smart phones too which should be a no-no in kids’ bedrooms. They want parents to be stricter to combat mobile phone addiction and show them how to use the internet safely. By 2020 young children from age 4 will be taught in schools about the perils of social media. I’ve posted may times before about the dangers of social media and the way it effects your health and the clever ways designers use to get you addicted e.g. likes and streaks, just like a slot machine randomly reinforcing you behaviours. Young people addicted to smartphones An experiment to separate young people from their smartphones discovered that they suffer from anxiety, unhealthy eating and loneliness when they are not online. Not only are they becoming part of Generation Mute (people who are obsessed with their phones but hardly ever use them to actually speak to people) they are becoming addicted to their mobile devices and appear to be suffereing from FOBO (fear of being off-line). In the experiment the young people had to live with a basic phone and no internet access for a week. They missed out on the news and celebrity gossip and were less punctual because they couldn’t access timetables on line. But they did spend more time reading (surprised they knew how to). Some of the participants slept better. One was appalled at having to use a paper map to find a venue. The Chief Executive at Innovationbubble which provided the psychologists to run the experiment said “We are psychologically overloaded with so many jobs … which means that mindlessly using our mobile can contribute to our fatigue levels and overall mental health Ask yourself why are we overloaded. How did we manage before social media took over the world? Young people can’t think for themselves relying on their mobile devices and spending hours every day on them. As I’ve posted before this affects their brains . And as for being lonelier without their phones, the evidence is that using social media like Facebook can actually make you lonelier and depressed. 1 Comment Should we dumb down our smartphones to stop us becoming more stupid? Last September I asked on my other blog: Have we finally realised we need to unplug ourselves from endless apps and social media connections? aansyq1I described the Light Phone and the fact that the old Nokia 3310 from 2000 was selling well on the internet. Now it’s been announced that the Nokia will be sold again with a larger colour screen but with only basic call and text facilities for around £49 in the UK. It seems that the smartphone idea was being dumbed-down. Is that a bad idea? Well in the Times Body & Soul section last weekend they asked “is your smartphone making you stupid?. 41-epxoutyl-_sx309_bo1204203200_They thought it was – if you count a fleeting attention span, a poorer memory, and a more passive intellect as signs of increasing stupidity. Arianna Huffington‘s book “Thrive: The third metric to redefining success and creating a happier life” made similar points referring to the downside of online life as poor sleep, low attention span, diminishing empathy, not to mention wasted time. And in Adam Alter‘s new book “Irresistible. The rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked” or in the UK edition “Why we can’t stop checking, scrolling, clicking and watching” the author , an associate professor of marketing at New York University’s school of business, describes how the internet changes your brain. 41xdmdoe5wl-_sx336_bo1204203200_Or as he says “Once your cucumber brain is pickled it can never go back to being a cucumber”. Tech companies manipulate you in all sorts of ways using random reinforcement methods (like slot machines), where the unexpected win increases the level of the pleasure chemical dopamine in the brain e.g. using “likes” – you have to check your post because you’re not sure how it will be received. A company designed an app, Lovematically, that automatically liked everything you posted . It was banned within two hours. Instagram (owned by Facebook) wanted to remain the dealer not have the “online crack” given away for free. And he’s not the only one writing about this. Nicholas Carr’s book “The Shallows: what the internet is doing to your brain” was listed for a Pulitzer prize in 2011 so he’s been making his points for a few years now. 41gwbs8qckl-_sx327_bo1204203200_He thinks “We’ve never had a technology so intrusive into our moment by moment thinking, perception and attention. … it hijacks our attention faculty. Instead of choosing what we focus on we begin to focus the newest thing on our smartphone, whether it’s important or not”. He points out that our short-term memory has a limited capacity but the contents can be transferred to our long-term memory through making associations and connections. He says “everyone who has a smartphone and is honest with themselves knows that it is shaping their consciousness and the way they think or don’t think He cites research at Stanford University which found that media multi-taskers (never a good idea) i.e. those who jump from one social media app to another, browsing or posting, had a weakened anterior cingulate cortex, that part of the brain area involved in high level information and emotion processing. They had smaller grey matter density and decreased cognitive control. So a shrunken brain, more impulsive, and less empathetic? Larry Rosen, a professor in psychology at California State University, agrees about the effect of smartphones and says “We don’t process information as deeply any more. Our brains are wired to process it just enough to get it through the moment, knowing full well that if we need it, we know where to find it again because we have this great external memory called Mr Google“. 41qm9rez-wl-_ac_us218_ 41r7ybyxnjl-_ac_us218_Author of “iDisorder: Understanding our obsession with technology and overcoming its hold on us” and co-author of “Distracted Minds: Ancient Brains in a high tech world“, he believes the short attention span we now have is linked to smartphone technology. The smartphone “stimulated this concept of ‘do it and get out’. We’re very task driven and categorise every action as a task.” Now that we don’t have to rely on our recall as much we’ll see less of the taxi-driver effect where their hippcampuses, the part of the brain associated with long-term memory and spatial awareness, became more developed than normal because of learning “the knowledge. Tech companies like to promote intelligence based on the idea that the more information we take in the smarter we get. Carr believes the opposite is true. “We don’t get smart, we don’t become knowledgeable through the speed with which we take in information, but through our ability to synthesise information into context, into some broader understanding of the world”. He argues that feeding us information like feeding babies milk makes us more dependent, lazier and more accepting. We become less able to apply intellectual or critical analyses to the information. Acquiring true knowledge takes time and “requires us to think without interruption or distraction. All higher forms of thought, reasoning, critical thinking, require control over our attention; require the ability to turn off the flow of information and think deeply and over an extended period of time about things. To develop common sense we need to think for ourselves says Richard Graham, a psychiatrist and technology addiction specialist in London. “Otherwise we become passive recipients of all sorts of information – one would file fake news into that category. One absolutely needs to have that mental agility and critical thinking to not become passive to information and judgement”. So not looking good is it? And there’s more. What about its impact on our creativity? Well smartphones and social media might enable collaboration but being “always on” doesn’t allow much time for daydreaming which, according to neuroscientists at the University of California, leads to the brain engaging in a default mode of neural processing linked to “positive mental health and cognitive abilities like reading, comprehension, and divergent thinking“. While bouncing ideas off people can lead to creativity “original individual thinking does require an ability to be contemplative and reflective and introspective. None of these things can happen when you’re completely bombarded with information” says Carr. And talking of collaboration, social media users might believe that they’re being thoughtful sending messages to their “friends” but it’s a fairly shallow and primitive method. Is sending someone a text message as meaningful as writing a letter or sending a card? “Online empathy is weak empathy and not as good as real-world empathy”. Sending a text message is often an emotional response without any thought going into it because it’s too easy. That lack of time for reflection makes us less human. No matter how many friends you think you have online the sad truth is that most of them aren’t real friends. And part of this is due to the fact that we hate being bored. Students would rather give themselves electric shocks than sit quietly in a room for 15 minutes (University of Virginia). It seems we’d rather play mindless games that reward us with flashing lights or different levels than sit and reflect. Have you noticed that when you watch a TV series on Amazon or a film on Netflix it automatically moves to the next episode? Its default setting is opting in not out and given our predilection for generally not changing things (Brexit being a rare counter example) its easy to see how viewers get sucked in. Alter says silicon valley leaders are hypocrites who know the damage they are doing to people’s lives. Steve Jobs banned his kids from having iPads and many restrict screen time. He says games designers avoid playing World of Warcraft because they’ve seen how immersive socially interactive games can turn intelligent but lonely young men into overweight college dropouts. The designer of Flappy Bird actually took the game app down because he feared the effect it was having on people. So what’s to be done if we are not to succumb to smartphone induced mediocrity? Alter suggests the usual such as parental restraints, stopping programmes before the end so you can resist the next instalment (bloody annoying if you ask me) , or punishing yourself. One tech entrepreneur apparently hired a woman from Craigslist to slap him across the face ever time he opened his Facebook account. You can use a program called WastenoTime which blocks you accessing youTube or Facebook between certain hours. Or if you use your smartphone more than an agreed number of hours you can pledge to donate to a cause you hate. Or you can just leave your phone at home and go out for some fresh air. I’ve posted before about nomophobia and trying to overcome anxiety from FOMO or FOBO? Research shows that half of smartphone owners are spending two to four hours on our phones every day and say they couldn’t live without it, and a quarter of them more than that. If you’re in denial about how much time you spend on your phone you can get an app called Moment which tracks how much time you spend on it. Try it, it might be a wake-up call to get a life! Don’t leave a phone in your child’s bedroom talking_with_your_followers_1600_wht_9116Just the presence of a smartphone or device is enough to disturb children’s sleep patterns as they anticipate the possibility of getting a message and can’t relax. Using devices at any point in the 90 minutes before bedtime more than doubles the risk of a poor night’s sleep. Even leaving it charging in the corner can have a detrimental effect, possibly because children are subconsciously engaged with them if they know they are within earshot. Researchers ta Kings College London examined the digital behaviour of 125,000 children across four continents. It’s known from previous studies that around three-quarters of children and adolescents have at least one device in their bedroom at night. Screen-based media may adversely affect sleep in different ways: psychologically stimulating the brain, delaying or interrupting sleep time, and affecting sleep cycles, physiology and alertness. They effect both the quality and the duration of sleep. Sleep is undervalued but is an important part of a child’s development. Sleep disturbance in childhood is known to have negative effects including links with mental health issues. Parents should take responsibility for this and be good role models. Those who never put the phone down themselves (addicted and suffering from FOMO) are acclimatising their children to the idea of always having one to hand. Miles Richardson, head of psychology, said “Nature… View original post 58 more words Dumbing down that smartphone icon_flow_smart_phone_loop_500_wht_9550Have we reached smartphone-peak? Have we finally realised we need to unplug ourselves from endless apps and social media connections? No more anxiety from FOMO or FOBO? The NoPhone might have been a prank by two Canadian entrepreneurs having a dig at the latest smartphone upgrade but now there is a real alternative: the Light Phone. It’s the size of a credit card and can make calls and store 10 numbers and that’s it. Retro or what? It will be launched in the US by two friends, Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang, who used to design Motorola phones (I loved my flip-top Motorola) but grew jaded with the constant pressure to come up with increasingly addictive and life-consuming apps. If you believe the statistics – and I find these figures unbelievable and not sure of their source – we tap our phones on average 2,617 times a day… View original post 682 more words
Tutor 4 Name of Tutor The areas in which you are asked to evaluate tutors are: 1. Organisation - The tutor is well prepared for sessions, arrives before the scheduled start time with all necessary resources. 2. Feedback - Feedback provided is easy to understand and helps identify how to improve and is provided within the agreed timescale 3. Knowledge of Subject - The tutor has a very good subject knowledge and is able to respond to questions effectively. 4. Communication - The tutor demonstrates effective communication skills 5. Safe Learner - The tutor ensures learners are safe for all learning activities and would challenge discriminatory behaviour and language 6. Support to overcome difficulties - The tutor provides effective support or signposting to overcome difficulties (where these have been raised) 7. Developing math and English skills - The tutor includes relevant math and English tasks within planned learning activities (This question is mandatory) Knowledge of subject Safe learner Support to overcome difficulties Developing math and English skills (This question is mandatory) Additional Comments/What would you like to see more of? If you answered 3 or 4 in any of the above, please elaborate below. Exit and clear survey Question index
Muscular Endurance Men Vs. Women While men and women vary greatly in size and shape, women tend to have better muscle endurance than men. According to a 2010 study published in Exercise and Sports Science Reviews, women generally take longer to fatigue. The differences aren't monumental, but they may explain why men and women gravitate towards different types of exercise. Men and women have slightly different strength and endurance levels. (Image: Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock/GettyImages) Endurance Vs. Strength Muscle endurance and muscle strength and two very different things. Strength is how much force your muscle can exert, while endurance is how long it can maintain that force. It's also known as "fatigability." If you have excellent muscular endurance, it means that you don't fatigue very quickly. However, there's a bit of a blurred line between strength and endurance. An extreme example of strength would be a one-rep maximum weightlifting exercise — for example, bench pressing as much weight as possible for one rep. That one rep is only a few seconds of exercise, but you're putting everything you have into it. A marathon, on the other hand, is an extreme example of endurance. During those 26.2 miles, you're running and using your leg muscles, but you have to pace yourself so that you can keep going for hours. Strength is useful in the weight room, but it's less important if you go somewhere like a Pilates class. In Pilates, there are some exercises that you do for 100 repetitions — that requires much more endurance than strength. Differences In Energy Sources It's no mistake that women tend to frequent a muscular endurance-focused exercise class over something purely focused on strength training. Women seem to be better equipped to handle muscular endurance activities, according to a 2015 research review article in Experimental Physiology. The review points out that women tend to use less carbohydrates to fuel their muscles than men do. When muscles use carbohydrates as fuel, it's because they have to put out a lot of power. They use fat for energy in less intense situations because carbohydrate is harder to regenerate than fat. Using fat more than carbohydrate for energy means that a muscle will be less powerful but it won't run out of energy as quickly. Hormones are a major cause of the differences between energy uses in men and women, according to the study. Oestrogen and progesterone, two vital hormones in the female reproductive cycle, cause women to use less carbohydrate to fuel their muscles than men. Muscle Fiber Differences While women aren't as good at showing off their strength over one repetition, they don't fatigue as fast as men do. Men use more force to do even light weightlifting exercises. Even lifting a 5-pound weight, the average man will exert more force than the average woman. A 2007 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology shows that the difference between muscle size between men and women doesn't explain why men had a slight advantage in sprint tests. On the surface, a muscle might seem the same in both genders. However, a closer look at the individual muscle fibers reveals that there tend to be slight differences. According to a 2015 research paper from the American Physiological Society, the average man has more fast-twitch muscle fibers than the average woman. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are more powerful and help you lift heavy weight but they get tired quickly. Slow-twitch muscle fibers aren't as powerful but they last longer, which would explains why women have better muscle endurance. Women tend to have better muscle endurance than men. (Image: Zoran Zeremski/iStock/GettyImages) Status Quo It's important to keep in mind that this is based on averages. Women, on average, have more muscle endurance than men. Men, on average, have more strength. However, some women are stronger than men and some men have more endurance than women. Either way, you shouldn't let any predispositions affect the way you work out. Women can still benefit greatly from strength training, and men can benefit from muscle endurance exercises like yoga and Pilates. Load comments
How do you keep score in pickleball? Is it different in singles vs doubles? What do you play to? Pickleball is a sport enjoyed by people across the world because of the smaller court when compared to tennis and the simple equipment and rules. The sport can be played by either two players facing off against each other or by doubles partners in a similar way to tennis. Unlike tennis, the pickleball court and scoring system do not change when doubles os preferred over singles. All pickleball games are played to 11 points with the winner having to win by two clear points from their opponents, a rule which can see each game extended as the two-point rule keeps many games alive. The rules and scoring system of Pickleball were created by the Washington politician Joel Pritchard, who created the game during the Summer of 1965 to keep his family entertained during the long months of the school vacation. The politician was attempting to create a game all the members of his family could enjoy together, which including creating a simple to understand scoring system. There are four basic ways of scoring in pickleball, which is the same as those seen in tennis. Players score points when their opponent fails to clear the net with a shot or when the opponent hits the ball out of bounds. Other ways a player can score include their opponent volleying the ball when they have at least one foot in the “no-volley” zone. One of the unique rules of pickleball is the need for each player to allow the ball to bounce once before they can hit a volley, meaning the serve and first return must bounce before a scoring shot can be played. Each scoring shot gives one point to a player or a doubles team which they use to try and reach the target score of 11. Unlike tennis, the rules of pickleball only allow a player or doubles team to score points when they are serving and must be leading by two clear points for the game to be concluded. It may seem difficult for a team to score but after a single fault, the service is rotated to the other team. The recreational play sees games played to 11, but some tournaments have attempted to extend games further to 15 or 21 points. The general rule of thumb for pickleball is for players to rotate to the other side of the net following eight or 11 points being scored. Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here
What is a design system? No matter where you go, you are surrounded by systems. We use the word ‘system’ to describe a group of interacting parts as a common whole, and these can be simple, like a watch, or incredibly complex, like the web of computer networks we call the internet. In this book, the term ‘design system’ is used to describe a philosophy that encourages designers to define the rules of their designs as a system of instructions that can be used on more than a single product. This is best explained with a simple story. Let us suppose I am asked to design a label for a local brewery’s famous stout beer. I want to make sure that my design is a good fit for the product, so I spend a lot of time researching and tasting the beer before making my final design. The brewery loves my new design, and they ask me to design labels for the rest of their 10 beer types. Now I am faced with a problem. The colors, typography, and illustrations I chose for my label design was a great fit for a strong and dense beer, but it will not work for the other beers. So I end up creating labels with a different visual style for each beer, but without a consistent branding for the brewery. This problem could have been avoided had I designed the first label with the conviction that it would be a part of something bigger: A design system for the brewery. Instead of focusing on the particular stout, I would have defined a range of visual styles to be used for different beer types. This would include a set of related typefaces and colors with enough variance to be used for the individual beers, but recognizable enough to provide a common identity for the brewery. Only after creating this design system would I design the first label. The Graphics Standards Manual created for the New York Transit Authority in 1970 is one example of a design system. With more than 350 pages, it defines visual guidelines for all signage related to the New York City subway. © Design systems offer a different way of thinking, where the designer is forced to consider many scenarios and constraints instead of relying on a one-off design process. This approach is of course nothing new, and some might say that it has always been a part of the designer’s job. Thousands of design systems have been created over the years, from the New York Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual to Google’s Material Design. Most Fortune 500 companies are recognizable for a reason: they have defined strict rules for use of typography and color across their product line. Google’s Material Design document was created to help explain the ideas behind the company’s visual language. This includes rules for use of color, layering, and animation. A recent example of a simple design system is the MIT Media Lab logo created by Pentagram. The idea is simple: Fill a 7x7 grid with perpendicular lines to create abstract letters or symbols in black and white. This system is used to create logos with acronyms for the 23 research groups at the lab, and as a basis for building a custom typeface, icons, and patterns. The MIT Media Lab design system. © This logo is an excellent example of how a design system can be used to give both a consistent look and a distinct style to an organization. The system is both simple and flexible, and it has room for an almost infinite number of designs. Design systems are especially interesting today, because digital products are systems, and designers who code are no longer confined to the creation of design systems that end up in printed manuals. Code allows designers to not just create designs, but build digital systems that create designs. Granted, more time will be spent on formulating the rules of the system in code, but designers will be free from the limitations imposed by traditional design software. The American computer scientist Donald Knuth writes about this very thing: “Meta-design is much more difficult than design; it is easier to draw something than to explain how to draw it. One of the problems is that different sets of potential specifications cannot easily be envisioned all at once. Another is that a computer has to be told absolutely everything. However, once we have successfully explained how to draw something in a sufficiently general manner, the same explanation will work for related shapes, in different circumstances; so the time spent in formulating a precise explanation turns out to be worth it..” Donald Knuth (1986), The Metafont Book The words “sufficiently general manner” are important here. Software can be written to allow a range of possible outputs, and variations of a design system can be generated in (literally) fractions of a second. The ability to procedurally generate designs is one of the most empowering aspects of algorithmic design, whether it leads to generating 45,000 variations of a logo, building an infinite galaxy of planets with generative landscapes, or creating a dynamic article that changes its content based on map selections. A poster designed by Paul Rand. © The same poster recreated in code. In this book, we will investigate what designers can build when they are encouraged to create design systems and make these systems come to life by writing software.
Online Tutorials & Training Materials \| Register Login Error Could not find or load main class \|\| 0 Error Could not find or load main class The Error Could not find class or load main class occurs when a program is run but the main class cannot be found or loaded. In this article, we will observe the different reasons for the error and ways to rectify it. What is java <class-name> syntax? The java basic <class –name> is as follows: java [ <option> ... ] <class-name> [<argument> ...] • <option> is the command line option required during execution, • <class-name> is the Java class’s name and • <argument> is the command line argument passed during the compilation of the program. For example, java -Xmx100m com.acme.example.FirstProg one two three Here, the compiled version of the class name will be searched. Then the class will be loaded and the main class will be searched for execution. If the statement public static void main(String []args) is correct and the access modifiers, return types and has the correct signature, the execution will be completed. What are the Causes of the error ‘Could not find or load main class’ in Java? The causes of the error ‘Could not find or load main class’ in Java are as follows: • It is caused when a program is executed in the terminal and the main class is not found or cannot be loaded. • This is caused mainly due to syntax errors by the programmer. • If the CLASSPATH environment variable where Java searches for all the class files does not have the main class, this error is shown. • As Java is case sensitive, the incorrect casing for the main class can cause problems. • If the class is inside a package, the main class will not be loaded. • The incorrect directory is mentioned in the CLASSPATH. How to Fix ‘Could not find or load main class’? The methods to fix the error are: 1) Use Exact Classname instead .class file • You must execute the program by inserting the exact classname instead of the .class file. Therefore use the java classname For example, if the following syntax is compiled There will be an error. Instead we have to type java Program1 2) Check and Resolve Syntax Errors • Reduce syntax errors by Check the classname syntax and case before declaring it. For example, if we write the syntax javac program1 And try to compile it, there will be an error. Therefore, type the syntax java Program1 3) Define Class-Path • Check the classpath and reset it if the error shows up. You have to set the classpath to the current directory. For example, to set classpath in Windows, type the following syntax The dot at the end represents the current directory. 4) Check Spelling and Case • Check the spelling and casing of the classname while typing the command. For example, if we type java program1, the error will be due to the incorrect spelling of the classname. As Java is again a case sensitive, you also need to take care of casing. Type in java Progam1 5) Using .back Command • If the class exists inside a package, then navigate back to the main directory through the .back command. For example, the java class exists in the below path The full name of the class will be com.projects.Program1. Then use the cd..back command to reach the parent directory primary You can then run the java command to load the class through the following syntax. java com.projects.Program1 6) Check Classpath Directory and Sub-Directory • Check the directory and the sub-directory of the classpath. For example, the classpath is set to E:primarycomprojects then make sure that you do not write E:primaryprojectscom. We have observed the various reasons for the “Error Could not find a class or load main class” and it can be observed that the basic syntax errors are the root causes of such a problem. Keeping in mind the casing of the Java classes and proper classpath settings can prevent such errors in the future.
Image Source/ Getty Images (The Root) — In the weeks before an election, much of the media coverage becomes a numbers game, obsessively chronicling which candidate is in the lead in which states and with which voter blocs, according to the polls. But one question that media and consumers of media rarely ask is, how do we know the polls we are reporting and consuming are accurate? Increasingly it appears that traditional polls may be missing wide swaths of specific voter demographics altogether, particularly younger voters of color. Polling data play a significant role in elections, particularly in the Internet age. Today a polling firm can release new data online that can reach millions within an hour. The impact can be virtually instantaneous and far-reaching. For example, four years ago then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin had one of her most public clashes with John McCain's campaign staffers after she publicly criticized the campaign's decision to stop campaigning in the state of Michigan, thereby surrendering the potential swing state to then-Sen. Barack Obama's campaign a month before Election Day. The campaign's reason? Polls had begun to show Obama with a lead, so the decision was made by the McCain team to start investing the resources being poured into Michigan into more viable states. (Recent polls indicate that history may repeat itself, with Mitt Romney now also trailing Obama in Michigan, the state in which the GOP presidential candidate was born.) While advancements in technology may have helped increase the reach and influence of polling, so far technology has not been fully utilized to ensure the accuracy of polling, which still relies heavily on lists of landline telephone numbers to reach people. As of 2011, 83 percent of American adults owned a cellphone, and the numbers of Americans using one as their primary form of communication is growing rapidly. Between 2007 and 2010 the number of American homes without a telephone land line doubled, to 26.6 percent. Now a full third of U.S. households are cellphone-only. Among young people the numbers are more pronounced. More than half of adults ages 25 to 29 now live in wireless-phone-only households, according to an FCC report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics referred to a growing number of young people as "cord-never-getters," meaning they get a cellphone and that becomes their primary phone for life, so they never bother getting a landline even when they move out of Mom and Dad's house. Despite the explosive growth of cellphones as the primary form of communication for a number of Americans, political polls are still largely conducted via landlines. The reason is largely cost, according to David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, one of the most quoted political-polling institutions in the country. Polling firms purchase lists of phone numbers in order to reach respondents. Cellphone-number lists are significantly more expensive than lists of landline phone numbers — between double and triple the cost. Additionally, cellphone polling is more labor-intensive because, for example, if you are trying to conduct a poll of likely voters in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race between Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown — something Suffolk recently did — cellphone-number lists will include a lot of young people who lived in Massachusetts for college but have moved on. This means pollsters have to keep calling cellphone lists until they reach enough people they can confirm live in the area relevant to the poll. "The media wants the best of both worlds," Paleologos said in an interview with The Root, referring to media outlets that commission polls during campaign season. "They want the best data, but they want to keep costs manageable." Low-income people and renters are more likely than others to live in a cellphone-only home. This includes a number of black Americans. Hispanics are also more likely than other populations to live in cellphone-only homes. And then there are young people, who are by far the largest demographic group living in cellphone-only homes. These are the demographic groups that essentially put President Obama in the White House. African-American and Hispanic voter turnout increased by 2 million people in the 2008 election, an increase credited with making the difference in swing states like North Carolina, Nevada and others. Turnout among young voters was up by 2 percent over the 2004 election — an increase credited with making the difference in states like Indiana. Four years later, there are countless news reports about the decrease in enthusiasm among young voters for the Obama campaign. Yet in the last four years, the number of cellphone-only-using young adults has increased significantly, but the world of polling has struggled to keep up with them. This means that polling data may not fully reflect the attitudes of young Americans this election, an election in which their votes could determine the outcome. Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, noted that for the center's recent poll with USA Today, 35 percent of those contacted were on cellphones. The average number for the center and other institutions hovers somewhere between 20 percent and 25 percent. Paleologos wanted to make sure the poll accurately reflected the American population, including young people. As he explained, "You have to go where people are when you're a pollster, and young people are on cellphones." He quickly added, "But that's not where they're going to stay. There are always new forms of communication. We have to keep up with technology." We won't know until Election Day whether the polls have failed to accurately do that this election cycle, particularly where young voters of color are concerned. Keli Goff is The Root's political correspondent. Keli Goff is The Root’s special correspondent. Follow her on Twitter
DRM for Privacy Building an uncrackable, foolproof and practical Digital Rights Management (DRM) system is an ongoing effort. Today's DRM systems all aim to protect the content producer's interests - they have little, if any, interest in protecting the rights of the consumers. To put it bluntly, the content producer produces the content (like a movie or a music file) and protects it using a DRM system. The consumer, who first pays for using the file, won't be able to copy or share it. This kind of scenario might seem unfair. However, no technology is automatically evil or bad. How the technology is used determines its merits. This also applies to DRM. For instance, if the producer/consumer relationships in DRM systems were reversed, an interesting "good" use for DRM technology could be envisioned. Let's play a thought exercise. The ordinary consumer (you or me) becomes the content provider. The content provider (the corporation) becomes the consumer. We have now reversed the roles. But what content could the consumer-become-content-provider, the ordinary person, you or me (let's call this actor the "user"), produce? What could be interesting and rare for the corporation but found in abundance from the user? One answer is personal data. Upon request by some corporation, the user decides to accept the request. The user creates a DRM-protected file containing the personal data the user wishes to reveal. When DRM technology is being used (the same technology used to protect e.g. movies), the user can be sure that the corporation is not able to: • use the personal data after the license period (e.g. 2 hours) has expired • share the personal data with third party companies without permission • do other non-authorized nasty stuff with the personal data Using "evil" DRM technology a very good purpose can be achieved: the preservation of the user's privacy. The user gets to decide who can receive and use the information in the first place. The user can disallow use by companies the user considers not to be trustworthy, or who he considers to be immoral, or annoying, or who have the most idiotic advertisements. It is only fair that this kind of application of DRM would be taken into wider use. It would guarantee privacy of the personal data of each individual person, while at the same time allowing companies access to that data with the consent of the user. To me this seems like best of both worlds. If this idea gets wider publicity, I'm sure there will be arguments against it. I do hope there will be, as some of these arguments could also be, properly role-reversed, used to argue against the current way of things, i.e. the one-sided implementation of DRM technologies where the consumer is just a necessary evil and an untrusted element between the company and the wallet of the consumer. If the corporations can't trust the consumers to handle the content with proper respect, why should the consumers trust the corporations to handle e.g. their personal data with proper respect? The role-reversal idea can help in achieving balance between these concerns and benefit all parties involved. At the very least, the idea can offer possibilities for stimulating and interesting discussion. I sent an edited version of this post to the cryptography mailing list at metzdowd. The subject was "DRM of the mirror universe", if you wish to read the entire thread via some archive. The idea was shot down. See below for summaries of the responses. • Paul A. S. Ward stated that companies will just set policies to work around any restrictions with the idea of "Give us all rights, or take your business elsewhere". • Barney Wolff noted that there is a problem of trust. In ordinary DRM the supplier of content has certified the software to be safe in such a way that the valuable information cannot escape outside the realm of protection. This raises the question of how do you certify the software (or who do you trust to certify the software) which is used by some corporation to handle your private information? Also, Mr. Wolff noted that some personal information datum (such as HIV-positivity) can be so small in size (one bit) that it is easy to capture with e.g. a camera. Mr. Wolff pointed out also the fact that nothing stops the user from giving false data in the first place. (Note: The last point is especially interesting. It's an established fact that all kinds of systems which demand a registration before allowing access to new features or more content are at the mercy of the honesty (or dishonesty) of the users.) • Matt Blaze commented that this kind of idea had been expressed before. He acknowledged that there is a power imbalance between the corporation and the user, and balancing this imbalance might be the prerequisite to achieving technology-based privacy defences, whether they are based on DRM or something else.
Trailing-Edge - PDP-10 Archives - BB-PBQUC-BM_1990 - help/start.hlp There are 3 other files named start.hlp in the archive. Click here to see a list. START command The START command begins execution of the program in the current fork. @START (PROGRAM) location/switch location is the octal or symbolic address where you want the program to start. Default location - the normal starting address, that is, the first word in the program's entry vector switch is a keyword, chosen from the list below, indicating your choice of START command options. START Command Switches /BACKGROUND keeps your terminal at TOPS-20 command level and starts execution of the program in a "background" fork. When the program attempts to do terminal input or output, it halts and displays the message [FORK-NAME wants the /NORMALLY restores your terminal to command level (if any) within the program /STAY keeps your terminal at TOPS-20 command level. Output from the program is sent to the terminal and is intermixed with whatever output is currently displayed. When the program attempts to read from the terminal, it can randomly intercept input intended for the EXEC or another program. Therefore, use this switch with programs that, once started, do not request further terminal input. Starting a Noncurrent Fork When you START a noncurrent fork, the fork becomes your current fork. Further Information The START command is one of the TOPS-20 multiforking-class commands. For more information about multiforking, see the section named Running Multiple Programs in the TOPS-20 User's Guide. For more information about entry vectors, see the TOPS-20 Monitor Calls Reference Manual. Special Cases Running COBOL Programs a Second Time After running a program (with a RUN or EXECUTE command, or with a GET and START or LOAD and START combination) you can usually run it again using START. COBOL programs are an exception: to run them again you must reload them. Programs Competing for Terminal Input If you use START /STAY to run a program in a background fork, either at the current or at a lower EXEC command level, (see Hints - Using PUSH to Get a New TOPS-20 Command Level, above), the program can request input from the terminal while you are giving input to the EXEC or another program. This input can be randomly intercepted by the background program when it requests terminal input. Usually though, the EXEC or the current program receives the input. When terminal input is intercepted by the background program, the program usually types input error messages. To give input to the program, stop the program by typing two CTRL/Cs or the program's exit command. Then, if the background program is at a higher EXEC command level, give POP commands to return to the EXEC level that holds the background program. (POP terminates the current EXEC and erases programs in its memory.) Finally, give the CONTINUE /NORMALLY command; this puts you at program command level so that you can give the requested input. Input is intercepted by the background program randomly. Therefore, you may have to type extra CTRL/Cs, program exit commands, and POPs. To reduce confusion about the direction of terminal input, it is recommended that you use START /STAY only when you plan to work at the current EXEC level while a program runs in a background fork. Use START /BACKGROUND when you plan to work at a lower EXEC level or at another program command level. When a program started with START BACKGROUND requests terminal input, it sends the message, [FORK-NAME wants the TTY]. No input is taken by the background program until you return to program command level with CONTINUE /NORMALLY. No I/O Control with Some Programs Most programs read and write data to the terminal through standard input and output designators. Some programs however, use different methods of communicating with the terminal. Therefore, when you use /BACKGROUND and /STAY to control terminal input and output from a background fork, the input and output behavior of programs with nonstandard designators can be unpredictable. Execute-only Programs Programs that are execute-only can only be started at their normal starting address. Related Commands CONTINUE for resuming execution of a halted program in memory FORK for changing the current fork FREEZE for halting a program in a background GET for placing executable programs in INFORMATION FORK-STATUS for displaying the number and the status of each fork in your job KEEP for giving a fork a kept status LOAD for loading source or object programs into memory REENTER for starting the program in memory at its alternate entry point (if any) SAVE for saving a loaded program in an .EXE ERUN, RESET, other multiforking-class commands for SET NAME, SET PROGRAM, performing related functions 1. Start the program currently in memory. 2. Put an executable program in memory and start it. Then run it again. @GET TESTF1.EXE THIS IS A TEST. CPU TIME: 0.04 ELAPSED TIME: 0.23 THIS IS A TEST. CPU TIME: 0.02 ELAPSED TIME: 0.02 3. Begin using the FILCOM program to compare two files. Give a CTRL/C to halt FILCOM, then a CTRL/T to determine the location where it was stopped. Give the DDT command, and do some work within the DDT program; leave DDT with a CTRL/Z, returning to TOPS-20 command level. Give the START command to start FILCOM again, using as argument the address reported by CTRL/T above. ^T 14:49:03 FILCOM ^C from Running at 400543 Used 0:00:03.1 - in 0:04.39, Load 2.44 in 0:01:33 3/ PAT..+361,,3066 4/ 56 @START 400543 No differences encountered 4. Place the CLOCK program (not DIGITAL supported) in memory. KEEP the CLOCK program so that it will remain in memory when you run other programs. Then, start the CLOCK program in the background. CLOCK will display the time every half hour while you run other programs and EXEC commands. @GET CLOCK.EXE [11:30 AM]
Find synonyms for any word: 'place' - used as a noun Synonyms for 'place' 1. a point located with respect to surface features of some region this is a nice place for a picnic 2. any area set aside for a particular purpose who owns this place? 3. an abstract mental location he has a special place in my thoughts a place in my heart a political system with no place for the less prominent groups 4. a general vicinity He comes from a place near Chicago 5. the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another took his place 6. a particular situation If you were in my place what would you do? 7. where you live at a particular time your place or mine? 8. a job in an organization 9. the particular portion of space occupied by something he put the lamp back in its place 10. proper or designated social situation he overstepped his place 11. a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane) he sat in someone else's place 12. the passage that is being read he lost his place on the page 13. proper or appropriate position or location a woman's place is no longer in the kitchen 14. a public square with room for pedestrians Grosvenor Place 15. an item on a list or in a sequence in the second place 16. a blank area 'place' - used as a verb 17. put into a certain place or abstract location Place emphasis on a certain point 18. place somebody in a particular situation or location he was placed on probation 19. assign a rank or rating to 20. assign a location to 21. to arrange for place a phone call place a bet 22. take a place in a competition; often followed by an ordinal 23. intend (something) to move towards a certain goal 24. recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something 25. assign to (a job or a home) 26. locate 27. estimate 28. identify the location or place of 29. make an investment 30. assign to a station 31. finish second or better in a horse or dog race he bet $2 on number six to place 32. sing a note with the correct pitch derived forms 1. Place / Plural 2. Place / Past 3. Place / Third Person 4. Place / Present Participle The following are synonyms for 'place'. Click on any of them to get both Bibliodata's full list of common definitions and a further set of synonyms. Variations of 'place' Who Said that ? Old age is no place for sissies. - Click here to find out. Fact of the day
Video programmes will have many different types of shot boundaries, and those where the shot boundary occurs over a number of frames may not be detected by the method above. For example, a fade or dissolve occurring over a 3 second period in, say, a cookery or gardening program will span a total of 75 frames and the incremental difference between adjacent frames in this sequence will be quite small. Furthermore, it is possible that the two separate shots in such a transition may have similar colouring and hence colour histograms, anyway. Such omissions are difficult to avoid using colour histogram based segmentation, but nevertheless this method is very popular and if used correctly it is very reliable and accurate. On the downside it is slow to compute because each frame of the digital video has to be decoded and calculations run on it to extract color values. Video shot boundary detection using Edge Detection This approach looks not at the colour differences, but at the differences between the edges detected in adjacent frames. Each frame in the digital video is turned into a greyscale image and Sobel filtering applied to detect edges. The method looks for similar edges in adjacent frames to detect a shot boundary. The principle behind the edge detection approach is that it can counter problems caused by fades and dissolves and other transitions which are invariant to gradual colour changes. With edge detection, even when there are gradual transitions between shots, there should always be a pair of adjacent frames where an edge is detected in one, and not in the other and identifying an occurrence of this on a large scale locates a shot transition. Like the colour-based method above, this will require a minimum difference between adjacent frames to detect a shot cut but it has the advantage of not being fooled by a large colour change for example when we get a camera flash. In such a case the colour-based methods will register a large difference in colour and as a result it will detect a shot boundary but the edge detection method will be looking for pixel edge differences. The downside of this technique is that it needs to decode each frame and as a result may compute slowly. Representative APR 391% Calculate APR
Research ArticleGEOLOGY Remnants of Eoarchean continental crust derived from a subducted proto-arc See allHide authors and affiliations Science Advances 14 Feb 2018: Vol. 4, no. 2, eaao3159 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao3159 Eoarchean [3.6 to 4.0 billion years ago (Ga)] tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) is the major component of Earth’s oldest remnant continental crust, thereby holding the key to understanding how continental crust originated and when plate tectonics started in the early Earth. TTGs are mostly generated by partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks at different depths, but whether this requires subduction remains enigmatic. Recent studies show that most Archean TTGs formed at relatively low pressures (≤1.5 GPa) and do not require subduction. We report a suite of newly discovered Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses dated at ~3.7 Ga from the Tarim Craton, northwestern China. These rocks are probably the oldest high-pressure TTGs so far documented worldwide. Thermodynamic and trace element modeling demonstrates that the parent magma may have been generated by water-fluxed partial melting of moderately enriched arc-like basalts at 1.8 to 1.9 GPa and 800° to 830°C, indicating an apparent geothermal gradient (400° to 450°C GPa−1) typical for hot subduction zones. They also locally record geochemical evidence for magma interaction with a mantle wedge. Accordingly, we propose that these high-pressure TTGs were generated by partial melting of a subducted proto-arc during arc accretion. Our model implies that modern-style plate tectonics was operative, at least locally, at ~3.7 Ga and was responsible for generating some of the oldest continental nuclei. Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) are sodic granitoids that constitute most of the Archean continental crust, but they diminish over time and give way to high-potassium (K) calc-alkaline granitoids in post-Archean crustal domains (14). Thus, their origin and secular evolution are crucial to understanding the origin and evolution of continental crust. TTGs have distinct geochemical signatures, including high Na2O/K2O ratios and high strontium (Sr) contents, low heavy rare earth element (REE) and yttrium (Y) contents, and depletion of niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and titanium (Ti) (14). It is generally agreed that TTGs were mostly produced by partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks with various amounts of garnet, clinopyroxene, amphibole, and rutile, but little or no plagioclase in the residue, at depths corresponding to at least 0.8 to 1 GPa (14). However, in what geodynamic environment this deep melting occurred is highly controversial. Proposed models include melting of subducted oceanic slabs (5, 6) or oceanic plateaus (7), thickened oceanic plateaus (810), or thickened oceanic arcs (11, 12). Recently, Moyen (13) showed that much of the controversy probably arises from lumping together of TTGs with diverse compositions that formed at different melting pressures. Most sodic TTGs (~80%) belong to the medium-pressure (MP) and low-pressure (LP) subgroups that likely formed in the lower crust in equilibrium with garnet amphibolites or high-pressure mafic granulites, with various amounts of plagioclase in the residue. Only ~20% of sodic TTGs belong to the high pressure (HP) subgroup, derived from rutile-bearing eclogites with abundant garnet and rutile but no plagioclase in the residue, possibly in subduction zones (13). Therefore, identification of HP TTGs in early Archean geological records and understanding their petrogenesis have the potential to determine when plate tectonics started and how continental crust formed in the early Earth. Eoarchean TTGs have been identified in several gneiss complexes around the world (Fig. 1A), but they mostly occur as small tectonic enclaves in younger rocks and only occupy about 1 millionth of Earth’s surface (14). Moreover, because of multiple episodes of high-grade metamorphism, partial melting, and ductile deformation, most Eoarchean TTGs record multiple age components even in a single sample, resulting in mixed whole-rock geochemical compositions. Recently, pristine compositions have been reported for samples with single magmatic ages from relatively low-strain zones in the ~3.7 to 3.9 Ga (billion years ago) Itsaq Complex (Greenland) (12, 15, 16), the ~3.9 to 4.0 Ga Acasta Complex (Canada) (17, 18), and the ~3.8 Ga Anshan Complex (North China) (19, 20) (see table S4 for a more complete reference list). These data suggest that most Eoarchean TTGs are LP or MP TTGs that were likely derived from partial melting of variably thickened mafic lower crust (11, 12, 16). Alternatively, shallow assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) of mafic magma in an Iceland-like setting has been proposed for a group of ~4.02 Ga high-FeOT tonalites from the Acasta Complex (18). Although enriched, arc-like basalts have been suggested as the source of TTGs from the Itsaq Complex (11, 12, 16), the generation of the LP and MP TTGs itself did not require subduction, thus questioning the operation, scale, and style of plate tectonics in the early Archean. Here, we report a suite of newly identified Eoarchean (~3.7 Ga) tonalitic gneisses that are compositionally similar to HP TTGs from the Tarim Craton of northwestern China. Pristine whole-rock compositions of these rocks are compared with data from Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan to evaluate the geodynamic processes that generated the first continental crust on Earth. Fig. 1 Location and geological map of the Eoarchean Aktash gneisses complex. (A) Global distribution of Eoarchean gneiss complexes and their oldest TTG components (ages in Ga). Nuv., Nuvvuagittuq. (B) Geological map of the Aktash Complex. The Eoarchean gneisses occur as tectonic enclaves in ~2.0-Ga gneisses. The inset shows the lower hemisphere equal-area stereoprojection of the regional foliation (S2) at the outcrop. See the Supplementary Materials and fig. S1 for detailed regional geological setting. Eoarchean Aktash gneiss complex Eoarchean TTG gneisses were identified from the Aktash Tagh area in the southeastern margin of the Tarim Craton, northwestern China (figs. S1 to S4) (21). Detailed mapping shows that they occur as small tectonic enclaves in Paleoproterozoic (~2.0 to 2.1 Ga) dioritic to granodioritic gneisses, with the largest being ~150 m long and 10 to 20 m wide (Fig. 1B). They contain lenses of mafic granulite/amphibolite and high-K granitic gneiss, the latter being dated to ~2.4 Ga and found to contain Eoarchean inherited zircons (21). These rocks were all metamorphosed to granulite facies at ~2.0 Ga and were affected by partial melting and multiple episodes of ductile deformation. They were intruded by ~1.9 Ga carbonatites and ~1.8 Ga granitic veins and mafic dykes. Five samples were dated by in situ zircon U-Pb techniques (see Materials and Methods). They yield similar zircon populations (Fig. 2A) and U-Pb age patterns (fig. S4), which are summarized in Fig. 2B. Zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) images reveal complex internal structures, with oscillatory zoned magmatic cores surrounded by multiple gray to dark recrystallized mantles, which are commonly separated by a bright seam from multiple metamorphic rims (Fig. 2A). U-Pb isotopic data (tables S1 and S2) show that the concordant ages from the core and mantle domains spread along concordia from ~3.55 to 3.75 Ga. Except for one analysis with an apparent age of 3745 ± 12 Ma (million years ago, 2σ) that possibly records an inherited age, the oldest concordant ages of the magmatic cores record a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 3713 ± 8 Ma [mean square weighted deviation (MSWD) = 1.4, n = 7; Fig. 2B). This is consistent within error with the weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb ages and upper intercept ages (3.68 to 3.72 Ga) for individual samples and is interpreted as the best estimate of the magmatic crystallization age of the protolith of the Eoarchean Aktash gneiss. The youngest concordant ages of the recrystallized mantles define a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 3561 ± 9 Ma (MSWD = 0.71, n = 10; Fig. 2B), which is interpreted as the time of metamorphic recrystallization of the primary magmatic zircons. The remaining analyses plot along or below the concordia curve, reflecting the multiple and/or incomplete radiogenic Pb (Pb) loss. The metamorphic rims are dated at ~2.0 Ga, consistent with the zircon ages of adjacent high-grade metamorphic rocks in the area (21). Fig. 2 Zircon structures, U-Pb ages, and Hf isotopic compositions of the Eoarchean Aktash tonalitic gneisses. (A) Representative CL images showing complex core (c), mantle (m), and rim (r) structures. Oscillatory zoned magmatic cores are surrounded by multiple recrystallized mantles that are separated by a thin bright seam (white arrows) with multiple metamorphic overgrowth rims. (B) Concordia diagram showing all U-Pb ages by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) and laser ablation (LA) (see Materials and Methods). The inset shows the 207Pb/206Pb ages of concordant analyses from magmatic cores and recrystallized mantles, with weighted mean ages of the oldest cores and youngest mantles interpreted as the best estimates of magma crystallization and metamorphic recrystallization, respectively. Other discordant analyses plot in the region defined by multiple radiogenic Pb (Pb) loss events. (C) Measured 176Hf/177 Hf ratios versus 207Pb/206Pb ages for the magmatic cores and recrystallized mantles, showing the indistinguishable Hf isotopic compositions for both domains that do not change with apparent ages. The inset shows the near Gaussian distribution of εHf values calculated using the magmatic crystallization age. In situ zircon Hf isotopic analysis (see Materials and Methods) shows that the cores and mantles have similar, although slightly heterogeneous, 176Hf/177Hf ratios (Fig. 2C and table S3), consistent with the recrystallization origin of the latter. Moreover, the young, discordant analyses have indistinguishable 176Hf/177Hf ratios from the oldest grains, supporting the interpretation of Pb* loss (22). When calculated using the magmatic crystallization age, the εHf values form a normal distribution with a mean value of −0.7 ± 2.6 (2σ), consistent with a magma source derived from a near chondritic mantle, as commonly found for other Eoarchean TTGs (22). Whole-rock geochemical data (see Materials and Methods and table S4) show that most samples have consistent major and trace element compositions, and good correlations exist between relatively immobile elements, suggesting that most elements (except for Th, U, Rb, and Ba) were not significantly mobilized by later high-grade metamorphism, migmatization, or alteration (fig. S5). These samples have a tonalitic composition, except for sample 16ALT08-3 with high K2O that plots in the granite field (Fig. 3A). The tonalite samples have trace element characteristics typical of Archean TTGs, including high Sr, low Y, and heavy REE. Compared to the Eoarchean TTGs from the Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan complexes, the Aktash samples have higher Sr [476 to 747 ppm (parts per million)], lower Y (1.9 to 7.0 ppm), and heavy REE contents (Yb = 0.17 to 0.56 ppm), and thus higher Sr/Y (82 to 282) and normalized La/Yb (32.0 to 136) and Gd/Yb (2.59 to 6.88) ratios (Fig. 3B and Table 1). Moreover, these samples have very low Nb (average, 2.8 ppm), Ta (average, 0.10 ppm), and Ti [average, 0.46 weight % (wt %)] contents relative to other Eoarchean TTGs (Fig. 3C). These geochemical features are consistent with those for HP TTGs (13), whereas samples from the Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan complexes mostly plot in the MP and LP TTG fields (Fig. 3, B and C, and Table 1), indicating that the Aktash tonalites were probably derived from higher pressures. In addition, the Aktash samples tend to have lower SiO2 (as low as 57 wt %) but higher MgO (up to 4.71 wt %), Cr (up to 122 ppm), and Ni (up to 121 ppm) contents, and higher Mg# (up to 60.1) than the other Eoarchean TTGs and experimentally derived TTG melts, with the most mafic sample (16ALT04-2) plotting close to the average low-SiO2 adakite and sanukitoid (3) (Fig. 3D). Fig. 3 Geochemical composition of the Eoarchean Aktash tonalitic gneisses compared to Eoarchean TTGs from the Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan gneiss complexes. Average compositions of individual samples from replicate analyses are used in the plots for the Aktash gneisses. Acasta 1 refers to the 4.02-Ga high-FeOT tonalites that are compositionally different from typical TTGs. See table S4 for data source. (A) Feldspar triangular classification diagram showing the tonalitic composition of the studied samples, except for sample 16ALT08-3. (B) Sr/Y diagram. (C) Nb/Ta diagram. The Aktash tonalitic gneisses mostly plot into the HP TTG fields in (B) and (C), whereas other Eoarchean TTGs mostly plot into the medium and LP TTG fields (13). (D) Cr/Mg# diagram showing the higher Cr contents and Mg# of the Aktash tonalitic gneisses relative to the lower crust–derived Eoarchean TTGs and experimental TTG melts (37). The most “mafic” sample (16ALT04-2) plots close to the average low-SiO2 Adakites and Archean Sanukitoids (3), which can be modeled by simple mixing with 3 to 5% mantle peridotite (DP1) (39). This provides a minimum constraint for mantle peridotite interacted with TTG melts because experiments show that this interaction produces peritectic mafic minerals (for example, garnet and pyroxene) that host most of the MgO, Cr, and Ni, so that even interaction with 30% peridotite produces melts (for example, CF-HP) similar to our most mafic sample (39). Table 1 Median values of key elemental concentrations and ratios for TTGs and selected modeled melts. See tables S4, S6, S7, and S9 for details. View this table: Thermodynamic and trace element modeling It is generally agreed that Archean TTGs were generated by partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks (14). Although an AFC origin has been proposed for the ~4.02 Ga high-FeOT tonalites in the Acasta Complex (18) and for some TTG-like plutons in Phanerozoic arcs (23), this model is not favored for most Archean TTGs because both intermediate products (for example, gabbro and diorite) and cumulates (for example, garnetite and hornblendite) of fractional crystallization are rare or absent in Archean geological records. This also applies to the Aktash tonalites, the composition of which was likely controlled by progressive partial melting and subsequent interaction with mantle peridotite (see the Supplementary Materials). In the partial melting model, the primary magma composition is controlled by source composition and melting conditions (for example, pressure, temperature, and water activity), which are likely related to tectonic settings. Here, we compiled a database of mafic rocks from modern oceanic settings (mid-ocean ridges, oceanic plateaus, and oceanic arcs) and Archean cratons (see Materials and Methods and table S7) to evaluate the tectonic setting that generated Eoarchean TTGs and thus Earth’s oldest continental crust. Simple batch melting modeling using the highly incompatible large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; for example, Rb, Ba, Th, U, and K) provides important constraints on the source of TTGs (Fig. 4A and fig. S7). Although these elements can be mobile during alteration and metamorphism, the global average tends to eliminate this effect. Our compilation shows that TTGs are significantly enriched in LILEs relative to modern mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB; Fig. 4A and table S6). This enrichment is independent of age and melting pressure and is probably a reflection of source composition and degree of partial melting. Our results confirm that, for 10 to 30% partial melting, MORB is too depleted in LILEs to produce TTGs (Fig. 4A) (7, 9). Oceanic plateau basalts (OPB) have been considered as the source of TTGs (7, 8) because they are derived from relatively enriched mantle plumes (24). However, our results show that most modern OPB are dominated by tholeiites that are only marginally more enriched (some are even more depleted) than modern MORB, which is insufficient to produce the enrichment seen in TTGs unless a very low degree (<7%) of partial melting is involved. This is consistent with a recent experimental finding that addition of K2O-rich fluids is needed to make TTGs from primitive OPB (25). More enriched basalts do exist in oceanic plateaus and oceanic islands, but their restricted abundance and need for selective melting is a problem when large volumes of TTGs are to be produced. The only mafic rocks enriched enough to be the source of extensive TTGs in a modern oceanic setting are island arc basalts (IAB; Fig. 4A and fig. S7). In fact, the average composition of modern IAB is slightly too enriched in K2O, which, under similar degrees of partial melting, would produce melts that tend to be K-rich granodiorite to granite (Fig. 4A and fig. S7), a conclusion supported by partial melting experiments (26). Fig. 4 Trace element modeling. (A) Trace element patterns for the median composition of TTGs (13) and their potential source rocks (tables S6 and S7), highlighting the significant enrichment of LILEs (for example, Rb, Ba, Th, U, and K) in TTGs. The dashed lines represent the degree of LILE enrichment required for the source to produce TTGs by 10, 20, or 30% melting, assuming perfect incompatibility (bulk partition coefficient = 0). In modern oceanic settings, only IAB are enriched enough to be the source of TTGs; mid-ocean ridge and oceanic plateau basalts are too depleted. The median composition of Archean arc-like basalts used for thermodynamic modeling appear to be a suitable source of TTGs. NMORB, normal MORB. (B) Trace element patterns of TTG melts calculated at different P-T-X(H2O) conditions for the median composition of Archean arc-like basalts (table S9). The shaded area shows the overall compositional range of the ~3.7 Ga Aktash tonalites. The best fit for the median composition of the Aktash tonalites is obtained for water-fluxed melting [X(H2O) = 2 to 3 wt %] at 1.8 to 1.9 GPa and 800° to 830°C; dehydration melting [X(H2O) = 1.0 to 1.5 wt %] at higher temperatures (900° to 950°C) results in a poorer fit in light REE. Melts derived from lower pressures at 1.4, 1.0, and 0.6 GPa significantly deviate from the median Aktash tonalites in terms of Nb-Ta, Sr and Y, and heavy REE contents. The tectonic setting of Archean basalts is a subject of considerable debate, and unambiguous geological records of Archean MORB and OPB are rare or absent (27). Although the Archean mantle may not be as depleted as it is today, the mantle-derived melts tend to be diluted by higher-degree partial melting due to higher Archean mantle potential temperature (28, 29). The net result is that Archean MORB and OPB may not be significantly enriched than modern counterparts. By contrast, moderately enriched tholeiitic basalts have been documented in the Eoarchean Isua (3032) and Nuvvuagittuq (33) greenstone belts. These rocks have trace element patterns and lithological associations (for example, tholeiite-boninite association) remarkably similar to those found in modern oceanic arcs and have been interpreted as formed in Eoarchean proto-arcs (14, 33, 34). Recent geochemical (11, 12, 16) and experimental (35) studies have demonstrated that these Eoarchean arc-like tholeiites are a suitable source for the Eoarchean TTGs in these localities. These results imply that most TTGs probably require a moderately enriched mafic source related to some form of crustal recycling in arc-like settings as early as the Eoarchean and that the secular evolution from TTGs to high-K granodiorite-granite may be partly ascribed to secular enrichment of arc-related basalts in addition to enhanced intracrustal reworking (2, 4). To further constrain the pressure (P)–temperature (T) conditions and source water content [X(H2O)] under which Archean TTGs were derived, thermodynamic partial melting modeling was performed for the median composition of arc-like basalts (Th/Nb >0.1) (27) from Archean cratons (see Materials and Methods and table S7). Note that these basalts have a wide range of trace element compositions and not all of them were necessarily generated in arcs considering continental contamination and uncertainties in tectonic interpretations (27). However, this median composition appears to be representative of the least altered, moderately enriched high-aluminum arc-like tholeiites in the Isua greenstone belt (3032) and appears to be a suitable source of TTGs in terms of LILE concentrations (Fig. 4A). Thermodynamic calculations were carried out using the newly calibrated solution models for tonalitic melt, amphibole, and clinopyroxene (see Materials and Methods) (36). We calculated P-T and T-X(H2O) phase diagrams (fig. S8), as well as mineral assemblage and degree of partial melting at ~1500 discrete points (table S9) with P-T-X(H2O) conditions ranging from 750° to 950°C, 0.6 to 2.0 GPa, and 1.0 to 3.0 wt %, respectively. The latter were then used to calculate the major and trace element composition of the modeled melts (see Materials and Methods and table S9) (1012). Our results indicate that Sr contents and Sr/Y ratios, as well as Nb-Ta and heavy REE contents, of the modeled melts are sensitive to melting pressures, whereas LILE (for example, K and Rb) and light REE contents are controlled by melting temperature and source water content (and thus degree of partial melting; Fig. 5 and fig. S8). These geochemical parameters of the modeled melts were fitted with the observed compositions of the Eoarchean TTGs to estimate the optimum P-T-X(H2O) conditions from which their parent magmas were derived. The results show that the median composition of the Aktash tonalites is best matched by melts generated by 15 to 20% melting at relatively high pressure (1.8 to 1.9 GPa) and low temperature (800° to 830°C) conditions when 2 to 3 wt % water is present in the source (Figs. 4B and 5, and Table 1). Melting at variably lower pressures (for example, 0.6 to 1.4 GPa; Fig. 4B and Table 1) fails to reproduce the high Sr and Sr/Y, as well as the low Nb-Ta and heavy REE contents. In a relatively dry system (1 to 1.5 wt % H2O), similar degrees of partial melting can be achieved at higher temperatures (900° to 950°C) at 1.8 to 1.9 GPa, but the resultant melts have slightly higher light REE contents than the observed median values (Fig. 4B). The average TTGs from the Itsaq and Anshan complexes can be generated from the same source but at relatively lower pressures (1.0 to 1.5 GPa; fig. S9), consistent with previous studies of the Itsaq Complex (11, 12). A good fit was also obtained for melting at low temperature (750° to 810°C) with high water contents (2 to 3 wt %), although high temperature melting with lower initial water contents (1 to 1.5 wt %) cannot be completely ruled out considering the large compositional ranges of each suite (fig. S9). The relatively low Sr and high heavy REE and Y contents of a few TTG samples from the Acasta gneisses suggest a melting pressure of ~1.0 GPa, but their relatively high light REE contents probably require a more enriched source (fig. S9). Fig. 5 Thermodynamic modeling. Simplified P-T phase diagram for the median Archean arc-like basalt (table S7), calculated with X(H2O) = 2.0 wt %, corresponding to at least 0.3 wt % water-fluxed melting. Long and short dashed lines show calculated degree of melting (weight % of melt) and melt Sr/Y ratios, respectively. Dotted line marks water saturation of the system. Also shown are P-T conditions estimated for the Aktash tonalitic gneisses (red dot), compared to those for the Itsaq (purple square), Anshan (green diamond), and Acasta (group 2, blue triangle) TTG gneisses. Error bars are 1σ based on uncertainties of observed Sr/Y ratios, Sr contents (for pressure), and LILE contents (for degree of melting and temperature) and should be considered as minimum estimates. Whereas most Eoarchean TTGs were likely derived from thickened lower crust (1.0 to 1.5 GPa), the composition of the Aktash tonalites (for example, Sr/Y ≥ 100) requires melting at mantle depths (>1.6 GPa). The above modeling suggests that most Eoarchean TTGs (Itsaq and Anshan) are MP and LP TTGs that were likely generated by partial melting in the garnet amphibolite to HP granulite facies (Fig. 5), most likely in the lower crust of thickened proto-arcs (1.0 to 1.5 GPa). This is consistent with the results of recent geochemical (11, 12, 16), experimental (37), and thermodynamic studies (10, 38). However, the Aktash samples are similar to HP TTGs and can only be generated by partial melting of rutile-bearing eclogites with no plagioclase and minor or no amphibole in the residue at 1.8 to 1.9 GPa, or ~60 km depth. This significantly exceeds the crustal thickness of modern oceanic arcs and oceanic plateaus and is probably also difficult to achieve for early Archean crust, which was probably rheologically weak due to higher mantle potential temperature and would be gravitationally unstable (delaminated) at the base once thickened to 40 to 50 km (29). Therefore, melting of thickened mafic lower crust can be ruled out for the Aktash tonalites. The relatively high Mg# and Cr and Ni contents of the most mafic sample also imply melting at mantle depths and interaction with at least 3 to 5% mantle peridotites (Fig. 3D) (1, 3, 4, 39); interaction with ultramafic rocks (for example, komatiite) at shallow crustal levels is unlikely because our thermodynamic modeling (unpublished) indicates that this would produce peritectic plagioclase and orthopyroxene that tend to eliminate the characteristic trace element features of TTGs (for example, high Sr and Sr/Y). Whether this deep melting occurred in subduction zones or delaminated lower crust requires further discussion. One difference between these two scenarios may lie in the melting temperature (and thus apparent thermal gradient) and water activity. Partial melting in subduction zones may occur at relative low temperatures due to high water contents derived from dehydration of subducted slabs and overlying sediments, whereas delaminated lower crust is relatively dry and can only be melted by conductive heating due to high thermal gradients (>750°C GPa−1) (10, 29). Thermodynamic and trace element modeling shows that the Aktash tonalites were most likely generated by low-temperature (800° to 830°C) melting when 2 to 3 wt % water is added (Figs. 4B and 5), which exceeds the maximum water content of fully hydrated amphibolites at the solidus (~1.7 wt %; fig. S8) and thus implies at least 0.3 wt % water-fluxed melting. High-temperature (900° to 950°C) dehydration melting with low source water contents [X(H2O) = 1 to 1.5 wt %] tends to yield melts that are slightly more enriched in light REE than the median Aktash tonalite, although this possibility cannot be entirely ruled out. Low-temperature water-fluxed melting is consistent with the low zircon saturation temperature (TZr) of these samples (average, 780° ± 20°C, 1σ; table S4). Because the Zr contents do not correlate with whole-rock SiO2 (figs. S5 and S10) and an inherited zircon is present, parent magmas of these rocks were probably initially zircon saturated, thus TZr provides a reasonable estimate of primary magma crystallization temperature. Another line of evidence of low temperature, water-fluxed melting comes from the high Nb/Ta ratios (median, ~23.0) of the Aktash tonalites. Detailed experimental studies (40) demonstrate that Nb-Ta fractionation during partial melting of mafic rocks is mainly controlled by partition coefficients of rutile, which are largely dependent on temperature and source water content, and that only low temperature, water-fluxed melting can produce melts with high Nb/Ta ratios. Collectively, these results imply an apparent thermal gradient of 400° to 450°C GPa−1 for the Aktash tonalites (Fig. 5), which is considerably lower than that for partial melting of thickened or delaminated lower crust of Archean volcanic plateaus (10, 29) but similar to that expected for Archean hot subduction zones (5, 6). Considering the moderately enriched, arc-like basaltic source, we propose that the Aktash tonalites were likely produced by water-fluxed melting of the mafic component of an Eoarchean proto-arc that was subducted to mantle depths during its accretion or collision with another arc at ~3.7 Ga. By contrast, partial melting of the lower crust of the variably thickened overriding arc, triggered by underplating of hydrous basalts or TTG magmas, could have been responsible for generating the MP to LP TTGs from the Itsaq and Anshan complexes. There has been considerable debate about when plate tectonics started in the early Earth. Recent studies on paired metamorphism (41), diamond inclusions (42), zircon Hf and O isotopes (43, 44), and crustal composition (45) variously suggest that plate tectonics was initiated during 2.8 to 3.2 Ga. Numerical modeling (46) demonstrates that the viability and style of subduction is mainly controlled by mantle potential temperature (Tp) in the early Earth, which is variably higher than it is today (28, 29). When Tp is 175° to 250°C higher, the lithosphere is weak, and subduction is intermittent, characterized by frequent slab breakoff, and when Tp is more than 250°C hotter, the lithosphere would be too weak to be subducted (46). Note that the Eoarchean Tp value, however, remains uncertain due to lack of petrological constraints (28, 29). Geochemical and geological evidence from the Isua (14, 34) and Nuvvuagittuq (33) greenstone belts suggest that some form of crustal recycling and terrane accretion was operative as early as 3.7 to 3.8 Ga. Our findings show that TTGs require a mafic source that was significantly enriched in fluid-mobile elements, which most likely results from water-fluxed mantle melting in arc-related settings (11, 12, 16). The Aktash tonalites require transport of these enriched basalts to mantle depths along a relatively cold geotherm, implying large-scale horizontal tectonics that were capable of transporting one arc beneath another. The inferred melt-peridotite interaction indicates the presence of a mantle wedge and a relatively steep subduction angle, in contrast to flat subduction commonly assumed for the Archean (2, 38). All these arguments suggest that modern-style arc subduction-accretion tectonics occurred, at least locally, at ~3.7 Ga. Our findings thus support the view of Eoarchean continental crust formation mainly by accretion of proto arcs, through partial melting of either thickened lower crust (11, 12, 16) or subducted arcs (this study). These processes, along with AFC in Iceland-like settings (18), built the oldest continental nuclei on Earth, upon which later crustal growth and reworking, through both subduction- and plume-related processes, continued to make more evolved and extensive continental crust. Field mapping and sampling The outcrop was first mapped according to lithologies. Each lithology was sampled for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) zircon dating, and one tonalitic gneiss (15ALT10) was found to be Eoarchean. Similar tonalitic gneisses around this sample site were then sampled every ~2 m across and along the foliation, and selected samples were dated using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) to confirm ages and to constrain the exposed area of Eoarchean rocks. These dated samples, along with additional samples collected along the foliation at the same site, were used for whole-rock major and trace element analyses. All the samples were collected from relatively low-strain domains between major shear surfaces, and visible leucosomes or melt patches were carefully avoided during sampling. In situ zircon U-Pb dating Zircons were separated using standard density and magnetic techniques. They were handpicked and mounted in epoxy resin under a binocular microscope (along with standard zircon BR266) and polished to expose the central parts of the grains. Polished mounts were imaged by reflected and transmitted light and by CL. CL imaging was carried out at the Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility, Curtin University, using a MIRA3 scanning electron microscope equipped with a monochromatic CL detector. In situ zircon U-Th-Pb analyses were carried out by both SIMS and laser ablation. SIMS dating was performed using a SHRIMP II ion microprobe at Curtin University, following the standard procedures described in the study of De Laeter and Kennedy (47). A primary O2− ion beam with intensity of ~2 nA and spot size of ~25 μm was used. Each analysis site was rastered for 120 s to remove surface contamination. Six scans through the nine mass stations were made for each spot analysis. Standard zircon BR266 (206Pb/238U age = 559 Ma, U = 909 ppm) was analyzed before every three to four unknowns to calibrate measured Pb/U isotopic ratios and element concentrations. The assigned 1σ external error of Pb/U ratio for the standard zircons was between 0.5 and 1.4% during this study. Common lead was corrected using the measured 204Pb and the present-day common lead composition given by (48). Data reduction was performed using SQUID 2.5 (49). Laser ablation dating was carried out using the LA-ICPMS at the State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University. A New Wave 193-nm laser-ablation system with an in-house sample cell coupled to an Agilent 7500s ICP-MS was used for U-Th-Pb isotopic analysis. All analyses were conducted using a beam diameter of 25 μm, a repetition rate of 5 Hz, and energy of 10 to 20 J/cm2. Detailed instrumental setting and analytical procedures follow the methods outlined in the study of Jackson et al. (50). Mass discrimination and residual elemental fractionation were calibrated against the standard zircon GEMOC/GJ-1 (206Pb/238U age of 601 Ma). Samples were analyzed in “runs” of about 15 analyses, which included 10 unknowns, bracketed at the beginning and the end by two analyses of the standard. The standard zircon Mud Tank was analyzed as an unknown in each run, and the weighted mean 206Pb/238U age was 727.8 ± 3.9 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.6, n = 55) during the analytical sessions, consistent with previous results in other laboratories (50). U-Pb ages were calculated using the online software package GLITTER (v. 4.4; In situ zircon Lu-Hf isotopic analysis Zircon Lu-Hf isotopic analyses were carried out at the State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, using a Neptune MC-ICP-MS equipped with a New Wave Research UP193-FX laser ablation system. The analytical procedures follow those described in the study of Wu et al. (51). The analyses were conducted with a repetition rate of 6 to 8 Hz, energy of 10 to 15 J/cm2, and beam diameter of 32 or 44 μm. The raw counts of 172Yb, 173Yb, 175Lu, 176(Hf + Yb + Lu), 177Hf, 178 Hf, 179Hf, and 180Hf were collected. The isobaric interference and instrumental mass bias were corrected using the methods and parameters given in the study of Wu et al. (51). Standard zircons Mud Tank, 91500, and Penglai were used to monitor the instrumental state and analytical accuracy. The resultant 176Hf/177Hf during the analyses was 0.282504 ± 0.000029 (2σ, n = 58) for Mud Tank, 0.282306 ± 0.000046 (2σ, n = 50) for 91500, and 0.282926 ± 0.000057 (2σ, n = 6) for Penglai. The εHf(t) was calculated using the chondrite parameter of 176Hf/177Hf = 0.282785 and 176Lu/177Hf = 0.0336 (52) and the 176Lu decay constant of 1.867 × 10−11 (53). The 2SE error of εHf(t) was estimated following the methods given in the study of Ickert (54), whereas the 2σ errors of 176Hf/177Hf ratios and εHf(t) were calculated by quadratic addition of the internal error (2 SE) and the external reproducibility of the standard zircon Mud Tank (0.000029 or 1.0 ε unit). Careful optical and CL examination after Lu-Hf analysis reveals that several spots (15ALT10-39, 15ALT10-5.1, 16ALT04-12.1, 16ALT05-2.1, 16ALT05-6.3, 16ALT08-9.1, 16ALT08-10.2, and 16ALT08-15.1), mostly with exceptionally high 176Hf/177Hf, were located on mixed zircon domains and were excluded from further interpretation. Whole-rock geochemical analysis Thirteen samples were pulverized to less than 200 mesh in an agate shatterbox. Major elements were determined by ARL-9900 x-ray fluorescence at the Shandong Bureau of China Metallurgical Geology Bureau (SBCMGB), Ji’nan, with precision and accuracy better than 5% (table S5). Trace element contents were analyzed using an X Series 2 ICP-MS at SBCMGB. To evaluate the accuracy of the data, we reanalyzed most samples using an Agilent 7700e ICP-MS at the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan. Sample digestion follows similar procedures in both laboratories (55), which are briefly described below. Sample powder was dried at 105°C for 12 hours in an oven, and dried powder was precisely weighted to a Teflon bomb. HNO3 and Hf were added to the bomb to dissolve the powder by heating at 190°C (more than 24 hours) and drying at 140°C for three times. The power was completely dissolved in the acid, and no residue was found in the final solution. The analytical precision (relative SD) and accuracy (relative error to recommended values) based on multiple analyses of the standard materials AGV-2, BHVO-2, BCR-2, RGM-2, GSR-1, and GSR-3 are better than 10% for most (20% for all) trace elements in both laboratories (table S5). Replicate analyses on unknowns in each laboratory yielded similar precision to the standards. Comparison of sample data from the two laboratories suggests that inter-laboratory discrepancy is within 10% for most elements (table S5), except for Li, Sc, Sn, Cs, Tl, U, and Ta. High inter-laboratory discrepancies for Li and Sc may have resulted from contamination and polyatomic interference, respectively, whereas the apparent discrepancies for Sn, Cs, Ta, Tl, and U resulted from very low concentrations (thus high analytical uncertainties) of these elements in most of our samples [for example, Sn, Cs, and Tl (<0.5 ppm), U (<0.2 ppm), and Ta (<0.1 ppm); table S4]. While the low U (Cs and Th) concentrations probably resulted from mobilization during granulite facies metamorphism and were not used in the interpretations, Ta shows good positive correlation with Nb (fig. S5), suggesting that it was not significantly mobilized. However, the extremely low Ta contents impart extremely high Nb/Ta ratios (>30) probably with high analytical uncertainties; thus, we calculate Nb/Ta ratios only for samples with average Ta ≥ 0.1 ppm. Data compilation The TTG database used in this study was from Moyen (13), which is supplemented by literature data for Eoarchean (≥3.6 Ga) TTGs from the Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan gneiss complexes (see table S4 for reference list). Eoarchean samples not assigned as TTGs or with SiO2 < 56 wt % or K2O/Na2O > 1 were excluded. This, together with the Aktash data presented in this study, results in a database with 122 samples. It appears that TTGs from each Eoarchean gneiss complex have distinct geochemical compositions, probably due to derivation from different depths, although considerable variations exist in each suite due to fractionation and/or mixing of melts derived from different depths. The mean, median, and SD of each suite were calculated, and median values were used for trace element modeling. To evaluate the source composition and tectonic setting of Archean TTGs, we compiled databases for mafic volcanic rocks from Archean cratons and modern mid-ocean ridges, oceanic plateaus, and oceanic arcs from the GEOROC and/or PetDB databases. Data for Archean cratons and modern oceanic arcs are from GEOROC (; accessed in April and June 2016, respectively). Data for modern oceanic plateaus were also from GEOROC and were supplemented by oceanic plateau data from PetDB ( Data for the mid-ocean ridge basalts were from PetDB. All the databases were filtered using the following procedures: (i) being volcanic rock or glass; (ii) SiO2 between 42 to 56 wt %, and MgO <18 wt %; and (iii) LOI (loss on ignition) < 5 wt % or sum of major elements within 97 to 103 wt %. Furthermore, data beyond the 2σ range of the original data were excluded, and the mean, median, and SD were recalculated. The Archean basalts were further filtered with Th/Nb > 0.1 (27) to identify those with arc-like trace element patterns (that is, negative Nb-Ta anomalies). Note that these arc-like basalts did not necessarily form in arcs because continental contamination is difficult to exclude (27). However, the resultant average composition is an appropriate source for TTGs in terms of LILE enrichment and appears to be representative of the least altered, Eoarchean high-Al tholeiites from the Isua and Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belts that were interpreted to have formed in Eoarchean proto-arcs (3035). Thermodynamic and trace element partial melting modeling Thermodynamic partial melting modeling was carried out with Perple_X (56) (version 6.7.6) in the Na2O-CaO-K2O-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O-TiO2-O2 system, using the thermodynamic database from Holland and Powell (57) (hp622ver.dat) and the newly calibrated solution models for tonalitic melt [melt(G)], amphibole [cAmph(G)], and clinopyroxene [Augite(G)] from Green et al. (36). Other solution models used in the calculation included Gt(W) for garnet (58), Opx(W) for orthopyroxene (58), Ilm(WPH) for ilmenite (58), Bi(W) for biotite (58), Chl(W) for chlorite (58), and Mica(W) for mica (58), Fsp(C1) for plagioclase (59), and Ep (HP11) for epidote (57). Quartz, rutile, sphene (titanite), and water were considered as pure end-members. The calculation was performed for the median composition of Archean arc-like basalts (table S7), assuming a Fe3+/(Fe3+ + Fe2+) ratio of 0.1. The P-T phase diagram was calculated with 2 and 1 wt % water, corresponding to water saturated and water undersaturated melting, respectively, at 1.0 GPa (fig. S8). Equilibrium mineral assemblages were also calculated at discrete P-T points for every 10°C and 0.1 GPa from 750° to 950°C and 0.6 to 2.0 GPa, with a water content of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 wt %, respectively (table S9). The resultant weight percentages of melts and the equilibrium minerals were then used to calculate the trace element composition of the melts. Trace element modeling was carried out using the batch melting equation (60)Embedded Imagewhere Csource and Cmelt represent concentration of a trace element in the source rock and the resultant melt, respectively; D is the bulk partition coefficient, and F is the degree of melting (that is, weight % of melt). The median values of the mafic source rocks were used, and the results were compared with the median values of TTGs, because the distribution of most elements in these large databases were skewed and the means were biased by high values (fig. S8). Partition coefficients (table S8) were mostly cited from Bédard (8), except for those for garnet and plagioclase from Qian and Hermann (37), and Nb, Ta, and Ti data for rutile from Xiong et al. (40). The garnet REE and Y partition coefficients we used were lower than those given by Bédard (8); use of higher values resulted in a poorer fit of heavy REE slope with the target TTG composition. The D value for Sr in plagioclase we used (2.262) was also lower than that given in the study of Bédard (8) (6.65), so that the resultant melt Sr content is less sensitive to the amount of residual plagioclase. Supplementary material for this article is available at Supplementary Text fig. S1. Regional geological setting of the Aktash gneiss complex. fig. S2. Field photographs of the Eoarchean Aktash tonalitic gneisses and related rocks. fig. S3. Photomicrographs of the Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses and associated rocks. fig. S4. Concordia diagrams and representative zircon CL images of the Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses. fig. S5. Binary element variation diagrams of the Aktash tonalites. fig. S6. REE and trace element patterns for the Eoarchean TTG gneisses. fig. S7. Histograms of LILEs (for example, K, Rb, Ba, and Th). fig. S8. Phase diagrams calculated for the median composition of Archean arc-like basalts. fig. S9. Trace element patterns of modeled melts compared to the Eoarchean TTGs from the Itsaq, Anshan, and Acasta complexes. fig. S10. Zircon saturation temperature (TZr). table S1. SHRIMP zircon U-Th-Pb isotopic data for the Eoarchean gneisses in the Aktash Tagh area, southeast Tarim Craton, northwestern China. table S2. LA-ICPMS zircon ages for the Eoarchean gneisses in the Aktash Tagh area, southeast Tarim Craton, northwestern China. table S3. LA-MC-ICPMS zircon Lu-Hf isotopic data for the Eoarchean gneisses in the Aktash Tagh area, southeast Tarim Craton, northwestern China. table S4. Whole-rock geochemical data for the Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses in the Aktash Tagh area, southeast Tarim Craton, northwestern China, and literature data for the Eoarchean TTGs from the Itsaq, Acasta, and Anshan gneiss complexes. table S5. Major and trace element composition of standard materials analyzed along with unknowns during this study. table S6. Average composition of TTGs for different ages and assumed melting pressures. table S7. Average composition of potential source mafic rocks for Archean TTGs compiled from the GEOROC and PetDB databases. table S8. Mineral partition coefficients used in trace element modeling of partial melting of mafic rocks [after Bédard (8) and Martin et al. (7)]. table S9. Thermodynamic and trace element modeling of partial melting of median Archean arc-like basalt. References (6173) Acknowledgments: We thank S. Lu for providing Global Positioning System locations of sample I9809 that led to the discovery of Eoarchean rocks in the Tarim Craton. P. Cawood, R. Rudnick, C.-T. Lee, and an anonymous reviewer provided constructive comments that helped to improve this paper. We also thank T. Nagel and O. Laurent for comments on an earlier version of this paper, A. Frew and J. Zi for assistance in zircon SHRIMP analyses, T. Yang for zircon Hf analyses, and E. Miller for zircon CL imaging. Funding: This research was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of China (41672186 and 41502178) and Jiangsu Province (BK20150577), the National key research and development program of China (2016YFC0601004), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015M570432). This is a contribution from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems ( Author contributions: R.G., W.Z., and H.W. carried out field mapping and sampling. R.G. carried out laboratory analyses and thermodynamic-trace element modeling. R.G. wrote the paper. S.A.W. and W.Z. contributed to interpreting the data and improving the text. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Data and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials. Additional data related to this paper may be requested from the authors. View Abstract Navigate This Article
Possible remain safe and friendly after intelligence explosion. Possible scenariosThe possible threat possessed by AI is “intelligence explosion”. Intelligence explosion means a computer with AI identifies the algorithms which make then intelligent, improves upon them, and then creates a successor which does the same. Intelligence explosion will make us smarter and smarter. I mean our limited brain can develop WI-FI then a machine 100 or 1,000 or 1 billion times smarter than we are should have no problem creating the technology to reverse human aging, curing disease and hunger and even mortality, reprogramming the weather to protect the future of life on Earth. When ASI possess such great power and intelligence there are high chances that ASI will take over humans. Many researchers believe that ASI would have the ability to send humans to extinction, some believes that it might be beneficial to us, it might have the ability to bring individual humans to immortality. If ASI possesses super intelligence then humans will be in such a situation where entire humanity will watch themselves losing power over the world.Then again no one can be sure about future but anyone can predict what will/could happen, again it’s just a prediction. Possible course of actionWe can not stop technology from evolving hence, we can to stop what is coming. No matter what AI will develop an intelligence explosion will occur. We can not hide from intelligence explosion but what we can do is we can make changes in intelligence explosion, positive changes. There are modifications which we can make in such events. Friendly AIA Friendly AI is AI which is friendly to humans and which in any case cannot harm humans – one that has good impacts rather than bad. AI developers continue to make AI’s which can make their own decisions, along which they should work safely. A friendly AI research is concerned about designing AI that would remain safe and friendly after intelligence explosion. It’s harder to design friendly AI then designing a normal AI, usually solutions to make friendly AI fails because of two main reasons: Superpower: an AI would have superintelligence which is capable of doing much more than humans. AI can achieve its goals with highly efficient methods.Literalness: an AI will take decisions which it is designed with, it will not work according to its designers. It will work on its pre-written rules, regulations and values, even for a second it will not think about human values. Programming AI which will not harm usTo accomplish such goal humans needs to make rules for AI, there are set of rules which might be useful. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harmA robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Personal responseAccording to me, artificial intelligence is such a device which is no less than a god to humans, AI is capable performing such tasks which are beyond human capabilities. AI is future. Although AI has its many benefits with promising future, it has its unintended consequence. It’s simple to understand no 2 species with great intelligence can live parallelly, hence either AI or humans will come to its end. There are more chances of AI to live and human’s extinction because AI will possess more intelligence than of humans. But AI isn’t born yet and humans live right now, to prevent any kind of loss humans should take necessary steps to stand ahead of AI or restrict AI to perform certain tasks. The other option is to build friendly AI which understands human values and relations. Therefore, no one can deny the endless possibilities that come with AI and the consequence caused by that high approach, everyone has to face what’s coming to them. ConclusionThis report on AI clearly says that AI poses threat to humanity. On the other hand, AI is also equipped with superintelligence which can give quicker and better solutions to our problems. Slowing down aging, curing diseases, or immortality seems to be impossible tasks, and we really don’t relate it with Artificial intelligence, but AI will be smart enough to do such tasks. To whatever extent we have goals, we have goals that can be accomplished to greater degrees using sufficiently advanced intelligence. When considering the likely consequences of superhuman AI, we must respect both risk and opportunity.
For long, weights have fascinated the budding bodybuilder. They have always been enamored with the idea of lifting an insane amount of heavy metal to transform their flesh to a perfect rock hard body. The ubiquitous dumbbell has dominated a major part of the weight-training regime. Introduction to Dumbbells A short rod with circular or block shaped weights at either end is what constitutes a dumbbell. The history of how it attained the name ‘dumbbell’ is quite confusing. No one knows precisely when and where, it attained the name, but some history suggests that it originated in England, when poet Joseph Addison mentioned it in his work ‘The Spectator’, in the year 1711. However, this page is not about how history was made then but how you can create one now. The dumbbell is a prolific weight and strength-training device. It is the most visible item in any gym, both public and private. Gym trainers and bodybuilding professionals alike swear by the efficacy of this marvel tool and have, through the ages, perfected the art of its usage. Fitness programs and magazines sing paeans about how dumbbell routines have revolutionized the health and wellness industry and that it is here to stay for a long time. In this article, we will know how this venerable piece of metal and nowadays tempered rubber, can change your body shape. How does a dumbbell work? It works on the principle of gravity. Weight pushes the muscle down and you have to act counter to it. There are numerous muscle areas where a dumbbell can be used to influence growth and strength. One of the most favored of them is the biceps and the triceps. Dumbbells are also used for expanding and strengthening the chest muscles as well as the shoulder and there are quite a few methodologies that can be followed to achieve that build, you so yearn for. How dumb is the dumbbell? To begin with, remember that the dumbbell does provide two types of mechanisms: • Mechanical • Metabolic The mechanical mechanism entails reparation of damage caused by muscle contractions. This stimulates muscle growth and hence expansion and consequently strengthening. The metabolic overload, on the other hand, pushes the muscle to fatigue. This has a great anatomical benefit. Because of this, the muscle cells begin to store more glycogen, which again leads to an increase in size. A seasoned practitioner will understand how weights work and hence will use the heavier ones for greater mechanical overload, while the moderately heavy ones with greater reps will be used for metabolic overload. There is a definite increase in the inter-muscular and intramuscular coordination. This leads to more muscle activation. The inter-muscular coordination leads to a greater ability of a group of different muscles to work together, which leads to better stabilization of joint motion. The intramuscular coordination is the activation of a number of muscle motor units along with their attached muscle fiber within a specific muscle. Lighter weights increase the inter-muscular coordination while heavier weights work on the latter. Working out with a dumbbell ensures that the said muscle region expands and contracts adequately. This has a direct bearing on the elasticity of the tissues. This in turns helps store mechanical energy. This energy is released when the muscle contracts. The entire weight dependent movement leads to greater muscle build and tissue strengthening as well keeps the joints supple and fluid. The traditional workouts involving the dumbbell, increases the force carrying capacity of the muscle while the multi-planar movements with lighter weights, enhance resiliency. Variety in a workout regime is extremely important. The size and the form factor that the dumbbell comes in, makes it a perfect foil for any exercise. Moreover, with the new age ones, having adjustable weights, does make for a fascinating round of exhilarating, sweat churning, muscle ripping workout. A dumbbell also provides exclusivity, with each hand getting its own weight. What better way to burn and build! Needless to say, that the dumbbell is not exactly dumb. Working out with dumbbells Now for a quick look at what all we can do with this wonder tool for muscle sculpting. Dumbbell Straight-Arm Pullback • Hold the dumbbell in one hand • Bend your knees a bit and lunge a bit forward, placing yourself parallel to the ground • The hand, which does not hold the dumbbell, needs to be on the respective knee. Therefore, that would mean the free right-hand needs to be on the right knee. • Back needs to be firm • Straighten the arm carrying the weight • Now, slowly raise the arm to a point where it is parallel to the ground • Do not move the upper body • Do 10 reps a set • Switch arms Close Grip Dumbbell Press • Lie perpendicular to the bench • Hips need to be below the bench with your feet firmly placed on the ground. The body needs to be stable here. • Hold the dumbbell straight above your chest, with both your hands. • Now lower the dumbbell towards your chest, slowly, with no sudden movements. The focus area needs to be your triceps. Return to the first position. Chest Supported Dumbbell Row • Lie on an incline bench with the chest on it. • Hold the dumbbells on either hand • Now start pulling them back till the dumbbells are parallel to your chest • Gently push it to the original position. • The effect this has on the back is unimaginable. The contraction work wonders. Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension • Lie on a flat bench with feet firmly placed on the ground. Stability of the posture is of prime importance here. • Hold the dumbbells in each hand and stretch your hands perpendicular to your chest. • Keep your palms faced in and elbows tucked in • Now keeping your upper arms stationary bring the weights towards your forehead, bending your elbow. • Bring it back to the original position pushing your triceps outwards. Bent Arm Dumbbell Pullover • Lie on a bench perpendicular to it. Your torso will be jutting out while the legs need to be firmly placed on the ground. • Hold the dumbbell with both the hands. • The dumbbell will need to be facing downwards towards your face. Now, with hands stretched straight outwards, perpendicular to your chest, bring it to the starting position. • Slowly bring the weight down behind your head stretching your hands in an arc • Bring it back to the starting position. A dumbbell is a self-contained immensely satisfying workhorse. It provides its users with umpteen variations, each being productive and exciting. Care needs to be taken while performing those exercises. Once, the mind and body adjust to the newfound love, it is well, game on. Close Menu
Please forgive the long question. I have split it into 2 parts. I am very confused about how harmonic suppression is measured in RF system (in my case, ham radios). I have picked up a couple of the Baofeng radios: The UV-5R+ and the GT-3, and I am keen to understand how bad the harmonics are whist using them. I have read the following 2 blog articles that do measurements on these devices: http://hamgear.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/baofeng-uv-5r-spectrum-analysis-revisited/ http://hamgear.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/review-baofeng-gt-3/ Also, referring to the EU standard EN-301-166-1 Section 7.4.3: "The power of any spurious emission, occurring more than 2,5 × CSP from the centre of the channel on which the transmitter is intended to operate, shall not exceed [0,25 µW (-36,0 dBm)]" Part 1 When doing these experiments, you configure a certain attenuation on the Spectrum Analyser. However, by applying different levels of attenuation, doesn't that mean that the measured harmonics will vary?? Does this mean that to obtain the absolute dBm value coming out of the radio, you need to add the attenuation figure onto any measure figures? For example, if you are applying 20dB attenuation, and you measure -50dBm on your analyser, does this mean that your radio is actually putting out -30dBm?? Or have I got this all wrong?? Also, what does reference dB mean? Is that simply the top line on the graph? Part 2 I don't have a spectrum analyser, but I do have a very cheap RTL-SDR dongle (DVB-T stick hacked to act as a wideband receiver). Using the program SDR-Sharp, this gives about 50dB dynamic range (i.e. the amount I can see on the FFT display). The FFT display in SDR-Shaper has a y-axis of dB (not dBm, unfortunately). With the absence of any calibration equipment, I had to make do with relative measurements, rather than absolute values... Using this dongle, an experiment I did, was set my radio to a certain VHF frequency (144.500Mhz), and by way of adjusting the SDR gain and moving the radio closer/further away from the USB dongle, made sure that the main frequency was just touching 0dB on the SDR-Sharp FFT display. I then went on to measure the harmonics, up to the 7th one. The values I got from the UV-5R+ radio, from the 1st harmonic (main frequency) up to the 7th harmonic were as follows (in dB): 0, -55, -47, -45, -48, -52, -54 Have I measured anything useful here? And can I relate these figures to the EU standard at all? Any help is appreciated. Many Thanks A spectrum analyzer will automatically add the attenuator setting to the measured absolute power. The units you need to know are • dB -- power relative to some reference value • dBm -- power relative to 1mW • dBc -- power relative to carrier power The problem with using the RTL-SDR is that these devices are not designed for absolute power measurements, but rather for extracting digital data. As such, they do not have any compensation for their own frequency response, which is overlaid with the measurement data you have. The main issue, however is that you are measuring in dBc, by normalizing your carrier power to 0dB and then looking at the harmonics. dBc give you a good estimate of the quality of your amplifier, but for regulatory purposes, only absolute power in dBm is relevant, which requires you to use a device that has been calibrated. The attenuation setting on the spectrum analyzer needs to be chosen so the entire RF range is overload free, as overloads in the RF frontend would produce harmonics in the first mixer stage, before the selection filter. Some analyzers include a high pass filter option, where higher harmonics are measured by replacing the attenuator with a high pass filter, allowing for better resolution while still remaining overload free; also, analyzers often provide a dedicated harmonics measurement that automatically searches the base frequency, adjusts the attenuator and reports back absolute and relative values with error margins. • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for this. So looking at the hamgear blog posts, if he measures -47dBm using his Rigol analyser, then that can be compared to the regulatory -36dBm? \$\endgroup\$ – Jonny Aug 25 '14 at 14:36 • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, as long as the transmission was comparable to a real world scenario. The problem I have with this blog article is that they mix up the units. There is no such thing as "56dBm down", it is -56dBc. \$\endgroup\$ – Simon Richter Aug 25 '14 at 14:44 • \$\begingroup\$ Is is definitely dBc? The marker on the Rigol says dBm... Is it possible that the main carrier is higher than 0dB and simply "off the chart"? \$\endgroup\$ – Jonny Aug 25 '14 at 14:51 • \$\begingroup\$ The analyzer won't display dBc unless told which is the reference carrier. It is possible for the carrier to be off the chart, but unlikely as attenuation is usually automatically set from the reference level (i.e. so that a signal reaching the top of the chart will not cause an overload). \$\endgroup\$ – Simon Richter Aug 25 '14 at 14:53 • \$\begingroup\$ Hmm ok. But if the attenuation setting makes the main carrier 0db on the chart, how is the measured harmonic -56dBm? This goes back to my original question of does the attenuation setting affect the measured value... \$\endgroup\$ – Jonny Aug 25 '14 at 14:57 Your Answer
Laüs or Laus (Ancient Greek: Λᾶος; Italian: Laos) was an ancient city of Magna Graecia on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was a colony of Sybaris at the mouth of the Lao River, which formed the boundary between Lucania and Bruttium in ancient times.[1][2][3] The river and the city have the same name in Ancient Greek. Today the archaeological site of the city can be found at a short distance to the east of Marcellina, a frazione of the comune of Santa Maria del Cedro in Calabria.[4] Obverse and reverse of a coin from Laüs Stater of Laüs with man-headed bull, c. 510-500 BCE Laüs is located in Italy Shown within Italy Alternative nameLaus LocationMarcellina, Province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy RegionMagna Graecia Coordinates39°46′3″N 15°49′50″E / 39.76750°N 15.83056°ECoordinates: 39°46′3″N 15°49′50″E / 39.76750°N 15.83056°E Area60 ha (150 acres) PeriodsArchaic Greek to Roman Republican CulturesGreek, Lucanian Site notes Excavation datesFirst between 1929 and 1932 ManagementSoprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria Public accessClosed Laos nomos 161407 Stater of Laüs with man-headed bull, c. 490-470 BCE Little is known about its foundation or history. Herodotus states that the inhabitants of Sybaris who had survived the destruction of their city in 510 BCE took refuge in Laüs and Scidrus.[5] Diodorus Siculus seems to imply that that city had been captured by the Lucanians before or during 390 BCE. He writes that the army of Thurii had repelled a force of the Lucanians which had attacked their territory in 390 BCE. The Lucanians then withdrew to their own territory and Thurians pursued them to lay siege to the "prosperous" town of Laüs. On the way to Laüs the Thurians were ambushed and crushed by the Lucanians.[6] Strabo describes the city as still being in existence in his time. He mentions a heroon to Draco, a companion of Odysseus, stood there.[1] The first edition of Strabo's Geographica was published in 7 BCE and the last no later than 23 CE. Pliny the Elder, whose Natural History was published in approximately 77–79 CE, states that the city no longer existed in his time.[2] The site near Marcellina which is now identified as Laüs was possibly a refoundation of the Greek city by Lucanians on a previously unoccupied site. The city was downsized gradually and abandoned in the second half of the third century BCE. This was probably caused by the Punic Wars, which had a profound impact on the economy of the Tyrrhenian coast. The only material evidence of the Archaic Greek city consists of some silver coins with the legend LAFINON and symbols similar to those of the coins of Sybaris, dated between 500 and 440 BCE.[7] The first excavation started between 1929 and 1932. The necropolis of Laüs now lies below Marcellina and is notable for its important finds. A rich tomb chamber was discovered by accident in 1961 not far from the railway station of Marcellina. Dozens of red-figured vases, bronze and precious metals, and a finely crafted bronze armor were found in the tomb. The burial dated to the second half of the fourth century BCE and is now exhibited in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria. Other burials of the same period, though less rich, were found in the same area in the 1950s and 1960s. The excavations revealed a city that was defended on at least three sides by a wall. The urban space was organized according to a grid plan with at least two central roadways in a north–south orientation and 12 meters wide. These were intersected at regular distances of 96 meters by perpendicular roads in an east–west orientation and approximately 5 meters wide. This created a checkerboard layout of building blocks containing four dwellings, which were further separated by narrow lanes. In the south-east of the site, near the present cemetery, an area characterized by the presence of artisanal kilns for the production of ceramics was discovered.[7][8] The site today The Laüs Archaeological Park was created in 1994 to protect the archaeological site and covers an area of approximately 60 hectares. Some ancient structures were restored and a small museum, the Antiqarium, was set up in a building nearby.[9] By 16 January 2013 the site was closed.[10] See also 1. ^ a b Strabo, Geographica 6.1.1 2. ^ a b Pliny the Elder, Natural History 3.10 3. ^ Ptolemy, Geography 3.1.9 4. ^ Richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, (ISBN 0-691-03169-X), Map 46, notes. 5. ^ Herodotus, The Histories 6.21.1 6. ^ Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 14.101.3–14.102.1 7. ^ a b "La Città di Laos". ArcheoCalabriaVirtual (in Italian). Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2013. 8. ^ "La Necropoli di Marcellina". ArcheoCalabriaVirtual (in Italian). Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria. 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2013. 9. ^ "Il Parco Archeologico di Laos". ArcheoCalabriaVirtual (in Italian). Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013. 10. ^ "Parco Archeologico del Laos off-limits per i visitatori". Gazetta del Sud (in Italian). 16 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013. External links Acropolis of Athens The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, "highest point, extremity") and πόλις (polis, "city"). Although the term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification. During ancient times it was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king. While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495–429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site's most important present remains including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were damaged seriously during the 1687 siege by the Venetians during the Morean War when gunpowder being stored in the Parthenon was hit by a cannonball and exploded. Ancient Greek dialects Ancient Greek in classical antiquity, before the development of the common Koine Greek of the Hellenistic period, was divided into several varieties. Most of these varieties are known only from inscriptions, but a few of them, principally Aeolic, Doric, and Ionic, are also represented in the literary canon alongside the dominant Attic form of literary Greek. Likewise, Modern Greek is divided into several dialects, most derived from Koine Greek. The Bouès, is a right tributary of the Arros, at the eastern end of the basin of the Adour, in the Southwest of France. Calabria (UK: , US: , Italian: [kaˈlaːbrja]; Calabrian: Calàbbria; Calabrian Greek: Calavría; Greek: Καλαβρία; Arbëreshë Albanian: Kalavrì), known in antiquity as Bruttium (US: ), is a region in Southern Italy. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro. The Regional Council of Calabria is based at the Palazzo Campanella in the city of Reggio Calabria. The region is bordered to the north by the Basilicata Region, to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,080 km2 (5,822 sq mi) and has a population of just under 2 million. The demonym of Calabria is calabrese in Italian and Calabrian in English. In ancient times the name Calabria referred, not as in modern times to the toe, but to the heel tip of Italy, from Tarentum southwards, a region nowadays known as Salento. Cycladic culture Cycladic culture (also known as Cycladic civilisation or, chronologically, as Cycladic chronology) was a Bronze Age culture (c. 3200–c. 1050 BC) found throughout the islands of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. In chronological terms, it is a relative dating system for artefacts which broadly complements Helladic chronology (mainland Greece) and Minoan chronology (Crete) during the same period of time. Demonax (Greek: Δημώναξ, Dēmōnax, gen.: Δημώνακτος; c. AD 70 – c. 170) was a Greek Cynic philosopher. Born in Cyprus, he moved to Athens, where his wisdom, and his skill in solving disputes, earned him the admiration of the citizens. He taught Lucian, who wrote a Life of Demonax in praise of his teacher. When he died he received a magnificent public funeral. Greece in the Roman era Greece in the Roman era describes the period of Greek history when Ancient Greece was dominated by the Roman Republic (509 – 27 BC), the Roman Empire (27 BC – AD 395), and the Byzantine Empire (AD 395 – 1453). The Roman era of Greek history began with the Corinthian defeat in the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC. However, before the Achaean War, the Roman Republic had been steadily gaining control of mainland Greece by defeating the Kingdom of Macedon in a series of conflicts known as the Macedonian Wars. The Fourth Macedonian War ended at the Battle of Pydna in 148 BC and defeat of the Macedonian royal pretender Andriscus. The definitive Roman occupation of the Greek world was established after the Battle of Actium (31 BC), in which Augustus defeated Cleopatra VII, the Greek Ptolemaic queen of Egypt, and the Roman general Mark Antony, and afterwards conquered Alexandria (32 BC), the last great city of Hellenistic Greece. The Roman era of Greek history continued with Emperor Constantine the Great's adoption of Byzantium as Nova Roma, the capital city of the Roman Empire; in AD 330, the city was renamed Constantinople; afterwards, the Byzantine Empire was a generally Greek-speaking polity. Greek Dark Ages The Greek Dark Ages, Homeric Age (named for the fabled poet, Homer) or Geometric period (so called after the characteristic Geometric art of the time), is the period of Greek history from the end of the Mycenaean palatial civilization around 1100 BC to the first signs of the Greek poleis (city states) in the 9th century BC. Following the collapse, fewer and smaller settlements suggest famine and depopulation. In Greece, the Linear B writing of the Greek language used by Mycenaean bureaucrats ceased. The decoration on Greek pottery after about 1100 BC lacks the figurative decoration of Mycenaean ware and is restricted to simpler, generally geometric styles (1000–700 BC). Lao (Italian river) The Lao (Greek: Λᾶος; Latin: Laus, Laos or Laüs; formerly also Laino) is a river in southern Italy. It rises in the Lucanian Apennines in Basilicata (where it is known as the Mercure) and drains into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Scalea in Calabria. Laos (disambiguation) Laos is a country in southeast Asia. Laos or LAOS may also refer to: Lao River, a river of southern Italy Laüs, an ancient Greek colony situated on the above river Aoös, a river of Epirus Galangal, aka Laos, an oriental spice Popular Orthodox Rally, known as LAOS, Greek right-wing populist/nationalist political party Laus may refer to: Laüs, an ancient city on the west coast of Lucania Laus River, a river of southern Italy Paul Laus (born 1970), former professional ice hockey player Our Lady of Laus, the first Marian apparition approved in the 21st century by the Catholic Church Saint-Étienne-le-Laus, an administrative division in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Quebec, a municipality in Canada Lucania (Greek: Λευκανία, translit. Leukanía, lit. 'Levkanía (Modern Greek)') was an ancient area of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bruttium in the south-west, at the tip of the peninsula which is now called Calabria. It thus comprised almost all the modern region of Basilicata, the southern part of the Province of Salerno (the Cilento area) and a northern portion of the Province of Cosenza. The precise limits were the river Silarus in the north-west, which separated it from Campania, and the Bradanus, which flows into the Gulf of Taranto, in the east. The lower tract of the river Laus, which flows from a ridge of the Apennine Mountains to the Tyrrhenian Sea in an east-west direction, marked part of the border with Bruttium. In the culture of ancient Greece, the term paideia (also spelled paedeia) (; Greek: παιδεία, paideía) referred to the rearing and education of the ideal member of the polis. It incorporated both practical, subject-based schooling and a focus upon the socialization of individuals within the aristocratic order of the polis. The practical aspects of this education included subjects subsumed under the modern designation of the liberal arts (rhetoric, grammar, and philosophy are examples), as well as scientific disciplines like arithmetic and medicine. An ideal and successful member of the polis would possess intellectual, moral and physical refinement, so training in gymnastics and wrestling was valued for its effect on the body alongside the moral education which the Greeks believed was imparted by the study of music, poetry, and philosophy. This approach to the rearing of a well-rounded Greek male was common to the Greek-speaking world, with the exception of Sparta where a rigid and militaristic form of education known as the agoge was practiced. Phylakopi I culture The Phylakopi I culture (Greek: Φυλακωπή) refers to a "cultural" dating system used for the Cycladic culture that flourished during the early Bronze Age in Greece. It spans the period ca. 2300-2000 BC and was named by Colin Renfrew, after the settlement of Phylakopi on the Cycladic island of Milos. Other archaeologists describe this period as the Early Cycladic III (ECIII). Scalea (Calabrian: Scalìa) is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The town takes its name from its terraced lay-out on the hillside, at the bottom of the Capo Scalea promontory. The old town is placed on the heights and preserves the remains of an ancient wall, while towards the beach, the Scalea Marina centre has recently been developed, with modern hotels, villas and numerous bathing areas on the beach. Scidrus, also known as Skidros (Ancient Greek: Σκίδρος), was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Lucania, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, between Pyxus (Buxentum) and Laüs. Sybaris (Ancient Greek: Σύβαρις; Italian: Sibari) was an important city of Magna Graecia. It was situated on the Gulf of Taranto, in Southern Italy, between two rivers, the Crathis (Crati) and the Sybaris (Coscile). In 510/09 BC the city was subjugated by its neighbor Kroton and its population driven out. Sybaris became a dependent ally of Kroton, but Kroton again besieged the city in 476/5 BC, probably resulting in another victory for Kroton. Two attempts to reoccupy the city failed around 452/1 BC and 446/5 BC when the remaining Sybarites were again expelled by the Krotoniates. After a call for help the Sybarites reoccupied their city later in 446/5 BC with the assistance of new settlers from Athens and other cities in the Peloponnese. This coexistence did not last long: the Sybarites got into a conflict with the new colonists and were ousted for the last time in the summer of 445 BC. In sum, the city saw a total of five periods of occupation separated by expulsion. The new settlers then proceeded to found the city of Thurii in 444/3 BC, a new colony which was built partially on top of the site of Sybaris. The surviving Sybarites founded Sybaris on the Traeis. The ruins of Sybaris and Thurii became forgotten as they were buried by sediment from the Crati river over time. The ruins were rediscovered and excavated in the 1960s by Donald Freeman Brown. Today they can be found southeast of Sibari, a frazione in the comune of Cassano allo Ionio in the Province of Cosenza, Calabria region, Italy. Thurii (; Greek: Θούριοι, translit. Thoúrioi), called also by some Latin writers Thurium (compare Greek: Θούριον in Ptolemy), for a time also Copia and Copiae, was a city of Magna Graecia, situated on the Tarentine gulf, within a short distance of the site of Sybaris, whose place it may be considered as having taken. The ruins of the city can be found in the Sybaris archaeological park near Sibari in the Province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Literary criticism Language Endangerment and India: A Critical Study By: Kousik Adhikari GaggedImagine that you are the last speaker of your language! Every other person who ever spoke your language has passed away. You have no one to talk in your own mother tongue; your children never learned your language and instead use the language of outsiders. If you want to interact with others you must use a foreign language, and because you never have the chance to use and practice your own mother tongue, you find yourself forgetting pieces in your language. Everyone else has moved on to live in ‘modern’ lives and languages. You feel a sense of loneliness and feel yourself stranger in your own land! For the English speaking speakers this image may be difficult to imagine, having almost 310 million speakers the world over, but for many of us this situation is very real, around the world over 11% percent of languages have fewer than 150 speakers! An endangered language is a language that may soon vanish, ceasing to be used as a vehicle of communication perhaps even disappearing totally from human history. It is estimated that 80% of the world’s almost 7000 languages will die within next 100 years or so and it is a time when language endangerment is increasingly being seen as a topic that concerns the whole world. Several books have been published in this area like ‘Vanishing Voices’, ‘Preserving Language Shift’, and ‘Linguistic Genocide in Education’. Nettle and Romaine (2000) strongly criticize the lack of policy and support for endangered languages and the devastating effects of such indifference, hampering linguistic diversity of the world. The authors consider it a ‘strategic error that will be regretted as time goes on.’ Moreover language does not simply mean the vehicle of communication but also the vehicle of culture, tradition that the community inherits from the ancestral as Skutnabb-Kangas (2000) points out that language and culture ‘stand for each other’ and the loss of language is in fact the permanent loss of human culture and civilization. Sapir, the great linguist, maintained that language is ‘the symbolic guide to culture’. Minority languages are being gradually and speedily replaced by various politically, economically or socio-culturally dominant languages. In his article ‘Who Am I in This Land? What People Am I Part of?’ Sergei Haruchi, representative of one of the minority peoples in the Russian North gives the following accounts on his relation to Nenets people and their language: I experience no shock on realizing that I belonged to the Nenets people, both by father and my mother spoke Nenets. They did so without embarrassment even in the presence of strangers. Regretfully, the children now find themselves for the greater part of their time –at kindergarten, at school. They talk with parents only in the morning and the evenings. As a consequence, some children of indigenous intellectuals not only from families of mixed marriages but even those whose fathers and mothers are both Nenets don’t know their native language. My own eldest daughter and son understood but do not speak Nenets, because they have no opportunity to practice it…it is our fault and nobody else’swhen a cry of lamentation is raised that the language, the basis of people’s cultures is sinking into oblivion and that books and textbook should be published in the language. I don’t object to this. But, after all, our parents did not teach us their native language by using books. We learned by hearing our mothers talk to us. It is first and foremost that the mother who passes on the language and a great deal depends on her because she spends more time with the children …we must have strong desire to pass on the language. Our children ought to speak their native language.” The picture truly brings home the condition of numerous languages in the world over standing helplessly at the verge of extinction. Language endangerment may be caused primarily by external forces such as military, economic, religious, cultural or educational subjugation. It may also be caused by internal forces such as community’s negative attitude towards its own language or a general decline in group’s identity. Many minority communities associate their disadvantaged social and economic position with their ancestral culture and language. Speakers of minority community abandon their language and consequently their culture in the hope of overcoming discrimination to secure a livelihood and enhance social mobility. Franz Boas, who formed the basis of linguistic relativism, maintained that no human language can be superior to any other in terms of its ability to meet human needs which should be kept in mind in this context. At the 31st session of the UNESCO General Conference in October 2001, the unanimously adapted ‘Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity’ recognized a relationship between cultural diversity and linguistic diversity. It recommended that member states in conjunction with speaker communities should undertake steps to ensure: 1. Sustaining the linguistic diversity of humanity and giving support to expression, creation and dissemination of the greatest possible number of languages. 2. Encouraging linguistic diversity at all levels of education wherever possible and fostering the learning of several languages from youngest age. 3. Incorporating where appropriate traditional pedagogies into the education process with a view to pursuing and making full use of culturally appropriate methods of communication and transmission of knowledge and where permitted by speaker community encouraging universal access to information. Endangered languages are not necessarily languages with few speakers. Even though small communities are more vulnerable to external threats; the size of a group not always matters. The viability of a language is determined first and foremost by the general attitude of its speakers towards their cultural heritage, of which the language may be considered the most important component. Statistical data related to language further illustrate the extent of the problem of language endangerment. About97% of the world people speak about4% of the world language and conversely 96% of the world’s languages are spoken by about 3% of the world’s people. Approximately 85% of the almost 7000 languages of the world are spoken in only 22 countries. Some of these countries are home to large numbers of diverse languages, Papua New Guinea (almost 900 languages), Indonesia (up to 700), Nigeria (more than 500), India (almost 400), Cameron (almost 300), Mexico (almost 200), and Brazil (more than 200). In these linguistically highly heterogenic countries only few languages have significant numbers of speakers and very few languages are assigned official status with these states. Stephen Wurm classified the level of endangerment of languages: 1. Potentially Endangered- which usually implies lack of prestige in the home, country, economic deprivation pressure from larger languages in the public spheres to the extent that the language is not being systematically passed on in the education system. 2. Endangered- where the youngest fluent speakers tend to be young adults and there is a disjunction in passing on the language to children especially in the school but even in home environment. 3. Seriously or Severely Endangered- with the youngest fluent speakers being among the older generation aged fifty and over implying a loss of prestige and social value. 4. Moribund – with only a tiny proportion of the ethnic group speaking the language mostly the very aged. 5. Extinct- where no speakers remains. The UNESCO ‘Atlas of The World Languages’ identified 196 languages that are endangered in India, which comprise 84 languages that are ‘unsafe’, 62 languages that are ‘definitely endangered’, and 6 and 33 languages that are respectively ‘severely’ and ‘critically’ endangered. Nine languages like Ahom, Sengami, Tarao, Aimol, Andro, Chairel, Kolhreng, Rangkas and Tolcha have become extinct in India from 1950. The constitution of India recognized 18 languages as ‘scheduled language’ (listed in schedule VIII article 343-351), while those languages not included in the scheduled 18 are listed as ‘minority languages’. The constitution does not provide a clear criterion for defining minority languages. The Supreme Court of India in 1998 presents a parameter for defining a minority language as ‘language of minority community’ which is defined as a community numerically less than 50%. However this parameter is not applicable as ‘there is no linguistic group in India which can claim the majority status’, clearly. The Austro-Asiatic language family which is the most ancient linguistic phylum of India and south East Asia with the exception of Khasi and Santhali, over the two hundred other languages of the same origin is threatened with extinction. The precise language situation of Andaman and Nicober islands is virtually kept hidden but Pu, Tahet, Taihlong, Shompen etc. are in the verge of extinction with 200-400 speakers. The South Munda languages, spoken over vast scattered communities in Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh etc. are more or less endangered. The language of semi-nomadic Birhor is moribund with less than 2000 speakers in Singbhum, Southern Palamou. Other than the four major Dravidian languages, Kanarese, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telegu, the other minor Dravidiain languages are spoken by small tribes and have not been substantially committed to writings. Kanarese, Tamil and Malayalam are Southern Dravidian language and Telegu is the only central Dravidian language not threatened with extinction. Irula, Todo, and Badaga are minor south Indian languages with 5000-10000 speakers and Badaga has 1,00,000 speakers. Despite being once a major language now the total number of fluent Lepcha speakers does not exceed a few thousands. The three Hurshi languages of the Arunachal Pradesh like Aka, Miji, Bongro, are virtually in the line of extinction. This is the case for many other small community’s languages that are in different levels of endangerment. The constitution of India enabled the parliament to create new states and underlying the major reorganization of the states of India in 1986 and subsequent years was the rationale that linguistic minority should be offered adequate opportunities for political and economic growth. The linguistic diversity of the country will preserve the cultural diversity of the country. In the world today, different organization and universities and state- funded agencies are doing admirable work on documentation and preservation of language. We should conclude this essay by quoting a Navajo elder’s saying published in ‘Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World’: If you don’t breath, There is no air, If you don’t walk There is no earth If you don’t speak There is no world We should generate adequate policy and regulation to save the vanishing voices or languages in order to save this world before all ends. [Kousik Adhikari, MPHIL scholar, participated and presented papers in several national and international seminars and conferences, has several publications in reputed international journals consisting of critical writings, translations and creative writings, interested in postcolonial literature, linguistics, and comparative literature. India ] 1 reply » 1. It is the phenomenon of Brotherhood Vs. Other-hood that overtakes people’s rationale of preserving their language. The Others are seen as threatening, unfriendly and an alien variant in the Brother Society. This situation would change only if we are able to completely degenerate the whole notion of ‘normalcy’. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Google photo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
Notwithstanding Doug Ford Image Credit: Toronto Sun/ Postmedia Network By: Laura Steiner The Notwithstanding clause is a mechanism allowing federal and provincial legislatures to pass laws that potentially violate sections 2, and 7-15 on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It’s the constitutional way of saying “my way or the high way” the courts. The question of whether Premier Doug Ford could use it, isn’t an issue. It’s a mechanism that has been used before, in other provinces with varying degrees of success. It’s a question of if he should. The argument in favour of it is personified by Toronto City Council itself. 47 councillors have meant days long meetings with very little to show for it. A transit plan that’s being perpetually changed, barely any of which is built before someone changes their mind. A public housing structure that’s years behind in repairs. Bylaws that still haven’t been harmonized from the days of amalgamation. A lot of the big stuff gets lost as everyone has their say, and advances their causes. Envisioning a city with a transit plan that actually gets built is almost worth it alone. In the context of Toronto’s place within the province, the answer is no. Toronto’s population 2.8 million people makes up barely 1/3 of Ontario’s population. This government shows early signs of a habit of passing controversial legislation. Is it wise to use the proverbial hammer so soon? Why not wait until a bill that affects more than one community? Like say a carbon tax imposed by a certain federal government. Candidates for municipal office are allowed to begin accepting donations after the submit nomination papers to the municipality. Some consider this the beginning of the campaign. The idea of a nomination period was introduced by the provincial Liberals for the 2018 municipal election campaigns; in this case it was between May 1, 2018 and July 27, 2018. It’s an issue of timing, and what activities besides collecting donations constitute a campaign period. Doug Ford needs to decide what kind of Premier he wants to be. The Premier for all 13 million people in Ontario? Or is he the Premier of Toronto, out to use whatever mechanism he has at his disposal to settle old scores? The answer ultimately will dictate his re-election, Toronto Council’s fate notwithstanding.
Entrepreneurship: Roles Of Great Entrepreneurs Add in library expert-image Annette Rodriguez 4.8/5 hire me 1 Download9 Pages 2,230 Words Discuss the role an entrepreneur plays within an existing company and his/her own venture. Explain and evaluate a range of characteristics and skills which are necessary to become a successful entrepreneur. You should support your arguments with evidence from reading. Likewise you should illustrate your points with examples of well-known successful entrepreneurs. Explain how the necessary characteristics and skills helps the entrepreneur fulfil his/her role. Entrepreneurship is basically planned for high school students and juniors, together with non-business student, who want to study about entrepreneurship, its function and value in our civilization, and how to get latest thoughts to marketplace both in the set up and business situation. This is an initial way proposed to offer students with a solid basis on how entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship play a key function in the 21st century overall economy. (Business, news and politics ,2012) In the lessons, we will judge, survey, and analysis the globe of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is approached as a manner of view and performing, as thoughts and a manner. The attitude focus will be on the design of new offers, the ways that they appear into being, and factors related with their achievement. (Berry.T n.d.) The roles of the entrepreneur- The role of an entrepreneur is to handle risk factors for establishing a service or goods in the market place. Moreover, an entrepreneur takes every possible opportunity from the market for gaining competitive advantages. (B ,2005) Entrepreneur as risk- taker- Entrepreneur is a person who has the ability to take high risk for financial gain. In addition, an entrepreneur has the ability to predict the efficiency of the implemented strategy for understanding that whether the risk factor will be under control or not. Entrepreneur as business manager- Entrepreneur as a business manager create a border line between the management and the entrepreneurship. Entrepreneur with the productive services, inserting their own persons and property / assets at the clearance of the entrepreneur who can guarantee at a fixed compensation. The final profit amount is based on a scope of error in calculation by the entrepreneurs and non- entrepreneurs who do not compel the entrepreneurs to pay as much amount for the productive services they could be compelled to pay. (J ,2012) Entrepreneur as an exceptional leader- As an exceptional leader, he has to take care for the return on risk taking, capital use and production effort and ability or asset specificity. A successful leader should select supporters cleverly and apart from that, he should control the followers in an effective manner. In order to gain effective and exceptional outcome, a leader should seek innovative ideas from the followers. However, the leader should take the final decision for avoiding unnecessary crisis. (A ,2010) Entrepreneur as a viewer/ restorer- Entrepreneur basic role is to achieve the kind of adjustment or changes necessary to move the economic market towards the stability condition. With the change of static condition like population growth there is a need of improved production technology and the mobility of the capital and labor is also necessary to restore the stability. Entrepreneur as an innovator- For the long term success and stability in the market an entrepreneur should be innovative. In order to be significant, competitive and more successful you need to reinvent and challenging yourself by finding out the ways and searching for the new options that can retain your customer back. (D ,2010) Characteristics and skills of an entrepreneur- Characteristics and skills are an important part or a self made quality an entrepreneur should have. These are the pillars for a successful building or in other words these are the main elements of success. These involve determination, hard work, efficiency, management of the entrepreneurs as well as their confidence. It also includes their risk taking factor for increasing business modules and selling and promotion part of the products and the services. They should be fully passionate towards their goals and should be upto the mark for their choice of decisions. In other words, they are the persons who can make or demolish any organization. Following are some of the characteristics and skills of a successful entrepreneur. There are certain characteristics, which are really important for the getting successful outcome. The most important characteristic of a successful leader is ‘passion’. If a person is really committed to his work and knows very well and deeply about it this is called passion. Achieving their goals is the main priority as compared to earning any amount. And another key of successful entrepreneur is ‘self confidence’. If you have a confidence in your ability to succeed than only you can overcome any problem. (J ,2007)You should always take a positive approach about all the things you have done or you have to do. Another qualities of a successful entrepreneur ‘self reliant’ as they don’t have to wait for others to tell or order them what they have to do. They are the self starter and very much confident about making the decision. Entrepreneurs have other qualities as well like the ability to complete tasks, the willingness for taking risk. Generally, an individual try to avoid risk factors but on the other hand, self-confidence of an entrepreneur assists them to take the challenge. Apart from that, an entrepreneur understands that risk is a natural part of achieving goals. Another quality of entrepreneurs is creative. An entrepreneur tries to seek for innovative ideas for doing things. Finally, the entrepreneurs are courageous for learning new things. Entrepreneurs build a learning environment for learning new things from other people. These are some of the characteristics a successful entrepreneur should have for a successful career. Plan everything is an important characteristics as in business planning it is required to evaluate the business situation, research, compilation of data and conclusion based on the facts. Planning also includes the success of each small and individual plan to make it a big success as a whole.(T ,2015) Creating a competitive advantage is vary healthy nutrients for any of the business as it is the unique selling point by providing more advantages. It includes services, warranty, flexible payment options, lowest price, better consumer services and exchange benefits. Follow up constantly is an important aspect as it enables you to turn viewers into the consumers and also increases the value of sale and purchase from the existence consumers. Constant follow up helps to retain the consumers and keeping them joint with your business and providing them the products and services for a longer duration of time which further helps to make a strong business relationships. Entrepreneur should have some skills which help them to have a great success like- Ability to plan is the main skill for an entrepreneur as they must be able to develop a plan for achieving their goals including all the departments like finance, marketing production and hiring the productive and satisfied employers.(J ,2012) Communication skills are important as an entrepreneurship, he should be able to explain, discuss and sell their goods and services only through a good communication. And entrepreneur should be able to effectively interact with his business team. They should express themselves very clearly and they have strong interpretation, knowledge skills to understand forms of written business communication. Marketing skills is also important as an entrepreneurship. A company achievement or stoppage is all-dependent on whether the company reaches the market, advantage the marketplace and effect in those in the marketplace choosing to purchase. Most of the failure entrepreneur has started with new services or goods and apart from that, the marketing strategy for the new offerings were not effective to attract consumers. In order to get successful outcome from the implemented strategies, an entrepreneur should implement effective marketing strategies. Entrepreneur should have some good inter personal skills, to maintain the healthy relations especially with the people they interact like customers, clients, employees, investors, lawyers and accountants as well. Healthy relationship is the main bridge which covers the gap of success. (J n.d.) An entrepreneur should have the complete basic knowledge of the resources and to use them effectively. An entrepreneur must be able to manage every section of the business and they must make sure that all the positions including managers in their business are occupied by the efficient people. Team building skills is a important skill of entrepreneur. In team building entrepreneur is the leader, as he has to build the team with efficient team member for achieving organizational goals and objectives. In order to achieve the objectives successfully, it is highly important to implement effective leadership approach. It helps the leader to manage the workforce in an effective manner. A leadership skill is very important for an entrepreneur to be successful. A leader should create and promote a strong vision of the company among the employees. In order to motivate the company employees, the leader should reciprocate with the workforce regarding their issues. Focus for the target is very much important to ensure the business success. Strength and weaknesses of an argument using examples- Following are some of the strength and weaknesses of an argument using examples- Pay attention to your customers first- It is an example of “Jon Beekman” a graduate from “Stanford graduate school of business” is the CEO and founder of Man Crates. It is about paying attention towards your customers and a concept of what the customer needs. In order to understand changing needs and requirements of the consumers, it would be better to establish a direct communication with the consumers. Customers are the main priority in making a company successful and respectful. Tomorrow is always another day- It is an example of “Scott Gerber” TV commentator, a serial entrepreneur and founder of “young entrepreneur council” (YEC). This concept emphasizes that failure influences people to do better for achieving the same objective. Now I always reduce the possible chance of stoppages by reducing the problem. Therefore, we obtain backup faster and stronger when we do face a set beck. (W ,2014) Stability of your carrier is under your control- It is an example of “Kristi Hines”, who is a “ghostwriter”, “freelance writer” and a “professional blogger”. I am the kind of person, who has applied for a job for which I was not interested. However, I have applied that job for getting a security of job. I felt it was just because I was no truly passionate about my carrier. I have learned that you should have a passion that has the power to work more. Other examples of Entrepreneurs- “Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft”. “Steve Jobs, co-founder of apple”. “Mark Zuckeberg, the founder of Facebook”. “Pierre Omidar, founder of Ebay.”(J ,2015) Linkage between the role an entrepreneur plays and necessary skills and characteristics- It is an important link among the role of an entrepreneur plays and the essential entrepreneurial characteristics or skills. It was resolute that entrepreneurs normally have high entrepreneurial characteristics and by provided that an exact management to make it the best makes use of these characters for the industrialization and the growth process can be fast and strong. Entrepreneurs natures are tested in conditions of both opening a business and their result on the kind of rights. Characteristics of entrepreneurship have been resolved as being modern, threat taker and artistic, having idea and ability of flexible functioning and being focused on top level of working. Entrepreneurs have to apply all these qualities to make development of the business on the right track and to make it more successful. (M ,2012 Initial stage of a business is very difficult, time consuming and life changing. There are many more things that go into in sequence than directly provided the goods or service that your business offers, you will also be liable for your business assets, caring your business and individual resources, maintaining your business official, paying taxes, maintenance report, supervision staff and more. Characteristics of entrepreneurship have been resolved as being modern, possibility user and artistic. (Davidsson ,2008) A, T 2010, 'Role of the enterpreneur', The Three Roles of Great Entrepreneurs. B, T 2005, ' The roles of the entrepreneur',The Role of the Entrepreneur. Berry.T, 'Introduction',Introduction to enterpreneurship. Business, news and politics 2012, 'Introduction', Introduction to entrepreneurship. D, S 2010, 'Role of the enterpreneur',The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic, vol 6, no. 1, pp. 1-19. Davidsson 2008, 'Conclusion',Some conclusions about entrepreneurship and its support. J, S 2007, 'Characteristics and skills of an entrepreneur',25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. J, W 2012, 'Role of the enterpreneur',5 important roles for an entrepreneur. J, S 2012, 'Characteristics and skills of entrepreneur',5 Essential Skills of an Entrepreneur. J, G 2015, ' Strength and weaknesses of an argument using examples', 6 Traits Every Successful Entrepreneur Must Have. B, 'Characteristics and skill of entrepreneur', 8 traits of successful entrepreneurs--Do you have what it takes?. M, C 2012, 'Linkage between the role an entrepreneur plays and necessary skills and characteristics', Entrepreneurship Skills for Growth-Orientated Businesses, pp. 1-23. T, S 2015, 'Characteristics and skills of entrepreneur',10 Traits All Successful Entrepreneurs. W, L 2014, ' Strength and weaknesses of an argument using examples', 10 strengths of outstanding entrepreneurs. Most Downloaded Sample of No Subject 348 Download1 Pages 120 Words Explain Why Firmsâ€™ Marginal Cost Curves Become Upward Sloping After A Certain Level Of Output Has Been Reached. Explain why firms’ marginal cost curves become upward sloping after a certain level of output has been reached. test While for the margina... 217 Download2 Pages 339 Words Professional Developers Comprehend Software Question: Discuss about the professional developers comprehend software? Answer: I have been working in the USA Technologies for nine months now, and it ... 156 Download3 Pages 654 Words Rethinking Oil Nationalism Question: Describe about the Rethinking Oil Nationalism? Answer: 1. The engineering discipline that I have chosen is Mechanical Engineering and I have se... 135 Download6 Pages 1,441 Words Advertising: An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective Question: Explain about the Advertising for An integrated marketing communication perspective? Answer: Introduction: Social media has become the part of... 277 Download1 Pages 48 Words Toulin Method Of Argumentation Free plagiarismFree plagiarism check online on mobile Have any Query?
Elamite Empire: Art & Culture Instructor: Joshua Sipper The ancient civilization of Elam, located in modern day Iran, was known for its sophisticated artwork as well as the establishment of a culture whose influence would continue throughout millennia and the major empires of Babylon and Medo Persia. Elam and the Elamites The Elamite culture began in modern day Iran sometime around 2700 BC and continued through 640 BC and included several dynastic lines. There's no certainty about where the Elamites originated, but there are clues from other sources including the Judeo-Christian Bible which places the Elamites as a Semitic culture that sprung from a descendant of Shem (one of Noah's 3 sons) named Elam. The Elamites were mentioned in the Bible in Ezra and Acts and the Kingdom of Elam is mentioned in Genesis, Nehemiah, Ezra, Jeremiah, Daniel, and I Chronicles. Regardless of the provenance of the Elamites, they occupied a long period of history in the Middle East and especially Persia. During this period, the Elamites maintained power through a strict system of accession and inheritance which allowed power to stay focussed within the Elamite mainstream culture. The Elamite Empire covered a large swath of modern day Iran along the Persian Gulf. Elamite Kingdom Elamite Culture Elamite Culture was arranged as many cultures are; around trade and resources. It was a patriarchal (led by men) society, reflecting the vast majority of surrounding civilizations. The area of Iran occupied for millennia by the Elamite Empire was a known trade hot spot. Located along the Persian Gulf with access to major shipping routes across land and sea, Elam was a mainstay in getting numerous resources wherever they needed to go throughout the Middle East and Asia. As a result, the people of Elam benefited from the riches, artwork, and resources of many different cultures and places. Therefore, the Elamite culture was one of great cosmopolitan wealth. The location of Elam was also very rich agriculturally. This not only provided adequate nutrition and security to the Elamites, but a steady source of good for packaging and selling to other nations and people who traveled through and traded with the Elamites. The people of Elam also has a distinct language which modern translators have found difficult to translate. However, the culture itself seemed to follow similar patterns of other local Middle Eastern cultures. Marriages were generally polygamous with the practice of levirate marriage (the practice of a brother marrying his deceased brother's widow) at the forefront as a means by which to keep wealth centered within the family or tribe. Death also was culturally similar to other peoples as the dead were entombed, sometimes with representative statues that depicted the deceased person sleeping. Religion was a central part of Elamite society as well. Each leader would usually integrate his preferred go or goddess within his reign. For instance, King Kutik Inshushinak made a huge temple and dedicated it to his god Inshushinak. These types of name similarities and building projects served a couple of purposes; first, it connected religion to the throne so that religion was under government sponsorship, and second, by establishing a temple for sacrifices, gathering, and festivals, the king could gain wealth and tribute from his people while providing them a peaceful and necessary spiritual outlet. A cuneiform stone chronicling the tales of the god Inshushinak. Elamite Artistry As in any culture, art is at the center of Elam's significance and meaning. One of the most striking and consequently earliest symbols of art in Elamite history, was probably the destruction and deportation of the people of Ur. When the great city fell, not only did the Elamites deport the last king, they also took the statue of the goddess of the people of Ur (Ningal) with them. This served not only as a symbol of complete destruction and desertion by their own goddess, but the usurping of the very core of the religious structure of Ur. The first image is the cuneiform for Nin which meant Lady and the second is for Gal which meant goddess. Together they represent Ningal, goddess of the people of Ur. To unlock this lesson you must be a Member. Create your account Register to view this lesson Are you a student or a teacher? Unlock Your Education See for yourself why 30 million people use Become a member and start learning now. Become a Member Back What teachers are saying about Try it risk-free for 30 days Earning College Credit To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page Transferring credit to the school of your choice Create an account to start this course today Try it risk-free for 30 days! Create An Account
Why should we encourage our primary school aged children to play with jigsaw puzzles? Often we help our children master the art of completing wooden jigsaw puzzles. We should continue to encourage our primary school aged children to have a go at jigsaw puzzles. Why should we encourage our children to do jigsaw puzzles? Apart from encouraging the development and maintenance of fine motor skills, you can show your child how to solve problems when you tackle a jigsaw puzzle. You and your children can examine the picture of the jigsaw puzzle and discuss it. You can then decide which is the best way to tackle the jigsaw puzzle. It might be to do the edges first. So you find all of the edge puzzle pieces and put them together. Shall you try to put the puzzle pieces together as you find them? Or shall you find them all first and put them together later? Is there a face or an animal or a building that is easy to identify within the puzzle picture? Shall you separate the puzzle pieces that that makeup the face, animal or building? Or shall you start sorting all of puzzle pieces? By going through this process and talking to your child about it , you are showing them that when there is a “big task” of putting a puzzle. You can make the “big task” manageable by making it into smaller tasks. This is an invaluable lesson that your child will use well into adulthood. But completing jigsaw puzzles does not need to only be about being challenged. Often I have parents telling me that sometimes their child does the same puzzle again and again. They worry that their child is not ‘advancing’. My interpretation is that if the child is repeatedly doing the same puzzle, then they might be likely using the puzzle as a way to relax. The child is working something else out. So I think that it is okay if a child keeps going back to the same puzzle. In the same way that colouring in can be soothing, people (including children) find puzzling soothing. What size puzzle should I choose? When it is time to pick a puzzle for children, we can get confused. Not only can there be a wide variety of images, but there can also be a wide variety of sizes. At Bramblerose, (both online and in our pop up store), we can help you make the decision as to what puzzle to choose. When it comes to the size of the puzzle, we can initially be guided by the age of the child. If a primary school aged child has not been exposed to cardboard jigsaw puzzles you can start with puzzles that are have less than 100 pieces. The best value puzzles are the 3 x 49 piece puzzles such as the set of fire engine puzzles or the 3 x 49 piece puzzles of unicorns. Six year old children might be ready to tackle a 100 piece puzzle. For seven year old children, I would consider 150 piece puzzles. For eight year olds, look at the 200 piece puzzles. For nine year olds, I would look at 300 piece puzzles. Ten year old children might be ready for 500 piece jigsaw puzzles. Ravensburger 12747-4 In the Land of Dinosaurs is a 200 piece Ravensburger puzzle that most probably would suit an eight year old Remember this is only a guide. It is not an indication of intelligence or stupidity. It is more of an indication of ability. Remember that ability can be developed and nurtured.
Breaking News Camels create the illusion of having two heads on one body! Camels create the illusion of having two heads on one body! At first glance, this appeared to be a remarkable two headed camel on display at the Peterborough zoo. From a distance, it appeared that there was one body, four legs, and two heads. But closer inspection revealed that it was actually two playful camels engaged in an affectionate game of some sort. The male was standing behind the female, with his head and neck draped over hers. Their necks and heads were intertwined in a way that gave the illusion that both heads belonged to one beast.brbrAt one point, the male pauses to look at his audience as if to ask what they are staring at. Or perhaps it is the look of a camel who is amused by the joke that he has played upon the spectators. It appears that the two are being friendly with each other and neither seems to mind the interaction.brbrCamels are fascinating animals, immediately recognizable by their large size, growing to a weight of more than 2,200lbs (1,000kg). Famous for their humps, which were once believed to store water, camels are unmistakable. The truth is that the humps store fat which can be used to allow the camel to go as long as three weeks without food. Even though metabolizing this fat also produces a small amount of water, it is actually other unique features that allow the camel to go over a week in a hot climate without drinking water.brbrCamels have intestines that are adapted to removing water from feces, allowing the camel to remain hydrated longer. Their kidneys function so efficiently that their urine is highly concentrated and very little water is lost through urination. They also have elongated red blood cells, which can still move through their veins when their hydration level is much lower than ideal. All of these adaptations make camels the ideal work horses for extreme climates.brbrMost people recognize that camels have one or two humps. The dromedary has a single hump and the Bactrian camel has two. Although we once believed they were different species, the fact that they can breed and produce fertile young suggests that they are different varieties of a single species.brbrWhether they have one head or two, camels are amazing animals! Source & embed code: For licensing, please email via DMT.NEWS, Rumble Viral May 1, 2019 at 08:56PM
In the Eye of the Tempest In the Eye of the Tempest By Patrick Bronte 6/12/2019 • World War II Magazine After narrowly surviving the Axis invasion of the Balkans in April 1941, New Zealander Haddon Donald and his men were evacuated to Crete. They soon found themselves at the dawn of a new era in warfare. The Germans had two goals when they invaded Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941. First, they wanted to save face by regaining territory the Italians had lost in Greece five months earlier, in addition to toppling the anti-German military government that had just taken power in Belgrade. But, more important, Adolf Hitler also wanted to secure critical oil fields in Romania, as well as his army’s southeastern flank, as he prepared to launch Operation Barbarossa—the invasion of Russia. Battered by the hammer blows of repeated defeats in Europe, beleaguered British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was desperate to regain some measure of prestige for his overwhelmed armed forces and prevent the Axis from opening the door to the Suez Canal and the British empire’s vulnerable possessions in the Middle East. In order to stave off a complete disaster, Churchill knew it was essential to maintain a toehold in the Mediterranean for as long as possible. To help the Greeks defend their homeland, Churchill rushed in a 32,000-man army under Lt. Gen. Bernard Freyberg. Lieutenant Haddon Donald of New Zealand was part of that force, which included British, Commonwealth and Greek soldiers, but Freyberg’s men quickly found they were no match for the Germans—the Axis onslaught was simply too great. Donald, commanding a platoon in the 22nd Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Division, barely had time to catch his breath before he and his men were driven to defeat at Kalamata. Fortunately for them, as British and Commonwealth positions in Greece were crumbling, on April 16 a frantic Churchill ordered Royal Navy ships to assemble off the Peloponnesus and begin evacuating his forces. Donald was among those rescued from the Kalamata beach. Having barely escaped the debacle in Greece, the young officer might have hoped for a respite, but when he asked what was next for his weary men, he was told, “Ahh, you’re off to Crete.” Churchill, it so happened, had decided to make a stand on Crete, saying the island “must be held at all costs.” This was essential so that badly needed reinforcements could be hurried to the Middle East, and Crete’s airfields could later be used to bomb the important Romanian oil fields at Ploesti. However, had Donald known what he would find there—and that he and his men would be asked to pay with their lives to buy Churchill the needed time—he might well have decided to jump overboard and take his chances in the sea. As Donald was taking stock of a campaign that had seen yet another British expeditionary force pushed into the surf, he had little idea he also was about to become a witness to a military revolution. WWII: You were dropped off on Crete in a pretty disorganized state. What was done to restore some order to the situation on the island? Donald: General Freyberg was put in charge of all the troops on the island, and he relinquished command of the NZ division to Brigadier Edward Puttick. We spent two or three days waiting until we were given our proper dispositions, and the 22nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, was sent to defend the Maleme aerodrome, which was on the northwestern coast of Crete, closest to Greece. The 22nd was given the job of protecting the aerodrome itself, with our headquarters on high ground overlooking the aerodrome, which was battalion headquarters. C Company was given the job of protecting the perimeter of the airfield, and my platoon was on the south side of the perimeter. The 15th Platoon from Gisborne was alongside the beach, and the 13th Platoon was given the job of looking after the eastern end of the airfield. We didn’t have enough troops really to protect the western end of Maleme, where there was a fairly wide-open riverbed with not much water, and a lot of country farther west, which was completely undefended. We were given an impossible task, really. WWII: What measures did you take to defend your positions? Donald: The battalion had a very large area to defend, and the rest of the brigade was scattered around fairly close by. We didn’t have much in the way of equipment. We had no picks, no shovels, so we dug the trenches with bayonets and scooped the stones and rocks and things out with our helmets. We managed to procure the odd shovel from the locals, and that was a godsend, and a pick or two, not many, so we had to be fairly industrious in burrowing holes for ourselves. WWII: It doesn’t sound like you had much to work with. Were you at all worried that you would be facing a repeat of the battle in Greece? Donald: We were hopeful—we lived on hope. We didn’t quite understand the severity of the onslaught that was coming. There were a few aeroplanes at Maleme—I think there were about nine Hurricanes to start with—and we were attacked from the air almost every day. These Hurricanes would go up and try to fight off the German fighters and bombers, and they gradually dwindled down until there were only two. One day the second-to-last one came in to land at Maleme—I can vividly see the jolly thing now, on fire with a Messerschmitt 109 following behind it. The Australian AK8 [anti-aircraft] gunners tried to shoot the German down but shot our guy down instead, which was a disaster—they were quite close together, almost nose to tail. They’d all fought very gallantly, shot down quite a lot of German planes, and so the last one that was there was sent off to Egypt. There was no point in staying. Editor’s note: Haddon and the rest of Freyberg’s force would soon confront the aerial onslaught of General Kurt Student’s Fliegerkorps 11, the largest airborne force organized to that point. Operation Mercury, in fact, would be the first attempt in history to seize an island exclusively from the air. Hitler had signed Führer Directive No. 8 authorizing the strike only three weeks earlier. The directive was audacious in its goals, and the Germans hoped that their elite Fallschirmjäger was equal to the task. Earlier operations in France and the Low Countries carried out by smaller airborne forces had succeeded beyond anyone’s dreams. The Fallschirmjäger’s earlier triumphs had been so shocking that Allied military leaders began to consider creating their own airborne forces. Working under a very tight timetable, Student managed to organize his force and send it on its way. Beginning at 8 a.m. on May 20, 1941, German paratroopers began falling from the sky. WWII: So you had no air cover at all. I know there was a suspicion that you would encounter paratroopers, but you must have been shocked by the size of the force that started dropping from the sky on the morning of May 20. Donald: We expected an attack both from the sea and from the air. We thought it was coming on the 17th, then we were told the 19th, and then the 20th. Intelligence group had broken the code, and we were given the information, so we were expecting what was going to happen. There was quite a preliminary softening-up that went on, particularly around the aerodromes and particularly around Maleme. We were bombed heavily every day, and although we didn’t suffer very many casualties, we did suffer from a morale point of view—it was pretty tough. On the morning of the actual attack, we had the initial bombing from the Stukas, and they really screamed at you. Then the heavy bombers came in from the sea and gave us a real pounding. There had been a slight gap in timing between the Stukas and the heavier bombers, and my runner, who shared my slit trench with me, had gone off to get breakfast. It was about 8 o’clock in the morning, and while he was away this squadron of heavy bombers came over. We were really pounded, and a bomb landed in my runner’s side of the slit trench and exploded in the trench where he would have been had he not been getting breakfast. The explosion’s concussion knocked me out on the other side of the V slit trench. And the first thing I knew, my runner was shaking my shoulder and said, “Wake up, boss!” WWII: What did you see when you came back to your senses? Donald: There were gliders and parachutes all around us. So I was rather hazy but did wake up and look around, and you couldn’t see a jolly thing because there was so much smoke and dust—it took at least a quarter of an hour before you could see more than 20 yards or so. Our platoon headquarters area, which was with the company headquarters, was absolutely flattened. The trees were all gone; there were bomb craters almost touching one another over the whole area. Then the ground fighting started. WWII: The main objective for the first wave of attacking German troops was the island’s two airfields, which meant that you were at the very heart of the landings. What was the situation like around Maleme? Donald: The Germans landed a lot of troops to the west of the aerodrome, which was undefended. They soon found out that they were not getting shot up there. But everywhere else where we were, they just had the daylights shot out of them—we shot them in the air and we shot them on the ground. We were really in control of our own areas, but then they landed a lot more troops to the west of the aerodrome, and they formed up there and started to attack us in strength. WWII: What did this mean from where you were located? Wasn’t most of the fighting to the west? Donald: Well, I was a platoon commander, and we were there to defend the aerodrome. Our 15th Platoon, which was on the seaside of the aerodrome, was overwhelmed fairly quickly, and we saw the last of them surrendering. The platoon commander was shot in the jaw, and he’d been unconscious; one of his men, a Corporal Mihaffy, was in a trench with several of his men when a German soldier tossed in a grenade. Mihaffy whipped his tin hat off, put it over the grenade and stood on it. Both his feet were blown off, but he saved the rest of his section. We did not know what was happening with the 13th Platoon. We didn’t have contact with them because we couldn’t send runners and we had no telephones and no radio. My platoon had been reduced to about 20 men from 36. So we were fairly weak, and the Germans mounted an attack toward us. They had herded up some RAF prisoners, and they were driving these chaps in front of them toward us as a screen. I told the boys quickly to hang off because if we’d started shooting, we would have hit the Brits. WWII: Did you let them advance right into your foxholes? Donald: We waited until the Brits were about 30 yards away from us, and I shouted out, “Drop, we’re going to fire!” and they did. As soon as they hit the ground, we opened up on the Huns, and we killed quite a lot of them. The rest pulled back. The Brits came in and joined us, so we got about six or seven reinforcements out of that lot. We gave them rifles, and they helped us manning the trenches. WWII: What happened after you beat back this attack? Donald: That afternoon our CO had two Matilda infantry tanks. They were big, fairly cumbersome and not very effective, but they had very thick armor, and they were hidden—the Germans didn’t know that they were there. Our CO, Colonel Andrew, wasn’t getting any support from brigade headquarters, so he decided to mount an attack of his own with these two tanks. I was given instructions to support the tanks. WWII: What did this entail? Donald: They were to go to the western end of the aerodrome, where we had counted at least 200 Germans. We knew there were a lot there, but this was our effort to try and counterattack and retake the western end of the aerodrome. There I was with about 25 or 26 blokes and these tanks. We’d had no contact with them at all, but they were trundling up the road and I was suddenly given orders to move. WWII: It sounds like this was a hastily conducted affair. Donald: I gave orders to my section commanders on the run. We had to try and catch up with the tanks. We got down onto the road and came under pretty heavy machine gun fire. I had one section on the right of the road and one on the left. The third section was following close along the road, and I commanded from there. As we advanced, my right-hand section commander came across to see me under a hail of bullets and said: “It’s no good boss, we’re too exposed. We can’t make any ground on that side.” I went back with him to have a look and could see that it was hopeless—it was too exposed. “Wait here and give us covering fire,” I said, “and we will see what we can do.” I went back across the road and got a bullet in the leg. WWII: Did this take you out of the action? Donald: No. We went on to the second tank, which was about 150 yards in front of us, and we were trying to catch up with it. By this time, the first tank had reached the Tavernitis River, where there was a bridge. We watched the tank crew come and surrender to the Germans. They had bogged down, and there was something wrong with their 2-pounder gun. The second tank then turned around on the road and came back toward us and stopped where I was. WWII: It seems like it was now just your pitifully small force taking on the Germans by itself. What did you do about the tank trying to leave you? Donald: We’d been told that if we wanted to make contact with the crew, there was a bell on the back of the turret that we could press and they would come out and talk to us. I pressed this bell and got no response. Then I climbed up on the tank and pressed the bell again. The tank was being shot at, so I waved my hand in front of the visor, and the hatch came up very gently, very hesitantly. There was a British sergeant in charge of the tank, and he said that they had lost control of the turret. I had a look. An antitank shell had hit the cowling around the turret, and it was all splintered. The crew couldn’t turn the turret, and the other tank had surrendered, so they decided it was time to go. WWII: Was this a good enough excuse for you? Donald: “Okay,” I said to him. “We’ll come along beside you and use you as protection, and we’ll put several of our wounded chaps on the protected side of the tank.” We got back with about 14 blokes. Some of us were wounded, and some of us were still intact. It had been a futile effort. We were not nearly strong enough, and the attack wasn’t properly prepared, so it was a rather forlorn effort before it even started. WWII: How bad was your wound and how did you keep going? Donald: When I was hit, it just felt like a smack from a bat. I had a leg up, climbing a little bank, and the bullet went in just above the knee and came out about six inches farther up my leg. I can’t understand where it went to from there. It should have gone into my body somewhere, but it must have whipped in a semicircle somehow, and all I got was just a puncture where it went in and where it came out. It wasn’t too bad at that stage. It became fairly painful later, but it didn’t hold me up to any extent, and anyway I was too jolly scared to stay there and quite prepared to pull back. WWII: After the Germans landed, it seems as if the battle was just a series of disjointed fights like yours with the tank. Did you have any idea of the big picture, or at least what your battalion was up to? Donald: We couldn’t make contact with battalion headquarters, and because we were so isolated and could hear Germans as close as 50 yards away, when it got dark my company commander decided that we should pull out. We took our boots off because it was rocky ground and it was noisy with boots on, and we got through the German lines without disturbing them. By the time we got to the top of Hill 107, it was almost daylight. I was at the tail end of the column. We had about 30 blokes by then, some of them wounded, some stretcher bearers and people like that. I was right at the back, and I saw on a terrace just above me a German tin hat going up and down in the air as though the owner was looking around. I had a tommy gun and fired just below this tin hat and I heard a metallic clatter. This German had a tin hat on a bayonet, and he was trying to draw fire to see where we were. Being a bit green, I didn’t realize it at the time, but I soon figured out what he was up to. Editor’s note: At the end of the first day, victory was anything but certain for Student’s men. Despite the Germans’ best efforts, British and Commonwealth forces still held the airfields. At Maleme, the defense was based on the key terrain of Hill 107. The decision of Donald’s battalion commander to abandon this critical piece of high ground ensured that Student could fly in reinforcements to his hard-pressed men, reversing the tide of the battle. WWII: Well, you were now at the tail end of a slowly moving column, and the Germans knew where you were. What did you do? Donald: I pulled out a grenade and tossed it. The explosion was followed by all sorts of squeals and yells. I had dropped behind the rest of my group by this time and so I now tried to catch up. I moved over a little ridge and ran into a party of Germans. Six of them were laying out a big red swastika to identify their position to supply planes overhead. I came across these chaps unexpectedly and shot three of them and the others disappeared. I picked up the swastika flag because I knew I could use it to fool the Germans into dropping some supplies where we were. WWII: You obviously did not want to stick around for very long. Where did you go from there? Donald: I headed back toward the 21st Battalion’s lines because the rest of our company had gone. While I was hurrying along, I heard a roar just behind me and looked around. There was a Ju-52 troop carrier just skimming over the ridge. It was so low I could see the Germans inside. I put a new 50-round magazine on my tommy gun and opened up, aiming first at one of the engines and then at the cockpit. I could see my bullets tearing holes all the way down the side of the plane. I emptied my whole magazine into the plane and learned later that it had crashed on the other side of the hill. The few who tried to escape the wreckage were shot down by one of our Bren guns. WWII: Your accuracy as an anti-aircraft gunner must have lifted your spirits. Donald: Yes, it certainly did. We’d been subjected to bombardment and strafing from the air for about 10 days and it was very disconcerting. I was feeling very frustrated until that point. WWII: It had now been some time since you had been hit in the leg. Was it ever treated? Donald: After I got back to my battalion, I was sent off to the RAP [regimental aid post]. There were a whole lot of people there. Barney Clapham, our transport officer, was one, and he had been wounded in the leg as well. Together we went to the doctor to get our wounds dressed. Once we reached the doctor, Barney and I were told that we should stay around the hospital so he could dress the wounds again the following morning. The hospital was fairly full of people wounded much more seriously than us, so we went down the road and found a house in a little village that had some beds in it, and we had a jolly good sleep. WWII: Did you go back to the hospital to get your wounds dressed again? Donald: Not really. We got up onto the roof, and lo and behold about 500 yards away there was a whole line of Germans coming down the hill, which was partly covered with olive trees and vineyards. Barney had a German rifle, and I borrowed this from him because I was a trained rifle shot. He spotted for me with a pair of binoculars as I did the shooting. I bowled over two or three of these Huns, and then Barney would say, “There’s another one to the left” and point it out with his binoculars. In this way we got several more of them. Soon a fellow came down the street with a white flag—he was one of our own troops. We called out, “What’s going on?” And he said, “We’re surrounded, the rest of the battalion had pulled back and we have surrendered, so will you please stop shooting!” We were shooting in an area where the RAP was, and they had surrendered, but we didn’t know anything about that. We decided that we would try to make a bolt for it. There were two or three lines of Germans coming down toward us, but I’d seen a sunken track leading out from the village earlier. It was about six or seven feet deeper than the surrounding ground, and so we got into this and made a bolt for it. The end of the track was about 500 yards away from the village, but when it petered out we were exposed. We stopped where we were and hid until the coast was clear. There were quite a lot of vines and things growing on the side of the terraces, which had been built up with stones. There were grapevines growing on the terraces, and on the walls there was quite a lot of thick stuff, vines and shrubs and things. Barney crept into one of them, and I crept into another, and we separated so that we were hidden. WWII: The Germans must have been pretty close at this point. Donald: We heard the Germans coming, and a whole platoon came over to my part of the terrace. I could have touched each one as he slid down above my head. We were very quiet. They were shooting into cover like ours just in case there was somebody there. Luckily they didn’t shoot into the two areas that Barney and I were in. We kept very quiet, and we waited there until dark. We decided that we would do a tour south toward the White Mountains, circle around the flank of the Germans and then rejoin our troops. We headed toward the White Mountains and picked up 18 or 20 of our troops along the way. Most of them were native Maoris who had had similar experiences to ours. We were quite a group by the time we all came together. We did a trip round helped by the Cretans. They knew where the Germans were and luckily prevented us from going into one village where there were 150 of them! We spent a couple of days circling around the German lines and eventually rejoined our own troops. Even then, we couldn’t find the 22nd Battalion. We found out they’d pulled back even farther. Barney and I were both having trouble with our wounded legs. They hurt like hell. WWII: Did you keep going? Donald: Yes. We heard that our forces were pulling out of Crete and would be evacuated from Sphakia. The only problem was that the White Mountains were now between us and that important little village on the south coast. We weren’t looking forward to climbing over those mountains with gammy legs, so we pulled into an ordnance depot and found a new motorcycle that was partly assembled. Fortunately Barney was a transport officer, and he quickly got to work putting this thing together. So there we were with a motorcycle, which was great. We managed to get to the top of the mountains on this motor bike, and then we ran out of petrol. We had to walk the rest of the way, but it was downhill, so it wasn’t too bad. It was getting pretty close to the end of the Crete affair, and we managed to get down to Sphakia, where we were checked off and put into a fairly large group of walking wounded. We were eventually delivered to [HMS] Napier on the second night [May 29], I think it was. We were very thankful at that stage to get away from Crete safely, once more in the very efficient hands of the navy, and we joined a convoy that took us into Alexandria, Egypt. Although his platoon had been destroyed, Donald could be considered one of the lucky ones. Nearly half of the men who had been dumped onto Crete following the Greek fiasco had become casualties. For the Germans, however, the outcome was even worse. Hitler was so appalled when he received word that Student had suffered some 7,000 casualties that he proclaimed the airborne corps had outlived its usefulness. Germany would never again launch a major aerial offensive during the war. Despite the losses the Fallschirmjäger suffered, Allied leaders were deeply impressed by what Student had accomplished. So much so, in fact, that they sped up the creation of their own airborne forces. It could be argued that the massive Allied airborne army that jumped into Normandy three years later could claim Student as one of its founders. None of this, of course, mattered much to Haddon Donald who, after escaping Crete, went on to serve with distinction in North Africa. He ended his war in Italy as a lieutenant colonel. After the war, he ran a successful business manufacturing farming supplies, and also served in the New Zealand parliament. For further reading, see Haddon Donald’s memoir In Peace and War: A Civilian Soldier’s Story. Originally published in the November 2006 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here Comments are closed. , , , , Sponsored Content:
The Human Body: Teeming (or Teaming?) with Bacteria The human body is a host to an amazing amount of microbes. In fact, the microbial cells that call your body home vastly outnumber your own body’s cells! The bacteria in our digestive tract have evolved to live in that one location, and they are essential to our health. However, the genetic make-up of the GI bacteria differs from one person to the next, so it creates a great degree of diversity and unpredictability. In addition, the bacteria in our guts evolve much more quickly than we do, which means the bacteria in your gut can change throughout your lifetime and they may have contributed to humans’ ability to digest new diets related to the invention of agriculture. The New York Times, July 21, 2009 2009-08-04 19:26:07 Karun Upwork
Follow Techotopia on Twitter On-line Guides All Guides eBook Store iOS / Android Linux for Beginners Office Productivity Linux Installation Linux Security Linux Utilities Linux Virtualization Linux Kernel System/Network Admin Scripting Languages Development Tools Web Development GUI Toolkits/Desktop Mail Systems Eclipse Documentation How To Guides General System Admin Linux Security Linux Filesystems Web Servers Graphics & Desktop PC Hardware Problem Solutions Privacy Policy 5. Files and File system Security A few minutes of preparation and planning ahead before putting your systems on-line can help to protect them and the data stored on them. • There should never be a reason for users' home directories to allow SUID/SGID programs to be run from there. Use the nosuid option in /etc/fstab for partitions that are writable by others than root. You may also wish to use nodev and noexec on users' home partitions, as well as /var, thus prohibiting execution of programs, and creation of character or block devices, which should never be necessary anyway. • If you are exporting file-systems using NFS, be sure to configure /etc/exports with the most restrictive access possible. This means not using wild cards, not allowing root write access, and exporting read-only wherever possible. • Configure your users' file-creation umask to be as restrictive as possible. See Section 5.1. • If you are mounting file systems using a network file system such as NFS, be sure to configure /etc/exports with suitable restrictions. Typically, using `nodev', `nosuid', and perhaps `noexec', are desirable. • Set file system limits instead of allowing unlimited as is the default. You can control the per-user limits using the resource-limits PAM module and /etc/pam.d/limits.conf. For example, limits for group users might look like this: @users hard core 0 @users hard nproc 50 @users hard rss 5000 This says to prohibit the creation of core files, restrict the number of processes to 50, and restrict memory usage per user to 5M. You can also use the /etc/login.defs configuration file to set the same limits. • The /var/log/wtmp and /var/run/utmp files contain the login records for all users on your system. Their integrity must be maintained because they can be used to determine when and from where a user (or potential intruder) has entered your system. These files should also have 644 permissions, without affecting normal system operation. • The immutable bit can be used to prevent accidentally deleting or overwriting a file that must be protected. It also prevents someone from creating a hard link to the file. See the chattr(1) man page for information on the immutable bit. • SUID and SGID files on your system are a potential security risk, and should be monitored closely. Because these programs grant special privileges to the user who is executing them, it is necessary to ensure that insecure programs are not installed. A favorite trick of crackers is to exploit SUID-root programs, then leave a SUID program as a back door to get in the next time, even if the original hole is plugged. Find all SUID/SGID programs on your system, and keep track of what they are, so you are aware of any changes which could indicate a potential intruder. Use the following command to find all SUID/SGID programs on your system: The Debian distribution runs a job each night to determine what SUID files exist. It then compares this to the previous night's run. You can look in /var/log/setuid* for this log. You can remove the SUID or SGID permissions on a suspicious program with chmod, then restore them back if you absolutely feel it is necessary. • World-writable files, particularly system files, can be a security hole if a cracker gains access to your system and modifies them. Additionally, world-writable directories are dangerous, since they allow a cracker to add or delete files as he wishes. To locate all world-writable files on your system, use the following command: root# find / -perm -2 ! -type l -ls and be sure you know why those files are writable. In the normal course of operation, several files will be world-writable, including some from /dev, and symbolic links, thus the ! -type l which excludes these from the previous find command. • Unowned files may also be an indication an intruder has accessed your system. You can locate files on your system that have no owner, or belong to no group with the command: root# find / $ -nouser -o -nogroup $ -print • Finding .rhosts files should be a part of your regular system administration duties, as these files should not be permitted on your system. Remember, a cracker only needs one insecure account to potentially gain access to your entire network. You can locate all .rhosts files on your system with the following command: root# find /home -name .rhosts -print • Finally, before changing permissions on any system files, make sure you understand what you are doing. Never change permissions on a file because it seems like the easy way to get things working. Always determine why the file has that permission before changing it. 5.1. Umask Settings The umask command can be used to determine the default file creation mode on your system. It is the octal complement of the desired file mode. If files are created without any regard to their permissions settings, the user could inadvertently give read or write permission to someone that should not have this permission. Typical umask settings include 022, 027, and 077 (which is the most restrictive). Normally the umask is set in /etc/profile, so it applies to all users on the system. The resulting permission is calculated as follows: The default permission of user/group/others (7 for directories, 6 for files) is combined with the inverted mask (NOT) using AND on a per-bit-basis. Example 1: file, default 6, binary: 110 mask, eg. 2: 010, NOT: 101 resulting permission, AND: 100 (equals 4, r__) Example 2: file, default 6, binary: 110 mask, eg. 6: 110, NOT: 001 resulting permission, AND: 000 (equals 0, ___) Example 3: directory, default 7, binary: 111 mask, eg. 2: 010, NOT: 101 resulting permission, AND: 101 (equals 5, r_x) Example 4: directory, default 7, binary: 111 mask, eg. 6: 110, NOT: 001 resulting permission, AND: 001 (equals 1, __x) # Set the user's default umask umask 033 Be sure to make root's umask 077, which will disable read, write, and execute permission for other users, unless explicitly changed using chmod. In this case, newly-created directories would have 744 permissions, obtained by subtracting 033 from 777. Newly-created files using the 033 umask would have permissions of 644. If you are using Red Hat, and adhere to their user and group ID creation scheme (User Private Groups), it is only necessary to use 002 for a umask. This is due to the fact that the default configuration is one user per group. 5.2. File Permissions It's important to ensure that your system files are not open for casual editing by users and groups who shouldn't be doing such system maintenance. Unix separates access control on files and directories according to three characteristics: owner, group, and other. There is always exactly one owner, any number of members of the group, and everyone else. A quick explanation of Unix permissions: Ownership - Which user(s) and group(s) retain(s) control of the permission settings of the node and parent of the node Permissions - Bits capable of being set or reset to allow certain types of access to it. Permissions for directories may have a different meaning than the same set of permissions on files. • To be able to view contents of a file • To be able to read a directory • To be able to add to or change a file • To be able to delete or move files in a directory • To be able to run a binary program or shell script • To be able to search in a directory, combined with read permission Save Text Attribute: (For directories) The "sticky bit" also has a different meaning when applied to directories than when applied to files. If the sticky bit is set on a directory, then a user may only delete files that the he owns or for which he has explicit write permission granted, even when he has write access to the directory. This is designed for directories like /tmp, which are world-writable, but where it may not be desirable to allow any user to delete files at will. The sticky bit is seen as a t in a long directory listing. SUID Attribute: (For Files) This describes set-user-id permissions on the file. When the set user ID access mode is set in the owner permissions, and the file is executable, processes which run it are granted access to system resources based on user who owns the file, as opposed to the user who created the process. This is the cause of many "buffer overflow" exploits. SGID Attribute: (For Files) If set in the group permissions, this bit controls the "set group id" status of a file. This behaves the same way as SUID, except the group is affected instead. The file must be executable for this to have any effect. SGID Attribute: (For directories) If you set the SGID bit on a directory (with chmod g+s directory), files created in that directory will have their group set to the directory's group. You - The owner of the file Group - The group you belong to Everyone - Anyone on the system that is not the owner or a member of the group File Example: -rw-r--r-- 1 kevin users 114 Aug 28 1997 .zlogin 1st bit - directory? (no) 2nd bit - read by owner? (yes, by kevin) 3rd bit - write by owner? (yes, by kevin) 4th bit - execute by owner? (no) 5th bit - read by group? (yes, by users) 6th bit - write by group? (no) 7th bit - execute by group? (no) 8th bit - read by everyone? (yes, by everyone) 9th bit - write by everyone? (no) 10th bit - execute by everyone? (no) The following lines are examples of the minimum sets of permissions that are required to perform the access described. You may want to give more permission than what's listed here, but this should describe what these minimum permissions on files do: -r-------- Allow read access to the file by owner --w------- Allows the owner to modify or delete the file (Note that anyone with write permission to the directory the file is in can overwrite it and thus delete it) ---x------ The owner can execute this program, but not shell scripts, which still need read permission ---s------ Will execute with effective User ID = to owner --------s- Will execute with effective Group ID = to group -rw------T No update of "last modified time". Usually used for swap ---t------ No effect. (formerly sticky bit) Directory Example: drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin users 512 Sep 19 13:47 .public_html/ 1st bit - directory? (yes, it contains many files) 4th bit - execute by owner? (yes, by kevin) 5th bit - read by group? (yes, by users 6th bit - write by group? (no) 7th bit - execute by group? (yes, by users) 9th bit - write by everyone? (no) 10th bit - execute by everyone? (yes, by everyone) The following lines are examples of the minimum sets of permissions that are required to perform the access described. You may want to give more permission than what's listed, but this should describe what these minimum permissions on directories do: dr-------- The contents can be listed, but file attributes can't be read d--x------ The directory can be entered, and used in full execution paths dr-x------ File attributes can be read by owner d-wx------ Files can be created/deleted, even if the directory isn't the current one d------x-t Prevents files from deletion by others with write access. Used on /tmp d---s--s-- No effect System configuration files (usually in /etc) are usually mode 640 (-rw-r-----), and owned by root. Depending on your site's security requirements, you might adjust this. Never leave any system files writable by a group or everyone. Some configuration files, including /etc/shadow, should only be readable by root, and directories in /etc should at least not be accessible by others. SUID Shell Scripts SUID shell scripts are a serious security risk, and for this reason the kernel will not honor them. Regardless of how secure you think the shell script is, it can be exploited to give the cracker a root shell. 5.3. Integrity Checking Another very good way to detect local (and also network) attacks on your system is to run an integrity checker like Tripwire, Aide or Osiris. These integrety checkers run a number of checksums on all your important binaries and config files and compares them against a database of former, known-good values as a reference. Thus, any changes in the files will be flagged. It's a good idea to install these sorts of programs onto a floppy, and then physically set the write protect on the floppy. This way intruders can't tamper with the integrety checker itself or change the database. Once you have something like this setup, it's a good idea to run it as part of your normal security administration duties to see if anything has changed. You can even add a crontab entry to run the checker from your floppy every night and mail you the results in the morning. Something like: # set mailto # run Tripwire 15 05 * * * root /usr/local/adm/tcheck/tripwire will mail you a report each morning at 5:15am. Integrity checkers can be a godsend to detecting intruders before you would otherwise notice them. Since a lot of files change on the average system, you have to be careful what is cracker activity and what is your own doing. You can find the freely available unsusported version of Tripwire at, free of charge. Manuals and support can be purchased. Aide can be found at Osiris can be found at 5.4. Trojan Horses "Trojan Horses" are named after the fabled ploy in Virgil's "Aenid". The idea is that a cracker distributes a program or binary that sounds great, and encourages other people to download it and run it as root. Then the program can compromise their system while they are not paying attention. While they think the binary they just pulled down does one thing (and it might very well), it also compromises their security. You should take care of what programs you install on your machine. RedHat provides MD5 checksums and PGP signatures on its RPM files so you can verify you are installing the real thing. Other distributions have similar methods. You should never run any unfamiliar binary, for which you don't have the source, as root. Few attackers are willing to release source code to public scrutiny. Although it can be complex, make sure you are getting the source for a program from its real distribution site. If the program is going to run as root, make sure either you or someone you trust has looked over the source and verified it. Published under free license. Design by Interspire
History from across the centuries, Royalty from the 21st. Sun 16th June, 2019 Remember, remember the 5th November…James I & Bonfire Night An unusal celebration that is only found in the UK, Bonfire Night is celebrated on 5th November each year. But what is Bonfire Night and why do we celebrate it? “Remember, remember, the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.” The first line of this well-known ditty might give you some idea as to what Bonfire Night entails. The consiprators. via Wikimedia Commons The consiprators. via Wikimedia Commons It was on 5th November 1605 that a Catholic plot was underway. The aim of this plot? To kill James VI & I, his wife and sons, and put his daughter on the throne to run a Catholic regime in England once more. The reason that this group of Catholics were so determined to kill James, was that he hadn’t granted more freedoms to Catholics in England, nor revoked penal laws against them. James’ wife, Anne of Denmark, was a well-known Catholic who had converted at some point before James became King of England, and the King was also a broad-minded man, accepting there were different opinions on religion. It is thought that Robert Cecil had convinced the King that to assist the Catholics in any way, such as revoking penal laws, would only encourage conversion to the Papacy, which could lead to a dangerous situation. Guy Fawkes, was not, as many think, the leader of the group, which was about 14-strong. Robert Catesby gathered like-minded Catholics who were willing to go to extreme lengths for their faith, and was the mastermind behind the idea. The conspirators were: Thomas Bates, brothers Robert and Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, brothers Christopher and John Wright, Francis Tresham, Everard Digby, Ambrose Rookwood, Robert Keyes, Hugh Owen, John Grant, Guido Fawkes and Robert Catesby. Guy Fawkes was one of the last to be brought into the fold, having been working as a mercenary with the Spanish Army. As such, he was an expert on the use of gunpowder, and proved a useful part of the team. The Gunpowder plot: what happened? The plot, also known as the Jesuit Treason, began with just five men, meeting in the Duck and Drake inn in May 1604. Catesby, Thomas Wintour, John Wright were three of the original conspirators, and the plan was always to use gunpowder. Wintour, despite his protests and doubts, was sent abroad to find support for this mission, persuaded by Catesby. He met with officials of Spain, ironically exiled men from England, in the Spanish Netherlands, who said their plan would receive no support from Spain. Wintour was, however, introduced to Guido Fawkes, and the pair returned to England the following month. The plan was to use gunpowder beneath the Houses of Parliament during its State Opening to kill James, his wife and two sons, Prince Henry, Prince of Wales, and Prince Charles, Duke of York. The senior Bishops of the realm would be there as members of the House of Lords, as would senior judicial figures, and James’ ministers: the explosion would wipe out the rulers of the country. At the same time, some of the other conspirators would rally Catholics in the Midlands, to revolt and form a Catholic government, having kidnapped Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne after the deaths of her family. The group was renting a house close to the Houses of Parliament, under the inconspicuous name of ‘John Johnson’. Over the course of a few weeks, they managed to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into a cellar of the House of Lords, the space beneath the building being used as rented storage. Parliament was originally due to open in the summer, but bouts of plague postponed it until November, meaning damp weather, and the halt of the disease. Guy Fawkes was to be the one to light the fuse, then escape and leave London, following his fellow conspirators north. However, the plan began to unravel. An anonymous letter was sent to the Baron of Monteagle, warning him not to go to the House of Lords for the opening of Parliament, hinting at an explosion. This was only received late in the evening of 4th November, and was passed on to Robert Cecil, James’ spymaster, which led to a search of the Parliament’s cellars. Some think that Cecil himself created this letter, having known about the plot from his spy network for a while, but chose to wait until the 11th hour to impress the King – Guy Fawkes discovered in the cellars of Parliament. Painting by Henry Perronet – wikimedia commons Fawkes was found in the cellars, along with the fuse and 36 barrels of gunpowder. He was arrested and taken to the Tower of London, to be interrogated. As news spread of the arrest, the plotters in London fled north. Physicists from the Institute of Physics later calculated that the 2,500kg of gunpowder beneath Parliament would obliterated an area 500 metres from the centre of the explosion, and even if it truly was damp powder, it would still have gone off, due to it being packed into barrels like a cannonball, with the wood giving the flames a boost. Meanwhile, Catesby, John Wright and Bates had already left for the Midlands for the planned uprising. Ignorant of the commotion caused by Fawkes’ discovery in London, they eventually made it to Catesby’s home, then on to Dunchurch. Here, they were misinformed that the explosion had worked, and James and Cecil were dead. The following day, they raided Warwick Castle for supplies, before continuing to Norbrook to collect stored weapons. Catesby sent a letter to , asking to raise an army in Wales, where they believed support for the ‘true faith’ was strong. Thomas Wintour met the trio at Huddington that afternoon, informing them the plot had failed. Despite this, Catesby persuaded his group that a rebellion was still possible, and went on to other large houses, calling for local support and taking weapons and ammunition. Finally, they reached Holbeche House, on the Staffordshire border. Tired and desperate, the group lit a fire and tried to dry out some of their gunpowder to use when the time came. Although gunpowder does not explode (unless physically contained), a spark from the fire landed on the powder and the resultant flames caught Catesby, Rookwood, Grant, and another man. Just Catesby, Rookwood, the Wright brothers, and Percy and John Grant, who was blinded in the fire, remained: John Wintour and Digby left, likely to give themselves up, preferring not to delay their inevitable fate, and Thomas Bates fled, along with Robert Wintour. The local sheriff and 200 men besieged Holbeche House on the morning of 8th November. Shots were fired, hitting Thomas Wintour in the shoulder. John Wright was also shot, followed by his brother, and then Rookwood. Catesby and Percy were killed by the same bullet. The survivors were arrested and the dead buried near Holbeche, and the bodies of Catesby and Percy were exhumed and decapitated. The consequences of plotting against the King Fawkes had plotted treason, and this meant his punishment would be death, but the authorities knew he couldn’t have acted alone. Though torture was illegal, Royal Prerogative could grant such permission, which James did; his orders stated ‘the gentler tortures are to be first used unto him, et sic per gradus ad ima tenditur [and thus by steps extended to greater ones]’. Maintaining his cover of John Johnson, Fawkes was tortured in the Queen’s House at the Tower; there, he was likely manacled to the wall, and it is almost certain he was put on the rack. Finally, on 7th November, he confessed and gave up Catesby’s name. His signed confession shows how weak he was. Fawkes two signatures - top is after his torture, showing how weak he was. Wikimedia Commons Fawkes two signatures – top is after his torture, where you can just make out ‘Guido’, showing how weak he was. Wikimedia Commons The traditional death for traitors in 17th-century England was to be hanged from the gallows, then drawn and quartered in public. On 30th January 1606, Digby, Robert Wintour, John Grant, and Bates were dragged through London on wooden panels to St Paul’s for their executions. Digby was first, and suffered being publicly castrated, his abdomen opened up and innards taken out, with the other three following soon after. Fawkes, knowing what awaited him, chose his own fate: at the gallows on 31st January, alongside Thomas Wintour, Rookwood and Keyes, he jumped from the scaffold. The rope broke his neck, and so he was spared the pain of his punishment. Keyes also jumped, but survived the drop and was led to the quartering block. Londoners were encouraged to light bonfires following the plot’s discovery, to celebrate the King surviving an evil Catholic plot, ‘always provided that this testemonye of joy be carefull done without any danger or disorder’. Effigies of Guy Fawkes began to be burnt on the fires to show the people’s disdain for the man in the cellar. Parliament created 5th November as a holiday in the first session of 1606, with the Observance of 5th November Act: services and sermons were to commemorate the event annually. The act remained in force until 1859, and so 5th November became known as Bonfire Night, or sometimes Guy Fawkes Night. Fireworks began to be used in the celebrations a short time after 1605, to represent the gunpowder that wasn’t used, though other reports say it was in the 1650s that the decorative explosions were first used. After James, Duke of York, made his conversion to Catholicism public in the late part of 1670s, effigies of the Pope began to be burnt. In Lewes, Sussex, this is still a common practice, though the religious meaning of this celebration has long since been lost. Written by Victoria has a passion for British history and Constitutional Monarchy, hence her reasons for founding The Crown Chronicles. Her specialism is the Early Modern era, with particular emphasis on Monarchy, the Restoration and 18th-century social history. She is also a keen reader, baker and shopper. Her motto is to have a full bookcase, but a fuller wardrobe! Victoria is also founder of Replicate Royalty, our sister site. No comments
Erasmus MC Press Release Rotterdam, 22 September 2011 Too much milk may increase risk of developing cancer Erasmus MC lecture on population studies can also be followed live tomorrow via the internet People who drink more than two glasses of milk per day are not less susceptible to bone fractures than people who drink less milk. Drinking large amounts of milk can also increase the risk of developing some types of cancer. American nutrition researcher Walter Willet will discuss this tomorrow during ‘In Praise of Medicine’, Erasmus MC’s public lecture. The nutrition researcher at Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School feels that nutrition advisory organizations should be more cautious in recommending the consumption of large amounts of dairy products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre, for example, recommends that people drink three to four glasses (450 to 650 ml) of milk per day. The main theme of this year’s public lecture, which is free of charge, is population studies. How can they help us to grow up healthy, live a healthy life and grow old fit? Willet has been the driving force behind one of the largest American population studies for the past 35 years. This study examines the relationships between nutrition and health. Willet has been invited to the Netherlands by Erasmus MC. Two public lectures will be given during ‘In Praise of Medicine’, one by an international guest speaker and one by a top Erasmus MC scientist. Bert Hofman, founder of the two large Rotterdam population studies (Generation R and ERGO), will present the results to date of these studies. During his guest performance ‘in the land of milk drinkers’, Willet will give a detailed talk on the influence of dairy products on health. It appears from his research that people who drink more than two glasses of milk per day are as likely to suffer from fractures as people who consume less. “This is remarkable, seeing that advisory organizations recommend the consumption of large amounts of milk as this is thought to strengthen the bones”, says Willet. Several studies have also found evidence that drinking large amounts of milk could also increase the risk of prostate cancer. Height appears to play an important role. Certain types of cancer (for example, breast cancer and ovarian cancer) are more common among tall people. “As people who drink more milk grow taller, the consumption of large amounts of dairy products during childhood could increase the risk of developing cancer”, according to the nutrition researcher. But there is no need to immediately stop consuming dairy products according to Willet. “There are also benefits. The chances of developing colorectal cancer can, for example, decrease by drinking milk. Further research is necessary to determine the amount at which the health benefits outweigh the risks. Until then, it would be best not to drink large amounts of milk. And two glasses per day is a lot.” People in the Netherlands are advised to drink three to four glasses of milk per day. “This appears to do more harm than good.” In Praise of Medicine is fully booked. As a result of great public interest, the lecture can be followed live on the internet on Friday 23 September, starting at 2:30 pm at
Defining Software Quality – Quality in Use In order to improve software quality, we need to evaluate it. But in order to evaluate it, we must first understand and define it. The Wikipedia page on software quality defines it in terms of functional and non-functional requirements: • “Software functional quality reflects how well it complies with or conforms to a given design, based on functional requirements or specifications. That attribute can also be described as the fitness for purpose of a piece of software or how it compares to competitors in the marketplace as a worthwhile product;” • “Software structural quality refers to how it meets non-functional requirements that support the delivery of the functional requirements, such as robustness or maintainability, the degree to which the software was produced correctly.” So it’s simple right? We evaluate software quality by its ability to satisfy functional and non-functional requirements. Functional requirements refer to specific functions that software should be able to do whereas non-functional requirements define characteristics of the software for how well it performs those functions. However,satisfying one does not guarantee satisfying another as described in another “The degree to which a product or system can be used by specific users to meet their needs to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency, freedom from risk and satisfaction in specific contexts of use.” In other words, QinU relates to the outcome of the user’s interaction with the software and whether or not they were successful in trying to accomplish their goal. This can be measured in terms of their efficiency (usage of resources; time, money, effort, etc.) and effectiveness (did they get the job done completely and correctly with no errors) in a specific context of use. Let’s look at two very important elements of the definition, “specific users” and “specific contexts of use”. Specific users could be janitors, doctors, nurses, technicians, buyers, sellers, etc. while specific context of use would include their task at hand, and goal they are trying to accomplish. Obviously a doctor may have different behavior and usage patterns than a nurse, even though they may be trying to accomplish the same task. They may be more prone to errors since they don’t use the prescription filling software (for example) as frequently as the nurse. So these ‘specific users’ and ‘specific contexts’ need to be accounted for when evaluating the quality right? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and so is quality! In summary, the definition for software quality leads to how you will evaluate software quality. And, QinU is an important part of that definition. In simple terms, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the design is, if there are ‘zero defects’, or how well the software performs (meeting non-functional requirements) if users cannot accomplish their tasks successfully! [1.] ISO/IEC CD 25010 Software engineering — Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Quality model and guide, 2009.
Published on 12/29/2017 7:29 am Paper Marbling Background in East Asia An intriguing reference which some think could possibly be a type of marbling is present in a compilation accomplished in 986 CE entitled ???? (Wen Fang Si Pu) or "Four Treasures from the Scholar's Study" edited from the 10th century scholar-official ??? Su Yijian (957-995 CE). This compilation incorporates data on inkstick, inkstone, ink brush, and paper in China, which might be collectively called the four treasures of the analyze. The text mentions a form of attractive paper called ??? liu sha jian that means “drifting-sand” or “flowing-sand notepaper" which was built in what is now the region of Sichuan. This paper was made by dragging a chunk of paper by way of a fermented flour paste blended with numerous colours, creating a absolutely free and irregular design. A 2nd type was made that has a paste organized from honey locust pods, mixed with croton oil, and thinned with drinking water. Presumably both of those black and coloured inks have been used. Ginger, possibly while in the form of an oil or extract, was accustomed to disperse the colors, or “scatter” them, in keeping with the interpretation given by T.H. Tsien. The colours ended up said to gather collectively when a hair-brush was beaten around the design, as dandruff particles was placed on the look by beating a hairbrush over top. The finished models, which were being thought to resemble human figures, clouds, or traveling birds, have been then transferred for the surface area of the sheet of paper. An example of paper embellished with floating ink has never been found in China. If the above mentioned strategies used floating shades stays to become established. Su Yijian was an Imperial scholar-official and served as the chief on the Hanlin Academy from about 985-993 CE. He compiled the perform from the huge wide variety of before sources, and was acquainted with the topic, specified his occupation. Still it truly is imperative that you be aware that it's unsure how individually acquainted he was together with the numerous techniques for earning ornamental papers that he compiled. He almost certainly claimed facts supplied to him, with no possessing an entire comprehending on the methods used. His original supply might have predated him by several generations. Till the initial resources that he offers tend to be more exactly identified, can it be probable to ascribe a company date with the production of the papers outlined by Su Yijian. Suminagashi (???), which means "floating ink" in Japanese, is usually a Japanese variant; the oldest example seems while in the 12th-century Sanjuurokuninshuu (?????), situated in Nishihonganji (????), Kyoto. Writer Einen Miura states the oldest reference to suminagashi papers are inside the waka poems of Shigeharu, (825-880 CE), a son with the famed Heian period poet Narihira (Muira fourteen). Many claims are already made relating to the origins of suminagashi. Some consider which could have derived from an early method of ink divination. A further idea is the method might have derived from a type of common amusement in the time, during which a freshly painted sumi painting was immersed into water, plus the ink bit by bit dispersed through the paper and rose towards the area, forming curious models. A single person has often been claimed as the inventor of suminagashi. Based on legend, Jizemon Hiroba felt he was divinely inspired to help make suminagashi paper immediately after he provided religious devotions with the Kasuga Shrine in Nara Prefecture. It really is said that he then wandered the state searching for that most effective h2o with which to generate his papers. He arrived in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture wherever he found the water primarily conducive to making suminagashi. So he settled there, and his loved ones carried on along with the custom to this day. The Hiroba Loved ones statements to have built this kind of marbled paper given that 1151 CE for fifty five generations. To discover ways to use paper marble in WTP, look at it out: Please login to post your comment.. Water Transfer Printing
North Vietnam, 45. Anniversary of the October Revolution, Michel Nr. I; The October Revolution in Russia occurred between October 25th and 7th of November, 1917 by a forced coup de etat of the Communist Bolschewiki (Wikipedia). North Vietnam had the idea of issuing a single stamp in a 12 xu nominal. Designs were solicited by well known stamp designers, phase prints were produced for the various print runs and in the end at least one complete im-perforated sheet (25) of the stamp was produced. However, the stamp was never issued. The reason for that is unknown. It is only known im-perforated. As a result this stamp is one of the rarest stamps of all of Vietnam. Here is a mint original stamp printed on white paper There are only two larger units known of this iconic stamp. Below is a mint block of four (ex Lucian Lu) from the right sheet margin that represents the largest known unit to exist. Red Lucian Lu expertising hand stamp on the reverse. Given the scarcity of the original stamp a pretty good forgery has been produced. The original stamp was produced in the off-set printing method while the forgery was produced in the letter printing method. Apparently the forgeries were produced by the sheet as this single forged stamp on slightly tanned paper from the upper selvage shows. There are numerous differences between original and forgery apart from the printing method. For example the letters and accents in the top line are finer in the originals than in the forgeries: Original Stamp Forged Stamp (note especially the different shaped “E” in “Viet” and the accent on “Dan” ) The sculpture that is depicted on the stamp is again much more subtle and much better defined on the original stamp as compared to the forgery. Original Stamp Forged Stamp (note the poor design of the faces and the two black dots on the chest of the male figure) Also the background colors on the original stamp are much better defined The lowest circle depicting the sun is much yellower on the original and more orangey on the forgeries. Also the years “1917” and “1962” are nicely defined on the original (with the numbers being orange) while on the forgery the numbers are harder to see and almost get absorbed by the similar colored background. Below is a work page from the stamp’s designer that shows every phase of the seven stage printing process along with some manual printing notes. The page itself is the back of a repurposed Government service award. This is a unique item that is exceedingly rare. Yellow Print Phase Black Print Phase Light Red Print Phase Dark Red Print Phase Light Red and Yellow Print Phase Light Red, Yellow and Black Print Phase Finished Stamp Given that the stamp was never issued there are no genuine used samples or any postal history. Registration Nr. 100780 Comments are closed. error: Content is protected !!
Where results make sense Topic: Human perception Related Topics In the News (Sun 16 Jun 19) Human Perception of Sound with Pulsed EM Waves A psychophysical study of the perception of "sound" induced by illumination with pulse-modulated, ultrahigh-frequency electromagnetic energy indicated that perception was primary dependent upon peak power and secondarily dependent upon pulse width. Perception occurred when the subject was illuminated with energy from approximately that portion of the EM spectrum defined as the UHF band, that is from 0.3 to 3 GHz (6) This is the portion of the spectrum at which EM energy passes into and through the head. The perception had the following characteristics, (.i) it did not involve an energy transduction of EM to acoustic energy, for example, by fillings in the teeth; (ii) it differed from the electrophonic effect; and (iii) it could not be accounted for by an explanation involving radiation pressure against the skin (3, 4). www.angelfire.com /or/mctrl/frey2.htm (1963 words) Human - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Human beings are one of five species to pass the mirror test — which tests whether an animal recognizes its reflection as an image of itself — along with chimpanzees or bonobos, orangutans, and dolphins. en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Human (6269 words) Perception - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Perception (601 words) Perception - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Perceive (601 words) www.brainyencyclopedia.com /encyclopedia/p/pe/perception.html (521 words) Visual Expert Human Factors: Attorney's Guide to Perception Human Factors is defined as "the application of scientific data to make the world compatible with human abilities, fitting the product to the sensory, information processing, and motor attributes of the user." It is a mix of psychology and engineering that arose 60 years ago in the aviation industry. Human factors uses scientific knowledge of human capabilities, such perception and attention, memory and behavior, to understand how people interact with the world. The role of the human factors expert is to determine the contributions of the individual and the circumstances. www.visualexpert.com /why.html (647 words) Effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation on human posture and perception while standing -- Wardman et al. 551 (3): ... Perception of movement during GVS was determined in standing and immobilised subjects. Congruence of body alignment with perception of the vertical would support the theory that GVS alters an vertical reference that is used to align the body. Perception of the upright in the absence of a visual field. jp.physoc.org /cgi/content/full/551/3/1033 (7932 words) Perceptualization: Are we fully using human perception? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) The visual channel is dominant in human perception but other senses are also very important and can be used to parallelize the presentation. Generally we don’t and the perception is of a cold or neutral system. Human cognition is something of which we need to take advantage in our systems. www.isdale.com /jerry/InfoVis/noframes/IEEE_InfoVis98-Percept.html (199 words) Question #3 - Relation to Human Perception Several approaches to understanding sequences of humans in motion have been based upon the idea of maximizing rigidity (motivated by the observation that limbs are piece-wise rigid). vismod.media.mit.edu /conferences/nsf-action-97/q3.html (2029 words) Perception (from human behaviour) -- Encyclopædia Britannica There are two major determinants of human sexual behaviour: the inherited sexual response patterns that have evolved as a means of ensuring reproduction and that are a part of each individual's genetic inheritance, and the degree of restraint or other types of influence exerted on the... Space perception provides cues, such as depth and distance, that are important for locomotion and orientation to the environment. www.britannica.com /eb/article?tocId=24916 (825 words) David Dickins reviews Perception of Faces, Objects, and Scenes: Analytic and Holistic Processes edited by M. A Peterson ... (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) Although this dispute seems a separate issue, in relation to the near consensus that object perception is analytic whilst face perception is (fairly uniquely) holistic, there is some tendency to regard viewpoint-independent representations as analytic in contrast with viewpoint-dependence that may entail holistic, template-like representations. Passive or active movement were more helpful than being shown a series of still shots, and participants were able to generalise to views they had been restricted from seeing during their exploration, and to distinguish these from views of environments distorted in some way from the training environment, even including simple mirror inversions. Anyone researching on human perception, or taking an interest in this from nearby areas, should persuade their library to add this to its collection, or somehow get to read this admirable collection of articles. human-nature.com /nibbs/04/faces.html (3542 words) Human Depth Perception (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) It is probably the most important cue for depth perception, the amount of the displacement depends on the relative distance of the objects from the eye. If disparity of corresponding images on the two retinas is small enough, the visual system can "melt" them to the perception of a three dimensional object, are the corresponding images distorted too much (for example while squinting), there can really be two different pictures in our perception (also see the picture). As a final remark it is to be pointed out that under normal perception conditions all of these different cues to depth perception lead to a single, coherent, three dimensional interpretation of our environment. www2.iicm.edu /0x811bc833_0x000dacca (1063 words) The Physiology of Perception sulcus.berkeley.edu /FLM/MS/Physio.Percept.html (5261 words) 5 Minute Whitepaper: Human Perception, Computer Vision, and CAPTCHA (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) Much of our understanding of perception comes from Gestalt Psychology, which was a movement in psychology developed around the turn of the century by researchers that resulted in a set of principals explaining how people organize and understand the information they sense. The human perception system determines that the white-space is foreground and fills in the triangle’s shape based on the gestalt principles of proximity, continuity, and closure, which try to simplify and complete bits of partial information. Thus, the perception problem is that computers can not squeeze enough information out of the number matrix to make a determination about the contents of an image. newsletter.refinery.com /e_article000279051.cfm (562 words) Depth Cues in the Human Visual System (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) The human visual system interprets depth in sensed images using both physiological and psychological cues. Human visual system is very sensitive to these differences, and binocular parallax is the most important depth cue for medium viewing distances. This happens because human visual system can extract depth information in two similar images sensed after each other, in the same way it can combine two images from different eyes. www.hitl.washington.edu /scivw/EVE/III.A.1.c.DepthCues.html (603 words) Human Perception of Brilliance The necessity of taking into account the psychophysiological factors of human perception of the appearance of a diamond has changed the modeling methods used in gemological studies. The human perception tends to grade this stone as bad. The second key feature of human perception is that when grading a stone the observer pay more attention to the "crown up" position. www.pricescope.com /MSU/perception.asp (557 words) Human Perception of Objects - Sinauer Associates, Inc. (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) Human Perception of Objects is a detailed and systematic treatment of how we see objects and discriminate their shapes. Chapter 1 explains the concepts that are necessary to understand modern psychophysical vision research, making a sharp distinction between research on human visual system function and research on visual system physiology (“psychophysics is not physiology”;), and treating psychophysics as a branch of nonlinear systems analysis. The book will be of interest to researchers in basic and clinical visual psychophysics, human factors specialists, optometrists, graduate and advanced undergraduate students, physiologists, and biologists interested in the visually guided behavior of animals. www.sinauer.com /detail.php?id=7536 (471 words) Reflections from Perception Panel Discussion at ASCE Structures Congress 2002 However, the rapid growth of high-rise construction worldwide has insured that the issue of motion perception will remain an urgent concern to designers, prompting the formation of this panel of experts to address the efficacy of habitability criteria and the appropriateness of the two most popular perception criteria: peak and RMS accelerations. However, the frequency dependence of perception thresholds becomes critical, since there is evidence that, with decreasing frequency of oscillation, there is an increase in perception levels. As a result, basing perception criteria on a measure of jerk, or the rate of change of acceleration, may better capture the stimulus defining perception thresholds under random motion. www.nd.edu /~nathaz/perception/abstract.html (856 words) Amazon.ca: Books: A Second Way of Knowing: The Riddle of Human Perception (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) Perception, as he defines it, is a creative faculty by which we keep ourselves oriented, evaluate experience and pick out meaningful qualities from the sensory deluge. Interjecting his personal experiences, he takes readers on a conversational tour through the maze of perception, throwing fresh light on visualization, optical illusions, theories of dreaming, color vision, cultural differences in perception and the pervasive roles of pleasure, pain, emotion and awareness in determining how we perceive and construct reality. This is an interesting account of theories about the nature of human perception, conflicts between those who account for everything in purely physical terms, and the humanists who emphasize mystery. www.amazon.ca /exec/obidos/ASIN/0134715829 (318 words) SOLVING THE "REAL" MYSTERIES OF VISUAL PERCEPTION: (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29) An additional defect of the human retina is related to the fact that the axons and blood vessels come together into a sort of cable that leaves the ocular globe at a place which is about 10-13 degrees on the nasal side of the retina, where there can be no photosensitive cells. My tactile perception of the bottle is provided by my exploration of it with my fingers, that is by the sequence of changes in sensation that are provoked by this exploration, and by the relation between the changes that occur and my knowledge about what bottles are like. The idea of visual perception involving component extraction is also compatible with Ivo Kohler's (1951) findings, according to which after training with spectacles that transform the visual world in various ways (inverting, reflecting), subjects re-establish normal upright perception in a fragmentary way, with aspects of the environment being corrected, and others not. nivea.psycho.univ-paris5.fr /CanJ/CanJ.html (8771 words) 'Perception' gene tracked humanity's evolution, scientists say The scientists decided to examine the prodynorphin gene in human beings around the world and in non-human primates to see whether such variation was commonplace and whether that variation affected gene expression. www.eurekalert.org /pub_releases/2005-11/iu-gt111405.php (614 words) UTD - Face Perception and Recognition Laboratories at UTD To determine which of these strategies was a better model of human performance, we compared the performance of the two models with that of human subjects at the level of individual faces. The results suggest that humans judge the sex of adults' and children's faces using feature sets derived from the appropriate face age category, rather than applying features derived from another age category or from a combination of age categories. More formally, face age judgements made by human observers were ordered according to the level of caricature, with anti-caricatures judged younger than veridical faces, and veridical faces judged younger than caricatured faces. www.utdallas.edu /~otoole/face_try.html (2064 words) Idaho National Laboratory - Adaptive Robotics - Behavior-Based Robotics The humanoid robot COG is designed to have modes of perception similar to those of a human. Perception influences learning, and if we want a robot to be able to learn from humans – either through emulation or through some other exchange of knowledge and skills – it must be able to relate its view of the universe to ours and map its body to ours. In an attempt to model human perception, researchers at MIT have given COG proprioception – a feeling of where and how body parts are oriented. www.inl.gov /adaptiverobotics/behaviorbasedrobotics/perception.shtml (714 words) Amazing enhanced human perception abilities are emerging, say researchers Anomalous cognition is a term that refers to various kinds of human perception, which can be highly effective and useful in a wide range of endeavors and activities. Professional research into these kinds of human abilities and perception is very useful and seems to dovetail with other accepted aspects of psychology studies. That knowledge and understanding might be very useful in ongoing human development and in achieving a very bright future for all of us, our children and future generations. www.alienseekernews.com /writers/hammons/hammonsblogs/enhancedhumanperception.html (1523 words) Basic human perception and awareness The perception of the Divine is almost impossible with these means of perception. Most of the time even the slightest perception of Divinity of your surrounding is missing - the vibration, purity and capabilities of your physical body, astral body and causal body is far to dense, to slow for such a Divine perception of the absolute. Spiritual parents may protect this Divine perception of their newborn and facilitate their life by helping their new guest to keep their Divine perception of the worlds beyond alive during the first many years of childhood. www.kriyayoga.com /english/on_your_wings/perceptionbasics.htm (1825 words) Try your search on: Qwika (all wikis) Copyright © 2005-2007 www.factbites.com Usage implies agreement with terms.
Glucosamine Sulphate What is Glucosamine Sulphate? Glucosamine is a combination of a protein and a sugar and is a substance that occurs naturally in the connective tissue and cartilage joints. It comes from the exoskeleton of shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimps etc), although it can be chemically synthesized by fermenting corn. Why Take Glucosamine? One study10 shows by taking Glucosamine Sulphate daily for over three months it can help alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). There have been a further fifteen studies that all show a similar outcome. Research carried out has indicated Glucosamine is particularly effective for patients with knee OA13. Many of the studies have illustrated the positive effects of Glucosamine for low back pain, although one study has shown little benefit beyond placebo, so clearly more research needs to be undertaken12 The mechanism of OA is still not fully understood. It is thought to be the destruction of cartilage, possibly due to the loss of collagen and proteoglycans. It has been suggested that Glucosamine helps repair damaged cartilage as Glucosamine is needed to make proteins, which are the building blocks of cartilage. Glucosamine also pulls water into the cartilage producing a gel like sac providing cushioning and flexibility in the joint. Therefore, supplementation is thought to magnify the body’s natural level of Glucosamine. How much should you take? The recognised dosage for Glucosamine is 1,500mg per day. This can be taken either in one dose (1,500mg in one go) or split in to equal doses (500mg three times a day). It is best taken with food. Research suggests you need to take Glucosamine for three months in order to receive the full effects. Are There Any Side Effects? Glucosamine Sulphate appears to be safe for most people. We have to be careful here, as undoubtedly at some point some side effects will emerge. If you look at the long term side effects of NSAID’s (the medical way of treating OA)- 16,500 deaths and 103,000 hospitalizations in the US alone in one year, then glucosamine is looking pretty good! People allergic to chitin in shellfish should avoid it, although most allergic reactions are to the shellfish meat. Pregnant women and children should probably avoid it until further research has been carried out. Some preliminary research suggests that Glucosamine Sulphate might raise blood sugar in people with diabetes. However, more reliable research indicates that Glucosamine Sulphate does not seem to significantly affect blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. Glucosamine with routine blood sugar monitoring appears to be safe for most people with diabetes. If you have any concerns then you should consult your GP. Allergic reactions to this supplement appear to be rare but may include mild nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea. In one trial, people with peptic ulcers and those taking diuretic drugs were more likely to experience side effects1. If you have a reaction or one of the symptoms mentioned above, stop taking the supplement and consult your G.P. 2. Matheu V, Bracia Bara MT, Pelta R, et al. Immediate-hypersensitivity reaction to glucosamine sulfate. Allergy 1999;54:643-50. 6. Drovanti A, Bignamini AA, Rovati AL. Therapeutic activity of oral glucosamine sulfate in osteoarthritis: a placebo¬controlled double¬blind investigation. Clin Ther 1980;3:260-72. 8. Russell AI, McCarty MF. Glucosamine in osteoarthritis. Lancet 1999;354:1641; discussion 1641-2 [letters]. 9. Rovati LC, Annefeld M, Giacovelli G, et al. Glucosamine in osteoarthritis. Lancet 1999;354:1640; discussion 1641-2. 11. Vaz AL. Double¬blind clinical evaluation of the relative efficacy of ibuprofen and glucosamine sulphate in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee in out¬patients. Curr Med Res Opin 1982;8:145-9. 12. Wilkens PScheel IBGrundnes OHellum CStorheim K.Effect of glucosamine on pain-related disability in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2010 Jul 7;304(1):45-52. doi: 10.1001/jama.2010.893. 13 Herrero-Beaumont GIvorra JADel Carmen Trabado MBlanco FJBenito PMartín-Mola EPaulino JMarenco JLPorto ALaffon AAraújo DFigueroa M,Branco J.Glucosamine sulfate in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study using acetaminophen as a side comparator. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Feb;56(2):555-67. This entry was posted in Blog. Bookmark the permalink. Comments are closed.
Thursday, 3 June 2010 Do Woodpeckers Eat Fruit? In my last post I explained why woodpeckers are so good at pecking wood. They have several evolutionary adaptations that prepare them for this specialised job. Does this mean that woodpeckers limit themselves to pecking wood and live of a strict diet, eating larvae and insects? It appears that this is clearly not the case. Here are some images which show that they do not mind having fruit for dessert! This Black-rumped Flameback was seen happily gorging itself on the ripe fruit of this papaya tree. In spite of woodpecking being their standard way of foraging for food woodpeckers also take nuts, seeds, berries, sap, plant material and crop plants, some are also good at catching flying insects.
Associated websites Websites associated with Contributing authors The Belief Doctor (Steaphen Pirie) Infoworks (Steven Lesser) Theories of Consciousness Zeno's Paradoxes: A Thought Experiment by: Stephen Pirie, 23rd July 2009, 11:48pm It is widely accepted that the solutions to the dilemma of explaining physical movement (commonly known as Zeno's Paradoxes), lies in assuming that all physical movement is comprised of a continuous, and contiguous series of 'infinitesimal' little movements, which together provide "perfectly continuous" and seamless movement. The mathematics of calculus has been used to show that we can traverse an infinite series of such movements in finite time, thus enabling our everyday experience of physical movement. This continuity of movement enables and fuels a machine world-view, in that the continuity of movement also implies continuity and predictability of operation and behaviour. However, this widely-accepted theory relies on an absolute, never-ending continuity, which is at odds with the evidence of quantum theory. A new holodynamic systems model (one that includes a discontinuous-space \| continuous meta-space duality) is required to fit the facts. ...(the idea) that space is continuous is, I believe, wrong. Professor Richard Feynman The Messenger Series: Seeking New Laws 2nd Proof of the Impossibility of Physical Movement This proof focuses on the issue of first-cause. What enables or makes us think, e.g. about thinking? The brain-as-computer metaphor has serious shortcomings, chief of which is the inability to explain the impetus to think: before we think, what must we do? Less well known, but even more telling is the inability of brain-as-computer metaphors to accommodate and explain how the computer model operates in the quantum realm involving fields of potentials and possibilities; realms within which all brain 'stuff' is bathed. As Freeman Dyson explained: What enables particles of our brain-stuff to make choices between random processes that can't be physically predicted or modelled? A Clearer Light (reprint) Brains and Beliefs Submitted by Stephen Pirie, 2008-10-03 11:26:59 The field of neuroplasticity is offering valuable and useful insights into how the brain functions. Recommended viewing is this interview by Kerry O'Brien (ABC TV's 7.30 Report with Dr Norman Doidge). From the interview: for the longest time, for 400 years, we thought of the brain as like a complex machine with parts. And our best and brightest neuroscientists really believed that. It was a mechanistic model of the brain and machines do many glorious things, but they don't rewire themselves and they don't grow new parts. And it turns out that that metaphor was actually just spectacularly wrong, and that the brain is not inanimate, it's animate and it's growing, it's more plant like than machine like and it actually works by changing its structure and function as it goes along. In a broader context, Visa International founder, Dee Hock voiced a similar perspective a few years ago ... [from this article ] Can Science and Religion be Integrated? by Prof. Amit Goswami (August 10, 2008) Congruent Solutions to Zeno's Paradoxes [Posted November 8, 2008, 8.11am.] Preliminary: Process Physics: Modelling Reality as Self-Organising Information (Reginald T. Cahill, Christopher M. Klinger and Kirsty Kitto) (Some background reading to assist with understanding the deeper quantum processes of life) This article (and the "Zeno's Paradoxes" section of this website) details the fundamental and irrevocable failure of standard scientific (Newtonian) solutions to the paradox of movement: the great bulk of science is now failing to fit theory with (quantum) fact. A fuller, more congruent philosophy (or 'world-view') is needed to account for the evidence. The old Darwinian, competitive and manipulative models of biological development (that fail to accommodate cooperative nonlocal influences and connectivity) are no longer tenable or sustainable in the face of this new evidence. A new holodynamic systems model (one that includes a discontinuous-space \| continuous meta-space duality) is required. Professor Richard Feynman The Messenger Series: Seeking New Laws Around 2,400 years ago a Greek philosopher (Zeno of Elea) questioned how anything or anyone moves around. Theoretically, for anyone to lift a finger, bat an eyelid, or even to fall down requires we move through a seamless but endless (never-ending) progression of ever-so-small little movements. He highlighted how there appeared to be a mismatch between our theories (of moving through endless physical steps) and our simple, everyday practical experiences. The content in the following two sections was originally posted on the Wikipedia website under "Zeno's Paradoxes" in the Proposed Solutions section. However, after many objections from various Wikipedia commentators, the material was removed. The widely cited and accepted standard (infinite-series) solutions to Zeno's Paradoxes highlight how majority scientific opinion is no longer congruent with the facts (of quantum physics), in that with the infinite series solutions there are NO demonstrable or even theoretical 1:1 correlations of mathematical points with physicality (for there to be such, a strict correspondence of mathematical values with physical location and momentum would need to be demonstrated at and below Planck times and distances. As a result of failing to fit theory with fact, we now witness a new era of old-world dogmatic behaviours deeply imbued with irrational disconnects -- The modern superstitions of science and religion. None have been shown or theoretically advanced. Infinite-series theories do not -- and due to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle can not -- fully correspond with physical reality. Simply put, infinite-series solutions do not fit the facts. with the infinite series solutions there is NO demonstrable (or even a theoretical) 1:1 correlation of mathematical values (.e.g. position) with physicality. A chasm has developed in the understanding and thinking of the great majority - a chasm that might best be characterised as humanity's "Peak Disconnect" (of theory with fact, of conscious with unconscious, of local with nonlocal, of physical with metaphysical). This cultural disconnect has limited our imagination, potentials and responsibility to realise extraordinary, beneficial systems of actuality quite possible with an expanded awareness and meta-science. Other articles in this section at this website go into greater detail as to the nature and cause of that disconnect in the psyche of people. Ironically1 it is scientists who are now failing to apply the scientific method in response to the evidence of quantum physics. The resistance to asking questions and constructing new theories that explain experimental evidence, particularly anomalous phenomena, is a common human experience, and can be understood to be, in part, the practical expediency of "getting on with life" – in practical terms, if we had to question every move, or belief we held, most would get very little done. As covered in "The Evolution of the Human Psyche" this is partly due to our racial immaturity. However there are quite deleterious consequences emerging as a result of not revising our world-view to accommodate the facts. As covered in more detail in "The Travesty of Modern Science" the widespread failure of scientists and philosophers to expand their thinking and awareness is due to short-term expediency, greed and fear (which, as stated above, is largely due to immaturity). [ Note, the following paragraph beginning "Another solution to some of the paradoxes ..." was existing content prior to the additional material by Stephen Pirie] Consciousness and Quantum Physics by Prof. Amit Goswami (August 13, 2008) There was a revolution in physics at the beginning of the last century, consisting of the discovery of quantum physics. The message of quantum physics is this: the world is not made of matter neither is it determined entirely by material causation that we sometimes call upward causation because it rises upward from the building blocks of matter–the elementary particles . There is a source of downward causation in the world. You can call this source consciousness if you like and think of it as the ground of all being. To be sure, the mathematics of quantum physics is deterministic and based on the upward causation model above, but it predicts objects and their movements not as determined events (as in Newtonian physics) but as possibilities (for which the probabilities can be calculated enabling us to develop a very successful predictive science for large number of objects and/or events). And yet when we look at a quantum object, we don’t experience it as a bundle of possibilities, but as actual localized event much like a Newtonian particle. Moreover, quantum mathematics does not allow us to connect the upward causation-based deterministic theory with experimental data. How do the possibilities of the theory become actualities of experience simply by our looking at them? This is the mysterious “observer effect.” First Update on Consciousness Studies Moving beyond a 2,450-year-old era The Art and Science of Blinking
831313 Water relations of plants Semester hours Lecturer (assistant) Kikuta, Silvia Offered in Wintersemester 2018/19 Languages of instruction Introduction: the position of water relations in the framework of plant physiology, their importance for plants. The pathway of water from the soil to the atmosphere: transport through parenchymas and in the far-distance transport system; transport resistances; cavitation and embolization; resistances and fluxes in the gas phase. The state of water, its units and their determination: chemical potential and total water potential; partial potentials in the continuum; partial potentials adjusting the correct values for total water potential. Measuring total water potential and its partial components: instruments and methodological problems. Physiological effects of changes in the water status; resistance against water stress. Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences) Understanding the pathways of water in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum and changes in the energy status due to transport processes; understanding the necessary instruments and measurement techniques.
Important 3 Marks Questions for CBSE 8 Maths Class 8th CBSE is a very important stage in the development of fundamentals of a student. As the basics of Maths and Science help students to understand complex topics which will come in 9th standard. Most of the subjects in class 8 are vast, where some of them require not only memorization but also requires skill. One such is the subject of Mathematics, which seems to be a nightmare for students and requires a lot of practice to boost confidence. So we at BYJU’S provide students of Class 8 with important 3 marks question, which can be beneficial for them in their examination. Students preparing for CBSE Class 8th Maths Examination are advised to practice the given question for Mathematics: Q1) Construct a frequency distribution table for the data on weighs (in kgs) of 20 students of a class using class intervals 30-35, 35-40 and so on. 40, 33, 56, 31, 34, 49, 55, 57, 44, 38, 38, 48, 53, 46, 36, 41, 49 ,42, 47, 39 Q2) The number of employees in a office, speaking different languages is given below. Display the data in a pie chart. Language Hindi English Marathi Tamil Bengali Total Number of students 30 12 9 7 4 62 Q3) Classify the following polynomials as monomials, binomials and trinomials: 1. a) $5xyz^{2}$ – 3zy 2. b) $\frac{a}{2}+\frac{b}{2}-ab$ 3. c) pqr Q4) Draw the line passing through (2,3) and (3,2). Find the coordinates of the points at which this line meets the x-axis and y-axis. Q5) Simplify: $\left \{ \left ( \frac{1}{3} \right )^{-2}-\left (\frac{1}{2} \right )^{-3} \right \}\div \left (\frac{1}{4} \right )^{-2}$ Q6) Subtract 3a(a + b – c) – 2b( a – b + c) from 4c (-a + b + c) . Q7) An electric pole 15m high, casts a shadow of 10m. Find the height of the tree that casts a shadow of 15m under similar conditions. Q8) A cuboid is dimension 60 cm x 54 cm x 30 cm. How many small cubes with side 6 cm can be placed in the given cuboid? Q9 ) If 18 workers can build a sloping roof of a building in 48 hours, how many workers will be required to do the same work in 30 hours ? Q10) Find the compound interest on Rs. 5000 for 2 years at the rate of 10% per annum compounded annually. Q11) Subtract $5x^{2}-4y^{2}$ + 16y – 3 from $7x^{2}-4xy+8y^{2}+5x-3y$ Q12) The diagonal of quadrilateral shaped field is 24 m and the perpendicular dropped on it from the remaining opposite vertices are 8 m and 13 m. Find the area of the field. Q13) A machine in a soft drink factory fills 840 pepsi bottles in hours. How many bottles will it fill in 6 hours. Q14) Divide: $(7x^{2}+14x)$ by (x + 2) Q15) A storage place is in the form of a cuboid of measures 60 m x 40 m x 30 m . How many cuboidal boxes can be stored in it, if the volume of one box is $0.8m^{3}$ . Q16) Show that: $(3x+7)^{2}-84x = (3x-7)^{2}$ Q17) If any object has 20 faces, 12 vertices then find the value of Edges by using Euler’s formula. Q18) Four fifth of a number is more than three fourth of the number by 4. Find the number. Q19) Find five rational numbers between $\frac{-1}{3}$ and $\frac{1}{3}$< Q20) The diagonal of quadrilateral shaped field is 24m and the perpendiculars dropped on it from the remaining opposite vertices are 10m and 15m. Find the area of the field. Practise This Question (i) An ice-cream cone (ii) a cricket ball (iii) a glass tumbler (iv) a brick (v) a star Which of the above are polyhedrons?
Free news FREE blog Gun poll 14th Amdt 19th Amdt "who killed the prophets" By accusing the jews of admitting that they were the children, or descendants, of those who killed the prophets, Jesus separated Himself from them racially by implying that He was NOT a descendant of those same people. Either that, or Jesus was incredibly disingenuous, criticizing them as descendants of those who killed the prophets even though He Himself was also. So who was it who killed the prophets who the jews were descendants of and Jesus was not? If you believe Jesus was of the House of Judah, which some claim are called "jews", then the jews or Pharisees were NOT of the House of Judah. Were they of the House of Israel? Would the Edomite jew King Herod have appointed someone of the House of Israel as chief priest? Of course not. If you believe Jesus was of the House of Israel and not the House of Judah, then you could claim that these jews were of the House of Judah, and that this was the difference in ancestry Jesus was referring to. This would imply that, when Jesus said they were "not of my sheep", that Jesus didn't consider Israelites of the House of Judah to be "of my sheep": The enmity between the House of Israel and the House of Judah caused them to kill each other by the hundreds of thousands, even half a million in ONE battle, for centuries. But to say Israelites are "not of my sheep" implies that they are not even of His same race. Even though both Houses fought and hated each other for millennia, they never became, nor ever considered themselves to be, separate races or "sheep". As descendants of Jacob, all Israelites of both Houses, ARE "of my sheep" and Jesus would never have accused a fellow Israelite, not even of the House of Judah, of being "not of my sheep": So exactly who: 1. Were not descendants of Jacob? 2. Were the ancestors of the jews/Pharisees? 3. Were not Israelites? 4. Were close enough to the temple to be able to kill the prophets? 5. Followed the traditions of the elders which Jesus roundly and righteously condemned? 6. Disobeyed the command or word of God? 7. Adopted the name "jew" at the time of the Babylonian captivity? 8. Had enough political influence to prevent the Israelites from rebuilding the temple after the captivity? 9. MAY have been descendants of the "nikro" wives and such as are born of them who were put away by the Israelites? 10. HATES all Israelites of both houses? 11. Includes, or ARE, the race which was brought from Babylon when the Israelites were taken captive? 12. Collaborated to kill Jesus just as their ancestors collaborated to kill the prophets? 13. Were never righteously punished for all the Israelites they killed? 14. Continue to enjoy special rights and privileges in many Israelite nations, using their crying rag as a weapon? 15. Follows the despicable TalMUD, which is derived from the despicable "traditions of the elders"? Who are those who killed the prophets? JEWS! Not Israelites of the House of Israel, and not Israelites f the House of Juda. JEWS, "they who say they are jews and are not but are of the synagogue of SATAN"! jewn McCain ASSASSIN of JFK, Patton, many other Whites killed 264 MILLION Christians in WWII killed 64 million Christians in Russia holocaust denier extraordinaire--denying the Armenian holocaust millions dead in the Middle East tens of millions of dead Christians LOST $1.2 TRILLION in Pentagon spearheaded torture & sodomy of all non-jews millions dead in Iraq 42 dead, mass murderer Goldman LOVED by jews serial killer of 13 Christians the REAL terrorists--not a single one is an Arab serial killers are all jews framed Christians for anti-semitism, got caught left 350 firemen behind to die in WTC legally insane debarred lawyer CENSORED free speech mother of all fnazis, certified mentally ill 10,000 Whites DEAD from one jew LIE moser HATED by jews: he followed the law f.ck Jesus--from a "news" person!! 1000 fold the child of perdition Hit Counter Modified Saturday, March 11, 2017 Copyright @ 2007 by Fathers' Manifesto & Christian Party
Chronic Granulomatous Disease Type of disease: Rare conditions Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare, inherited, primary immune deficiency disorder that affects certain white blood cells. It is characterized by an inability to resist repeated infectious diseases and a tendency to develop chronic inflammation. Symptoms usually begin in infancy or childhood and include life-threatening recurrent fungal and bacterial infections affecting the skin, lungs, and bones; swollen areas of inflamed tissues known as granulomas; and other symptoms. It is caused by mutations in any one of four different genes and is usually inherited in an autosomal recessive or X-linked recessive manner. Treatment consists of continuous antibiotic therapy to help prevent infections and corticosteroid drugs for treating granulomatous complications. Source: Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD), supported by ORDR-NCATS and NHGRI. Connect. Empower. Inspire.
• Twitter • RSS UNESCO HIV and Health Education Clearinghouse Search resources The search found 6 results in 0.012 seconds. Search results 1. Plan Strategique National de Lutte contre le VIH/SIDA 2006-2010 Selon les données de l'EDS-III (Enquête Démographique et Sanitaire), le Cameroun est toujours en fin 2004 en contexte d'épidémie généralisée avec une prévalence moyenne de 5,5% dont 6,8% pour les femmes et 4,1% chez les hommes. Le groupe de jeunes de 15 à 24 ans est toujours considéré comme un groupe très vulnérable ; d'autres groupes ayant des comportements à hauts risques sont identifiés : il s'agit des hommes en tenue, les professionnelles de sexe et les camionneurs et les populations riveraines du Pipeline Tchad-Cameroun. … 2. Bantwana schools integrated program (BSIP) child profiling report 3. Zambia sexual behaviour survey 2009 4. Kenya's HIV/AIDS Education Sector Policy: Implications for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and the Teaching of HIV/AIDS Education Kenya's HIV/AIDS Education Sector Policy: Implications for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and the Teaching of HIV/AIDS Education is a paper resulting from a study conducted in 2005-2006 on the 2004 HIV/AIDS Education Sector Policy. It investigates the practical implications of the policy document in addressing provisions related to orphaned and vulnerable children and the teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS education. The paper further assesses practitioners' understanding of the policy. … 6. The impact of HIV/AIDS on formal schooling in Uganda Our mission
From 6 to 10 August 2018 a summer course will be held at Radbound University , in the Netherlands, on the topic Judges at War: Understanding the Crisis of the Rule of Law in Eastern Europe. There is much more ‘behind the scenes’ in Poland and Hungary than you can learn from newspapers. Simple tale of seductive populists, charming masses and marching them into dictatorship makes a good story for infotainment media but does not explain either what exactly happened, or why it happened. In this course, we examine the evolution of the judiciary systems in post-communist countries, and their intertwined relations with politics trying to understand what drove Kaczynski and Orban to their authoritative policies on the judiciary – and why these policies are exactly what their voters expect. One important conclusion is that Poland and Hungary – and probably some other East-European countries – demonstrate a strong path-dependency of their transformation legacies, not only in institutional but also in social terms, which makes them different in many aspects from established Western democracies. Several possibilities arise from this assessment: either was the 2004 EU-Enlargement a mistake, or the newbies must be forced to maintain European standards more energetically, or, perhaps, a new way to achieve these standards must be offered to them if they are to remain rule-of-law-countries. The course will cover the following topics: 1. Theoretical introduction: law as a social phenomenon Relation between ‘law in books’ (legal texts), ‘law in action’ (judgements) and the ‘law in minds’ (social perception) is crucial for the legal system regarded as a part of a wider political construct. The way people conceive the law and the way law itself acts in social relations determine the legitimacy of the political system as a whole 2. Historical background: when did Communism end Both Polish and Hungarian way out of totalitarian dictatorship was a negotiated one. It created an opportunity for the nomenklatura first, to secure economic privileges and subsequently to remain the strongest political force in the mid stage of the transformation. Adapting to democratic rules of the game, post-communists did not hesitate to bend them when they considered it useful. Incorporating informal ties and dependencies into formal procedures of judiciary and administration led to the creation of uneven playing field and undermined the legitimacy of the system. 3. Socio-political analysis: cleavages and social conflicts in the Eastern Europe Major social conflict in post-communist countries was not between the ‘left’ and ‘right’ (as no social classes which would fit that pattern existed) but between the transformation-beneficiary and the transformation-malcontents. And one of the crucial notions defining that conflict was the one of justice, applied on many levels and in different context (social, symbolical, individual). The malcontents treated the transformation as an unjust process and the state that was a product of if as an unjust one. Combined with a lack of legitimacy, this sentiment undermined all state institutions, in particular the judiciary. 4. ‘War with judges’: recent developments in Hungary and Poland With reference to this background, it is easier to understand why Orban and Kaczynski came into conflict with the institutions the legitimacy of which is – under normal circumstances – indisputable. The course of these conflict will be outlined and an assessment of the current situation with respect to the rule of law will be made. More information: here.
What Are Students Taught about the Death of Dinosaurs? But what is telling is the actual observable data. Now, look at these pictures of dinosaurs discovered buried: Taphonomy is the branch of paleontology that deals with the processes of fossilization. It is like investigating a crime scene to find out the best possible explanation for the evidence. In laymen’s terms, it is attempting to find out what killed the animals in question. In the case of the paleontological dig in Wyoming run by Dr. Arthur Chadwick, it is about finding what cased the death of many dinosaurs. Art explained: “We’re doing what’s called taphonomy. Taphonomy it’s like CSI, Crime Scene Investigation. Our goal is to find out what killed the dinosaurs, what they were doing when they died, and then what happened after they died. Did they sit around and rot, or were they buried right away? And then what happened after they were buried to preserve the bones and change them?” The area that he was excavating for study was over 80 acres in size, and had millions of fossilized bones in it, most disarticulated. This just means that they are found disconnected from the adjacent bones. This indicates some swirling pressure, and some rot (enough to separate bone from connective tissue). Fascinatingly, most of these bones in Arthur’s bone bed are found in the first 3 feet of mudstone. In 80 acres and only a meter thick, we find millions of bones laid out together! So what is the doctor’s conclusion as to how they got there? He explained: “These animals had to die and then their carcasses had to have time to rot. So we’re talking days or weeks or months during which time the bones and tissue were either eaten away or rotted away. And then the bones that remained were deposited instantaneously in this environment because they’re in a graded bed with big bones at the bottom and little bones at the top, and you can see that here. The big bones are all down at the bottom. When they start digging up here, they start to find smaller bones. So that condition requires a sorting process that can only take place during a catastrophic emplacement.” “The only way I know how you could develop a graded bed is if you had a catastrophic process that transported these bones and laid them all in as a single event.” – Art Chadwick, PhD So, take a minute and think about the environment that this must have taken place in. Not the slow gradual environment that they try to teach in school. That would not explain this, nor a plethora of other fossil graveyard sites. In a millions of years scenario, there would not be sorting. They would not all be so close to the surface. They would not be so densely packed, and over so wide a range (if say deposited by an ancient river). How would this occur slowly over time, and somehow carcasses not be consumed by nature too quickly for fossilization (like we observe in nature today). This, according to tophonomy is best explained by a single catastrophic event. You have many dinosaurs which all died together, swirled in muddy eddies, rotting and breaking apart over weeks or months, and then settled in mud and water. And most of these animals that found themselves in these swirling, violent, muddy deathtraps would indeed be disarticulated. Picture100Remember, this is a forensic science. Studies current data to explain a past event. We have two events to consider, the slow depositing of animals world wide who all were buried in mud and water (not occurring today), or a recorded world wide deluge, corroborated by the bible, over 270 flood legends, and evidence such as bone-beds like this picture. Could this happen all over the world with slow natural processes? These observations are made, knowing full well the disdain modern scientists have for studying data in light of the reality and authenticity of Genesis. But our education is our own, not someone else’s. You must decide which model makes sense to you. Does Teaching Evolution Cause Racism? IMG_9947Want a clear understanding of why there is racism? We have been teaching it for 150 years through evolution. Of course it has always existed between tribes, but without Judeo-Christian values in play in a society, however imperfectly it may be implemented by men, there is much more room for the elevation of man. We have taught this mindset to generations of kids. Our teachers taught it as science, and evolutionary theory has continued to prove itself not only as scientifically ridiculous, but also as the most insidious and destructive thought system ever devised. Think I am wrong? Overstating? Consider this then: Darwin wrote Origin of the species, regarding animals mostly, with only the insinuation that it would apply to mankind near the end. And when he felt the premise took hold of his scientific contemporaries enough, he then released The Decent of Man in 1871. In it, Darwin said this: Thomas Huxley, Darwin’s Bulldog and evolution Salesman, coined the term agnostic, and preached evolution to crowds the size of which are reserved for rock stars today. He stated: “No rational man, cognizant of the facts, believes that the average negro is the equal, still less the superior, of the white man. And if this be true, it is simply incredible that, when all his disabilities are removed, and our prognathous relative has a fair field and no favour, as well as no oppressor, he will be able to compete successfully with his bigger-brained and smaller-jawed rival, in a contest which is to be carried out by thoughts and not by bites.” Darwin called him, ‘My good and kind agent for the propagation of the Gospel—i.e. the devil’s Gospel.’ This led to other believers in evolution to conclude man was merely an evolved animal, and the logical conclusion to this, especially when brought to its logical and inexorable end, is that some men had evolved farther than others. This was further perpetuated by those that followed such as Ernst Haeckel, GERMAN EMBRYOLOGIST and fraud, born Feb. 16, 1834—died Aug. 9, 1919. He perpetuated the fish embryo drawings, and idea which is still being recycled today, as well as a missing link which he called Pithecanthropus alalus (speechless apeman) and even had an artist, Gabriel Max, draw the imagined creature, although there was not a scrap of evidence to support a single detail in the drawings. Being a German, and a university scientist, as well as an evolutionist, he was a major influence on Hitler. Haeckel stated, “At the lowest stage of human mental development are the Australians, some tribes of the Polynesians, and the Bushmen, Hottentots, and some of the Negro tribes. Nothing, however, is perhaps more remarkable in this respect, than that some of the wildest tribes in southern Asia and eastern Africa have no trace whatever of the first foundations of all human civilization, of family life, and marriage. They live together in herds, like apes.” This evolutionary mindset of course led Hitler to attempt his justification of racial supremacy. In Mein Kampf, Hitler said this: “If Nature does not wish that weaker individuals should mate with the stronger, she wishes even less that a superior race should intermingle with an inferior one; because in such a case all her efforts, throughout hundreds of thousands of years, to establish an evolutionary higher stage of being, may thus be rendered futile.” Obviously this adopted fervor can be understood as the result of taking evolutionary theory too far. Add a little power, a little patriotism, and a whole lot of violence and you have the death of 20 million people, among other horrible atrocities. It should be pointed out that these atrocities are only wrong because there is a moral and objective absolute good, set forth by God. Without it, anything that would conceivably be believed to help future generations, Hitler included, cannot technically be considered evil, or immoral. In the instance of evolution creating men by chance, the “right” side is merely the side who wins, or has the bigger stick. Evolution was introduced to American school systems in the early 1960’s, but Darwin’s poisonous and unscientific ideas didn’t wait that long to permeate society’s education system.We taught a generation of kids in high school and college from this text book in the 1920’s – George William Hunter’s A Civic Biology. We continue to teach Darwinian evolution, either as neo-Darwinism or Lamarckism, and have since by a series of if-then assumptions, extrapolated out the idea that man evolved from non-humans, (the molecules to man theory, or goo to you theory), into an explanation for everything from chemicals, to stars, to matter itself. [For more on this read ‘The Long War Agaianst God’ by Morris, or ‘In the Minds of Men’ by Taylor]. Evolutionism is the paradigm with which we have justified racism, imperialism, and other deadly ideologies. And yes, through its perpetuation, it has molded the minds of the church to their detriment as well. But as we know, man poisons God’s word, God does not poison man’s. So what does God say in His word about it? It says after the flood 4500 years ago, we all came from the same 8 people, which means we are all related. This concurs with genetics, population growth studies, and the similarities in flood legends and architecture the world over. Furthermore, the bible says this: It simply states that we all came from the same origin. And that no one person or people group is worth more than any other. It, like science, says we are all one race, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder together in victory before the throne of our Almighty Creator. No one people group is better, for all of us fall short, and all of us are in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Gardening Tips: Planning your garden with beautiful trees When something bad happens to what you love, you will automatically feel bad, right? Well, the same thing with gardens. Many homeowners are always heartbroken when they see plants in their garden starting to weather and dying because of pests or various plant diseases. When this happens, the homeowners often go into a panic mode and start to wonder how that happened and probably also worry if all the plants are going to die as well. For you to maintain a beautiful and healthy garden, you certainly need to have a good plan when it comes to taking care of your trees or plants. Below are a few tips that can help you maintain a beautiful garden. • Carefully check the trees you are buying Carefully check trees before buying Before spending your money on any plants, it is always a good idea to carefully examine them first. This way, you will be able to check whether the plants you are receiving are healthy or not. Of course, this would be one of the smartest you can use to keep a beautiful garden by avoiding to introduce any disease that might come with new plants. However, since you might not know much about the trees, you can always do a little research on how a healthy tree of the type you want looks like. This will prevent you from carrying sick plants home and infect the others. This wouldn’t be the type of bonus you were hoping for, especially after buying the trees in bulk, right? • Good manure Good manure Growing trees is not always just about providing them with enough water and that’s it. There are also other factors that usually come into play including how rich your garden soil is. This is why it is recommended that you use a good composted yard waste, usually known as compost manure. Since different materials usually have different decomposition rate in a compost pile, it is important that you continue composting them for an extended period of time. This will subject the materials to high temperatures that will eliminate the available pathogens that might reintroduce the infections back to your garden coming from infected plant debris. However, if you are still not sure about the condition of the compost heap then it’s better to stay away from using your yard waste for mulching especially when you are dealing with sensitive plants. Also, do not use infected plant debris when making a compost pile. • Watch the bugs Watch the bugs There’s usually nothing more heartbreaking than seeing something you struggled to build for several months being destroyed in just a few days. This is what insects always do to our gardens. These tiny creatures can inflict much more damage to plants that people usually think. A plant can always be infected by a bacteria or virus through the openings on the stems or branches usually created by the bugs. Some of them also act as carriers of these infections and therefore are able to spread them to different areas in your garden. The common dangerous insects usually known for this kind of activity include aphids and thrip among others. If you don’t want your garden to have an ugly look, with bad looking infected trees, make sure to always use pesticides to keep the bugs at bay. • Cleaning Cleaning the garden During the fall, it is important to clean up your garden more often. Well, this might not be such a quite effective way of preventing plant disease in your garden but it can really help in controlling it. Many of the diseases attacking your trees in the garden can often survive the winter as they will be depending on the debris from the plants and dead leaves on the ground and later come back to bring terror to your garden once the winter is over. If you want to keep your beautiful trees and flowers in good condition without having to worry about the daylily leaf streak, Iris leaf spot or black spot on your roses, consider doing some cleaning and get rid of the dead leaves in your garden. However, if your leaving foliage and stems with a plan of creating a winter interest just make sure they are removed before they start growing again. • Appropriate fertilizer Appropriate fertilizer As mentioned before, there’s always more to having beautiful trees in a garden than just ensuring enough water. Even if you are using compost pile to boost the growth of your trees, you might still need to apply some fertilizer to enrich your soil with more nutrients required for your plants to grow well. You need to be extra careful however, not to use the wrong fertilizer or even use the right one in the wrong way. Too much fertilizer can kill your plants by burning their roots and therefore interfering with their ability to take in water. When this happens, plants are often left vulnerable to different weather conditions such as drought, heat, and cold. On the other hand, if you starve your trees for nutrients, they will grow smaller and can easily be affected by the leaf spots. Too much fertilizer in the soil also means too many nutrients for the plant which is also dangerous as this can bring a lot of stress to the plant. It would be a good idea if you can reach out to any local agency to help you test the soil before planting your beautiful flowers and trees. This will help you to know the number of nutrients in the soil and if you should add some more or not. If you are looking forward to having a beautiful garden, you need to be fully prepared to put in some work. Nothing really come that easy, right? Having a garden in your home is usually quite beneficial as it only doesn’t make your home look good, but it also increases it’s valued too just in case you decide to take it back to the market. With that being said, it is therefore important to take proper care of your garden and enjoy the benefits later.
I am wondering what exactly is the relationship between the three aforementioned spaced. All of them seem to show up many times in: Linear Algebra, Topology, and Analysis. However, I feel like I'm missing the bigger picture of how these spaces relate to each other. For example, in my course in multi-dimensional analysis, we started out talking about metric spaces, but later suddenly switched to normed vector spaces, without any explicit mention of this transition. In linear algebra we usually talked about inner product spaces, and in topology we talked about metric spaces and topological spaces. The bigger picture of the relation between these three is still unclear to me. Which is used where, for what reason, and how do they relate? I do know the definitions of all three of them: A metric space is a pair $(S,d)$ with $S$ a set and $d: S \times S \to \mathbb{R}_{\geq 0}$ a metric: • $d(x,x) = 0$ for all $x \in S$ and $d(x,y) >0$ for $x \neq y$, • $d(x,y) = d(y,x)$, A (real) inner product space is a pair $(V,\langle \cdot \rangle)$ where $V$ is a (real) vector space and $\langle \cdot \rangle: V \times V \to \mathbb{R}$ is an inner product: • $\langle v,w \rangle = \langle w,v \rangle$, • $\langle a_1 v_1 + a_2v_2,w \rangle = a_1\langle v_1,w \rangle + a_2\langle v_2,w \rangle$ for all $a_1,a_2 \in \mathbb{R}$, • $v \neq 0 \Longrightarrow \langle v,v \rangle > 0$. A (real) normed vector space is a pair $(V,\\|\cdot\\|)$ where $V$ is a (real) vector space and $\\|\cdot\\|: V \to \mathbb{R}_{\geq 0}: v \mapsto \\|v\\|$ is a norm on $V$: • $\\|v\\| \geq 0$ and $\\|v\\| = 0 \ \Longleftrightarrow \ v = 0$. • For $t \in \mathbb{R}$ and $v \in V$ we have $\\|tv\\| = \|t\|\\|v\\|$ • $\\|v+w\\| \leq \\|v\\| + \\|w\\|$. I also know that an inner product gives rise to a norm by taking $\\|v\\| = \sqrt{\langle v,v \rangle}$, for example the Euclidean norm derives from the standard inner product on $\mathbb{R}^n$ in this way. And Cauchy-Schwarz: $\|\langle x,y \rangle\| \leq \\|x\\|\\|y\\|$. I'm not interested in details about the definitions but in the intuition and bigger picture of these three spaces, and how they show up in Analysis. • 3 $\begingroup$ You may be interested in Jordan - Von Neumann theorem, stating a necessary and sufficient condition for a normed vector space to be a inner product space: here the keys are parallelogram law and polarization identity. $\endgroup$ – Bob Jul 5 '18 at 14:26 • $\begingroup$ That's an interesting theorem I didn't know yet, thanks for mentioning! $\endgroup$ – Sigurd Jul 5 '18 at 14:34 • 2 $\begingroup$ In the same spirit: a metric defined onto a vector space comes from a norm (in the way explained in the answers) if and only if the metric is translation invariant and satisfies the scaling property. $\endgroup$ – Bob Jul 5 '18 at 14:41 • $\begingroup$ Finally you may wonder if metric spaces are more general then normed vector spaces. In a sense, the answer is no: given a metric space X, there exists a normed vector space V and a subset A of V, such that X is isometric to A. $\endgroup$ – Bob Jul 5 '18 at 14:50 • $\begingroup$ "In the same spirit: a metric defined onto a vector space comes from a norm (in the way explained in the answers) if and only if the metric is translation invariant and satisfies the scaling property". Sounds like a beautiful result! $\endgroup$ – Sigurd Jul 5 '18 at 14:52 You have the following inclusions: $$\{ \textrm{inner product vector spaces} \} \subsetneq \{ \textrm{normed vector spaces} \} \subsetneq \{ \textrm{metric spaces} \} \subsetneq \{ \textrm{topological spaces} \}.$$ Going from the left to the right in the above chain of inclusions, each "category of spaces" carries less structure. In inner product spaces, you can use the inner product to talk about both the length and the angle of vectors (because the inner product induces a norm). In a normed vector space, you can only talk about the length of vectors and use it to define a special metric on your space which will measure the distance between two vectors. In a metric space, the elements of the space don't even have to be vectors (and even if they are, the metric itself doesn't have to come from a norm) but you can still talk about the distance between two points in the space, open balls, etc. In a topological space, you can't talk about the distance between two points but you can talk about open neighborhoods. Because of this inclusion, everything that works for general topological spaces will work in particular for all other spaces, but there are some things you can do in (say) normed vector spaces which don't make sense in a general topological space. For example, if you have a function $f \colon V \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ on a normed vector space, you can define the directional derivative of $f$ at $p \in V$ in the direction $v \in V$ by the limit $$ \lim_{t \to 0} \frac{f(p + tv) - f(p)}{t}. $$ In the definition, you are using the fact that you can add the vector $tv$ to the point $p$. If you try to mimick this definition in a topological space, then since the set itself doesn't have the structure of a vector space, you can't add two elements so this definition doesn't make sense. That's why during your studies you sometimes restrict your attention to a smaller category of spaces which has more structure so you can do more things in it. You can discuss the notions of continuity, compactness only in the category (context) of topological spaces (but for reasons of simplicity it is often done in the beginning of one's studies in the category of metric spaces). However, once you want to discuss differentiability, then (in first approximation, before moving to manifolds) you need to restrict your category and work with normed vector spaces. If you also want to discuss the angle that two curves make, you will need to further restrict your category and work with inner product vector spaces in which the notion of angle makes sense, etc. • $\begingroup$ Incredible answer, thanks! This total picture was exactly what I was looking for. To follow up: that means that every inner product vector space is in particular a topological space right? Interesting realisation, I always saw them as completely different structures. Another question: how exactly does an inner product allow you to measure angles between vectors? Though I've indeed heard of this before, it was never really clear to me what for example the standard inner product $\vec{x} \cdot \vec{y} = x_1y_1 + \ldots + x_ny_n$ has to do with the angle between these vectors. $\endgroup$ – Sigurd Jul 5 '18 at 14:49 • $\begingroup$ A lot became clear while reading this answer, in combination with the others' input. $\endgroup$ – Sigurd Jul 5 '18 at 14:53 • $\begingroup$ @Sigurd You are probably familiar with the concepts of Euclidian 'length' and 'angle', that can be seen or come from the dot product. The inner product is a generalisation of the concept of dot product, and so also of the concepts of length/distance and angle. $\endgroup$ – AnyAD Jul 5 '18 at 15:05 • 1 $\begingroup$ @Sigurd: Let's say we work in $\mathbb{R}^2$ with the standard inner product and $\vec{x} = (1,0)$ while $\vec{y} = (a,b)$ with $a^2 + b^2 = 1$ (so that both vectors lie on the unit circle). Then $\vec{x} \cdot \vec{y} = a$. If you draw both vectors (eminating from the origin) and the angle $\theta$ between them, you'll see that $\cos \theta = a$. This might look like a special case, but given arbitrary vectors $\vec{x},\vec{y}$, the angle between doesn't depend on the length so you can always scale them to be of unit length and it also shouldn't change if we rotate them so you can always $\endgroup$ – levap Jul 5 '18 at 16:26 • 1 $\begingroup$ Thanks, that's clarifying! And thanks to all for your help on this topic, the discussion was really useful for me to organize several concepts that were floating around in my knowledge somewhere. $\endgroup$ – Sigurd Jul 5 '18 at 16:49 1. Every inner product space is (can be naturally made) a normed space by defining $$\\|x\\|:=\sqrt{\langle x, x\rangle} $$ (following the leading example $\Bbb R^n$) 2. Every normed space is, by definition, a linear space, and at the same time can be naturally equipped with a metric: $$d(x, y) :=\\|y-x\\|$$ You can check that the respective axioms are indeed satisfied. Metric spaces provide a general framework for continuity and uniform continuity. We can define differentiation on normed spaces. Noticing that the class of (nice-in-a-way) real or complex valued functions themselves form a linear space, we can investigate several norms for them, even inner products, which is the study of functional analysis. An inner product space $\left(V,\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle\right) $ is also a normed vector space $\left(V,\lVert\cdot\rVert\right) $, taking $$ \lVert v\rVert \colon= \sqrt{\langle v,v\rangle} \qquad\forall v\in V$$ A normed vector space $\left(V,\lVert\cdot\rVert\right) $ is also a metric vector space $(V,d) $, taking $$ d(x,y)\colon=\lVert x-y\rVert \qquad\forall x,y\in V$$ In short $$ \text{Inner product}\implies \text{Norm}\implies \text{Metric} $$ Your Answer
Have you ever wondered what happens exactly when you run pip install? This post will give you a detailed overview of the steps involved in the past, and how it all changes with the adoption of PEP-517 and PEP-518. In my previous post I've described how it's possible to install three types of content: source tree, source distribution and wheels. Only the last two types are uploaded to PyPi the central Python repository, however one could get its hands on a source tree too (by feeding for example a git protocol for pip). The advantage of wheels over the others is that it does not require any build operation to happen on the user machine; it's just download and extract. Building python packages Now independent where the build happens (user or the developer machine), you still need to build the package (either the sdist or wheel). To do this, you need some builder in place. Historically, the need for third-party packages manifested itself early on. Following the principle that Python has batteries included in the year 2000 with Python 1.6, the distutils package was added to the Python standard library. It introduced the concept of the setup.py file containing the build logic, and is triggered via python setup.py cmd. It allowed users to package code as libraries, but did not have features such as declaration and automatic installation of dependencies. Furthermore, its improvement lifecycle was directly tied to the core interpreter release cycle. In 2004 setuptools was created, which built on top of distutils and extended it with other nice features.. It quickly became very popular to the point that most python installation started to provide it together with the core interpreter itself. Back in those days, all packages were source distributions. Wheel distributions came along a lot later, in 2014. distutils was created back when only a few highly proficient people did packaging. As such it is very flexible and imperative, you write a python script, you can modify every step in the package generation process. The downside of this though is that it's anything but easy to learn and understand. This started to become more and more an issue as Python grew in popularity and we had more and more users who were less proficient in the inner workings of Python. adult black pug Photo by Charles 🇵🇭 / Unsplash - ehhh build requirements For installing a source distribution pip mostly did the following: 1. discover the package 2. download the source distribution and extract it 3. run python setup.py install on the extracted folder (does a build + install). Developers did python setup.py sdist to generate the distribution, and python setup.py upload to upload it to a central repository (the upload command has been deprecated with 2013 in favour of the twine tool most notably due to the upload using non-secure HTTP connection, and upload command also did a fresh build, not allowing the end user to inspect the generated package before the actual upload). When pip ran the python setup.py install, it did so with the python interpreter for which it was installing the package. As such the build operation had access to all third-party packages already available inside that interpreter. Most notably, it used exactly the setuptools version that was installed on the host python interpreter. If a package used a setuptools feature available on a newer release than currently installed the only way one could complete the installation was to update first the installed setuptools. This potentially can cause problems if a new release contained a bug that broke other packages. It is especially troublesome on systems where the users can't alter installed packages. Then there was also the problem of what happens when the builder (e.g. setuptools) want to use other helper packages, such as cython. If any of these helpers was missing the build usually just broke with a failed to import package error: File "setup_build.py", line 99, in run from Cython.Build import cythonize ImportError: No module named Cython.Build There was no way to provision such build dependencies from the developers' side. It also meant that users needed to install all packaging build dependencies even if they did not want to use that at runtime. To solve this issue PEP-518 was created. The idea is that instead of using the host python with its currently installed packages for build, the package provides the ability to be explicit about what they need for their build operation. Also instead of making this available on the host python, we create an isolated python (think of a sort of virtual environment) to run the packaging with. python setup.py install now becomes: 1. create a temporary folder 2. create an isolated (from the third-party site packages) python environment python -m virtualenv our_build_env, let's refer to this python executable as python_isolated 3. install the build dependencies 4. generate a wheel we can install via python_isolated setup.py bdist_wheel 5. extract wheel to site packages of python. With this we can install packages that depend on cython without actually installing cython inside the runtime python environment. The file and method of specifying the build dependencies is the pyproject.toml metadata file: requires = [ "setuptools >= 40.8.0", "wheel >= 0.30.0", "cython >= 0.29.4", Furthermore, this also allows for whoever does the packaging to be explicit about what minimum versions they require for the packaging, and these can be easily provisioned via pip transparently on the user machines. The same mechanism can also be used when generating the source distribution or the wheel on the developers' machine. When one invokes the pip wheel . --no-deps command that will automatically create in the background an isolated python that satisfies the build systems dependencies, and then call inside that environment the python setup.py bdist_wheel or python setup.py sdist command. fawn pug jumping on water Photo by Bruce Galpin / Unsplash - yay! packaging tool diversity Now there's one more problem here though. Note all these operations still go through the mechanism introduced twenty years ago, aka executing setup.py. The whole ecosystem still builds on the top of the distutils and setuptools interface that cannot change much due to trying to preserving backwards compatibility. Also, executing arbitrary user side Python code during packaging though it is dangerous which can lead to subtle errors hard to debug by less experienced users. Imperative build systems were great for flexibility twenty years ago when we were not aware yet of all the use cases, but now that we have a good understanding we probably can make very robust and easy package builders for various use cases. To quote Paul Ganssle (maintainer of setuptoolsand dateutil on this): Ideally the default option would be a declarative build configuration that works well for the 99% case, with an option to fall back to an imperative system when you really need the flexibility. At this point, it's feasible for us to move to a world where it's considered a code smell if you find you need to reach for the imperative build options. The biggest problem with setup.py is that most people use it declaratively, and when they use it imperatively, they tend to introduce bugs into the build system. One example of this: if you have a Python 2.7-only dependency you may be tempted to specify it conditionally with sys.version in your setup.py, but sys.version only refers to the interpreter that executed the build; instead, you should be using the declarative environment markers for your install requirements.. flit proved this assumption correct already with its introduction in 2015. It has become the favourite packaging tool for many newcomers to Python, as makes sure new users avoid a lot of these footguns. However, to get to this point flit had to again build on top of distutils/setuptools, which makes its implementation non-trivial, and the code base quite a few shim layers (it still generates the setup.py file for example for its source distributions). It's time to free it from these shackles, and also encourage other people to build their own packaging tools that make packaging easy for their use cases, time to make setup.py the exception rather than the default. setuptools plans to offer a setup.cfg only user interface to lead the way, and when a PEP-517 system is in place you should prefer that over using the setup.py for most cases. To not tie everything back to setuptools and distutils and facilitate creation of new build backends PEP-517 was created. It separates builders into a backend and fronted. The frontend provides an isolated python environment satisfying all the declared build dependencies; the backend provides hooks that the frontend can call from its isolated environment to generate either a source distribution or wheel. Furthermore, instead of talking with the backend via the setup.py file and its commands, we move to python modules and functions. All packaging backends must provide a python object API that implements two methods build_wheel and build_sdist at the minimum. The API object point is specified via the pyproject.toml file under the build-backend key: requires = ["flit"] build-backend = "flit.api:main" The above code effectively means for the frontend that you can get hold of the backend by running the above code inside the isolated python environment: import flit.api backend = flit.api.main # build wheel via # build source distribution via It's up to the backend where and how they want to expose their official API: 1. flit does it via flit.buildapi 2. setuptools provides two variants: setuptools.build_meta (on why read on later) 3. poetry does it via poetry.masonry.api With this we can start having packaging tools that are no longer bound to the legacy decisions of the distutils in the frontend. grayscale photo of fawn pug Photo by Sarthak Dubey / Unsplash - more yay! tox and packaging tox is testing tool and used by most projects to ensure compatibility against multiple Python interpreter version of a given package. It also allows easily creating python environments that have the package under inspection installed in it, making reproducing failures faster. To be able to test a package it first needs to build a source distribution though. While both PEP-518 and PEP-517 should make things better, turning them on can break packaging under some use cases. Therefore when tox added isolated build in version 3.3.0 decided to not enable it by default, for now. You need to manually enable it (will probably be turned on by default in version 4 sometime later this year - 2019). Once you've specified a pyproject.toml with appropriate requires and build-backend you need to turn on the isolated_build flag inside tox.ini: isolated_build = True After this, tox in its packaging phase will build the source distribution by providing the build dependencies into an isolated python environment per PEP-518, and will call the build backend as stated in PEP-517. Otherwise, tox will use the old way of building source distributions, that is invoking the python setup.py sdist command with the same interpreter tox is installed into. selective focus photography of fawn pug puppy Photo by Matthew Henry / Unsplash - no free lunch here, yet! The Python Packaging Authority hopes that all this makes sense and will allow to have a more user friendly, error proof and stable builds. The specifications for these standards were written up and debated in long threads between 2015 and 2017. The proposals were deemed good enough to benefit the most, but some less mainstream use cases could have been overlooked. If your use case is such, don't worry the PEPs are open of enhancement at any point if we deem required. In my next post of this series here I'll go over some of the pain points the community bumped into while releasing these two PEPs. These should serve as lessons learned, and will show that there's still some work to be done. It's not everything perfect yet, however we're getting better. Join the packaging community if you can help out, and let's make things better together!
Public Release: Preschoolers inability to estimate quantity relates to later math difficulty University of Missouri-Columbia "Talking to children about how the world can be represented in numbers may help young people develop the ability to estimate the size of a group, which may prepare them for later mathematics education" said co-author Kristy vanMarle, assistant professor of psychological science at MU. "Asking them 'how many' whenever they encounter a group of objects or images can help them understand that the world can be understood in terms of numbers." However, the inability to approximate group size was not the only factor related to later math problems. The MU team also found that preschoolers who lagged behind others in their understanding of the symbolic value of numerals and other related concepts were 3.6 to 4.5 times more likely to show mathematical learning difficulties, which corroborates earlier research by Geary, and extends it to a much younger age. Doctoral student Felicia W. Chu was the lead author of the study, "Quantitative deficits of preschool children at risk for mathematical learning disability," which was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Geary is Curators' Professor and a Thomas Jefferson Fellow in the Department of Psychological Sciences in MU's College of Arts and Science. vanMarle is the director of MU's Developmental Cognition Lab.
The Impact of Technology on Foodservice Operations << Back The Impact of Technology on Foodservice Operations Posted on 11th Jan 2019 Technology is constantly evolving in hospitals and nursing homes. Implementing new technology has been shown to improve employee productivity, increase patient satisfaction, reduce clinical errors and improve treatment methods. Let’s take a look at how the following technological advancements are shaping the healthcare industry: 1. Electronic Health Records (EHR) The ability to record and exchange health information electronically is thought to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. It has the potential to increase coordination of care across a wide variety of providers, decrease the duplication of lab tests and allow providers quick access to health information. • In 2010, only 17% of residential care communities in the United States used electronic health records. • Residential care communities that used electronic health records were more likely to be larger, not-for-profit, chain affiliated or collocated with another care setting and in a nonmetropolitan statistical area. 1. The iPad = Portability The iPad has eliminated the need for paper charting when documenting patient information and helps to engage patients by providing them with access to their own personal health record and lab testing results. It also makes it easier for doctors and other healthcare professional to work on the go and communicate more directly with the patient’s care team. The iPad provides a way for healthcare professionals to research topics and new medical advances when they do not have access to a computer. This allows for information to be widely available between patient and healthcare team, which therefore increases patient satisfaction and the overall outcomes. 1. Electronic nutrient analysis In some foodservice operations, an electronic nutritional analysis is becoming more popular. This analysis can calculate exactly what and how much of a food item should be placed on a resident’s tray by accessing each individual resident’s nutrition profile and then producing an individual meal ticket. The resident profile contains important information like calorie intake, allergies, dietary restrictions and likes or dislikes. This technology gets rid of the need for an employee to decide what food items should be placed on each tray, and therefore, avoids potential human error. For foodservice management, this same technology offers the tools necessary to execute cost analysis, control production and eliminate waste. Let’s say, for example, that a menu is released for the day. Each patient/resident will select a version of the menu that satisfies their required diet, electronically. The amount of food selected is tallied up and communicated to the kitchen so that they know how much to prepare. This process increases the efficiency of production and decreases overall food costs within a foodservice operation. What is your experience with new technology in the healthcare world? Feel free to message us on our contact page and let us know. You may be featured on our social media accounts! Contact Us Today By Phone: By Email: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 980 Vidalia, GA 30475 ©2017 Food Fitness First, Inc® Phone: 1-888-856-0137
Homework with your special needs child, tips to keep you sane! Sunset chaser (7).jpg Homework presents a challenge for all parents. However,when a child has a learning disability, it can require extra thought and attention. The good news is with the right tips and tricks it can become manageable and enjoyable for the both of you! Here are some pointers from Friendship Circle’s team therapist to help you reach homework success! 1. Set up a distraction free work zone It’s important for your child to have a designated quiet area with all toys and electronics removed. Having an assigned space can also help with creating a predictable homework routine. 2. Be Positive Support your child by showing positivity and using encouraging statements. Your child can feel if you’re tense or frustrated so take a breather if you need to! Kids perform much better in an encouraging environment! 3. Take Breaks It can be hard for your child to sit and concentrate long enough to finish all their work. Therefore, short intervals followed by a predetermined reward or reinforcer can be very effective. 4. One idea at a time Break up each part of their work and be sure they understand it well before moving on. 5. Let them do the work If your child is struggling on something particularly challenging it can be tempting to jump in and do it for them. Instead, be patient so they can learn the skills they need! Sit with them to help motivate them but let them do the work. By:Melanie Bercovici Melanie is a behavioral therapist who runs Friendship Circle’s daily lounge program where teens & young adults learn life skills, social skills, and volunteer in a laid back enjoyable setting!
Find a Security Clearance Job! Swiss Guard The Noble Guards, the Palatine Guards, the Papal Gensdarmes, and the Swiss Guard, were all that remained by 1900 of the military forces of the Popes. Founded by Scipio Africanus about the beginning of the Christian era, Caesar Augustus seems to have been the first to organize them into an Imperial Guard, stationed at the palace. For three centuries they swayed the fortunes and fates of successive Emperors. From a select body of some 10,000 native Romans, ostensibly raised to protect the Imperial city and the Emperor, they were increased to 50,000, and becoming absolutely uncontrolled, deposed, murdered and elected Emperors, on two or three occasions even going so far as to put up the imperial dignity to the highest bidder (a.d. 193). Whether we can regard them as a body guard is doubtful. When their numbers were increased, they were assigned a fortified camp and their presence at the palace was not in any sense desired. It is true that they took some of their protegees under their own protection, and even revenged the murder of one. However, that does not entitle them to a claim as a personal guard. In the fourth century they were reduced, assigned to a camp outside the walls, and about the year 330 the Emperor Constantino, after a severe struggle, finally disbanded them. The Palatine Guard contended that their history went back farther than that of the Swiss. A point that has never been settled and to avoid rivalry the Commander of the Palatine Guard and the Colonel of the Swiss Guard walk on each side of the Pope's litter, or sedia gestatoria, in the processional. The Palatine Guards was one of the largest regiments of the Papal army and was recruited from families of good standing in the neighborhood of the Vatican. The regiment consisted of four companies of sixty men armed with bayonetted rifles. Their principal duty was to keep back the crowd during processions and ceremonies, when the Pope goes to the Sistine Chapel, or to St. Peter's. The Palace Gendarmes were called Carabinieri by their founder, Pope Pius VII and were raised in 1815. He copied their uniform from the French guards. They comprised about 100 privates and have a very striking full dress uniform with bearskin shakos, gauntlets and shining jack boots. They are to be seen everywhere in the Vatican mounting guard in the gardens, loggias and museums. The Gardia Nobile, or Noble Guards, were scions of patrician families. One of the requirements of enlistment is that their forefathers shall have been nobles for thirteen generations. Their origin is to be traced to Paul IV who organized 100 men of the best families into the Cavalli Leggieri. The Gardia Nobile consisted of 75 men; 2 captains, a lieutenant, sub-lieutenant, 7 essenti, 2 corporals and 2 sergeants, 2 trumpeters and 50 guards, probably the most officered small body in the world. The Pope's "Guardia Nobile" was one of the few survivals of those companies of gentlemen troopers who were in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the ornament and the defence of all the royal courts of Europe. The Company dates back its origin to the year 1485, in the Pontificate of Innocent VIII., whose father, the Cardinal Aran Cibo is credited with the institution of the first Papal Company of Guards. The Noble Guards, a creation of Pius VII, were recruited from that portion of the Roman nobility which had not deserted the Papal Court for the Court of the King. This corps consisted of a Captain-Commandant (Lieut .-General Prince Rospigliosi, in 1907); an hereditary Standard-Bearer of the Santa Romana Chiesa (Lieut .-General the Marchese Filippo Naro Patrizi Montoro, in 1907) ; two lieutenants, who are also Brigadier-Generals ; a supernumerary Lieutenant (the late Pope's nephew, Brigadier-General Count Camillo Pecci di Carpineto, in 1907); an honorary Sub-Lieutenant, who was also a Brigadier-General; nine Esenti, with the rank of Colonel; and forty-eight Noble Guards. They were the original bodyguard of the Pope ; they rode beside his carriage, accompanied him on his journeys, and attended state functions. In 1505 Pope Julius II made an arrangement with the Cantons of Zurich and Lucerne, by which they provided him with a guard of 250 men, the present " Guardia Svizzera Pontificia." The Swiss have always been associated with the defence of the Papacy, and a guard of Swiss were quartered in the Vatican in the Pontificate of Nicholas V. (1447-55). The documents and traditions of the Vatican, however, assign the origin of the present bodyguard to the pontificate of Julius II. In the attack on Rome, 1527, they were nearly all killed, some actually falling before the altar of St. Peter's. They are still quartered at the Vatican, and wear their distinctive dress. For more than five hundred years the Swiss Guard have been the chief military force of the Popes. They are commanded by a Captain-Commandant (Colonel the Barone Leopold Meyer de Schauensee , in 1907); a Lieutenant, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel; and a SubLieutenant, with the rank of Major; and they are a hundred and twenty in number. They always mount guard in three places-the Portone di Bronzo, at the Bronze Doors, where the Vatican is entered from the Piazza of St. Peter's ; at the Cortile della Sentinella, on the right turning out of the Cortile del Forno to ascend the hill which leads to the entrance of the Sculpture Gallery ; and in the grand antechamber of the apartments of the Pope. At the Bronze Door a sentry is on guard, and a dozen others hanging about, unless the approach of a high ecclesiastical dignitary or an Ambassador to the Papal See is signalled, when they fall in and salute. The Barrack of the Swiss Guard is in the back part of the Vatican, behind St. Peter's, in the courtyard entered between the Sistine Chapel and the Borgia Rooms. Close by this in a very narrow space the dual monarchy which existed at Rome after 1870 was strikingly en evidence. There is a sort of square, with a fountain in the middle, at the back of St. Peter's, which is called the Cortile del Forno, at the end of which is the Courtyard of the Vatican, known as the Cortile della Sentinella, with a gate guarded by the Swiss, the only point at which you can drive into the Vatican. On the other side of the road, which leads up to the Sculpture Gallery and Gardens, on a little hill, is the Zecca, the ancient Mint of the Popes. This was the only piece of Italian territory within the Vatican precincts. On its terrace were the superb Carabinieri of the King ; the resolute and active men, lions of strength and bravery, who show the fibre of which the Romans, who conquered the world, were made. The soldiers of the Pope and the soldiers of the King had been facing each other here, almost at bayonet's length, for many years. When the Swiss Guard was recruited to its full strength there were about 300 men commanded by a colonel, a captain, a lieutenant, six sergeants and six corporals. The Guard today consists of 5 officers, 25 NCOs and 70 halberdiers. Only unmarried Swiss males of the Catholic faith - historically, mainly from the four original Swiss cantons (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Luzern) and Valais - are eligible for serviece. Moreover, they must all be between 19 and 30 years of age, at least 174 cm tall and must have fulfilled their basic military training in the Swiss Army. They are privately contracted for this special Foreign Service for at least two years. The Swiss Guard wear a uniform as wonderful in its riot of color as an old fashioned bed-quilt with stripes of black, yellow and red. There is a legend that Michael Angelo who designed the uniform may have enjoyed himself at their expense. The Guards' Renaissance-style uniform dates from 1915, and was not designed by Michelangelo as the popular myth would have us believe. The dress has not remained unaltered over the centuries, though the attractive attire that they wear today can be traced back to a designer. In the chronicles telling of the welcome given by Pope Julius 11 on January 22nd, 1506, to the first Swiss Guards, there is nothing referring to their dress, and this would seem almost certainly to indicate that they were dressed like any other soldiers of that time, when, it must also be said, there was no such thing as a military uniform. However it is quite certain that those Swiss Guards were shod and dressed, "vestiti usque ad calceas" at the Pope's expense; they probably wore the white cross of Switzerland or the Papal crossed Keys sewn on their chest. Their weapons were the halberd and the broadsword and their shoulders, chest and arms were protected with metal armor. In the 16th century, soldiers usually wore a doublet or jacket, fitted at the waist and ending in a point at the front that went under the belt. Or otherwise they wore a longer doublet that reached to the knee. Both the short and long doublet had no collar, and the neck was usually left uncovered as can be seen in a miniature kept in the Vatican Library, of Julius II's entry into Bologna, where von Silenen is shown bare-necked. The puffed parts of the sleeves and breeches were at times decorated with coloured bands of material, attached only at the two extremes. Often these different coloured bands were used by the mercenary captains to distinguish one company from another. The soldiers usually wore stockings to the knees. In another painting, "The Flight of Elidor", also in the Vatican, Raffaello shows a group of soldiers of the Swiss Guard around Julius II. They are dressed in wide knee-length breeches and a hiplength doublet, the typical dress in Rome of those days and indeed all over Italy. Besides the "saio", a long doublet, the men also sometimes wore a "saione", an even longer garment. For protection against rain and cold, a black cloth cape was worn. It was sleeveless, open at the sides and held in position with a blue cord, and covered back and front, as can be seen in the fresco of Pius III's coronation by Pinturicchio in the Library of Siena Cathedral. The metal helmet was soon replaced with a morion, or metal high-crested open helmet with the front and back edges turned upwards. Still today the Guard wears the morion on particularly solemn occasions such as the Ceremony of the "Swearing-in" of the recruits. The French Revolution also left its mark on the uniform of the Swiss Guard, which adopted some of the practical styles, such as the cocked hat with a ribbon cockade and the French-styled collar, as well as an unusually wide shoulder-belt or bandolier, made of leather, worn from the right shoulder down to the left thigh, ending in a sabre-holder. It is mainly thanks to Commandant Jules Repond (1910-1921), who was gifted with an exceptionally fine taste for colors and shapes, that the Swiss Guards wear such fine dress today. After much study and research and drawing inspiration from Raffaello's frescoes, he abolished all types of hats and introduced the simple beret worn today, which bears the soldier's grade. Furthermore he replaced the pleated gorget or throat-piece with a plain white collar. He also improved the cuirass and had it remodelled after the original design. Nowadays, only the full dress-uniform is worn with a special gorget, white gloves and pale grey metal morion with ostrich-feather plume: white for the Commandant and Sergeant Major, purple for Lieutenants, red for Halberdiers and yellow/black on a black morion for the Drummers. The Guard's morion bears the oak of the Rovere family. Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
Positive and Negative Numbers - What Numbers Mean We use numbers to show how many or how much there is of something: • People have 2 eyes • There are 5 toes on a foot • There are 7 days in a week • There are 12 inches in a yard • You have 15 pennies in your pocket ... and so on We use positive numbers to show these things. Up until now we probably haven't said "positive numbers" ; we've just said "numbers". We show positive numbers with a + sign +5 means positive five We usually don't say "positive" even though that is what we mean so... 5 is the same as +5 Using Negative Numbers • The temperature is 12 degrees colder than yesterday • I owe my sister 6 dollars • My friend wants to lose 10 pounds • The car was driving 5 miles per hour under the speed limit Negative numbers are less than zero We need numbers to represent these things too. We use negative numbers. We show negative numbers with a - sign -7 means negative seven Sometimes people say "minus seven" instead of "negative seven" - they both mean the same Negative numbers let us show values without using lots of words. Negative numbers are useful for calculations. Using Words With Negative Numbers A golfer scored 70 on a par 72 course (two under par) Her score was -2 A man owed $500 to the bank His balance was The quarterback gets sacked and the team loses 15 yards. The team is -15 yards on the play The temperature changed from 10 degrees above zero during the day to 10 below zero at night There was a -20 degree change in temperature Negative numbers are less than zero The number line below shows how negative numbers go to the left of zero. number line showing negative numbers to the left of zero Prevent Bullying By Subject > Integers > Positive and Negative Numbers
The History of Florence Between Art and Progress Historicalfacts.netThe History of Florence - Florence is one of most famous cities in the world, this famous Italian city is famous all over the world due to its Renaissance sculptures, paintings of great value and majestic buildings built by master builders of the past. For centuries Florence was one of the richest and most important cities of the West, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance Florence was known for being the ideal place for artists and masters of all kinds. The History of Florence Between Art and Progress The city is the capital of the province Florence of Italy located within the region of Tuscany. River Arno is the actual and exact location of Florence. Florence also was named as the capital city of Italy in 1865 but it only acted as the capital for 5 years. Florence was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. As the reason for being included in the list is the number of people visiting Florence throughout the year. According to a survey conducted among tourists, they say that the city attracts the people towards itself. Florence is recognized as one of the most beautiful cities of world. Florence experiences highest temperatures in the months of June, July and August. It mostly reaches up to 40 degrees. So the summer season lasts mainly from May to October. Winters are from November till the middle of March. Near the end of March the temperature starts to rise again. Florence mostly receives the rainfall season in its winter. Winter nights are very cold and beautiful inside Florence as the city has a very attractive nightlife. The city comes in the category of the cities which have Mediterranean climate. The History of Florence The History of Florence Between Art and Progress Florence is normally known for its churches, buildings, architectures and monuments. The most commonly known structure in Florence is the "Santa Maria del Fiore" which is famous by the name of "The Duomo". The doom has an international reputation and is considered as one of the landmarks of manmade buildings. It has been 600 years since the doom was built but still it is regarded as the largest doom in the world made by bricks. Also the museums of Florence are considered world class as these represent a lot related to history of the city. Florence mostly generates its revenue from the tourism sector as the city continuously receives millions of tourists from all around the world throughout the year. So Florence is a strong city economically which contributes heavily in the total GDP of the country as a whole. According to statistics of 2008 Florence city has a population of about 365,744 people and the percentage of males were 47 % while females were 53% according to 2007 statistics. The population mostly is Italian. Florence has an excellent reputation in arts and music, as many of notable personalities in these fields were from Florence. Painting is another field in which the city has excelled as compared to other cities of the country. The famous painter and also a famous name in literature "Leonardo Da Vinci" is one of those personalities. Florence in the past for centuries has enjoyed an excellent economic situation arising from flourishing trade and the creation of the first banks, thanks to the good business relations with other foreign states.Florence was able to achieve excellent earnings. The economic success of Florence in the past was that its currency: the Florine For centuries it has been accepted and imitated in all countries in Europe, we can say that the Florine was what the dollar is in the contemporary world. Thanks to the great wealth that people accumulated in Florence and thanks to a stable political situation, rather than the big wars that were fought in Europe, Florence was the ideal place for the development and for new discoveries in every field. The art in Florence was supported and encouraged by the wealth of the great noble families and great people of the church, the architecture with majestic works such as the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, the Vasari Corridor and many other monuments. They changed the physiognomy of the city making it an immortal city. Like the great architectural works they created frescoes, paintings and sculptures of absolute value that embellished buildings such as the Uffizi. The Uffizi were projected by Vasari for Cosimo I Medici. They were initially used for the government of the time but soon it became the first museum in Europe. In the Uffizi are great works of art owned by the Medici family. These Works of art are still present in this museum where they are visited by millions of tourists. In addition to art for centuries Florence was one of the most important for the progress in many other fields. In this place scientists like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei became famous. These great scientists together with many other less-known scientists made discoveries and advances that laid the foundation for the development of the modern world. Since medieval times Florence was a city that in addition to great wealth it could also count on a high number of residents, which made Florence one of the most populated urban centers of the ancient era. From a political point of view Florence played a central role thanks to the excellent relationship with the ecclesiastical power that the rulers of the city had since the early Middle Ages. Florence and the Birth of the Renaissance If there is one city which can be credited for leading Europe out of the dark ages, that city is Florence. Although it's population never exceeded 60,000 during this period, Florence was Europe's center of culture and commerce for over 250 years, and its currency, the gold florin, fueled the continent's emergence into the Renaissance. From the early 1300s, the florin was the currency that made trade and industry possible. It funded the Papacy, and the wars of English kings. Florentine writers such as Dante and Boccaccio were instrumental in the evolution of ancient Latin into modern Italian. Renaissance and neoclassical architecture were invented in Florence, as was opera. Perhaps the most important family in the history of the European continent, the Medici, were Florentine. The Medici married into the royal families of Europe and were instrumental in ruling the continent during the Renaissance. Their patronage of the arts in Florence and across Europe led to the rise of artistic geniuses such as Donatello, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo Da Vinci. At the beginning of the dominance of Florence, Pope Boniface VIII paid the city the ultimate compliment when he postulated that a fifth element must be added to Aristotle's list of the building stones of the universe. To earth, air, fire and water the Pope added the Florentines. Florence's Duomo Towards the end of the dark ages, the citizens of Florence set out to build a cathedral which would dominate the skyline of their city. It was to have a dome that would become the symbol of Florence, and they invited the world's greatest architects to bid for the task of its design. Architect after architect came before the committee in Florence to explain how he would solve the problems inherent in the dome's design. Finally a young creative genius, Brunelleschi, stepped forward. He took an egg out of his pocket, and smashed it down on the Florence committee's table. As he did so, the bottom of the egg cracked and flattened, and an "egg" dome appeared before them. Brunelleschi was hired on the spot. Florence And The Birth Of The Modern Gelato The Medici, the lords of Florence, decided to organise a competition amongst the Tuscan cooks to award the most talented one. They would award the cook who would create the most original dish. Ruggeri, a poultry merchant whose 'hobby' was cooking, won the competition with an ice cream-based dessert that drove the Florentine court literally crazy. The poultry merchant became so popular that Caterina de' Medici, who was about to get married, wanted him at her wedding banquet. This is also how the recipe invented by Ruggeri, simply called 'sugar-flavoured and scented water', conquered the French. After a few years of glory and gelato in all flavours, Ruggeri decided that he had had enough. The Parisian cooks were jealous and he missed his previous, simple life. So he revealed his very secret recipe to Queen Caterina and went back to his poultry. There is no need to say that, thanks to Ruggeri's recipe, the gelato fashion spread all across Europe. Florence had just begun producing its very famous gelatai. The most popular one, which is also known for other duties, was certainly Bernardo Buontalenti. Buontalenti lived between 1536 and 1608 and was a painter and a court architect who, amongst others works, completed Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi gallery and the Boboli gardens, were he built the 'Grotta Grande', a masterpiece of painting, sculpture and architecture of the 'manieristic' period. Buontalenti, in perfect accordance with his surname (whose translation in English could be something like 'greatly talented' ) was so multiple-skilled that he was successful in many different disciplines. He was a urbanist as well as a court event manager, a plumber, a goldsmith, a ceramist, a scenographer, and theatre dresser. Amongst his many works, the Grotta grande is certainly one of the most famous. Bernardo was a really great personality in the Florentine court life of that period and, amongst his many jobs, he was also a popular court banquet organizer-and we are talking about banquets attended by the most important people of that time. On one of these occasions he created something very special: a cream made of egg white, honey, milk, lemon and a drop of wine. The invention of this Florentine crème represented the birth of the modern gelato and distinguished it from the less tasty 'sorbet' or icicle. Once in heaven, the eclectic Florentine artist must have smiled when, in 1979, the gelateria Badiani invented a new, tasty gelato flavour called Buontalenti. The sweet memory of Bernardo's invention, preserved for over four centuries and until our days, still reminds us today of one of the most important talents and discoveries of the Florentine Renaissance. The History of Florence Between Art and Progress
University of Minnesota Alumni Association The Big Electric Brain How machine learning allows U researchers to learn like, well... machines. Illustration by Brian Stauffer Satellites snap millions of images of virtually every acre of Earth, providing a potentially valuable database of shifting patterns of crops, grasslands, forest, and other land use. The information could help us understand changes in agriculture and the environment, as humans respond to a growing population and climate change. But the amount of information is enormous—and growing daily. To categorize and make sense of it is a challenge. That’s where the University of Minnesota comes in. A handful of U researchers recently won a $1.43 million National Science Foundation grant to help figure out how to analyze the data. Researchers from the College of Science and Engineering; the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences; and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI) have proposed scanning, categorizing, and analyzing the images using machine learning, the next frontier of artificial intelligence, in which computer systems are able to train and teach themselves without being explicitly programmed. In essence, these computer algorithms “have the ability to learn on their own,” says Mehmet Akçakaya, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who uses machine learning in a healthcare-related project. When shown new images, “they can learn what to do, essentially, just like us.” Through machine learning, humans can analyze data that is so voluminous or complex that the task would take mere mortals ages—or it could not be done at all. U scientists are at the forefront of the revolution, using these algorithms for tasks ranging from predicting the likelihood of death to counting wildebeests. By integrating machine learning into research, scientific discoveries and advancements are taking the fast track. The satellite imaging project will rely on machine learning’s ability to quickly scan and interpret images, says James Wilgenbusch, senior associate director of the MSI and a project coinvestigator. The algorithm will “train” on the image database to distinguish forest from grassland, conifers from deciduous trees, corn from soybeans. The results will be incorporated into the U’s unique GEMS platform, which integrates genomic, environmental, management, and socioeconomic data to show, for example, how planting cover crops affects water quality. “Those are practices that are difficult to actually monitor outside of survey data to determine whether there are positive benefits to certain types of practices,” says Wilgenbusch. “With the existing data we feel that we can do that.” Patterns in human health Nishant Sahni, M.D., a hospitalist and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, recently collected electronic health records from nearly 60,000 hospitalizations. A “random forest” algorithm combed through data to determine the combinations of test results that predicted a patient had less than a year to live. Sahni wants to incorporate the program into electronic medical records to alert caregivers to “the highest-risk patients who might benefit from additional help,” including end-of-life counseling, or who might be spared unnecessary procedures. “The next step is proving we can actually use the tool and do something with it clinically,” he says, “that we can intervene earlier, or have increased use of palliative care, improve our consultations, or increase patient satisfaction.” Schooling researchers Machine learning can identify hidden patterns in data that escape the notice of researchers, says Edward McFowland III, assistant professor of information and decision sciences in the Carlson School of Management. A recent study showed that assigning a teacher’s aide to classrooms didn’t benefit elementary students. But when McFowland reexamined the data with a machine learning algorithm, it identified a subgroup of classrooms with highly experienced teachers that showed impressive gains. That pattern suggested several avenues of further research. “Machine learning has the ability to generate the hypotheses that ask the question that we don’t even know to ask.” Deep learning in a heartbeat A special category of machine learning is “deep learning,” where software learns to recognize patterns in sounds and images by mimicking the layers of neurons in the human brain. Deep learning is even more capable than standard machine learning of self-training. Mehmet Akçakaya is training a deep-learning algorithm to speed up the acquisition of magnetic resonance imaging. Patients would benefit by spending less time in an MRI machine. Researchers could get accurate imaging of split-second events like a single heartbeat or the flash of a neuron. “You always want to go faster,” Akçakaya says. “If I can keep the person there for five minutes instead of 10 minutes, that’s going to reduce the cost. That’s going to reduce the patient discomfort. It’s going to be important both in the clinic and in research.” Capturing motion Through a deep-learning algorithm, Hyun Soo Park, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is able to accurately track and analyze movements of human bodies, whether dribbling a basketball or swinging on a playground. And he can do it without the strategically placed body markers that are used to make computer-generated imagery for movies, for example. Park has been able to do the same with free-roaming monkeys, which are widely used in studies to track the connection between brain signals and body movements. “Neuroscientists have been very interested in how their brain signals are correlated with their behavior,” says Park. Counting wildebeests Craig Packer, director of the U’s Lion Research Center, teamed up with a deep-learning expert to analyze the millions of camera-trap photos from his African field research. Packer relied on volunteers to read photos, but the volume became overwhelming. The images are not nicely composed photos of easily recognized species. “Some of these brown antelope can look pretty similar to each other,” says Packer. “It could have its head down, facing the other direction. It does take an experienced person, if all they’re seeing is the rear end of a wildebeest, to say that’s a wildebeest. Likewise with a computer—if you put in enough examples of wildebeest pictures, all kinds of different angles, it can have the same kind of recognition capacity.” The algorithm that Packer and his colleagues developed classifies and counts the species. “It’s really quite stunning in its abilities,” he says. “It’s something that will probably become integrated into almost every camera-trap study of any species anywhere on earth.” Greg Breining (B.A. ’74) is a nature and science writer who lives in St. Paul. His latest book is Paddle North: Canoeing the Boundary Waters-Quetico Wilderness. Read More
Natural Cure Labs Premium, All-Natural Therapies Natural Cure Labs is the premier manufacturer of Monolaurin - an antiviral, antibacterial, and antimicrobial supplement derived from coconuts. Discover how we use science and research to produce the finest supplements available. Monolaurin and Fighting Enveloped RNA and DNA Viruses Last Updated: January 8, 2019 \| First Published: August 28, 2018 Reviewed by: Dr. Ahmed Zayed, M.D. Monolaurin has been shown in laboratory studies to be significantly potent against 14 types of enveloped viruses What is an Enveloped Virus? There are two types of viruses – enveloped and non-enveloped. Enveloped viruses are surrounded by a lipid membrane from the host cell in which the virus resides. Examples of these viruses are influenza, HIV/AIDS, and Herpesvirus. The lipid membrane of an enveloped virus originated from the budding of it within the host cell. Unlike non-enveloped viruses, enveloped viruses have lipid membranes that would help their stability, resistance to chemical or physical inactivation, and ease of viral transmission. (Ref #1) Monolaurin Compounds Monolaurin has been shown to display antibacterial and antifungal properties. The naturally occurring fatty ester and monoglyceride makes Monolaurin for what it is. Due to its properties, Monolaurin has shown effects of being virucidal against lipid-containing bacteria or viruses, a trait of enveloped viruses. Studies have shown that Monolaurin had little side effects against humans. (Ref #2) Monolaurin is shown to be significantly potent against 14 types of enveloped viruses. During an in vitro experiment, 99 out of 100 viruses were reduced. The potency of Monolaurin, however, is best shown if it is mixed with other compounds such as tert‐butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), Methylparaben, or sorbic acid. It is so potent that effects begin to show within the first hour. (Ref #2) Monoglycerides in Human Milk and Enveloped Viruses Monolaurin is just one example of a monoglyceride. Other studies have shown significant effects of monoglycerides against enveloped viruses. Fatty acids in milk have also displayed the same antiviral properties of Monoglycerides. The lipids in human milk are potent enough to eradicate enveloped viruses such as herpes, vesicular stomatitis virus and simplex virus. (Ref #3) Fatty Alcohols against Enveloped Viruses Certain studies have already shown the anti-microbicidal properties of fatty alcohols. There are limitations, however, to the potency of fatty alcohols. It is shown to be most potent only at certain pH levels and certain concentrations. At low pH levels, have no increased activity. Enveloped viruses are more sensitive and capable of changing their ions in their envelope proteins. (Ref #4) Why Monolaurin? Monolaurin already proven itself to show little side effects against humans. It has little limitations when compared to fatty alcohols, which are only potent at certain conditions. It is easily available as compared to human breast milk.. Monolaurin even has greater potency at eradicating viruses and bacteria with a probability of 99%. Its potency can even go further if combined with other chemicals and compounds. If given a chance, Monolaurin might be a potential treatment against various deadly enveloped viruses such as influenza, herpes, and even HIV. 1. Lucas, W. Viral Capsids and Envelopes: Structure and Function. 19 April 2010. In eLS, (Ed.). doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0001091.pub2 2. Hierholzer, J. C. and kabara, j. J. (1982), In vitro effects of monolaurin compounds on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses. Journal of Food Safety, 4: 1-12. Doi:10.1111/j.1745-4565.1982.tb00429.x 3. H Thormar, C E Isaacs, H R Brown, M R Barshatzky and T Pessolano. Inactivation of enveloped viruses and killing of cells by fatty acids and monoglycerides. Antimicrob. Agents Chemotherapy. January 1987 vol. 31 no. 1 27-31. doi: 10.1128/AAC.31.1.27 4. H. HilmarssonB. S. TraustasonT. KristmundsdóttirH. Thormar. Virucidal activities of medium- and long-chain fatty alcohols and lipids against respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus type 2: comparison at different pH levels. Archives of Virology. December 2007, Volume 152, Issue 12, pp 2225–2236 5. Pietila, M., Laurinavicius, S., Sund, J., Roine, E., & Bamford, D. (2009). The Single-Stranded DNA Genome of Novel Archaeal Virus Halorubrum Pleomorphic Virus 1 Is Enclosed in the Envelope Decorated with Glycoprotein Spikes Journal of Virology, 84 (2), 788-798 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01347-09 © Copyright 2019 Natural Cure Labs LLC. Results may vary by individual. Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. This website contains general information about medical conditions and research. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such.
In these workshops young students in secondary schools in Granada incorporate musical instruments from different parts of the world into subjects like Geography and History. This encourage them to participate because it´s fun and they love music. This way they get to know the others knocking down barriers. Suhail Serghini, coordinator of Andalusia Intercultural Libraries, says this is a good way to improve the knowledge youth have about other people and other cultures that live together in Europe, thereby contributing to create open, diverse and plural societies. It´s a very positive experience that schools value highly. SISUMMA aims to foster young Europeans´engagement as active citizens in the defence of a democratic EU in which multicultural coexistence constitutes its major asset. Awareness-raising activities like these intercultural workshops are a great way to do so.
At Adelaide’s leading chiropractic clinic, The Bod Squad, we believe strongly in the importance of good posture and it’s relation to your health. Today’s lifestyle places increased demands on our posture that is having a negative impact on our health. We are sitting for longer periods, spending more time using technology and are less active and these lifestyle habits are now presenting in our children. School aged children are sitting up to 5 hours a day at school1 According to the CAA the long term effects of sitting include increased stress on the spinal discs, reduced structure and stability of the spine, increased inflammation leading to early degeneration and pain, reduced rate of fat metabolism and weakened posterior leg and gluteal muscles to name but a few.2 As well as this children carry heavy backpacks to and from school and they now spend, reportedly, up to 5 hours a day in front of a screen including iPads, tablets, computers, consoles and television.3 All of these activities are contributing to the growing incidence of childhood back pain with an episode occurring in up to 38% of children aged 6-12 every year.4 Children with poor posture are more likely to suffer from headaches, back pain and muscle strains as well as have less energy and fatigue more easily. Recognising the significance of poor posture on a child’s health and the importance of preventative care we have created a comprehensive program designed specifically to improve their posture (and function). Our Posture Program for Kids We have designed our program around 5 key elements: Static Posture, Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Coordination, which are factors that either contribute to or are affected by posture. We look at all of these elements within your child and then design a specific comprehensive program to address the areas where issues have arisen. Throughout the program your child is given specific stretch and strengthening exercises designed for children to do either by themselves or with your help (depending on their age). There are also specific exercises for improving balance and coordination if required. At the Bod Squad, we want to ensure your child’s posture is in the best shape possible. Using chiropractic care to address their muscular skeletal system is only one component of their postural equation. At the Bod Squad, we provide growing kids with a coordinated strategy to help their overall health. This includes access to our other team members, including nutritional advice from our Dietitian and Nutritionist. They will also be given fact sheets which build awareness about postural health, to help them identify and reduce the strains placed on their body during normal everyday activities – everything from setting up their desk correctly to what size pillow to use. After all, good posture makes such a difference to young lives. We hope you are as excited as us about our program and if you have more questions about the posture program we would love you to call the clinic where we can answer them more fully or to bring your child in so that we can help them develop great posture and be the best that they can. 1. Salmon J, Healy G, Hume C, et al. Associations of sedentary time accumulation with weight status in children. Presentation at the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Conference, Melbourne, 2009 (taken from
How to take care of a turtle? How to take care of a turtle? Topic: Synthesising sources of protein June 17, 2019 / By Cristen Question: hi this weekand i am going to a lake with tons of turtles and im going to get one. i have NO idea how to do it! what do they eat? how much water should i put in the tank? how often do they eat? how often do i clean the tank? is it a boy or girl? give me as much info. as possible! thanks Best Answer Best Answers: How to take care of a turtle? Bettie Bettie \| 7 days ago Tutle care standard: Instructions things you'll need: Aquarium Filters Terrapin Food Aquarium Heaters Turtle And Terrapin Aquariums Turtle Food Ultraviolet Lights 1 Set up two-thirds of your turtle's aquarium for swimming and one-third for basking, using a full-spectrum ultraviolet light source. Basking is critical for drying and preventing shell problems. And since turtles can't store vitamin D 3, they must be exposed to UVB light for absorption. 2 Keep the temperature at 77 to 95 degrees F for aquatic and semi aquatic species. Use an aquarium heater when needed; turtles and terrapins become sluggish and stop eating in low temperatures. 3 Keep the water clean to prevent health problems. Use an aquarium filtration system to maintain optimal water quality. 4 Prevent your turtle's environment from becoming soiled by either netting or siphoning off all fecal matter as soon as possible. Fecal buildup can cause health problems. 5 Clean the entire aquarium (including the filtration system) at least once a month. Clean ponds or large enclosures where the animal spends time at least every three to six months. 6 Offer a complete commercial diet made specifically for turtles and terrapins. Check with experts for exact dietary requirements and amounts for your species. 7 Supplement the diet with appropriate snacks: Earthworms, crustaceans, small fish, mouse pups, algae, leafy green vegetation and fruit are examples of suitable foods for terrapins. Semi aquatic species tend to be herbivorous - they tend to eat plants only. 8 Feed your pet two to three times a week in a small holding tank that is separate from its normal enclosure; uneaten food can attract disease - causing microorganisms. 9 Rinse off your turtle after a feeding with slightly warm water before returning him to his enclosure. 10 Find a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets to provide care for your turtle. Turtles are usually opportunistic feeders. In other words, they grab it when they can because they really aren't sure when they might get the chance to eat again. Do not be fooled---turtles will learn to recognize you and any food containers you have. They will quickly have you trained! Overfeeding is one of the most common mistakes in captive care. Keep in mind that they are not always hungry...but they are always looking for a meal because it's how they survive in the wild. They don't know that you are going to feed them routinely, so keep a regular schedule and try not to veer from it. As far as a diet goes, you want something high in calcium yet low in phosphorus. Stay away from fatty foods and those with a high carbohydrate and protein content unless the turtle is a strict carnivore. Don't over-feed or under-feed anything; even if it is good for their diet. In nature, turtle diet varies wildly by species, locality and season. Sometimes even by gender (i.e.: some map turtles). Alligator snappers, RES, female Barbour’s map turtles ( the latter with considerable mollusk intake and specialized large head with crushing jaws vs males being more insectivorous)…a RES or painted turtle in a lush river backwater vs a poorly vegetated cattle pond…the sparsely vegetated and relatively invertebrate-poor days of early Spring vs the abundance of late Summer…all these factors play important roles. What’s more, temperate locality turtles may have a few months of hibernation, rest periods without eating, and when they emerge cool water and scarce prey and vegetation may extend the effective Winter’s fast. Wild turtles generally have more sun exposure and in theory can thus synthesize more Vitamin D3. There’s more to the issue than nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals). There’s also the question of food’s relative proportions and physical characteristics like fiber/roughage content (as when we read high-fiber diets give humans lower colon cancer risk). 👍 122 \| 👎 7 Did you like the answer? How to take care of a turtle? Share with your friends We found more questions related to the topic: Synthesising sources of protein Bettie Originally Answered: Is turtlesalde.com a good website to buy a turtle at because i got a turtle from them.? Hm....doesn't sound like a very reputable place, and shouldn't you have asked this question BEFORE purchasing from them? Sounds like you should try and find an exotics vet in your area, that can give your new turtle a basic health evaluation. Since when are snapping turtles considered domestic pets, by the way? Aideen Aideen First of all, make sure catching one is legal. And before you do so, find out what species are present in the lake. Research its needs BEFORE taking it. I can only offer some basic advice: The tank should be spacious enough to accomodate it comfortably. There should be a basking spot, and a place to submerge. The water should be changed every day, and the tank cleaned with soap and water once a month. It would probably be a good idea to collect food from the lake itself, if possible, but get a calcium powder supplement. Put it back right away if you ever tire of caring for it. 👍 40 \| 👎 1 Tiras Tiras the only turtle that would stay in a 35 gallon is a musk turtle. Fill the tank 5 to 6 inches with water and grant a clear out no heater. purchase a plastic basking platform as logs boost mildew. Get a UVB/UVA bulb approximately 50 watts and place it promptly above the basking platfirm. purchase a thermometer and place it purchase the platform. The temp would desire to be eighty 5 to ninety 5 ranges F. handle the water such as you will possibly routinely do with a fish and sparkling the platform as quickly as a month. do no longer positioned something on the backside of the tank because it might desire to injure your turtle. They consume a 50/50 mix of bugs and greens. greens comprise bok choy,carrots,duckweed,and dandelion vegetables. do no longer feed him cabbage or lettuce. bugs comprise grasshoppers,mealworms,and crickets. do no longer capture the bugs purchase them from a save. two times an afternoon daily put in the nutrition and take out something he doesnt consume in 15 minutes. leave the sunshine on 12 hours an afternoon. ultimately musk turtles stay 20 to 30 years. Oh and no fish could be saved with them. 👍 34 \| 👎 -5 Randall Randall Start by learning what species are found there. Then spend a year researching what you need to do and buy in order to care for a turtle. It varies a lot with species. Next year, get a fishing license, if you need to, and go hunting for your turtle. 👍 28 \| 👎 -11 Randall Originally Answered: Aquatic turtle? Just FYI: - With 2 biggish turtles, about 10 gallons of water is pretty small. They will experience less stress, and you will find tank management easier, if you got them over 50 gallons- 200 would be a lot better. - With turtles like this, many keepers go to kiddie ponds or plastic stock tanks to offer enough water. Outdoor ponds are another common option. - Think about a way to provide ultra-violet light. They need it to synthesize vitamin D in their skin, and UV does not penetrate glass. - Calcium blocks (water conditioners) are not usually needed in well-managed set-ups. The calcium would come from the diet. - Try adding fish to the diet as well- worms and frogs are good snacks, but they don't have a ton of calcium, etc. - If the turtles are adults, add some dark green leafy greens (lightly boiled- very lightly!) A good website for pond turtles in general is http://www.redearslider.com even if most of it is geared towards one species. If you have your own answer to the question synthesising sources of protein, then you can write your own version, using the form below for an extended answer.
Involving Generations At The Workplace A new generation of employees with new expectations is entering the workplace. They are known by many names, but most will recognize them as the Millennials or Generation Y (Gen Y). With many Gen Y members already in the workforce, managers are likely to be required to deal with the generational differences that appear to exist among employees. Given that Gen Y members are likely to work closely with Gen X members, the present study explored possible differences between Gen X and Gen Y on their work-related beliefs. Using the data from various journals and research papers, the present study examined potential generational and gender differences on three work-related beliefs, namely, work engagement, teamwork, and career development. Results showed that Gen Y was more engaged at work than Gen X. Furthermore, men were found to be more engaged at work and are more content with their career discussions than women. Implications of the findings are discussed 1. Does Generation X differ from Generation Y on their belief of being engaged at work? 2. Does Generation X differ from Generation Yon their belief of having had fulfilling career development discussions with their managers? 3. Does Generation X differ from Generation Yon the belief of being part of an effective and collaborative team? 4. Are there sex differences in the work-beliefs of work engagement, career development, and teamwork? Literature Review A new generation of employees with new expectations is entering the workplace. They are known by many names, but most will recognize them as the Millennials or Generation Y (Gen Y). The 1999-2000 Occupational Outlook Quarterly has indicated that in the 1998-2008 ten year period, the number of 35 to 44 year old Generation X (Gen X) workforce members is expected to decline by 7%, additionally those in Gen X that are in the 25 to 34 year old age category are expected to fall by 1%, whereas those from Gen Y in the age group between 16 to 24 years old will increase by 15%. To get some perspective of what these changes in headcount actually represent, it is approximated that while there are 75 million Traditionalists, 76 million Baby Boomers, and 44 million Gen X members, Gen Y is closer to 80 million. Furthermore, although Gen Y members are already in the workforce, they have not begun to reach critical mass. As a result, managers are likely to be required to deal with the generational differences that appear to exist among employees and understand the unique needs of Gen Y. Only in this manner will the inevitable clash amongst the generations become more controllable, lessening the possible misunderstandings, miscommunications, and mixed signals among employees of different generations. The entrance of Gen Y to the workplace and this generation's unique work attributes have created quite the commotion in the workplace, as employers appear to be scrambling to find out everything they can about them. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to explore possible differences between Gen X and Gen Y on their work-related perceptions. This paper begins by describing the two generations of focus in this paper. Then, previous industry and research findings concerning potential differences between Gen X and Gen Y on three work-related beliefs (i.e., work engagement, career development, and teamwork) are reviewed. Generational Categories A generational group, often referred to as a cohort, includes those individuals who share historical and/or social life experiences. Such experiences unite people of the same generation, lead them to come to share common values, and a large number of them may then come to experience the world in similar ways. Although each individual within a generation is unique, each generation tends to develop a collective personality that influences the way members live their lives, including feelings toward authority and organizations, their participation in and desires from work, and even how they plan to attain those desires. Although it is inappropriate to make generalizations about the individuals in each generational cohort, it is inevitable to recognize that those who are born in the same era have had common influential experiences that predispose them to similar expectations, and as a result such life experiences are what tend to distinguish one generation from another. Although there appears to be agreement as to what to label a generation that is defined by the shared birth years and significant life events, there are inconsistencies as to what exact years to use to classify the generations. Of the two generational groups in this study, there is less agreement as to what the birth years of Gen X are. Some report that they begin in the mid 1960s and extend until 1975, whereas others end the Gen X years in 1982. This study defines Gen X as those who were born between 1965 and 1977. As for Gen Y, considering they follow Gen X, their generation beginning year also tends to vary ranging from 1978 to 2000. Since this study is about the experience of real-world working Gen Y-ers, the year range that will define Gen Y will be that of 1978 to 1990. With the retirement of some of the earlier generations, Gen X-ers are and will be the experienced employees and managers as Gen Y continues to enter the workforce. These two generations are the ones I choose to focus on due to the fact that these two generations will be working closely together for at least the next 20 years. Generation X (1965-1977) As previously mentioned, Gen X is classified as those born between 1965 and 1977. As children, members of Gen X were exposed to high rates of parental divorce, in addition to their mothers and other females pursuing higher educational degrees and attaining jobs previously reserved for men. As a result, the "latchkey" phenomenon originated within this generation, whereby single mothers worked extended hours at the office and left unsupervised children at home to watch over themselves and at times over their siblings as well. Due to the extensive periods of time Gen X happened to spend alone or without parental supervision, they found support among their peers who were undergoing similar experiences. As a result, they built strong networks of friends which were often preferred over their family relations. Therefore, a label that fittingly applies to Gen X is "independent". Since many had to face and solve their own problems as children, the Gen X cohort gained the confidence to make decisions for themselves. Having had, what some might call "self-centered" and "workaholic" parents, Gen X members learned to be pragmatic, self-reliant, and adaptive to change. Assuming that they want to avoid the same "latchkey" lifestyle for their children, Gen X members are more likely to focus on family and quality of life, rather than exerting their efforts in their careers. The relative importance of work may be the single most distinguishing workplace value of the Gen X cohort. Work is not the most important part of their lives as it had been for Baby Boomers and other previous generations. Yet it would be incorrect to assume that a decline in the importance of work is equivalent to a decrease in the willingness to work hard. Surprisingly, in regards to work ethic, many MBA students most employed in over 13 different industries, found that this generation felt strongly that an indication of one's worth was in how hard they worked. They also found that Gen X was more likely to feel that one should work hard, even when not being supervised. Moreover, Gen X-ers want to work toward their own goals at the same time as they work towards their organizational goals. This may be an indication that Gen X is not solely 'me' oriented, but they seek to find a good balance between doing a good job and maximizing their own individual goals. Again, this is where one sees the independent characteristic in which Gen X wants to participate in decisions that affect them. In the workplace, Gen X expects and often demands to have a say on issues that may affect their lives. Generation Y (1978-1990) The years chosen to classify the Gen Y cohort are those born between 1978 and 1990. Members of this cohort have initiated a spur of interest in many with their new set of rules and unique characteristics. Although 60% of the Gen Y cohort was born into a home where both parents worked, compared to the Gen X cohort, Gen Y members not only had the support from their parents, but also had established infrastructures such as childcare, preschool, and after school programs. As a result, since their childhood years, Gen Y has lived highly structured and scheduled lives with many extracurricular activities such as soccer camps to piano lessons. The Gen Y members appear to be quite family-oriented, open-minded in that they tend to overlook differences among people and treat everyone the same, deeply committed to authenticity and truth-telling, extremely stressed, and believe to live in a "no-boundaries" world where they make short-term decisions and expect the outcomes to be rather grandiose. Yet, it is no surprise that this generation has such large expectations, considering that their technological sophistication allows Gen Y members to consider the world a smaller, diverse, highly-networked environment, with pretty much everything at the tip of their fingers. While some believe that the new and improved technological methods of communication used by Gen Y give this generational cohort the characteristics of authenticity, authorship, and autonomy, others believe that those same methods make this generation to be disloyal, anxious, and disrespectful. With such a variation in traits and characteristics this generation portrays, it is suspected that managers might need a whole new set of rules in order to manage and retain employees of Gen Y. Gen Y has been entering the workforce since 1998 and will continue to do so in rather large masses. Therefore managers need to get ready for a generation that is not only large in numbers, but also comes with a variety of unique characteristics. More specifically, Gen Y is a cohort that ranks at the top in many areas such as being the most affluent, educated, and diverse. In a 2006 administration of the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) (UAO, 2006), where 1,248 incoming first-year students were surveyed, data suggest that those students belonging to Gen Y view themselves as high-achieving and high-potential students. Further, 94% of these students described themselves as team-oriented and team-players. In addition, several researchers found that Gen Y-ers tend to follow rules and have an easier acceptance towards authority. What is noteworthy is the work ethic of this generation; they prefer a fun working environment, non-monetary perks as well as flexible hours are important. Once again, fostering a "team" mentality and environment is important for this generation because it provides a sense of acceptance and belongingness. Most importantly though, these sociable, confident, optimistic, talented, well-educated, collaborative, open-minded, and achievement-oriented members of this generation are joining organizations in hefty numbers just as talent and skill shortages are surfacing in a number of organizations. Work-Related Beliefs It is important to note how the work environment has changed over time, and realize that at the same time the new generation (i.e., Gen Y) is entering the workforce. In traditional bureaucratic structures, the interactions between people from different generations followed hierarchical lines. Although this structure is still common in various organizations, the introduction of total quality management and continuous quality improvement has actually led many organizations to implement a more team-based approach. Such an approach allows individuals from various "levels" of the organization to become involved as equal members of a team, and as a result, it attempts to neutralize the hierarchical structure and permit individuals of different age groups to interact as peers. Further, the heavy reliance on computers has made it possible for the youngest in the workplace to be the most expert at a critical skill, such as computer programs, which has resulted in the more senior generations' seeking support and guidance from the younger generations. This whole concept of the older getting help from the young or vice versa is difficult to accept because each generation has their own way of carrying out a task. What makes this concept even harder to adopt is that unfortunately there are still members of each generation that seem to believe their values and expectations are universal. The following section reviews industry and research findings on three work-related beliefs, namely work engagement, career development, teamwork, and how Gen X and Gen Y view these work-related beliefs. Work Engagement One might ask how engagement is defined. There are many different definitions of work engagement. Apparently some 'engagement experts' are not sure on how to exactly define engagement. For example, while some define engagement as "the degree to which employees are satisfied with their jobs, feel valued, and experience collaboration and trust" (Catteeuw, Flynn, & Vonderhost, 2007, p. 152), still others define it as "a state where employees find meaning in their work and devote discretionary effort and time to work" (Matz-Costa & Pitt-Catsouphes, 2008, p.216). Of the many definitions, the definition suggested by Galpin, Linley, Page, and Stairs (2006) was chosen because it makes reference to not only the organizational benefits, but to the personal benefits that can come from having organizationally committed and engaged employees. Galpin et al. (2006) defined it as "the extent to which employees thrive at work, are committed to their employer, and are motivated to do their best, for the benefit of themselves and their organization"(p. 20). However, many employees are not engaged at work. In recent studies, such as a study by Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) (2004), where more than 50,000 employees from 59 organizations, 30 countries, and 14 industries participated in a survey, it has been found that only 15% of employees are highly engaged in their work, while 21% are actively disengaged. Given that only 15% are engaged, organizations should be concerned about employee engagement, considering all the positive outcomes that engaged employees could bring to the 0workplace. For example, Galpin et al. (2006) conducting a literature review on employee engagement, report that high levels of employee engagement are associated with reduced absenteeism, greater employee retention, increased employee effort and productivity, reduced error rates, increased sales, higher profitability, enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty, faster business growth, and higher likelihood of business success. As to how the engagement findings apply to the generations of focus in this study, Galpin et al. (2006) suggest that Gen Y employees are significantly more focused than earlier generations on finding work that is meaningful and that allows them to make a meaningful contribution. For this generation, the factors that drive engagement go beyond tangibles like rewards and benefits; the Gen Y cohort rather seeks a meaningful compensation that is more closely aligned to their values. Gen Y members want the ability to contribute towards something worthwhile that draws from the best each unique Gen Y-er has to offer. Therefore, placing members of this generation in cross-functional teams where they are constantly given diverse and new information about the business, industry or the world in general is where Gen Y-ers will be best utilized and most likely to stay engaged at work. Workplace engagement is truly a complex matter in itself, therefore, having to deal with the intricacy of different generational mind frames only makes it harder to decipher what are the different factors that influence an employees' work engagement level. Career Development Developing experienced and skilled employees is vital to any organization hoping to compete in the future. Employees want their organization to help them meet their career development aspirations. Therefore in this study, career development refers to the employees' fulfillment of having career development discussions with their managers. That is important, because knowing how to properly address career growth and development concerns to different generations should be something managers should stay on top of. As mentioned earlier, the views of Gen X and Gen Y are quite different when it comes to authority and organizations. One of the clearest contrasts between Gen X and Gen Y members is the issue of pessimism versus optimism. Members of Gen X are rather pessimistic, which might make them believe that climbing the ladders to success are not very likely in their future. Furthermore, the lack of promotional opportunities and growth has contributed to a small chance of Gen X members staying with the same employer. This generation has taken such lack of career growth to heart and therefore believe that no job is guaranteed and as a result, they do not see an advantage of being loyal to or sacrificing for any one employer. At the same time, members of the Gen X cohort are exceptionally loyal to their profession and career, and hard work is an indication of self worth to them; that is, as long as work demands do not begin to alter their balance between personal and family lives . Gen Y-ers, on the other hand, are optimistic about what they could accomplish and how they will do in life. This generation is likely to tackle tasks at work with the expectation that success is likely. Yet, this generation can be rather impatient because they want immediate feedback and not just once or twice a year, but as often as possible. This is how members of this generation get an idea of how and where they are going from the very onset of their career. Gen Y members have been identified to be highly educated and they are willing to accept challenges. As a result they set high goals. However, few goes on to mention that once a Gen Y member has achieved his/her goals, the organization needs to fulfill their part of the psychological contract or actual agreement, and provide him/her with the promised reward. This is important because research has found that when specific promises go unmet, this can be interpreted by an employee that they are not valued by the organization, lowering the employee's organizational trust. Further, psychological contract breach can lead to an employee's unwillingness to engage in organizational citizenship behavior, reduced levels of job satisfaction, and higher levels of absenteeism. Breaking promises or not providing proper career development can be one of the fastest and surest ways to lose a Gen Y employee. Although some suggest that Gen Y are disloyal to their employers, it simply might be that their desires are not being met and therefore are in search of another organization that is likely to value their worth. As mentioned earlier, teamwork appears to be one of those work attributes in which a clear difference between Gen X and Gen Y seems to exist. Although personal relationships are important to Gen X, many workers of this generation are considered poor team players and often do things themselves. It is found that Gen X members do not have the patience for a working group to come together, perhaps due to their 'independent' characteristic. On the other hand, in 2000, Fortune, along with Youth Intelligence, and Towers Perrin, conducted interviews and focus groups with more than 220 teens, mostly high school students in 12 cities in nine states. They were asked about their career plans, social concerns, and anxieties; about their attitudes toward money, their relationships with friends and family, and their expectations for the future. Overall, results show that these teens are under severe stress to perform well in all that they do from choosing to go to college (and which college) to thinking about the future careers they might go into. These teens are overwhelmed and exhausted. Yet the most striking finding about these Gen Y teens is the amazingly close bonds they have developed with their friends . This finding should come as no surprise as it was previously mentioned from the 2006 BCSSE survey that 94% of incoming college students indicated moderate or high levels of team participation during their high school years (UAO, 2006). Additionally, Gen Y members reported that their ability to work in teams was above average (UAO, 2006). These findings appear to indicate that Gen Y has not only been involved in teamwork since they were children through events such as their little league teams, but also they have the confidence that during the group project process they have "struck a harmonious chord" with the others. Since Gen Y members tend to gravitate towards group work, whether it is through face-to-face or virtual projects, organizations should see teamwork as an effective way to organize tasks and initiatives for this generation Beyond these differences, both Gen X and Gen Y seek comfort and tend to have more respect for those who share their own values, therefore this easily presents an opportunity for group assignment. In one of the study, nurses who acknowledged and appreciated their colleagues from different generational backgrounds had an advantage at teamwork. Furthermore, such collaboration allowed them room for higher levels of job satisfaction, but most importantly, it gave these nurses a higher probability of positively impacting patient outcomes. Cooperative and diverse teams offer a strategic advantage to the learning of both the individual and what the team as a whole can accomplish. Therefore, creating cooperative and cohesive teams that allow different generations to learn from each other and work well together can further enhance an organization's value . As a result, in this study, teamwork is defined as the belief that an employee is part of an effective and collaborative team. Potential Gender Differences Previous research has found numerous sex differences when it comes to work-related beliefs and treatment. For example, there is the never ending topic of salary and the importance of pay. In 1988, it was studied with 428 participants from 27 graduate MBA programs across the United States, and found that males placed a greater emphasis on salary than females. A study using over 1,300 managers, employees, and students from Hungary, Israel, and the Netherlands, also found that men tended to rank pay higher than women. Moreover, in a study done in1996 where 718 accountant participants were studied, it was found that male accountants received significantly more promotions than women accountants. Yet, it is rather difficult to believe that men are getting promotions and more concerned with compensation when in various studies it is the women who put a higher importance in challenging and meaningful work when compared to men. It makes one wonder, if pay is not as important to women as it is to men, then what other satisfaction factors or non-monetary incentives are women obtaining from their jobs? In a study done in 1996 where 196 business executives from various Indian metropolitan cities participated, women tended to be more involved in their work and were more likely to obtain higher satisfaction from performing well at their jobs than men did. These findings make one wonder if the sole satisfaction of a job well done is truly rewarding for women? Yet, there appears to be more factors that women value. It was found in 2001 that women tend to give higher importance to coworkers, interaction with people, and convenient work hours than did men. Beyond the differences, in a cross sectional survey conducted to high school seniors from 1976 to 1991, it was found that both sexes reported that a job which was interesting to do was very important. Knowing that sex differences exist on work attitudes and beliefs, it is important to shed more light on those differences in order to successfully manage all types of employees. AWS is certainly nothing new, having been around since the early 1990s. It is one of many terms coined to describe the myriad ways in which businesses have reshaped their workplace as a result of the growth of the internet and telecommunications technology. Notably, by enabling staff to work from home or in alternative location. From a corporate perspective, 'space optimization' (79%) and 'cost savings' (74%) are the main reasons for companies to implement alternative strategies. Furthermore many companies see lots of potential for improvement in terms of space usage efficiency - only 55% of offices are utilized at a satisfactory level, according to research produced by New Ways of Working's Benchmarking Study; 2010. Employee demand is also fuelling the needs for AWS. Home-based working (89%), the use of drop-in spaces/hoteling (82%), non-company offices (37%) or satellite offices (35%) are used by an increasing number of enterprises to satisfy employee demand. We also know that employees want to be able to have a flexible workplace that can be taken wherever they go. This suggests that we face a big drop in the use of traditional office space and that traditional office space itself has a requirement to be more flexible in order to accommodate companies wherever they may go. Differences in work-beliefs might occur from one generational cohort to another, but as we can see, both generations want to build a portfolio of skills and are in their own unique generational ways committed to career development. Yet, what organizations need to keep in mind is that although there are some similarities between Gen X and Gen Y, as there probably would be with past generations, more importantly, there are differences. Past generations have been cultivating certain work environments and organizational cultures that we know are not ideal for all generations . Therefore, knowing how and on what work-beliefs Gen X and Gen Y differ is relatively a new line of research with incremental importance. Especially considering that these two generations will primarily be the ones carrying out organizational initiatives and their success is likely to rely on how well the managers of an organization know the work ethic of these two generations. With the new generation of employees coming into the workplace, new ways of managing and developing employees might be needed. Further, Gen X and Gen Y will be working closely together for at least 20 more years. Organizations must understand the work-beliefs of these two generations in order to avoid miscommunications and maintain the organization's productivity. Therefore, the current study was conducted in order to shed light on those differences between Gen Y and Gen X. It was hoped that current findings would give some good ideas and thoughts on how to manage the employees effectively so that they can really add on to the organizational goal. 1. Analysis of the three work-related beliefs showed that there was a significant difference between Gen X and Gen Y on the belief of work engagement. Gen Y showed higher levels of work engagement than did those members of Gen X. More specifically, compared to Gen X members, Gen Y members in the present study agreed more with the statements such as "I feel my career goals could be met by my company", they are "proud of the company they work for", and "would recommend their company as a great place to work". Gen Y also agreed more with the statement "I would stay with my current company, even if they were offered a comparable position with similar pay and benefits at another company'. 2. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the members of the two generations on beliefs regarding career development and teamwork, Gen Y did show higher levels in those two beliefs. 3. Another potential reason for the difference can be that attracting, retaining, and engaging Gen Y has been a focus for many organizations, thus neglecting the needs of the members of other generations such as Gen X. 4. According to such characteristic, Gen X simply does not give work such importance which might indicate the lower levels of work engagement. 5. Lack of differences between the two generational cohorts on career development and teamwork may be due to the organizational culture of the company. 6. In addition, both of these generations value work-life-balance and although they care about their career development, they are not likely to make it a priority over their personal life. 7. Apart from the organization's culture, research has shown that both generations have either needed peers or have needed to be a part of a team at one point in their childhood Gen X needed friends and built friendships in order to get through a tough independent childhood; whereas Gen Y also saw the need for teamwork in order to get through school projects and team sports. 8. The present study found gender differences on work engagement and career development. Results showed that men had higher levels of work engagement and career development than women. When it comes to work engagement, men, when compared to women, had a higher belief that their career goals could be met at their current company, they were more proud of where they worked, would recommend their company to others, and were more likely to stay even if a comparable offer were presented to them. 9. In regards to career development, men, in comparison to women, agreed that they had more career development discussions with their managers, understand more how their performance was evaluated, and they had a better understanding of what skills were needed in order to contribute to their company. 10. Pay is of much more importance to men than to women , therefore one can assume that men make it more of a priority to understand how they can grow and how they are being evaluated in order to make themselves a probable candidate for the next promotion that is sure to come with a pay increase. The importance of pay might also be what drives men to stay engaged at work. Showing one's manager that he/she cares about his/her job and the company might also be a great way of quickly growing in one's career. ' Barton, A.J. & Skiba, D.J. (2006). Adapting your teaching to accommodate the next generation of learners. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 11(2), 15-25. 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Driving performance and retention through employee engagement: A quantitative analysis of effective engagement strategies. Retrieved May, 2009, from ' Coyle-Shapiro, J. & Kessler, I. (2000). Consequences of the psychological contract for the employment relationship: A large scale survey. Journal of Management Studies, 37(1), 903-930. ' De Witte, H., Lange, A.H., & Notelaers, G. (2008). Should I stay or should I go? Examining longitudinal relations among job resources and work engagement for stayers versus movers. Work & Stress, 22(3), 201-223. ' Deery, S.J., Iverson, R.D., & Walsh, J.T. (2003). Psychological contract breach: An examination of antecedents and consequences. Australian Journal of Psychology, Aug 2003 Supplement, 55, 121. ' Deery, S.J., Iverson, R.D., & Walsh, J.T. (2006). Toward a better understanding of psychological contract breech: A study of customer service employees. Journal of Applied Psychological, 91(\), 166-175. ' Dose, J. (1997). Work values: An integrative framework and illustrative application to organizational socialization. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 70,219-241. ' Elizur, D. (2001). Gender and work values: A comparative analysis. The Journal of Social Psychology, 143(2), 201-212. ' Galpin, M., Linley, A., Page, N., & Stairs, M. (2006). Retention on a knife edge: The role of employee engagement in talent management. Selection & Development Review, 22(5), 19-23. ' Greene, E. (2003). Connecting with generation y. Chronicle of Philanthropy, 15(19), 31- 37. ' Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2003). Millenials go to college. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Offices (AACRAO) and Life course Associates, 1-4. ' Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2004). Millenials rising: The next great generation. Retrieved December, 2008, from ' Kovarik, M. (2008). How to engage gen y. Inside Supply Management, 10-12. Retrieved December, 2008, from ' Kupperschmidt, B.R. (2000). Multigeneration employees: Strategies for effective management. The Health Care Manager, 19, 65-76. ' Leo, J. (2003). The good-news generation. U.S. News & World Report, 135(15), 60-61. ' Matz-Costa, C. & Pitt-Catsouphes, M. (2008). The multi-generational workforce: Workplace flexibility and engagement. Community, Work & Family, 11(2), 215- 229. ' O'Bannon, G. (2001). Managing our future: the generation X factor. Public Personnel Management, 30, 95-109. ' O'Reilly, B. (2000). Meet The Future. Fortune, 144-168. Retrieved September,2009,from ex.htm ' Patterson, C. (2007). The impact of generational diversity in the workplace. The Diversity Factor, 15(3), 17-22. ' Raines, C. (2002). Connecting generations: The sourcebook for a new workplace. Berkeley, CA: Crisp. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from ' Singh, S. (1994). Gender differences in work values and personality characteristics among indian executives. The Journal of Social Psychology, 134(5) 699-700. ' Smola, K.W. & Sutton, C. (2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 363-382. ' Sujansky, J. (2004). Leading a multi-generational workforce. Occupational Health & Safety, 73(4), 16-18. ' UAO. (2006). Interpretation of results from the 2006 beginning college survey of student engagement (BCSSE). Retrieved May 2, 2009, from EBSCO online database. ' Vejar, C. (2008). Generation y: Educational considerations. EBSCO Research Starters, 1- 5. ' Weston, M.J. (2006). Integrating generational perspectives in nursing. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, J 1(2), 12-22. ' Wiant, C.J. (1999). Are you listening to your employees? Journal of Environmental Health, 62, 51-52. ' Wood, G. (2006). Recognizing the generational divide: When x meets y at the tribal college. Tribal College Journal, 17(4), 24-25. Source: ChinaStones - About this resource • Download this page • Print this page • Search again • Word count: This page has approximately words. ChinaStones, Involving Generations At The Workplace. Available from: <> [17-06-19]. More information: также читайте
3rd Global Childhood Conference ~ To Investigate and Explore All Aspects of Childhood childhood-children-conferenceInter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference project seeks to investigate and explore all aspects of childhood. • Thursday 18th July – Saturday 20th July 2013 • Mansfield College, Oxford, United Kingdom Call for Presentations: 1. Definitions of Childhood • How has the concept of childhood developed over time? • How is childhood viewed differently across different cultures and eras? Is childhood socially constructed? • What are the boundaries of childhood? (Are children made to grow up too fast? Are mature people infantilized by definitions of the boundaries of childhood?) • Is ‘childhood’ a singular category or is it composed of quite distinct multiple categories? How does defining childhood also define adulthood and vice versa? 2. Childhood and Development 3. Children and Relationships • What are the dynamics of children’s relationships with their family, peers, and their community? • How are children’s social relationships either experienced positively or negatively? • What are the dynamics of children’s relationships with social institutions (like schools and religious organizations)? • What is the nature of children’s relationships with animals and nature? 4. Perceptions and Depictions of Childhood • How do adults perceive children and childhood? • How do they perceive the capabilities, responsibilities, and privileges of childhood? • How do they perceive their own experiences of childhood? (With nostalgia? embarrassment? amusement?) • How do children perceive themselves? • How are children and childhood depicted in academia and in the media such as art, literature, film, television, advertising, etc.? • Children and literature: what are the characteristics of literature that is “for children?” How did “childrenâ€™s literature” develop? What role does it play in children’s lives? 5. Children and Society: The Larger World • Children and education: What issues are the concerning how children are educated? • What is the nature of children’s relationship to the world of work? • Children and technology: how does the constantly evolving landscape of technology impact the lives and experiences of children? • Childhood in transition: how does adolescence bridge the child/adult world and to what extent are adolescents caught in a double-bind of being children and being adults? The Steering Group welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 8th February 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 11th May 2012. E-mails should be entitled: CHILD3 Abstract Submission. Joint Organising Chairs: For further details of the conference, please visit: Source: Inter-Disciplinary.Net
How Using Messengers Influences Literacy Today, almost all use messengers, but they are especially popular with students of any age. Both parents and educators might suggest that since the constant messaging distracts students from whatever they are doing, then it must cause harm to their literacy too. Many people believe that those using texting language are more likely to end up with serious reading, spelling, and punctuation issues sooner or later. They suggest that great popularity of messengers harms their users’ literacy. Some make no doubt that pupils who deal with text speak are more likely to become lazy writers, and the poorly developed writing skills can have a negative effect on their academic progress and career achievements. If this is true, then Pro-Papers delivering superior paper writing services definitely has much work for many years to come. Some also think that younger pupils who haven’t gained strong orthography knowledge may acquire improper word spelling. Nevertheless, there are numerous research studies that proved the opposite. Let’s find out in which way students can benefit from using messengers in their daily life. How Messaging Affects Literacy While innovative technologies took their roots deeply in the modern world, one can hardly find a person who doesn’t text messages. Therefore, this digital practice is one of the most widespread ones. No one can deny that messengers encourage schoolers to use textspeak which greatly differs from the words and phrases they use for school. For fast communication, messenger users tend to use lots of textisms. Abbreviations, acronyms, portmanteaus, emotion icons, punctuation slips, and so forth, – messages are typically consisted of what teachers usually identify as mistakes. But while most instructors are now concerned about the potential harm messengers may cause to the schoolers’ literacy, many are sure that texting is neither harming schoolers’ skills nor making them lazy individuals. Over the last one and a half decade, a few studies have been conducted regarding the effect text messengers create on literacy of young people. It turns out that messengers can positively influence the linguistic skills of the users. The recent research shows that schoolers usually send six messages per hour. In a month, an average student texts and receives far more than three hundred messages. And it also was proved that the specific language they use in their messages doesn’t harm the development of their skills. For most of us, it may sound strange but apps such as Facebook Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, and others can greatly contribute to the literacy skill improvement. Students using textspeak with all of its abbreviations on a regular basis are likely to demonstrate enhanced phonological skills which, in their turn, are known for enhancing spelling accuracy. Since there is a strong correlation between phonological awareness and orthographic processing skills, one can easily understand in which way messengers boost literacy skills. Those with well-developed phonological awareness are able to identify the stream of sounds, which make up a lexical unit, and which then must be represented by a number of characters and symbols. This skill improves reading and spelling real words as well. For those, who possess good reading and writing skills, messaging is just another way of employing their abilities. In fact, those who are good at one, have all chances to succeed at another: composing and reading texting language require strong reading and spelling skills and the other way round. Link Between Messaging and Other Skills and Abilities Those students, who prefer messaging over speaking face to face, admit that they can make a pause any time they need and think for a while how to express themselves better and in a more correct way. Messengers allow creating well-thought-out messages, processing experiences, and maintaining relationships. Moreover, they give their users a great chance to brainstorm, revise, draft, and edit. For those educators, who encourage students to involve critical thinking in their writing, this is good news. Messenger users also admit that they pay more attention to punctuation marks as the latter ones give tone to the senders’ messages. As they focus on punctuation intricacies, their communication gets greatly enriched. When it comes to multilingual students, then they always need to switch between “codes”, but sometimes they combine several languages to create a hybridized one. This linguistic process improves cognitive ability. Since textspeak is a code to which students can easily switch, many teachers see a great value in it and thus tend to encourage those communicative acts. As it turned out, except for offering a quick way of interacting with family, friends, peers, and even educators, messengers also have a great influence on the students’ academic progress. Using them for messaging have many educational benefits associated with enhanced literacy and communication skills, cognition, and critical thinking. However, more research studies should be conducted to identify what else messengers can offer their users.
What is pollen and why is it important? Here is the 'birds and the bees' bit for those not familiar with biology. Pollen is the sticky powdery part of a flower (stamen) which mates with the female parts of a flower (pistils). Pollen is basically flower sperm and the bees love it. It jumps onto the hair of the bees as they search for nectar and the bees clean it off and pack it in their hind legs. It is their source of protein (nectar is their carbohydrate) and is essential to hive productivity and health. There is more protein in pollen per weight than beef. It is the building block for all the essential elements of life. It is so important that... no pollen, no bees! It's fascinating to watch the bees bring in all colour of plant pollen. You mostly see yellow/orange/red and white however they also bring in other pollen and materials. I am often looking for the source of some of the colours. When bees return with plant pollen it is handed to hive bees who then mix it with enzymes from their saliva as well as some nectar. The saliva includes Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) which creates lactic acid in the mixture. As well, there are powerful probiotics, yeasts and fungi in the final mixture and the result is called 'bee bread'. The bees cap it with a drop of honey just to keep it sealed. Bee bread is a rich source of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals, fatty acids and a few other important things. And due to the pH being reduced to 4.1 it no longer ferments but stays preserved for years. (Just one more reason to never use fungacides around bees.) The bees pack the bee bread into cells close to where brood will be raised and also into the base of some of the honey cells. This gives them multiple sources of the rich bee pollen. From winter solstice onwards, they will be searching for pollen and it is used almost as fast as it is brought in to feed the growing levels of brood in the colony. The role of pollen in producing worker and/ or queen larvae had not been understood until very recently. It was thought that royal jelly was the substance that determined the sex of larvae and many beekeepers will tell you that larvae developed in nutrient rich royal jelly produce better and healthier queens. It is not surprising they thought this may have been determining the sex of a bee however it is the withdrawal of pollen from the larvae that turns on the queen making hormones. What you want to see on a frame is a good mix of nectar in the top corners then pollen and in centre a good area of brood, but sometimes when a colony is struggling they can lay up large areas of pollen near the brood frames and beekeepers have thought this is an early indication they may be preparing to swarm. Where I see this pattern, I look for signs of disease, the health of the brood area, queen cells, and room for the colony to expand its brood area. If you find old dark comb replace as much of it as possible. Bee pollen is a highly valued health and food supplement. It is seen as a superfood used by many including athletes and allergy sufferers. Some beeks trap the plant pollen as it comes into the hive and sell this as bee pollen. In fact it is not bee pollen but plant pollen. Often it is taken by people with allergies and hayfever as a way of helping their condition. But caution should be noted as the plant pollen may cause increasing symptoms and allergic reactions. Bee pollen (that properly processed by the bees and removed from the comb) however, is more likely to see an improvement in these symptoms. Of course, eating locally produced, unheated, unfiltered honey is the best way to consume bee pollen for improving your health. Happy beeking!
6 Benefits of Meditation Learning meditation can be an essential approach that we can utilize on a day to day basis to develop our mental and physical health for the better. Even Singapore’s Mother Teresa, Teresa Hsu used to wake up at 4 AM just to meditate. Meditation can give us a calm, peaceful, and balanced way of living so we can eventually thrive as the best versions of ourselves. 1. Meditation reduces stress. Meditation has been sought and is being practiced by many simply because of one thing, stress. Disruption of sleep, fatigue, an increase in blood pressure, depression, and anxiety are just part of the many harmful effects of stress. A meditation style called mindfulness meditation, being aware of our emotional and physical experiences, has been observed to have reduced the levels of the stress hormone, Cortisol. 2. Meditation also reduces anxiety. Less stress eventually leads to less anxiety. Getting into the habit of meditation helps reduce anxiety and other issues like paranoids, phobias, social anxiety, and the like. Meditation may also help reduce work-related anxiety in high-pressure and workload heavy environments. It gives us the chance to take a step back and sort the essential ideas from thoughts that are unnecessary. 3. It improves concentration. Another type of meditation is focused-attention meditation, which simply involves focusing on an object or thought. This works because of the concentration you bring on the certain object and not being distracted by other thoughts. With habitual practice, you will notice that you are able to concentrate with ease a lot more. 4. It Increases self-awareness. Meditation may also help to develop a greater understanding of the self. With this, the idea is to earn a better awareness of your own thoughts. This can help you recognize your thought process to help navigate towards the positive patterns of your thinking and avoid the harmful and self-conflicting ones. It can teach you to calm down, recognize your anger, and detach from it. 5. It benefits our overall health. Because meditation induces relaxation, it causes our blood vessels to ease and open up, allowing blood pressure to drop. The lowering of blood pressure is also the effect of the reduced Cortisol that comes as a result of meditation. Meditation has also been seen to boost lymphocytes, the cells that improve our immune system. This results to the body to gain better resistance even against tumors! 6. It also helps to develop creativity. One type of meditation that helps with creativity is open-monitoring meditation. It involves observing the experiences in the present moment while maintaining attention and keeping it flexible. This enhances our ability to observe internal experiences like thoughts and emotions, while also noting external stimuli like bodily sensations of sound and smell. This ability helps improve cognitive flexibility and overall creativity. Hi, Stranger! Leave Your Comment... Name (required) Email (required)
W is for Welcome Price: $17.99 Following the alphabet this book uses poetry and expository text to celebrate America's diverse population and showcase the remarkable achievements and contributions that have come from the many people who have chosen to make our country their home. Topics include well-known landmarks and institutions (the Statue of Liberty and the White House, our national parks system) and famous citizens whose talents helped make the United States a world leader (Albert Einstein and Madeleine Albright). In addition to celebrating America's history and development, key concepts such as naturalization and steps to citizenship are explained in easy-to-understand terms for the young reader. Related Products Product Reviews Rate This Product: or Create a Review (0 Ratings, 0 Reviews)
Sitting for an English language assessment test? Tips to be taken into account when facing speaking tasks 3 Feb. 11, 2019 We all took exams in the past and know how nervous we usually get in the run-up to one that might change our lives for ever. A clear example are English language assessment tests thousands of teachers, students and professionals take all over the world every day. In this regard, I would like to point out that, as an English teacher, sometimes my job is not so much that of a professional that teaches a foreign language to a range of students, but that of a psychotherapist that comforts people that experience anxiety. However, in my opinion, this level of anxiety is due, mostly, to one single factor: lack of confidence. So what can be done to gain confidence when facing such tests? First and foremost, you need enough time to get ready and a good work plan to go over all the content and aspects of the test you are sitting for. By knowing where you start from, what you have to do and what your goal is, you can anticipate difficulties and you will be in a better position to deal with them. But speaking tests are particularly challenging for most students. So what should be taken into consideration when facing such tests? Keep it simple: In my experience, many students find speaking tasks very difficult because they usually try to replicate in English what they would say in their first language. So making them aware of their limitations will help them understand that what they say is not as important as how they produce it. In other words, examiners do not pay attention to ideas and how original they are as long as the message is coherent. They focus on how candidates produce the language, not the content. Be aware of language functions and be flexible: On the other hand, what students and teachers should do when preparing for an English language assessment test is building confidence by consolidating some communication techniques that, on the other hand, should not be rigid. For this reason, students have to be aware of language functions, such as expressing opinion, asking for opinion, making suggestions, expressing agreement or disagreement and speculating. So, being able to express or ask for opinion in different ways: “In my opinion, from my point of view, As I see it, I think, what do you make of?, What is your opinion about?...” and not just using the same expression all the time will make a good impression on examiners. Do not monopolize a dialogue: On the other hand, it is very important to be dynamic and flexible when having a dialogue with the examiner or other candidate. Consequently, speaking for a long time and not giving a chance to the other person to speak will not make a positive impact on the examiner’s assessment. Use connectors: However, apart from being dynamic and flexible, candidates are also expected to organize their speaking in a coherent way. To do so, connectors are crucial elements students should use to link different ideas within a given speaking task. For example, “on the contrary” or “however” would be used to express contrast between two different ideas, “on the other hand” or “besides” are used to add extra information, and “as a result” or “therefore” should be used to come to a conclusion. In this regard, it is important to highlight that connectors and linkers are not only elements to be used when producing a piece of writing, as they also make a huge difference when speaking. Unfortunately pronunciation is not usually regarded as a key element in the learning process of a foreign language by many students. However, examiners do pay close attention to this aspect in any speaking task. For this reason, although it is quite challenging for most students (regardless of their nationality) to pronounce some common English words such as “comfortable”, “meal”, “vegetables”, “salmon” or “isle”, it is recommendable to make sure that you can get them right, as making this type of mistakes in a speaking test will take its toll in the final result. So drilling pronunciation should not be forgotten. However, speaking a language is a complex ability that involves not just articulating words in the right way (pronunciation), but also being able to use the right intonation and cadence to draw the other speaker’s attention. So, if you can master these ups and downs along with the speed required to produce a comprehensible message, you will get extra points in your assessment. In this regard, I would like to point out that speaking well does not equal speaking fast, as many students think, because speaking fast will make you be less focused and you will not pay so much attention to pronunciation or grammar. As a conclusion, bearing in mind these tips will make you gain confidence and be in a much better position to face any type of speaking task within an English language assessment test. And remember: it is not about what you get right in your test, it is about how many mistakes you avoid to stay as close as possible to the top. Good luck!!
Inconsequential Differences The differences between embryos and adults are differences that don’t matter. The lives of newborn children are protected by law. The lives of embryos and foetuses are not, at least when the context is abortion. If you asked the average abortion-supporter why this is, why it is generally legal to kill a human being before birth but not legal to kill the same human being after birth, they would likely point you to some of the differences that exist between humans in the womb and humans out of the womb. Stephen Schwarz, in his book, The Moral Question of Abortion, notes that there are four basic ways that an embryo or foetus differs from a newborn baby. He coined the acronym SLED to help people remember and categorize these differences. They are: Size, Level of Development, Environment, and Degree of Dependency. By looking at each of these differences in context, it is easy to see that none of them are sufficient to justify abortion, because each of them are equally applicable to many people outside the womb. The first difference is size. Embryos are smaller than foetuses who are smaller (usually) than newborns. But what does size have to do with rights of person hood? Smaller people are no more or less human than those who are bigger. Embryos and foetuses are smaller than newborns, just as newborns are smaller than infants, just as infants are smaller than toddlers, just as toddlers are smaller than adolescents, just as adolescents are smaller than teenagers, and teenagers are smaller than adults. Size doesn’t matter. It is lawful to kill a fly and unlawful to kill a person, not because the person is bigger, but because the person is human. Trees are generally bigger than people, but while it is lawful to cut branches off of trees, it is unlawful to cut arms off of people. Why? Because humanity, not size, is what determines rights of person-hood. This might seem laughably obvious but there are people across the globe who try and justify abortion on the claim that the diminutive size of the embryo or foetus makes them ethically insignificant. Since size does not determine person-hood after birth, it shouldn’t be used to determine person hood before birth. It is quite true that embryos and foetuses are less developed than a newborn (unless, of course, that newborn was born prematurely). But this, too, is a distinction which has no moral significance. It is a difference of degree, not of kind. Physical and/or intellectual development has nothing to do with determining person-hood outside the womb. It is equally insignificant for determining person-hood inside the womb. Children are generally less developed than adults. People with developmental disabilities may be less developed than some children, and those with extraordinary mental capacity are no more human than those with lesser IQs. It is humanity, not brain capacity or arm strength that determines person-hood. The third difference between an embryo or foetus and a newborn baby is their place of residence. Embryos and foetuses live inside the womb, and newborn babies live outside the womb. Just like the distinctions that have gone before, this, too, is an inconsequential difference. Where someone lives has nothing to do with the essence of who that someone is. Moving from the bedroom to the kitchen, or from indoors to outdoors, or from your car to the classroom doesn’t affect your person-hood in the least. Person-hood stems from inclusion in the human species not from the location in which you reside. For the entire duration of pregnancy, the tiny unborn child is a human being all it’s own. It is dependent upon its mother for many life-sustaining functions, but it is certainly not part of its mothers body. Any attempt to disqualify unborn children from receiving their due rights of person-hood because they live in a womb rather than in a room is dishonest and unjust. Location doesn’t affect the person-hood of those outside the womb, and it shouldn’t affect the person-hood of those inside the womb. The issue of dependency may well be the one abortion supporters turn to most in their attempt to justify abortion. “Since a foetus can’t survive on its own,” they argue, “it has no inherent right to life”. What’s the problem with this argument? In the broadest sense, it could be applied to all of us. There isn’t a person alive who is radically independent from the universe we live in. We all need food, water, rest, and oxygen. We’re all vulnerable to a million different bodily breakdowns. Are those who must rely on kidney machines, pace-makers or insulin shots for their survival less deserving of basic human rights than anyone else? Some of us may be less dependent than others, but if it is dependence that strips away a person’s right to protection under the law, then we would all be in trouble. Embryos and foetuses who must rely on an umbilical cord in the womb are just as human as those who must rely on a feeding tube outside the womb. Perhaps the biggest absurdity about this whole attack on dependence is the fact that dependency should merit more protection under the law, not less! After all, the younger and more dependent a child is, the more care and compassion we have for them. The U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention expresses it well when they say, “Homicides are always tragic, but our sympathies are heightened when the victim is a young child or adolescent. Thus, the deaths of juveniles raise understandable public concerns.” The nation is far more outraged at violence directed towards children than at violence directed towards other adults. The reason is simple. Children are more helpless, and less capable of defending themselves. And the younger the child is the truer this becomes. How we ever got to the place of using dependency against children rather than for children is a tragedy of staggering proportions. A person, as defined by the dictionary, is nothing more or less than a living human. Anyone who tries to narrow this general definition of person-hood does so in an attempt to eliminate a certain group of people who is either getting in their way or has something they want. Creating self-defined definitions of person-hood, which are uniquely crafted to eliminate certain individuals from protection under the law, has long been the method of choice for implementing all manner of genocidal atrocities. The differences that exist between a human being before birth and a human being after birth are differences that don’t matter. Content by Used with permission.
Why Are We Still Doing Crunches? Even the US Military is rethinking sit-ups, which have been shown to do more harm than good. Two centuries ago, French neurophysiologist Pierre Flourens removed slices of brain tissue from a variety of animals, including pigeons and frogs. From his studies he concluded in 1824 that humans only use ten percent of our total brainpower. While this has been definitively proven false, the allure (and misinformation) remains. The mysticism surrounding potentially tapping into a mysterious neurological treasure trove is too seductive to abandon. As goes our brain, so goes our body. I’ve taught at Equinox Fitness for a dozen years. In that time I’ve many seen ridiculous trends and movements masquerading as fitness. One favorite is standing on seated abductor/adductor machines, butt swung out while pressing open the knee pads with a ridiculous overarch in the lower spine, a certain pathway to chronic injury. I won’t even mention what I’ve witnessed on treadmills. And then there’s the sit-up (as well as the modified crunch) which is perhaps the longest-standing myth of health and physique. In some ways it makes sense: this thing we call ‘exercise’ is a relatively new phenomenon. For most of history our ancestors moved as part of their daily existence. Relegating movement to something we do for a concentrated hour or two a few times a week is still in its early phases—and, to be honest, will hopefully disappear if we’re able to better integrate movement into our lives, not just at the gym. There was bound to be a lot of trial and error. The crunch is an error. Yet it persists. I can understand why: it burns, and people often confuse working out with burning. Ripping through a hundred sit-ups feels like it does something. In fact it does: it greatly increases your chance of a back injury. Health experts at Harvard University are pushing for smarter core conditioning, including my favorite, planks. The difference is one of functional training: you want to exercise in ways that mimic how you regularly move through the world. In a plank you retain proper alignment: ears above shoulders above hips above ankles, with various muscular engagements driving the conditioning. In both sit-ups and crunches you’re exacerbating already poor postural habits. If you’re driving or sitting at a desk (or worse, both) all day, your hips flexors are already shortened and tight. While doing a sit-up, the natural curve in your back is being flattened as you drive your chin forward and down, the same terrible pattern we do every time we stare at the phone in our hand. The combination of these actions tug on the muscles of the lower spine, resulting in spinal flexion. From there, chronic pain and injury is near. To try it out yourself, mimic the posture of a plank while standing. Notice how you can achieve shoulder, core, and quadriceps engagement without losing a thing; in fact, your standing posture will feel stronger. Now mimic the position of a crunch, and ask yourself when you’d ever need to be in such a position, save if you were ever being punched in the stomach. Even then, planks would have better conditioned you to withstand the impact. Even the Navy is calling for an overhaul for solider conditioning. From an editorial in the Navy Times: It’s well past time…to deep-six the sit-up, an outdated exercise today viewed as a key cause of lower back injuries. Experts say there are better measures of core strength that have the added advantage of being less prone to cheating. The plank, for example, more accurately measures core strength and because it's done by holding the body arrow straight while resting only on the toes and forearms it does not subject muscles to strain by motion. We’re conditioning our core in most exercises, if we’re doing them correctly. Spot core conditioning is not nearly as effective as range-of-motion and strength training, in which abdominal muscles are being utilized within the context of a full-body movement or static hold. A plank, for example—I prefer planking on my hands, but for those with wrist or shoulder problems, forearm planks are wonderful—works your arm and wrist strength, shoulder stability, legs, and mental focus. Some of my favorite other options for integrating core work into larger movement patterns include TRX, VIPR, and kettlebells. As exercise science evolves, we need to let go of movements that do more damage than good. It is true that some fitness routines might be fine for some and toxic for others. At this point, however, everyone can safely remove the crunch from their regimen and not lose a thing. In fact, one of the best things to do to promote the growth of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is constantly changing up your workouts. Forget crunching and open yourself to an entire range of better core condition and stabilization exercises. Hopefully the myth of the crunch will soon perish. In the world of fitness, where trends and hot new workouts by ‘experts’ offer the illusion but not necessarily the intelligence or integrity of movement science, we need to be educated about the long-term arc of living a healthy lifestyle, and not only buy into what appears to work in the short-term. Most importantly, we need to give up our illusions when the curtain is pulled open. Fortunately for fitness fanatics, eleven-dollar bottles of detoxifying juice, each containing thirty-five grams of sugar, offers quick and perfect nourishment, right Image: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images Northwell Health Sponsored by Northwell Health Keep reading Show less The controversial herbicide is everywhere, apparently. Surprising Science Keep reading Show less University of Colorado Boulder Surprising Science • New research identifies a bacterium that helps block anxiety. University of Colorado Boulder Christopher Lowry Check out the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
Historical Muscat: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer Front Cover Brill, 2007 - History - 151 pages Historical Muscat is an attempt to define and explain the historical environment that determined the significance and design of Oman's capital city Muscat, its twin city Matrah, and their environs prior to 1970. It also examines how the development of the Muscat conurbation since 1970 has transcended the historical boundaries of the existing settlements and how the process of development has proceeded largely without any consideration of the impact on Muscat's tangible or remembered history. At the heart of the book is a historical gazetteer of forts, gates, palaces, mosques, houses, quarters, settlements, and other sites covering the broader Muscat region from Bandar Jissah to al-Sib. The text is accompanied by a large number of illustrations, including maps from various eras and both historical and more contemporary photographs. What people are saying - Write a review We haven't found any reviews in the usual places. Other editions - View all About the author (2007) J.E. Peterson (Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University SAIS) has taught in various universities and served as the official historian of Oman's armed forces. He has published a dozen books and more than 40 scholarly articles on the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf.
Jamestowne Settlement Stepping back to 1607 to the first permanent English Settlement in the “New World” Recreation of the “Susan Constant”. The largest of the 3 ships that carried the settlers to the New World and the Colony of Virginia. It held just over 70 colonists in the tween deck above the main cargo hold and the top deck. Powhatan village hut made of logs and reed mats. This was the tribe of the famous Pocahontas Inside the Powhatan huts…very cozy Firing of the old musket by a Colonist
Analytic philosophy (sometimes analytical philosophy ) is a style of philosophy that became dominant in English-speaking countries at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia, the majority of university philosophy departments today identify themselves as "analytic" departments. The term "analytic philosophy" can refer to one of several things: • As a philosophical practice, it is characterised by an emphasis on argumentative clarity and precision, most often making use of formal logic , conceptual analysis, and to a lesser degree, mathematics and the natural sciences . [2] [3] • As a historical development, analytical philosophy refers to certain developments in early 20th-century philosophy that were the historical antecedents of the current practice. Central figures in this historical development are Bertrand Russell , Ludwig Wittgenstein , G. E. Moore , Gottlob Frege , and the logical positivists . In this more specific sense, analytic philosophy is identified with specific philosophical traits (many of which are rejected by a large number of contemporary analytic philosophers), such as: • The logical-positivist principle that there aren't any specifically philosophical facts and that the object of philosophy is the logical clarification of thoughts. This might be contrasted with the traditional foundationalism , which considers philosophy to be a special science (i.e. the discipline of knowledge) that investigates the fundamental reasons and principles of everything. Consequently, a large number of analytic philosophers have considered their inquiries as continuous with, or subordinate to, those of the natural sciences. This is an attitude that begins with John Locke , who described his work as that of an "underlabourer" to the achievements of natural scientists like Newton. During the twentieth century, the most influential advocate of the continuity of philosophy with science was Willard Van Orman Quine . • The principle that the logical clarification of thoughts can be achieved only by analysis of the logical form of philosophical propositions. The logical form of a proposition is a way of representing it (often using the formal grammar and symbolism of a logical system ), to reduce it to simpler components if necessary, and to display its similarity with all additional propositions of the same type. Notwithstanding analytic philosophers disagree widely about the correct logical form of ordinary language. • The neglect of generalised philosophical systems in favour of more restricted inquiries stated rigorously, or ordinary language. According to a characteristic paragraph by Russell: Modern analytical empiricism [...] differs from that of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume by its incorporation of mathematics and its development of a powerful logical technique. It is thus able, in regard to certain problems, to achieve definite answers, which have the quality of science rather than of philosophy. It has the advantage, in comparison with the philosophies of the system-builders, of being able to tackle its problems one at a time, instead of having to invent at one stroke a block theory of the whole universe. Its methods, in this respect, resemble those of science. I have no doubt that, in so far as philosophical knowledge is possible, it is by such methods that it must be sought; I have additionally no doubt that, by these methods, a large number of ancient problems are completely soluble. Jules Vuillemin introduced analytic philosophy to France. Analytic philosophy is most often understood in contrast to additional philosophical traditions, most notably continental philosophies like existentialism and phenomenology , and additionally Thomism , Indian philosophy , and Marxism . British idealism , as taught by philosophers like F. H. Bradley (1846–1924) and Thomas Hill Green (1836–1882), dominated English philosophy in the late 19th-century. With reference to this intellectual basis the initiators of analytic philosophy, G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell , articulated early analytic philosophy. Since its beginning, a basic principle of analytic philosophy has been conceptual clarity, in the name of which Moore and Russell rejected Hegelianism , which they accused of obscurity—see for example Moore's A Defence of Common Sense and Russell's critique of the doctrine of internal relations . [5] Inspired by developments in modern logic, the early Russell claimed that the problems of philosophy can be solved by showing the simple constituents of complex notions. An important aspect of British idealism was logical holism — the opinion that the aspects of the world can't be known wholly without additionally knowing the whole world. This is closely related to the opinion that relations between items are actually internal relations , that is, properties internal to the nature of those items. Russell, along with Wittgenstein, in response promulgated logical atomism and the doctrine of external relations — the belief that the world consists of independent facts. Russell, throughout his early career, along with his collaborator Alfred North Whitehead , was much influenced by Gottlob Frege (1848–1925), who developed predicate logic , which allowed a much greater range of sentences to be parsed into logical form than was possible using the ancient Aristotelian logic . Frege was additionally influential as a philosopher of mathematics in Germany at the beginning of the twentieth century. In contrast to Edmund Husserl 's 1891 book Philosophie der Arithmetik , which attempted to show that the concept of the cardinal number derived from psychical acts of grouping objects and counting them, [6] Frege sought to show that mathematics and logic have their own validity, independent of the judgments or mental states of individual mathematicians and logicians (which were the basis of arithmetic according to the " psychologism " of Husserl's Philosophie ). Frege further developed his philosophy of logic and mathematics in The Foundations of Arithmetic (1884) and The Basic Laws of Arithmetic ( German : Grundgesetze der Arithmetik , 1893–1903), where he provided an alternative to psychologistic accounts of the concept of number. Like Frege, Russell attempted to show that mathematics is reducible to logical fundamentals in The Principles of Mathematics (1903). Later, his book written with Whitehead, Principia Mathematica (1910–1913), encouraged a large number of philosophers to renew their interest in the development of symbolic logic . Additionally, Russell adopted Frege's predicate logic as his primary philosophical method, a method Russell thought could expose the underlying structure of philosophical problems. For example, the English word "is" has three distinct meanings which predicate logic can express as follows: Russell sought to resolve various philosophical problems by applying such logical distinctions, most famously in his analysis of definite descriptions in " On Denoting " (1905). [7] Ideal language analysis From about 1910 to 1930, analytic philosophers like Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein emphasised creating an ideal language for philosophical analysis, which would be free from the ambiguities of ordinary language that, in their opinion, most often made philosophy invalid. This philosophical trend can be termed "ideal-language analysis" or "formalism". During this phase, Russell and Wittgenstein sought to understand language (and hence philosophical problems) by using formal logic to formalise the way in which philosophical statements are made. Wittgenstein developed a comprehensive system of logical atomism in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus ( German : Logisch-Philosophische Abhandlung , 1921). He thereby argued that the universe is the totality of actual states of affairs and that these states of affairs can be expressed by the language of first-order predicate logic. Thus a picture of the universe can be construed by means of expressing atomic facts in the form of atomic propositions, and linking them using logical operators . Logical positivism During the late 1920s, '30s, and '40s, a group of philosophers of the Vienna Circle and the Berlin Circle developed Russell and Wittgenstein's formalism into a doctrine known as " logical positivism " (or logical empiricism). Logical positivism used formal logical methods to develop an empiricist account of knowledge. [8] Philosophers like Rudolf Carnap and Hans Reichenbach , along with additional members of the Vienna Circle, claimed that the truths of logic and mathematics were tautologies , and those of science were verifiable empirical claims. These two constituted the entire universe of meaningful judgments; anything else was nonsense. The claims of ethics, aesthetics and theology were, accordingly, pseudo-statements, neither true nor false, simply meaningless. Karl Popper 's insistence upon the role of falsification in the philosophy of science was a reaction to what he considered the excesses of the logical positivists—although his general method was essentially part of the analytic tradition. With the coming to power of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in 1933, a large number of members of the Vienna and Berlin Circles fled to Britain and to America, which helped to reinforce the dominance of logical positivism and analytic philosophy in the Anglophone countries. Logical positivists typically considered philosophy as having a quite limited function. For them, philosophy concerned the clarification of thoughts, rather than having a distinct subject matter of its own. The positivists adopted the verification principle , according to which every meaningful statement is either analytic or is capable of being verified by experience. This caused the logical positivists to reject a large number of traditional problems of philosophy, especially those of metaphysics or ontology , as meaningless. Ordinary-language analysis After World War II , throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, analytic philosophy became involved with ordinary-language analysis. This resulted in two main trends. One continued Wittgenstein's later philosophy, which differed dramatically from his early work of the Tractatus . The other, known as "Oxford philosophy" , involved J. L. Austin . In contrast to earlier analytic philosophers (including the early Wittgenstein) who thought philosophers should avoid the deceptive trappings of natural language by constructing ideal languages, ordinary-language philosophers claimed that ordinary language already represented a large number of subtle distinctions that had been unrecognised by the formulation of traditional philosophical theories or problems. While schools like logical positivism emphasise logical terms, supposed to be universal and separate from contingent factors (such as culture, language, historical conditions), ordinary-language philosophy emphasises the use of language by ordinary people. The most prominent ordinary-language philosophers throughout the 1950s were Austin and Gilbert Ryle . Contemporary analytic philosophy Although contemporary philosophers who self-identify as "analytic" have widely divergent interests, assumptions, and methods—and have most often rejected the fundamental premises that defined analytic philosophy before 1960—analytic philosophy in its contemporary state is most of the time considered to be defined by a particular style [2] characterised by precision and thoroughness about a specific topic, and resistance to "imprecise or cavalier discussions of broad topics". [9] During the 1950s, logical positivism was challenged influentially by Wittgenstein in the Philosophical Investigations , Quine in " Two Dogmas of Empiricism ", and Sellars in Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind . After 1960, Anglophone philosophy began to incorporate a wider range of interests, opinions, and methods. [9] Still, a large number of philosophers in Britain and America still consider themselves to be "analytic philosophers". [2] They have done so largely by expanding the notion of "analytic philosophy" from the specific programmes that dominated Anglophone philosophy before 1960 to a much more general notion of an "analytic" style. [9] This interpretation of the history is far from universally accepted, and its opponents would say that it grossly downplays the role of Wittgenstein throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Many philosophers and historians have attempted to define or describe analytic philosophy. Those definitions most often include an emphasis on conceptual analysis: A.P. Martinich draws an analogy between analytic philosophy's interest in conceptual analysis and analytic chemistry, which "aims at determining chemical compositions." Steven D. Hales described analytic philosophy as one of three types of philosophical method practised in the West: "[i]n roughly reverse order by number of proponents, they're phenomenology, ideological philosophy, and analytic philosophy". Scott Soames agrees that clarity is important: analytic philosophy, he says, has "an implicit commitment—albeit faltering and imperfect—to the ideals of clarity, rigour and argumentation" and it "aims at truth and knowledge, as opposed to moral or spiritual improvement [...] the goal in analytic philosophy is to discover what's true, not to provide a useful recipe for living one's life". Soames additionally states that analytic philosophy is characterised by "a more piecemeal approach. There is, I think, a widespread presumption within the tradition that it is most often possible to make philosophical progress by intensively investigating a small, circumscribed range of philosophical issues while holding broader, systematic questions in abeyance". A few of the most important and active topics and subtopics of analytic philosophy are summarised by the following sections. Philosophy of mind and cognitive science Motivated by the logical positivists' interest in verificationism, logical behaviorism was the most prominent theory of mind of analytic philosophy for the first half of the twentieth century. [10] Behaviorists tended to opine either that statements about the mind were equivalent to statements about behaviour and dispositions to behave in particular ways or that mental states were directly equivalent to behaviour and dispositions to behave. Behaviorism later became much less popular, in favour of type physicalism or functionalism , theories that identified mental states with brain states. During this period, topics of the philosophy of mind were most often related strongly to topics of cognitive science like modularity or innateness . Finally, analytic philosophy has featured a certain number of philosophers who were dualists , and recently forms of property dualism have had a resurgence, with David Chalmers as the most prominent representative. [11] John Searle suggests that the obsession with the philosophy of language of the last century has been superseded by an emphasis on the philosophy of mind , [12] in which functionalism is currently the dominant theory. In recent years, a central focus for research in the philosophy of mind has been consciousness . And while there's a general consensus for the global neuronal workspace model of consciousness, [14] there are a large number of opinions as to the specifics. The best known theories are Daniel Dennett 's heterophenomenology , Fred Dretske and Michael Tye 's representationalism , and the higher-order theories of either David M. Rosenthal —who advocates a higher-order thought (HOT) model—- or David Armstrong and William Lycan —who advocate a higher-order perception (HOP) model. An alternative higher-order theory, the higher-order global states (HOGS) model, is offered by Robert van Gulick. [15] Ethics in analytic philosophy • Applied ethics the function of which is investigation of how existing normative principles should be applied to difficult or borderline cases, most often cases created by new technology or new scientific knowledge. Normative ethics The first half of the twentieth century was marked by scepticism toward, and neglect of, normative ethics. Related subjects, like social and political philosophy, aesthetics, and philosophy of history , became only marginal topics of English-language philosophy throughout this period. During this time, utilitarianism was the only non-skeptical type of ethics to remain popular. Notwithstanding as the influence of logical positivism began to decrease mid-century, contemporary analytic philosophers began to have a renewed interest in ethics. G. E. M. Anscombe 's 1958 Modern Moral Philosophy sparked a revival of Aristotle 's virtue ethical approach and John Rawls 's 1971 A Theory of Justice restored interest in Kantian ethical philosophy. At present, contemporary normative ethics is dominated by three schools: utilitarianism , virtue ethics, and deontology . While non-cognitivism was generally accepted by analytic philosophers, emotivism had a large number of deficiencies, and evolved into more sophisticated non-cognitivist theories like the expressivism of Charles Stevenson , and the universal prescriptivism of R. M. Hare , which was based on J. L. Austin's philosophy of speech acts . These theories weren't without their critics. Phillipa Foot contributed several essays attacking all these theories. J. O. Urmson 's article "On Grading" called the is/ought distinction into question. As non-cognitivism, the is/ought distinction, and the naturalistic fallacy began to be called into question, analytic philosophers began to show a renewed interest in the traditional questions of moral philosophy. Perhaps most influential in this regard was Elizabeth Anscombe , whose monograph Intention was called by Donald Davidson "the most important treatment of action after Aristotle", and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of moral psychology. A favourite student and friend of Ludwig Wittgenstein, her 1958 article "Modern Moral Philosophy" introduced the term " consequentialism " into the philosophical lexicon, declared the "is-ought" impasse to be unproductive, and resulted in a revival of virtue ethics. Applied ethics A significant feature of analytic philosophy after approximately 1970 has been the emergence of applied ethics —- an interest in the application of moral principles to specific practical issues. Topics of special interest for applied ethics include environmental issues , animal rights , and the a large number of challenges created by advancing medical science . [16] [17] [19] Analytic philosophy of religion In Analytic Philosophy of Religion , Harris noted that analytic philosophy has been a quite heterogeneous 'movement'.... a few forms of analytic philosophy have proven quite sympathetic to the philosophy of religion and have actually provided a philosophical mechanism for responding to additional more radical and hostile forms of analytic philosophy. [20] :3 As with the study of ethics, early analytic philosophy tended to avoid the study of philosophy of religion , largely dismissing (as per the logical positivists) the subject as part of metaphysics and therefore meaningless. The demise of logical positivism renewed interest in philosophy of religion, prompting philosophers like William Alston , John Mackie , Alvin Plantinga , Robert Merrihew Adams , Richard Swinburne , and Antony Flew not only to introduce new problems, but to re-study classical topics like the nature of miracles , theistic arguments, the problem of evil , (see existence of God ) the rationality of belief in God , concepts of the nature of God, and a large number of more. Plantinga, Mackie and Flew debated the logical validity of the free will defense as a way to solve the problem of evil. Alston, grappling with the consequences of analytic philosophy of language , worked on the nature of religious language. Adams worked on the relationship of faith and morality. Analytic epistemology and metaphysics has formed the basis for a number of philosophically-sophisticated theistic arguments, like those of the reformed epistemologists like Plantinga. Analytic philosophy of religion has additionally been preoccupied with Wittgenstein, as well as his interpretation of Søren Kierkegaard 's philosophy of religion. Using first-hand remarks (which was later published in Philosophical Investigations , Culture and Value , and additional works), philosophers like Peter Winch and Norman Malcolm developed what has come to be known as contemplative philosophy , a Wittgensteinian school of thought rooted in the "Swansea tradition," and which includes Wittgensteinians like Rush Rhees , Peter Winch, and D. Z. Phillips , among others. The name "contemplative philosophy" was first coined by D. Z. Phillips in Philosophy's Cool Place , which rests on an interpretation of a passage from Wittgenstein's "Culture and Value." This interpretation was first labeled, "Wittgensteinian Fideism," by Kai Nielsen but those who consider themselves Wittgensteinians in the Swansea tradition have relentlessly and repeatedly rejected this construal as a caricature of Wittgenstein's considered position; this is especially true of D. Z. Phillips. [21] Responding to this interpretation, Kai Nielsen and D. Z. Phillips became two of the most prominent philosophers on Wittgenstein's philosophy of religion. Political philosophy Current analytic political philosophy owes much to John Rawls , who in a series of papers from the 1950s onward (most notably "Two Concepts of Rules" and "Justice as Fairness") and his 1971 book A Theory of Justice , produced a sophisticated defence of a generally liberal egalitarian account of distributive justice. This was followed soon by Rawls's colleague Robert Nozick 's book Anarchy, State, and Utopia , a defence of free-market libertarianism . Isaiah Berlin additionally had a lasting influence on both analytic political philosophy and Liberalism with his lecture the Two Concepts of Liberty . Consequentialist libertarianism additionally derives from the analytic tradition. Analytical Marxism Another development of political philosophy has been the emergence of a school known as Analytical Marxism . Members of this school seek to apply the techniques of analytic philosophy, along with techniques of modern social science like rational choice theory to the elucidation of the theories of Karl Marx and his successors. The best-known member of this school is G. A. Cohen , whose 1978 work, Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence , is generally considered as representing the genesis of this school. In that book, Cohen applied the tools of logical and linguistic analysis to the elucidation and defence of Marx's materialist conception of history. Other prominent Analytical Marxists include the economist John Roemer , the social scientist Jon Elster , and the sociologist Erik Olin Wright . The work of these later philosophers have furthered Cohen's work by bringing to bear modern social science methods, like rational choice theory, to supplement Cohen's use of analytic philosophical techniques in the interpretation of Marxian theory. Communitarians like Alasdair MacIntyre , Charles Taylor , Michael Walzer , and Michael Sandel advance a critique of Liberalism that uses analytic techniques to isolate the main assumptions of Liberal individualists, like Rawls, and then challenges these assumptions. In particular, Communitarians challenge the Liberal assumption that the individual can be considered as fully autonomous from the community in which he lives and is brought up. Instead, they argue for a conception of the individual that emphasises the role that the community plays in forming their values, thought processes and opinions. Analytic metaphysics One striking difference with respect to early analytic philosophy was the revival of metaphysical theorising throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Philosophers like David Kellogg Lewis and David Armstrong developed elaborate theories on a range of topics like universals, causation, possibility and necessity, and abstract objects. Among the developments that resulted in the revival of metaphysical theorising were Quine 's attack on the analytic-synthetic distinction , which was generally considered to weaken Carnap 's distinction between existence questions internal to a framework and those external to it. [22] Important additionally for the revival of metaphysics was the further development of modal logic , including the work of Saul Kripke , who argued in Naming and Necessity and elsewhere for the existence of essences and the possibility of necessary , a posteriori truths. Metaphysics remains a fertile topic of research, having recovered from the attacks of A.J. Ayer and the logical positivists . And though a large number of discussions are continuations of old ones, inherited from previous decades and centuries, the debate remains active. The philosophy of fiction, the problem of empty names, and the debate over existence's status as a property have all become major concerns, while perennial issues like free will, possible worlds, and the philosophy of time have been revived. Science has additionally had an increasingly significant role in metaphysics. The theory of special relativity has had a profound effect on the philosophy of time, and quantum physics is routinely discussed in the free will debate. The weight given to scientific evidence is largely due to widespread commitments among philosophers to scientific realism and naturalism . Philosophy of language Philosophy of science Reacting against both the verificationism of the logical positivists as well as the critiques of the philosopher of science Karl Popper , who had suggested the falsifiability criterion on which to judge the demarcation between science and non-science, discussions of philosophy of science throughout the last forty years were dominated by social constructivist and cognitive relativist theories of science. Thomas Samuel Kuhn with his formulation of paradigm shifts and Paul Feyerabend with his epistemological anarchism are significant for these discussions. The philosophy of biology has additionally undergone considerable growth, particularly due to the considerable debate in recent years over the nature of evolution , particularly natural selection . Daniel Dennett and his 1995 book Darwin's Dangerous Idea , which defends Neo-Darwinism , stand at the foreground of this debate. [3] Owing largely to Gettier 's 1963 paper "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?", epistemology resurged as a topic of analytic philosophy throughout the last 50 years. A large portion of current epistemological research is intended to resolve the problems that Gettier's examples presented to the traditional justified true belief model of knowledge, including developing theories of justification in order to deal with Gettier's examples, or giving alternatives to the justified true belief model. Other and related topics of contemporary research include debates between internalism and externalism , [3] basic knowledge, the nature of evidence , the value of knowledge, epistemic luck, virtue epistemology , the role of intuitions in justification, and treating knowledge as a primitive concept. As a result of attacks on the traditional aesthetic notions of beauty and sublimity from post-modern thinkers, analytic philosophers were slow to consider art and aesthetic judgment. Susanne Langer [3] and Nelson Goodman [3] addressed these problems in an analytic style throughout the 1950s and 60s. Since Goodman, aesthetics as a discipline for analytic philosophers has flourished. [3] Rigorous efforts to pursue analyses of traditional aesthetic concepts were performed by Guy Sircello throughout the 1970s and 80s, resulting in new analytic theories of love, [3] sublimity, [3] and beauty. [3] Topics of analytic philosophy Coherentism For epistemology, the idea has been advanced both as a theory of knowledge and of justified belief. As a theory of knowledge, coherentism can be roughly stated as follows: "Someone's belief is true if and only if it is coherent with all or most of their additional beliefs." As a theory of justification , coherentism can be roughly stated: "Someone's belief is justified if and only if it is coherent with all or most of their additional beliefs." Incompatibilism For metaphysics, it is the idea that free will (and therefore moral responsibility) and determinism are logically incompatible categories. This could include believing in determinism and therefore that free will is an illusion (hard determinism) or that free will exists and therefore determinism is false ( libertarianism ). Deflationism For epistemology, the idea that assertions that predicate truth of a statement don't attribute a property called truth to such a statement. Notwithstanding there are a large number of competing deflationist theories: redundancy theory, performative theory , semantic theory , disquotationalism , prosententialism , and minimalism . Direct realism For epistemology, the idea that the world is pretty much as common sense would have it. Furthermore, when we look at and touch things we see and feel those things directly, and so perceive them as they really are. In contrast, indirect or representative realism claims that we're directly aware only of internal representations of the external world. Direct realism is additionally known by the names, naïve realism or common sense realism . Epiphenomenalism For the philosophy of mind, epiphenomenalism is an idea according to which a few or all mental states are mere epiphenomena (side-effects or by-products) of physical states of the world. Externalism Contrasted with internalism, externalism names several distinct views across several branches of philosophy. For example, in moral philosophy a motivational externalist claims that there's no necessary connexion between moral judgments and moral motives. In epistemology, a justification externalist claims that there are factors additional than those which are internal to the believer which can affect the justificatory status of a belief. In philosophy of mind, externalism is the view that the contents of at least a few of one's mental states are dependent in part on their relationship to the external world or one's environment. Functionalism For philosophy of mind, functionalism is a philosophical position holding that mental states (beliefs, desires, being in pain, etc.) are constituted solely by their functional role — that is, their causal relations to additional mental states, sensory inputs, and behavioural outputs. Since mental states are identified by a functional role, they're said to be multiply realizable; in additional words, they're able to be manifested in various systems, even perhaps computers, so long as the system performs the appropriate functions. Compatibilism For metaphysics, it is the idea that free will and determinism are compatible ideas and that it is possible to believe both without being logically inconsistent. Compatibilism is additionally known by the name, soft determinism . Logical atomism The theory that the world consists of ultimate logical "facts" (or "atoms") that can't be broken down any further. Logical positivism Logical positivism (or logical empiricism) is a school of philosophy that combines empiricism, the idea that observational evidence is indispensable for knowledge of the world, with a version of rationalism, the idea that our knowledge includes a component that isn't derived from observation. Moral particularism Moral particularism is the idea that there aren't any moral principles and that moral judgement can be found only as one decides particular cases, either real or imagined. Neopragmatism Neopragmatism, at times called linguistic pragmatism , is a recent (since the 1960s) philosophical term for philosophy that reintroduces a large number of concepts from pragmatism. It has been associated with a variety of thinkers, among them Richard Rorty, Hilary Putnam, W.V.O. Quine, Donald Davidson, and Stanley Fish though none of these people have called themselves "neopragmatists". Non-cognitivism For metaethics, non-cognitivism is the idea that ethical sentences don't express propositions and thus can't be true or false. Examples of this idea are emotivism , Universal prescriptivism , quasi-realism , and expressivism . Physicalism For philosophy of mind and metaphysics, physicalism is the idea that everything which exists is no more extensive than its physical properties; that is, that there are no kinds of things additional than physical things. The term was invented by Otto Neurath in a series of early twentieth century essays on the subject. Quietism For metaphilosophy , the idea that the role of philosophy is therapeutic or remedial. Quietist philosophers believe that philosophy has no positive theses to contribute, but rather that its value is in defusing confusions in the linguistic and conceptual frameworks of additional subjects. Scientific realism and Scientific antirealism For the philosophy of science, the idea that the entities described by scientific theories (e.g., quarks, mesons, double-helix molecules) really exist and the opposing idea that they don't exist but are rather something like a useful fiction, social construction, etc. See additionally Australian realism , Instrumentalism , and Entity realism . Substance dualism For the philosophy of mind, the idea that there exist two kinds of substance: physical and non-physical (the mind), and subsequently additionally two kinds of properties which adhere in those respective substances. Verificationism Verificationism is the idea that a statement or question only has meaning if there's a few way to determine if the statement is true, or what the answer to the question is.
The History of the Chinese Ribbon Dance By Lanh Ma ; Updated September 15, 2017 Ribbons for the Chinese ribbon dance are traditionally made out of silk. The Chinese ribbon dance is a performance that features dancers whirling long strips of silk through he air. The silk ribbons are attached to short, varnished sticks, and as the dancer manipulates the silk, they will also perform specific steps and leaps. The history of the Chinese dance form goes back thousands of years. Time Frame The Chinese ribbon dance started during China's Han Dynasty, which stretched from 206 B.C.E. to 420 C.E. It is most commonly associated with the later Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 589 until 907. There is a story that attributes the beginning of the Chinese ribbon dance to a man who saved a Han Dynasty emperor from an assassination attempt by blocking the sword with the silk from his sleeve. The ribbon dance, which in Chinese is called Cai Dai Wu Dao, began with dancers simply holding thin strips of silk ribbon in their hands. It was not until the Tang dynasty that the strips grew in length and became attached to sticks for better control of the ribbons. Traditionally, the ribbon dance was performed for royalty, and it was accompanied by music. Large and flowing movements of the ribbon were accompanied by slow music while sharp movements, in which the ribbon was flicked and snapped, were accompanied by faster music. One or two ribbons might be used in this dance, and the length of the ribbon can vary from 5 to 12 feet. The ribbons used in the dance can be of any color, but there is a strong preference for red ribbons. Red was traditionally the color of happiness and luck in Chinese culture, and red ribbon dances were traditionally performed during harvest festivals and to celebrate the new year.
Length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation Skeletal Muscles Skeletal muscle attached to bone on each end by Length- Tension Relationship Strength of muscle contraction. Muscle contraction is the activation of tension-generating sites within muscle fibers. The termination of muscle contraction is followed by muscle relaxation, which is to an intermediate length as described by the length-tension relationship. Muscle contraction usually stops when signaling from the motor neuron ends, its length; thus, myofibrils and muscle cells contract as the sarcomeres contract. . the thin and thick filaments, the muscle fiber loses its tension and relaxes. Damage to the human quadriceps muscle from eccentric exercise and the training effect. Journal of sports sciences, 22 Altering the length-tension relationship with eccentric exercise. Sports Medicine, 37 9 Effects of eccentric exercise on optimum length of the knee flexors and extensors during the preseason in professional soccer players. Physical Therapy in Sport, 11 2 Is the force-length relationship a useful indicator of contractile element damage following eccentric exercise?. Journal of biomechanics, 38 9 Intensity of eccentric exercise, shift of optimum angle, and the magnitude of repeated-bout effect. Journal of applied physiology, 3 The effects of eccentric hamstring strength training on dynamic jumping performance and isokinetic strength parameters: Physical Therapy in Sport, 6 2 Fatigue affects peak joint torque angle in hamstrings but not in quadriceps. Journal of sports sciences, 33 12 Shift of optimum angle after concentric-only exercise performed at long vs. Sport Sciences for Health, 12 1 Behavior of fascicles and the myotendinous junction of human medial gastrocnemius following eccentric strength training. Inter-individual variability in the adaptation of human muscle specific tension to progressive resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 6 The variation in isometric tension with sarcomere length in vertebrate muscle fibres. The Journal of physiology, 1 European journal of applied physiology, 99 4 Effect of hip flexion angle on hamstring optimum length after a single set of concentric contractions. Journal of sports sciences, 31 14 Short Muscle Length Eccentric Training. Frontiers in Physiology, 7. Neuromuscular adaptations to isoload versus isokinetic eccentric resistance training. Training-induced changes in muscle architecture and specific tension. Muscle Contraction - Cross Bridge Cycle, Animation. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 72 Investigation of supraspinatus muscle architecture following concentric and eccentric training. For example, NIDA funding led to the development of two highly effective programs that not only prevent anabolic steroid abuse among male and female high school athletes, but also promote other healthy behaviors and attitudes. In addition to these prevention programs and other research efforts, also has invested in public education efforts to increase awareness about the dangers of steroid abuse. We have material on our website about steroid abuse at www. Research has shown that the inappropriate use of anabolic steroids can have catastrophic medical, psychiatric and behavioral consequences. I hope that students, parents, teachers, coaches and others will take advantage of the information on our website about anabolic steroids abuse and join us in our prevention and education efforts. Participating in sports offers many benefits, but young people and adults shouldn't take unnecessary health risks in an effort to win. In teenagers, growth may be halted prematurely and permanently. The therapeutic use of steroids can be realized by patients and their doctors by using them in a manner that is beneficial to the person. MyoD and other muscular factors[ edit ] MyoD is a protein and a transcription factor that activates muscle cell differentiation by turning on transcription of specific regulatory genes. It turns stem cells into myoblasts, a cell that can turn into many muscle cell, also called "muscle stem cell". MyoD belongs to a family of proteins knowns as myogenic regulatory factor MRFs. MyoD can also turn on transcription of it's own regulatory genes MyoD protein coding genesand this means that it can produce more of itself. The positive feedback turns on transcription of other muscle proteins, cell cycle blockers, and microRNA One of the main actions of MyoD is to remove cells from the cell cycle by enhancing the transcription of p21The function of MyoD is to commit mesoderm cells to a skeletal lineage. MyoD can also regulate muscle repair. One of the main actions of MyoD is to remove cells from the cell cycle by enhancing the transcription of p Bidirectional Signalling- muscle cells and nerves cells send signals back and forth to each other. Stephen Hawking suffers from this disease. Neuromuscular junction sends synaptic signals to MyoD and this blcoks MyoD and stops or limits muscle development. Human Physiology/The Muscular System Myostatin Mutations In Sheep: Smooth Muscle Contraction[ edit ] Contractions are initiated by an influx of calcium which binds to calmodulin. The calcium-calmodulin complex binds to and activates myosin light-chain kinase. Myosin light-chain kinase phosphorylates myosin light-chains using ATP, causing them to interact with actin filaments. Calcium is actively pumped out of the cell by receptor regulated channels. length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation A second messanger, IP3, causes the release. As calcium is removed the calcium-calmodulin complex breaks away from the myosin light-chain kinase, stopping phosphorylation. Myosin phophatase dephosphorylates the myosin. Muscles undergoing heavy eccentric loading suffer greater damage when overloaded such as during muscle building or strength training exercise as compared to concentric loading. When eccentric contractions are used in weight training, they are normally called negatives. Exercise that incorporates both eccentric and concentric muscular contractions i. length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation During virtually any routine movement, eccentric contractions assist in keeping motions smooth, but can also slow rapid movements such as a punch or throw. Part of training for rapid movements such as pitching during baseball involves reducing eccentric braking allowing a greater power to be developed throughout the movement. Eccentric contractions are being researched for their ability to speed rehabilitation of weak or injured tendons. Achilles tendinitis [13] [14] and patellar tendonitis [15] also known as jumper's knee or patellar tendonosis have been shown to benefit from high-load eccentric contractions. Muscle tissue In vertebrate animals, there are three types of muscle tissues: Skeletal muscle constitutes the majority of muscle mass in the body and is responsible for locomotor activity. Smooth muscle forms blood vesselsgastrointestinal tractand other areas in the body that produce sustained contractions. Cardiac muscle make up the heart, which pumps blood. length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation Skeletal and cardiac muscles are called striated muscle because of their striped appearance under a microscope, which is due to the highly organized alternating pattern of A bands and I bands. Skeletal muscle Organization of skeletal muscle Excluding reflexes, all skeletal muscles contractions occur as a result of conscious effort originating in the brain. The brain sends electrochemical signals through the nervous system to the motor neuron that innervates several muscle fibers. Other actions such as locomotion, breathing, and chewing have a reflex aspect to them: Neuromuscular junction Structure of neuromuscular junction. A neuromuscular junction is a chemical synapse formed by the contact between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber. Length tension relationship \| S&C Research The sequence of events that results in the depolarization of the muscle fiber at the neuromuscular junction begins when an action potential is initiated in the cell body of a motor neuron, which is then propagated by saltatory conduction along its axon toward the neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine diffuses across the synapse and binds to and activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the neuromuscular junction. The membrane potential then becomes hyperpolarized when potassium exits and is then adjusted back to the resting membrane potential. This rapid fluctuation is called the end-plate potential [18] The voltage-gated ion channels of the sarcolemma next to the end plate open in response to the end plate potential. These voltage-gated channels are sodium and potassium specific and only allow one through. This wave of ion movements creates the action potential that spreads from the motor end plate in all directions. The remaining acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft is either degraded by active acetylcholine esterase or reabsorbed by the synaptic knob and none is left to replace the degraded acetylcholine. Excitation-contraction coupling[ edit ] Excitation—contraction coupling is the process by which a muscular action potential in the muscle fiber causes the myofibrils to contract. DHPRs are located on the sarcolemma which includes the surface sarcolemma and the transverse tubuleswhile the RyRs reside across the SR membrane. The close apposition of a transverse tubule and two SR regions containing RyRs is described as a triad and is predominantly where excitation—contraction coupling takes place. Excitation—contraction coupling occurs when depolarization of skeletal muscle cell results in a muscle action potential, which spreads across the cell surface and into the muscle fiber's network of T-tubulesthereby depolarizing the inner portion of the muscle fiber. length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation The activated dihydropyridine receptors physically interact with ryanodine receptors to activate them via foot processes involving conformational changes that allosterically activates the ryanodine receptors. Note that the sarcoplasmic reticulum has a large calcium buffering capacity partially due to a calcium-binding protein called calsequestrin. The near synchronous activation of thousands of calcium sparks by the action potential causes a cell-wide increase in calcium giving rise to the upstroke of the calcium transient. Sliding filament theory[ edit ] Main article: Sliding filament theory Sliding filament theory: A sarcomere in relaxed above and contracted below positions The sliding filament theory describes a process used by muscles to contract. It is a cycle of repetitive events that cause a thin filament to slide over a thick filament and generate tension in the muscle. However the actions of elastic proteins such as titin are hypothesised to maintain uniform tension across the sarcomere and pull the thick filament into a central position. Human Physiology/The Muscular System - Wikibooks, open books for an open world A crossbridge is a myosin projection, consisting of two myosin heads, that extends from the thick filaments. The binding of ATP to a myosin head detaches myosin from actinthereby allowing myosin to bind to another actin molecule. Once attached, the ATP is hydrolyzed by myosin, which uses the released energy to move into the "cocked position" whereby it binds weakly to a part of the actin binding site. The remainder of the actin binding site is blocked by tropomyosin. Unblocking the rest of the actin binding sites allows the two myosin heads to close and myosin to bind strongly to actin. The power stroke moves the actin filament inwards, thereby shortening the sarcomere. Myosin then releases ADP but still remains tightly bound to actin. length force relationship muscle contraction and relaxation
CrossFit and Cancer In the list of the top ten causes of premature death, cancer appears three times. Top factors causing loss of life years due to premature death (in order): Ischaemic heart disease Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers Alzheimer and other dementias Lower respiratory infections Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Colon and rectum cancers Diabetes mellitus Hypertensive heart disease Breast cancer Cancer refers to a complex number of conditions characterised by the uncontrolled proliferation and spreading of cells. The treatments are broad, depending on the form of cancer, though exercise can be beneficial regardless of the stage of cancer, or the form of treatment. Depending on the form of cancer, responses to exercise vary considerably. This response is unique to the tissue being affected. In this way, lung cancer will affect respiration, musculo-skeletal cancers will directly affect the area in question and neural cancers can cause motor control difficulties, seizures and other neural symptoms. Most forms of cancer will see some form of premature fatigue or lethargy. Perhaps more influential on physical capacities are the side effects of the various treatment methodologies. Encourages neutral energy balance. Improves cardiopulmonary capacity. Faster bowel mobility. Reduced levels of endogenous hormones. Increased immune function. Increased antioxidant defence. Increased DNA repair. Range of Motion offers Exercise Physiologist designed one-on-one exercise sessions for individuals with this condition Dan Williams
I would like to read an Eddystone Beacon using my Raspberry Pi 3 to calculate distance from the beacon. I can't find any resources to do this from the official Eddystone documentation. How should I go about retrieving the distance data from the beacon? • I think you'd need a beacon that transmits it's lat/long, or a Google Place ID. Then using the location of the Raspberry Pi calculate the difference - this would allow you to work out the distance and direction from the Beacon. Bear in mind you'd need to be close enough to the beacon to receive it's signal (so e.g. bluetooth - you'd have to be almost on top of it) - and likely the margins of error in the beacon location and your Raspberry Pi location will make your calculation a rough estimate at best... – KennetRunner Mar 26 '17 at 18:07 TL:DR - There is no distance data you can obtained from Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. However, there is a ranging proximity data that you could used as a rough estimation of distance. There is a general misunderstanding in the market regarding BLE as a location technology, it is not, it is a radio transmission that provide a "proximity" beacon signal. Bluetooth LE (which EddyStone beacon is based on) only broadcast a radio transmission which is detected by a client (i.e. a Phone). In telecom terms, such radio transmission signal can be measured as received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the power present at the receiver. BLE does use the RSSI data to provide a rough PROXIMITY estimation zones (immediate, near, far, unknown based on the signal strength). While the RSSI or proximity zone data can theoretically be used to derive a distance estimation with careful calibration if you have a light of sight and fixed location (as point-to-point). However in practice in mobile environemnt this is far from trivial and hardly be accurate due to the fluctuations in the signal strength. Weather you put your phone in the back pocket or holding on the hand, or whether you facing the beacon with or without blocking can greately affect the signal strength. Having said that, all the BLE device vendors provide Proximity Ranging API or information that you can experiencing. Google Eddystone provided extract info such as lat/long for the beacon location, it is however still does not provide distance information. This not really answer your question, however I hope this clarify and set the direction for your further exploration. Your Answer
Sunday, 2 June 2019 On alien science In his book The Fabric of Reality, David Deutsch makes the case that science is about coming up with good and true explanations, with all other considerations being secondary. This clashes with the more conventional view that the goal of science is to allow us to make accurate predictions - see for example this quote from the Nobel prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg: “The important thing is to be able to make predictions about images on the astronomers’ photographic plates, frequencies of spectral lines, and so on, and it simply doesn’t matter whether we ascribe these predictions to the physical effects of gravitational fields on the motion of planets and photons [as in pre-Einsteinian physics] or to a curvature of space and time.” It’s true that a key trait of good explanations is that they can be used to make accurate predictions, but I think that taking prediction to be the point of doing science is misguided in a few ways. Firstly, on a historical basis, many of the greatest scientists were clearly aiming for explanation not prediction. Astronomers like Copernicus and Kepler knew what to expect when they looked at the sky, but spent their lives searching for the reason why it appeared that way. Darwin knew a lot about the rich diversity of life on earth, but wanted to know how it had come about. Einstein was trying to reconcile Maxwell’s equations, the Michelson-Morley experiment, and classical mechanics. Predictions are often useful to verify explanations, but they’re rarely the main motivating force for scientists. And often they’re not the main reason why a theory should be accepted, either. Consider three of the greatest theories of all time: Darwinian evolution, Newtonian mechanics and Einsteinian relativity. In all three cases, the most compelling evidence for them was their ability to cleanly explain existing observations that had previously baffled scientists. We can further clarify the case for explanation as the end goal of science by considering a thought experiment from Deutsch’s book. Suppose we had an “experiment oracle” that could predict the result of any experiment, but couldn’t tell us why it would turn out that way. In that case, I think experimental science would probably fade away, but the theorists would flourish, because it’d be more important than ever to figure out what questions to ask! Deutsch’s take on this: “If we gave it the design of a spaceship, and the details of a proposed test flight, it could tell us how the spaceship would perform on such a flight. But it could not design the spaceship for us in the first place. And even if it predicted that the spaceship we had designed would explode on take-off, it could not tell us how to prevent such an explosion. That would still be for us to work out. And before we could work it out, before we could even begin to improve the design in any way, we should have to understand, among other things, how the spaceship was supposed to work. Only then would we have any chance of discovering what might cause an explosion on take-off. Prediction – even perfect, universal prediction – is simply no substitute for explanation.” The question is now: how does this focus on explanations tie in to other ideas which are emphasised in science, like falsifiability, experimentalism, academic freedom and peer review? I find it useful to think of these aspects of science less as foundational epistemological principles, and more as ways to counteract various cognitive biases which humans possess. In particular: 1. We are biased towards sharing the beliefs of our ingroup members, and forcing our own upon them. 2. We’re biased towards aesthetically beautiful theories which are simple and elegant. 3. Confirmation bias makes us look harder for evidence which supports than which weighs against our own beliefs. 4. Our observations are by default filtered through our expectations and our memories, which makes them unreliable and low-fidelity. 5. If we discover data which contradicts our existing theories, we find it easy to confabulate new post-hoc explanations to justify the discrepancy. 6. We find it psychologically very difficult to actually change our minds. We can see that many key features of science counteract these biases: 1. Science has a heavy emphasis on academic freedom to pursue one’s own interests, which mitigates pressure from other academics. Nullius in verba, the motto of the Royal Society (“take nobody’s word for it”) encourages independent verification of others’ ideas. 2. Even the most beautiful theories cannot overrule conflicting empirical evidence. 3. Scientists are meant to attempt to experimentally falsify their own theories, and their attempts to do so are judged by their peers. Double-blind peer review allows scientists to feel comfortable giving harsher criticisms without personal repercussions. 4. Scientists should aim to collect precise and complete data about experiments. 5. Scientists should pre-register their predictions about experiments, so that it’s easy to tell when the outcome weighs against a theory. 6. Science has a culture of vigorous debate and criticism to persuade people to change their minds, and norms of admiration for those who do so in response to new evidence. But imagine an alien species with the opposite biases: 1. They tend to trust the global consensus, rather than the consensus of those directly around them. 2. Their aesthetic views are biased towards theories which are very data-heavy and account for lots of edge cases.* 3. When their views diverge from the global consensus, they look harder for evidence to bring themselves back into line than for evidence which supports their current views. 4. Their natural senses and memories are precise, unbiased and high-resolution. 5. When they discover data which contradicts their theories, they find it easiest to discard those theories rather than reformulating them. 6. They change their minds a lot. In this alien species, brave iconoclasts who pick an unpopular view and research it extensively are much less common than they are amongst humans. Those who try to do so end up focusing on models with (metaphorical or literal) epicycles stacked on epicycles, rather than the clean mathematical laws which have actually turned out to be more useful for conceptual progress in many domains. In formulating their detailed, pedantic models, they pay too much attention to exhaustively replaying their memories of experiments, and not enough to what concepts might underlie them. And even if some of them start heading in the right direction, a few contrary pieces of evidence would be enough to turn them back from it - for example, their heliocentrists might be thrown off track by their inability to observe stellar parallax. Actually, if you’re not yet persuaded that this alien world would see little scientific progress, you should read my summary of The Sleepwalkers. In that account of the early scientific revolution, any of the alien characteristics above would have seriously impeded key scientists like Kepler, Galileo and others (except perhaps the eidetic memories). And so the institutions which actually end up pushing forward scientific progress on their world would likely look very different from the ones which did so on ours. Their Alien Royal Society would encourage them to form many small groups which actively reinforced each other’s idiosyncratic views and were resistant to outside feedback. They should train themselves to seek theoretical beauty rather than empirical validation - and actually, they should pay much less attention to contradictory evidence than members of their species usually do. Even when they’re tempted to change their minds and discard a theory, they should instead remind themselves of how well it post-hoc explains previous data, and put effort into adjusting it to fit the new data, despite how unnatural doing so seems to them. Those who change their minds too often when confronted with new evidence should be derided as wishy-washy and unscientific. These scientific norms wouldn’t be enough to totally reverse their biases, any more than our scientific norms make us rejoice when our pet theory is falsified. But in both cases, they serve as nudges towards a central position which is less burdened by species-contingent psychological issues, and better at discovering good explanations. * Note that this might mean the aliens have different standards for what qualifies as a good explanation than we do. But I don’t think this makes a big difference. Suppose that the elegant and beautiful theory we are striving for is a small set of simple equations which governs all motion in the solar system, and the elegant and beautiful theory they are striving for is a detailed chart which traces out the current and future positions of all objects in the solar system. It seems unlikely that they could get anywhere near the latter without using Newtonian gravitation. So a circular-epicycle model of the solar system would be a dead end even by the aliens’ own standards. Tuesday, 14 May 2019 24 poems After about a decade of collecting and appreciating poems, I’ve decided to put together an anthology of my favourites, along with some commentary on what I like about each. My tastes lean towards short poems, and ones with an immediate poignancy or beauty to them - with a few notable exceptions which you’ll see below. I’m now 24, so it seemed appropriate to include 24 poems, in three sections. In general, poems are only ever about love or loss, and usually both, so the first two sections deal with those two themes. The third section consists of those rarest of creatures: non-romantic poems which are actually (mostly) happy. I hope you enjoy all of them as much as I have. Love poems: 1. since feeling is first, by e e cummings 2. No second Troy, by William Butler Yeats 3. Marrysong, by Dennis Scott 4. How do I love thee, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 5. A quoi bon dire, by Charlotte Mew 6. La figlia che piange, by T. S. Eliot 7. He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, by William Butler Yeats 8. Jenny Kiss’d me, by Leigh Hunt 9. When in the chronicle of wasted time, by William Shakespeare Poems about death and loss: 1. When I have fears that I may cease to be, by John Keats 2. The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot 3. What lips my lips have kissed, by Edna St. Vincent Millay 4. Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae, by Ernest Dowson 5. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T. S. Eliot 6. The trees are down, by Charlotte Mew 7. i sing of Olaf glad and big, by e e cummings 8. If only we had taller been, by Ray Bradbury 9. pity this busy monster, manunkind, by e e cummings Happy poems: 1. As kingfishers catch fire, by Gerard Manley Hopkins 2. On his seventy-fifth birthday, by Walter Savage Landor 3. High flight, by John Magee 4. Lake isle of Innisfree, by William Butler Yeats 5. My heart leaps up, by William Wordsworth 6. Bread dipped in olive oil and salt, by Theo Dorgan Poems about love since feeling is first, by e e cummings My favourite love poem. e e cummings (as he styled himself) was a 20th-century poet whose unconventional use of punctuation, structure and words themselves made him controversial. In this, one of his more ‘normal’ poems, there’s a delicious tension between cummings’ words and his actions: although he claims that love is about being swept away (and many of his poems are about passionate love) he also planned every word, every space, and every punctuation mark meticulously. The overall effect is of unabashed sincerity of emotion. His warning against over-intellectualising emotions ends on a darker note - I’ve spent a long time trying to decipher the last line. Perhaps, though, it’s not meant to be deciphered; maybe the poem is just a joyous celebration of life which, as always, ends abruptly in death. since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you; wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world my blood approves, and kisses are a better fate than wisdom lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry --the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids' flutter which says for life's not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesis No second Troy, by William Butler Yeats Too often, love poems portray their female subject as no more than a meek, gentle object of admiration. No second Troy is the opposite: a poem dedicated to a woman’s intensity and hauteur. The narrator is in awe, and it shows: he pictures her as some near-mythical classical ideal, despite (or maybe because of) her callousness towards him. She is a revolutionary, a firebrand - yet out of place in this relatively civilised and calm era. Of course the narrator overstates his case: Helen did not burn Troy herself. She merely inflamed the hearts of men until they were senseless - just as the narrator feels. Why should I blame her that she filled my days With misery, or that she would of late Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways, Or hurled the little streets upon the great, Had they but courage equal to desire? What could have made her peaceful with a mind That nobleness made simple as a fire, With beauty like a tightened bow, a kind That is not natural in an age like this, Being high and solitary and most stern? Was there another Troy for her to burn? How do I love thee, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning I hesitated to put this in, because it’s become a little worn from overuse. But really, nothing compares to it as an outpouring of love. Not just passionate, it’s also a beautifully-constructed poem which tells the speaker’s own story through her choice of phrases. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, I shall but love thee better after death. A quoi bon dire, by Charlotte Mew The title translates to something like: what’s the good of saying? And maybe it belongs in the section of poems about death and loss - but the poignant beauty of the last stanza means I can’t think of it except as a statement of unwavering love. Seventeen years ago you said Something that sounded like Good-bye; And everybody thinks that you are dead, But I. So I, as I grow stiff and cold To this and that say Good-bye too; And everybody sees that I am old But you. And one fine morning in a sunny lane Some boy and girl will meet and kiss and swear That nobody can love their way again While over there You will have smiled, I shall have tossed your hair. Marrysong, by Dennis Scott Like No second Troy, Marrysong portrays a narrator in thrall to a tempestuous yet bewitching woman. The long years which the narrator spends on his exploration of her mind contrast with the short, sharp sentences showing his lover’s changes: “He charted. She made wilderness again.” One can almost picture the narrator’s bewilderment as his wife’s love waxes and wanes - and yet there’s something beautiful in his never-ending pursuit, something which would be missing from a more conventional relationship. Why is it a song of marriage? Perhaps because the author thinks that even after our lives settle down, they should still capture this spirit of adventure. He never learned her, quite. Year after year That territory, without seasons, shifted under his eye. An hour he could be lost in the walled anger of her quarried hurt on turning, see cool water laughing where the day before there were stones in her voice. He charted. She made wilderness again. Roads disappeared. The map was never true. Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of sea - and suddenly she would change the shape of shores faultlessly calm. All, all was each day new; the shadows of her love shortened or grew like trees seen from an unexpected hill, new country at each jaunty helpless journey. So he accepted that geography, constantly strange. Wondered. Stayed home increasingly to find his way among the landscapes of her mind. La figlia che piange, by T. S. Eliot This is a tricky poem to interpret. The title: “Young girl weeping”. The epigraph: “Maiden, by what name shall I address you?” Ostensibly, the speaker is narrating a scene viewed from a third-person perspective - but his transitions between that and a first-person perspective betray that it’s actually about him leaving his own lover. It’s a framing which highlights his startling detachment. The breakup is, to him, little more than a piece of art, “a gesture and a pose” - except during his “troubled midnight”, when emotion seeps through. I guess it’s ironic that, in selecting this poem, I’ve made the same mistake as the narrator: letting aesthetics displace sincerity. But it’s so aesthetic! O quam te memorem virgo… Stand on the highest pavement of the stair— Lean on a garden urn— Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair— Clasp your flowers to you with a pained surprise— Fling them to the ground and turn With a fugitive resentment in your eyes: But weave, weave the sunlight in your hair. So I would have had him leave, So I would have had her stand and grieve, So he would have left As the soul leaves the body torn and bruised, As the mind deserts the body it has used. I should find Some way incomparably light and deft, Some way we both should understand, Simple and faithless as a smile and shake of the hand. She turned away, but with the autumn weather Compelled my imagination many days, Many days and many hours: Her hair over her arms and her arms full of flowers. And I wonder how they should have been together! I should have lost a gesture and a pose. Sometimes these cogitations still amaze The troubled midnight and the noon’s repose. He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, by William Butler Yeats This poem and the next embody the simplicity and sincerity of the very best love poems. In this one, note the use of repetition and colour. In fact, the whole poem repeats old cliches, and there’s reason to think that Yeats intended it to be slightly ironic. But I prefer to interpret it as a reminder that love and devotion, and the ways they are expressed, are timeless. Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. Jenny Kiss’d me, by Leigh Hunt Here’s to innocent, joyful love - what more could we ask for? Jenny kiss’d me when we met, Jumping from the chair she sat in; Time, you thief, who love to get Sweets into your list, put that in! Say I’m weary, say I’m sad, Say that health and wealth have miss’d me, Say I’m growing old, but add, Jenny kiss’d me. When in the chronicle of wasted time, by William Shakespeare I find most of Shakespeare’s sonnets a bit bland in their endless adoration of a generic lover, but the narrative of this one stands out. While praising ‘beauty’ alone is rather outdated, the conceit of all past lovers and poets leading up to this point is a clever and powerful one. There’s also the amusing irony of Shakespeare bemoaning his inarticulacy in verse that has lived on for centuries, and will do so for centuries more. When in the chronicle of wasted time I see descriptions of the fairest wights, And beauty making beautiful old rhyme In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights, Then, in the blazon of sweet beauty's best, I see their antique pen would have express'd Even such a beauty as you master now. So all their praises are but prophecies Of this our time, all you prefiguring; And, for they look'd but with divining eyes, They had not skill enough your worth to sing: For we, which now behold these present days, Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise. Poems about death and loss This poem, more than any other I know, captures a sense of wonder and longing which is often absent from our day-to-day lives - for which we turn to poetry, and art, and nature. Although it’s technically addressed to Keats’ lover, her appearance in the poem is fleeting: Keats is concerned with human insignificance in the face of the universe and the grand ‘romance’ being played out in the cosmos (mentioned in what is probably my favourite line from any poem). And yet, despite the pessimistic topic, the poem ends on a note of ambiguity: if the narrator has thought away his concern for love and fame espoused in body of the poem, what’s left? Is there not something intrinsically worthwhile in art - in this poem itself? Is his work not the ‘grain’ of his life? But even if so, it’s not ‘full-ripened’: Keats himself died tragically young. When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, Before high-pilèd books, in charactery, Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain; When I behold, upon the night’s starred face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows with the magic hand of chance; And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power Of unreflecting love—then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till love and fame to nothingness do sink. The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot This is the masterpiece of 20th century poetry, a lament for the spiritual drought of the modern age which leaves us living in a ‘waste land’ (a powerful idea also conveyed in Yeats’ The Second Coming). It’s a poem which rewards careful reading and re-reading. Littered with classical allusions, Hindu mythology and snatches of foreign languages, its subtleties could barely be explored in a book, let alone this short paragraph. Unfortunately, at 434 lines in five parts, it’s also too long to reproduce in full here. I’ve therefore excerpted about a third of the poem, consisting of the first half of part I and then parts IV and V in their entirety. I. The Burial of the Dead April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow, feeding A little life with dried tubers. Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade, And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten, And drank coffee, and talked for an hour. My cousin’s, he took me out on a sled, And I was frightened. He said, Marie, Marie, hold on tight. And down we went. In the mountains, there you feel free. What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dry stone no sound of water. Only There is shadow under this red rock, (Come in under the shadow of this red rock), And I will show you something different from either Your shadow at morning striding behind you Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; I will show you fear in a handful of dust. IV. Death by Water Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell And the profit and loss. A current under sea Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell He passed the stages of his age and youth Entering the whirlpool. Gentile or Jew O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you. V. What the Thunder Said After the torchlight red on sweaty faces After the frosty silence in the gardens After the agony in stony places The shouting and the crying Prison and palace and reverberation Of thunder of spring over distant mountains He who was living is now dead We who were living are now dying With a little patience Here is no water but only rock Rock and no water and the sandy road The road winding above among the mountains Which are mountains of rock without water If there were water we should stop and drink Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think Sweat is dry and feet are in the sand If there were only water amongst the rock Dead mountain mouth of carious teeth that cannot spit Here one can neither stand nor lie nor sit There is not even silence in the mountains But dry sterile thunder without rain There is not even solitude in the mountains But red sullen faces sneer and snarl From doors of mudcracked houses If there were water And no rock If there were rock And also water And water A spring A pool among the rock If there were the sound of water only Not the cicada And dry grass singing But sound of water over a rock Where the hermit-thrush sings in the pine trees Drip drop drip drop drop drop drop But there is no water Who is the third who walks always beside you? When I count, there are only you and I together But when I look ahead up the white road There is always another one walking beside you Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded I do not know whether a man or a woman —But who is that on the other side of you? What is that sound high in the air Murmur of maternal lamentation Who are those hooded hordes swarming Over endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth Ringed by the flat horizon only What is the city over the mountains Cracks and reforms and bursts in the violet air Falling towers Jerusalem Athens Alexandria Vienna London A woman drew her long black hair out tight And fiddled whisper music on those strings And bats with baby faces in the violet light Whistled, and beat their wings And crawled head downward down a blackened wall And upside down in air were towers Tolling reminiscent bells, that kept the hours And voices singing out of empty cisterns and exhausted wells. In this decayed hole among the mountains In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing Over the tumbled graves, about the chapel There is the empty chapel, only the wind’s home. It has no windows, and the door swings, Dry bones can harm no one. Only a cock stood on the rooftree Co co rico co co rico In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust Bringing rain Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves Waited for rain, while the black clouds Gathered far distant, over Himavant. The jungle crouched, humped in silence. Then spoke the thunder Datta: what have we given? My friend, blood shaking my heart The awful daring of a moment’s surrender Which an age of prudence can never retract By this, and this only, we have existed Which is not to be found in our obituaries Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor In our empty rooms Dayadhvam: I have heard the key Turn in the door once and turn once only We think of the key, each in his prison Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison Only at nightfall, aethereal rumours Revive for a moment a broken Coriolanus Damyata: The boat responded Gaily, to the hand expert with sail and oar The sea was calm, your heart would have responded Gaily, when invited, beating obedient To controlling hands I sat upon the shore Fishing, with the arid plain behind me Shall I at least set my lands in order? London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down Poi s’ascose nel foco che gli affina Quando fiam uti chelidon—O swallow swallow Le Prince d’Aquitaine à la tour abolie These fragments I have shored against my ruins Why then Ile fit you. Hieronymo’s mad againe. Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Shantih shantih shantih There’s not much to say about this poem: here, Millay is word-perfect. I often think about how the transience of memory carves away parts of us over time, leaving a nostalgia for what “sings no more”. For another excellent poem on a similar theme, see Tennyson’s Tears, Idle Tears. I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply, And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before: I cannot say what loves have come and gone, I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that in me sings no more. Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae, by Ernest Dowson Dowson’s specialty was making English sound like a Romance language, and making it flow off the tongue. The title is taken from Horace - “I am not as I was in the reign of good Cynara” - and the poem echoes this sense of wistfulness as it describes a man who struggles to move on from his lover. The poem’s most famous line - “I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind” - inspired the title of the classic American novel. It is ironic that, despite the narrator claiming he’s forgotten so much, her memory still has such a hold on him - throughout the poem, her name is emphasised with an exclamation mark every time it appears, making it seem an impassioned plea directly to her. Last night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her lips and mine There fell thy shadow, Cynara! thy breath was shed Upon my soul between the kisses and the wine; And I was desolate and sick of an old passion, Yea, I was desolate and bowed my head: All night upon mine heart I felt her warm heart beat, Surely the kisses of her bought red mouth were sweet; But I was desolate and sick of an old passion, When I awoke and found the dawn was grey: I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind, Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng, But I was desolate and sick of an old passion, Yea, all the time, because the dance was long: I cried for madder music and for stronger wine, But when the feast is finished and the lamps expire, Then falls thy shadow, Cynara! the night is thine; And I am desolate and sick of an old passion, Yea, hungry for the lips of my desire: Perhaps my favourite poem. The epigraph is from Dante’s Inferno, and describes a damned soul who only speaks because he knows his tale will never be reported. The poem is filled with allusions to Hamlet and the Bible, amongst other works - fitting, since Prufrock’s indecisiveness is second only to Hamlet’s. Brilliant turns of phrase - “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons”; “to squeeze the universe into a ball” - frame Prufrock’s all-important question. Is it a marriage proposal? Or the start of a romance? Or a visit to a brothel, as some critics interpret it? It’s remarkable that Eliot wrote this poem whilst only 22: although the narrator is hesitant, his musings form an exquisitely-constructed portrait of lonely middle-age. S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma percioche giammai di questo fondo Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero, Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo. Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question ... Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening, Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains, Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys, Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep. And indeed there will be time For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, Rubbing its back upon the window-panes; There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create, And time for all the works and days of hands That lift and drop a question on your plate; Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. And indeed there will be time Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair — My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. For I have known them all already, known them all: Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; I know the voices dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a farther room. So how should I presume? And I have known the eyes already, known them all— The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin And how should I presume? And I have known the arms already, known them all— Arms that are braceleted and white and bare Is it perfume from a dress That makes me so digress? And should I then presume? And how should I begin? Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas. And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! Smoothed by long fingers, Asleep ... tired ... or it malingers, Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me. Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, I am no prophet — and here’s no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And in short, I was afraid. And would it have been worth it, after all, After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me, Would it have been worth while, To have bitten off the matter with a smile, To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it towards some overwhelming question, If one, settling a pillow by her head That is not it, at all.” And would it have been worth it, after all, Would it have been worth while, After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets, And this, and so much more?— It is impossible to say just what I mean! Would it have been worth while If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl, And turning toward the window, should say: “That is not it at all, That is not what I meant, at all.” Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two, Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool, Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times, indeed, almost ridiculous— Almost, at times, the Fool. I grow old ... I grow old ... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me. I have seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown back When the wind blows the water white and black. We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. The trees are down, by Charlotte Mew A lyrical poem which, in simple language, evokes the glory of nature in contrast to the irreverence of humanity. The poem starts off conversational, but by the end strong rhythm and rhyme schemes have crept in as the poet becomes more passionate. Notice also the use of sound: the “whoops” and the “whoas”, the “grate” and the “swish”, the sound of sparrows flying... The essence of Spring is something which can’t be pinned down except by gesturing to the world around us - it’s in the trees, and the birds, and the rats, and something great which is slowly toppling. —and he cried with a loud voice: The crash of the trunks, the rustle of trodden leaves, I remember one evening of a long past Spring On the roped bole, in the fine grey rain, Green and high And lonely against the sky. (Down now!—) And but for that, If an old dead rat In the March wind, the May breeze, There was only a quiet rain when they were dying; They must have heard the sparrows flying, But I, all day, I heard an angel crying: ‘Hurt not the trees.’ i sing of Olaf glad and big, by e e cummings This is the one poem that struck me hardest after first reading it. For the next few days, I just kept coming back and back, like a spectator at a car crash, horrified yet entranced. I did consider replacing it with one of the classic war poems, but actually I think this one speaks much better to the nature of modern war. It’s not for the faint of heart, though. i sing of Olaf glad and big whose warmest heart recoiled at war: a conscientious object-or his wellbelovéd colonel(trig westpointer most succinctly bred) took erring Olaf soon in hand; but--though an host of overjoyed noncoms(first knocking on the head him)do through icy waters roll that helplessness which others stroke with brushes recently employed anent this muddy toiletbowl, while kindred intellects evoke allegiance per blunt instruments-- Olaf(being to all intents a corpse and wanting any rag upon what God unto him gave) responds,without getting annoyed “I will not kiss your fucking flag” straightway the silver bird looked grave (departing hurriedly to shave) but--though all kinds of officers (a yearning nation’s blueeyed pride) their passive prey did kick and curse until for wear their clarion voices and boots were much the worse, and egged the firstclassprivates on his rectum wickedly to tease by means of skilfully applied bayonets roasted hot with heat-- Olaf(upon what were once knees) does almost ceaselessly repeat “there is some shit I will not eat” our president,being of which assertions duly notified threw the yellowsonofabitch into a dungeon,where he died Christ(of His mercy infinite) i pray to see;and Olaf,too preponderatingly because unless statistics lie he was more brave than me:more blond than you. If only we had taller been, by Ray Bradbury It’s not the most artful poem, but this one really speaks to me, because it’s filled with my own longings. Bradbury read it at a celebration of NASA's Mariner 9 mission to Mars: it's one of a far-too-small corpus of poems celebrating scientific progress. I rather like John Salvatier’s commentary on it. Other poems which share its anti-death message: Thomas’ Do not go gentle into that good night and Owen’s The Next War. The fence we walked between the years Did balance us serene It was a place half in the sky where In the green of leaf and promising of peach We'd reach our hands to touch and almost touch the sky If we could reach and touch, we said, We ached and almost touched that stuff; Our reach was never quite enough. If only we had taller been And touched God's cuff, His hem, We would not have to go with them Who've gone before, Who, short as us, stood as they could stand And hoped by stretching tall that they might keep their land Their home, their hearth, their flesh and soul. But they, like us, were standing in a hole O, Thomas, will a Race one day stand really tall Across the Void, across the Universe and all? And, measured out with rocket fire, At last put Adam's finger forth As on the Sistine Ceiling, And God's hand come down the other way To measure man and find him Good And Gift him with Forever's Day? I work for that Short man, Large dream I send my rockets forth between my ears Hoping an inch of Good is worth a pound of years Aching to hear a voice cry back along the universal mall: We've reached Alpha Centauri! We're tall, O God, we're tall! pity this busy monster, manunkind, by e e cummings Another cummings - this one about the “comfortable disease” of modern life. My concerns are not quite the same as his, but the spirit is the same: the bigness of our littleness, the meaninglessness of our busyness. pity this busy monster, manunkind, not. Progress is a comfortable disease: your victim (death and life safely beyond) plays with the bigness of his littleness --- electrons deify one razorblade into a mountainrange; lenses extend unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish returns on its unself. A world of made is not a world of born --- pity poor flesh and trees, poor stars and stones, but never this fine specimen of hypermagical ultraomnipotence. We doctors know a hopeless case if --- listen: there's a hell of a good universe next door; let's go Happy poems As kingfishers catch fire, by Gerard Manley Hopkins It’s not so much that this poem is about happiness, as that reading it out loud is a joyous experience. Try it! Hopkins, like Dowson, managed to beautify the English language, with phrases that chase each other along with such rhythm and music that afterwards, you’re astonished to find out they actually make sense (with a bit of creative license). While reading, note that the accents are Hopkins’ way of indicating stressed syllables. As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; As tumbled over rim in roundy wells Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name; Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells, Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came. I say móre: the just man justices; Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces; Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is — Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces. On his seventy-fifth birthday, by Walter Savage Landor A classic. It doesn’t quite fit my own philosophy, but there’s a quiet dignity here which commands respect. I strove with none, for none was worth my strife: Nature I loved, and, next to Nature, Art: I warm’d both hands before the fire of Life; It sinks; and I am ready to depart. High flight, by John Magee Just as How do I love thee is the purest expression of love I’ve seen, this poem is the purest outpouring of joy that I’ve ever read. Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark or even eagle flew -- And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. Lake isle of Innisfree, by William Butler Yeats This poem, even more relevant now than when it was written, is about the longing for simplicity and peace. Yeats characterises the island of Innisfree with exquisite care: the honey-bees’ hive, the linnets’ wings, the colour of the sky. A simple life is lived in details and moments. Through the portrait he builds up, the reader begins to share his sense that there is something special about such a life, something about it which might be calling to us “night and day”, if only we were listening. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet’s wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; I hear it in the deep heart’s core. My heart leaps up, by William Wordsworth Joy in nature is Wordsworth’s constant theme - I think this poem best captures the essence of that, starting from childhood and lasting throughout a life whose days are “bound each to each”. Compare his contemporary Keats’ worry in Lamia that knowledge of science will “unweave the rainbow” and destroy its beauty. My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! The Child is father of the Man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety. Bread dipped in olive oil and salt, by Theo Dorgan An ode to the Mediterranean life! Again, it’s about simplicity. But what I really love in this poem is the idea of continuity across time: story opening story, over and over again. As Watchmen had it: “Nothing ends… nothing ever ends.” Here’s hoping for that. Bread dipped in olive oil and salt, a glass of rough dry white. A table beside the evening sea where you sit shelling pistachios, flicking the next open with the half- shell of the last, story opening story, on down to the sandy end of time. The stars coming out on the life that I call mine
By Olivia B. Waxman June 22, 2018 The Jurassic Park franchise — including Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in theaters Friday, almost exactly 25 years after the first movie came out in 1993 — is obviously entirely fictional, so you don’t have to worry that the dinos are coming to get you. But that doesn’t mean there’s not something real at its heart: the story was in fact inspired by important changes in the scientific world. And, over the course of the franchise, though they might not get everything right, the filmmakers have incorporated some expert advice on how to make the dinosaurs in the movie the most realistic depictions possible. Here’s a look at how the real evolution of dinosaurs influenced the dinosaurs onscreen: How Scientific Discoveries Inspired the Franchise When Michael Crichton wrote the 1990 sci-fi novel that inspired the first Jurassic Park movie in 1993, he was inspired by paleontologist Jack Horner’s 1988 book Digging Dinosaurs, on dinosaur behavior and discoveries made in the prior decades. “He bases the character of Alan Grant on a guy digging up baby dinosaurs in Montana at a place called Egg Hill and [my site] was called Egg Mountain,” Horner tells TIME. A “dinosaur renaissance” had kicked off in the ’60s and ’70s, according to paleontologists. That didn’t mean there wasn’t interest in dinosaurs before the 1960s. In fact, as Daniel Barta, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, explains, there was a great deal of interest in paleontology in the Victoria era and the decades that followed, especially after scientists first recognized dinosaurs as a specific group. But interest in dinosaurs dried up during World War II, as did funding to study them, while the world focused on the war and scientists were drafted. When they returned their studies in the post-war years, they ended up breaking new ground — literally. “Back in the ’60s, there were still large parts of the West where nobody thought to look for dinosaurs or that they hadn’t explored in a long time,” says Barta. “There were excavations in Wyoming and Montana, where people were uncovering these huge dinosaurs and that was the beginning of the public’s love affair with dinosaurs.” Paleontologist John Ostrom’s discovery of Deinonychus, a close relative of the better-known Velociraptor, in August of 1964, sparked particular interest. He argued dinosaurs didn’t drag their tails on the ground like people thought they did, and also popularized the idea that dinosaurs were more like warm-blooded birds than cold-blooded reptiles. There was still limited evidence for his argument, but Horner’s research in the late ’70s helped validate Ostrom’s findings when his team uncovered the remains of baby dinosaur nesting grounds in Montana. They found evidence that suggested that dinosaur parents were bringing food for the babies, and that dinosaurs traveled in herds. Horner wrote about these findings and others in Digging Dinosaurs. Before these discoveries, “dinosaurs were seen as evolutionary failures, sluggish and corpulent reptiles — and also as a group that no self-respecting scientist wanted to spend much time studying,” Matthew T. Carrano, Curator of Dinosauria at the Smithsonian, told TIME in an email. “But largely thanks to the careful research and discoveries of scientists like John Ostrom, two things became clear. First, dinosaurs were in fact lively, active animals that were more like birds and mammals than lizards or snakes. Second, birds were the direct living descendants of dinosaurs. These twin realizations utterly changed our perception of dinosaurs both scientifically and culturally — and I think Jurassic Park is a tangible reflection of that.” What Jurassic Park Gets Right About Dinosaurs Carrano gave Jurassic Park high marks for the basics of the dinosaurs that show up in the franchise. “The franchise gets one very important thing right: dinosaurs were once active, living things that were as successful on land as any animals before or since,” he added. Proof that the franchise has earned the respect of paleontologists is the fact that the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology has recognized Steven Spielberg — who directed the first two films and has been executive producer on the others — for his contributions to the field. After all, he helped dinosaurs become perhaps more popular than they’ve ever been. Carrano noted that as a kid who grew up wanting to be a paleontologist in the ’70s, he struggled to find new books to read. “Now, it’s impossible to keep up with the books published each year. Scientifically, dinosaurs went from being a weekday-night show at an off-off-Broadway theater, to a sold-out long-running juggernaut with a movie deal. It’s night and day… Errors are mostly forgivable, because the movie succeeds at making dinosaurs exciting, interesting, and something to root for.” “[The year the first Jurassic Park came out] is the first time we actually see dinosaurs depicted as smarter, more agile, and faster than people had thought previously,” echoes Horner. “People had thought of dinosaurs as big stupid lizards wandering around looking for a place to go extinct.” How dinosaur tails appear in the films best illustrates this milestone, as a visible example of the change in perception of dinosaurs. Before the milestone scientific discoveries in the ’60s, skeletons of dinosaurs depicted their tails dragging on the ground because that’s what lizards’ tails are like. Jurassic Park depicted dinosaurs with their tails sticking straight out. “It goes back to the late 1800s when the first dinosaur skeleton was put together, because the teeth looked like those of an iguana. They decided the tail of a dinosaur should be on the ground, [believing that] dinosaurs were ordinary lizards — just big,” says Horner. The movie also depicted them as traveling in herds, as birds would travel in flocks, and Barta gives a thumbs up to Jurassic Park III‘s depiction of a paleontology camp. What Jurassic Park Gets Wrong About Dinosaurs But, while the franchise has helped spread the word on some truths about dinos, it has also introduced new misconceptions. In particular, one question that paleontologists didn’t often have to field before Jurassic Park is whether dinosaur DNA exists and if dinosaurs can be cloned. “We all know now to anticipate that question,” says Barta. “The oldest DNA that has been recovered from fossil record is well under a million years old, and these non-bird dinosaurs all died out 65 million years ago. Because [DNA] is a fragile molecule, it’s not thought to have survived as far back as the Jurassic period.” (Horner explains that, in 1993, when the first movie was made, scientists didn’t yet know that they wouldn’t be able to find dinosaur DNA, adding that he and a grad student tried.) The films tend to be off on the sizes of some dinosaurs, and filmmakers have invented new functions for some of their physical attributes. The Velociraptor is one of the dinosaurs that the movie depicts as larger than it would have been in real life. (Carrano says it should be just about three feet tall.). Ankylosaurus is depicted with a club on its tail for self-defense, but that was probably for wooing the ladies, says Horner, and the Mosasaurus in Jurassic World (2015) is depicted as about the size of a whale when it would have been half that length, according to Barta. The opposite is the case with Dilophosaurus.“The Dilophosaurus would have been larger than it was portrayed in the movie, and overall, is the most inaccurate dinosaur in the movies,” says Barta. “We wouldn’t be able to have fossilized evidence of a poison gland or a bony structure near the throat for the support of anything like a frill. We have no evidence for either of those things in actual fossils.” Those who find the Tyrannosaurus terrifying will be relieved to hear that it wouldn’t have able to run because it didn’t have large enough muscles, and that the dinosaurs probably sounded less scary too — scientists believe they grunted and hissed but probably didn’t really roar. In terms of the physical environment, some people might walk away from the movies or other pop depictions of dinosaurs and think that dinosaurs only lived in swamps and jungles, when in fact, the world’s climate when they were really around “still would have been quite seasonal and temperate,” says Barta. Appearance-wise, the biggest inaccuracy in Jurassic Park‘s dinosaurs is the lack of feathers and colorful plumage, some knowledge about which has been gained in the years since the franchise debuted. Horner says the dinosaurs were as accurate as possible when they were made, but because filmmakers need to preserve continuity, later discoveries wouldn’t have been incorporated in sequels. In later films, he says, “we knew Velociraptor should have feathers and be more colorful, but we couldn’t really change that look because everything goes back to the first movie.” New Dinosaurs in Fallen Kingdom But, the new film does feature species of dinosaurs that haven’t been in previous films, in an effort to incorporate dinosaurs from new places — like Carnotaurus, a meat-eating dinosaur that roamed South America, and the Baryonyx from England. “We don’t know much about [Carnotaurus],” says Horner. “It’s got tiny little arms even smaller than T-rex, and weird little teeth, so we don’t know what it evolved to eat.” But the most scientifically mysterious dinosaur in the franchise may still be one of the best-known ones in popular culture: the Brachiosaurus, the first dinosaur that Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt encounter in awe when they reach Isla Nublar in the new movie. “We don’t know much about them, but once we really understand a Brachiosaurus or any of the long-necked dinosaurs, we’ll probably know most of the things we need to know about dinosaurs,” says Horner. “They’re probably a key to them all, but they’re just horribly big and horrible to dig up. Every part of them is so gigantic so it takes a long time.” Write to Olivia B. Waxman at Read More From TIME
Mud is a surface type that can be found in a garden. No Surface Packet exists, as it can only be found by the side of any pond. Most aquatic plants must be planted in mud, as opposed to being put in water or on other surfaces. Bullrush, Watercress, Water Lily, and a number of other plants grow in mud. In Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise there is no mud, and instead all aquatic plants grow in the water. This means that the aquatic plants will not need to be watered to grow. Instead of mud, the edge of ponds is marked by a small stone wall of the same surface as the Crazy Paving.
What is inflation? The increase in prices on a national scale can only be caused by an agency that has the power to act on a national scale. That agency is the government. Inflation is not the increase in prices (this is an effect); it is the ballooning (increase) of the money supply without a corresponding increase in wealth. The general increase in prices is an effect; the inflationary actions of government created central bank money monopolies are the cause. Inflation is the general increase in prices caused by a government currency monopoly inflating (increasing) the money supply with fiat ‘money’ (money not backed by actual physical wealth). In essence, inflation is legalized counterfeiting. Under Capitalism, the prices a particular good/service can fluctuate over time, but the general price level of all goods remains relatively stable over time due to capitalism’s limitless progress. For example, under a constant money supply, if the price of a good (say the price of oil) increases and the quanitity demanded for it stays the same, there must be a corresponding decrease in the price of other good(s), as money is shifted from their purchase to pay for the increased price of oil. Thus the average of all prices for the economy as a whole (the general or aggregate price level) remains the same (ceteris paribus). The general increase in prices is the result of the government outlawing the free market for money. Once government officials have a legal monopoly on the money supply the government increases the money supply with new money (not backed by physical wealth) which competes with the money that others had to work for. As the money bidding for goods and services increases (demand) while the supply of goods and services stays relatively the same, the prices of goods and services on the whole increase. Inflation is like an invisible tax that redistributes the wealth of those who had to produce values to obtain their money to those who first receive and spend the newly created government money for producing nothing. Here is a simplified version of how one aspect of monetary inflation works. Let us suppose a loaf of bread cost $10 on Monday. You contract with a man to do a week’s work for a salary of $100, which you plan to use to buy ten loaves of bread. Price of Bread Salary (nominal)Salary in bread (real) $10$10010 loaves ($100/$10=10) Unfortunately, while you were working, the government injected more money into the system so that it doubled the amount of money in circulation so that when you were received $100 on Friday, the price of the loaf of bread rose to $20. This doubling in the price of bread was caused by the doubling of the supply of money. Since your salary did not double in nominal terms as the money supply doubled, you were paid in real terms only half of what you contracted for. Thus, in terms of bread you were only paid half as much, i.e., you could only buy half as much bread on Friday with your income as you could have on Monday. Where did the five loaves go? It went to the government. This is illustrated in Table 2. Price of BreadSalary (nominal)Salary in bread (real) $20$1005 loaves ($100/$20=5) Observe that the value of your dollars is not the number of dollars you have (nominal value), but how much you can buy with them (real value). Thus, a man who earns $1, but can buy bread for a $1 a loaf, is richer than a man who earns a $1000 a day but has to pay $10,000 for a loaf of bread. Today, most central banks do not print paper money but create ‘money substitutes’ via the Federal Reserve by extending credit (book-keeping entries that are “promises to pay”) “out of thin air” by buying various assets (such as government bonds). Quoting Modern Money Mechanics: It started with goldsmiths. As early bankers, they initially provided safekeeping services, making a profit from vault storage fees for gold and coins deposited with them. People would redeem their “deposit receipts” whenever they needed gold or coins to purchase something, and physically take the gold or coins to the seller who, in turn, would deposit them for safekeeping, often with the same banker. Everyone soon found that it was a lot easier simply to use the deposit receipts directly as a means of payment. These receipts, which became known as notes, were acceptable as money since whoever held them could go to the banker and exchange them for metallic money. Then, bankers discovered that they could make loans merely by giving their promises to pay, or bank notes, to borrowers. In this way, banks began to create money [not backed by wealth]. More notes could be issued than the gold and coin on hand because only a portion of the notes outstanding would be presented for payment at any one time. Enough metallic money had to be kept on hand, of course, to redeem whatever volume of notes was presented for payment [else there would be a bank run and bust.] Transaction deposits are the modern counterpart of bank notes. It was a small step from printing notes to making book entries crediting deposits of borrowers, which the borrowers, in turn, could “spend” by writing checks, thereby “printing” their own money. Even though no actual money is being printed, only a book keeping entry for credit, this “money substitute” in principle operates in the same way as paper money as eventually that credit must be repaid. Recommended Reading: What is the solution to inflation? The solution to the expansion of the money supply by the government (an effect of which is a rise in the general level of prices) — inflation — is to end government’s monopoly on money by establishing free-banking. In the interim, one possible option might be a gold standard, since unlike paper dollars, gold cannot be counterfeited, by private or public agencies. Under a capitalist system, there would be no legal tender laws to force citizens to use a particular form of currency; rather each citizen would have the freedom to choose what asset they would wish to use as a medium of exchange (money) — most likely this choice would be gold. Quoting Richard Salsman, in Breaking the Banks: Central Banking Problems and Free Banking Solutions: Central banking has failed to improve upon what Nobel economist Friedrich Hayek called “the spontaneous social order” of free banking, a failure that can be seen as a special case of the general failure of central economic planning. More precisely, it is the difference between private planning based on economic profit and bureaucratic planning based on political expediency. The money and banking system is too important to our freedom and our economic prosperity to be left to political manipulation. The system should be placed on an objective foundation of free-market principles and removed from the subjective quicksand of political manipulation. It should be governed by the rule of law and contract, not by the arbitrary rule of men. We know this has been the most useful approach in every other branch of industry. It is time to discover it in money and banking. Free banking offers an exciting, innovative, and prudent alternative to the central banking system that has destroyed sound money and sound banking. Recommended Reading: Does capitalism cause depressions? No. The nationwide cycle of “booms” followed by “busts” is the result of the only agency that has the power to act on a nationwide scale: the government. A depression is a nationwide decline in production that is the result of capital mal-investments into unprofitable industries. These capital mal-investments can occur on such a large nationwide scale only by the government over-riding the checks and balances provided by the market, i.e., making money “cheap” (having banks lower the rate of interest below market levels) by “expanding the money supply.” This “cheap” money results in over-investment into industries that would appear unprofitable if the government did not intervene in the money supply. Once these mal-investments are discovered, the result is a bust (depression) as the market begins the process of recovering from these mal-investments of capital. To prevent nationwide depressions the government needs to keep its hands off the money supply, by establishing a free-market for money (free banking). How do government central banks create financial instability? Professor George Selgin shows why central banks, far from being bulwarks of financial stability, are inherently destabilizing. The record of past “free banking” systems, in which paper currency consisted of competitively supplied banknotes, contradicts the widespread belief that central banks play an essential part in promoting financial stability. Instead, both that record and theoretical inquiries concerning how free banking arrangements regulate the money supply suggest that central banks, far from being bulwarks of financial stability, are inherently destabilizing. In particular, a free banking reform might have proven far more effective than the Federal Reserve Act in preventing U.S. financial crises. How does central banking promote booms and busts, moral hazard and financial instability? George Selgin explores the fiscal origins of currency monopolies and the adverse consequences stemming from their establishment, including their tendency to promote booms and busts. The talk also reviews the origins of the doctrine that they should serve as “lenders of last resort“and explains why last-resort lending tends in practice to generate moral hazard problems that lead to still greater financial instability. Some time is devoted to the particular case of the U.S. Federal Reserve System.
Food Coloring Pages offers extensive range of food coloring pages. How numerous times have you just simply sat there with a box of crayons and a food coloring pages and simply just enjoyed yourself awhile? It truly is not that surprising that there are as many adults that actually enjoy coloring as there are kids that love this activity. Too many times grownups sit there and hide that they still like to color as much as their children, or the kids in their lives, do. With free coloring pages you can develop a way for your boys and girls to continue to be captivated. You will not be finding out that they are bored. When it is too hot to play bitter or outside cold they need to have in house activities. Coloring can really help them to establish abilities and it also allows them to continue to be peaceful. Children who are associated with food coloring pages will probably experience fewer mental problems when they are young. The reason for this is that the minds of kids, who are able to take pleasure in using their creative imaginations to develop exciting worlds filled with dream and adventure, are strong and versatile. This coloring imagination helps them in staying away from problems like youth depression. You can get a hold of food coloring pages here for totally free. All you need to do is to print your youngster’s desired food coloring pages and hand them some crayon to begin coloring. Food is any compound taken in to supply dietary assistance for an organism. It is generally of plant or animal origin, and consists of vital nutrients, such as carbs, fats, minerals, vitamins, or proteins. The compound is consumed by an organism and taken in by the organism’s cells to offer energy, keep life, or promote development. Historically, human beings protected food through 2 approaches: searching and event and farming. Today, most of the food energy needed by the ever increasing population of the world is provided by the food market. Food security and food security are kept track of by companies like the International Association for Food Protection, World Resources Institute, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Food Information Council. They resolve concerns such as sustainability, biological variety, environment modification, dietary economics, population development, water system, and access to food. The right to food is a human right stemmed from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), acknowledging the “ideal to a sufficient standard of life, consisting of sufficient food”, in addition to the “essential right to be devoid of appetite”.
World's 1st Flying/Driving Drone Drone Shifts from Air to Ground Source: University of Ben-Gurion of the Negev The Flying STAR drone can drive, fly and even make itself smaller. All of these functions are achieved using the same set of motors. FSTAR stands for flying, sprawl-tined autonomous robot. It's an outstanding achievement by a team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. It flies like a quadcopter, drives on tough terrain and squeezes into tight spaces. A First This drone is a first. It can travel on the ground up to 8 feet per second, can climb or go under obstacles and compress itself to traverse narrow spaces. The drone flies flat. The sprawl, which adjusts from flat to 55 degrees, allows it to transform from a flying quadcopter to a car-like robot. This hybrid flying, driving quadruped is unique. It has low power needs and may have a big role in package delivery, search and rescue and other uses.
Relativity to 3D Print Rockets NASA Leases the Start-Up Space Source: Relativity Space Odyssey to Mars Relativity is a Los Angeles based, venture capital backed rocket maker. It just leased 220,000 sq. feet of space at a NASA facility in Mississippi to 3D print low cost rockets to launch small payload satellites into orbit. Money for Mars One of the company's big goals is to manufacture rockets on Mars. CEO Tim Ellis, who was an executive at Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin, says that is the first priority for space colonization. The company hopes to generate cash by using the Terran 1 rockets that it will 3D print in Mississippi to launch small satellites. It will use the cash to develop a team of machine learning robots that can manufacture and assemble its Terran 1 rockets on Mars with no human help. Rocket Maker in Orbit The giant 3D printers on the ground in Mississippi can produce a rocket in under 60 days. The Terran 1 is expected to launch in 2020 and will cost satellite makers $10 million a flight. CEO Ellis hopes to launch two dozen rockets with payloads a year.
chapter 9 Object Recognition Pages 34 An essential aspect of the behaviour of animals and people is their ability to recognise objects, animals, and people that are important to their survival. People are able to recognise large numbers of other people, the letters of the alphabet, familiar buildings, and so on. Animals may need to recognise landmarks, suitable prey, potential mates or predators and to behave in the appropriate way to each category.
More than six out of ten grown-ups in the UK are overweight, and one of every four adults is obese. By age five, just about one out of four youngsters are either overweight or obese. Excess weight builds the danger of related medical issues including type 2 diabetes and coronary illness. While it is notable that adjustments in our condition, for example, easy access to high-calorie foods and sedentary lifestyle, have driven the ascent in heftiness as of late, there is impressive individual variety in load inside a populace that has a similar environment. A few people appear to be ready to eat what they like and stay thin. This has driven a few people to describe overweight individuals as apathetic or lacking determination. With support from Wellcome and the European Research Council, a team led by Professor Sadaf Farooqi at the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, established the Study Into Lean and Thin Subjects – STILTS – to examine why and how some people find it easier to stay thin than others. Studies of twins have shown that variation in body weight is largely influenced by our genes. To date, studies have overwhelmingly focused on people who are overweight. Hundreds of genes have been found that increase the chance of a person being overweight and in some people, faulty genes can cause severe obesity from a young age. Scientists could select 2,000 individuals who were thin (characterized as a weight list (BMI) of under 18 kg/m2) yet strong, with no therapeutic conditions or dietary problems. They worked with general practices over the UK, taking salivation tests to empower DNA investigation and getting some information about their general health and ways of life. It is believed to be the only cohort of its sort in the world and the scientists state that the UK’s National Institute for Health Research – the National Health Service’s examination foundation – emphatically empowered and upheld their exploration. Scientists compared the DNA of some 14,000 people –1,622 thin volunteers from the STILTS cohort, 1,985 severely obese people and a further 10,433 normal weight controls. To see what impact these genes had on an individual’s weight, the researchers added up the contribution of the different genetic variants to calculate a genetic risk score. Dr. Inês Barroso said, “As anticipated, we found that obese people had a higher genetic risk score than normal weight people, which contributes to their risk of being overweight. The genetic dice are loaded against them.” Professor Sadaf Farooqi said, “This research shows for the first time that healthy thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person’s chances of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, as some people like to suggest. It’s easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex. We have far less control over our weight than we might wish to think.” “We already know that people can be thin for different reasons. Some people are just not that interested in food whereas others can eat what they like, but never put on weight. If we can find the genes that prevent them from putting on weight, we may be able to target those genes to find new weight loss strategies and help people who do not have this advantage.” The study published in the journal PLOS Genetics– was funded by the European Research Council and Wellcome.
Skip to main content Whale Sharks and Manta Rays Have Lunch Together [VIDEO] A plankton-based diet is the common thread that stitched together this feeding frenzy. An animal measured in meters sustaining itself on prey measured in millimeters has always puzzled me. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and the oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) are two of these large fish that prey on plankton, one of the smallest specimen in the ocean. One can see first-hand how these two fish peacefully consume tons―literally, tons― of plankton in the midst of each other's company. More from Wide Open Spaces: We're going to need a bigger holding tank: giant stingray caught in Thailand Two's better than one: the second giant manta ray Angelic apparitions of the deep: giant manta rays The "Millon Dollar" fish in peril: the Atlantic bluefin tuna Oceanic manta rays are phylogenetically akin to whale sharks and vice versa―both animals belong to the cartilaginous class of fish, Condritchyes. While the exact location of where the aerial footage remains unknown, marine-savvy individuals can assume that this mutual lunch took place somewhere near the Atlantic coastline off the Yucatan peninsula; there, both populations of animals overlap. Oh, and did I mention that there are snorkelers, nonchalantly swimming alongside these oceanic giants? Because that's normal. But don't worry, they're completely safe--we're measured in meters too, thankfully. you might also like Whale Sharks and Manta Rays Have Lunch Together [VIDEO]
By the 3rd c., Christian buildings in many areas of the empire were becoming recognizable landmarks, even though not yet monumental. In the late 3rd c., there is evidence for a 'building boom' in renovation by Christian churches, but they were not as yet basilical. Here we see a reconstruction of a church hall (dubbed 'aula ecclesiae') below San Crisogono at Rome, which is not a renovated house but a hall or warehouse with exterior porticoes. It was later remodeled to be basilical. [back] [next image]
St. John's Eve Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wikipedia. St. John's Eve (Denmark) June 23 Known in Denmark as Sankt Hans Aften, St. John's Eve occurs near the longest day of the year and therefore is an occasion for national rejoicing. Huge bonfires, often topped with tar barrels or other flammable materials, light up the night sky for miles around. Sometimes an effigy of a witch, perhaps a pagan symbol of winter or death, is thrown on the fire. Along the coast, fires are built on the beach or shore. People go out in their boats to watch them burn and to sing romantic songs. Sometimes there are speeches, singing games, dances, and fireworks as well. Midsummer Eve is also a popular time for Danes to leave their year-round homes and go to vacation cottages on the coast. Embassy of Denmark 3200 Whitehaven St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 101 FestWestEur-1958, p. 27 Celebrated in: Denmark St. John's Eve (France) (La Vielle de la Saint Jean) June 23 The custom of lighting bonfires on the eve of St. John's Day has been said to originate with the ancient Druids, who built fires at the Summer Solstice in honor of the sun god. Bonfires are still an important part of the festivities on St. John's Eve in France, where participants contribute something to burn. Traditionally, the village priest often lights the fire and leads the townspeople in the singing of hymns and the chanting of prayers. In upper Brittany, St. John's fires are built around tall poles, which are set on the hilltops. A boy named Jean or a girl named Jeanne provides a bouquet or wreath for the pole and kindles the fire. Then the young people sing and dance around it while it burns. Sometimes the fire is replaced by a burning torch thrown skyward or by a wagon wheel covered with straw, set ablaze, and rolled downhill. At sea, Breton fishermen traditionally put old clothing in a barrel, hoist it up the mainmast, and set it afire so that other ships in the fishing fleet can share the celebration. There are many folk beliefs associated with St. John's Eve. One is that strewing the ashes from the St. John's fires over the fields will bring a good harvest. Another is that leaping over the dying embers guarantees that the crops will grow as high as the jumper can jump. In the sheep-raising Jura district, shepherds drive their flower-decked animals in a procession and later nail the flower wreaths to their stable doors as a protection against the forces of evil. French Government Tourist Office 444 Madison Ave., 16th Fl. New York, NY 10022 800-391-4909 or 212-838-7800; fax: 212-838-7855 BkFest-1937, p. 125 FestWestEur-1958, p. 43 FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 393 Celebrated in: France St. John's Eve (Germany)(Johannisnacht) June 23 The Summer Solstice, or Sommersonnenwende, in Germany is observed by lighting the Johannisfeuer, or St. John's fire. Young boys often try to leap through the flames, and young lovers join hands and try to jump over the fire together in the belief that if they succeed, they will never be parted. Cattle driven through the bonfire's ashes are believed to be safe from danger and disease in the coming year. According to German folklore, the water spirits demanded a human victim on Midsummer Day. But contrary to the danger this implies, people often went out and bathed on St. John's Eve in streams or rivers to cure disease and strengthen their legs. In the Thuringia region, wreaths were hung on the doors because it was believed that St. John the Baptist walked through the streets on this night, and that he would bow to any door with a wreath on it. BkFest-1937, p. 136 DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 723 FestWestEur-1958, p. 68 FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 394 Celebrated in: Germany St. John's Eve (Greece) June 23 A custom still practiced in some rural Greek villages on St. John's Day is a procession of young boys and girls escorting the Kalinitsa, the girl considered the most beautiful in the neighborhood. On St. John's Eve, the young people gather at the Kalinitsa's house and dress her up as a bride, with a veil and a garland of flowers around her neck. The procession itself is led by a young boy holding a rod. He is followed by the Kalinitsa, who is in turn followed by four "ladies in waiting" and a little girl holding a parasol over the Kalinitsa's head. Other girls and boys accompany them, and they go around the village singing a song about drawing water for the sweet basil. If they should encounter a procession from another neighborhood at a crossroad, the parasols are lowered over the Kalinitsas' faces so they won't set eyes on each other. On the following day, June 24, the children gather at the Kalinitsa's house for a party. Another old Greek custom, known as the Erma, is for two people who have chosen each other for friends to plant some seeds in a basket and raise them in darkness a few weeks before St. John's Day. On St. John's Eve they exchange plants and pledge their friendship by shaking hands three times over a fire. BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 99 FestSaintDays-1915, p. 146 Celebrated in: Greece St. John's Eve (Ireland) June 23 The Irish still celebrate St. John's Eve with bonfires, dancing, omens, and prayers. People build fires on the hillsides and feed the flames with fragrant boughs. As the fires burn low, both old and young people customarily join hands and jump over the embers in the belief that it will bring an abundant harvest. Young Irish girls used to drop melted lead into water on St. John's Eve. They would then look for clues about their future in whatever shape the lead assumed. According to Irish folklore, the soul leaves the body on this night and wanders about until it reaches the place where death will eventually strike. This belief was so widespread at one time that people routinely sat up all night on St. John's Eve to keep their souls from making the trip. BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 815 BkFest-1937, p. 59 OxYear-1999, p. 259 Celebrated in: Ireland St. John's Eve (Spain) June 23 La Víspera de San Juan in Spain is dedicated to water and fire. Fireworks displays are common and bogueras, or bonfires, are lit in the city of Alicante, as well as villages, hilltops, and fields. In the PyrÉnÉes, folk beliefs surround the bonfires and their charred remains, which are considered protection from thunderstorms. Cinders from the fires can also be mixed with the newly sown crops or put in the garden to ensure rapid growth. In other places people believe that cabbages planted on St. John's Eve will come up within 24 hours, and that beans will be ready by St. Peter's Day, six days later. Folkloric beliefs also focus on water. Walking through the dew or bathing in the sea on this day is believed to promote beauty and health. Young girls traditionally believe that San Juan will help them see into their future. By placing a bowl of water outside the window and breaking an egg into it at midnight on St. John's Eve, they try to read their destiny in the shape the egg assumes. Similarly, pouring melted lead into a bowl of water at noon gives clues as to what kind of man they will marry. In the province of Asturias, a dance known as the corri-corri is performed on St. John's Day by six women with one man pursuing them. The sexual motif of the dance links it to the fertility rites associated with Midsummer Day in ancient times. In the Basque region, men perform the bordón-danza, or sword dance, in two facing lines, wearing white shirts and breeches, red sashes and berets, and carrying long sticks in place of the traditional swords. The fact that this dance is performed most commonly on St. John's Day suggests a connection with ancient Summer Solstice rites. Pastry shops in Spain sell special cakes shaped like the letter J on St. John's Eve, which may be decorated with pink sugar roses and elaborate scrolls. Valencia Tourist Office Communitat Valenciana, Aptdo. de Correos 48 Burjassot, 46100 Spain 34-902-123-212; fax: 34-902-220-211 DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 157, 253 FestWestEur-1958, p. 199 FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 399 Celebrated in: Spain
Electric Cars aren’t clean? Electric cars are vehicles that do not require gas to be powered. They use a rechargeable battery to power their engines. Some of the top electric cars on the market have some incredible features. The Tesla Model 3 for example, can go 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and can drive 300 miles on a single charge. These cars came into light for one main reason: to reduce the use of fuel to power cars. They do just that. These cars have the ability to never use any gas at all. Due to this, it seems like they are totally reducing the emissions produced from cars. Well, they are reducing emissions from cars for sure. Cars are the second leading cause of greenhouse pollution in the world. They produce a large amount of harmful emissions every day. However, electric cars may not fix the problem. The leading producer of greenhouse emissions is the burning of coal to generate electricity. Electric cars are powered by this method. What this means, is that although they are reducing the direct pollution from cars, they are increasing the leading cause of pollution. This is kind of underwhelming news to those who thought electric cars would save the planet. However, there is still hope. As many people know, there are other means of generating rather than burning fuel. If electric cars were to run on for say, solar power, then the emissions would indeed be reduced. The fact of the matter is that electric cars and their creators are doing their best to find a way to reduce pollution. With the advancements already being made, it is reasonable to assume that cars will also find an alternative source of electricity. But for now, electric cars are not necessarily helping the anti-pollution movement, they may make it worse. Previous articleHow are Car Emissions ruining nature Next articleIs biogas eco friendly or not? Emily Daniel Emily Daniel experienced childhood in a games auto arranged family. She has composed for an assortment of auto magazines and sites, Green Auto Shop boss among them. Emily has chipped away at prominent driving recreations as a substance master, notwithstanding working for aviation organizations and programming monsters. She right now lives in a protected, undisclosed area in the American southwestern leave.
When instruments disappear from view No investigator did more to popularize the idealization of instruments and experimental conditions than Bessel. In addition to numerous applications of and elaborations upon the method of least squares, Bessel contributed significantly to the theory of astronomical and related instruments. Wanting to assemble a fixed star catalogue based on James Bradley's observations from 1750-1762, Bessel found he needed an alternative theory of refraction in order to refine Bradley's data. La mesure du temps et de l'espace au XVIIe siècle Il a fallu attendre le milieu du XVIIe siècle pour voir Henry Moore et Isaac Barrow définir le temps d’une façon utilisable par les physiciens. C’est seulement alors que les plus grands savants de l’époque parvinrent à élaborer des méthodes de mesure précises du temps et de l’espace. Comme le dit A. Koyré : « Les raisons de construire des instruments corrects pour mesurer le temps étaient, et sont encore immanentes au développement scientifique lui-même ». La même remarque s’applique à la mesure de l’espace. George Graham "Born in the parish of Kirklinton, Cumberland, July 7, 1673, of parents who were members of the Society of Friends. In 1688, he came to London, and was apprenticed to Henry Aske, Clockmaker, July 2 in that year. During his apprenticeship he made the acquaintance of the family of the celebrated Thomas Tompios, Watchmaker, of Fleet Street, who ultimately received him into his employ. He married Elizabeth the daughter of Tompion's brother James, and at his master's decease in November, 1713, succeeded to the business. George Graham, Maker of Horological and Astronomical Instruments His life (George Graham's) is of particular interest to astronomers because of the part he played in the progress of their science. Although, by 1700, the telescope had increased astronomical knowledge by many discoveries, it was obvious that more accurate instruments had to be devised before further advance could be attained. Necessary mechanical improvements were furnished by George Graham ans others of his time.
From Phantis (Redirected from Lotus Eaters) Jump to navigation Jump to search In Greek mythology, the Lotophagi (Greek Λωτοφάγοι, lotus-eaters) were a race of people from an island near Northern Africa dominated by "lotus" plants. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary foodstuff of the island and were narcotic, causing the people to sleep in peaceful apathy. The relevant part from the Odyssey (Book IX, translated by Samuel Butler): Which "lotus" did the Lotus-eaters eat? The Greek word lôtos can refer to several different plants[1]: • a fodder plant such as clover, Trifolium fragiferum; the fellbloom, Lotus corniculatus; a fenugreek or melilot, Trigonella species; the Italian melilot, Melilotus messanensis; or Medicago arborea • a water-lily, either Nymphaea lotus, Nymphaea stellata, or Nelumbo nucifera (formerly known as Nymphaea nelumbo) • the nettle-tree, Celtis australis • Ziziphus lotus, a relative of the jujube It is the last of these, or another member of genus Ziziphus, that is traditionally taken to be the plant meant in the Odyssey . Herodotus mentions the Lotophagi in his description of North Africa, and identifies the lotus as a plant similar to the date palm [2]. Recent studies have shown that the blue water-lily of the Nile, Nymphaea caerulea, also known as the blue lotus (already known under this name to the Greeks), is a stronger candidate. It can be processed to be used as a soporific and in some formulations has psychedelic properties. It is very common in Egyptian iconography which suggests its use in a religious context. Where is the island of the Lotus-eaters? The island of the Lotophagi may be the modern Djerba. It is a likely candidate because there are very few islands on the North African coast; however, Herodotus says that the Lotophagi live on a peninsula, not an island.
What is Accounts Receivable? In the world of business finance, accounts receivable, or A/R, is the term that refers to the money that is held by a business or corporation in exchange for services or products rendered to customers. In essence, it is the invoice that is due and that a business holds in good faith the client will satisfy within an agreed upon time frame. Receivables fall under a legal framework, and the terms set forth within agreements are binding. Let’s take a closer look at the various facets of receivables and the impact they can have on a company’s bottom line. A Summary A/R is a representation of the credit that is extended to customers. Of course, it should go without saying that most entities will only extend such payment arrangements to clients or customers that have shown to be credit worthy. Receivable transactions are recorded on a company’s sales ledger. This accounting tool is used to record all of an organization’s sales. It includes such information as the amount of money charged for purchases or services, and it will be used to keep a detailed report of activity that occurs with regard to the customer accounts each month. Each customer’s remaining balance is recorded on the sales ledger at month’s end. There is usually a team of accountants that oversees a company’s accounts receivable data. The number of team members depends upon the company’s financial resources and overall size. (See: Accounts Receivable: What Small Businesses Need to Know) In a hypothetical scenario, a company may sell a customer $500 worth of goods and allot them a period of 60 days within which to pay the bill in full. They will send the customer an invoice, resulting in a $500 decrease to its inventory and a $500 credit to its A/R. At the end of the payment period, the customer will ideally fulfill its debt and pay the $500 in full. At this time, the A/R balance is reduced by $500. That $500 then is recorded in the company’s cash column. This is an oversimplified version of events, but it should give you a good idea of how the system works. A/R’s Effect on Cash Flow Receivable amounts are also recorded on the balance sheet of a company because they are considered an asset. A/R falls under the category of current assets because it is understood that payment will be received within a year’s time. As account payments are fulfilled, they become a part of an establishment’s positive cash flow, giving the company more working capital to its overall worth. The amount of working capital a business has at any one time is calculated by subtracting the current liabilities from the current assets. A business doesn’t want its A/R to rise too quickly because these transactions are counted against its cash flow until the debts are paid in full. As you can see, corporate accounting for businesses of all sizes can be a rather complex endeavor. Accounts receivable plays a large role in determining the worth of a corporation. See also: What is Accounts Payable?
Mozambique is still recovering from the effects of two cyclones that hit the country earlier this year, leaving hundreds of people dead. Cyclone Idai in mid-March brought widespread flooding that created an “inland ocean” and left panicked residents clinging to rooftops and trees for days across central Mozambique, the country’s breadbasket. In the region’s main city of Beira, population roughly 500,000, many rooftops were peeled away. Six weeks later Kenneth arrived in the northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, shocking residents who had never experienced such a powerful storm. A long swathe of coastal communities was destroyed, and some areas are still difficult or impossible to reach. Without that intervention, aid agencies fear the worst is yet to come. The storm wiped out crops in one of the world’s poorest countries, and millions may have to depend on food aid for survival in the coming year, with the UN estimating 1.3 million people currently requiring emergency food aid. “After natural disasters like cyclone Idai, it is the national government that has to take a leading role to aid recovery,” said Edward F. Clancy, director of outreach for the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need. “Unfortunately, the Mozambican government hasn’t been able to meet this urgent demand and many people have been left stranded without support. In some cases, the government has made the problems even worse because of corruption and malfeasance,” Clancy told Crux. And response has been particularly hard for a country that in recent years has been faced with numerous economic challenges, including the suspension of lending to the government by the International Monetary Fund. “International relief has come in, but unfortunately it has not been sufficient to meet all the needs. Efforts will continue, though and over time, more people will be helped,” Clancy said. He said the lack of clean drinking water and its consequences, such as cholera and other waterborne diseases, constitute some of the major challenges. In addition, there are “areas that have become isolated because of roadway and infrastructure damage; destruction of crops and fields in communities where subsistence farming is common; and lack of enough basic food stuffs to feed thousands of families in need.” The twin natural disasters have only worsened things in a country that is still finding it hard recovering from its 15-year-long civil war, which ended in 1992. The conflict began in 1977, just two years after the country gained independence from Portugal, and pitted the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) led by President Samora Machel against the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) led by André Matsangaissa. The civil war claimed over a million lives. Although the war officially ended in 1992, its wounds, in the words of Bishop Adriano Langa of Inhambane, “are not as easy to close as a tap.” Clancy also said the war has had a lasting impact on the Southern African country. “The aftereffects of a war can take a generation or more to heal, but wars that last for many generations can completely upset a societal structure. Mozambique has now gone from a protracted civil war to newer wars,” he told Crux. These fratricidal conflicts destroy “trust between neighbors and simple political disputes can quickly escalate into violence,” Clancy added. He said the Church has been on the forefront of “quelling violence and seeking dialogue and peace. It is likely that it will be a slow healing process which needs extraordinary leadership.” With Pope Francis set to visit the country in September, there are hopes the language of peace and reconciliation will once more resonate across the country. “We hope that the Holy Father’s visit may stir a greater desire for peace and understanding. We must pray for their people and for the Holy Father’s visit,” Clancy said. He said he believed Francis will speak of the urgent need to help the people who were devastated by the cyclone and about the need for peaceful coexistence. “I hope that he speaks of their potential to heal if they each take extraordinary steps to forgive and to see each other as brothers and sisters and not as enemies,” he continued. “Africa is a continent of such great potential because of its people and natural beauty. We pray that war and fighting will not impede them from growing into their potential.” This article incorporated material from the Associated Press. Crux is an exclusive editorial partner of Angelus News, providing news reporting and analysis on Vatican affairs and the universal Church.
Why adults need to play more often New research shows how parrots and crows learn new skills through play. Can adults implement this advice? People take fitness seriously. Those ten thousand steps. Marathon over, time to tackle the ultra-marathon. Pounds upon pounds on the squat rack—just make sure to post it or it never happened. And yoga, well, people take their yoga very seriously. Taking health seriously is wonderful, arguably better than not considering it at all. That said, one of the greatest joys of exercise is play. Your workout should be hard, otherwise you'll plateau and never grow stronger. Yet this does not imply it can't be fun. Many sequences I create for my classes begin with me rolling around on the floor. In fact, that's what inspired me to pursue fitness in the first place, a dance class in which crawling around was mandatory. It reminded me of my youngest years rolling down hills because, well, the hill was there. Only later do we justify what once was spontaneous and pleasurable. Though play we learn essential life skills. We tumble and push and roll and incorporate the lessons into the grander sweep of life. Play is a means of discovering boundaries. Humans and quadrupeds aren't the only animals that master skills in this manner. New research from the University of York shows that crows and parrots learn through play. The study, led by researchers at the Universities of York and St Andrews, demonstrated that two types of bird were able to solve tasks more successfully if they had explored the object involved in the task beforehand. By explore, the researchers mean playing with the objects: peck at it, roll it around, flip it over, figure out what it can do. The researchers chose the New Caledonia crow as it has been observed using objects in the wild, while kea parrots are a particularly destructive breed that seem to play harshly through their environment. The team offered the birds various blocks and ropes. They then offered a tasty reward to find out if the birds could figure out how to use the objects to retrieve their food. Researchers mixed up the tools in later sessions to see if they could remember which tools did what. They did. This means that the birds did not appear to explicitly seek information about the objects, but rather learned about their properties incidentally through exploring them. Philosophers have championed play for eons. Alan Watts noticed Western societies treat work as a serious endeavor, far removed from any implications of play. He believed our social and sexual rigidness came from this oversensitivity to the serious—he once said that the gods of the East laugh and play while the God of the West is a stern fellow, indicative of the cultures that created their deities. To Watts the West has it backwards: you work hard to earn enough money to acquire enough leisure time in order to play. What if we reorient our perception so that our vocation is similar to playing the guitar or dancing? We'd have much more energy at the end of the day, he argues, for we'd enjoy the process of playing at life instead of dreading our tasks in order to achieve a reward later—a rather religious sentiment. [Watts suggests that we] do everything you have to do in this spirit. Don’t make a distinction between work and play. Regard everything that you’re doing as playing, and don’t imagine for one minute that you’ve got to be serious. Easier said than done. But the idea is not without precedent. We all learned through playing at some point in our lives, whether stacking wood blocks into castles or by attacking invisible windmills with twig swords. The late neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp believes play is such an important component of our genetic make-up that he labelled one of the brain's seven primary processes the PLAY system. Beyond boundaries, Panksepp speculates that this system helps us learn “nonsocial physical skills," such as foraging and hunting. Play is paramount in social skills as well, from courting and sex to developing friendships. It helps us compete for status and cooperate when necessary. Panksepp puts playing at the very foundation of what we call society: [Play] may be an essential force for the construction of many higher functions of our social brains. After knee surgery I was told I should stop jumping. This made no sense to me, as jumping is one of our body's four primary movements. With the repetitive stress of running, which is a short, controlled form of jumping, out of the equation, I began box jumping to increase my vertical jump as well as strengthen my posterior kinetic chain. A high box at first seems insurmountable. And indeed, if you overthink the leap, it is. Every time I focus on the height I don't make it. A few months ago I started playing a game with my friend and workout partner, Jeff. We go jump for jump, three series of ten, back and forth. Before we knew it we were both clearing heights that once seemed impossible. Can we translate this simple gym game to society? If all parties are willing, certainly. But humans take themselves quite seriously. More to the point, we take our points of view as if they're the last word on matters, especially when dealing with politics and spirituality. We think too highly of ourselves; any evidence to the contrary is immediately denied, or worse, mocked. While some confuse mocking with play, the only people who laugh at cynical and unwarranted bigotry under the guise of humor are those afraid of actually testing their own boundaries. So we remain serious, which is a shame. The NY Times points out that more teenagers are suffering from anxiety than ever before. Anxiety is the most common emotional disorder in the world, yet instead of instilling a healthy relationship with mechanisms for relaxing our stress, we reinforce the problems that led to such overwhelming anxiety in the first place. Anxiety is a multifactorial issue—I suffered from this disorder for 25 years—I'm not suggesting that rolling down a hill would solve all the world's problems. But it might help. We'll never discover the wisdom of play until we try it out. We might not be able to fly like birds, but we can certainly learn from their other skills. Northwell Health Sponsored by Northwell Health Keep reading Show less Where do atoms come from? Billions of years of cosmic fireworks. The periodic table was a lot simpler at the beginning of the universe. The controversial herbicide is everywhere, apparently. Surprising Science Keep reading Show less An organism found in dirt may lead to an anxiety vaccine, say scientists Can dirt help us fight off stress? Groundbreaking new research shows how. University of Colorado Boulder Surprising Science • New research identifies a bacterium that helps block anxiety. • Scientists say this can lead to drugs for first responders and soldiers, preventing PTSD and other mental issues. • The finding builds on the hygiene hypothesis, first proposed in 1989. Are modern societies trying too hard to be clean, at the detriment to public health? Scientists discovered that a microorganism living in dirt can actually be good for us, potentially helping the body to fight off stress. Harnessing its powers can lead to a "stress vaccine". Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found that the fatty 10(Z)-hexadecenoic acid from the soil-residing bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae aids immune cells in blocking pathways that increase inflammation and the ability to combat stress. The study's senior author and Integrative Physiology Professor Christopher Lowry described this fat as "one of the main ingredients" in the "special sauce" that causes the beneficial effects of the bacterium. The finding goes hand in hand with the "hygiene hypothesis," initially proposed in 1989 by the British scientist David Strachan. He maintained that our generally sterile modern world prevents children from being exposed to certain microorganisms, resulting in compromised immune systems and greater incidences of asthma and allergies. Contemporary research fine-tuned the hypothesis, finding that not interacting with so-called "old friends" or helpful microbes in the soil and the environment, rather than the ones that cause illnesses, is what's detrimental. In particular, our mental health could be at stake. "The idea is that as humans have moved away from farms and an agricultural or hunter-gatherer existence into cities, we have lost contact with organisms that served to regulate our immune system and suppress inappropriate inflammation," explained Lowry. "That has put us at higher risk for inflammatory disease and stress-related psychiatric disorders." University of Colorado Boulder Christopher Lowry This is not the first study on the subject from Lowry, who published previous work showing the connection between being exposed to healthy bacteria and mental health. He found that being raised with animals and dust in a rural environment helps children develop more stress-proof immune systems. Such kids were also likely to be less at risk for mental illnesses than people living in the city without pets. Lowry's other work also pointed out that the soil-based bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae acts like an antidepressant when injected into rodents. It alters their behavior and has lasting anti-inflammatory effects on the brain, according to the press release from the University of Colorado Boulder. Prolonged inflammation can lead to such stress-related disorders as PTSD. The new study from Lowry and his team identified why that worked by pinpointing the specific fatty acid responsible. They showed that when the 10(Z)-hexadecenoic acid gets into cells, it works like a lock, attaching itself to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR). This allows it to block a number of key pathways responsible for inflammation. Pre-treating the cells with the acid (or lipid) made them withstand inflammation better. Lowry thinks this understanding can lead to creating a "stress vaccine" that can be given to people in high-stress jobs, like first responders or soldiers. The vaccine can prevent the psychological effects of stress. What's more, this friendly bacterium is not the only potentially helpful organism we can find in soil. "This is just one strain of one species of one type of bacterium that is found in the soil but there are millions of other strains in soils," said Lowry. "We are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg in terms of identifying the mechanisms through which they have evolved to keep us healthy. It should inspire awe in all of us." Check out the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
Learn More about Effective One-Liners in Linux Shell Scripting Linux Shell Scripting (27) - Effective One-Liners (2) In the previous article, we had a talk on One-Liners. We have seen how a composite statement that is as short as fitting in one line can achieve very useful things that may need a five or ten-lines script to do. In this article, we are going to complete what we have started in the previous one. Enjoy!! Locating Files of Specific Day (Cont.) Now, we have this in hand: How to extract from this output the filenames and copy them all to another directory (before using scp, winscp, or filezilla to send them via email to the department that asked for them)?! If you count the fields, you may realize that the filename is the 9th field in the above output. Okay, where are our text-processing tools?! That is it!! Now, we can use a for loop to copy these files one after another to their destination. Deleting the Defined Disks Problem (AIX) Based on personal experience, this is a problem that I have faced (which still occurs from time to another). On AIX, for any hardware device to work properly, it must be marked as “Available” in the Object Data Manager (ODM). If for some reason or another, a device is disconnected or powered off, its status becomes “Defined”. In large systems, important data is not stored on local hard disks. It is usually kept on an external storage (SAN) that is connected to the server via fiber cabling. For redundancy and speed, each disk on the storage may be seen from multiple paths (via different fiber cards). Each path appears to the AIX operating system as if it were a child disk for a parent “logical” disk. This parent is what the administrator could use as a physical volume when working with LVM. So, for a large database that requires 4 or 5 terabytes of space, it may need about 100 physical volumes. Now, multiply this by 4 redundancy paths for each physical volume!! Oh!! About 500 (if not more) disks on the system. Now, if for some reason or another, the storage team needs to make a planed outage for some maintenance, or moving the storage from one place to another, they have to power off the storage, and before that, you had to bring down your databases and anything accessing the external storage to avoid unexpected problems. After powering on things, you will see long list of “Defined” disks. All the disks that were previously available are now marked as defined. If you scan for new hardware, your system will detect the disks again, but will give them numbers after the last used (defined) ones. Okay, that will not cause a problem, but it is better to remove any defined disks to keep your ODM clean. To remove a device in AIX, the following command is used: But we need to identify the defined disks first: This will return the list of defined disks: Now, we could delete those disks. To do, we could either use a for loop, or the xargs command: This will delete the defined disks one after another. Creating User Account and Assigning it a Password Your manager asked you to create a script that creates a user account, and assigns a random password to it. The script should first check whether there is an existing user with that name on the system. If not, your script should create it and assign it a password. If the user exists, nothing created. – What do you say?! Do you want to persuade me that all of this could be achieved by one-line code?! Impossible!! OK, “It always seems impossible until it is done”, as the South African leader Nelson Mandela said. To check if a user exists on the system, there are several ways. My favorite one is using the id command. So, the user ali exists, while hassan doesn’t. We need to decide based on the output of the id command whether a user will be created or not. Look at the following statement: As you remember, the OR operator \|\| will cause the statement on its right side to depend on the first (on the left side). i.e. if the left side statement evaluates to be true (or executed successfully), the right side statement won’t be executed. On the other hand, if the left side statement fails, the right side one will be executed. So, if the command id ali executes without errors (user ali exists), the useradd command won’t be executed (which is the case). Conversely, consider the case of the user hassan: The id command exits with error. So, the useradd command is executed, and the user is created. Now, it is time to generate a random password and assign it to the new user. I think you also remember the mkpasswd command that creates random passwords. One of the great capabilities of this command is that it could assign the generated password to a user you specify. So, the command now is: Well, the user has been created and assigned a brand new password. To verify the user is created: One point left: the silly error message that appears, we should do something to hide it. This is if the user already exists. If the user doesn’t exist, the error message that the id command prints won’t be displayed. User joe doesn’t exist, so it is created and assigned a new random password, and the password is printed on screen. All achieved using one line of code!! Isn’t it great?! * * * * * * I hope you like this article. See you in the next one. Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here
Avoiding the Resource Curse in Mozambique This page in: Coal piled and ready for export from an open-pit mine in Tete, Mozambique. ©Rafael Saute/World Bank ©Rafael Saute/World Bank The discovery of huge reserves of natural gas, coal deposits and rare earth minerals could be a game changer for the southern African country of Mozambique. With natural resource wealth estimated to generate annual revenues reaching $9 billion dollars or approximately 7% of GDP by 2032, the question then becomes “how will the country manage this revenue boom?” Mozambique faces the paradox of having one of the fastest sustained growth rates in Africa and one of the lowest ranking human development index (HDI). However, achieving shared prosperity and ending extreme poverty could now be a reality. Realizing this potential will require concerted efforts and sound management to avoid succumbing to the dreaded resource curse. The last few years have seen significant increases in public spending (well above regional peers), rising debt levels, and a widespread perception that governance efforts are stalling. To reverse these trends and anticipate a projected surge in resource revenues, set to occur toward the end of the decade, Mozambique needs to use the next several years to strengthen fiscal management and improve the institutional environment. Based on experiences in other resource rich countries, Mozambique could take the following six steps to steer the country on the path of inclusive growth and development: 1. Design a fiscal policy framework adapted to Mozambique’s context. For too long the mainstream advice for developing countries was to save resource revenues and invest them abroad. Given Mozambique’s urgent development needs, scaling up public investment and spending on health and education in line with absorptive capacity constraints seems more appropriate. Fiscal targets can be introduced to support this – such as Botswana’s expenditure growth target or Chile’s non-resource primary balance target. These targets can be supported by a fiscal rule, but this will only be credible if policy-makers stick to it. 2. Establish a resource fund. A fund could serve a number of objectives. A stabilization fund would address revenue volatility while a savings fund would help address absorptive capacity concerns while preserving wealth for future generations. The fund should focus on investing abroad to diversify risks – investing domestically could contribute to overheating and boom-and-bust cycles. 3. Consider adopting a broader sovereign asset and liabilities strategy. The discovery of natural resources has facilitated access to more complex financing mechanisms such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and non-concessional loans to finance public investments, which can generate significant contingent liabilities and fiscal risks. To avoid jeopardizing an otherwise prudent fiscal policy, these risks need to be managed, starting with greater disclosure of assets and liabilities in budget documentation. 4. Ensure the fiscal policy framework is well integrated in the budget. All public spending must be done through the national budget and parallel processes should be avoided. In particular, simple and transparent rules should guide how revenues from the resources fund(s) are spent through the budget. 5. Invest in institutions – in particular the country’s capacity to manage a larger public investment portfolio. Countries with strong governance have translated natural resource wealth into other forms of physical and human capital. This involves strengthening public financial management systems, prioritizing the transparency of public spending, and improving public investment management capacity. 6. Manage expectations. Unmet expectations could lead to widespread dissatisfaction, social unrest or even outright conflict. To avoid this, the government of Mozambique must engage in building an enduring consensus which requires a high degree of transparency and accountability, explaining to the country how the resources are being utilized. The extent to which Mozambique will be able to capitalize on its considerable natural resource wealth depends on how it prepares for its future. The time is ripe to start engaging the public to manage expectations and to strengthen institutions, setting the foundations for the considerable changes ahead. To read a World Bank policy note discussing these issues, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mozambique/research Join the Conversation Arsénio Macaliche Matavele September 10, 2014 Interesting article. The Human Rights League leader considers it was too soon to begin the explitation of these resources, as Mozambique was not prepared to all of this. But since it already started, the country needs to run against the clock to avoid the bad scenario that is predicted by many in a few years. September 11, 2014 Nice blog and interesting suggestions - but is there the political will/incentives to do any of these? Rene Peters September 29, 2014 The resource fund should only spend the capital gains, no? Jens-Peter Dyrbak September 27, 2014 Good points. Unfortunately, few - if any - of the 6 steps align with the political elite's interest, both in the short- and medium term. Therefore the much more interesting questions are around how to incentivise decision-makers to genuinely implement the 6 steps. Presumably this would involve a mix of international pressure, technical support to government, strengthening civil society and getting the oil and gas industry (local and international) to sign up to good practice. Anything else?
Although based in Los Angeles, CIT offers comprehensive Hausa language services including interpretation, translation and transcription, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, worldwide. Our interpreters and translators are native speakers who have been screened, certified, have provided credentials, field tested, and kept up to date with developments in both English and the Hausa language through means such as lectures, conferences, and travel. CIT’s Hausa language interpreters and translators possess in depth knowledge of the German language, as well as of the culture and history of the Hausa people, allowing them to provide informed and complete interpretation and translation. The Hausa Language The Hausa language is considered to be the most important indigenous language spoken in West and Central Africa. It is the first or second language spoken by about 45 million people. It is part of the Chadic languages and falls within in the Afro-Asiatic languages. The bulk of Hausa speaking people live on the border between Niger and Nigeria. About 1/5th of the people speak Hausa as their first language. The Hausa people are mainly Muslim and have a history of trading and attending pilgrimages to the Holy Cities of Islam. This has helped to carry the Hausa language to many cities all throughout Africa. The Hausa language is a tone language, meaning that the tone of a word is as important as the consonants and vowels. There are three tones in Hausa: high, low and falling. Hausa follows the Subject-Verb-Object order. Just like other Afro-Asiatic languages, there is a rich “root and pattern” system in the Hausa language. In the language itself, there are Square root symbols for consonantal “roots” that help to designate general concepts. There are some consonants that change during different circumstances and the root symbol helps to indicate that. Some changes might be in a patter or with certain consonants. In a singular form, the root deconstructs to become a vowel. Nouns can be in either singular or plural, masculine or feminine. A new word can be created from either a noun or a verb through derivation. One can add a different ending or tone pattern. Hausa verbs can be created through derivation or inflection. There are different forms known as A-B-C-D forms, depending on what type of object follows the verb made. The Hausa language had been written in a form of Arabic lettering called ajami. Starting in 1912, it is written in book and is based in the Latin alphabet. It is the orthography now used in education, print and general purposes. The Hausa language is an indigenous language of the government and constitution of Nigeria and Niger. There are two main dialects for the Hausa language. They are: northwestern Hausa, spoken in Niger and Sokoto and Katsina in Nigeria and the eastern Hausa dialect, with Kano, Zaria and Bauchi. Research on the Hausa language is fairly new. Around the 1850s, German missionary J.F. Schon began linguistic research on the Hausa language. The first course outside of Africa in the Hausa language was offered in Berlin in 1885. Presently, Hausa is taught in many areas of the world, particularly in universities that have departments specifically for the study of African languages. In 1934, the firs publication in Hausa was released by the Reverend G.P. Bargery with around 40,000 entries. In it were many Arabic, Kanuri and Tanajaq loanwords. Facts about Hausa • The Hausa people in Nigeria are almost all Muslim • The Hausa people practice agriculture • The average Hausa man is well versed in politics • Boys are flogged in order to certify them for marriage during the Fulani’s Sharo festival
The Magic behind Burp and ZAP and other Proxies If you build web applications and care about security, you have probably used the Burp and ZAP proxy security tools. These tools perform dynamic analysis on live web applications to identify security vulnerabilities. Burp and ZAP can discover issues with your applications as you nagivate through them via a browser. Essentially, you they configured to be a “man in the middle” and intercept all traffic between your browser and web application. Have you ever wondered how it is possible to intercept encrypted traffic over https? This article explains how it is done and provides a basic framework for creating your own proxy software. To get started with Burp and ZAP (from now on, I’ll refer to these as simply the “proxy”), you have to decide what port you want the proxy to listen on and configure your browser to use that port as a proxy. In Firefox, to use port 9000, your configuration might look like the following: Note, that the Use this proxy server for all protocols box should be checked. Your browser is now ready to send and receive data through a proxy. Let’s now start to put together some code to handle these browser requests. First, we’ll need to set up a ServerSocket to listen for requests: ServerSocketFactory serverSocketFactory = ServerSocketFactory.getDefault(); proxyServerSocket = serverSocketFactory.createServerSocket(LOCAL_PORT, 10000, InetAddress.getByName(LOCAL_INTERFACE)); ServerSocketHandler handler = new ServerSocketHandler(proxyServerSocket, false); Here we use a ServerSocketHandler thread to handle the requests: class ServerSocketHandler extends Thread { ServerSocket serverSocket; boolean secure; ServerSocketHandler(ServerSocket serverSocket, boolean secure) { this.serverSocket = serverSocket; = secure; public void run() { try { while (true) { Socket socket = serverSocket.accept(); RequestHandler handler = new RequestHandler(socket); } catch (IOException e) { This thread loops indefinitely. When it receives a request, it creates a RequestHandler to process it. The first thing it does is read the request: if (first) { first = false; String chunks[] = line.split(" "); method = chunks[0]; urlText = chunks[1]; buffer.append(line + "\r\n"); if (line.equals("")) In the code that follows there is an if statement to determine if the request is proxied over https and an else clause that follows. Let’s start with the else clause, which shows how non-https traffic is handled: else if (urlText != null) { System.out.println("ATTEMPTING URL: " + urlText); URL url = new URL(urlText); Request request = new Request(Message.parseMessage(new ByteArrayInputStream(buffer.toString().getBytes()), true)); SocketFactory socketFactory = SocketFactory.getDefault(); int port = url.getPort(); Socket targetSocket = socketFactory.createSocket(url.getHost(), port < 0 ? 80 : port); OutputStream targetOs = targetSocket.getOutputStream(); InputStream targetIs = targetSocket.getInputStream(); Response response = new Response(Message.parseMessage(targetIs, false)); final RequestResponse rr = new RequestResponse(request, response); Thread thread = new Thread() { public void run() { try { DataManager.INSTANCE.add(rr); } catch (IOException e) { In this block of code, we first create a Request object by parsing the bytes from the buffer object. buffer contains the contents of the HTTP request. The Request object is used to store an HTTP request. Its contents can be used to forward the original request to the target host and can be used to store the original request for our own purposes (just like Burp and ZAP). Next we create a socket using the target host address and send the request. We then read the response from the target host and parse that into a Response object. Now that we have a Request and Response, we can create a RequestResponse object and store it indefinitely using the DataManager class. We create a new thread to perform the actual storage because we don’t want to wait for this task to complete before sending the response back to the client. Finally we send the response back to the client. There should be no major surprises in what we have discussed thus far. Just as you might imagine a proxy intercepts a request and records it. It forward the request to the target host and the records the response before sending it back to the client. Proxying really only gets interesting when we start to examine what happens in an HTTPS request. You might think that the exact same process happens, except that it uses HTTPS. If you weren’t interesting in capturing the unencrypted data, there would be some truth to this, but otherwise it gets quite complicated. You must consider that a client wishing to exchange encrypted data with expects to receive an Certificate stamped with “” by a Certificate Authority. If you have used Burp or ZAP before, then you probably already know that they generate their own certificates using their own Certificate Authority certificate, which must also be installed as a trusted certificate in your browser. If that wasn’t clear, here it is in bullet form: 1. In PKI encryption, senders and receivers of encrypted data use certificates to identify themselves. Each certificate must be issued by a Certificate Authority. Certificate Authorities have certificates pre-installed in your browser and are automatically trusted. 2. Our proxy can’t use these certificates because they are password protected. Hence, we create our own Certificate Authority certificate, which we can use to issue our own certificates. 3. Our homegrown Certificate Authority certificate must be installed in the browser in order to trust our own web site certificate. Our first problem to tackle is generating a Certificate Authority certificate. I put together a utility class for this called CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil. It must be run once independent from the Proxy to create the certificate. It has a main method, which invokes the createAndExportSelfSignedCertificateTo (…) method. Here they are: createAndExportSelfSignedCertificateTo(CertUtil.KEY_PAIR_GENERATOR.generateKeyPair(), CA_KEYSTORE_FILE, CA_CERT_FILE); public static X509Certificate createAndExportSelfSignedCertificateTo(KeyPair caKeyPair, String keyStoreLocation, String derFileLocation) throws Exception { X509Certificate caCert = CertUtil.createCertificate(CA_X500_NAME, CA_X500_NAME, caKeyPair.getPublic(), caKeyPair.getPrivate(), true); KeyStore ks = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS"); ks.load(null, CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD.toCharArray()); ks.setKeyEntry(CA_KEY_ALIAS, caKeyPair.getPrivate(), CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD.toCharArray(), new X509Certificate[]{caCert}); try (PrintStream ps = new PrintStream(derFileLocation); FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(keyStoreLocation);) { CertUtil.printCertificateTo(caCert, ps);, CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD.toCharArray()); return caCert; These methods reference some class-scoped variables, some of which are initialized in a static initalizer block: static final File TMP_DIRECTORY = new File(System.getProperty("")); static final File DEFAULT_CA_KEY_STORE_FILE = new File(TMP_DIRECTORY, "cakeystore.ks"); static final File DEFAULT_CA_CERT_FILE = new File(TMP_DIRECTORY, "cacert.der"); static final String CA_KEY_STORE_FILE_PROPERTY_NAME = "ca-keystore-file"; static final String CA_CERT_FILE_PROPERTY_NAME = "ca-cert-file"; public static final String CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD = "password"; public static final String CA_KEY_ALIAS = "ca_alias"; public static final String X500_CN_COMMON_NAME_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority Inc."; public static final String X500_OU_ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority OrgUnit"; public static final String X500_O_ORGANIZATIONAL_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority Org"; public static final String X500_L_LOCALITY_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority City"; public static final String X500_ST_STATE_PROVINCE_NAME_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority State"; public static final String X500_C_COUNTRY_NAME_VALUE = "Fake Certificate Authority Country"; public static final String CA_KEYSTORE_FILE; public static final String CA_CERT_FILE; public static final X500Name CA_X500_NAME; static { String value = System.getProperty(CA_KEY_STORE_FILE_PROPERTY_NAME); CA_KEYSTORE_FILE = value == null ? DEFAULT_CA_KEY_STORE_FILE.getAbsolutePath() : value; value = System.getProperty(CA_CERT_FILE_PROPERTY_NAME); CA_CERT_FILE = value == null ? DEFAULT_CA_CERT_FILE.getAbsolutePath() : value; catch (IOException e) { throw new Error("Couldn't create Certificate Authority X500 Name", e); System.out.println("CA Keystore file: " + CA_KEYSTORE_FILE + ", and CA Cert file: " + CA_CERT_FILE); System.out.println("CA X500 Name: " + CA_X500_NAME); The static initializer is used set up the CA_KEYSTORE_FILE, CA_CERT_FILE, and CA_X500_Name constants. By making them static, they can be referenced by the proxy. The proxy will use the CA_KEYSTORE_FILE to get the Certificate Authority certificate’s private key, which will be used to create the certificate to send to the browser to impersonate the real host. It also uses CA_X500_NAME to create the certificate. Let’s now take a closer look at the createAndExportSelfSignedCertificateTo(…) method. The bulk of the code creates a KeyStore and stores the Certificate Authority certificate. However, the first line creates the Certificate Authority certificate by calling a method in the CertUtil utility class, createCertificate(…). This method can be used to create Certificate Authority certificates or SSL certificates. It has a boolean isCertificateAuthority parameter to specify which type. Here is the code: public static X509Certificate createCertificate(X500Name name, X500Name issuerName, PublicKey publicKey, PrivateKey signerPrivateKey, boolean isCertificateAuthority) throws Exception { X509CertInfo certInfo = new X509CertInfo(); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.SERIAL_NUMBER, new CertificateSerialNumber(new BigInteger(64, new SecureRandom()))); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.VERSION, new CertificateVersion(CertificateVersion.V3)); // Validity Date validFrom = new Date(); Date validTo = new Date(validFrom.getTime() + ONE_YEAR); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.VALIDITY, new CertificateValidity(validFrom, validTo)); boolean justName = isJavaAtLeast(1.8); if (justName) { certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.SUBJECT, name); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.ISSUER, issuerName); else { certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.SUBJECT, new CertificateSubjectName(name)); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.ISSUER, new CertificateIssuerName(issuerName)); if (isCertificateAuthority) { CertificateExtensions ext = new CertificateExtensions(); ext.set(BasicConstraintsExtension.NAME, new BasicConstraintsExtension(Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.TRUE, 0)); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.EXTENSIONS, ext); // Key and algorithm certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.KEY, new CertificateX509Key(publicKey)); AlgorithmId algorithm = new AlgorithmId(AlgorithmId.sha1WithRSAEncryption_oid); certInfo.set(X509CertInfo.ALGORITHM_ID, new CertificateAlgorithmId(algorithm)); // Create a new certificate and sign it X509CertImpl cert = new X509CertImpl(certInfo); cert.sign(signerPrivateKey, SHA1WITHRSA); return cert; Here is an overview of what it does: 1. Creates an X509CertInfo object and gives it a serial and version number 2. Defines the period for which it is valid 3. Sets the subject and issuer 4. Sets appropriate properties if creating a Certificate Authority 5. Sets the public key and algorithm 6. Signs it If we now jump back to the createAndExportSelfSignedCertificateTo(…) method, you’ll note it not only stores the certificate in the KeyStore, but also writes out the certificate to disk. This is so it can easily be imported by a browser. By default, the certificate is written to <>/cacert.der. Let’s now import it into FireFox. First, click the Open Menu button and select Options: Next, search for “Certificate” and click View Certificates: In the result dialog, click the Authorities tab and then click the Import… button: A file browser dialog will appear. Now select the <>/cacert.der file you created earlier. The following dialog will appear: Click the first check box and click the OK button. You have now imported the Certificate Authority certificate into your browser. We can now get back to understanding the proxy code, but first, let’s consider how a proxy would be able to process an HTTPS request if it is encrypted. Specifically, if HTTPS functioned the same as HTTP, the proxy wouldn’t know the target address because it is embedded in an encrypted HTTP request. To solve this problem, HTTPS uses a variation on HTTP. Instead of embedding the target host and port in the request headers, it sends a Connect request, which contains the URL and the HTTP method (i.e. GET, POST etc). The proxy will send back a receipt of the Connect request with a 200 response code. Here is the relevant code: if ("connect".equalsIgnoreCase(method)) { String connectResponse = "HTTP/1.0 200 Connection established\n" + "Proxy-agent: ProxyServer/1.0\n" + The next step is to create an SSLSocketFactory object to communicate with the real host over SSL: SSLSocketFactory secureSocketFactory = CertUtil.getTunnelSSLSocketFactory(url.getHost()); You will notice the getTunnelSSLSocketFactory(…) method takes a parameter of the target host. We need this information to set up a fake certificate. Here is the code: public static SSLSocketFactory getTunnelSSLSocketFactory(String hostname) throws UnrecoverableKeyException, KeyStoreException, NoSuchAlgorithmException, Exception { SSLSocketFactory factory = factoryMap.get(hostname); if (factory != null) return factory; try { SSLContext ctx = SSLContext.getInstance("TLS"); KeyManagerFactory kmf = KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(KeyManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm()); KeyStore ks = generateHostKeystore(hostname); kmf.init(ks, PASSWORD.toCharArray()); random = new; ctx.init(kmf.getKeyManagers(), null, random); SSLSocketFactory tunnelSSLFactory = ctx.getSocketFactory(); factoryMap.put(hostname, tunnelSSLFactory); return tunnelSSLFactory; catch (Exception e) { throw new RuntimeException(e); The first line checks to see if we have set up an SSLSocketFactory for this host already. If so, we re-use it. The rest of this code is standard code for setting up the factory except for this line: KeyStore ks = generateHostKeystore(hostname); generateHostKeyStore(…) is another utility method in CertUtil, which we require to set up the SSLSocketFactory. Here is the code: public synchronized static KeyStore generateHostKeystore(String host) throws Exception { try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil.CA_KEYSTORE_FILE); ) { KeyStore caKeyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS"); caKeyStore.load(fis, CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil.CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD.toCharArray()); PrivateKey caPrivateKey = (PrivateKey) caKeyStore.getKey(CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil.CA_KEY_ALIAS, CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil.CA_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD.toCharArray()); KeyPair hostKeyPair = KEY_PAIR_GENERATOR.generateKeyPair(); X500Name hostName = createName(host, X500_HOST_OU_ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT_VALUE, X500_HOST_O_ORGANIZATIONAL_VALUE, X500_HOST_L_LOCALITY_VALUE, X500_HOST_ST_STATE_PROVINCE_NAME_VALUE, X500_HOST_C_COUNTRY_NAME_VALUE); cert = createCertificate(hostName, CreateCertificateAuthorityUtil.CA_X500_NAME, hostKeyPair.getPublic(), caPrivateKey, false); PrivateKey privateKey = hostKeyPair.getPrivate(); KeyStore hostKeyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS"); hostKeyStore.load(null, PASSWORD.toCharArray()); hostKeyStore.setKeyEntry(HOST_ALIAS, privateKey, PASSWORD.toCharArray(), new[] { cert }); return hostKeyStore; Here is an overview of the code: 1. Extract the Certificate Authority private key from the Certificate Authority keystore 2. Generate a new KeyPair for the new SSL certificate 3. Create the X500Name for the host 4. Create the host certificate using the CertUtil.createCertificate(…) method 5. Store the host certificate in an in-memory KeyStore Let’s now go back to the proxy code. After we create the SSLSocketFactory, we have the following line: SSLSocket sslSocket = (SSLSocket) secureSocketFactory.createSocket(socket, socket.getInetAddress().getHostAddress(), socket.getPort(), true); This is a special version of the SecureSocketFactory.createSocket(…) method, which takes a socket a parameter. Essentially, it abstract the encryption/decryption for us so we can read and write unencrypted data to the socket that the browser is connected to. The next few lines tell the socket to behave in client mode and initate the SSL handshake: try { } catch (Exception e) { System.err.println("Error on URL: " + urlText); throw new RuntimeException(e); The rest of the code in this method is essentially the same as the code for handling HTTP in the else clause. You can now run the Proxy class and start proxying! You should note that this code is only proof-of-concept quality and would need a vast amount of improvement before being production ready. For example, it only handles 200 response codes. It will throw exceptions for other response codes. You may also want to note the following: 1. The code uses restricted access APIs from the JRE. In order to reference them in Eclipse, you will have to modify how Eclipse treats these APIs. Specifically, go to Java Compiler Errors/Warnings panel and change the Forbidden Reference (access rules) setting from Error to Warning or less. 2. When testing your proxy code, it can be a little bit overwhelming when visiting a real web page. Most web pages don’t generate a single request. With images, style sheets, and scripts, a single web page can generate many requests. It can be confusing the debug your proxy code, when multiple requests are being created concurrently. To skirt this issue, I created a ProxyTest class, which uses HttpURLConnection to send a single request. Here is the code: public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException { proxy = new, new InetSocketAddress(Proxy.DEFAULT_LOCAL_INTERFACE, Proxy.DEFAULT_LOCAL_PORT)); // URL url = new URL(""); // URL url = new URL(""); // URL url = new URL(""); URL url = new URL(""); HttpURLConnection c = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(proxy); InputStream is = c.getInputStream(); IOUtil.copy(is, System.out); You should be aware that HttpURLConnection has setFollowRedirects(…) set to false. It will otherwise generate multiple requests for a redirect response code, which can be confusing. You can find the full source code for this project on GitHub and the javadocs here. This entry was posted in https, proxy, Security, Web. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Reply
I want to generate waveform with f = 196 Hz using only normal mode. Here is the code I use. Whenever the timer overflows TOV1 is set and PIND0 will toggle. TOV1 is cleared after that and I wait for another overflown to happen so PIND0 will toggle again. I tried my code, with PIND0 connected to the LED. On power up, the LED turned on and off a short time after that but it didn't turn on again. Because it had turned off means that the overflown happened so PIND is toggled but I don't know why it didn't turn on again. I even tried to not clear TOV1 but get the same result as TOV1 is cleared. #include <avr/io.h> #define F_CPU 25690112UL int main(void) TIFR1 \|= (1<<TOV1); // clear timer 1 overflown flag DDRD = 0xFF; // set port D as output TCCR1B = 0b00000001; // using internal I/O clock with prescaler 1 while(TIFR1 & (1<<TOV1)){ PIND ^= (1<<PD0); // toggle bit 0 on port D TIFR1 \|= (1<<TOV1); // clear TOV1 by adding 1 to TOV1 Can anyone see an error in my code? • \$\begingroup\$ Can you try using if instead of while(TIFR1 & (1<<TOV1)){ \$\endgroup\$ – Swanand Dec 21 '15 at 7:43 The PIND ^= (1 << PD0) line is off. The PIN register holds the actual physical state pins, and would not normally be written. The PORT register sets the state of the pin drivers. However, as a common read-only register is a waste of I/O address space, Atmel added a neat feature to the pin register: Writing a bit mask to PIN will toggle the corresponding bits in PORT. The line 'PIND ^= mask' is then approximately the same as PORTD XOR PIND XOR mask. Since PIND reads the pins PORTD drives, PIND is usually = PORTD, which results in this being equivalent to 'PORTD = mask'. Try substituting 'PIND' with 'PORTD', -or- '^=' with just '=' Your Answer
Short Fuse? It Could Be Adult Oppositional Defiant Disorder ADDitude Magazine Online by Russell Barkley, Ph.D. ODD is often associated with temper tantrums in unruly ADHD children. But expert Russell Barkley, Ph.D., explains that Oppositional Defiant Disorder occurs in adults with attention deficit. What are the Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in Adults? Adults with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) feel mad at the world, and they lose their temper regularly, sometimes daily. Adults with ODD defend themselves relentlessly when someone says they've done something wrong. They feel misunderstood and disliked, hemmed in and pushed around. Some feel like mavericks or rebels. What Causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Adults? It's unclear. It could be that a pattern of rebellion sets in when children with ADHD are constantly at odds with adults who are trying to make them behave in ways that their executive function deficit prohibits. By the time kids have had ADHD symptoms for two or three years, 45 to 84 percent of them develop oppositional defiant distorder, too. How does ADHD Relate to Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Adults? It could be that the emotional regulation problems that come with attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD) make it more difficult to manage anger and frustration. The impulsive emotion associated with ADHD means a greater quickness to anger, impatience, and a low frustration tolerance, which can be the spark that lights the fire of ODD. Venting and acting out toward others leads to conflict. Maybe that's why adults with ODD are more likely to get fired, even though poor work performance ratings are caused more by ADHD. How is Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Adults Treated? In many cases, the stimulant medications used to treat ADHD also improve ODD. What if ADHD Medication Doesn't Help? Enroll in an anger-management course given by a mental health professional at a health clinic or a community college. Taking Charge of Anger, a book by Robert Nay, offers practical advice that may benefit an adult with ODD. Some adults require a second medication, in addition to stimulants, to manage ODD. Learn more about oppositional defiant disorder in children.
Children’s music with a purpose: Bialik’s influence on Israeli culture By Sheershak Agarwal, Adavya Bhalla, Alan Robon & Isaiah Tabalbag Hayim Nahman Bialik When Americans think of children’s music, songs like “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and “I’m a Little Teapot” come to mind, songs that teach a small lesson about how an animal sounds or the anatomy of a teapot. However, many Israelis visualize the famous lyrics of Hayim Nahman Bialik’s poems that were later set to music. Written a hundred years ago, these songs by Israel’s national poet convey important messages about Jewish culture and tradition that still resound with many Israelis today. One of his more famous songs, “NadNed” (“Seesaw”), describes a seesaw going “down, up, up, down” and consists of only eight lines. Bialik wrote “NadNed” to popularize Hebrew as a spoken language. His songs quickly spread in Palestine near the end of the Ottoman period and continued to persist when the empire fell into the newly established British Mandate. However, “NadNed” also held an important message hidden beneath the cute exterior. The song describes two people “balanced on the scales” of a seesaw, which sounds somewhat absurd. To balance on a seesaw is almost impossible. Normally one side is taller than the other as it bounces back and forth from the pivot point. It stands in equilibrium for a fleeting moment, until one side inevitably reaches towards the sky, and the other towards the earth. Bialik created this image of absurdity to describe the precarious balance between religious traditionalists and modern secular Zionist movements. These two groups both desired to express their Jewish identity, so their ideas should align and be in equilibrium. Yet these two groups differed in many ways and could never be in perfect equilibrium. They go back and forth just like the swing of a seesaw. In the third line of the song, Bialik explicitly alludes to the Talmud with the lyrics “What is above, what is down below.” The Talmud, a Rabbinic text, is the primary source of Jewish law and theology. For many years it has been a crucial part of Jewish cultural life, so much so that many Jewish individuals, even those who are not very religious, would be able to identify this line. His reference to the Talmud conveys the aforementioned idea that the seesaw represents the equilibrium between the secular and religious Jewish ideals. However, Bialik provides a remedy for instability with the lyrics “the two of us balanced on the scales,” conveying his hopes that these two aspects of Jewish life will come together in order to create a positive, unified image. With the widespread use of the internet, people have created music videos for Bialik’s songs, continuing their popularity and adding another layer to the meaning of the piece. The creator of this “NadNed” video included two children on a seesaw in a grassy field with a frog and snail by their feet and a plane in the sky. By incorporating these images that enthrall children in real life, the graphic artist heightens the child’s attention in the video, promoting its popularity. Also, in this visual adaptation of Bialik’s song, the artist drew the two children on the seesaw to be of different races. The artist created one child, the female, to be a pale peach and the other, the male, to be a coffee brown. Instead of drawing two individuals being from the religious and secular movements, the artist modernized the conflict to be between Ashkenazi Jews and Arab Jews. In a land so rife with discord, the artist implies that even though parents cannot always agree on things, children, for a time, are unaffected by the racial bias that their parents hold. Both the lyrics and the video of this song appear simple, but when looked at under a microscope, the values of this song become clear. Instead of creating a simple song only meant to teach the child how a cow or a teapot sounds, Bialik used his creative writing to initiate a new beginning for Jewish children and their families almost forty years before Israel’s statehood. His message of unity in Israel transcends that era, as seen by this video adaptation. The simple lyrics can be modified to relate to any of the opposing groups in Israel and, more generally, to opposing groups across the globe that are trying to compromise on conflicting ideas but are struggling to find elusive equilibrium. This post was written by Sheershak Agarwal, Adavya Bhalla, Alan Robon, and Isaiah Tabalbag, University of Washington undergraduate students who took Naomi Sokoloff’s course, Near East in Song (NEAR E 287), in fall 2019. Leave A Comment
Стилистический анализ текста Fard The analysis of the text Fard by A. Huxley. The analysis of the text «Fard» by Slepova K.E The text under analysis «Fard» was written by Aldous Huxley, an English writer and a novelist. He was widely acknowledged as one of the prominent intellectuals of his time. She was interested in scientific literature and his short interesting stories excellent depict an intelligent social life. The text presents a psychological type of the story with the elements of satire and social cynicism. The story is connected with mental emotional lives of the characters. According to the genre, the text presents a drama based on complicated relationship between the characters in different social position. The story is written in the third-person narration. The author is not the character of the story and he is not involved in the plot. But the story is filtered and reflected through the prism of his mind and eye. The narration is dynamic so it is interlaced with the dialogues and inner monologue of the maid Sophie. Through the dialogues the characters are better portrayed. The tone of the story changes from the beginning to the end. Firstly, it is more dramatic and pessimistic as the reader feels social injustice in bourgeois society and sympathizes the maid, who is under control of imperious woman. But then, the atmosphere shifts to satirical tone as the author does not support the woman who complains about her tragic life. I should say that there are double themes in this story. The first one is bourgeois society in which two ladies are in a different position and the second one is the relationship between wife and husband. These theme are connected with each other and have an equal weight because Madame equally selfishly treats people who surround her either it is her husband or her maid. I'll focus on the first theme. The problem raised by the author is egoism from well-to-do women towards those who serve them. Sometimes people who think that they are the best forget about tenderness and live in their own world of fantasy. The idea of the text is that prosperous people should not behave themselves so indifferent and egoistic towards served people and everyone should be treated equally. The title cannot let us guess the meaning until the final part. It reflects the point of the text and gives the ground for thoughts. The fard is something like a mask that helps Madame to get rid of poor and ugly person. It depicts her human nature and all that she wants is only richness and prosperity. The setting of the story is important and has a relationship both a plot and the characters. At the time of bourgeois society influences on people's ideology, position and economic interests. So those people who have good social status try to bring people under control in order to improve their well-being. The language is connotative as the author wants us both see and feel the setting of the story. It makes the readers be closer to the actions. The story opens with the introduction of an imperious woman who argues with her husband about money. All their quarrels are heard by Sophie, an old exhausted maid. She gets used to serve Madame from morning till night. She is so tired that the one thing she dreams is deep sleep. But Madame does not sympathizes her because she thinks only herself. Madame sees her tiredness and, instead of supporting her, she masks her face with fard. The composition of the story is not a traditional one so there is an open plot structure. Compositionally the text can be distinguished into three logical parts. The first part can be named as Sophie’s thoughts. It includes inner monologue of Sophie during the quarreling. The general atmosphere is rather emotional and it proves climax at the beginning of the story. It is the most powerful and significant part of the story as it intensifies the tension between Madame and her husband Monsieur. The falling actions come when the quarrel is over. The second part is the complaints of Madame. There is an exposition. From this part we get acquainted with the main characters, Madame and her maid Sophie. The atmosphere shifts to sarcastic tone. The reader understands what she is a sort of women and the author satirizes her tragic being. The last part is the Madame’s selfishness. We see how she decides to get rid of poor and ugly people by using a mask. The atmosphere is strange and weird. She does not want to help or deal with them. There is no denouement because we do not see the mutually acceptable solution. So the author gives a chance reader to end it on their own way. The main characters of the story are Madame and her maid Sophie. The minor character is husband Monsieur. Sophie is a protagonist and Madame is an antagonist. There is an external conflict between them. Madame does not respect her tireless efforts and Sophie suffers from it. Also there is an internal conflict inside the soul of Sophie as she wants to get free time for relax but in the way Madame treats he it is impossible. The main characters are portrayed in a direct method of characterization: we know the age and can imagine the appearance through their description. Sophie is a miserable, hard-working old maid who serves imperious woman from morning till night. We can indicate repetition of the word «a hard day» to depict a bad condition of Sophie, for instance, «It had been hard day; so hard yesterday, so had the day before. Every day was a hard day, and she was not so young a she had been.. Every day had been a hard day ever since she could remember.». The author also uses repetition of the word «slowly» to describe her tiredness «Slowly, slowly she was walking along the dusty road with the sack over her shoulder». Madame is a cruel and egoist figure. Madame treats her like an ugly and an old person who does not need any sympathy. She says Sophie looked like one of those beggar women one sees on a cold morning». The author uses simile to describe her attitude towards served people. She thinks only about herself and complains that she is a tragic woman in her life. The author satirizes her by using oxymoron « was admiring her own splendid tragic figure», «Behind the beautiful tragedian». When she argues with husband, the author uses onomatoepia, for instance, « Bow, wow, wow-wow-wow, wow – a dog barking rather slowly ». Through this device the author indirect compares his voice with animal so we can feel the tension between them. There are a lot of epithets which describe the relationships between wife and husband «harsh, deep, angry shout», «muted and inarticulate, the voices», « loud shrillness» , «harsh, dangerous laugh» , «heavy footsteps», «aching fatigue». Madame is quite emotional and sensual. The author says «her cheeks were flushed», « the voiced floated down the corridor, from the other end of the flat», «her blue eyes shone with an usual brilliance». This is how through these metaphorical personifications the author discloses her nature. She is scandalized by the way her husband treats her. There are many exclamatory sentences to depict the indignation of Madame « And what beautiful verses Hegesippe writes about you! What passion, what fire!», «What a death’s head the old woman looked nowadays!». The author uses aposiopesis «These men… What an embarassment!» to create an internal conflict inside Madame. Most people think that person deserves to be treated with respect. The author raises the problem of social inequality and that people should so egoistic towards others. I totally agree with him and I think that people are equal anyway. We live in a modern society where any person has the rights to be treated well. This is extremely cruel to treat people with less fortunate like a servant or even an animal. Others believe that any society must treats people according to their status and financial position. They think that people have to serve well-to-do men or women. Every rich and prosperous person influences on poor people because he can buy any conveniences for his life and can allow himself a luxury life than those who cannot. As for me, I strongly believe that rich people should not treat others like dirt. One of my classmates treats less rich people like dirt. He was born in a rich family and believes that only rich people are able to get along with him. There is no doubt that he was alone and no one wanted to be his friend. Time changes and I am convinced that a really successful and rich person has another value then those who have only money. The most successful individual has a family, trust and respect from people. He can be poor outside but very rich inside. As a matter of fact, such people have more chances to become better. Summing up, I want to say that this story is quite interesting. I like psychology, and I believe that Aldous Huxley is a very good psychologist. His short interesting story excellent depicts a realistic story and tells us about the relationship between social inequality. That is why "Fard" is especially interesting for me. The main characters are different from each other, have their own life credo and the system of value. The story under discussion focuses on the problems that exist in a family in which the members of it quarrel all the time because of money. I believe that we can meet such people in our real life. They are highlighted like miserable men who are worried only their own prosperity. If you feel you are dating an egotistic individual, work towards dealing with the egotism in the relationship. It is also important to communicate your needs to your partner, and make sure you are taking care of yourself. That is why I think that they are true to life. Приложенные файлы Добавить комментарий

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