text
stringlengths 144
682k
|
|---|
2017 is predicted to be the year that the Blockchain technology moves towards main stream implementation.
To visualize this, let us consider a use case of a credit card processing giant, that facilitates new commerce opportunities for the digital transfer of value by allowing businesses and financial institutions to facilitate transactions on a distributed ledger. In this use case, the distributed digital ledger will be shared within a network of computers held by the participating businesses and financial institutions. The participants in the network will have copies of the existing Blockchain, and approval for any new transaction is subject to the decision of the majority of the participants. The new block is added to the Blockchain once the transaction’s validity is authenticated.
The heart of the Blockchain validation technology is a Smart Contract. A Smart Contract is a set of rules in the form of programmable constructs that are capable of automatically enforcing themselves when pre-defined conditions are met. An example of a pre-condition could state that transactions beyond a certain limit will undergo additional validations.
From a technology standpoint a Smart Contract is an API. It has public functions which might be called by anyone registered on the Blockchain network. However, unlike a traditional API, a Smart Contract cannot call external web APIs.
The reason why testing is very critical is that when a contract is created, it is immutable; once deployed to the Blockchain it stays there forever. If you find a defect in production, a new version of the contract has to be created and deployed. When you deploy a new version of an existing contract, data stored in the previous contract isn’t automatically transferred – you have to manually initialize the new contract with the past data which makes it very cumbersome. Similarly, updating a contract is not possible and neither is rolling back an update; this greatly increasing the complexity of implementation and places a huge responsibility on the quality assurance team to get it right the first time. Three critical steps in testing a smart contract have been defined below; it is crucial to keep these in consideration when testing Blockchain.
• Step 1: Validating the methods in a Smart Contract: This is essentially similar to API testing where one would use method validations, boundary value analysis, decision tables, test driven development and behavior driven development techniques.
• Step 2: Validating encryption and transmission of Smart Contracts: This refers to the validation of the encrypted Smart contracts sent out to other computers via a distributed network of ledgers (i.e. Distributed Ledgers). Two validation scenarios are possible: facilitated via public permission less Blockchain (you do not need a previous relationship with the ledger) such as bitcoin, the contract is sent out similar to the way that a network update of a bitcoin transaction would occur. This can also be done in a permissioned (recognized by ledger) hybrid distributed ledger platform such as R3.
• Step 3: Validating Processing of Smart Contracts: This is the most complicated part. Once the computers in this network of distributed ledgers, in this case financial institutions, receive the executing code(Smart Contract api), they each come to an individual agreement on the code execution.The network would then update the distributed ledgers to record the execution of the contract and ending with monitoring for compliance within the terms of the smart contract. In this type of system, execution is no longer in the hands of a single party. Validation is a very manual intensive process requiring a great deal of understanding of the business process of the participating financial institutions behind the Smart Contract .Other things that will come into play are regulatory tests, performance tests and business impacts of downstream systems.
Smart Contract testing is complicated and in the nascent stage; forward-thinking QA teams need to future-proof by building specialized capabilities for validating Smart Contracts. Testers will need to learn API skills, regulatory, security, data and business process domain skills. Those who can bridge the gap between business, domain and technology will be highly sought after in the near future.
|
Saturday , September 23 2017
Blog » Health Blog » Family Health » Menopause & The Changes It Brings With It
Menopause & The Changes It Brings With It
Menopause is a normal condition that every woman experiences as she ages, generally after the age of 40. It describes all changes that a woman experiences either just before or after she stops menstruating. This phase marks the end of reproductive period for a woman. It is a natural biological process, and though it ends fertility, women can stay healthy, sexual and vital even after.
Onset of Menopause
A woman is born with a finite number of eggs that are stored in the ovaries. Each month, an ovary releases one egg, under the influence of hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are also released by the ovary and help regulate ovulation and menstruation. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop releasing the egg every month. Its most visible sign is the stoppage of menstruation.
Normal menopause sets in by the age of 40, though some women may experience it early due to certain medical or surgical conditions. Natural menopause process sets in gradually, and can be divided into three stages:
1. Perimenopause – This stage typically sets in few years before actual menopause happens and lasts up to the point when ovaries stop releasing eggs. It is characterised by a gradual drop in the levels of oestrogen produced by the ovaries. The level drop accelerates in the last two years before menopause occurs.
2. Menopause – This stage is defined as the point that is reached after one year of the last menstrual period. At this stage, ovaries have stopped producing most of the oestrogen and no egg is released.
3. Postmenopause – These define the years after menopause, and are characterised by menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and other effects of loss of oestrogen.
Hormonal changes associated with menopause
The following hormonal changes mark menopause:
1. Decline and stoppage of production and release of oestrogen and progesterone.
2. Continued production of small amounts of testosterone (male hormone) that can be converted to oestrogen in body fat.
3. Continued production of androstenedione (male hormone) by the adrenal gland. It is converted to estradiol and estrone in body fat.
However, the total amount of oestrogen in the body is far less as compared to pre-menopausal stage.
Symptoms of menopause
In the perimenopausal stage (or the months or years leading up to menopause), a woman may experience the following:
1. Irregular periods
2. Hot flashes
3. Night sweats
4. Vaginal dryness
5. Trouble sleeping
6. Mood swings
7. Slowed metabolism and weight gain
8. Dry skin and thinning hair
9. Loss of breast fullness
Skipping periods or irregular cycles is very common during the perimenopausal stage. Menstrual periods often occur every two to four months during this time, though it is possible for a woman to get pregnant at this stage too. Women experiencing symptoms of menopause must consult a gynaecologist.
Diagnosis does not really require tests to confirm menopausal transition. However, the doctor may recommend some blood tests to check the following:
1. Levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and oestrogen (estradiol). FSH levels increase and oestrogen levels drop in menopause.
2. Levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), to rule out hypothyroidism that causes similar symptoms.
Other conditions that can induce menopause
The natural cause of menopause is the biological decline of reproductive hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. As these hormones decline, the fertility drops, ovaries stop releasing eggs, and a woman does not get her periods.
However, certain other conditions can also lead to menopause. These include:
1. Hysterectomy – Removal of uterus (partial hysterectomy) by itself does not cause menopause as although a woman no longer has her menstrual periods, the ovaries continue to release eggs and produce oestrogen and progesterone. However, total hysterectomy and oophorectomy (removal of uterus and ovaries) does result in abrupt menopause. Periods stop and the woman is likely to experience other symptoms.
2. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy – These cancer treatments can cause symptoms of menopause during or after the treatment course. However, the effect may not be permanent.
3. Primary ovarian insufficiency – Genetic factors or autoimmune disease can result in premature menopause, with the ovaries failing to produce sufficient levels of reproductive hormones.
Treatment or methods to relieve menopause symptoms
Since menopause is a natural biological phenomenon, it does not require medical treatment. However, the signs and symptoms that accompany menopause can be source of discomfort to most women and treatment focuses on relieving the same. It includes:
1. Hormone therapy – Oestrogen therapy remains the most effective method for relieving hot flashes.
2. Vaginal oestrogen – Oestrogen may be administered directly to the vagina in form of a cream, tablet or ring to ease vaginal dryness, discomfort during intercourse and urinary symptoms. The vaginal tissue absorbs the oestrogen released.
3. Antidepressants – Low dose antidepressants belonging to the class selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may decrease menopausal hot flashes.
4. Treating osteoporosis with medication – Doctor may recommend medicines to reduce the risk of bone loss and fractures during menopause.
Lifestyle remedies to tackle menopause
1. Hot flashes can be dealt with by avoiding spicy foods, stress, hot beverages like caffeine, hot weather and alcohol.
2. Quitting smoking can be helpful in reducing the incidence of hot flashes and may even delay the onset of menopause.
3. Getting enough sleep is beneficial. Avoiding caffeine and exercise before bedtime, and drinking too much alcohol are helpful in providing an uninterrupted sleep.
4. Exercising regularly helps deal with the various effects of ageing, including osteoporosis.
5. Pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegel exercises) help improve some forms of urinary incontinence.
6. Practising relaxation techniques like deep breathing and massages can help relieve menopausal symptoms.
“Medical Causes of Menopause,”,
“Menopause,”, Mayo Clinic Staff,
“Menopause,”, University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC),
“Menopause Basics,”,
|
Advanced search
how to expand DS's vocabulary?
(15 Posts)
nonicknameseemsavailable Fri 28-Feb-14 21:15:47
my daughter loves her junior thesaurus - she finds it fascinating to see how other words can be used for the same thing. and poetry is another great suggestion too.
we are currently trying to introduce metaphors and idioms to my daughter as some concerns have been raised because she doesn't know them (they are worried about processing problems) so the suggestion from Speech and Language Therapists was to talk about a different one each day or week, you can look them up on the internet and talk about what it means, the origin of it and how it might be used. see if you can include it in a conversation, so it becomes like a game. there are some really ridiculous ones out there when you start looking at them - quite entertaining really.
Ferguson Fri 28-Feb-14 18:59:08
Yes, well done! Charity shops and 'car boots' can produce all sorts of treasures sometimes!
I'm sure he will continue to do well, because helpful support at home can be very useful. But there are, unfortunately, some English families who do not, or possibly cannot, provide support, and think it is only the school's responsibility.
If ever you need specific help, feel free to 'message' me if you wish.
xing Fri 28-Feb-14 10:01:55
Ferguson, thanks for your reassurance! And thanks for the idea of THESAURUS. I also dug out two sets of Oxford Poems and Oxford Word and Phrases collections (brand new!). I bought them from a car book sale before my son was born, now they can come to life!
Ferguson Thu 27-Feb-14 18:03:43
Hi - I was a primary Teaching Assistant for twenty years. Sometimes children from a non-English background can make BETTER progress because parents and child are prepared to put in more effort than an English child of similar age.
Yes, reading as widely as possible is the first thing. As someone said a THESAURUS is useful, but a book, not just on the computer. You can get children's versions, and it shows you lots of words that you can use instead of the simple word. So, suppose you have the word HOUSE: other words might be home, cottage, bungalow, flats, mansion, palace, dwelling, residence, abode, hut, shack, pad (slang word). etc. Depending on where the word is to be used, some words are suitable, others are not.
You can also get a children's 'Rhyming Dictionary', so you look at one word, and it shows you ones that rhyme with it; that might help you find words you wouldn't normally come across.
You can also get free on-line:
In the MN 'Book Reviews' section, under children's educational books and courses I did a review of a Phonics Spelling Dictionary, which will help a lot with English spelling (which can be difficult for some people.)
TeacakeEater Thu 27-Feb-14 11:22:52
Would you enjoy talking about the news together?
First News as mentioned above is a newspaper aimed at primary aged children. Then as time goes on you might find a regular magazine about an interest good to share eg National Geographic or BBC History.
I noticed Schofield and Sim have a Vocabulary Workbook which might be useful.
AbbyR1973 Thu 27-Feb-14 11:00:57
I think you can't beat reading and reading in variety for improving vocabulary. DC reading to himself is great, but can you read to him? You can then tackle a book which is a bit beyond his current reading skills and this will introduce more advanced vocabulary, eg D1 might read himself beast quest or Harry potter, but he still gets a bedtime story from me- we have read all sorts, at the moment I'm reading him Prince Caspian. Also the differences between vocabulary in different sorts of writing eg fact books, magazines, children's newspapers eg first news.
xing Thu 27-Feb-14 10:50:22
Spaghettinetti , thanks, yes, it makes sense. My worry is that as I am a foreigner, I used simply vocabularies at home, I worry that this will hinder his learning of advanced vocabularies. So I would like to find a tool/website to help him. I do buy him a lot of books though.
Crowler Wed 26-Feb-14 19:06:21
As said, reading & parental vocab. That's it.
Spaghettinetti Wed 26-Feb-14 17:37:55
I seem to have missed a few words out in my above post...I hope it still makes sense... :-/
Spaghettinetti Wed 26-Feb-14 17:35:53
The more words you use at home, the great his vocabulary will become. I wouldn't plonk the lad in front of a computer, but maybe play a game after dinner, where you think of a word and list as many synonyms as you can. You could do it from your memory whereas DS could use a Thesaurus. The aim would be for him to find more than you, but you could have a 10 or more for a special prize to engender motivation.
You could also make lists of words with different prefixes or suffixes or words from other cultures that are commonly used in English (I'm sure you can find this information on the Internet).
Rhyming games and reading poems will help as will you reading to DS as well as him reading to you.
Enb76 Wed 26-Feb-14 16:40:09
The best thing to do is get him to read, and not necessarily modern books but things with more challenging language. Swallows and Amazons, Moonfleet, etc...
overthemill Wed 26-Feb-14 16:38:56
Reading lots is best way to improve vocabulary
LurkingNineToFive Wed 26-Feb-14 16:35:49
I don�t think you need to do anything he will be learning new vocab every day at school, in the classroom and the playground
However if you want to get book about the body/planets/geography etc. and do 'word of the day' and things im sure it won�t do him any harm. do you speak to him in your mother tongue? if not maybe you could teach him that.
columngollum Wed 26-Feb-14 16:34:06
A dictionary?
xing Wed 26-Feb-14 16:28:42
8-year old DS (born in UK) loves reading and I have always made sure he has plenty books to read. As English is not my first language, I used to spend a lot of time/effort to learn/memorise English vocabularies. I wonder if there is a need to find him a book/website/tool so that he can expend his vocabularies as well. His reading level is above his year group.
Join the discussion
Join the discussion
Register now
|
Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!
Friction HELP
1. Apr 1, 2007 #1
Friction HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
if we have a mass on an inclined surface moves with a constant velocity Prove that:
µk=m/M*sec a -tan a
:cry: :cry:
Last edited: Apr 1, 2007
2. jcsd
3. Apr 1, 2007 #2
User Avatar
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
You need to state the exact question in order for anyone to understand what the question is asking! Also, since it is homework, please show some of your own thoughts on the question.
4. Apr 1, 2007 #3
User Avatar
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
The end of that is cut off, and again, you've not posted the question!
5. Apr 1, 2007 #4
Please edit the picture so that we can actually see all of your work! =]
Similar Discussions: Friction HELP
1. Friction help (Replies: 2)
2. Friction help? (Replies: 1)
3. Help with friction (Replies: 8)
4. Friction help (Replies: 15)
5. Friction Help (Replies: 7)
|
Feature Story
More feature stories by year:
Return to: 2015 Feature Stories
Oct. 7, 2015: IEEE Computing Now
The Security Challenges Threatening to Tear the Internet of Things Apart
by Art Swift
The Internet of Things (IoT) has the power to transform our lives, making us more productive at work, and happier and safer at home. But it's also developing at such a rate that it threatens to outstrip our ability to adequately secure it. A piece of software hasn't been written yet that didn't contain mistakes – after all, we're only human. But with non-IoT security experts designing and building connected systems the risks grow ever greater. So what can be done?
1. Proprietary software evil
What do these cases tell us? If security researchers can do this, then the bad guys, in theory, can too. In the past too many programmers have relied on 'security by obscurity,' hoping that their 'secret' proprietary systems would be beyond the reach of most hackers. This simply won't do today. Firmware binary code is usually available online if you know where to look. If it is not, hardware debugging tools such as JTAG can be used to extract a copy of the software from the device itself. And interactive disassemblers like IDA can generate assembly language source code from machine-executable code. In combination with other tools and techniques it is becoming easier than ever to reverse engineer a binary image, work out what it does, then determine where its vulnerabilities are and how to exploit them.
2. Network Connectivity
It's unfair to expect mechanical and electrical engineers to shoulder this burden and stay up-to-date with the latest secure development best practices. But their lack of subject matter expertise is leaving systems wide open to attack. Weak implementation of network protocols enabled Miller and Valasek to infiltrate the Jeep's D-BUS via port 6667 left inexplicably open and unauthenticated, for example.
3. Broken firmware updates
The vast majority of IoT and connected embedded devices can't be regularly patched/updated; these patches and updates also aren't automatically provided by the manufacturer. In instances where the software can be updated, the software should only come from a trusted source.
4. Systems promiscuity
Separation is one of the fundamental principles of security, so it's not only dispiriting to see it ignored in so many cases when it comes to IoT-related system, it's downright dangerous.
As the Internet of Things becomes an ever larger part of our lives, it has found its way into an increasing number of the systems and platforms we take for granted today. These systems control airplanes, automobiles, drug pumps and even rifles. It's critical then that we take proactive steps to lock down the risks that come from software vulnerabilities.
Return to: 2015 Feature Stories
|
“A journey of a thousand miles commenced with a single step.”
Tao Te Ching, Lao Zi
Yosemite National Park, California (Shutterstock)
A Mathematician’s Apology
G. H. Hardy published A Mathematician’s Apology in 1940. (Wikipedia)
Our universe is an ancient requiem of silky blue galaxies. It was here millenniums ago, and will stay for millenniums to come, making our existence fleeting and negligible. Human beings have been gazing into this unfathomable abyss since prehistoric times, yet are still clueless in answering most of the questions our ancestors posed. We cannot predict where time distorts, nor can we sense a higher dimensional space, or tell if someone is watching us from somewhere far above. After all, there is practically no way to determine our own history and destiny, and therefore the basic philosophical nonsense remains. It seems that the more we know, the more questions we will raise, and the cycle goes on and on.
It is then that we take refuge in mathematics, omnipotent principles deemed to be eternally valid. It does seem unbelievable, however, that theory of numbers help explain the most profound of astrophysics, and the laws of thermodynamics perfectly model our chaotic society. In this sense, the unknown worlds deep in the universe could be familiar, yet our well-studied surroundings could once again fall into obscurity – we are so frequently lured by an intangible mirage.
The mission of mathematicians is sacred. We strive to grasp every aspect of every problem, and detect the underlying patterns across disciplines: transmission of light and movement of ants are both dictated by brachistochrone curves; gravitational and electric fields are unified in their inverse square relationships; and movement of waves and diffusion of heat and many more are all studied with Fourier transform. Inapplicable theorems discovered centuries ago are being vastly used in this age of big data; and mathematical advances today possess implications far beyond our imaginations into the unreachable depth of the universe. This is the meaning of our studies – truth is our only pursuit.
Humans disagree on so many things, yet there is no room for disagreements in mathematics.
(Originally written for Emory Mathematical Modeling Association)
― Albert Einstein, Obituary to Emmy Noether
A Pursuit of Lifetime
Tao Te Ching, Lao Zi
|
Archived Versions
21H.466 Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics
As taught in: Fall 2008
Large figure of Peter the Great and a rearing horse atop a large rock with an inscription referring to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, his successor.
"The Bronze Horseman," by Étienne Maurice Falconet, depicts Peter the Great on horseback in Senate Square, St. Petersburg. (Image from Wikimedia Commons.)
Prof. Elizabeth A. Wood
Course Highlights
Course Description
At the beginning of the eighteenth century Russia began to come into its own as a major European power. Members of the Russian intellectual classes increasingly compared themselves and their autocratic order to states and societies in the West. This comparison generated both a new sense of national consciousness and intense criticism of the existing order in Russia. In this course we will examine different perspectives on Russian history and literature in order to try to understand the Russian Empire as it changed from the medieval period to the modern.
|
The Law of Resistance
PICTURE YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING… A little girl setting out a tea party in her playhouse. She called her brother, inviting him to the tea party. He arrives at the door and she closed it and would not allow him in. A struggle (conflict) ensued and the little girl becomes upset, angry and tired to prevent her brother from entering, despite her initial invitation.
Paradoxical, contradictory, conflicting, inconsequential and laughable. But quite often we wish for something (calling it towards us) BUT when it arrive, we do not REALLY want it, and try to push it away again. The human mind is and will always remains a mystery. In real life this is quite often the case and – once again – emphasize the delicately of the magnetic field surrounding every individual. Thus, sending out a “broadcast” to obtain something and then try to repel it again, because it does not fit harmoniously into our present magnetic field (i.e. comfort zone or umwelt) is known as the rule of resistance (also manifesting as the Newton’s Cradle Trap). Therefore, inviting something that we do not really desire.
Why does the rule of resistance effect us, and why do individuals often invite (consciously) and then repel or push away (sub-consciously or unconsciously)?
Many individuals evoke the law of resistance without even being aware of what they are doing. Seen in its most simplistic form, your unconscious mind work exactly like a computer does. You cannot tell a computer NOT to bring up a certain file for it cannot accept negative instructions. When you click on a file, the computer will assume that you DO want the file and bring it up.
Your conscious mind can discriminate between a negative instruction and a positive one, but your unconscious mind cannot tell the difference. While you are concentrating hard on something, your unconscious mind may receive the message, when negative, disregard the negative and execute the instruction. Much like you clicking on a file that you do not want to open, the computer interpret as display the file, regardless.
For example… When a person is hard at work at a project and his/her manager/supervisor gives the instruction: “Don’t you dare get it wrong“. And because the conscious mind is occupied with something else, and cannot interpret the instruction, the unconscious mind do receive the message and interpret it as “get it wrong“. Illogical, but how often do you get the opposite effect, despite all your conscious efforts? This happens because your unconscious mind has a much stronger influence on your “magnetic field” and “broadcasts“.
Silly as it may seem, but when you think a particular thought long and often enough, it may filter through to your unconscious mind and evoke a reaction that you yourself do not expect. For example… (psychosomatic illnesses) Some people have illnesses in their lives, just because they resist illness. They continuously think (consciously) “I do not want to be ill, like such an such“, the instruction “want to be ill” filters constantly into you unconscious mind. Your “computer” looks for a programme/file/application that will make you ill.
The same principle applies in all spheres of your life, both work and personal. Phrases and words such as don’t, can’t, won’t or not.. tends to invoke the law of resistance, and getting something that you do not desire.
To resist negative circumstances, due to the law of resistance, is no use. Because you waste valuable time and energy on struggling with thoughts patterns such as “I don’t want to be ill, I don’t want to be poor or I don’t want to be a failure“.
This is always the underlying principle with regards to positive thinking and motivational courses. Change the instruction to your unconscious mind to “I want to be healthy, I am rich and I am a success.One thing to remember though… Change do not take place overnight it may take a while, because you need to change the idea (subconscious instruction), constantly thinking about it and eventually it will result in the desired action (turn the magnet of your life around to attract rather than repel the positive).
When two people want to move a boulder in a certain direction, they will both stand on the same side of the boulder and push so that it moves in the desired direction. However, when they are on opposite sides of the boulder, it will only moves to the extent that the one is stronger than the other.
This is what your conscious and subconscious minds do when they struggle with a conundrum, draining you of energy and you are constantly tired. When your mind(s) is cooperating, synchronized and focusing on the same goal, then things go smoothly. If they are opposing each other (resisting), we remain stuck. For example… when you consciously desire success and your sub-conscious mind is afraid of success (I do not want to be a failure), you create a mental “push-pull” situation and things will get stuck. No wonder we are constantly tired and drained of life energy.
Establish what you really and truly desire (as within so without) and what your goal (expectation) really is. When you resolve your inner conflict, you change your magnetic field, and the people around you must also change their magnetic field (attitude) or leave your magnetic field.
Most of us (due to procrastination) have at some time resist doing a task. We resist learning, writing a report, complete a project until it assumes critical proportions. Any task appears difficult in direct relation to our level of resistance. When, what you resist, persist in your life and drains you of energy, try to embrace what you do want, and start to transmit the relevant message.
Asking for something and when the package arrives, you do not want it any more, because some thing’s are accompanying the package that you do not want or desire. Remember, what you are wishing for, almost never appears in isolation, there is always a number of other things accompany that package. The rule of resistance also come into effect in such an instance, specially when you realize that what you expect is only part of the issue. It often happens that we would like, for example, to get a promotion, but we resist the additional working hours and the responsibility to acquire new skills or learning (training) to become more efficient.
The rule of resistance are evoked in the case of… wishing for something and once received, realize that it isn’t EXACTLY what you want. You were expecting a certain action, attitude, inclination or opportunity. What manifest, is not what you expect and instead of dealing with it and accommodate it to the best of your ability, you start to resist it.
For example… You want to improve yourself (undergo training), but you prefer that it should take place at a nice hotel with all expenses paid. When the opportunity do not fit your expectation, you resist the training as a whole and loose sight of the possible personal gains that you might acquire from this training opportunity.
Be careful what you wish for, you might just receive it.
|
• St Peters Facebook
• St Peters Twitter
• St Peters Instagram
blue divider
Two Children Studying
Classical education places a strong emphasis on the proper and effective use of language in both its spoken and written forms. Here at St. Peter’s, we provide our students with a thorough course of instruction in grammar and encourage our students to be well spoken in their interactions with their teachers and fellow students. Our students also receive careful instruction in writing. Students receive formal instruction in writing theory, and then practice that theory by analyzing and imitating well-written pieces. Their writing is also trained through a detailed and multi-year course of instruction in penmanship.
Complementing our instruction in grammar is our literature program. Classical education aspires to set before the student the highest and best forms of literature that humanity has produced, works that have endured and been cherished because of their quality and timeless themes. Our students receive a thorough course of instruction in history, with a strong emphasis on the western tradition.
Our curriculum is rounded out with a thorough and rigorous course of instruction in math and science. Students work through basic math and science concepts in the lower school and advance on to classes in algebra, geometry, calculus, chemistry, and physics in the middle and upper school.
Teacher helping students
Classical Languages
A thorough knowledge of and facility with language has always been one of the central tenets of classical education. Traditionally, classical educators have taught Latin and Greek, and St. Peter’s Classical School steadfastly carries on that tradition.
Study of classical languages builds mental discipline in students, provides a foundation for them to understand English as well as other modern European languages, provides them with access to the Scriptures and important literary works in their original languages, and cultivates both a greater awareness of the importance of all languages and a confidence in their ability to use them well.
|
The global threat presented by #North Korea was heightened when the country allegedly fired short-range #missiles from the East Coast. According to local news agencies in Seoul, South Korea, there were several missiles launched last Saturday, August 19. This puts the hope for a dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. (along with South Korea) in jeopardy.
Missiles launched
According to New York Times, the weapons that flew for about 155 miles originated from a coastal launch pad. The missiles reportedly fell into the sea. Meanwhile, the South Korean military is still trying to determine what kind of missiles were fired.
The launch increased the tension between North Korea and the Trump administration. The U.S. government and South Korea are currently engaged in their annual war games that will last until the end of August. Reports say that the war games could be used to prepare for the attack by Kim Jong-un.
US forces in the Pacific
The United States Pacific Command constantly monitors military movements in the Pacific. They are responsible for detecting the three missiles fired by North Korea. Commander Dave Benham said that the first among the three failed, while the second exploded immediately after launch.
Despite the increased tension, the commander stated that the missiles did not pose a threat to North America and Guam. The country is said to be testing intercontinental ballistics that could potentially reach the lower 48 states of the U.S.
This infuriated President Trump, which led to an announcement that the U.S. is willing to fight with “fire and fury” if North Korea continues with their ballistics tests. In retaliation, the North Korean military warned the US government that they would fire four ballistic missiles near Guam.
For some time, the notorious Asian country seemed to have refrained from these activities since the announcement, increasing the hope for a dialogue between the two countries. This made officials in the U.S. think the Kim Jong-un’s restraint is a sign of respect to the U.S. However, all that hope diminished due to the recent missile launch.
Recently, U.S. government officials visited South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The United Nations Security Council also released new sanctions towards the unfriendly advances of Kim Jong-un. South Korea is still carefully calculating the next step as to how they wanted to get involved. Their president said that the act might not be geared towards the U.S. since the missiles were fired opposite the direction of Guam. #Kim Jong Un
|
Why We Need to Read
It’s summer. The local library has reading programs for toddlers, high schoolers and everyone in between. We parents know our kids should practice their reading skills for cognitive development, vocabulary expansion, and fluency . But the people who, believe it or not, study, the benefits of reading have much more to say about why not just our kids, but also adults, should indulge in a good read. Real Simple published an article in 2014 about this very topic, just in time for those summer reading programs. Some of the details may surprise you:
1) Ahhh, Oohhmm. Reading for just six minutes a day can be a real stress reliever, according to a study conducted by Mindlab Intelligent Insights. Have a case of the Mondays (on any day)? Pick up a page turner.
2) What’s the square root of 164? Kids who read for fun do well in school. No, not a news flash. But the kicker is these kids not only do well in language arts but also in math.
3) Going off the deep end. Ever had a book you just can’t put down? Deep reading is the more sophisticated version of “feeling” that engrossing novel. For one, the process of deep reading can help us develop our own creative, original ideas. Getting lost in a good read fuels empathy as well: making personal connections to a narrative (especially with the reading of fictional literature) can elevate one’s ability to relate to others in real-life interactions. In fact, deep reading can serve as good practice for this skill: a study from the journal Psychological Science described the MRI results of people immersed in deep reading. These persons were processing the literary events as if those events were happening in their real lives. They weren’t simply reading storylines; they were living them.
Deep reading, much less developing a regular reading habit, seems like a daunting task, given our highly distracting world of electronics, kids and pets, to name a few. But we and our kids can work up to it, with a few simple strategies:
1) Build a library. But don’t just keep books in that corner bookcase or on the nightstand. Stash a stack in the living room, in a basket by the kitchen counter (where everyone seems to gravitate when dinner is being made)…”in sight, in mind,” so to speak. If books are handy, we are more likely to peruse them. In addition, a collection of books (even as few as 20) can make a positive impact in a child’s love for learning, according to a large international study published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility.
2) Read what you want, dump what you hate. If you prefer Sophie Kinsella to Jane Austen, don’t sweat it: read it. Also, don’t fret if your ten-year-old gravitates to Garfield comic compilations instead of Harry and Hermoine. If lighter fare fuels your child’s (and your) interest in reading, go for it. Develop the habit, then the reading list. Also, don’t feel compelled to finish that book that sounded great but is a big disappointment: if after 50 pages you aren’t into it…chuck it for something else. It’s ok, really. Reading should be fun, not a chore.
3) Reading: it’s not just for bedtime. While great for sleep hygiene, reading regularly through the day nurtures good reading habits. Have kids bring books on car trips, even on short rides to the store, or to keep handy while waiting in the doctor’s office. And parents should do the same. Because, even as a thousand written words can do wonders for creativity and empathy, the visual of a parent reading can do wonders for our kids desire to do the same.
And what if that summer reading program at the library doesn’t interest your kids? For some kids (like mine) the prizes are disappointing. Or say one of your kids wins a drawing for a cool team-logo pillow pet and another comes away empty-handed and there are hard feelings (again, my twins). Those seem like small reasons to not read, but they are kids, after all. So what did we do? Devised our own reading program. My son took charge and made up colorful “minutes sheets” that we (parents, too) could mark off as we kept reading. We went shopping for small dollar-bin prizes to choose from when we met our reading goals and made the jackpot a book from the local library’s store. So for very little time and expense we tailor-made a program that motivates our entire family.
Happy summer reading, and here’s to going off the deep (reading) end!
[Resource: Robbins, Sarah J., “remember reading?” Real Simple magazine, June 2014]
|
Bernoulli's Principle
Only available on StudyMode
• Topic: Bernoulli's principle, Fluid dynamics, Daniel Bernoulli
• Pages : 5 (1404 words )
• Download(s) : 195
• Published : August 11, 2011
Open Document
Text Preview
Bernoulli's Principle is a physical phenomenon that was named after the Swiss scientist Daniel Bernoulli who lived during the eighteenth century. Bernoulli studied the relationship of the speed of a fluid and pressure. The Swiss mathematician and physicist Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782) discovered the principle that bears his name while conducting experiments concerning an even more fundamental concept: the conservation of energy. This is a law of physics that holds that a system isolated from all outside factors maintains the same total amount of energy, though energy transformations from one form to another take place.
*the first fly of airplane
* Thursday 2 June-06-011
VORTEX CLIMBER: Researchers at the University of Canterbury can make a robot stick to walls through pressurized air. The non-contact adhesive pad, or air gripper, uses the Bernoulli principle. The feet of the robot don't actually touch the wall but are held 25 micrometers away - about 0.025 mm. Air is squirted out from the feet sideways at high speed, causing a low pressure vortex that creates a... * Morgan County students compete at wind generator contest at GCSU related news 2011-05-12
Hard work paid off for 8th grade students at Morgan County Middle School as their teams placed second and third in the 1st Annual Middle Grades Wind Power Competition at Georgia College and State University today, Monday, May 9, 2011. The competition was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and highlighted Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering (STEM) Education.... * How cats drink: A lesson in fluid mechanics related news
Philadelphia Daily News
By Tom Avril Inquirer Staff Writer In the annals of animals who have contributed to science, there are Laika the Soviet space dog; Koko, the gorilla who is said to use sign language; and Lancelot, the blind dog who regained some vision after gene therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. And now, Cutta Cutta, the cat? The feline did not exactly provide a cure for cancer, but he has made something... * When airplanes fall from the sky related news
Arab News
Chris Impey | LA Times I've traveled more than five million miles by air — far enough to get to the moon and back 10 times — but I still get a sense of amazement when I'm in a fully laden 747 and we lift off. A million pounds of metal traveling at more than 200 mph, countering the force of gravity. It's a minor miracle. Which is why it is so shocking when planes fall from the sky, as happened... Chapter II:
*Archimedes' principle (Hydrostatics)
A liquid or gas flows from regions of high...
tracking img
|
Baking with the Pharisees
Baking with the Pharisees
Jesus said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and said, "We didn't bring any bread." - Matthew 16:6-7
Jesus was trying to tell the disciples to be wary of the false teachings of religious authorities like the Pharisees and Sadducees. He compared them to the yeast that makes bread rise, telling them to be wary of what they end up baking.
The disciples didn't quite understand this metaphor. They had forgotten to bring the bread, and they didn't know what Jesus was getting at here. Was he mad there was no bread? Was he trying to tell them where to find good bread? Should they not go to the Pharisees and Sadducees Bakery?
I sometimes picture Jesus as an exasperated high school literature teacher. He says something, and everyone takes it literally. I picture him pushing back his glasses and rubbing his temple saying, "Metaphors, guys. Metaphors."
The metaphors Jesus uses are what make his teachings so real. He could have just as easily said "Don't listen to the Pharisees and Sadducees." Instead, he paints a picture. He tries to tell the disciples how even the smallest amount of yeast can change everything. Whatever else might go into the loaf, bad yeast makes bad bread. False teachings might look harmless at first, but if they get mixed into our lives, they can hurt everything.
I sometimes wonder if our lack of engagement with the Bible in mainline churches means that we are failing to teach people how to read with depth and wonder. When I read the Bible, I try to remember that sometimes metaphors contain more truth than literal meanings. Jesus wasn't talking about literal bread here, for instance. He was concerned with something far greater, with the potential to either nourish or starve us.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus uses the mundane in order to teach us great spiritual truths. Have we become so disengaged with our Scripture that we just wonder why Jesus is talking about bread? Or, are we ready to see the ways Jesus is trying to explain the unexplainable?
Jesus, when you talk to me about bread, help me to think beyond bakeries. Amen.
dd-emilyheath.jpgAbout the Author
|
Edit Article
wikiHow to Reduce Kitchen Germs
Learning how to reduce kitchen germs makes your home safer, preserves the flavor of foods and saves you money. Follow helpful food handling rules to prevent germs in the kitchen.
1. 1
Wash your hands, utensils, containers and cooking vessels every time you handle raw poultry, meat or fish.
2. 2
Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods until you are ready to cook the foods. Thaw frozen foods in the microwave or refrigerator or under cold running water. Never allow food to thaw outside the refrigerator.
3. 3
Dispose of foods that don't smell or look fresh. A change in appearance or smell may indicate spoilage. Purchase foods with the longest expiration date. Don't buy foods if the package is open or damaged. Throw out raw eggs if they're cracked.
4. 4
Keep your refrigerator temperature below 40 degrees (4.4 C). Keep a thermometer in the refrigerator and adjust the thermostat as necessary.
5. 5
Scrub and wash utensils, cooking vessels, cutlery and cutting boards thoroughly with soap and water every time you use them. Utensils used to prepare or hold raw meat can transfer harmful bacteria to fruits, vegetables and breads. Use a separate cutting board for ready-to-eat or raw foods.
6. 6
Disinfect countertops, cutting boards and the sink regularly with a bleach solution. Clean countertops every time you cook.
7. 7
Boil marinade after marinating meat if you plan to use the marinade for basting or as a dip.
8. 8
Refrigerate raw fish, poultry and meat in a meat drawer to avoid contaminating foods with blood. Alternatively, seal meat in tight plastic bags or containers to prevent blood seepage.
9. 9
Seal refrigerated food in plastic containers or plastic wrap to keep out germs, blood and odors.
10. 10
Cook all seafood, including fish, clams, oysters and mussels. Check the internal temperatures of fish, fowl and meat with a meat thermometer. Experts advise cooking seafood until it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees (62.78 C) for 15 seconds.
11. 11
Boil or cook eggs until the whites are firm and the yellow yolk begins to harden. Do not consume foods with raw eggs, including raw cookie dough, eggnog, homemade mayonnaise and dressings with egg in them. Stores sell pasteurized egg products to make these foods safer.
12. 12
Keep food at its proper temperatures--either hot or cold--until just prior to serving.
13. 13
Avoid using sponges, which collect food particles and harbor germs.
14. 14
Reduce kitchen germs by using clean towels and dish cloths.
15. 15
Empty the garbage daily to prevent disease-carrying insects or vermin.
16. 16
Clean spills in the refrigerator immediately.
17. 17
Store dry foods like sugar, flour, cereal, crackers and cookies in plastic containers to discourage pests that may carry germs and parasites.
18. 18
Check under the sink and other places for leaking water that may harbor germs. Fix leaks immediately.
19. 19
Wait until the end of your shopping trip to buy food that requires refrigeration, including meat. Place meat--and other foods that may leak--into plastic bags while you shop. Separate raw meat, fish and poultry in your shopping cart to keep meats away from other foods.
• Prevent spoilage by refrigerating perishable items as soon as you get home.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
• Researchers advise that careful handwashing with soap and water and drying with paper towels or clean cloth towels is the best way to prevent kitchen germs.
• Cleaning the kitchen thoroughly and frequently discourages insects and other pests and prevents the necessity of using pesticides, as most are toxic or allergenic.
Made Recently
Did you try these steps?
Upload a picture for other readers to see.
Upload error
Article Info
Categories: Kitchen Cleaning
Did this article help you?
|
Kids safest in rear-facing car seats until age 2
Kids safest in rear-facing car seats until age 2
New guidelines for parents say children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1. The guidelines also say some kids should ride in booster seats until age 12.
That's the advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The doctors' group and the federal agency issued separate but consistent new recommendations Monday.
Many parents mark their children's first birthday by turning their infants' car seats from rear-racing to looking forward. It's been the general rule of thumb until now.
"All infants and toddlers should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they are two years of age or until they outgrow the weight and height limits of their car seat," aid Dr. Dennis Durbin, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Durbin is the lead author of a new American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement. He says keeping young children in the rear-facing position for as long as possible will help protect their head and neck in the event of an accident.
"We've seen many cases where children suffer serious injuries to their neck or their head when they've been turned forward facing and those injuries probably could have been prevented had that child been in a rear-facing direction," he said.
Even though they're older and bigger, kids up until age two should be able to fit in most car seats.
"The childhood obesity epidemic has already spurred car seat manufacturers to make design changes to their seats to accommodate heavier children," said Durbin.
State child safety seat laws will not automatically reflect the recommended change, but the hope is that parents will take it upon themselves to create new rules for their own families.
The new recommendations also say older children should be in a booster seat until they're 4'9" and between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. Kids should remain in the back seat until age 13.
See the new child seat guidelines
Learn more about rear-facing seats
|
A Zoroastrian Educational Institute
HomeArticlesAuthorsBook ReviewCommunityLibraryProminentsRegisterStoreArticle SubmissionAbout Us
Fury in the Gathas
FURY is defined as "intense, disordered, and often destructive rage" and that it "is overmastering destructive rage that can verge on madness" (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary)
Let us see what the Sublime Songs of Asho Zarathushtra say. The word "aeshma - fury" is used for seven times in the Gathas. They are:
The Soul of the Living World lamented to You:
Why did You create me? Who fashioned me this way?
I am oppressed by fury, rapine, outrage, and aggression.
I have no one to rehabilitate me other than
You. Lead me to true civilization.
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 1 = Yasna 29:2)
Then the Creator of the Living World asked Righteousness:
Who is Your leader of the World,
who can offer her civilization,
nourishment, and strength?
Whom do you wish to be her lord;
one who shall repel the fury of the wrongful?
(Gathas: Song 2 = stanza 2)
Between these two,
the seekers of false gods did not decide correctly,
because delusion came to them in their deliberations.
Therefore, they chose the worst mind,
rushed in fury,
and afflicted the human existence.
(Gathas: Song 3 - stanza 6 = Yasna 30:6)
How could false gods be good rulers?
I ask this because those who indulge in lust,
with which the mumbling priests, particularly the sacrificing Usigs ( a famous family),
have delivered the world to fury,
and the princes, in their stubbornness, have forced it to lament,
and do not reward it through righteousness so as to promote a settled life.
(Gathas: Song 9 - stanza 20 = Yasna 44:20)
Put down fury, check violence, you who wish to strengthen
the promotion of good mind through righteousness,
because a progressive man is associated with this.
God, his associates are in Your abode.
(Gathas: Song 13 - stanza 7 = 48:7)
Now, they shall be the benefactors of the lands
who follow the satisfaction of good mind,
and base their actions through righteousness on Your teachings, Wise One.
They indeed have been made to fight fury.
(Gathas: Song 13.12)
Those who, through their evil intellect,
promote fury and cruelty with their tongues
are but drones among productive people.
Their evil deeds have not been defeated by good deeds.
It is they who created false gods,
which forms the religion of the wrongful.
(Gathas: Song 14 - stanza 4 = Yasna 49:4)
The overall picture one gets is that fury is destructive not only to mankind but the entire living world. When one chooses the bad mentality, one rushes in fury and afflicts others. Despotic social and religious leaders are the main persons who, taken by fury in their words and deeds, bring harm and destruction. And Zarathushtra advises us all to "Put down fury, check violence, you who wish to strengthen the promotion of good mind through righteousness, because a progressive man is associated with this." One, who controls his/her fury, is a universal benefactor.
Zarathushtra wants those, who cannot control their fury, to be rehabilitated to use their mind and not to fly in fury because it always boomerangs. They are the final loser. Absence of fury puts an end to violence in thought, word and deed. It brings "civilization, nourishment, and strength" to the world. No fury means consideration, cool-mindedness, logic, rationality, peace, prosperity, and radiant happiness to all. Rationality wins over rashness.
|
Children’s Savings Accounts Children’s Savings Accounts
Children's Savings Accounts are an example of the role that government can play in fostering saving.
Children's Savings Accounts (CSA) are an example of government taking action to encourage savings. In the last decade, they have emerged as a promising tool that both fosters a college-going culture and a savings vehicle through which college funds can accumulate. Research shows that low- and moderate-income children that have as little as $500 saved for college are three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate than children without any college savings.
Commonwealth is engaged with increasing the success of CSA programs by doing research and consulting with initiatives to increase participation rates and on-going engagement. For example, Commonwealth worked with the City of Boston by doing consumer research to understand the needs and wants of families with children in the Boston school system, designed marketing and enrollment materials and made recommendations on the features of the CSA product on offer based on this research.
Related Challenge
Related Solutions
|
New Town Market Place, Warsaw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
North side of the square
New Town Market Place (Polish: Rynek Nowego Miasta) is the main square of the Warsaw New Town of Warsaw, Poland.
It was formed before 1408, as the main square of the Warsaw New Town. It initially had a rectangular shape (it no longer does), with an area of 140 x 120 metres. In the 15th century a wooden town hall was built in the centre of the square and residential buildings were also constructed. In 1544 the square was damaged by fire, and the town hall was reconstructed in brick. The rest of the buildings remained wooden.[1]
In 1656 the square was burned down by Swedes, during the Deluge. The reconstruction was slow, and the town hall was rebuilt again in 1680. In 1688 the Baroque Saint Kazimierz Church was built by Dutch architect Tylman van Gameren. In the second half of the 18th century, wooden residential buildings were replaced by bricked tenement houses. In 1785, the town hall was partially reconstructed and several shops were added to it. In 1818 the town hall was torn down, and the square gained its market character, which continued until 1878.[1] Then, the buildings on the square were expanded and reconstructed to house growing number of craftsmen and workers. In 1932 a statue of Saint Klemens Hofbauer was placed in the square.
In World War II, during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, the square was completely destroyed, 80% of houses were completely demolished, including the church.[1] After the war, the square was reconstructed in the 18th-century style. The reconstruction lasted until 1955.
A 19th century well is located in the southern part of the square.
1. ^ a b c Rynek Nowego Miasta at the official website of Śródmieście district
Coordinates: 52°15′10″N 21°0′29″E / 52.25278°N 21.00806°E / 52.25278; 21.00806
|
Read Sing Play
Adventures in early literacy
Play, Baby, Play! Parachute with Shredded Paper
Play Baby
In my last library we did this activity after reading an article about the Brooklyn Library inviting kids to play in shredded newspaper. Since my coworker had just shredded a ton of paper for a treasure hunting activity we decided to reuse it for an after storytime activity. I chose to use the parachute during storytime, ending with the chute on the ground, so I could throw the paper on top of the chute in hopes of maximum fun and a easier clean up. Well, one of those things definitely happened. 😉
This is not an activity for a day when you are super short on clean up time. No way around it- you will spend time cleaning up the paper. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
For the photos in this post I used shredded hold slips and other paper our library shreds for privacy purposes. It was actually better than the newspaper-it left a lot less residue. Newspaper leaves a lot of dust which was not only harder to clean up but made me sneeze.
Why do this? Because play is a natural way to learn about the world. Through play kids will experience new words, new emotions, learn how to function in a group environment, use their imaginations, and their fine and gross motor skills. I heard “It’s snowing!” and “It’s like a bath!” (both symbolism) and caregivers using words like throw, toss, grab, pinch, gather, stuff, plop, and sprinkle. Kids were instructed by their caregivers to be careful, pay attention to where they were throwing paper, and to be gentle and generally aware of their surroundings. These kids practiced self regulation, as well as developing their vocabulary and motor skills. Plus, they think the library is pretty much the best place in the world. And that’s good enough for me.
As you can see, this was a huge hit. Everyone had a great time and took away something from the experience. Literally. There was a paper trail down the hall and out the door.
The magical breadcrumbs leading to storytime. If you try this let me know how it goes! I’d love to see more joyful kids!
Author: Kendra
2 thoughts on “Play, Baby, Play! Parachute with Shredded Paper
1. We have some awesome bright green and orange crinkly paper that our database Mango Languages uses in their packaging. The mailroom saves it for us and we have used it for this exact purpose at toddler and baby storytime. I think I had the idea after reading the same article about the Brooklyn Library! The kids love it every time I pull it out!
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
It is known for water to be a natural liquid. It is known for two classes of elements to make water. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Water is very important to all living things. It is known for water to keep alive animals, plants, and beings. Water brings a cooling effect to the body of animals and humans.
It is known for the hydration process to make the body of animals and people be cooled every time. Water helps in the detoxification of the body by sweating and excretion processes. Water is used by human beings for cleaning purposes. Some of the things that beings clean are, clothes, furniture items, and carpets. Humans stay clean on their body by use of water together with soap. Industries demand water for processing purposes. People who work in brewing plants for an example demand water as a dilution agent. Water come from various sources. The main sources of water are from rainfall, water bodies, and springs. Human beings channel water to their homes and workplaces through pipes. Rainfall is normally tapped by use of gutters.
The water system is very crucial in our homes and industries. The reason for buying tanks is for storing water. Pipes are of many classes. Some of the classes of pipes are, plastic, metal, and concrete pipes. Pipes should all the time be maintained and repaired. Expect the owners of the water systems to find it tiresome to repair and maintain them by their own. People should find it good to hire plumbing services. People also require plumbers for other services such as the repair and maintenance of the sewage, drainage, and gas system.
People should all the time look for the best plumbing services of their choice. There are several factors to consider when hiring plumbing services. Doing a research should be your first goal so as to get the required plumbing services of your need. It should be your goal to look for plumbers in reputable plumbing companies. One can be in a position to know the reputable plumbing firms by visiting the reviews. One should aim at going for the skilled and experienced plumbing services. Expect skilled and experienced plumbers to offer quality services to their customers. It should be your goal to look for the reliable plumbers at One should aim at going for the pocket friendly plumbing services.
|
The Man Who Could Work Miracles Summary
H. G. Wells
An unprepossessing clerk, George McWhirter Fotheringay, is involved in an argument in the Long Dragon bar concerning whether miracles actually exist. Fotheringay does not believe in miracles; he is a skeptic and a rationalist. He states, “Let us clearly understand what a miracle is. It’s something contrariwise to the course of nature done by power or Will, something what couldn’t happen without being specially willed.” By way of example, Fotheringay explains that the gas lamp lighting the bar could not burn upside down. If it were to do so, that would be a miracle. He continues in his charade by telling the lamp to turn upside down without breaking but to go on burning steadily.
The incredible happens: The lamp does just that. Fotheringay is accused of creating a silly trick and asked to leave. Later, alone in his little bedroom, he begins to grapple with what has just happened and realizes that at the exact moment he gave the command for the lamp to turn upside down, his mind had inadvertently willed it to do so. Fotheringay tests his theory with several simple experiments; then recalling that he must rise early in the morning for work, he commands a comfortable night’s sleep for himself.
The next day, Fotheringay begins to think about the materialistic means to which he can turn his power. He calls into existence a pair of very splendid diamond studs but hastily annihilates them in fear that his countinghouse boss, the young Mr....
(The entire section is 582 words.)
|
The Poem
“Recessional” contains five stanzas of six lines each, with the first and third lines and the second and fourth rhyming. Following each quatrain there appears a rhymed couplet, which remains the same in the first four stanzas, then changes in the fifth. The closing couplet issues an even firmer admonition to underscore the warning that is extended in the previous refrain.
A recessional is a hymn or piece of music that is sung or played at the end of a religious service. From one perspective, the title dictates the form of the poem, which follows the tradition of the English hymn. More significantly, though, the title may be taken ironically. The poem was written in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, which turned into a celebration of the British Empire. “Recessional,” seems to herald the end of the Empire rather than to assure its long life.
In the opening quatrain, the poet speaks to the “God of our fathers” and acknowledges Him as the Lord of all that the British control. The couplet that follows asks that God’s spirit be with the poet and his proud, vain countrymen unless they fail to understand that permanence and salvation can be found only in “Thine ancient sacrifice,” not in temporal things: “Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,/ Lest we forget—lest we forget.” The poet then continues what is essentially a prayer, and in each stanza he speaks more directly to the empire builders themselves. In the second stanza, for example, he reminds them that rulers depart and only God remains. This idea he reinforces in the third and fourth verses, which take up the fleeting nature of pomp, power, and pride.
The final stanza emphasizes even more strongly that such worldly accomplishments as the Empire, no matter how valiantly sought and guarded, transform into mere dust when placed alongside the eternal nature of God. The closing couplet, different from those that have ended the preceding four stanzas, warns the British of boasting and foolishness, and supplicates God for mercy: “For frantic boast and foolish word—/ Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!”
Forms and Devices
Today Rudyard Kipling is not considered a fashionable poet, in part because of the even rhythms and rhyme that characterize his work, but those very forms and devices for which he is now often criticized make many of the poems pleasantly readable, especially when presented aloud. Certainly, he was neither an innovator nor a major influence on English poetry, but many of his varied poems provide an accessible and often amusing history of the British Empire. He was a master of the dramatic monologue, as illustrated in a poem such as “Gunga Din,” and he could handle the ballad form with good effect.
From a technical standpoint, however, “Recessional” stands apart from the poems that record the brighter side of the Empire. In this poem Kipling departs from his usual methodology and adapts the form of the hymn to suit his own purposes. The English hymn owes its origins to the eighteenth century poet Isaac Watts (1674-1748), and those who came after Watts followed the patterns set down by him. Kipling also remains faithful to the established forms and devices.
First, the hymns were usually addressed to God, who is called by various set names. Kipling follows this format and employs many of the prescribed titles: “God of our fathers,” “Lord God of Hosts,” “Judge of the Nations.” He uses the formal “Thy” and “Thine” throughout. An expression such as “awful Hand,” which appears in the first stanza, is also typical, even...
(The entire section is 602 words.)
|
Spanish version...
B2 level practice contents...
Understanding phrasal verbs 1.
Part 1: English verb types compared to Spanish verbs.
New! See the Frazels video for phrasal verb practice...
Phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs have different grammar rules. Put your cursor over the fuchsia-coloured words for help messages.
Let's run over the basic points.
Many verbs in English have two parts:
Verb + small word (down, up, off, away, etc.)
The small words can be prepositions or adverb particles.
How the English verb works.
a) In fact, this is how the Anglo Saxon version of the English verb works. Let's look first at the very common verbs of movement. Firstly, we have the action:
walk, run, swim, drive, put, fall, throw, dive, fly, etc.
This is followed by the direction of the action:
away, down, up, through, across, in(to), on, onto, along, to, towards, off, etc.
We can usually put any verb of movement with any preposition of movement (or sometimes an adverb particle - see later):
walk away, walk down, walk up, etc.
This is often different from many Latin-based languages, like Spanish, which treat verbs of movement in a different way. First, there may be a verb which expresses direction:
In Spanish:
bajar, subir, cruzar, atravesar, alargar, alejar, acercar, etc.
Then another verb that expresses the action. So we have:
Bajar andando, bajar corriendo, bajar nadando, bajar conduciendo, etc.
Now, English is unique in that fifty percent of its words come from Latin-based languages (especially French). That means there is a second version of the English verb that works in a similar way to other Latin-based languages. Instead of:
go down the street
go up the street
we can say...
descend the street
ascend the street
But we can't say (as in Spanish):
descend the street walking (bajar la calle andando)
So, who says "descend the street" in English? Probably no native speaker would say it in everyday conversation. But native speakers do prefer English Latin-based verbs in more formal spoken and written English. Spanish-speaking learners of English just love Latin-based words so they can avoid the verb + small word combination. And this is understandable - nobody likes prepositions!
Sorry teacher. I can't attend class on Monday.
This is too formal and would be better:
I can't come to class on Monday.
b) Other verb + small word combinations have verbs with their usual meaning but the second word emphasizes or intensifies the action:
break up (as in the plane broke up means to break into lots of pieces)
tire out (as in I'm tired out means I'm very, very tired)
Some grammarians have complained that sometimes these intensifiers don't seem to intensify at all! Many new verbs of this type are coming into the language, verbs with redundant (meaningless) or almost redundant adverb particles:
to rest up = to rest
to lose out = to lose
to start up = to start
to pay off = to pay
to miss out on = to miss, etc.
c) Finally, there are word combinations whose parts consist of two words which have a combined meaning totally different from their separate parts:
give up (means to stop some action, eg. give up smoking)
Nothing to do with give and nothing to do with up.
blow up (means to cause an explosion, eg. the gas cannister blew up)
look after (means be responsible or take care of someone, eg. I looked after my granny when she was old.)
Ok, so these last three are the infamous phrasal verbs, right? Well, the first two are but the last one isn't. Prepositional verbs aren't just for verbs of movement. Let's go on...
Part Two: prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs...
Copyright © 2016 English Spanish Link
All rights reserved
|
Sunday, January 26, 2014
America Unearthed: Mystery of the Serpents (Review/commentary)
Since I had so much fun with last week's episode about underwater Aztec pyramids, I thought I'd also review the show on the serpent mounds. When I originally started this blog, many years ago, it was to record my dreams and musings as I was initiated into the Order of the Feathered Serpent, with my final initiation to be at the Ohio Serpent Mounds. Because of illness in his immediate family, the teacher had to put the class on hold, and it's never started back up even though I've contacted him several times.
Loch Nell Serpent Mound (screen print from video)
This episode of American Unearthed starts out by saying, "There are mysterious mounds scattered throughout the planet." Inside and out, apparently, not just on the surface. Bad writing strikes in sentence one.
These mounds are linked by mysterious symbols thousands of years old that span continents and oceans and it all ends up in the U.S....
In Oban, Scotland, Scott Wolter (the show's "forensic geologist" host), investigates a serpent mound, one of three in the world (one is in the U.S. and two in Europe). This serpent is on the edge of Loch Nell and this drawing shows its alignment. This is a Bronze age effigy mound, most of which are ancient and associated with rituals. This one had a stone circle in the head, including some stones that had been burnt. You can see the altar stone in the circle. Also on the site was a stone burial chamber called a kist, excavated in the late 19th century, and found to have been robbed, with only a bone knife left behind. Probably this was a site for ritual sacrifices (one of Wolter's favorite subjects).
Wolter, using his geology knowledge for once, explains that probably there was a glacier here, terminating in this loch. The movement of the glacier, dragging along rocks and soil underneath, forms a natural winding ridge called an esker, which is what the serpent portion probably is, and then enhanced by humans.
Serpent's head, Chichen Itza
Serpent symbols are ancient, going back to the Bible. Egpytian pharohs wore a serpent (uraeus) on their crowns. The caduceus staff of the Greek god Hermes has two serpents wrapped around it (it's now the familiar medical symbol). Wolter then brings in the serpent from last week's episode, the one that supposedly guarded the supposed underwater Aztec pyramid.
He mentions Chichen Itza, now one of the new 7 wonders of the old world, in Yucatan Mexico, by talking about astro-astronomy (and also showing the observatory building at Chichen Itza), but somehow fails to note that the base of the staircases of the main pyramid (the famous one) are the heads of serpents, specifically of the god Quetzalcoatl/Kukulcan (Aztec/Mayan names for the same god), or the fact that on the spring equinox the shadows make it look like the serpent is crawling down the steps. In fact there are feathered serpent heads all over that complex, not just on the main pyramid.
Somehow, astro-astronomy provides a clue to who built (or modified) the Scottish serpent mound. Possibly, a serpent (Loch Nell monster?) lives in the loch. They try to figure out what, if any, alignments, exist there, using a phone app. I WANT THAT APP. What app does that? Ah, the Helios Sun Position app (another product placement here) which of course is i-tunes only. (Most smart phones are Android, you know, Mr App Programmer.)
And of course Wolter finds alignments! The people who built the mounds aligned them to...wait. Did he not just say the mounds were laid down organically by the glacier? Why would the glacier have used archeo-astronomy to form the mounds?
I'm therefore ignoring what he says about these alignments. Because clearly any idiot can see that it makes more sense that the mound was organically built by nature and then improved by man. Wolter is forcing his ideas onto this, because of his obsession with archeo-astronomy.
Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England
He returns to Chichen Itza (or, as my husband refers to it, "Bert's homeland") and finally brings up the alignment I already detailed above, but he mentions it in less details. Stonehenge is another well-known place that has definite, built-in alignments. I will listen to someone talk all day about man-made alignments at those two man-made places. I won't listen if you're talking about an organic formation. And please don't say God did it. Please.
The local expert says in 2000 BCE, people moved into that area (Loch Nell). Wolter asks eagerly if they were "pagans." 2000 years before Jesus that's all there were, pagans. My brain just broke from the stupid. And of course human sacrifice! Don't forget all the pagan rituals and human sacrifice.
Wolter declares that he knows of a bigger serpent mound (not hard to do if there are only 3 in the world)--the one in Ohio. And since there are only three, they must be related. Especially since the Lock Nell one has such great archeo-astronomy. (Plus I am still waiting to hear where the third mound is.)
Ohio Serpent Mound, aerial view
Wolter gets in a helicopter to tour the Ohio mound from the sky. There is an extended showing of dials and rotators and the helicopter taking off.
Since it was made to be seen from above, clearly it was built for the gods to see. Or aliens, of course, but that's another show (Ancient Aliens)--I yell at that one too.
This mound has been carbon-dated to between 700 BCE and 100 AD--13 centuries or more after the Scottish one. Some nearby but associated burials were found that date very far back, even fossilized ones, but were they the original builders?
It's not the same at all in my eyes.
This serpent has an egg in its mouth, possibly a sun disc, or the Eye of Horus (Egyptian connection again, even though Egypt has zero serpent mounds?). This serpent has 15 solar/lunar alignments and it also looks like the constellation Draco. I don't see it.
The local expert says the mound was designed by "a genius who loved the heavens and loved the earth," an adept.
It's a place to "restore the spirit of the planet."
Wolter says the two serpents mounds are clearly related:
• both are best seen from above
• both have ceremonial burials
• both have astronomical alignments (I've said my piece on the Scottish alignments, move along, nothing more to say here)
• both date back "thousands of years" (although not to the same range at all)
• both are "spiritual sites" with "pagan rituals" including possible human sacrifice
But he thinks the SAME PEOPLE built both mounds. They lived a long time, from 2,000 bce to 700 bce, didn't they?
Oh, and now they've brought God into it after all. Supposedly God built the Ohio mound to remind everyone of the serpent in the garden and the "egg" in the snake's mouth is the apple, the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, so therefore...wait for it...the Ohio mound is the location of the Garden of Eden.
Really, if I wasn't blogging this, I'd probably have turned it off there, exactly halfway through the episode.
National Park Service map of Effigy Mounds
The local expert says the Cherokee people believe the Eastern portion of the U.S. was once a garden, and therefore the Garden of Evil. And clearly, the expert believes the serpent was the great father/mother/provider so the two sites must be connected. Even though the garden of Eden connection has an evil snake motif, not a benevolent one.
They go off to Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, to somehow prove the connection between the Ohio and Scotland serpents.
Wolter declares that "ancient pagan travelers from Scotland" clearly helped the people in Ohio build their serpent.
In Iowa, he meets with another local expert, a man who has been surveying and studying the mounds for 33 years. The site originally had over 1,000 mounds (most now destroyed). It was a place of education and of course had archeo-astronomy. The local Ho-Chunk people (their shamans/priests), according to the expert, were travelers who regularly went to Europe.
Yes, pre-Columbian Native American shamans traveled to Europe all the time and apparently the Europeans never noticed. (or maybe only Columbus noticed?)
You know that Wolter immediately lost his MIND over this, as it proves his theory of transference, although in the other direction.
He says figuring out why they encoded information in the effigy mounds would "a global system of shared knowledge and ideas, a link between cultures that reaches further back in time than our history books tell us today." And of course, his standard line, if I can prove this, it will change history.
(note: I've been watching [yelling at] this show for two seasons and he has yet to change history.)
The local expert says the shamanic knowledge of archeo-alignments was shared freely among local tribes and of course across the Atlantic to (pagan?) Europe.
artist's rendition of Cahokia, approx 1150 AD
A thousand years ago, the area around the Iowa park contained hundreds more effigy mounds, including more than one serpent mound. It was part of the worship of the Plumed Serpent (ie, Quetzalcoatl/Kukulcan, am I right?) that spread all across the Mississippi area. Their trading area spread across North and Central America (and of course, Europe) and the center was Cahokia (mentioned in last week's review as well). Cahokia was a major city in North America, and it collapsed or was abandoned after 1200 AD. (The novel People of the River, by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear, is about this time period/place. They are archaeologists who write about early native American cultures.)
Next Wolter visits Cahokia (on the Mississippi River in Missouri, across from St Louis). He wants to use LIDAR to scan Cahokia. This is the same technology that they are using to find sites hidden in the jungles of Central America. Apparently LIDAR has been used there before, but it was an older version with lower resolution (looking at a dog, not at his fleas, as the operator says).
Cahokia once had 12,000 people living there in 1200 AD, more than contemporary London or Paris (but at the same time, Tenochtitlan--the Aztec capital--had 200,000-300,000 inhabitants, making it the largest city in the WORLD). The largest mound of Cahokia is larger than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. It was the largest man-made building in Pre-Columbian North America.
The LIDAR image of Cahokia is awesome. There's no way to screen print it unfortunately but it shows roads and little houses and larger buildings.
The Rotherwas Serpent Mound, now buried under a road
His conclusion, of course, is that all the sites are related (all the American ones, yes, unquestionable, but lumping in Scotland, no).
He never showed the third serpent mound so I did a little research, which made me sad. The third serpent mound was in England and it was destroyed in 2007 when a road was build over it. It was called the Rotherwas Serpent Mound. The link contains its story and description as well as comparisons to the other two mounds profiled in this episode.
image sources: screen print from video, Trip Advisor, The Telegraph, here, screen print again/same source, National Park Service, Legends of America, Andrew Collins
This article is also posted on my web site, Transformations by Obsidian Butterfly.
No comments:
|
Top 5 Ways to Get Smarter
For thousands of years, we've known the benefits of meditation. The practice of meditation can be different for each person, but it generally involves quiet, focused breathing exercises in which the practitioner is able to achieve a state of mental calm. Regardless of whether you believe that this mental calm is an enlightened state of consciousness, no one can deny the benefits of relaxed, focused breathing. FMRI scans have revealed that regular meditation also affects the actual structure of the brain. Researchers believe that memory, function, attention span and focus all benefit from meditation. One study showed that regular daily meditation can even increase the size of parts of the cerebral cortex. Not surprisingly, some of the world's leading and forward-thinking corporations offer meditation classes for their employees.
|
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Click here for the 'Seeds of Eaden' seed shop
We are all aware that we should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables aid a healthy diet, but how can we ensure we meet the magic figure of 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day? How do we know what portion size counts as one of your 5 A DAY, and are all fruits and vegetables equal or are some more equal than others?
Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. It is easier than you may think to get your recommended amount each day. Fruit and vegetables don’t have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own: they also count if they're part of a meal or dish. To get the most benefit from your five portions eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. This is because different fruit and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, minerals and other nutrients.
Taking dietary supplements does not have the same health benefits as eating more fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain additional beneficial substances. For most adults, a healthy and balanced diet containing at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day will contain all the nutrients needed.
The following count towards your 5 A DAY:
• Fresh fruit and vegetables. The exception to this is potatoes, yams, cassava and plantain as they are considered nutritionally as a starchy food.
• Frozen fruit and vegetables.
• Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables (buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt).
• Fruit or vegetable juice. A 150ml glass of unsweetened vegetable or fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink. That's mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables.
• Smoothies. A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it's made. Smoothies count as up to a maximum of two portions per day.
• Beans and pulses. These contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables and so only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat.
• Ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Fruit and vegetables are present in these meals. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label.
1 comment:
|
Skip to content
Smoking and your Pets
The health effects of smoking have been in the news again recently, with attention focused on children in cars. But do you know that smoking has a big impact on your pets too? There have been an increasing number of scientific papers lately that have reported the significant health threat second-hand smoke poses to pets. There has also been a big increase in nicotine poisoning over the last year due to e-cigarette popularity. Even nicotine containing gums and patches can be toxic to dogs and cats.
Second-hand smoke has been associated with mouth cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, as well as lung cancer in birds. One reason cats are so susceptible to second-hand smoke is because of their grooming habits. Cats constantly lick their coats thoroughly daily, swallowing the cancer-causing toxins that accumulate on their fur. Studies suggest that cats that live with smokers are twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma and are at a higher risk of mouth tumours. Intestinal tumours are one of the most commonly reported tumours in cats, and lymphoma accounts for a high percentage of these cases. Limiting a cat’s exposure to the toxins in second-hand smoke may reduce their chances of developing this disease. Lung cancer and nasal cancer are seen in higher numbers in dogs that breathe second hand smoke. Dogs with short noses have double the risk of lung cancer and long-nosed dogs such as collies have two and half times greater risk of nasal cancer from second-hand smoke.
Nicotine poisoning has been an infrequent problem for a long time, as cases occur when dogs eat patches or packs of chewing gum containing these products. However, there has been a 300% increase in cases seen over the last year, largely blamed on the popularity of e-cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes reduce the toxin levels in second hand smoke, they can contain lethal quantities of nicotine. The liquid nicotine in these products is often flavoured, and the smell and taste can encourage a dog or cat to have a nibble. Animals can be poisoned by licking the products, biting into a pack or by absorbing the liquid though their skin. It is vital to keep these products out of the reach of pets! The concentrated form of nicotine in these vials (typically 6-24mg/ml) means very little needs to be eaten to cause serious symptoms. Some of the liquids bought online contain a very concentrated 100mg per ml! A single 24mg cartridge can cause symptoms when eaten by a 25kg dog, and may prove lethal to a 3kg dog or cat. Some dogs will eat these cartridges by the pack or drink from a larger refill bottle, exposing themselves to very dangerous levels of nicotine. In addition to the actual nicotine, the casing and battery can cause additional problems if the whole e-cigarette is swallowed too.
Symptoms of nicotine poisoning happen quickly – generally within 15 to 60 minutes after the products are swallowed (this happens more slowly when the toxin is absorbed through the skin). Symptoms for dogs and cats include vomiting and diarrhoea, progressing to agitation, tremors and wobbliness, increased heart rate and respiration rate with eventual weakness, seizures, coma, cardiac and respiratory arrest.
The health risks associated with passive smoking are well known for people, but not everyone is aware of the danger nicotine poses to animals.
• Try to smoke outside the home to limit your pet’s exposure to second hand smoke.
• Store all nicotine products (gum, patches, cigarettes, e-cigarettes) safely out of the reach of animals. Gums often contain Xylitol, which is also extremely toxic to dogs and cats.
• If you do spill any refill liquid, clean it up immediately, so that animals can’t lick it or absorb it through their footpads and skin.
• Because nicotine poisoning can happen so rapidly following ingestion, prompt veterinary care can mean the difference between life and death for a pet. If you ever suspect your pet may have ingested a nicotine containing product, please contact us immediately.
Lee-Ann Higgins MRCVS
|
by Gavin Dingley
Nexus Magazine,
Volume 8, Number 1
December 2000-January 2001
from NexusMagazine Website
Have signals from intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe passed us by because our technology is not designed to detect a range of more subtle energy frequencies?
Gavin Dingley is an electronics R&D engineer by profession, but since college has questioned the so-called laws of nature, particularly those pertaining to electromagnetism. To this end, he has extensively researched the work of Dr Nikola Tesla. His main goal is to develop technologies based upon these principles.
Are we alone in the Universe?
This is probably one of the most important questions to be answered, yet modern science seems reluctant to address it. It is almost certain that life does exist in some other part of the Universe; it is just a question of how far away and how evolved it is, never mind its state of technological development.
What would really hit home would be tangible evidence of an extraterrestrial intelligence that was as technologically developed as ourselves, perhaps more so, if only to just say "Hi out there!" Face-to-face contact would not be necessary; just to know we are not alone would be enough.
With this in mind, NASA started a program that was directed towards scanning the eternal cosmos for intelligent life, hoping to find a signal from a civilization as technologically developed as our own. This project was named SETI: the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.
For a while, it seemed that both the US government and the scientific community were ready to embrace a greater truth; however, this soon proved not to be the case. After many years of initial research and planning, the real search for extraterrestrial intelligence began in 1991; a year later, Congress ordered a termination of all funding.
SETI began in 1959 with the publication of an article in the journal Nature. Two Cornell physicists, Giuseppi Cocconi and Philip Morrison, suggested a project in which the presence of extraterrestrial life could be detected with radiotelescopes tuned into the microwave band (3 - 30 GHz).
However, such an endeavour was already being planned by a young astronomer, the now famous Frank Drake, who in the spring of 1960 scanned sun-like stars for signs of ETI (extraterrestrial intelligence) with an 85-foot dish in West Virginia. Drake hypothesized that a more advanced ETI somewhere out there would be transmitting a signal to catch our (or anyone else's) attention.
If so, then they would use one particular frequency of significance. Drake thought that 21 cm (1.4 MHz), the neutral band of hydrogen, would be it. After scanning for some time on this frequency, the young astronomer found nothing, and so ended what he called Project Ozma.
The first government-funded SETI-type project was not in America but in Soviet Russia. During the 1960s, the Russians set up omnidirectional antenna stations to listen in on the heavens in search of signals that might be of intelligent origin. While Drake used a highly directional antenna system, the Russian system would pick up radio emissions from all directions.
This strategy meant that if a signal were found, it would be difficult to determine from which direction it originated. On the other hand, the Russian astronomers would never make the mistake of looking in the wrong direction!
It was not until the beginning of the 1970s that the United States government gave any serious thought to searching the Universe for radio signals of ETI origin. The first move was made at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, where several projects were set up to study the technical considerations involved.
A team of outside experts was assembled -- including Bernard Oliver, who was on leave from the Hewlett Packard Corporation -- to produce a detailed report, known as Project Cyclops. By the late 1970s, NASA's Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, were engaged in projects studying the technical aspects of any SETI-type endeavour.
Ames concentrated on examining 1,000 sun-like stars for intelligent life, much like Drake's original Project Ozma, in what was known as "targeted search" using sensitive equipment to detect weak or sporadic signals. Meanwhile, JPL was concerned with systematic sweeps in all directions in a complete sky survey.
It was not until 1988, after a decade of study, that NASA HQ had the go-ahead and in 1991 started scanning the cosmos for intelligent life. A year later, Congress terminated funding! It seems very strange that after so many years of developing the technology, the US government should suddenly terminate funding when the actual search was only just beginning. But is there more to this than meets the eye?
Back in the early 1990s, the author had contact with an individual who claimed to be a former KGB officer involved in infiltrating the US National Security Agency (NSA). While serving his home country, a former Soviet state, he was involved in assessing the NSA's signals analysis techniques. Since the Soviet Union's collapse, he has had no authority to answer to and so speaks freely on such subjects.
He says that SETI was no more than a cover for a more subversive program. Like the launching of Sputnik was no more than an exercise in deploying nuclear weapons, SETI was about eavesdropping on the enemy. This makes a lot of sense, as the technologies involved are very similar indeed.
For a practical SETI program, one requires a system that can scan at high resolution a huge bandwidth of frequencies. Not only this, but it must be able to detect the presence of intelligent transmissions. The latter requirement is achieved using powerful algorithms -- code-breakers -- which use probability mathematics to analyze the incoming data. Another requirement is that the system should be able to pick out weak signals buried deep within the background noise. Described here is no more than the perfect eavesdropping system -- a system that would give a government a great advantage over another.
SETI was the perfect cover and means of drawing in the country's brilliant minds: radio engineers, mathematicians and computer systems experts. SETI was a means of gaining the people's support, a project into which they could freely pump money. Meanwhile, the technology developed could be controlled and siphoned off for more subversive applications.
All the government wanted was the technology; the discovery of intelligence elsewhere in the Universe would at best be an inconvenience, so funding was terminated.
But what of today? As there is no USSR, is there any use for such technology? The answer is yes, for now we are the enemy. It is our communications which are being tapped into, using the technology developed for SETI.
After funding had been stopped, it was up to the scientists to carry on with the endeavour. To this end, they formed the SETI Institute which, mainly through private funding, carries on to this day the search for intelligent life in the Universe.
Continuing the strategy used by the Ames Research Center, Project Phoenix concentrates on the targeted search, scanning sun-like stars. There have been other SETI projects running in the background of the main government-sponsored project; for instance, SERENDIP (Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emissions from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations) has been going strong since 1979. This project has survived by piggybacking on ordinary radio astronomy research, mainly at Arecibo Observatory (as per the film Contact).
There are also projects that have been listening in on an entirely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. OSETI (Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) scans the skies for laser signaling from across the Universe. One prominent project, COSETI (Columbus Optical SETI), uses a 10-inch aperture telescope with a sensitive optical transducer and is equipped to monitor for both pulsed beacons as well as modulated continuous wave transmissions.
Those in the optical SETI fraternity believe this to be a better option, as it allows greater power to be directed by their hypothetical ETIs trying to get in contact. This aspect of SETI was apparently covered in Bernard Oliver's original Project Cyclops, but again the Russians, namely Shvartsman and Beskin, got there first.
There are also groups who are trying to encourage members of the public to get involved. One such venture is SETI@Home, where you can help by downloading a screen-saver that number-crunches data from the latest radio telescope observations. So while your computer sits idle, it could be searching for "life out there". Another venture is the SETI League, which concentrates on the more technical aspects of SETI.
It is for the bored radio ham who wants a real DX (for those who don't know, DX is the standard code for long distance on the air bands). Build the kit and download the software and you can be a mini Arecibo Observatory. The big plan is to link over the Internet everybody's mini SETI station to form one great big global dish.
This has been only a short overview of the SETI movement; there are many projects and endeavours that have not been mentioned. Science is going towards a goal that really has great implications for mankind, something everyone on Earth can appreciate. It is only a pity that it may be going in the wrong direction, especially when one considers that such a goal may already have been reached -- around a hundred and fifty years ago!
There are two main ways in which the SETI project may be directed.
The first is to assume that a technologically developed civilization, like ours, will have developed an electromagnetics-based global telecommunications system, as we have done. Any ETIs that are at a 70-light-year radius from Earth will be receiving the first of our TV transmissions.
Equally, it is expected that any technologically advanced ETI civilization will also be emitting a similar mass of radio signals; this would be the signature of an ETI.
The second approach is to assume that, somewhere out there, there is an ETI that is more advanced than we are and is constantly transmitting a signal to gain our attention. The second approach is preferred because the ETI in question would be transmitting a powerful signal in our direction, while modulating onto that same signal a simple message we can understand. For this reason, most SETI projects are geared up for the latter assumption.
One of the problems here is that the ETI must be fairly close to make the exercise worthwhile, otherwise they may not be around long enough to hear the reply! This is due to the finite speed of light, which here on Earth is more than fast enough for global communications. However, across the vastness of space, these 186,000-miles-per-second transmissions take a hell of a long time.
For instance, to exchange greetings with an ETI near Proxima Centauri (the nearest star to us) would take around eight years! Would not a more advanced civilization have discovered either a field or wave that could travel at a velocity greater than that of light? In which case, it would have a better chance of hearing a response.
This same limited velocity of light has another disadvantage: if the transmission has come from some far-distant star system, then the very civilization from which it came could now be long gone! The electromagnetic wave may have made the world a smaller place, but it also reflects how vast the Universe is in both space and time.
Another assumption made by SETI is with regard to the definition of extraterrestrial intelligence. Looking for microwave transmissions of prime numbers from sun-like stars indicates a narrow criterion for intelligence. First, not all life may be biological; it may not even exist in the physical dimension. Even if it were, assuming it would spout out prime numbers indicates an expectation of a very similar psychology to our own.
Also, who's to say their technological development went up the electromagnetic path? It is almost as though they are looking for other human life. So we have found nothing because we narrowed our search before we had even begun! What we need to do is widen our scope and so give ourselves a better chance of finding other intelligent life.
While at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory, the now famous quantum physicist David Bohm made a startling discovery when conducting research on plasmas. He found that under certain conditions the electrons and ions that composed the plasma managed to organize themselves spontaneously into a single living unit. Like some amoeboid creature, the contained plasma was able to surround and destroy any foreign body that was within its vicinity. Bohm called these plasmic creatures "plasmons".
Considering that plasma is the most abundant state of matter in the Universe, it would seem logical to conclude that plasmons -- not hydrocarbon-based life such as ourselves -- may make up the greatest percentage of life in the cosmos.
As has been mentioned before, communication may have been established with ETIs well over a hundred and fifty years ago, at the dawn of the modern development of electromagnetics.
The first electromagnetics-based communications system was developed by Samuel Morse in the 1830s and demonstrated in 1844; this, of course, was the telegraphic wire. In the original system, a battery and Morse key at the transmitting station actuated an electromechanical transducer some distance away at the receiving end, via a long stretch of cable.
A return cable was then connected to the other terminal of the electromechanical device as a current-return back to the transmitting station's battery, these two cables being buried underground out of the way.
It was not long before it was discovered that it was possible to do away with the return cable and use the earth instead. In this new system, only a single cable was used, the return current to complete the circuit being established through metal stakes inserted into the ground; this was known as a "ground return".
As soon as this was done, there were reports of anomalous power surges, so great that telegraph operators complained of big fat blue sparks jumping between their key contacts. Eventually it was decided that there was no point in using a battery any more, and so telegraph networks operated using the power within the earth.
In 1849, Alexander Bain invented the first well-known electrochemical recorder, which would receive, record and print out an incoming transmission through a chemical action. Many companies soon replaced their old electromechanical devices with this more sensitive electrochemical substitute.
Due to their low current consumption, these devices were even better at being powered by the natural electrical energy within the ground. However, when many telegraphic operators returned to their posts after a night's sleep, they would find parts of sentences and strange geometric patterns recorded by the device.
Could this have been early contact with an ETI or even an EDI -- an extradimensional intelligence?
Dr Nikola Tesla, the little-known inventor of the AC electrical power system, dedicated much time to researching the high-voltage, high-frequency electrical structure of the planet. During these investigations at his Colorado Springs research station, Tesla noticed that his instruments were receiving some unusual signals.
In his own words, he wrote:
My first observations positively terrified me, as there was present in them something mysterious, not to say supernatural, and I was alone in my laboratory at night; but at that time, the idea of these disturbances being intelligently controlled signals did not yet present itself to me. The changes I noted were taking place periodically and with such a clear suggestion of number and order that they were not traceable to any cause known to me.
I was familiar, of course, with such electrical disturbances as are produced by the Sun, Aurora Borealis and Earth currents, and I was as sure as I could be of any fact that these variations were due to none of these causes. The nature of my experiments precluded the possibility of the changes being produced by atmospheric disturbances, as has been rashly asserted by some.
Tesla was investigating a form of radio very different to the one we use today. Our present radio communications use transverse electromagnetic waves that travel through the air -- the same technology SETI uses to scan the Universe for signs of ETI.
The electromagnetic waves used in Tesla's system were longitudinal and travelled through the Earth and/or the plasmic layer of the atmosphere, i.e., the ionosphere. But it was through the use of this latter system -- and not the type used by SETI -- that signals of non-human origin had been received.
This incident plagued Tesla's mind for the rest of his life, and so played a part in his last publicly announced invention. While he had spent much of his life investigating the nature of high-voltage, high-frequency electricity, particularly with regard to employing it in a system to transmit electricity without wires, Tesla changed direction in the late 1930s and did research into high-voltage, direct-current electricity.
His plan was to transmit electrical energy in the form of a particle beam -- an idea that was not practically realized until the late 1980s with SDI, the "Star Wars" project. While his system for transmitting energy via high-frequency potentials was limited to the Earth, Tesla's new particle-beam system was intended to transmit power to other planets!
He then hypothesized that if the same beam were modulated with the vibrations of the human voice, we would also be able to communicate with the ETIs who dwell upon our neighboring planets.
As far as is known, Tesla never had the opportunity to put his plan into action. The political climate at the time, which resulted in World War II, had generated much paranoia. The British had stated that they had a new weapon, a "death ray" invented by their own Mr H. Grindell Matthews.
The Russians reacted and stated that they also had such a weapon, invented by Comrade Grammachikoff. Tesla, being a patriot of his adopted country, stated that he had also invented a similar device. Since then, Tesla's instrument of benign communication has been referred to as the "death ray".
In his general theory of relativity, Dr Albert Einstein found a solution that modeled an entirely new type of wave: the gravity wave. General relativity describes the force of gravity as a geometric warping in space-time; if the warping were to take the shape of a wave, then this would be a gravity wave.
While electromagnetic waves occupy three special dimensions (as well as time), gravity waves exist in five, making them hyperdimensional in nature. However, Einstein stated that these waves probably travelled at the same speed as light, 300,000 km/s, which means that nothing is gained in using gravity waves over their electromagnetic counterpart.
Officially there has been no detection of these waves; however, the design of such gravity detectors has been based on general relativity theory. There are some who have developed their own theories and so their own detector technology. They also claim to have detected transmissions from other worlds.
Thomas Townsend Brown is most remembered, if remembered at all, for his work in antigravity propulsion. Brown found a link between gravity and the force of electricity, based upon the humble electrical condenser or capacitor.
While still to graduate from high school, he built a small device that reduced in weight when a high-voltage potential was applied across its terminals. This was the first in a long line of electrogravitic devices able to prove experimentally a unified field theory in which electromagnetism and gravity are shown to be linked.
Whilst studying at Caltech, Brown hypothesized the existence of a form of radiation quite different to the transverse electromagnetic wave. He called it "radiant energy" and thought that it was present throughout the Universe and was gravitational in nature, but as yet was invisible to instruments.
Brown's theory was soon picked up by the press and publicized in several local newspapers. He had already received a negative response from his lecturers over his work with high-voltage weight reduction, so this new line of enquiry was not received well. He was told that such a wave was impossible because it would require gravity to be bipolar -- to be able to repel as well as attract.
Brown did not receive any support for his research until he entered Dennison University where he met Dr Alfred Biefeld. Dr Biefeld was one of only a few who could claim to be one of Einstein's classmates back in Switzerland, and so was quite interested in the nature of gravity. In fact, when Brown had described to him his research into the weight reduction of high-voltage capacitors, Biefeld was more than happy to help the young physicist with his investigations.
Biefeld had already considered the possible gravitational effects of charged electrical capacitors after studying the work of the great Michael Faraday, the so-called Father of Electricity. It is a little-known fact that Faraday made the following profound statement as far back as the late Victorian age: "Electrical capacity is to gravity, as inductance is to magnetism". It is a well-known fact that when a current flows through a coil of wire, a magnetic field is generated around the same.
In fact, the inductor (the technical name for a coil of wire) is able to store electrical energy within the magnetic field generated. Now, an electrical condenser or capacitor is made up from two sheets of metal separated by an insulator, known as the "dielectric". When an electrical potential is applied across the two plates, the molecules of the dielectric all align with the electric field.
If Faraday is correct, then the energy stored in a capacitor is in the form of a gravitational field, much like the magnetic field of an inductor.
Brown found that such an effect was only noticeable if the following conditions were met:
1) The K-factor of the dielectric (its ability to store energy) was high (in the order of 2,000 or more)
2) The density of the dielectric was high (in the order of 10 g/cm3 or more)
3) The applied voltage across the capacitor was high (in the 100,000 V range)
Brown also found that the force generated by charged capacitors was directed towards the positive plate; that is to say, weight reduction only occurs when the positive plate is upside with respect to the negative plate. If the negative plate is above, then the device increases in weight.
Biefeld and Brown worked together in investigating what was later termed the "Biefeld-Brown effect" in the general study of electrogravitics.
In 1930, Brown entered the US Navy and became a member of staff at the Naval Research Laboratories (NRL) in Washington, DC. As he was pretty much left to do as he pleased, he carried on with research into the Biefeld-Brown effect. While investigating different substances for suitability as dielectric material, Brown discovered a curious phenomenon.
One of the characteristics of a dielectric is its resistivity -- how good an insulator it is. If resistivity is not high enough, then the dielectric is rendered inefficient. This is usually a fixed value, but Brown found that the resistivity of some materials would change over time.
In a classified naval report entitled "Anomalous Behaviour of Massive High-K Dielectrics", Brown described how the resistivity of some materials would alter and even follow sidereal diurnal changes. He also noted that some materials would generate spontaneous radiofrequency bursts whose amplitude was a function of the material's mass and K-factor. Also, he found many granitic and basaltic rocks to be electrically polarized; that is, they behaved like electric cells or batteries.
These rocks would have as much as 700 mV across them, the amplitude of which would also change in sympathy with solar sidereal cycles. Again, the rock's sensitivity to such changes depended upon its K-factor and mass. It was this latter relation that suggested the phenomenon is gravitational.
During 1937 in Pennsylvania, a Navy-sponsored monitoring station was in operation to record such changes in the electrical self-potential of these rocks. It was noted that there was a strong correlation with the cycles of the Moon, which added further support to the hypothesis that the effect is gravitational in nature.
Again, another station was in operation in 1939 in Ohio, which recorded similar patterns to those found in Pennsylvania, and it was concluded that the effect must have had some common outside source. Both research stations were set up within sealed vaults, shielded to exclude any outside electromagnetic interference. Meanwhile, large granitic and basaltic rocks wired to sensitive pen-chart recorders monitored the self-potential variations. The Second World War paused any further investigation into the phenomenon until 1944.
After the War, Brown set up yet another station, but this time on the West Coast in California. He found that the patterns did not match those recorded on the East Coast; however, he did give a possible explanation as to why. He suggested that due to the radiofrequency voltages found in less complex dielectric materials such as titanium dioxide, the detected energy was at these high frequencies and that basaltic and granitic rocks somehow converted the energy into a DC potential.
This process is well known in electronics and is called "rectification", and so the internal structure of these rocks could naturally perform this same process. Now the rocks used in the East Coast investigations were different to those used in California (i.e., from different deposits), so Brown concluded that different rocks are tuned into different bands of this radiofrequency energy. As different frequency bands would fluctuate differently, then it follows that the variations in the self-potential of two different rock deposits would also be different.
From 1950 onwards, Brown concentrated his efforts towards developing the Biefeld-Brown effect so that it could be employed in aviation. It was not until 1970 that Brown returned to investigating petrovoltaics, until his death in 1985.
From these investigations, it is clear that the phenomenon is gravitational in nature and that it manifests as high-frequency electricity. Brown concluded that the energy is in fact the radiant energy he had hypothesized while still at Caltech. This energy is high-frequency gravitational radiation which is being constantly emitted from astronomical objects in outer space.
While simple high-K dielectric materials would pick up the radiation and convert it directly into electrical energy, more complex dielectrics such as granitic and basaltic rock would convert the energy into DC electricity. Not only this, but these rocks are in fact tuned to only a portion of the total radiated energy present throughout the Universe. This means that your average lump of basalt is a natural gravity-wave AM receiver, tuned into only a few specific "radio stations"!
It appears that Brown never analyzed these high-frequency signals to see if any of them were of ETI origin. However, in 1953 he filed a patent that describes a system for intelligent communication via modulated gravitational radiation. In the patent, Brown describes how to convert a normal, high-power radio transmitter into a gravity-wave transmitter, based upon the principles of electrogravitics.
The modification is made only to the antenna system, the actual electronics remaining unchanged. A large coil of wire has its base connected to the output of the high-power transmitter so that the radiofrequency energy is end-fed. The other end of the coil has a spherical, electrically conducting, high-density body connected.
This spherical body acts as an isotropic capacitor, and so forms a tuned circuit with the coil. In operation, the dense spherical body becomes electrified (but not leaking energy through corona discharge) with high-voltage, high-frequency electricity. The high voltage and mass of the isotropic capacity result in an electrogravitic action; thus gravitational waves of the same frequency as the end-fed energy from the transmitter are emitted from the dense, isotropically capacitive body.
Brown suggests that the spherical body be constructed from lead, as this is both dense in mass and a conductor of electricity. Also, so as to avoid electromagnetic radiation, the whole assembly should be enclosed inside a large vault; for example, within a mountain. A similar set-up is employed so as to receive the transmission, where the receiving antenna is again replaced with this same assembly. Interestingly, this system is very similar to that employed by Tesla at Colorado Springs -- the same system that allegedly received signals from an ETI.
Much of Brown's work is under wraps by the US government, held within the Wright Patterson Air Force Base technical library. However, family members still have his notes and are in the process of making them available to the public.
Working unaware of, but parallel to, Thomas Townsend Brown was Gregory Hodowanec. While developing a new, sensitive weighing balance, Hodowanec noticed slight variations in the reference weights he was using. Assuming that the problem was with the circuitry he had designed, he went about trying to counteract these anomalous variations.
After some "stab in the dark" experimentation, Hodowanec found that the humble capacitor in the right part of the circuit counteracted these unusual variations. But the question remained: how could a capacitor be able to generate the signal to nullify these apparent variations in standard reference weights?
On further investigation, Hodowanec found that his weighing system was not at fault, nor were the reference weights. What he did find, however, was that the Earth's gravitational field is not stable but fluctuating, sometimes at quite a rapid rate. The weighing system he had developed was so sensitive that it picked up these variations as changing values in the reference weights. He concluded that somehow the humble capacitor was able to pick up these gravitational variations and convert them into an electrical signal.
From this discovery, Hodowanec went on to develop a gravitational detector that used modern electronic components. He knew that any induced effect on a capacitor would result in a displacement current; hence, the circuit he developed was a simple operational amplifier wired up as a current-to-voltage converter.
This circuit was connected to the sensing capacitor, while its output was fed into a standard voltage amplifier which in turn drove a loudspeaker. The signals received by this simple circuit were described as being similar to whale song, but this evidence is inconclusive. But it does seem that some very strange, yet structured, audio signals were received by this comparatively simple device.
Hodowanec stated that his device received monopole gravity waves, different to the quadrapole waves described in Einstein's general theory of relativity. Also, while the gravity waves theorized by Einstein were limited to the speed of light, these monopole waves described by Hodowanec could reach any point in space in one Planck second (10-44 seconds).
He also stated that electronic equipment had been receiving this gravitational radiation for a very long time, but it had been mistaken for 1/f noise (where the intensity is inversely proportional to the frequency over a spectrum of noise). It is similar to what you get when your radio is not tuned to a station, which is that rushing water type of sound. However, 1/f has a deeper sound, perhaps more resembling the crashing of sea waves.
Technically, it is a spectrum of random frequencies which have equally random intensities, but in general the lower frequencies are higher in intensity than the higher frequencies. If you were to look at this with reference to white light (which is composed of all light frequencies in the visible spectrum), then you would perceive it as a soft pink light. For this reason, 1/f noise is often referred to as "pink noise".
Hodowanec also hypothesized that the Universe is filled with this radiation and that the detected isotropic microwave background radiation, thought to be the echo from the Big Bang (which does sound like 1/f noise), is actually gravity-wave emissions. He stated that the instruments that were picking up this signal were in fact receiving the gravitational radiation rather than the electromagnetic energy from the beginning of the Universe.
During his investigations with the device, Hodowanec found Auriga and Perseus in the Milky Way to be the source of many natural, yet unusual, audio signals. He stated that the general background noise is modulated by the passing of large astronomical bodies which cast a shadow over these emissions.
This means that when such radiation is demodulated, what one would hear would be the movements of planets, stars and galaxies. Much of the high-frequency radiation is generated by astronomical processes such as stars going supernova, star quakes and even the tectonic movements within nearby planets.
However, it was not long before Hodowanec received signals of an unnatural origin while scanning the skies with his gravity-wave detector. One evening, for only eight minutes, Hodowanec received a train of equally spaced impulses that resembled the Morse code for the letter S. After determining the origin of these signals, he attempted to make contact using more conventional means (a Morse radio transmitter).
To his surprise, he received on the gravity-wave detector a reply made up of random Morse code containing the letters E, I, T, M, A, N, R, K and S. During another transmission, Hodowanec transmitted a sequence which he received back as a copy with the letters G and D added. In the end, he was able to hold an almost coherent conversation with the ETI he had contacted.
Interestingly, he found that only at certain locations could he establish contact with the ETI. Also, judging from several years' experience in Morse code, he found that the transmissions were not synthetic; the ETI was using a Morse key, and in fact there was more than one entity operating it!
It would seem, then, that there are many gravitational signals throughout the Universe. Many of them are natural and high in frequency. These signals become modulated by the movement of astronomical bodies such as stars, galaxies and even planets. But among these natural signals may be the transmissions of a host of extraterrestrial intelligences.
It is not clear whether the signals received by Brown and Hodowanec are gravitational in nature. Even Townsend Brown stated that the evidence pointed to this hypothesis, but the subject was still inconclusive in his own mind. There may be a host of energies and radiations that still remain undiscovered.
One that has had little attention is Dr Wilhelm Reich's "orgone energy". This appears to be the same energy that is known as prana, chi and the od or "odyllic force" discovered by Baron Karl von Reichenbach. Interestingly, when Reich had a device designed to detect the orgone, it was based upon the electrical capacitor! This energy is very closely related to living organic matter, and so has often been identified as the "vital force" -- the energy that distinguishes between animate and inanimate matter.
The well-known orgone researcher Trevor Constable conducted much research into the weather-altering effects of the orgone, and hypothesized (backed up with experimental evidence) that many UFOs are actually biological entities. He went on to suggest that the orgone could be manipulated and engineered, as it is based upon fundamental laws. If he is right, then a new branch of technology, based around the life force, could be developed.
Such a technology is described as being "biodynamic" (although Constable looked further ahead and coined the term "etheric engineering"), and is the real meeting point between physics and biology: biophysics. Is it then possible to develop a communications system based upon the principles of biodynamics?
In 1962, Silesian-born engineer L. George Lawrence, employed by the LA Space-Science Corporation to develop jam-proof missile components, decided to try using biological material in electronic sensors. His first line of enquiry led him to the work of Alexander Gurwitsch, one of the pioneers of vital force research. Gurwitsch showed that cells appear to affect each other during the process of mitosis, which led him to develop a theory in which cells communicate through what he called "mitogenic rays".
Lawrence also reviewed the work of Cleve Backster, the polygraph specialist who studied the psycho-galvanic reaction of plants. Backster used polygraph-type equipment to monitor the physiological activity in plants and discovered some amazing effects.
One of the most unusual is a plant's ability to detect the presence of a plant murderer! Lawrence used Backster's original circuit designs as a springboard for his own research into biological sensors. He discovered that such biological transducers are able to detect changes in a variety of different environmental parameters including magnetism, temperature and humidity.
While Backster used a pen-chart recorder to indicate reactions, Lawrence replaced this with a voltage-controlled audio oscillator whose pitch changed in sympathy with biological changes. Eventually he replaced Backster's galvanic response system with piezo-electrometers, which gave better stability with greater sensitivity. The first biodynamic transducers were simply vegetable samples wired up and held in a temperature-controlled bath.
With further advancements, Lawrence developed a sensor which consisted of two small quartz crystal wafers bonded together with specific organic materials. Whatever transducer was used, they were all sealed within a Faraday cage which in turn was held within a lensless telescope-type assembly complete with sighting apparatus.
All investigations were conducted in what Lawrence referred to as "electromagnetic deep fringe" areas which were outside the influence of almost all electromagnetic fields so as to avoid false readings from external sources.
During one test, Lawrence pointed a newly developed biosensor at a tree some distance away, that he he had wired up to a remotely controlled battery circuit. When the switch was activated, a current would pass through the tree so as to electrically stimulate it. Meanwhile, the biosensor's output signal was monitored for dramatic changes. Sure enough, when the tree was stimulated, the biosensor's output changed.
This indicated some form of mitogenic ray communication between the tree and biosensor. However, while having lunch, he left the biosensor pointing in some random direction. To his amazement, the audio output from the biosensor's circuit started to warble rapidly, indicating some mitogenic or biodynamic signal being picked up. After an intense investigation, Lawrence concluded that the signals had originated from outer space and were of intelligent origin.
Initially, he thought the signals were from Ursa Major, but on further investigation he found that they probably originated from the galactic equator. He also concluded that the signals were not aimed at Earth, but were an overspill of communication between companion civilizations.
As for the signal coding, Lawrence was confident that they would not be in the form of a structured language. Instead, he felt that they would be graphic in nature, so he decoded them using digital spectrograms displayed on a standard 8-bit resolution grey-scale. These graphic signals were received using some of the most advanced biodynamic transducers, consisting of carefully manufactured synthetic biochemical substances.
There has been little success in tracing the elusive George Lawrence, mainly due to the fact that "George Lawrence" was a pseudonym employed by the author who reported this research in several electronics magazines in the mid-1970s. All that is known of this author is that he was employed by several government agencies that exercised strict security measures. This research into biodynamics was a spin-off of the work he had conducted while within their employment. However, it is worth mentioning that these agencies were mainly involved in NASA projects around the time of SETI.
There are many energies that lie undiscovered, yet already we are trying to find a unified field theory based on the few energies of which we are aware. There have been many discoveries in the past that could have brought us closer to the truth; however, mainstream science has ignored nearly all of them.
The human race has a great understanding and control over the force of electromagnetism. However, it is naive to think that this is the only method through which to communicate and that all other civilizations out there have developed technologically in this same direction. It must also be remembered that there are other dimensions parallel to our own.
These, too, may be contacted, but not necessarily by looking upwards. We must first open our minds, then ask the question, "Is there anybody out there?"
• Brown, T. Townsend, "Electrogravitational Communication System", US Patent No. 719,767, issued September 1956.
• Cocconi, G. and P. Morrison, "Searching for Interstellar Communications", Nature 1959;184:844-846.
• "Three Nations Seek 'Diabolical Ray'", New York Times, May 28, 1924.
• Eisen, Jonathan (ed.), Suppressed Inventions and Other Discoveries, Auckland Institute of Technology Press, Auckland, 1994.
• Tesla, Nikola, "Talking with the planets", Collier's Weekly, February 9, 1901
• Vassilatos, Gerry, Lost Science, AUP, USA, 1999.
|
Untold story: How Scalia's death blew up an anti-union group's grand legal strategy
Ian Pajer-Rogers |
by Michael Hiltzik
The anti-union lawsuit known as Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Assn. is widely viewed as one of the leading casualties of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death.
What's less well-known is how the anti-union plaintiffs connived to fast-track the case through the federal judiciary in order to get it before the court while it still harbored a conservative majority. Their method was to encourage the lower courts to rule against them, so they could file a quick appeal. But Scalia's passing is likely to leave a 4-4 deadlock over the case, so the last ruling, in which the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the teachers union, remains in force.
This wasn't how the anti-union group behind the lawsuit, the Center for Individual Rights, expected things to work out. As we write, the group's website still features a photograph of nominal plaintiff Rebecca Friedrichs and the center's lawyers standing in front of the Supreme Court on Jan. 10, looking pretty chuffed at oral arguments that morning that plainly went their way. The poet Robert Burns had a line for the subsequent developments: "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley."*
Here's the background, drawn in part from our previous coverage here and here. The target of the Friedrichs lawsuit, and several others just like it, is the "agency" or "fair share" fee. Under the law and according to a 1977 Supreme Court decision known as the Abood case, unionized public employees can be assessed nonmember fees to cover solely the cost of negotiations and contract enforcement, without being compelled to join the union and support its political activities by paying full union dues. That's the arrangement in California.
For decades, union opponents have been trying to get Abood overruled. Friedrichs, like the other cases, paints the challenges as blows on behalf of free speech; the argument is that the public employees compelled to pay agency fees are being forced to support political positions taken by their unions with which they disagree, and therefore their freedom of speech is being infringed. In truth, however, these lawsuits aren't about free speech or improving education for children. They're about silencing the political voice of teacher unions by cutting off their revenues.
Abood as a precedent has withstood previous attacks, but the conservative Supreme Court majority had begun to signal that it was primed to overturn Abood, notably in cases in 2012 and 2014. Friedrichs was the stiffest test yet.
Plainly aware that Abood was hanging by a thread, the Center for Individual Rights strived to speed the Friedrichs case through the lower court after it was filed in 2013. It did so by conceding in both federal court in Santa Ana and at the 9th Circuit that both would be bound by the Abood precedent; therefore, it asked both courts to simply rule in the teacher union's favor so it could promptly carry the appeal to the Supreme Court. Both lower courts did so.
This doesn't mean that the the lower courts were seriously expected to rule against the union on their own. The 9th Circuit Appeals Court, for one thing, is a generally liberal court that was likely to reject the anti-union challenge in any event. But the strategy greased the way for the ultimate appeal by avoiding the time-consuming briefings and arguments usually employed to build a factual record to bring to Washington. The center formally petitioned the court to accept the case in January 2015, and the Court agreed in June.
At oral arguments last month, the strategy appeared to have borne fruit. Observers almost unanimously concluded from the questions posed by the justices that Abood was on the verge of being scrapped, by a 5-4 vote.
Read the full article from the Los Angeles Times.
|
Eyes Over 40
Have you ever heard the old saying, “Your arms are getting too short…?”
Perhaps you have Presbyopia. Presbyopia is not a refractive error, but rather, a condition of the eye. Specifically, Presbyopia is a natural break down of the ciliary muscle and accommodative system. As our body slows its production of collagen, the elasticity in the lens inside of the eye, the crystalline lens, loses its ability to flex.
Here is how it works
When we view something at near, many things are happening in the eye-brain visual system automatically. The eyes turn downward and inward (convergence) and the lens inside the eye focuses on the reading material, or near image. This is known as accommodation. Our ability to accommodate for near tasks gets more and more difficult as we age.
While medicine has made great advancements in the ability to slow the aging process of the body, the aging process of the eye cannot be controlled.
Accommodation is the body’s response to blurry near vision by adding magnification at near. The accommodative system counteracts blurry images up close while using the eye-brain visual system to add magnification (convex lens power) to aid in near vision. After a while, as the lens loses elasticity, accommodation becomes increasingly difficult. This leads to asthenopia, or uncomfortable vision/tired eyes.
Thanks to technology, science and engineering can replace the magnification abilities of the lens with an ophthalmic lens. An ophthalmic lens can converge the light rays at varying focal lengths just as the eyes’ natural system.
If you have Presbyopia, you are in a very popular group… baby boomer’s and beyond… The good news is, technology has kept up with your visual needs and can supply advanced lens system to aid in your correction of Presbyopia. Whether in an office, or relaxing on a ship, there is an optical solution to your visual needs.
|
Ganga, Yamuna rivers are legal entities with 'parents': What the Uttarakhand HC said in its landmark judgment
The Ganga in Allahabad; PTI
The Uttarakhand High Court has declared the Ganga and Yamuna rivers as "living entities".
The landmark judgment that came on Monday is the first of its kind in India- and second in the world- and this is what it essentially means.
The rivers, two of the most sacred in India, will now have the same legal rights as a human being.
Three government appointed officials have been ordered to act as legal parents to the rivers, considered minors legally, and to defend and represent them.
What the court said
In its judgment, a copy of which has been published by Live Law, the court said that "the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, all their tributaries, streams, every natural water flowing with flow continuously or intermittently of these rivers, are declared as juristic/legal persons/living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person in order to preserve and conserve river Ganga and Yamuna. The Director NAMAMI Gange, the Chief Secretary of the State of Uttarakhand and the Advocate General of the State of Uttarakhand are hereby declared persons in loco parentis as the human face to protect, conserve and preserve Rivers Ganga and Yamuna and their tributaries."
Devotees take a dip in the Ganga in Allahabad; PTI
Why was it required
The court said that the "extraordinary situation" has arrived since the rivers are losing their existence. And an extraordinary situation calls for extraordinary measures.
"The rivers have provided both physical and spiritual sustenance to all of us from time immemorial. Rivers Ganga and Yamuna have spiritual and physical sustenance. They support and assist both the life and natural resources and health and well-being of the entire community. Rivers Ganga and Yamuna are breathing, living and sustaining the communities from mountains to sea," it said.
Remains of idols which had been immersed in the Yamuna during the Durga Puja festival in New Delhi last year; PTI Photo
Just last week, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant one of its rivers- the Whanganui- the same legal rights as a human being.
It came as a big win for the indigenous Māori tribe that had been fighting to get recognition for the river for over a century now.
Gerrard Albert, lead negotiator for the Whanganui iwi [tribe], told The Guardian, "The reason we have taken this approach is because we consider the river an ancestor and always have."
Stating that the rivers are central to the existence of half of Indian population and their health and well being, the court directed the central government to constitute a Ganga Management Board.
This move, the court hopes, will be able to save two of the most polluted rivers in the world.
Environmental scientist Dr BD Tripathi, who was earlier an expert member of National Ganga River Basin Authority, called the HC order a "highly significant" one.
"The Ganga flows through Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. But all the states have different rules and regulations when it came to maintaining the river. This will help in bring about a uniform set of regulations," he said.
Tripathi, who is also the Coordinator, Centre for Environmental Science & Technology, Banaras Hindu University, added that since the order makes the rivers legal entities, it will now make it possible to initiate legal proceedings against those harming them. "This is a unique order and will help in the conservation of the rivers."
The Yamuna in New Delhi; PTI
Chennai-based environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman raised a pertinent question.
"The judgment puts the government agency that is overseeing the Namami Ganga project in the position of the parents of the rivers. Ganga and Yamuna have the status of minors. That's also because the rivers cannot speak for themselves and hence require benevolent parents to speak for them, to look out for their interests. But what are the agencies that will be regulating the parents?," he asked.
Stating that he is yet to get a clear picture of the entire order, he added that the decisions made by the so-called legal guardian could be very subjective. "If you are talking about the legal rights of the river as a person then the river could be an extremely abused child. The ramifications (of the judgment) are still not clear."
|
Activity Array
Road Trips and Races
This theme can be adapted to fit several other themes or used as a stand-alone theme.
Behind the wheel
This theme goes great with chapter 1 of Dr. Dawn Huebner’s book, What to Do When Your Temper Flares. See the Day 1 to Day 3 lessons called Behind the Wheel.
Community Worker: Mechanic
Happy Car Mechanic Holding Wrench
Extend it by talking more about Mechanics. Take a field trip to a mechanic or invite a mechanic as a guest.
Road trips
Getting Started: An Overview
1. Discuss: road signs, car safety
2. Follow up to Behind the Wheel and Chapter 1 of Temper Flares: Yesterday we talked about maintaining control even when there are challenges or we are in a hurry or tired. Rate your performance – High five if you maintained control today; 3 up if you did OK; thumb up if you need to call a tow truck to get you out of the ditch.
3. Share time: Tell about places you visited this summer
Snack & Nutrition
1. Roadside Snack: granola bar or snack bar
Art & Crafts
1. Paint a map OR a picture of where you might go or a sight you might see on the way
2. Make a bingo game of things you might see along the road
1. Click here for free Bingo games you can print
2. Click here for a road sign scavenger hunt Bingo
3. Or have kids draw one Car Bingo:car BINGO
Engineering & Science
1. Building project: Make a road using road puzzles, blocks, track, etc. Add hills, tunnels, corners, etc.
Word Fun
1. Match a road sign to what it means.
1. Online road sign memory game
2. Here’s an online game.
2. Read a map (this is easier if you have 2 identical maps) – tell a friend how to get from point A to point B – what roads to turn on without telling them where the destination. Did they get to the right place?
1. Here’s a simple map of USA with main highways
2. For an online version go to SlidePlayer
3. Get a map of your own city
Sports Zone/Games/Physical Fitness
1. Car tag
2. Green light Red light
On your mark, Get set, GO!
Getting Started: An Overview
1. Discuss: race cars, types of races, safety features, etc.
1. Fun facts from thrillest
2. Fan facts from NASCAR
3. Read a cool book about race cars
2. What are some types of race cars? Why are they made that way? – principles of aerodynamics
Snack & Nutrition
1. Food race: how fast can you eat _______ — race at Go! or time it. (suggested items: a cup of yogurt or applesauce)
Art & Crafts
1. Race car – paint wooden race cars OR color printed race cars OR design & draw a race car
2. Race flags – make a checkered flag
Engineering & Science
1. Building project: Rubber band power
1. Build a K’nex rubber band car
1. With older kids or adult help you can build a rubber-band powered boat
1. Another option: Get out the race track and your stash of cars and have a race. You can make a ramp using a stack of books with a piece of cardboard leaning against them. Find out which cars go faster.
Word Fun
1. Write about a race
2. Be the sports caster for your friends’ race with the cards they made
Fitness Play
1. Races! Set up a start line and finish line. Run forwards. Run backwards. Race sideways. Race a with a partner side by side with arms over each-others’ shoulder. ….
Pit Stop
Getting Started: An Overview
1. Why do race car drivers have to take pit stops? (“…However, the car that made the additional pit stop will run faster on the race track than cars that did not make the stop, both because it can carry a smaller amount (and thus lower weight) of fuel, and will also have less wear on its tires, providing more traction and allowing higher speeds in the corners.”) read more
1. What does the pit crew do during a pit stop? (add fuel, change tires, and take care of any other problems.)
2. Do you think we need pit stops? (yes) What’s important for us to do during our pit stop? How do we fuel up? (eat, drink water, take a break or rest) Doing that helps us feel good and have self-control.
Snack & Nutrition
1. Make a menu for a healthy meal or snack
Art and Crafts
1. Color a picture of a mechanic working
2. Decorate a frame with nuts. This makes a great gift for Dad or Grandpa, too
Engineering & Science
1. Get out your spare tire. Add some good size bots and nuts and a wrench set. Let the kids put on and take off the nuts and bolts with the wrenches. Don’t want to get out the tire? Cut cardboard on a circle like a tire or use the cardboard that was under the pizza you had last night. Punch some holes to put in the bolts.
Fun with Words
1. How many other words can you make using the letters in “PIT STOP”
Fitness Play
1. Take a break and get outside and play. Moving your muscles and getting fresh air and sunshine is good for relaxation and stress relief.
Continue this unit based on ” What to Do When Your Temper Flares” by going to the theme, Perspectives based on chapter 2, A Secret About Anger.
Author: Janelle C
2 thoughts on “Road Trips and Races
1. Pingback: In The Driver’s Seat | Activity Array
2. Pingback: Managing Temper Flares | Activity Array
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
De BRY, Johann Theodor, (1560-1623) and Johann Israel de Bry (1565-1609). Part II, Plate 32, How the Chinese Bury their Dead and Pray for the Souls that Passed Away. From the “Little Voyages”
$ 5,000.00
Plate XXXII, Wie die in China jhre Todten begraben vndfur die verstorbene Seelen bitten.
Printed by Johan Saur
van Groesen 43
Translation of text:
Title: How the Chinese bury their dead and pray for the souls that passed away
Text: When the invalid passes away his friends wash him and smoke their sheets with good frankincense in which they dress the dead body set him on a chair kneel in front of him and say their goodbyes: then they lay him on a good-smelling stretcher cover him with a white sheet on which the dead is drawn let him sit there for 14 days in this time they hold several ceremonies and sacrifices for the dead soul. Finally they carry him with instruments and chants to his grave stick a spruce that is never going to be taken down to him in the earth. After all this the priests burn several papers with pictures of animals or slaves and then go home.
They pray for their lost ones in the following manner. On a certain day in August comes a monk with two of his friars to a certain house reminds them of the circumstances that they have to forgive the dead his bad habits which prevent him from becoming an angel so they do the usual prayers and sacrifices. After that they build an alter put the dead one's picture on it smoke it with frankincense and also prepare five or six tables with food/ for the lost one they sing and make a loud noise with drums and ringing bells and a little piece of wood meanwhile the folk sacrifice several scripts after which the monk says a prayer hits a table with a piece of wood after which the others answer him take several paintings burn them on the alter sit back down eat and drink in a good mood and the gone soul is honored.**
**Translated from original German by Karl Nesseler.
|
Medical Negligence: The Main Factor Behind Blood Transfusion Errors
blood transfusion malpracticeMost people who undergo blood transfusions have suffered serious injuries in car accidents or they have undergone emergency surgeries or even elective surgeries where they lost a good amount of blood. Other people need blood transfusions because they are very ill and their bodies cannot make blood properly. In fact, about one in seven people who seek medical care in hospitals need blood, and 4.5 million people in this nation need blood transfusions annually, according to
Understanding Blood Transfusions
When a blood transfusion is performed, a patient receives healthy blood via an intravenous (IV) line into a blood vessel. A blood transfusion is, in fact, a common medical procedure that is designed to help people replace the blood they lost. Depending on how much blood is lost and what amount is needed, the procedure can take anywhere from one to four hours.
The Importance of Blood Transfusions
Blood plays a critical role in the body. When a person doesn’t have enough healthy blood to supply the body’s organs and tissues with sufficient nutrients, a person can suffer serious complications. Sadly, many people die without receiving the right kind of blood. This is why a blood transfusion is considered a life-saving measure. However, mistakes can occur during a blood transfusion that can lead to serious injuries or death.
Blood Transfusion Errors
Although blood-borne infections used to be the main concern with blood transfusions, this rarely happens today due to the screening tests that occur on units of donated blood that almost eliminate the possibility of getting an infectious disease. However, when blood is not tested properly, viruses, bacteria, and parasites are sometimes passed along during a transfusion. On rare occasions, mistakes can occur surrounding a blood transfusions that can cause a patient to suffer significant health concerns.
Health Problems From Blood Transfusion Errors
While the worst case scenario following a botched blood transfusion is the death of the patient, there are also other adverse reactions that can occur from blood transfusions, including:
• Kidney failure
• Respiratory distress
• Hypotension
• Shock
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Organ failure
Mistakes That Lead to These Adverse Health Events
Because humans are involved in every step of the process from collecting blood to storing the blood and administering the blood into an IV, mistakes can occur that can lead to blood transfusion errors. The cause can be as simple as a breakdown in safety protocols or poor training. Other potential reasons for harmful mistakes include the following:
• Mixing up patients’ blood. Many people donate their own blood prior to an elective surgery. Unfortunately, sometimes patients’ blood vials are mixed up and a person may receive a blood transfusion with the wrong blood due to medical negligence. This can also occur when several samples are being processed at the same time and a blood sample mix-up occurs.
• Failing to give a patient the right blood type. Every person’s blood has a type: A, B, AB, or O; and every person’s blood is either Rh-negative or Rh-positive. In order for a blood transfusion to work properly, a patient has to be given the correct blood type. If a mix-up happens or if a medical staff member is in a hurry and doesn’t verify the blood unit is the right blood type, a patient may receive the wrong blood. Consequently, receiving an incorrect blood type can make a person very sick. In fact, kidney failure can occur as a result of receiving an incompatible blood type.
• Doctor error. Sometimes doctors may make mistakes and give patients blood transfusions when they didn’t need one, or a surgeon may fail to give someone a transfusion when one was necessary.
• Incorrect administration. Sometimes a medical staff member may accidentally perform the procedure at a high infusion rate or give a patient an excessive volume of blood. This could be caused from poor training or distraction.
• Improper storage of blood. Most hospitals and surgical centers have strict procedures surrounding blood storage, but sometimes poor staff training occurs and a patient is given blood that was poorly stored.
Although most blood transfusions save lives, some people aren’t so fortunate and are victims of such errors. If a medical professional made a mistake when giving you or a loved one a blood transfusion, or if you suspect that to be the case, please contact our law firm today. We can provide you with a free consultation, explain the medical malpractice laws, and start investigating the incident. We would be honored to join you on your journey in seeking justice.
|
A Visual Example of How Compound Interest Works
Start Saving Now – Put Your Money to Work
Sutherland (John) Productions, Inc. Public Domain Photo Courtesy of the Internet Archive.
Compound interest makes your money work hard for you. This page shows how compound interest works and why it is important to start saving as soon as possible. You'll see an example with pictures, and we provide a free online compound interest calculator.
The goal of compound interest is to make your money work hard for you. The alternative, of course, is to work hard for your money. Which would you prefer?
The gentleman shown above has his dollars working for him. This is not a new concept. In fact, you can find historical references to compound interest from around the world.
The key step in using compound interest is to actually start saving. You don't have to save a lot just save what you can. Compound interest will do the rest of the work for you.
It's important to get a competitive rate (or APY) for compound interest to work for you. You don't need to earn the best rate on the planet, but you should earn a competitive rate. A good place to find rates and accounts is on our online banking page.
If you want to skip the example and just see what your savings will generate, run the numbers in our compound interest calculator. For the rest of this example with pictures, read on.
Earn Interest on Your Savings
Because your money is in an account with a competitive rate, you'll earn interest payments on your initial deposit. Above, you'll see that the deposit (coin on top) earns interest (coins on the bottom).
To see how the interest is calculated at this point, read over the page on simple interest.
Earn Interest on Your Interest
Let's assume that your bank pays interest every month. As each month goes by, you'll earn interest on everything in your account. Most importantly, you'll earn interest on previous interest payments.
Don't forget that your initial deposit will also earn interest each month. It earns interest over and over again. The second interest payment is highlighted in yellow.
Hopefully you're starting to see the power of compound interest.
Earn Even More Interest on Your Interest
You probably aren't surprised to see this. Your interest payments will continue to earn more and more interest. Plus, the initial deposit will kick the cycle off many more times.
Note that you could take some money out of your account and spend it. However, you'll lose out on more compounding. Let's take a look at what happens if you leave everything in the account.
The Magic of Compounding
By leaving your money in an account that grows it, you end up with a nice reward.
It's really easy to do this, you just have to get money in an account and keep it there. Then, let compound interest do its thing.
Compound interest is so fascinating that Albert Einstein referred to it as "magic" and called it "The most powerful force in the universe
". Remember, this was a guy who knew a thing or two about forces in the universe.
|
Running and Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is something we tend to associate with elderly women and mothers who have recently given birth. Would you be surprised, then, to learn that there is actually a totally separate group of women who pee themselves pretty regularly? We are talking, of course, about female runners. Yes, ladies; women who run think of yourselves as healthy, but you cannot run from the risk of urinary incontinence. Because of the high intensity, impact on the pelvic floor muscles, and endurance involved in running, female bodies experience tremendous amounts of stress in the pelvic floor region, with the bladder being perhaps the biggest victim. Let's break it down.
The Quick Facts
In a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers found that over 45 percent of elite female athletes studied experienced symptoms of stress urinary incontinence. The women surveyed were professional athletes participating in the endurance sports of running and cross-country skiing. Stress urinary incontinence is generally characterized by small urine leaks when coughing or sneezing; the urge urinary incontinence with which people are more familiar has to do more with straining to pee or the bladder being unable to empty itself. Although most of us are not elite professional athlete, we do put our bodies through a lot of strain while running. There's an important factor to note; 76 percent of the women in the study had never gone through childbirth, and we know that childbirth does quite a number on the pelvic floor muscles. If some of the healthiest women in the world cannot stave off urinary incontinence, imagine how much risk a normal mother who loves running faces.
Why Do Female Runners Pee So Much?
When you run, you bounce ever so slightly in addition to the forward momentum. Unfortunately, this up-and-down motion puts a lot of pressure on the bladder, as the pelvic floor muscles have to handle the increased stress. This is made all the worse by the regular, constant motion of running. When the pelvic floor muscles and the bladder experience this sort of stress, they tighten and are not able to expand as effectively to hold urine in. Sneezing and coughing produce those signature urine leaks because the quick, intense motion allows small drops of pee to sneak past. How many of our runners out here pee a little when they run? Raise your hands!
Oh, there’s more...
The mechanics of running are not the only factor which can contribute to urinary incontinence. Nutrition plays a significant role. Drinking lots of sugary beverages or caffeine may irritate the lining of the bladder and facilitate urinary continence. Caffeine may also increase the speed of your digestion, which may make you pee more. Some common pain medications taken by athletes, including aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, may also increase the speed at which fluids are passed through the body; this also makes urinary incontinence more likely. But, have no fear – this is pretty easily and quickly fixed
There's Hope!
So, what do you do about this? You train the pelvic floor muscles to be toned and strong (just like our calf muscles). You train the pelvic floor muscles by doing pelvic floor muscles exercises with the Yarlap. We all know someone goes to the bathroom during runs or marathons. The answer is not to quit running or quit exercising. However, its links to urinary incontinence cannot be denied. The Yarlap offers a great solution to female runners. While you can't use this revolutionary electroceutical device during your morning run, you can simply pop it in for 20 minutes each day while you're resting afterwards. It's easy and effective, perfect for women on the go.
|
Product Category menu
Category background
Rod ends
Product Detail Information
Generally, rod end bearings consist of a spherical inner ring (that called a ball), a housing (that called a body) having a shank or extension with male or female feature and right - handed or left-handed thread and a bush. Spherical inner rings are manufactured from carbon chromium bearing steel which is heated, and precision ground, to minimize friction of contacting surfaces. Housings are made of medium carbon steel and bushes are made from Cu-Zn alloyed brass.
Rod ends are mainly used in the construction of control rod linkages, under the status of tensile and compressive loads transmitted through the control rods. These types are self-aligning bearings designed to take both radial and thrust loads and to have a superior performance especially in rotational and oscillating motions. they are essential components to design machinery and improve their performances in various industrial fields.
|
The Manhunts idea in the movie The War of Kids
The movie The War on Kids by Manhunt reveals the past American education trends under which schools were perceived as the source of torture, punishments and a place from where nothing of interest was thought to be attained from. In this movie, the idea of Manhunt to bring in to focus the kind of administration public schools adopted in the past few decades was based on the misuse of power and authority leading to the overreaction by school administrators and consequently an interruption of the coherence expected within the learning process. More specifically, Manhunt in his movie draws the attention of the untold suppression and down pinning of various individuals by school administration within public schools.
The Manhunts idea from the movie The war of Kids
The Manhunts idea from the movie The War of Kids is rooted on the brutality of school administrators within the American education system for the past few decades where schooling seemed to be of no interest especially under the initial levels of learning. From the movie various scenarios depict the idea of the misuse of powers and authority, as a way of instilling discipline among the learners especially during the initial levels of learning. Further, the movie expounds on the idea of rule by force under which the running of public schools in America during that time was based on the use of force to instill discipline among the learners. More so, the brutality by the police to school teachers stresses this idea of rule by force which led to the learners reacting against such inhumanity among the teachers within the lower ranks who seemed to team up with the learners (Catsoulis, 2009).
The movie further unveils the suppressive policies which were adopted within the running of public schools, leading to the lack of coherence within the running of school activities as the school system was out of touch with its stakeholders. More specifically, Manhunts main idea within the movie was to bring in to attention the massive inefficiency within the school system due to the oppressive and harsh policies adopted within the American education system in the past leading to most learners lacking interest in schooling (Kim, 1994).
The relationship between Manhunts idea and Foucaults Discipline and Punish
The problem of schooling system in America in the past can be referred to Foucaults Discipline and Punish. Perhaps, the idea of Manhunt in the movie The War on Kids has a very close link to the Foucaults ideas within the book Discipline and Punish considering the way various incidences unfold within the movie. In fact as Foucault brings out the public governance system as being brutal and malicious, the same ideas are generally carried during practice within the education system in America as the movie The War on Kids depicts. More specifically, the book Discipline and Punish portrayed the overall administration of public governance as being oppressive and as using prisons as the key institution useful in instill discipline among the people in which the movie The War on Kids reflects similar administrative policies within the school system (Santa, 2009).
In addition, the Manhunts idea of bringing in to focus the misuse of power and authority in public schools is directly linked to the Foucaults ideas in which they both bring in to attention the oppressive and harsh policies adopted in most public administrative systems. As the movie The war on Kids depict, the school systems had been turned in to prisons where the learners had no rights to express their feelings and ideas freely an instance where subsequent punishments were administered to the learners who came out to advocate for their rights. In this respect, the idea of Manhunt is closely related to the Foucaults idea on the massive powers by the public governance in torturing, punishing, disciplining and the imprisoning of people who went against the suppressing public governance policies without compromise (Foucault, 1975).
Lastly, Manhunts idea to bring out the American compulsory education system as meant to produce individuals like civil servants, the military and internal soldiers among others who would be very much submissive to the government. As it usually happens, the public governance practice pursues to developing education systems which would yield citizens who are sycophants to the public administration so as to enhance further oppression of the public in general. In this perspective, Manhunts idea goes hand in hand with the Foucaults idea of the public administration to harshly and brutally deal with those people who go against the oppressive public administrative policies so as to intimidate people to be loyal to the prevailing public administrative system (Catsoulis, 2009).
Generally, the Manhunts idea within the movie The War of Kids is based on the oppressive administrative policies which were adopted within the American compulsory education system in the past under which brutality and the misuse of power was greatly practiced in the lower levels of education. As it is revealed from the movie, various counter-reactions by school kids to advocate for their rights and liberalization from such oppressive policies within the education system were made. More specifically, the main idea from the movie is to bring in to focus the need for a liberated education system which will help enhance the free expression of feelings and ideas by scholars. This is the case as it will help make schooling more interesting thus enhancing the cultivation of special talents and skills among individuals.
A History of Metaphysics Definition and Approach
The term metaphysics is first found in the Aristotelian treatises, which defines it as ta meta ta physica, literally meaning what comes after the physical. There is an inherent ambiguity within this definition, as it may both refer to the works of Aristotelian that come after the physical works dealing with material science, or a study that deals with things that come after the physical. There has been considerable debate over the actual meaning of this phrase, and the term that was later derived from it metaphysical.
Buhle, in the 18th century after a close reading of Aristotles metaphysics, came to the conclusion that it is used primarily as an editorial term like appendices, cataloguing works that come after the physical.
However, most future philosophers would summarily disagree with such a definition, as there is neither proof nor rationale behind it. Parmenides of Elea undertook a study of astronomical bodies and the cosmos in the fifth century BC, and tried to explain the being of these bodies. This formulation established the meaning of the word being in Greek philosophy, which meant that which was permanent and immutable, not subject to change. This was opposed to becoming, which meant objects that are of a temporary and changeable. As such, metaphysics the study that dealt with being, was well established within the Greek tradition even before the term was coined by the disciples of Aristotle.
Plato placed the things of immutable nature within the scope of Ideas, the permanent and unchangeable entities, of which all sensible things were mere shadows. The highest type of science, according to Plato, was the study of Ideas. Aristotle wrote in the same tradition, and believed that for every changing and mutable object, there is a permanent and immutable correspondence in the realm of the supersensible. Aristotle expanded this doctrine to state that the study of separate substances was the primary science, and in being primary it was also universal. This kind of study dealt in a focused way, with the study of the supersensible but since the supersensible contained everything, this study also included the general characteristics of everything. This made it the supreme science, because it tried to explain the highest causes behind the material, sensible world.
This location of the metaphysical in the realm of the supersensible raised many questions among subsequent philosophers. Particularly, after the Christian era there ensued a scriptural debate, as Christian philosophy considered God as the first principle and as the First Principle, which transcended the human logical approach. Reactions to the Aristotelian view also came from the Middle East, as Arabic thinker Avicenna distinguished between a study of the highest God who transcended philosophy and the study of the unity of beings in general and the supersensual level. Averros, a century later opposed this to state that metaphysics most rightly belonged to the realm of the supersensible. Among Christian thinkers, Siger of Brabant had reservations about considering God as a proper subject of this investigation, and a study of human beings as the subject of metaphysics, and God should be wholly kept out of it. However, whatever pure human reason could obtain about God was considered to be a part of metaphysics. This conception laid the foundation for the battling ground between traditional Aristotelian concept of being and Christian theology, particularly with relation to creation. According to the Christian doctrine of creation, the immutable was not only permanent, but its creation also had to be significant and contingent in some way. The discussion that followed throughout the Middle Ages became a jumble of contrasting theological views, from among which no consensus seemed possible.
Francis Bacon was the first to divide the traditional differences of metaphysics in such a way as to include only the study of common axioms and the essences of materials. The study of God, angels and other supersensual beings were relegated to the realm of Natural Theology. This division set the course for metaphysics in subsequent Western philosophy. For Descartes, for example, metaphysics included an investigation of the first principle, though the original principle was cogito and not the sensual things like Aristotle. This stream that dealt with human mind, God and the general axioms, were categorized by him as First Philosophy. Spinoza included it under the general head of ethics, and Leibniz created a separate discipline for the study and defense of the Christian God, and arguments for and against it, which he termed as theodicy. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, the subject matter of traditional metaphysics was again in a muddle, leading Christian Wolff to systematize it into four heads ontology dealing with being in general which meant notions about things and not things directly, general cosmlogy dealing with the sensible universe, psychology dealing with the study of the human soul, and natural theology, which would devote itself to the study and philosophical enquiry about God. We find a return to Wolffian metaphysics by neo-scholasticism who try to maintain the divisions. Their inability to fit in the Cartesian cogito within the Wolffian categories has lead to the development of a separate science devoted to it, called epistemology.
The Wolffian categories, however, faced serious criticism in the hands of Immanuel Kant, who attacked each of the categories for fallacies and stating emphatically that human thought only belongs and relates to its own sphere, and nothing outside it. Kant, moreover, relocated the term metaphysics to include scientific investigation of human thoughts, and even hinted at a practical application in his Metaphysics of Morals. Hegel, disturbed by the complete negation of metaphysics in Kant, tried to relocate it within the mainstream of philosophy in the form of a logic of the internal necessities of ideas, leading to many grandiose systems of idealistic metaphysics in the nineteenth century (Owens, 1985, p.9), most of which ended up being a futile search. It elicited strong reaction from many quarters.
Postitivists dismissed it, pragmatists laughed at the lack of rigor, logical positivists shunned it because it was not verifiable, linguistic analysts clearly expelled it from the purview of science, mathematical logic thought it to be an indulgence into a logically impossible procedure. It was summarily thought to belong more to the domain of fiction and poetry rather than philosophy. Some of its proponents wre Bergson, Collingwood and Existentialists who all tried to relocate it within mainstream philosophy in different ways.
The brief historical survey makes it clear that there has been as many ways of thinking about metaphysics as there have been schools of thought. However, what cannot be denied is that every thinking individual has a strain of thinking on a line that has been traditionally been designated as metaphysical.
Examples of Equivocity in Language
Some schools of Early Metaphysics believed in the existence of essence of all material objects existing outside them.
The fragrance of the essence filled the ball room
Fire is the cause behind smoke
It is worth dying for a cause you strongly believe in
Marcus Aurelius was a man of deep knowledge and understanding
The battling factions finally reached and understanding
Examples of Univocity in Language
Some theologians believed God to be the ultimate source and destiny of all creation
For Plato, the Ideas were the ultimate causes behind all earthly entities
All monotheist religions propound the belief in a single, omnipotent God
The very existence of God was debated by the positivist thinkers in nineteenth and twentieth century
Chivalry appears to be a thing of the past
You may or may not believe in the existence of even such a thing as an angel
Definition A definition is a passage describing the meaning of a term, which can be a word, a phrase or a set of symbols. In philosophy, definition is of extreme importance, precisely because often normal, day to day words are rendered important through special definitions that are allotted to them.
Essence The definition of essence lies in the aspect of indestructibility, immutability and constancy. It could mean the intrinsic or indispensable properties that serve to characterize or identify something, the crucial or most important ingredient of any object, and the inherent or unchanging nature of a thing or class of things. As such, it could also mean a spiritual or incorporeal entity. In philosophy, an essence of something can be defined as something that is distinct from, and logically prior to, its existence.
Argumentation An argumentation is the presentation and elaboration of an argument or arguments. It may refer to a debate or the deductive reasoning employed in debate. In Logic, it refers to the process of reasoning methodically.
Rational Rational can be defined as having or exercising the ability to reason. This faculty must be consistent with or based on reason, or logical.
Ultimate Ultimate in philosophy has two different significations. It can be defined as the last in a series, process, or progression and can also be defined as fundamental or elemental. In general usage it can mean of the greatest possible size or significance or representing the utmost or extreme possible development or sophistication of something.
Causes Cause is the one, such as a person, event or condition that is responsible for an action or result. It is a basis for an action or response. In general usage, it can refer to a ground for legal action, a goal o principle served with dedication and zeal or the interests of a person or group engaged in a struggle.
Effects An effect is something that is brought about by a cause or an agent, the result. It also refers to a scientific law, hypothesis, or phenomenon. It can also refer to bring into existence or the production of a desired impression or that impression in general.
Knowledge Knowledge would mean the state or fact of knowing familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. In philosophy it would also refer to the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned about a particular aspect of investigation.
Belief It is the mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something. It is accepting something as true. It refers in particular to a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a person or a group of persons.
Religion Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. It can also mean a personal and institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. A religion can also refer to a cause, a principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
God A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions. He is a force, effect, or a manifestation or aspect of this being. He is believed to be in possession of supernatural powers, is widely believed in a widely worshipped by people, is usually a male deity and is believe to control some parts or whole of reality.
Empirical Any branch of study relying on or derived from observation or experiment. An empirical knowledge is usually verifiable, or can be proved to be probable by means of observation or experiment. An empirical knowledge usually depends on practical experience and not on theory, particularly in medicine.
Supersensible Anything beyond the perception of senses
Qualitative Procedure Classification and study from a viewpoint of sensibly observable characteristics is called Qualitative Procedure. We can example of this methodology in sciences like Botany and Zoology, where a database is created on the basis of colors, sounds, odors, tastes, temperature, hardness and other such features that are sensually verifiable, through which materials appeal to human cognition in the most immediate way.
Quantitative Procedure This is related directly with the aspect of measurement. Quantitative procedure was applied with mathematics, astronomy, harmonies and Optics.
Thing A thing refers to an entity, an idea, which can be perceived, known, or purely thought to have its own existence. As such it can be a real and concrete substance of an entity existing in time and space, or any inanimate object.
Faith A faith is a confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. It is a belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. It can also refer to allegiance and loyalty.
Science Science is the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. It can refer to any methodological activity, discipline, or study or any activity that appears to require study and method.
Understanding understanding is the quality or condition of one who understands, and can also refer to the faculty by which one understands i.e. intelligence. In normal parlance, it can refer to a reconciliation of differences and reaching a state of agreement.
Explanation it refers to the act or process of explaining, something that explains, or a clarification of disputed terms or points reaching to a reconciliation of disputing ideas.
Proximate Very near or next, as in space, time, or order. However, in philosophical discussion it can be defined as approximate.
Experience Experience is the apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind. It can also refer to the knowledge or skill derived from direct and active participation in events or activities.
Wisdom The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. It refers to insight, and often to good judgment.
Tabula Rasa The Tabula Rasa refers to a mind before it receives the impressions gained from experience, or a need or an opportunity to start from the beginning. In philosophy, it refers to the unformed, featureless mind implied by John Locke. It literally means a clean slate.
Innatism It is a philosophical doctrine that holds that the mind is born with ideas knowledge, and that is directly in opposition to the clean slate theory of John Locke and early empiricists. It asserts that not all knowledge is obtained from experience or gathered through the senses.
Terrorism and Civil Disobedience
Anybody can bear me witness that, the history of mankind has been nothing short of protests against certain acts that we perceive to be wrong or morally degrading. These protests have resulted to acts of terrorism and civil disobedience which have brought up devastating effects to innocent people. This paper will discuss hybrid law approach to terrorism and provide an understanding of civil disobedience as perceived by Martin Luther King Jr. Thereafter a focus is given to opinions and reasons as to whether terrorism and civil disobedience are morally justified. The paper will also provide the utilitarian and deontological justification of terrorism and relate either of them with Nagels argument.
The second part will discuss positive and negative eugenics and provide examples on the same as provided in the Engineering American Society article on top of highlighting the eugenics social agenda as described in the article. Towards the end of the paper we shall evaluate whether the positive and negative eugenics lead to any form of discrimination. Finally, the paper will discuss the video who should decide and provide the moral issues as depicted from the case in the video.
Terrorism is one subject that has so far not gained globally acceptable definition. This is the case because different jurisdictions have adapted different definitions on the same thus slowing down the process of acquiring a globally and legally acceptable definition of the crime. For the purpose of this paper we shall adopt the definition of terrorism as defined by the FBI. According to the FBI, terrorism refers to the unlawful use of force to coerce a government or a certain segment of the population to act in accordance to your social or political objectives. We can also choose to adopt the definition as per Poland. According to Poland, terrorism is a pre-planned mayhem which is meant to intimidate the innocent by instilling fear into them. By so doing, terrorists are able to influence their audience and fulfill their political and social motives.
Terrorism can manifest itself in different forms. They range from threats, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bomb scares to cyber attacks. Terrorist attacks are of different types. They range from chemical, mechanical, radiological and biological terrorism (Stevens, 2009). Of interest in this research paper is the biological terrorism which is commonly referred to as bio-terrorism.
The term bio-terrorism is used to refer to the deliberate distribution or release of bacterias, viruses and fungi among others. The probability that a particular biological agent will be used by a terrorist depends on its availability. According to the U.S Centre for disease control and prevention Bacillus anthracis is more available than other agents and thus have a high potential of being used by terrorists. Currently, numerous bio-terrorism acts can be applied by terrorists groups and anyone with an ill-motive. They range from the use of Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium botulinum toxin, Yersinia pestis,Varola major, Francisella tularensis to Burkholderia mallei.
Gradually, we have witnessed the emergence of several groups which seek to justice terrorism. By justifying we mean an act of defining the motive of the terrorist groups. Worth noting is the utilitarian justification of terrorism. This group is of the opinion that racial and ethnic groups have a right to resort to armed struggle whenever they are denied off their equal participation in matters of political and social life. Still we have the deontological justification of terrorism. This justification is based on the Principle of Non-Combatant Immunity (PNI) prohibits the intentional killing of non-combatants. At the same time PNI prohibits counter terrorist activities aimed at killing or causing severe injuries to non-combatants. An argument presented by Nagel seems to be consistent with the utilitarian justification of terrorism. According to Nagel, terrorism is no crime as long as the objective is important enough. He goes ahead to provide example of issues that may justify terrorism. For instance Nagel cites that terrorism is justified when one wants his enemy to withdraw from his territory, be granted independence or to force an enemy to cease hostility. He however cautions that in delivery of such operations care should be taken to minimize the amount of risk that the innocent people are being exposed to.
Of late, there has been concern over how liberal democratic states should respond to the security threats posed terrorism as well as non state political violence. Some of the counter measures include use of military force or prosecution of the criminals after subsequent investigations are conducted. However, the counter measures depend on the group that the state may be dealing with and the extent of their operations. This has consequently led to the hybrid law approach. This approach seeks to prosecute terrorists on charges of murder under the domestic law. The hybrid law approach is applicable irrespective of whether it was the murder of civilians or the military personnel. However, a philosopher by the name of Luban is opposed to the hybrid law approach. According to him the hybrid law approach is based on the relationship that prevails within states, while the war model is based on the relationship that prevails between states. He goes further to assert that the hybrid law approach upholds some community values. On the other hand, he presupposes that the war model has the assumption that mankind do not live in a single community with some ethical principles to be held.
Luban goes further to produce a theoretical objection to the hybrid law approach to terrorism. He states that it is unprincipled to separate and recombine the law and the war model since it is to the interest of the Americans. Finally, Luban asserts that the war on terrorism is not clearly defined. In that, it lacks a defined point of termination. This leads him to the conclusion that the war on terrorism regardless of which model is applicable will only increase the violation of human rights (Gehring, 2003).
Since the issue of terrorism has grown to be an immense one, numerous guidelines about how to deal with the same have emerged incase one is a victim. Of interest in this research paper is the ticking time bomb scenario. The ticking time bomb story goes something like this. A bomb which is about to explode is planted in a hidden locality within an American city. In your custody you have the man responsible for the bomb who would not even say a word of the whereabouts of the bomb. Under such condition the well safeguarded ethical principles should be compromised. In that, the guy should be subjected to torture in order for him to reveal crucial information about the whereabouts of the bomb. This will definitely go a long way towards saving the innocent lives of many. However, Luban is opposed to the whole ticking bomb story. According to Luban the ticking bomb story is not to happen in the near future. In addition, Luban presumes that despite subjecting the suspect to torture it is not guaranteed that he or she may be having the information that is desired by the relevant authorities. The bottom line according to Luban is that torture should not be accepted under any circumstance.
Civil disobedience
According to Rachaels, civil disobedience refers to the refusal of an individual to abide by the law and the government orders without necessarily resorting to any form of physical violence. Generally, it is a non-violent form of resistance from disgruntled individuals. Civil disobedience differs from terrorism because terrorism is normally a violent form of protest to the government as opposed to civil disobedience which is non-violent (Rachels, 2010). He further cites this as the same view given by Martin Luther King, who saw civil disobedience is a form of protest to the government over some unjust laws. He goes further to make a distinction between the just and the unjust laws. To his understanding, an unjust law is normally not in harmony with the moral law. At the same time, an unjust law contradicts eternal and natural law and degrades human personality. On the other hand, just laws are those that are consistent with the law of God and the moral law and uplifts human personality. This leads us to the opinion part of the paper.
In my opinion, terrorism is by no measure justified. In that there is no point of claiming the innocent lives of many for the sole intention of gaining political or social recognition. I can only justify terrorism whenever dialogue between the warring groups has failed. On the other hand, civil disobedience is justified since there is no form of physical violence involved. At the same time, civil disobedience is for the interest of all since it does advocate for the scrapping of the unjust laws and the upholding of the just laws.
Part 2
Moral issues in genetic technologies
Overtime, different technologies concerned with genetics have emerged the human race. Notably, there has been the emergence of Eugenics which applies genetic principles and agricultural breeding in a bid to improve human race. Of interest in this research paper is the positive and negative eugenics. By definition positive eugenics refers to a form of eugenics which advocates for marriage and breeding between two individuals who may be considered desirable. This was evident in the article from the Engineering American Society article where Galton tries to improve the human race through selective breeding. This led to the degeneracy theory which shared the idea that the unfit in the society are products of bad environment and they are responsible for the degenerate off-springs (Micklos, 2000).
On the other hand, we have the negative Eugenics. By negative eugenics we mean the attempt to scrap off the defective germ-plasmas that may be present in the society. This involves the employment of such measures as sexual separation, sterilization, and immigration control and marriage regulation among others. Negative eugenics is depicted from the article where there was an attempt to stop any further spread of faulty genes. This came after studies revealed that over 700 petty criminals, prostitutes and paupers could trace their heredity from Margaret, the mother of criminals. The positive and the negative eugenics paved way for the eugenic social agenda.
The Eugenic social agenda was directed at improving the human race through scientific progress. A large percentage of the middle class citizens shared the opinion that human being was a defective species which was needed some form of pruning in a bid to maintain its viability. To achieve .the American eugenicists succeeded in lobbying for eugenic social legislation. The social legislation was directed at minimizing the number of immigrants into the European Nations to prevent any further racial mixing. As if the immigration restriction was not enough the eugenicists went further to sterilize those that they viewed to be genetically unfit.
The whole issue of eugenics has brought about some moral issues. It has widened the gap between the rich and the poor. This is because the two groups cannot be allowed to freely intermingle. In my opinion, regardless of whether it is positive or negative eugenics, they both lead to discrimination. This is because the poor and the genetically undesirable cannot be freely allowed to choose their breeding partners.
Who should decide
The movie who should decide focuses on the numerous parenting issues that parents have to go through. It features on the lives of Suzie and his brother. The brother to Suzie identifies that a problem exists between them and the parents and he chooses to address them by writing a masterpiece. He writes an open letter to all the so called unappreciated and misunderstood sons and daughters. On a Saturday afternoon, a bunch of Suzie friends are going skating .Suzie had also prepared a nice lunch for her date. Trouble started when Suzies friends came to pick her up with a car. This was however not a big issue since the boys in the car were good drivers. The issue driving Suzies mum crazy was that the driver was actually a no one in the society and Suzies mum was worried of the influence that he would have on her daughter now that they were going over 25 miles from home. The mum was quite reluctant to let her daughter go despite the fact that she had attained the age of consent. Eventually, it was evident that she would not actually let her go. The question at hand is who should decide the kind of friends that your sons and daughters should interact with.
Suzies brother has issues too. His father is doing some paint works in the kitchen and he expects his son to help out. In response, the son asks whether it is acceptable that he gets a painter and he gets to pay him from his own pocket because he dislikes painting. The dad accused him of not being part of the family. The son is however inquisitive about whether he has a right to decide over what kind of work he should be involved in while in the house. He is also unsure whether the dad has a right to decide what he is to do with his life. Things even gets worse on him after he went with his girlfriend fro a movie date. This did not go down well with his father who was expecting him back in the house by 11.00 p.m. However, he feels that since he is old enough he has a right to decide when he comes back to the house. The movie date ended quite early but he deliberately chose to be late just to prove to his dad that he was old enough. When he finally got home he was treated as a public enemy since no one would dare talk to him. In summary, the movie brings out some moral issues. For instance, it brings into right that the kind of friends we interact have some influence on our lives. Finally, it depicts that we as the youth should help out in the household chores.
Kierkegaard on Life
A major thrust of Kierkegaards Concluding Unscientific Postscript is the rejection and criticism of Hegelian system. Hegel had claimed to have established a comprehensive system, and even attempted to incorporate philosophy into the realm of science. Furthermore, Hegel argued against the self and subjectivity, something that was strongly rejected by Kierkegaard. The main theme in this paper is a criticism of Hegel as advanced by Kierkegaard. It goes a step further to establish the flaws in the objections raised by Kierkegaard. The term bracketing in this paper is intended to mean the intentional act of setting aside ones preconceived ideas in order to engage in a certain undertaking.
Kierkegaard was actually reacting against Hegelian determinism and Speculative thought. For him, the possibility of real happiness can only be attained subjectively. Hegel thought it was possible to attain absolute reality, a claim that was strongly opposed by Kierkegaard. He observed that it was impossible to establish a system of living, mainly due to the subjectivity of truth that he so deeply attempts to explain.
For Hegel, reason was the only vehicle capable of taking humanity to absolutism. In this he introduces the idea of progression from levels of truth to absolute truth. Kierkegaard strongly refutes this, arguing that religious faith has a central role not only in the attainment of deeper inwardness necessary for the attainment of truth subjectively, but also as the highest form of existence possible.
However, while it seems clear that both Hegels and Kierkegaards positions have strong foundations neither is complete on its own. Each stands in need of the other for completion.
The whole of Kierkegaards criticism of Hegel is based on the premises that Hegel seems to write from outside his system. Kierkegaard raises several issues with the Hegelian system, questioning its very foundation. One of the most notable of his attacks on Hegel was regarding his emphasis on rationalism. His disagreement with Hegel was not just that it was a disagreement with any systematic approach to knowledge. For this reason, it would be fitting to say that Concluding Unscientific Postscripts marked what can be called a turning point in philosophy. Hegel had created, or claimed to have, a comprehensive thought system purely on the basis of reason and abstraction. In this he claimed that truth is progressive, with the end as the absolute truth. God in this case, becomes this absolute truth. Accordingly, the Hegelian view on the human persons was that each is viewed in relation to the other. Furthermore, whatever is considered mans greatest good is not his, but belongs to society. Thus, properly put, Hegels main emphasis was the whole, rather than the part. Kierkegaard strongly differed with these Hegelian views. He observed that this system was incomplete. He saw that Hegels claim that truth was in the whole was not true because it was not complete itself. Abstraction as such requires the one involved in the process to bracket ordinary connotations of two important existential as well as metaphysical terms being and nothing. Kierkegaard asserts that suspending all assumptions, which is considered the beginning of speculative thinking, would also mean forgetting that pure being as such results from abstraction. As indicated,
Kierkegaards Critique of Hegel
The Hegelian claim of a comprehensive system prompted Kierkegaards sharp criticism. He found great fault in the very beginning of the system. The question he poses to Hegel is that after having abstracted everything, with what can one begin Worth noting is the fact that Kierkegaard claims that the Hegelian system begins with nothing. Kierkegaard points this as a major flaw in Hegels argument. Kierkegaard notes that the reflective process is per se and in se an infinite one. This is because in order to bring a reflective process to finitude, it must involve a conscious reflection that one seeks an end, so that this process would need to stop itself. This according to Kierkegaard is impossible. On the same vein, abstraction as a process can only bring itself to finitude by abstracting itself from itself. This would have to continue ad infinitum. This argument challenges the thought of purely immediate being, on which the whole of Hegelian philosophy is hinged. Kierkegaard says that it is possible to subjectively decide to interrupt ones own thought process, in order to reflect upon a certain thing. An objection to Kierkegaard is that he largely fails to note that his so conceived subjective decision to interrupt the reflective process in view of pure being does not in any way interrupt that process. Kierkegaard did not seem to realize that even the decision itself is a reflective process. Although there is a presupposition of decision in logic, this does not prevent such an undertaking from being logical.
Another criticism of Hegelian philosophy by Kierkegaard was that in his system, the person involved in thinking is actually outside of the System. The main question here is who then is this individual who is a systematic thinker It seems that this individual is both outside of existence and in existence. It is he who is eternity and the totality of existence. This according to Hegel is God. Kierkegaard sharply criticizes him on account of assuming the role of God in that system. It is also not possible, according to Kierkegaard, to have the thinker outside the system.
Kierkegaard further points out that abstraction as understood in Hegel brings about a lot of problems, because this process is carried out sub specie eterni, meaning that it is conducted from an eternity point of view. This results in a disregard of the temporal and the concrete. As such, it simply eliminates the becoming of existence. The obvious issue here is rejecting the self and its concreteness also means rejecting truth as subjectivity.
Hegel had argued that truth was possible through science. For this reason, he had sought to reconcile philosophy with science. Kierkegaards objection was that existence itself was a system, but a system only for God. This is because conclusiveness corresponded with existence, and before a system concludes itself, it must necessarily be annulled in the eternal. Kierkegaard strongly emphasizes on man and his individual existence, a fact that leads him to subjectivity as the basis for truth. His understanding of existentialism is particularly interesting. He says that there is a relationship between knowledge and the knower. Furthermore, this knower has an essential individual existence, which means that there is a significant relationship between existence and all essential knowledge. Kierkegaard was reacting to the Hegelian claim that the whole was the most important.
As earlier mentioned, truth according to Hegel, is found not in the parts, but in the whole. Kierkegaard objects to this for the reason that any search for knowledge objectively, leads only to approximation. Here he rejects the call by Hegel to make philosophy a science and instead equates it to history. He says that just as no one can write a final history, no one can write a final philosophical system. For him, whatever is considered as knowledge is nothing but approximation.
Hegels system had asserted that everything is knowable. However, Kierkegaard says that human existence as such, is marked by total uncertainty. As a matter of fact, his definition of truth attests to this uncertainty. He considers truth as an objective uncertainty, one that is attained only through a process of appropriation of passionate inwardness. He further argues that knowledge of the truth of personal existence is knowledge of uncertainty. He argues that whenever a question of truth is brought up in a manner that is considered objective, the direction of reflection is always towards the truth as the object related to the knower. This understanding of truth as implying a relational state of existence, rather than a set of propositions that should be believed in, is what makes it impossible for the development of a particular system of life. It is precisely this understanding that places faith higher than Hegelian reason.
In conclusion, the claim by Hegel to have created a system has been strongly criticized. It is in the person of Kierkegaard that the most ardent criticism is found. Thinking out of a system cannot be conceived abstractly without invoking the idea of conclusiveness. Conclusiveness can only be attributable to the absolute being, and therefore, reasoning about the absolute would require that the thinker be the Absolute. This was a major flaw in Hegelian philosophy. A very noble observation by Kierkegaard is that in thinking of the pure being the thinker cannot be set apart as such from existence, meaning that the thinker is fully involved in existence, as he carries out the reflective process. However, it has been demonstrated that Kierkegaards conception of Hegelian thought is not entirely without error. The failure by Kierkegaard to recognize the fact that the decision to call to mind the idea of pure being is itself a reflective act is a remarkable thing. It seems however, that a synthesis of the philosophies of both Hegel and Kierkegaard would produce a more mature philosophy. In arguing against the Hegelian system, Kierkegaard recognizes two important aspects of truth the objective and the subjective. His explanation of these two terms brings into light the reasons for his objection to a particular philosophical system of life.
Article Critique
Critical Literature Review
Chopra, M., Galbraith, S., and Darnton-Hill, A. 2002. A Global Response to a Global Problem The Epidemic of Overnutrition, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 80, (12), 952-957.
Gostin, L.O. 2007. Law as a Tool to Facilitate Healthier Lifestyles and Prevent Obesity, Journal of American Medical Association 297, (1), 88-90.
Non-communicable diseases will soon be the leading causes of morbidity and mortality (Chopra, Galbraith, and Darnton-Hill 2002 952). This disease, which includes obesity and being overweight, should no longer be ignored, because of their harmful impacts on individual health and state medical expenses, aside from loss of productivity. Global Response to a Global Problem, by Chopra, Galbraith, and Darnton-Hill, argues for national and international mechanisms that can respond to the problems of overnutrition and undernutrition. Law as a Tool to Facilitate Healthier Lifestyles and Prevent Obesity by Gostin, on the other hand, stresses that the law can be effectively used to resolve problems of obesity and being overweight. These articles indicate the importance of national and international binding and non-binding laws in curbing the immense appetite of many people for unhealthy foods.
Summary 1
Chopra, Galbraith, and Darnton-Hill (2002) argue that the obesogenic environment can be changed through legislation, public education, and proper marketing, under the guidance of the WHO and with the support of local governments (953). They cited national intervention programs that aimed to reduce non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and obesity. They argued for the importance of a global strategy as a prevention paradigm, through the leadership of the WHO. They also called for a stronger, but non-binding involvement of the state in educating the people about the impact of food ingredients on their health through clear food labeling, marketing controls for unhealthy foods, and taxing unhealthy food choices, among other policies. They stressed the magnitude of non-binding laws over binding laws, because the former are more flexible and can involve multisectoral participation, although their greatest limitation is their non-binding status. The authors conclude that the strength of organized food industries can hinder the pursuance of their recommendations and they assert that this can be resolved through collaboration and innovation from all concerned parties.
Summary 2
Gostin (2007), on the other hand, strongly argues for lawmakers to adopt a paternalistic approach in preventing and reducing obesity rates. He examines the pros and cons of each legislative measure that he discusses, namely disclosure, surveillance, regulation of food marketing to children and adults, taxation, school and workplace policies, the built environment zoning, and food prohibitions (i.e. trans fat ban). He provides a table that contains an overview of each legislative measure, definition of these measures, public health benefits, and the arguments for and against these public policies. He advocates for many of these legal interventions through stressing their function in protecting national health, especially the health and lives of children. He believes that it is the responsibility of the government to build healthier communities, where people have more opportunities to pursue an active lifestyle and have greater access to inexpensive and healthier food options.
This article is useful because it offers practical national and international measures that can prevent non-communicable diseases. On other hand, it does not discuss a more concrete and step-by-step framework for the suggestions provided. The article also comprehensively discusses prevention strategies, binding and non-binding legal arguments, and international instruments. However, there is lack of more in-depth discussion of the arguments of the authors for non-binding laws, in a way that readers would be truly convinced that they are better than binding laws. It is also hard to follow the flow of thought of the authors. There should be more specific transitions that guide their discussions and arguments.
Critique 2
This article is useful for people who want to support legislative measures for reducing obesity and other national epidemic non-communicable diseases. The arguments for and against each legal measure are explained in a simple and engaging manner. The author also uses persuasive and insightful language that supports the measures that he seem to favor more, such as taxation of unhealthy food and the built environment. The use of a table to summarize the legal interventions also helps to easily understand his main points. One weakness of the article is the absence of sector-based and additional forms of support for his personal views, wherein a survey, for instance, can show that many parents want greater school policies against unhealthy foods. These evidences should have helped strengthen the relevance and urgency of his arguments.
In conclusion, readers who want to understand the international and national measures that can prevent the increase of non-communicable diseases can use both articles for their review of literature. Chopra, Galbraith, and Darnton-Hill argue for national and international mechanisms that can respond to the problems of overnutrition and undernutrition, though not in a binding manner that Gostin supports.
Chopra, Galbraith, and Darnton-Hil explore these mechanisms adequately, although they are deficient in providing specific steps on how to achieve effective nonbinding measures. Gostin contends that legal measures can successfully lessen obesity, because evidently, the rising obesity rate shows that self-control is not enough. He shows that the government has a primary responsibility to step in and regulate the eating habits of its citizens, when national health, culture, and performance are at stake. These articles are informative and have diverse viewpoints, though they can be improved by providing particular steps and processes (existing or suggested) and other evidences that can prove that their arguments are relevant and critical to diverse stakeholders.
Socrates reads the works of Freud. After reading Civilization and Its Discontents, he embarked a journey to meet Freud personally so as to have a one-on-one dialogue with him. How would their ideas collide Who among these truth-seeking warriors will emerge unscathed from this cerebral combat In this essay let me explore this hypothetical scenario and generate a dialogue in how they wrestled with their brains to put up with their own philosophy.
When Socrates came, Freuds disciples were already gathered, excited to witness the encounter of two geniuses. Socrates was not known of giving lectures every time he engages into an intellectual battle. He used to brainstorm his opponent by throwing an avalanche of questions. Socrates startedYouve presented several interconnected ideas in your books which put religion as a form of madness, a mass delusion that is responsible of this human misery. Freud motioned Socrates to have a seat, which the latter obeyed. Religion is not the target.Freud said, while seated on his couch with a cigar in his hand.I did not point out religion as the source of the problem. It is civilization in which religion is a part. Yes, but let me ask you this question, Socrates retorted, this conflict between this so-called id and the superego (to use your jargon), what is the role of the ego in this conflict Socrates began his characteristic method of inquiry, a sort of free-wheeling philosophical cross-examination popularly known today as the Socratic Method.
The ego is the reality principle. Freud answered. The role of the ego is to give balance between the mandates of the id and the prohibitions of the superego. Freuds disciples were nodding their heads as gesture of support. Of these three structures, Socrates got his rejoinder, which is responsible for the formation of civilization There was a hush silence everyone was waiting for an answer. Freud gave his answer Civilization is formed as interplay of these three structures. The disciples were smiling to one another so proud of their master who could easily answer the question. But one, as what youve said, Socrates bounced with a statement, makes decisions to weigh down the promptings of the two structures. And it is
It is the ego Freud butted in, in response to the demands of the id and the inhibitions of the superego.
Feud was bombarded with a series of questions that lasted two hours then Socrates steered his question into something more direct and universal.We have gone so far, but the more questions I offer the more you bring me far from the core issue. Now let me ask this, when you formulated these ideas, these principles, all these theories youve presented what aspect of personality structure do you attribute as responsible in the formation of all these Everyone in the crowd was dumbfounded by such a question that nobody had asked before. Freud answered squarely So long as it is an intellectual activity, it is taking place in the ego in line with the accumulated sediments of civilization that is formed as the superego. The crowd made voices of applause as if someone had made three points in a basketball game. In your own case, Socrates asserted, youve mentioned all this mess and you seem to imply youve found a way out. I never offered any solutions. Freud answered. Religion offers a lot of answers to lifes purpose, and human misery persists. It is not a design in nature that man could be happy. How can there be happiness when there is a heightening of guilt The disciples were jubilant with this answer, but Freud gestured them to maintain silence.So whats the point of your therapies Socrates dropped his strongest contention as if it was his strongest card. Whats the point of your ideologies to go back to nature if you offer a morbid situation that nothing can be done to alleviate man out of this trouble Cannot anyone including your self, go beyond the stranglehold influences of this so-called civilization How By what principle were you able to assess the reality of all of these Everyone was taken aback by the question Freuds disciples began to listen seriously. Freud responded The powerful influence of culture may diminish if one is aware of its subtle manipulation. Therefore, Socrates pushed his idea, you see it clearly that there must be something in man which is capable of going beyond, transcending the conflict of the mind and the biological urges towards something which is more significant and spiritual in nature. The capacity of learning exists in the soul already. You even mentioned in your writings that civilization distinguishes us from animals. So there is something in us which has produced civilization. All eyes and ears were now glued to Socrates. Yes, Freud replied, and that something which you have given a shroud of mystery and called a soul is actually an invention of a neurotic mind. It is this neuroticism in man which has created all these miseries including this so-called civilization. We organize ourselves into civilized society to escape suffering, only to inflict it back upon ourselves.
There was a commotion in the crowd as a sign, that disciples are now divided. Socrates Wait Lets go slowly into this. You said civilization is neurotic. But there is something in us that goes beyond our animal nature which is responsible for the creation of civilization. Is it your judgment that to go beyond our animal nature is neurotic Should we go back to our animal nature and get on with our instincts
At this juncture, Freud got irritated of Socrates disarming logic and excused himself politely, he said, he still has a patient to attend to, then left. Socrates continued in his argument ruthlessly like a raging lion which tears his victim into pieces. Freuds disciples which included Horney, Adler, Jung, Erikson, etc. were there listening and were impressed by the depth of his ideas.
Upon reading the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Mathew, Freud made his own comments The beatitudes (Mathew 51-12) is statement of acute rationalization, knowing the inevitability of lifes suffering, Jesus offered an escape from reality by attributing a meaning to our miseries. If we take a ride on the parable of the salt (Mathew 513), it should be noted that salt may provide taste to the food but what nutrition does it provide In fact, too much salt is damaging to the kidney. In the same way the baloney of meaning that was provided by religion is the root of misery because of mans attempt to get away from his nature. Man is light (Mathew 514-16), Man is salt these are statements to cover up human inadequacies.
Because of the inevitability of death, religion and its civilization has invented the afterlife and the promise of heaven (Mathew 520). The investment of heavenly treasures is another strategy under the theme of hope for the next life (Mathew 619-21). You are suffering today, you will be happy in the next life. You are a victim of injustice today you will be rewarded in the afterlife. Whatever tragedy that befalls you today, do not worry you will be rewarded in heaven. This is the supreme opium that man has invented in order to escape from the sting of existence. Drug addicts take drugs when they are sad drunkards drink alcohol every time they are in trouble. There is no difference between them and to a man who succumb to religious teachings to ease his pain.
It is taught that man must not bear grudges against anyone or else he will be punished in the next life (Mathew 521-26). It is human nature to get angry but religion has designed a teaching to disarm human in his own anger and to channel that anger into something socially acceptable by saying love your enemies (Mathew 544). Loving ones enemy is the most idiotic invention of religion. It is anti-human nature, and a desperate attempt to impart an image of a prosthetic god in us. Religion, because of its fear in human instincts, has invented teachings that would keep man away from his nature but what is nurtured in the process, is a perpetual conflict between his nature and the teachings. Man sees problems in almost everything he is into. If he gets angry, it becomes a problem because it is in conflict with the religious concept of love and forgiveness. Even sex becomes a problem to humans. To get sexually attracted to someone, even if that person is married, is but part of our sexual nature. We feel sexual urges and nurture sexual fantasies to fill in our longing for sexual fulfillment. This teaching on adultery (Mathew 527-28) is a reaction formation of a sexual paranoia.
You cannot serve two masters God and mammon (Mathew 624). This teaching is irrelevant. People obviously serve for money, although in the name of God. Whos crazy to believe, after wielding much toil, and your boss will tell you Thanks for your labor God will give your pay in the next life
Do not worry about your lifeLook at the birdsyour heavenly Father feeds them. Consider the liliesGod clothes them. Seek first the kingdom of God (Mathew 625-34). These are very unrealistic analogies Man must toil in order to feed himself and survive. Our situation is different from the birds and the lilies. Wrong analogy Besides, to worry, to be anxious is hardwired into our mechanism for survival. It is part of day-to-day realities and experiences to be worried about things that disturb our security, be it in our jobs, in relationships, or our something to do with our financial necessities.
Whoever seeks, will find whoever knocks, the door will be opened whoever asks will receive (Mathew 77-8) but what is found, what is opened, and what is received are all illusions projected onto our experiences. When a believer encounters something favorable in his life, he tends to attribute it as answer to his prayer. The mind is tricked into believing his prayers are answered. This is where all the so called miracles sprouted.
Civilization is continually threatened with disintegration because of mans inclination to aggression. It invests great energy in restraining these instincts, and achieves this goal by installing within the individual a sort of watchdog agency. Society regulates individual aggression through the police force, but religion puts the police force inside the individual.
Philosophy of Fallacy
Newspaper articles present a wide range of arguments. After enlisting the various Pakistani links with global terror in the recent years, the article Terrorism and the economy published in the Dawn on 6.1.2010 uses as a premise the global isolation of the country and the failure of the international community to address the issues with grit and character as causes that may lie behind Pakistan becoming a hub of terrorist activities. As a strategy to come out of it, the author employs deductive argument isolation leads to escalated terrorist activities (the article implies it by stating the reverse), deduces that Pakistan is isolated, and concludes that further isolation would do it enormous damage.
An example of concluding signal word is found in the argument presented in This is the age of war among generations, author Anatole Kalestsky in a well prepared argument delving into the causes of the Greek economic crisis and the question of pensioners and retirees, clinches his second argument of reform with the help of the signal word as a result. The premise is that baby boomers are too numerous for politicians to ignore them, and older people are more likely to vote. The conclusion is that, this increasing number of pensioned retirees will hold democracies across the world hostage to their interests. The concluding signal word is as a result.
An example of introductory signal word for a premise can be seen in the article Prudential Shareholders in rebellion by Patrick Hosking. All power to their elbow, where he begins his premise with the signal word because, The rebellion was all the more remarkable because the Pru had taken the precaution of hiring many of the Square Miles most influential investment bankers as advisers, and then goes on to develop this argument.
An example of inductive argument can be seen at the conclusion of the same article. The premise states that The closure of guaranteed final-salary style pension schemes means millions of pension fund members are no longer insulated from the poor investment decisions of their agents. Reckless strategic decisions made by companies today mean smaller retirement incomes tomorrow, and then uses the specific case in its support that Last Friday, a senior executive from Standard Life stood up at HSBCs annual shareholder meeting and publicly rebuked the board for its overgenerous pay arrangements.
The seven logical fallacies include fallacy of accident, affirming the consequent, irrelevant Conclusion, denying the antecedent, begging the question, fallacy of false cause and fallacy of many questions (Tigert 241).
Scientific knowledge Moral, Social and Religious limitations
There is always value in knowledge just for the sake of acquiring knowledge. The wish to basically know and curiosity of what surrounds us, where we come from, what is there for us and what we are really made of is the major drive that makes us develop both as people and as species. Knowledge as many people would assert, feeds our inner desires whether it is material or immaterial. Most people agree that knowledge just for the sake of it have a major place in the world we live in. Science always differs from other knowledge forms because of the content and properties that are atypical in it. Its objectives, background, methodology and concerns comprise of a unique system that possesses a typical epistemology in which dynamic, truthful, contrastable and rectifiable knowledge can be obtained. Therefore it is imperative to understand what entails scientific knowledge and whether or not it should have limitations on the grounds of morality, religious or social reasons.
Scientific work is usually a human activity that is meant to understand how exactly the world is structured and how it works. Why then do people seek scientific knowledge Science on its own cannot offer the answer. The response usually comes from comprehensive framework that is intended to define. Due to miseries that have been as a result of abuse of Science as well as its application most people feel there should be limitation on the extent of scientific knowledge. It is often thought that scientific knowledge is attractive since its the main source of intellectual fulfillment since it also satisfies our curiosity on nature and its beauties and mysteries. The question on whether scientific knowledge is the best guide to societal life, most people acknowledge the fact that scientific knowledge is generally the only knowledge that is valid. Most philosophers like Bertrand Russell live the decision concerning this matter to the feelings and gives the moral issues a utilitarian role.
However, most people still believe that there should be limitations to scientific knowledge on the grounds that improper use of it leads to exploitation of the resources, gap widening between poor and the rich, pollution, undermining of the spiritual dimensions, mass destruction and enhancement of weapons and extinction of numerous species.
Science is usually driven by a search for what is termed as rational knowledge. Science is neither immoral nor moral and there have never been inherent morality as far as scientific knowledge is concerned. So limiting scientific knowledge on the grounds of morality is quite illogical. A scientific culture that has its drive on morality usually imposes external framework that is pre defined over its objectives and vision thus making it anti scientific. Whose morality is meant to drive science Logically, morality is applied and perceived subjectively and it is not everybody who believes in moral absolutism.
Since there are no inherent moralities to science, then any setting of boundaries on science as broad then it would have to be imposed on external science. Whose moral philosophy is applicable Kants Jesus Christs John Lockes Confucius Rousseaus Despite the fact that there is no definite outlook to morality as it is perceived by different people differently, scientists however, need to be led by professional code of ethics as well as standards that do set reasonable boundaries on the extent of application and methodology.
In order to actually justify morality of science, there are some principles that should be in place. First is the interest of the wider society, second is the interests of science and third the interests of the individuals. Though morality should be advocated, it also happens that scientific experiments and knowledge cannot be done without having to injure the rights of other people or interfering with their religious beliefs. Scientific knowledge has a major role in shaping the moral values as well as helping us in framing wise judgments. Most theists allege that if there is no religious foundation then everything else will be meaningless and there will be social chaos.
Scientific naturalists have a major belief that secular societies have developed responsible morals and reason and science have helped in solving moral dilemmas. Dramatic breakthroughs pertaining science, offers powers to human beings though they also pose some moral problems. Should there be scientific discoveries like in vitro fertilization, making of designer babies and other known scientific discoveries Religious conservatives oppose stem cell research since they think they feel its violation of morals. Scientists on the other hand are appareled by this scientific research because they believe that the research cures lots of diseases and believe that those who are against it have ignored the welfare of people.
Most scientists have a common belief that science is autonomous and hence should be left on its own dynamics to decide on the way forward in defining scientific problems, the research that ought to be done and how the research should be conducted. The decisions should only be governed by scientific measures for example the theories that support the evidence. When the nonscientists, ethicists, policy makers, politicians, religious activists, and other groups interfere with science by regulating the research, setting the research priorities or by constraining the funding they are always seen as coming up with arbitrary research limits. The aims and goals of science are interlinked with social, ethical and the political goals thus conducting science involves making rational judgments on how to pursue goals.
Though most people feel that they have a ground to limit the scientists in pursuing their knowledge, Thomas Hobbes an English philosopher feels that the human judgment is quite unreliable thus ought to be guided by the knowledge of science. Most peoples judgment is usually distorted by pleasure, pain and self interests. It is only the work of science that provides reliable expertise of our future and usually overcome all the frailties of judgment. However for science to be effective it has to be influenced by other variables like economic, social, religious and cultural factors.
The major question on scientific knowledge and religious issues crops up. Most people feel that matters of religion should not limit scientific knowledge. Atheists have gone ahead to develop a critique based on religious systems and personal faith. Critics assert that religion does lack utility in the human society and believe that religion is completely irrational. They affirm that dogmatic religions are morally deficient and should not be used to limit scientific knowledge. On the other hand, most people claim that scientific knowledge is only possible through the help of God. Thus, scientific knowledge should be controlled. In the last century, it was globally held that there was a major conflict between belief and knowledge. This opinion had prevailed on advanced minds that it was a high time that belief ought to be replaced by knowledge. Any belief that does not rest on knowledge is superstition thus though there should be a limitation of science on religious grounds, it should be a rational limitation.
Though the major realms of science and religion are marked completely off from each other, nevertheless, there is existence of strong reciprocal dependencies and relationships. Though religion determines ones goal it has never learned from Science. Science is only created by those who are completely imbued with understanding and truth. Regulations ought to be there on extreme and irrational science. It is therefore rational to assert that science with no religion is usually lame and religion that does not consider science is equally blind. Conflicts always arise when religious society just insists on truthfulness of the bible. It is where conflicts between Darwin and Galileo as well as the church crops up. The major source of conflicts between religious and scientific spheres lies on God concept. It is the role of Science to come up with general rules to determine connection of events and objects in space and time.
Despite all scientific efforts, scientific knowledge can never be complete. Therefore it needs great understanding to know that there are major limits to what Science can finally offer us. An open minded and enquiring religion can be quite compatible with great Science.
For many years, the vision of science as the major pursuit of truth and goodness has been clouded as social, religious and ethical catastrophes have emerged from all directions. The ethical and social problems that are consequent upon scientific knowledge are the immense problems in the comprehension of Science. In response to problems, both outdated common sense comprehension of Science and the major scholarly science philosophy always shift their perspectives on what is basically real in the world of science. Though limitations of scientific knowledge is paramount, assessment of the quality of work that scientists do are a routine check as their work are judged basing it on the quality of the significant aspects.
Through academic period scientific knowledge has been portrayed and accepted as a good activity and productive. Recently, the image has forever tarnished and science is blamed for horrors of war, atomic bombs, abortion, environmental threats and other social evils. It is patent that science and scientific knowledge in general has declined from its pristine purity but the fact is they are helpful and an answer to most global problems.
Most philosophers believe that all the genuine problems that we have today are scientific catastrophes. Some of the controversial ethical problems in Science knowledge that make most people feel that science as a whole should be limited are cloning, genetic engineering, euthanasia, abortion, stem cell and other scientific developments that cause problems like atomic bombs. Most people assert that scientific evidence like that of Darwin is gross oversimplification and fraud. Albert Einstein asserts that, Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be, and outside of its domain value judgments of all kinds remain necessary. Basing it on scientific knowledge and the emergence of euthanasia, most people assert that scientific knowledge is unethical while others assert that it is not. Most people follow the utilitarian argument of happiness for all. Some religious activists says that life is sacred and is precious and for science to come up with mechanisms like euthanasia which is a slow killer or assisted suicide is completely immoral. The answers to ethical and unethical parameters is quite controversial as people have divergent views on morality and what ought to be defined as moral or immoral. How would life be without micro wave ovens, test tube babies, organ transplants, armory, iphones and CCTV
Thanks to science knowledge that we have them though sometimes they are detrimental to our health. The major areas have been on nuclear weapons, experiments on certain animals, eugenics and the list has continued. The list of immorality and science has tremendously grown exponentially. Reproductive biology as well as medicine has turned to be a major moral outrage. Other problematic areas are synthetic biology, nanotechnology, genomics and others.
To most scientists, moral aspects in their work are invalid. Science by its main definition is morally neutral thus any moral judgment on scientific knowledge reflects scientific illiteracy. Some of the moral reactions on science are quite irrational. But incase scientists are completely serious on tackling the bad decisions that cause harm and suffering then they should need more understanding and little condemnation. The problem in use of moral heuristics in judging science is harsh on popular perceptions of reproductive sector. For example IVF in combination of genetic testing helps in screening the embryo cells for specific gene implant. Most people view this as playing God. Most philosophers and scientists believe that scientific knowledge is the best guide in development. As scientists continue to be literate, their developments will be judged on a position of knowledge and not morality as morality is relative.
Science in itself is the pursuing of knowledge on nature. Then is pursuing knowledge immoral or religious bias Is the investigation of nature immoral It is immoral not to have the interest to pursue knowledge. Investigation of nature is equally moral. It is lucid that scientific knowledge is the answer behind most of the problems in the world but also a solution to the problems. Though, this is the case, there should be rational limitations on science on a logical perspective and not on a self interest based view. A world with no science will be void and almost pointless to live in. Science has helped in most developments though has led to emergence of problems that were initially unknown. It is therefore imperative for scientists, philosophers, critics, religious activists and the whole nation at large to work together and bring positive change. This is because, science cannot do without ethics and religion and religion also can never do without science. Therefore there should be minimal limitation based on rational reasoning of all parties concerned.
It is clear that scientific knowledge is extensive and only logical reasoning will counteract their knowledge for them to realize the effect they have on the nation. The extent to which there should be limitation will be guided on rational extent of their effects on the society. However, on a logical and rational point of view, scientific knowledge works at its best interest to help solve scientific problems on partial morality grounds. Only the right definition of morals and ethics and the right religious foundations will help in limiting scientific knowledge.
Absolutism and Constitutionalism in early modern Europe
The civilization of the early modern Europe was shaped by absolutism and constitutionalism as Europe and the larger West was struggling to come out of periods of religious wars and political disintegration. It is notable that in the 16th and 17th centuries, most of Europe experienced religious wars and revolutions. For instance France experienced wars of religion whereas England underwent the English revolution. There also existed a thirty years war in the Hoy Roman Empire which comprised of Germany and Austria. The political disintegration and religious wars were an aftermath of aristocracy versus monarchy rule. Even amidst all the disintegration, the European states needed to unite thus initiating a modern society. To attain this end, absolutism and constitutionalism were the best options available.
The rise and fall of constitutionalism and absolutism
Under the constitutionalism political system, there is no need for a written constitution. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the government is arbitrary. Instead, there are laid down rules which are supposed to be respected by the government. Also notable about constitutionalism is that the government has equal powers with its subjects who are the parliament as was the case with Britain. Despite constitutionalism being an important governance system in early modern Europe, absolutism was more popular in most European states (Halsall, para 5).
Absolutism was a different form of governance from constitutionalism in that power was bestowed to the King exclusively contrary to the equal power between the government and the parliament according to constitutionalism. This was a real change of governance from the former medieval monarchies in Europe since centralized power was now available and with it came centralized governance both in the army and the tax system. Although it is recognized that it absolute monarch enabled the establishment of state administrations as well as a strong and large armies, this political system had shortcomings in that it did not address the social welfare of the people thus it did not emerge totalitarian. Absolutism was largely endorsed by states such as France, the Holy Roman Empire and to some extent in Spain (Halsall, para 6-8).
It is important to note that having either system of governance was important at this time as exemplified by Poland which ended up as a failed state due to failure to enact either absolutism or constitutionalism. In Poland, Kings would be elected and any King had the power to sanction any law. This was politically disastrous for Poland as the central government ended up collapsing and Poland vanished from the map of Europe (Halsall, para 9). Absolutism was also attempted in Spain and it showed prospects of succeeding until Spain declined its dominance post 1600s. The absolute monarchy of Spain was led by Philip II who acted as the King then and the country enjoyed prosperity and military power. The government had a central control and governance systems were set up as a result of absolute monarchy rule (Halsall, para 10). The best example of successful absolute monarchy was France. Absolutism was the pillar to the French Revolution despite the fact that it is constitutionalism that established the Revolution.
France under King Louis XIV emerges as the best example of absolutism. As a wealthy nation and rich in culture, France was definitely a country of interest. It is to be remembered that France required a revolution considering that it faced religious wars between the Protestants and the Catholics. The wars had brought down the country as the rulers of the time (e.g. Henry VI) were lax and incompetent. A revolution was therefore necessary to establish a stable France. The rise of Louis XIV between 1643 and 1715 initiated the revolution and formed the peak of absolute monarchy (Library of Congress, para 1). Richelieus rule which extended up to 1642 influenced Louis XIV reign as a king who led an absolute monarch form of governance. Richelieu has initially abolished the nobles power and established the Kings law as the only law. The oppressive rule of Richelieu was propagated by Cardinal Mazarin and when the determined Louis XIV go into power fully in 1661, he was determined to continue with absolutism as he perceived himself to be a King. Louis XIV was egotistical but nevertheless he was able to establish a government with established bureaucracies which made his government became a form of the earliest modern governments. There were intendants in the provinces who made it possible to control the country centrally. Louis XIV became a powerful king who was able to institute a stable army which was successful in several wars (Halsall, para 13).
To deprive the nobles of their power, Louis would make sure that the nobles were in his court and they lived an expensive lifestyle. Different from Richelieu, Louis moved the cultural vitality from Versailles to Paris. He introduced new manners such opening a door and this seemed to impress many. Louis was greatly popular in Europe due to his outstanding rule. With the support of Colbert who was the finance minister, Louis was able to establish a mercantilism policy which did not put much weight on direct taxes. It is notable that the tax system was flawed in that it pardoned the nobles from paying taxes. Trade (including international trade) was however an emphasis of this governance. In as far as religion is concerned Louis XIV regarded the Church highly, and upheld the principle of Divine Right. In France the church was like a state within a state. Absolutism denied people liberty of conscience (Halsall, para 21)
In Russia, Peter the Great helped propagate the absolute monarchy governance. Peter upheld the principle of the state being superior to any individuals interests and therefore his actions were based on this argument. To stress the allegiance to the state, he required that the nobles be sworn to bear allegiance to him as the king and to the state, thus two oaths would be administered. It is considered that Peter as a Czar influenced Russia to embrace modernity through the absolutism rule. He led Russia to acknowledge and practice the Western lifestyle and welcomed improved technology from the West. As Peter died in 1725, he left Russia a powerful and larger empire, many times larger compared to France (History Doctor, para 34-35). It is important to note that neither constitutionalism nor absolutism is being practiced in current Europe. Nevertheless, both systems of governance feature in the current systems with constitutionalism having an upper hand.
In conclusion it is important to identify that absolutism and constitutionalism formed the pillar of modernization in Europe as these political systems brought to and end the era of religious war and political disintegration. Despite the fact that absolutism did not prevail for long, it benefited France through the French Revolution while Russia become more established by borrowing technology from the West. Indeed, early modern Europe required such political systems otherwise all states would have collapsed like Poland which never embraced either.
The life of Socrates and connect it with your own life
Socrates was a gifted thinker dedicated to careful reasoning that led to transformation in the entire way of approaching philosophy. He was the founder of western philosophy as he developed concepts through defense of his ideas against political enemies. His determination and intelligence in the aspect of seeking for knowledge and truth made Socrates one of the first critical philosophers. Several events occurred in the life of Socrates during the period of his trial. The trial of Socrates took a period of nine to ten hours in the peoples court at Athens. The trial began with a reading of formal charges against Socrates by herald.
The three accusers Meletus, Lycon and Anytus presented their claim within a period of three hours. The accused defended himself within three hours and the court herald asked jurors to render their decision by putting ballot disks in two marked urns. One was for guilty votes and the other was for acquittal. Each juror struggled to understand the case as the judges never gave instructions about interpretation of charges. Finally, the votes were counted and 280 jurors voted to find Socrates guilty and 220 voted for acquittal. Socrates was convicted by relatively close vote and this entered the trial to penalty phase. Socrates was accused of impiety, corruption of young and neglect of gods worshiped by the city.
Meletus accused Socrates of corrupting the youth of Athens to believe in other gods apart from God of the city state. Socrates defended by acknowledging past and present adversaries who were violent, ambitious and numerous (Atherton John, 1998). Socrates defended himself by accusing his enemies about their behavior of convincing listeners that his teachings were wrong. Through out the period of trial Socrates addressed true reason for his bad reputation. Socrates challenged the allegations made against him and declared his accusers as people without reasonable claims. Socrates was not scared of death sentence and saw it as a blessing as his accusers were corrupting their own souls.
Socrates responded to the accusations by saying that the opinions and verdicts of his accusers will have no effect on his dead body. Participants in the trial thought putting him to death would rescue them from being exposed as ignorant. The council found Socrates guilty and sentenced him to death. Socrates proposed to dine at the expense of taxpayers but the council rejected his proposal and executed him through capital punishment. The behavior of Socrates teaches us that the accused lived a moral life without prioritization of material things and his soul was the reason for living. Socrates teachings include first, one should never fear death, material things are of no importance, the soul is very important and should be protected, and truth should be the guiding element in an individuals life.
Approaches to life in relation to the trial of Socrates
During the trial of Socrates four approaches to life arise, that offers his followers some advice. First, he argues that individuals should use modesty and humor when dealing with life. Human life is full of actions and every individual is bound to take risk of life or death. Socrates tries to show that he lived a simple life guided by truth, knowledge, justice, courageousness and religion. Second, an individual should never be afraid to ask questions relating to his or her own habits. In this aspect, Socrates tries to teach people that they should be confident and courageous to ask others about issues relating to their character, habits or way of life. An individual cannot be in a position to access him or herself perfectly as is reflected by Socrates sentiments. His behavior shows us how a person should be confident and daring to challenge accusations against him or her.
Third, an individual should be devoted to truth in all matters of life as a way of promoting peace and confronting false accusers. Socrates refused to be silenced about his philosophies even after being convicted by the jury. This strong character reflects about truth and knowledge. It is a very humble step taken by Socrates while he was defending himself about the accusations laid on him. It is difficult to cheat ones conscious and Socrates beliefs that an individual should bring moral potential of his or her soul to actualization (Griswold Charles, 1999). Fourth, it is important to use dispassionate reason and avoid being overemotional. After Socrates was convicted of death sentence, he never over reacted and was very calm when expressing his final views. This means that Socrates is a humble and focused man guided by the principle of calmness. Individuals should have the element of taking issues in a polite manner to avoid conflicts.
Application of Socrates approaches is an element observed by many individuals while others consider such measures as inappropriate. In my case, these ideas are always in mind and have made life to be quite easy. One of the major approaches I treasure most is devotion to truth. It is said that truth sets an individual free and this principle is a blessing to me as my soul is free from colony of material things. I find it easy to say the truth because it provides me with the capacity to set my soul free.
Devotion to truth is applied in many concepts of life such as when dealing with parents, employers or teachers. In the case of parents, I have developed a strong relationship with my parents because of saying the truth always. This is a blessing to me because they provide me with anything I need thus it is a way of promoting peace, harmony and stability. Socrates life teaches us a very important lesson relating to how we should face life with confidence and courage. This is because Socrates was a very courageous and influential thinker who transformed the entire way of approaching philosophy without fear.
Rene Descartes Meditations and The Matrix
Descartes Meditations on the First Philosophy is one of the most thought-provoking philosophical works during the Enlightenment in the 17th century. The Meditations centered mostly on a number of Cartesian principles such as Doubt, the Malignant Demon, the rational existence of God, and the existence of two kinds of substances res cogitans, or thinking substance, and res extensa, or physical substance. In a similar way, the 1999 Warner Brothers motion picture The Matrix gives life to the same principles on the big screen only that in here Cartesian metaphysics is fused with robotics and artificial intelligence. The Matrix is a movie where true reality is believed to be hidden from all except a few individuals and where access to the truth is controlled by an evil force, and that the movie is believed to be the exact replica of Descartes Meditations. However, the numerous parallelisms between the Meditations and The Matrix say otherwise.
The Doubt that Leads to Wisdom
One of the most striking similarities between Descartes Meditations and the movie The Matrix is the idea of doubt. At the beginning of The Matrix, Neo, the protagonist in the movie, literally wakes up to his computer telling him, Wake up Neo the Matrix has you (The Matrix). In the same way four hundred years ago, Descartes wakes up to the realization that there is nothing at all that he formerly believes to be true of which it is impossible to doubt (Descartes I).
Neos awakening is no other than the literal version of a spiritual awakening in him which somehow tells him that there could possibly be another world, which is entirely different from what he sees. This begins his journey towards the eventual discovery of the nature of the Matrix and the Real World, which are both shown to be constantly interacting with each other. Unlike Descartes however, there is not much realization to do on Neos part for he discovers the facts first-hand. Perhaps he may have gotten the idea of another world from his extreme fascination with computers and hacking. However, what is more significant is the fact that the other world that he may have perhaps once envisioned and turns out to be real is actually similar to the secret world of a computer hacker that he is living. This further proves the point that both the Matrix and the Real World are constantly interacting with each other.
In the same way, in the first book of Meditations, Descartes begins to doubt the existence of everything including God, for there is in him a deep curiosity on whether things around him do not exist otherwise than as he perceives them (Descartes I). Is everything around him, including his own physical body, nothing but the workings of his mind This doubt then develops into his theory later on that there are two types of material substances that, unlike the Matrix and the real world, are independent of each other.
The Not-so Malignant Demon
Descartes mentions in the latter part of the first book of Meditations that some malignant demon, who is at once exceedingly potent and deceitful, has employed all his artifice to deceive him (Descartes I). The reason why Descartes begins to believe in the existence of this malignant demon is simply the fact that he is in doubt. The moment of doubt in Descartes seems to be a moment of extreme discomfort and agitation and he does not believe that a sovereignly good God who is the fountain of truth is the one causing all this discomfort in him. That is why he puts the blame on this malignant demon. However, little does Descartes realize that the demon as the source of his doubt is the one who in fact leads him on to this metaphysical quest.
In The Matrix, Descartes malignant demon has an equivalent in the character of the agents, particularly Agent Smith, who seems to stand as their leader. However, while Descartes demon provokes him to doubt and consequently think, the agents in the movie, together with the police, seem to quell any form of doubt in every human member of the Matrix for perhaps they know that doubt could be the beginning of wisdom, which eventually leads to the knowledge of the Real World and consequently the destruction of the Matrix. Nevertheless, Agent Smiths statement that Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planetand we are the cure (The Matrix) is perhaps a wake-up call that indeed the Matrix is not only real but also necessary. Moreover, Agent Smiths protection of the Matrix and the quelling of any form of rebellion do not necessarily mean that the Matrix is evil, false or manipulative. The Real World may in fact be the one which is rebellious and warlike, hence it is just proper that it should be controlled.
The Reality and Existence of Two Types of Substances and Two Worlds
The doubt caused by Descartes malignant demon eventually causes him to think of the possibility of two types of mutually exclusive substances, and consequently two worlds in general the world that thinks, or res cogitans, and the world that is thought of, or res extensa. Nevertheless, when the philosopher himself mentions that his thought imposes no necessity on things and as he may imagine a winged horse, though there be none such (Descartes, V), he implies that the two substances are independent of each other. This is slightly different from the Matrix where both the Matrix and the Real World may at times interact as when some of the enlightened ones can slip through every now and then.
However, the question is Is true reality maliciously hidden from but a few individuals The opinions both in the movie and of Descartes are both inconclusive as to the allegation that true reality is in fact maliciously hidden.
One can see that although the movie The Matrix mentions the existence of the so-called Real World and several times throughout the entire movie has regarded the Matrix as false and manipulative, it still somehow contradicts Morpheus asking Neo rhetorically, What is real How do you define real (The Matrix). This means to say that what is real is actually undefined and that not even one person can pinpoint what is truly real, therefore Morpheus somehow contradicts himself when he tells Neo Welcome to the Real World (The Matrix)
In contrast with the seemingly inconsistent statements in The Matrix on the subject of reality, Descartes himself does not imply that there is one distinct reality for he believes in the real existence of two substances. This means that for Descartes, both the res cogitans, which may also refer to the unseen or the Real World, and the res extensa, which may refer to the one which is obvious or the Matrix, are actually both as real as they may seem. However, Descartes somehow implies that the res extensa, the corporeal world or the equivalent of the Matrix, is known with much greater distinctness than that he knows not what part of himself which is not imaginable (Descartes II), whereas the res cogitans or the cogito is more hidden and less obvious. Nevertheless, it is only the res cogitans or cogito whose existence Descartes is in fact certain about, as clearly stated in his famous Cogito ergo sum, which means, in Descartes words, that since I am the one thinking and in doubt, then I must exist.
Now, going back to the question Is true reality maliciously hidden from but a few individuals The Matrix answers a resounding Yes but with a poor defense based on the assumed falsity of the Matrix where people are actually slaves and the assumed freedom in the Real World where people live in an old ship and eat unsavory food. Descartes, on the other hand, answers Not necessarily for although he implies that the res cogitans, or the equivalent of the Real World, is less perceivable than the res extensa, or the equivalent of the Matrix, he does not imply that the former is maliciously hidden. Moreover, the fact that he can perceive the res extensa, or the Matrix, more readily may actually mean that this is in fact more real to him.
The Rebellious Struggle for Existence
The question remains now as to whether Morpheus is really teaching Neo in The Matrix how to fight and be free or just simply how to destroy the Matrix, which Morpheus and a few others unjustly consider to be false and malevolent In fact, the main reason why Morpheus summons Neo is that the former, with his colleagues, simply seek to make him destroy the Matrix, which they accuse as manipulative and evil, perhaps simply because of the fact that they have discovered another world for themselves. Morpheus defines the Matrix as the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truththat you are a slave (The Matrix), making it sound like it is not real, and as he says Welcome to the Real World (The Matrix), one is compelled to ask him, Why What is real, Morpheus
How do you define real
What does Descartes have to say about this then in his Meditations Descartes somehow implies that a struggle for existence comes with the quest for the truth when he mentions, Let him deceive me as he may, he can never bring it about that I am nothing, so long as I shall be conscious that I am something (Descartes II). Descartes implies here that in order not to be reduced to nothingness, one should assert his existence in the realm of things by being conscious that I am something. However, unlike the theme of The Matrix, Descartes does not imply the destruction of the deceiver, and the destruction of the whole Matrix, which is what Morpheus and his colleagues thirst for. While the idea of struggle for existence in The Matrix is seemingly rebellious in nature, Descartes idea of the same thing is nothing but a personal quest to rise above the self, and this is where Neos personal quest comes in.
In fact, more than the idea of battling against the Matrix, the movie is all about Neos journey towards self-discovery. Neo is a modern Alice in Wonderland who, unlike the fairy tale character, brings back home more than just a load of experiences. In his philosophical journey, Neo learns about the Matrix, learns about removing his doubt and fear, and eventually learns how to make a choice and alter his destiny. In the movie, Neo is actually not the One, but he chooses to be the One and succeeds for a deceiver or any evil can never bring it about that he is nothing, so long as he shall be conscious that he is something, which is simply what Descartes mentions in his Meditations.
The movie The Matrix seems to be the brutal and violent version of the philosophical principles presented in Descartes Meditations. Despite the fact that both the Meditations and The Matrix consider doubt as the primary factor that eventually instills wisdom and opens up someone to another reality, the Meditations does not seek to destroy the Matrix and in fact considers it simply the other form of reality. Moreover, although Descartes condemns the deceiving and malignant demon, he does not seek its destruction, and only sees its purpose in his life, whereas Morpheus and his companions believe the agents to be the enemy. Lastly, despite the struggle with the malignant demon, Descartes puts his faith in a sovereignly good God who will somehow put everything in order, while the people who wish to destroy the Matrix seem to have put their faith in Neo and the war that they are going to wage against the Matrix. There is actually no new insight that The Matrix brings to Descartes Meditations except perhaps a version of it where a few rebellious people seem to be narrow-minded and seek to destroy what they regard as false and evil, instead of embracing it as another form of reality, just like Descartes once did. Descartes did embrace Dualism but Morpheus wanted to destroy it.
|
Hell on earth
Bright-red lava gushes and ash spews yesterday from Mount Mayon volcano in the Philippines, where 50,000 nearby village and city dwellers have fled in anticipation of a full-scale eruption in the next few days.
Rivers of lava are oozing down the gullies of the 8,070-foot-tall mountain, where on Wednesday, scientists observed four lava fountains that reached heights of up to 1,500 feet.
The volcano’s cone spewed 20 columns of ash, some of them 1½ miles high. It’s also shooting nearly 6,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere daily.
Loud, thunder-like rumbling has been heard in the volcano’s danger zone, which covers a six-mile radius, and seismologists are measuring hundreds of earthquakes each day. They detected more than 800 Wednesday.
Worse is expected.
“We can’t exactly predict when the big bang will come, but the volcanic activities are getting more intense,” said vulcanologist Renato Solidum.
The mountain is just 10 miles from Legazpi City, home to 180,000 people.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered a search for all those refusing to evacuate. Soldiers were under orders to use force if necessary.
|
One World Conservation is thrilled to continue publishing our first blog series, Endangered Species 101. Every post will cover a different threatened or endangered species, how they are being impacted in their wild environments, and how you can make a difference.
Universally iconic, socially, politically, and culturally, giant pandas are closely monitored by the world, and transactions involving them often take years and can even involve federal governments. In turn, the species’ downgrade in the the International Conservation Union of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List last September—as its status turns from “endangered” to “vulnerable”—is transcendental in symbolism and a much needed validation.
These baby-like and often anthropomorphized creatures first came under the spotlight as threatened in 1974 when the government conducted a census that found little more than 2,400 giant pandas in the wild. The cause became even more urgent ten years later when the second census in the mid-1980s found a significant drop of the population: A loss of over 50% since the first census, citing numbers as low as 1,216. This startled the Chinese government and the global conservation community into a frenzy, pulling together one of the most intensive efforts to revive a species in history. Since then the giant panda has gained transcendent popularity as the focus of many high profile campaigns and has been relentlessly marketed as a conservation symbol, perhaps most notably as the World Wildlife Fund’s logo.
Over the decades, the scientific research incentive to understand the giant panda, its declining numbers and countermeasures, and political will and attention to take action for the species have led to immense success, corroborated not just by the recent removal of the “endangered” label, but also by all and every little setback and victory on the journey. That’s not to say we’re anywhere near the end of the road, simply that it seems fitting to take a glance near the start of 2017 at a panorama of the progress made for this species that we all can learn and be inspired by.
As a result of all the efforts, major issues such as habitat loss and poaching have been vastly improved and precautions are executed with great attention.
Threats to Species
Habitat Loss
The biggest factor for decline of the giant panda is habitat loss. In the past century, through industrialization efforts and as the Chinese population doubled to to 1.3 billion, the Chinese encroached with axes in hand into the once undisturbed and distant forests of giant pandas that used to spread over half of southeast China. As trees were logged down for fuel and other uses, bamboo, which require shade and moisture, was left bare to wilt and die under the sun.
Until the 1990s, China’s demand for timber and other resources have erased the pandas’ historically vast, forested terrains to individual, separate crumbs in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi. In 1992, the reserve system was established and has increased in recent years to include 67 preserves where 66% of wild pandas are protected to roam free in the Minshan and Qinling Mountains.
Other acts to curtail logging and protect forests in general (National Forest Conservation Act of 1997) have been successful as well. Current efforts to increase connectivity between fragmented habitats include creations of habitat corridors and limitation of human disturbance.
Poaching was the other big factor that threatened the population. In the early 1900s, pandas were already internationally known as a political symbol and an exotic and rare animal; therefore, their pelage was highly sought after by museums and collectors with incredulous price tags that went well up into the forty thousands in illegal markets. Domestic demands due to use in medicine, crafts, and other purposes also add fuel to the trade. The Chinese government took drastic and harsh measures against hunting, killing, and trading in the 1980s, with laws that make such felonies punishable by death. Reports show that of crimes committed against giant pandas, four convicts have been sentenced to death and dozens have received life in jail. Because of the laws in place and the precedents set, today giant pandas are generally safe from poaching threats.
Climate Change
The actions taken to counteract poaching and habitat loss are proven positive upon the evident resurging panda population. However, as the IUCN warns, there are plenty of ongoing problems and potential issues concerning giant pandas to keep an eye on. International organizations and the Chinese government alike are still working hard to improve ongoing issues, e.g. habitat fragmentation, and of course, the exacerbation of the problem by climate change.
A global phenomenon, climate change effects all animals and every aspect of our world. Pandas are no exception. As global warming continues, the agricultural value of panda habitats may increase substantially, bringing new pressure for cultivation of these lands. In addition, climate change may endanger certain bamboo species, the only food source to the giant pandas. Many known species of bamboo synchronize in growth, flowering together, and in death, dying off all at once. These “mass synchronous die-off events” within a species of bamboo only mean pandas may one day be left with all or nothing, which in this case will lead to extreme food shortage.
Additionally, pandas are also under threat of future potential problems. Researchers have listed tourism, new parasites and pathogens from domestic animals, air- and water-borne contaminants, and livestock grazing as new possibilities that may arise in the rest of the century.
These elusive creatures have thrived for more than 3 million years in harmony with humans. Yet as researchers predict, by the end of the century (that is within 80 years), there's a 37-100% chance of losing all habitats. The giant panda’s resurgence affirms the foundational belief that efforts will yield and is the best evidence and motivation we can ask for as we cross into a fresh chapter of new possibilities.
1. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-12160538
2. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/why-are-we-fascinated-with-pandas-1.1319451
3. http://www1.american.edu/TED/PANDA.HTM
4. http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/where_panda_lives_habitat
5. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/712/0
Leave a Comment
|
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Chapter 3: Force and Motion
Similar presentations
Presentation on theme: "Chapter 3: Force and Motion"— Presentation transcript:
1 Chapter 3: Force and Motion
The First Law of Motion An object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion (at constant velocity) unless acted upon by an external force. Forces are the “causes” of changes in motion. forces on an object arise from interactions with other objects. The inertia of an object is its resistance to changes in its motion. Mass is a measure of inertia.
2 Mass as a measure of inertia
two interacting objects, initially at rest B vA B vB A A relative changes in motion: vA /vB = mB /mA Units: kilogram = kg (other units: slugs, sometimes “pounds mass”) 1kg ~ 2.2 lb. Force: the influence which causes change in motion change in velocity = change in speed or direction A net force (or unbalanced force) creates changes in motion If the resultant of all forces acting on an object is zero, there is no change in motion: the object is in equilibrium.
3 The Second Law of Motion
The net force acting on an object equals the product of the mass and the acceleration. F = m a (net force) = (mass)(acceleration) Units: 1 Newton = 1N = 1 kg · m/s N ~ 1/4 pound Example 3.1: A 60 g tennis ball approaches a racket at 30 m/s, is in contact with the racket for 5 ms and then rebounds at 30 m/s. What is the average force the racket exerts on the ball?
4 Example 3.2: A human cannon ball with mass 70 kg is fired from a compressed-air cannon whose barrel is 20m long. He emerges from the cannon at 40 m/s. Find his average acceleration and the force exerted on him during the firing of the cannon. Example 3.3: A horizontal force of 10 N is applied to a 4.0 kg block which is initially at rest on a smooth level surface. Find the speed of the block and its displacement after it has gone for 6.0 s.
5 Weight: the force exerted by earth (via gravity) on an object
In free fall, gravity is the only force acting on the object F = ma = mg = w Weight = (mass)(acceleration of gravity) Example 3.4: A loaded elevator whose total mass is 800 kg is suspended by a cable whose maximum permissible tension is 20,000 N. What is the greatest upward acceleration possible? What is the greatest downward acceleration? (draw free-body diagrams)
6 The third law of motion: action/reaction
When an object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts a force on the first of equal magnitude, but opposite direction. For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Forces arise from interactions! Forces on an Object Action/Reaction reaction force of table on computer reaction force of table on computer force of computer on table weight of computer
7 T=FB mB = 30kg (+) B (+) T A mA = 15kg wA -T=FA =mA g-T w
8 T (+) T-wA=FA wB-T=FB (+) w A B mA = 15kg mB = 30kg
9 due to surfaces sticking together
Friction opposes motion due to surfaces sticking together Kinetic Friction: surfaces are moving relative to each other a.k.a. Sliding Friction Static Friction: surfaces are not moving relative to each other. Static Friction prevents stationary objects from moving until sufficient force has been applied. Friction Applied Force
10 Coefficient of Friction Frictional forces depend upon
how hard the surfaces are being pressed together -> force perpendicular to the surface = normal force the types of surfaces that are in contact -> coefficient of friction Material static: ms kinetic: mk wood on wood wood on stone steel on steel (smooth) rubber tire on dry concrete rubber tire on wet concrete steel on Teflon
11 Example 3.11: A 100 kg wooden crate is at rest on a level stone floor.
(a) What is the minimum horizontal force needed to start the crate moving? (b) What is the minimum horizontal force needed to keep the crate in motion at constant horizontal speed? (c) What will happen if a horizontal force of 500 N is applied to the crate? ` Example 3.14:A wooden chute is being built along which wooden crates are to be slid down at constant speed. (a) What angle should the chute make with respect to the horizontal? (b) What force needs to be applied to a 100 kg crate to start it sliding down this chute? FN Ff mg sinq q mg cosq q mg
Download ppt "Chapter 3: Force and Motion"
Similar presentations
Ads by Google
|
Frequencies of the Human Body in Hz – Informational Medicine
Our treatments work by using physics (informational medicine, electroceuticals) rather than chemistry and is therefore very different to talking or drug therapies. The human body is split into 2 parts: 50% is ‘chemistry’ and 50% is ‘physics’ each influence human health accordingly.
How physics affects the human body
A recent study confims pulses of high-frequency sound can significantly speed up the healing of broken bones.
Measuring Frequency
Dr. Robert O. Becker M.D, in his book, The Body Electric, explains that a person’s health can be determined by the frequency of the person’s body. American inventor Nikola Tesla (1856 – 1943), a pioneer of electrical technology, said that if you could eliminate certain outside frequencies that interfered in our bodies, we would have greater resistance toward disease.
The human body has an electrical frequency and that much about a person’s health can be determined by it, the also body responds to various beneficial ‘input frequencies’ (electroceuticals) which can help to improve physical health hence why our clients feel so much better during/after treatment.
The technology is so effective, the biggest drug maker is now researching the treatment of diseases by targeting electrical signals in the body using ‘electroceuticals’. This incorporates electrical impulses rather than the chemicals or biological molecules found in today’s drugs. Moncef Slaoui, chairman of GSK research and development, said ‘bioelectronics’ was set to be the next ‘big wave’ in medicine.
There is no single chemical solution (medication) which can influence overall health in this way, as such treatments using informational medicine help to recover and restore health in a much more efficient and beneficial way and without any adverse side-effects which often accompany chemical interventions hence why major drug companies are now entering the market.
Frequency & Health
The human body has a normal frequency range of 62 Hz to 68 Hz, as the frequency range lowers the worse the health condition becomes. When the frequency drops, the immune system is jeopardised. If it drops to 58 Hz, cold and flu symptoms start appearing, 55 Hz trigger diseases like Candida and at 52 Hz Epstein Bar virus, Cancer is at 42 Hz and below, whilst death begins at 20 Hz.
In 1952 the physicist Dr. Schumann discovered that the space between the Earth and the Ionosphere created a cavity that resonated like a musical instrument which is called the ‘Schumann Resonance’. Schumann discovered that this electromagnetic field oscillates at a resonant frequency of 7 to 10 beats per second. The highest-intensity waves of the Schumann Resonance occur at a frequency of 7.83 Hz. This is the Earth’s “heartbeat” and is identical to the normal functioning of the human brain waves.
“Everything in life is vibration” – Albert Einstein
Bruce Tainio of Tainio Technology in Cheney, Washington , developed equipment to measure the biofrequency of humans and foods. He used this biofrequency monitor to determine the relationship between frequency and disease.
Brain frequency Beta – Highly alert and focused 14 -30 Hz
Brain frequency Alpha – Relaxed but alert 8 – 14Hx
Brain frequency Theta – Drowsiness (also first stage of sleep) 4 – 8Hz
Brain frequency Delta – Deep sleep 0.5 – 4Hz
Visionary Range 120 MHz
Bone 38-43 MHz
Brain frequency at 80-82 MHz indicates a genius
Healthy body (neck down) 62-68 Hz
Thyroid and Parathyroid glands 62-68 Hz
Thymus Gland 65-68 Hz
Heart 67-70 Hz
Human cells start to mutate when their frequency drops below 62 Hz
Lungs 58-65 Hz
Liver 55-60 Hz
Pancreas 60-80 Hz
Stomach 58-65 Hz
If the frequency drops just 4 points this is when a headache will start 58 Hz
Disease begins, Like the cold symptoms 58 Hz
Flu invades the body 57 Hz
Viral Infection 55 Hz
when more serious problems come about like pneumonia, Epstein Barr and etc. 52 Hz
Tissue breakdown from disease 48 Hz
Cancer can set in 42 Hz
Death begins at 20 Hz
Invading pathogenic frequencies (toxins & viruses) are low. Positive beneficial bacterial frequencies are higher.
Human Health
The use of electrical energy to reverse or eliminate disease led to research and discovery of electrical frequencies and how they can be used to regain, maintain and improve health.
In the 1920’s Georges Lakhovsky discovered that all living cells (plants, people, bacteria, parasites, etc) possess attributes which are normally are associated with electronic circuits, Dr. Royal R. Rife found that every disease has a specific frequency and found that certain frequencies can prevent the development of disease, Professor Harold Saxton Burr showed that these L-Fields could be used to predict illness by noting variations in them, Dr Reinhold Voll identified correlations between disease states and changes in the electrical resistance of the various acupuncture points, German biophysicist Fritz-Albert Popp found that a diseased cells will radiate a different photonic signature than healthy cells of the same type and Dr Robert O. Becker found the human body has an electrical frequency and that much about a person’s health can be determined and influenced by it.
Frequency & Help to Stop
By using the above principles it is possible to neutralise the frequency patterns of nicotine, alcohol or drugs in the body and so help to the stop the physical craving and dependency for that substance(s):-
• Stop Smoking
• Stop Drinking
• Stop Drug Use
• Stop Prescribed Medications
The body also responds to various beneficial ‘input frequencies’ which can help to restore physical health hence why our clients feel better after treatment.
|
Starting October 7: Join our Addiction Support Group if you or your loved one is struggling with substance addiction: READ MORE
Amphetamine Addiction Facts
Get Help Now!
Available 24/7
Amphetamine Addiction Facts
FACT: Amphetamines are “uppers” which stimulate the nervous system. They are opposite from depressants, such as alcohol, barbiturates, sedatives.
FACT: Amphetamine is sometimes called “speed,” because the user gets a feeling of energy and well being, a feeling that they can do anything.
FACT: Amphetamine stimulates and keeps people awake, so when it is abused people may stay awake for long periods of time, sometimes days.
FACT: Amphetamine is addictive. When abused, people will quickly build a tolerance to the drug and will need to take more and more to achieve their desired effect.
FACT: Amphetamines are used to treat narcolepsy and hyperactivity. It sounds counter intuitive, but the amphetamine actually calms hyperactive children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
FACT: Addiction to amphetamines is rising, especially among young adults, who abuse the drug on college campuses, thinking it aids them in their academic pursuits. Students want to stay up and study and the amphetamine enhances mental alertness, delays the need for sleep and is a mood elevator. Even with these Amphetamine Addiction Facts college students continue to take them and think they won't have problems. They're wrong!
FACT: Benzedrine is a brand name for amphetamine, as are Dexedrine and Desoxyn. These are available only by prescription and doctors really limit their use because of the potential for abuse. Many avoid these Amphetamine Addiction Facts and doctor shop to get more.
FACT: Another form of amphetamine, methamphetamine, is an illicit street drug that is highly addictive and destructive to health. Desoxyn is actually a legal version of methamphetamine. It is much faster acting than other amphetamine drugs.
FACT: Amphetamines can be used by prescription for weight control, but only for short periods of time. They suppress appetite. Amphetamine can also help with asthma patients, because it will shrink nasal mucus membranes. The problem is the inhaler versions of this medicine have been discontinued because they’re toxic.
FACT: We do not know why amphetamines, which are stimulants, have a calming effect on some hyperactive children. To say the least, the use of amphetamine products, such as Ritalin, has been controversial. Yet, despite protests from so many places in society, the use seems to be increasing every year.
FACT: Abusers will build a tolerance to amphetamine quickly with regular use. Therefore, they will have to increase the dosage to get what they want. Abusers can quickly become addicts because the drug works on the reward system in the brain. Even if somebody is using the drug for an intended short period of time, they can slip into addiction and become hooked.
FACT: Addiction to amphetamine is characterized by the inability of the person to stop using. They may say they can quit anytime, but they can’t. Addiction is a brain disease that sets in when the “I want to do amphetamine” becomes a compulsive “I have to do amphetamine.” The element of choice is gone.
FACT: Despite some short-term advantages, amphetamines will eventually have a negative impact on school and job performance.
FACT: Even though users like the feeling of euphoria they get from the drug, they can also get irritated and have mood swings. As the disease progresses, amphetamine addiction will have a negative impact on the addict’s personal relationships, as even family will begin to withdraw, and friends who were once close are no longer in the picture. The addict may rely more heavily on the drug to “feel good” about his/her self and function “normally.”
FACT: The disease also includes a physiological dependence. Because it stimulates the reward system of the brain, if there is no amphetamine present in the brain, the addict craves the drug and will experience withdrawal if he/she doesn’t have it. This Amphetamine Addiction Facts is the cause of a lot of addiction.
FACT: Withdrawal symptoms will begin hours after the last dose was taken, or perhaps after a day, but they include intense cravings, intense hunger and fatigue. Understand that when the appetite suppressive function of the drug is removed, hunger sets in. Likewise, if a person has abused the drug for a long period of time and suddenly stops using, the lack of sleep is bound to catch up with them.
FACT: People withdrawing may have difficulties with motor skills, have seizures, shaking, and hypothermia. Withdrawals can also include rapid heart rate and irregular heart rate. People have been known to have a heart attack during withdrawal. An Amphetamine Addiction Facts worth paying an attention to.
FACT: Withdrawing addicts may have panic attacks and lose emotional control. The cravings, the mood swings, the depression can lead to suicide. They can have hallucinations and a distorted perception of the world around them.
FACT: Amphetamine addicts need treatment and that begins with medical detoxification to ensure the same withdrawal from the effects of the drug. To avoid the complications, professional people need to closely monitor the patient and make sure that he/she is safe and as comfortable as possible. Don't miss these critical Amphetamine Addiction Facts.
FACT: Treatment is the answer to amphetamine addiction and the best place is a treatment center that offers a holistic approach to the disease, to care for body, mind and spirit. Emotional and psychological issues can be cared for and the person needs the support of the therapeutic community to return to wholeness. There is always hope.
This completes Amphetamine Addiction Facts, please visit our home page for more information or return to Crystal Meth.
and Finally Remember:
- Matthew 7:7-8
Recent Articles
1. Illegal Addiction
Sep 22, 17 09:19 AM
Read More
2. Subutex
Sep 21, 17 09:46 AM
Read More
3. Crystal Meth
Sep 21, 17 08:32 AM
Read More
Follow on Twitter or Google+
Search this Site:
Four new addiction classes:
Addiction 101 Register Now!
Register Now!
Change-Talk Register Now!
Effective Conversations Register Now!
|
What is Core Aeration?
Core aeration is the removal of small cores of soil from the lawn using a aeration machine.
It is often described as the secret weapon in making your lawn healthy.
Fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system which is very important.
When your Lawn is compacted, root growth is shallow. By core aeration, you open up the soil so water, nutrients, and air can travel deeper. This encourages roots to grow deeper, resulting in a lawn which is much healthier.
After core aeration,We can either rake the plugs up or leave them in the sun for a few days to dry out so that the next time your lawn is cut they will be broken up and returned too the lawn. The thatch content of the plug will be collected by the mower.
|
Go to: content | top | bottom | search
You are hereSwiss School of Archaeology in Greece > Eretria > History > 2nd century > Lucius Mummius
Lucius Mummius, a benefactor of Eretria?
The so-called Achaean War, which broke out in 146 between the Romans and the Achaean League (in the Peloponnese) with almost all of Boeotia, is an event of great significance, but one which until recently no one supposed might have affected Eretria at all. The Greek forces were ruthlessly put down by the consul Lucius Mummius, who ordered the complete destruction of the city of Corinth. It has long been known that the people of Chalkis joined in this insurrection against Roman power and were cruelly punished for doing so. But the Eretrians?
A modest inscription -a simple proclamation of the victors in an athletic event at the stadium- attests that a competition was held in honor of the redoubtable Mummius, associated with the great Artemis Amarysia. This document incontestably proves that the Eretrians worshiped the Roman consul, whom they considered their benefactor. We can infer from it that in the war they must have adopted an attitude diametrically opposed to that of their immediate neighbors; this support for Rome becomes clear when we learn that they had very shortly before been the victims of the aggressive policies of the Boeotians of Thebes. Almost alone among the Greeks to have sided with Mummius, they must have obtained from the consul, once he was victorious, some substantial reward. But what was it?
The most likely hypothesis - no more than a conjecture based on various clues- is that they were given the territory of Oropos, which they had always coveted, and from which they were most likely able to benefit starting in 146. This would explain the relative wealth that at least part of Eretrian society seems to have enjoyed at that time. Several inscriptions regarding the activities of the ephebes, their trainers, and their professors in the Gymnasium testify to this; they also reveal to us the existence of a certain plutocratic "bourgeoisie," from which originated the notables who erected statues to members of their families. Half a century later, having taken the wrong side in the war against King Mithridates of Pontos in 87-86, the Eretrians lost not only this precious continental possession, but also their privileged status. And from this severe blow the Eretrians were never again entirely to recover.
Swiss University
|
A clicking noise coming from one of your company's computers is never a good sign. Computers are usually designed to be relatively quiet while running, so a clicking noise likely means something is amiss within the computer. Hard drive failure is a common cause of clicking noises, though the problem could also lie in your computer's audio or another component within the system. If the computer contains important work files or information pertinent to your business, back up any data while you still can.
Hard Drive
Clicking noises from your computer are often caused by hard drive malfunction. If you notice the clicking only while the computer is starting, it may be a sign of a soon-to-fail hard drive. The drive may eventually begin clicking during normal computer operations, whenever the disk is accessed. Listening to the sounds failing hard drives typically produce makes it easier to diagnose or rule out this possibility (see Resources). If the hard drive is the issue, it's likely something that cannot be repaired. The best option is replacing the hard drive with a new one. Check the computer's manual if you're unfamiliar with the process. While the specifics may differ, a general hard drive installation guide can help when the computer's manual isn't available.
Audio Issue
One less serious possibility is a problem with your computer's speakers. Turn the sound off or disconnect the speakers, then start your computer. If the problem persists, the speakers obviously aren't the issue. If they are, replace the speakers with a new set. If you're using a laptop or monitor with built-in speakers, consider using external speakers instead. If the audio is the issue but your speakers work fine, you may have a faulty sound card or an improper sound card driver. Use the Windows Device Manager or visit your sound card manufacturer's website to find the latest drivers compatible with your card.
Other Issues
If the clicking noise isn't from your hard drive or audio, there are a number of other internal components that could be causing the issue. Your power supply unit may be faulty or its fan may be catching on something while it spins. Similarly, one of the computer's cooling fans may be catching on a screw or wire. If the sound occurs while the computer is on as well as when it's booting, one of these issues may be present. Unfortunately, the problem is difficult for professionals to properly diagnose without having access to the computer.
If the computer turns on and Windows runs properly, back up your important data. Doing this as soon as possible could prevent data loss if the computer stops functioning. This is especially important if you're having a hard drive issue. If your hard drive is in the early stages of failure, get the data quickly while you still can. There are many tools to backup or transfer your data, including external hard drives, servers, cloud storage or USB flash storage.
If the computer is a desktop, open the tower and inspect for anything that may be making the noise. So long as you don't touch the interior, start the desktop with the side panel off to see if you can get a better idea of what's causing the clicking sound. Do not leave the computer on, touch the internal components or operate it normally without the side panel; inspect the computer's startup issue, then turn off the machine to avoid further damage. Laptops are trickier to troubleshoot since you usually can't get easy access to the internal components. If you're unfamiliar with computer hardware, consider consulting a professional before risking further damage by tampering with it.
About the Author
Photo Credits
• Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
|
Yuonne Peinado
Foot Pain In The Arch
All The Things You Need To Know On The Subject Of Bunions
Bunion Pain A bunion forms when the bursa (a sac of fluid at friction points between the tendons and bone in some areas and between bone and the skin in others) becomes inflamed along the edge of the joint at the base of the big toe. There are two types of bunions. The acute bunion causes the sharper pain. It develops from a bursitis, a sudden outcropping of a fluid-filled sac. An acute bunion can progress into the second type of bunion, the hallux valgus, a chronic but often painless deformity involving permanent rigidity of the bones. Bunions can form in any part of the foot but occur most often at the big toe joint, where the first metatarsal bone abuts the proximal phalanx of the big toe. Women are more likely than men to get bunions because of the misshapen footwear and elevated heels they wear.
Bunions can be caused by improper footwear. Genetics. Foot injuries. Congenital deformities. Medical conditions such as arthritis. Stress on feet. Bunions are mainly caused by genetics. The bunion itself is not inherited, but the person?s hereditary foot type and gait pattern makes them more prone to developing bunions.You can also begin to develop bunionsby wearing shoes that are too tight or too small. When you wear shoes of this nature, your toes are squeezed together. Bunions are not caused by crowding of the toes, but wearing tight shoes can worsen the condition and cause symptoms to appear sooner. Some people are born with birth defects that put them at higher risk for developing bunions.
When an x-ray of a bunion is taken, there is usually angulation between the first metatarsal bone and the bones of the big toe. There may also be angulation between the first and second metatarsal bones. These angular irregularities are the essence of most bunions. In general, surgery for bunions aims to correct such angular deformities.
Non Surgical Treatment
Surgical Treatment
|
rsync: How to efficiently mirror websites, directories, and filesystems.
From the manpage of rsync(1):
rsync is a program that behaves in much the same way that rcp does, but has many more options and uses the rsync remote-update protocol to greatly speed up file transfers when the destination file is being updated.The rsync remote-update protocol allows rsync to transfer just the differences between two sets of files across the network connection, using an efficient checksum-search algorithm described in the technical report that accompanies this package.
rsync is not any file transfer program. It is an intelligent file transfer program, used widely to mirror websites, directories and entire filesystems. What makes rsync superior to other file transfer programs, like rcp and scp, is its ability to efficiently compare the differences between two files and to copy only if either has been updated.
At work, I do all my development inside a Virtual Machine running Slackware. Any code I write at work and, more importantly, as part of work, I keep in a separate directory cleverly named “work” inside the /home directory. With no back-up server yet in place, and fearing the day the host OS would crash or the Virtual Machine image would get corrupt, I brought my home laptop at work to mirror, at least, the work directory. I used’s simple-to-follow tutorial to set up rsync on the Virtual Machine image, and call the rsync client from the laptop to back-up the work directory.
While I strongly suggest that both the manpage and the tutorial referenced be read thoroughly, I will, nonetheless, list down instructions to quickly get rsync up and transferring files.
The enviornment I’m using is laid out like this: I wish to make a copy of my work directory, /home/work/, on a Slackware box, bound to the IP, over to my laptop, also running Slackware, and bound to rsync is installed on both systems. First, I need to set up rsync daemon on by creating rsyncd.conf, the file from which the rsync daemon reads various configuration settings. The manpage of rsyncd.conf(5) thoroughly documents all configuration variables, parameters, directives, and also contains useful examples. I set up /etc/rsyncd.conf to mirror the following config:
motd file = /etc/rsyncd motd
log file = /var/log/rsyncd.log
pid file = /var/run/
lock file = /var/run/rsyncd.lock
path = /home/work
comment = Code repository from Work
uid = ayaz
gid = ayaz
read only = yes
list = yes
auth users = ayaz
secrets file = /etc/rsyncd.scrt
A brief explanation is in order. “path” points to the directory to be mirrored. “uid” and “gid” are the user and group IDs, respectively, under which file transfers will take place. I don’t want /home/work to be altered by any client through rsync, so I have set it to be read only. I have also set “ayaz” to act as the user allowed to connect to the rsync server. A user:pass pair for the allowed user is put in plain-text in the “secrets file”. If anonymous rsync is desired, then the “auth users” and, consequently, “secrets file” directives should be taken off.
These are a small subset of the options rsyncd supports. The manpage, rsyncd.conf(5), documents every aspect and option of rsyncd in detail. Finally, to execute the rsync daemon, I call rsync with the “–daemon” flag. rsync’s daemon runs in the background, on port 873 (default).
Now, over to the client side, the laptop. I create a directory, /home/work, and modify its user and group ownership to match the “uid” and “gid” set in rsync daemon’s config file. Running the rsync client is simple. Before running it, I’d suggest a thorough read of rsync’s manpage, again, rsync(1), to understand the various switches it supports and the different ways in which it can be used.
I call rsync like this:
$ rsync -avrzogtp –rsh=ssh –exclude “*.~” –exclude “linux/” /home/work/
Here’s a quick description of the various switches used. “-a” does the archiving. “-v” turns on verbosity in output. “-r” tells rsync to get into recursive mode while traversing directories. “-z” enables compression. “-p”, “-o”, and “-g” preserve, in that order, the permissions, owner and group information of files and directories to be copied. “-t” preserves the file and directory timestamps. I don’t wish to send data in plain on the wire, so, I order rsync to use “ssh” instead to tunnel data. Like tar, rsync supports –exclude switch. I tell it to exclude any files with a trailing “~” character in their names — Vim rather stubbornly does tha –, and to exclude the entire “linux/” directory. Finally, I specify the source host and source directory, followed by the local directory where the data should be moved.
And that’s it. The first time around, I was nervous running rsync. Just to be sure it wasn’t going to do anything crappy on my laptop’s filesystem (which shamefully itself isn’t backed-up yet), I ran rsync on my laptop with the “-n” switch. It does a dry-run only, in that it only generates a harmless list of files it will copy from the source system and quits. Again, read the manpage for many more options.
12 thoughts on “rsync: How to efficiently mirror websites, directories, and filesystems.
1. That rsync command listed here doesn’t appear to use the rsyncd server. If you wanted to use the rsyncd server there would need to be an additonal colon after the host.
For example:
2. Thanks for the comment, Paul.
If I have understood the following section in the man page of rsync correctly, that the variant of the command with the single colon *does* indeed contact the rsyncd daemon, but not directly. Instead, it uses a remote-shell program as a transport:
There are two different ways for rsync to contact a
remote system: using a remote-shell program as the
directly via TCP. The remote-shell trans-port is used
whenever the source or destination path contains a single
colon (:) separator after a host specification. Contacting
an rsync daemon directly happens when the source or
destination path contains a double colon (::) separator after
REMOTE-SHELL CONNECTION” section for an exception to this
latter rule).
As a special case, if a single source arg is specified
without a destination, the files are listed in an output
format similar to “ls -l”.
As expected, if neither the source or destination path
specify a remote host, the copy occurs locally (see
also the –list-only option).
3. I am afraid to copy my backup server into our web server by accident. where do you exactly run this rsync from? the host or the guest? Host being the server you want to back (web server) and the guest being the backup server?!
Also , If I run the rsync from the root / can it mirror our web server?
( also do I want to Exclude the files specific to each machine like Hostname, interfaces file under /etc/networking/ the whole /sys directory?) Or should I write over every thing)?
Thank You !
4. Pingback: Mirroring files on remote servers - IT Tips
6. Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your
7. One person might need the coffee maker which applications
a particular type of coffee and additionally dispenses any cup at
just a time, whilst yet another may choose the coffee maker that might brew the pot adequate for an entire celebration.
I would be extremely amazed should you decide could notice this particular West
fold Quick – Drip 10-cup coffee maker for purchase
anyplace, but you may well be confident in order to find a any online,
possibly in craigslist, e – Bay, or perhaps Bid – Cactus.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
Really Weird Animals.
In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Kansas reveal how jellyfish have evolved over time into “really weird” microscopic organisms, made of only a few cells, that live inside other animals.
Genome sequencing confirms that myxozoans, a diverse group of microscopic parasites that infect invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, are actually “highly reduced” cnidarians, the phylum that includes jellyfish, corals and sea anemones.
Despite its radical phasedown of the modern jellyfish’s body structure and genome over millions of years, Myxozoa has retained the essential characteristic of the jellyfish, its stinger or “nematocyst” along with the genes needed to make it.
“Because they’re so weird, it’s difficult to imagine they were jellyfish,” she said. “They don’t have a mouth or a gut. They have just a few cells. But then they have this complex structure that looks just like stinging cells of cnidarian. Jellyfish tentacles are loaded with them, little firing weapons.”
“They’re a very diverse group of parasites and some have been well-studied because they infect fish and can wreak havoc in aquaculture of economic importance,” Cartwright said. “They cause whirling disease in salmon. The fish start swimming in circles, it’s a neurological problem caused by a myxozoan.”
Cartwright said the confirmation that myxozoans are cnidarians would necessitate the re-classification of Myxozoa into the phylum Cnidaria. Moreover, these micro jellyfish could expand understanding of what makes up an animal.
“Their biology was well-known, but not their evolutionary origins,” she said. “They’re microscopic, only a few cells measuring 10 to 20 microns. Some people originally thought they were single-celled organisms. But when their DNA was sequenced, researchers started to surmise they were animals, just really weird ones.”
Indeed, Cartwright said traits scientists understood as vital for animal development are absent in Myxozoa.
“Hox genes are one example, which are important to development of all animals, and these lack them,” she said. “But Myxozoa is definitely an animal because its evolutionary origin is shared with jellyfish and we use species’ ancestry to define them. But animals are usually defined as macroscopic multicellular organisms and this is not that. Myxozoa absolutely redefines what we think of as animal.”
Cartwright’s research collaborators are E. Sally Chang, KU doctoral student; Dorothée Huchon and Moran Neuhof, Tel-Aviv University; Nimrod Rubinstein, Harvard University; Arik Diamant of Israel’s National Center for Mariculture and Hervé Philippe of the Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling Station d’Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS.
The National Science Foundation, Binational Science Foundation and Israel Science Foundation supported this work.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
Fuller on Design Science
What are the resources? What are the tasks necessary to make 100% of humanity a success? How can we ever do so without ever advantaging one human at the expense of another? How may we render all the world and all its treasures enjoyable available to all men without having one interfering with or trespassing upon the other? How may we reform the environment so that the integrity of all society is not violated by the free initiatives of the individual nor the integrity of the individual violated by the developing welfaring advantage and happiness of the many?
Man is born a potentially complete success. The reasons humanity loves its children is that they start off in such perfection of potential.
Man, as designed, is obviously intended to be a success just as the hydrogen atom is intended to e a success. It is only the fabulous ignorance of man and his long and wrongly conditioned reflexes that he continually allowed the new life to be impaired albeit lovingly and unwittingly.
—Speech at NASA, June 1966
Playboy: What was different about your technique that made you call it Design Science?
Fuller: The whole thing was finding our what was first-things-first in Universe, and to do that you have toget away from any ideas of specialization. You've got to develop your comprehensive literacy and find out what your problem is. It lakes a long time to get to know anything that way, but once you do, you know it so clearly and cleanly that anybody who'll really sit down and work it out absolutely can't go wrong with it.
—Transcript of Barry Farrel, PLAYBOY interview, February 1972
I find that I have to use the words "Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science." Science sets in order the facts of experience. Design as against that which is happening to you: it is that which you do deliberately. Using principles, then, employing order, we try to anticipate the needs of humanity, anticipate the needs of nature in general, try to anticipate the accommodation ofthe total intercomplementarity, using those principles then to actually begin to participate in the evolutionary formulations ofnature, so we don't just have to wait and take it for granted that someone else is going to provide this thing for us, and leave it up to them. Each one of us then, has an increasingintuition and an obligation to employ these principles in an effective manner on behalf of all humanity, and on behalf of the Total Integrity of Universe Itself - in its eternal regeneration.
—From "Everything I Know: 42 Hours with Buckminster Fuller"
In COMPREHENSIVE ANTICIPATORY DESIGN SCIENCE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING... On the land, you have a job, and you work eight hours and you call it a day. You can close all the shutters on the cottage and say that's the end of it. At sea you can't shut down. It's a twenty-four hour job; you have twice as much experience at sea, because you have twenty-four hours out of everyday of experience... So the experience piled up very rapidly, and the severity of the untoward events--very high frequency--meant those people who did come back were very aware that there were very many who didn't come back, and they went into anticipation. This is our friend ''Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science,"-what are all the things you are going to have to anticipate?
... aware of so many other human beings, amid the planet being so big, and the complexity of things already operative when you check into the picture [it] doesn't seem a very good prospect to the individual that he's going to be very effective in this great big platter. He might expect to be fairly effective in a local pattern with a few people.
But what do you do, what can the little individual do about humans on board our planet in a big way. It seems for the moment a formidable challenge. So I will talk more about that with you, because I am confident that the little individual can do a great deal, and everyone of the human individuals are going to do a great deal, and if you catch on timethe strategies I employ, you may be able to employ them too. You may want to.
—Synergetics Dictionary
. . . Until the mid-twentieth century all political ideologies have been, and most as yet are, predicted upon yesterday's seemingly "obvious and incontrovertible" assumption of the existence of a fundamental and eternal inadequacy of healthful, wealthful terrestrial human life support. It has to be 'yours' or 'mine' because there is not and never will be enough for both." The respective political, ideological biases result from each assuming that its side has the most just and wise socio-economic strategy for coping with fundamental economic inadequacies.
If they are not to perish, but on the contrary are to survive, flourish and prevail, despite lethal inadequacy of life support, all political systems also have assumed and prepare for ultimate validation of their respectively claimed unique superiorities only through armed victory in all--out war. Though many are now aware that science and technology may someday disprove the inadequacy assumption, to everyday politics, fundamental inadequacy means that, large blocks of humanity are going to die anyway--either by starvation, disease or weapons. Politics must be intransigent and stoical about death because it assumes ultimate, unavoidable mass dying, either active or passive. This necessity has introduced the political concept of "ends justifying means" no matter how atrocious those means.
I am inherently transcendental to all political bias because I have learned by experimentally demonstrable, scientific, technical and economic facts of Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science that the inventory of chemical elements is not decreasing while know-how is forever increasing, which results in an ever accelerating rate of increase of technical effectiveness per each ounce of material, quantum of energy and second of time invested per each human and per each function to be served. Today the majority of all the worlds metal which were once all in mines are now recirculating. Each time they are melted and reused they carry vastly increased performance capability. It is now safely statable that our present knowledge and physical resources are adequate to the support of all humanity and all humans to come at a higher standard of living and enjoyment of life than have ever been experienced by any human.
To the best of my knowledge I was the first to discover and to be able to demonstrate why and how this is true. It is therefore also manifest to me that all political ideologies are obsolete--lethally obsolete. Knowing this I am also inherently incorruptible by either political or economic persuasions. I am committed to Comprehensively Anticipatory Design Science and its peacetime employment, for peace producing and sustaining purposes, of all the world's untapped or recirculating physical resources as well as of all the premium scientific, technical, industrial and managerial production skills--in such a manner as has heretofore been comprehensively employed to integrate humanity's potentials only under aegis of immediate or imminently anticipated all-out war. Design Science is the positive extension of passive resistance. Passive resistance bloodlessly dissipates the undesirable. Design Science bloodlessly gains the desirable.
I am pitting a world around, blood less, constructive, design transformation revolution against a world around destructive bloody revolution. The Design Science revolution can be won by all. The bloody revolution can be won by none.
Because political economies assume inherent scarcity, it also assumes it to be an inexorable corollary that humans are designed to be failures and that the right to be considered an exception by society and therefore, to be allowed to live successfully must be competitively earned--"a living" oust be earned. Design Science contradicts political economics and states it to be scientifically manifest that humanity is designed to be comprehensively successful in order to be able to fulfill its functioning in the cosmically designed Universe... humanity is designed to be successful...
Design Science is concerned not only with the prominent end products but also with all the means of producing, installing, servicing, removing and replacing comprehensive undertakings. This includes both user and personal safety, logistics in general and public relations.
—From a Letter to Karan Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the United States
|
The Funding Formulas
Connecticut’s legislature has established more than 10 different funding formulas to determine how much money public schools should receive. The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula was established by the state legislature to distribute approximately $2 billion in state education funding to local public school districts and – in theory – make up the difference between what a community can afford to pay and what it costs to run a public school system.
However, Connecticut does not have enough money to pay each community the amount it is owed under the ECS formula. Fully funding the ECS formula would cost Connecticut approximately $600 million more than the state is currently spending. As a result, Connecticut stopped using the ECS formula to distribute state education funding to local public school districts in 2013 and is now making “block grants” (lump sums of money) to each community.
In addition to the ECS formula, Connecticut has different funding formulas for each “type” of school choice program. Connecticut uses five different formulas for magnet schools, two different formulas for charter schools, and individual formulas for the Connecticut Technical High School System, agriscience programs, and Open Choice program.
Below is a slideshow detailing how money flows through each of Connecticut’s more than 10 school funding formulas.
|
Saturday , September 23 2017
Home / explainers / Social media and its influence on teens
Social media
Photo: Jason Howie/Flickr
Social media and its influence on teens
Defining social media
All of us are a part of different social media networks but not many can define one. Broadly, it can be defined as websites and applications used for social networking. And, social networks, according to Oxford Dictionaries, is “a dedicated website or other application which enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc.”
Among the many definitions, this one holds a lot of significance. It says, “Social Media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User-Generated Content.”
User-generated content is the most important concept. And, this post is understanding the different aspects of the user-generated content — the drives, urges, consequences of it.
Why we use social media
Facebook. Photo: Flickr/
Photo: Flickr/
For many, a social network is an extension of the ‘real world’. How we decide to pose in our photos, what photos get the nod to get published, the posts we share and like, the arguments we enter into, are all process of us reinforcing an image of ourselves. It offers a platform to help us project ourselves in a manner that we would like others to see us.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) says “during the last five years, the number of preadolescents and adolescents using such sites [social media websites] has increased dramatically. According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging. Thus, a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones.”
Here are some studies that we believe might hold the answers to this question.
Facebook and self-esteem
This article argues that social media usage is linked to self-esteem. Before, we get to study, let’s understand what self-esteem means.
Self-esteem is a subjective measure of we see ourselves. We develop an image of ourselves based our experiences with different people and activities. It reflects in our thought process, our confidence and motivation levels.
This study says we are more prone to project our ideal version of ourselves than our real versions in a bid to improve our self-esteem. We project an identity that we’d like to others to see, which in turn would reflect in the way we think about ourselves. The study notes, “recent research in computer-mediated communication (CMC) suggests that online self-presentations can become integrated into how we view ourselves, especially when the presentations take place in a public, digital space. This phenomenon, known as identity shift, demonstrates that self-presentations enacted in online space can impact users’ self-concepts.”
Ambient intimacy and Twitter
Leisa Reichelt introduced the term ‘ambient intimacy’ in one her blog posts, saying it “is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible.”
It can also be defined as a feeling of closeness one develops over a period of time by following other users’ updates on social media.
The study notes that, “by regularly reading a person’s status updates, individuals are able to get acquainted with the daily routine of one another and might even build [imaginary] close relationships with someone they have never met in person.”
Social media usage linked to cortisol levels
Adolescents with over 300 friends on Facebook have higher levels of cortisol circulating in their bodies, a study has found. On the other hand, it also said socialising on Facebook — involving liking, sharing of content produced by ‘friends’ — reduces the cortisol levels.
Cortisol, popularly known as ‘stress hormone’, is produced in the adrenal cortex in response to stress. The levels of cortisol in the body fluctuates through the day, depending on a range of factors, including stress levels, food intake etc. The cortisol levels are high at the start of a day and slowly decrease as the day progresses. And, the fluctuations also have a bearing on other functions of the body.
This study found that bigger the friend network, higher the levels of stress hormone in the body. It might also explain the addiction to social media, which is our next topic.
Dependency on social media
For young adults, friends’ approval is more important that of the parents’. Two key psychological components that help in creating dependency on social media is reinforcement.
Woman taking a selfie
Woman taking a selfie. Photo: Flickr/Paško Tomić
What are reinforcements?
Reinforcements can either be positive or negative. A reinforcement is said to be a positive one if the feedback strengthens your beliefs, which is to say, the chances of you doing the same thing increases. Users send tweets seeking some kind of reinforcement for their beliefs. When a positive reinforcement arrives, it strengthens their value system. One of the main reasons for the kind of volume of tweets and pictures being shared is this: the need to create instances for achieving such reinforcements.
The number of tweets or status updates or pictures you upload, therefore, play an important role in deciding the probability of you receiving a positive reinforcement.
Instant gratification and social media
Another important concept that explains the addiction is instant gratification.
Behavioral psychologists are of the opinion that reinforcements that occur immediately after the behaviour are the most powerful ones. And social media provides that.
So why do we retweet or like or share a post? It’s because of these three factors or a combination of them: the need to belong, create or establish an identity, and provide reinforcements to what we believe in.
We have gone through the urges that drive our behavior on the virtual medium, studies that shed light on the reasons for our social media. Now, to the consequences or the complications that have arisen due to excessive virtual social networking.
The unfavorable effects social media
Privacy issues
This study points that people who expect bigger benefits out of social networking sites tend to share more information than those who do not. And, people who are not a part of the network will tend the weigh the risks more than the potential benefits.
What are bigger benefits? They are the positive reinforcements we had discussed earlier.
It also found that more adolescents associated privacy with situations involving relationships, for example being able to be alone with a partner or friend. And, relatively more adults associated privacy with those situations that involve personal information.
Depression linked to social media usage
Depression causes frequent feelings of sadness, anxious, helpless, worthless, restlessness, in general, puts the person in a mood of constant self-doubting. The popular notion that it’s a mental disorder might sound extreme but it quite common, especially among individuals who move among active social circles.
Loneliness, sadness and depression. Photo: Flickr/Guilherme Yagui
Photo: Flickr/Guilherme Yagui
Our increasing usage of social networking websites is one of the leading reasons for depression among young adolescents and children. The engagement provides an opportunity to seek reinforcements.
When a positive reinforcement arrives, in the form of a ‘like’ or a compliment or a ‘share’, it strengthens beliefs and boost the self-esteem. And when no reinforcements or negative reinforcements arrive, they lead to a situation leading to depression.
Anxiety related to social networking
Anxiety disorder is a catchall term that encompasses everything from fear, panic, nervousness and worrying. We get nervous when forced to do an activity that requires us to go well out of our comfort zone. The fear of a negative consequence is a major factor. We all go through times when we fear or feel nervous about certain situations. And those don’t count as symptoms of anxiety disorder.
Everyone has biases and most of us employ it without realizing. Take a minute to reflect on this: why do you have a particular color as your favorite one, why do some songs grab your attention immediately while others don’t, why we prefer certain politicians. Ask yourself the whys of every activity. We have a value system (our traditions, likes, dislikes, sense of morality) and we use that to navigate through day-to-day situations.
When we take sides in our head, and in the process, create space for things we don’t like. And threat stems from things we fear or feel anxious about. So, when confront with an idea that does not go well with our value system, we, sometimes, convince ourselves by interpreting information as a threat. There’s plenty of opinions, views and stories on social media and we are often forced to revisit our ideas on a regular basis and this can lead to buildup of anxiety.
The ugly side of social media
Social media has also given access to people inflict harm on others. Teens, unfortunately, often find themselves at the receiving end of such attacks. Here, we’ll talk about two specific and common ways people use to intimidate others on virtual platforms.
Cyber Crime
Photo: Bankenverband – Bundesverband deutscher Banken/Flickr
Bullying has always existed. But in the last decade, with increasing access to Internet and proliferation of smartphones, it has take a new form. Psychologists are calling it cyberbullying. And it has become worse in many ways. Cyberbullying can be defined as the act of “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.”
Teens are often reluctant to tell their parents about their experiences, especially if they believe that it will show them poor light. Less than 20 per cent of teens talk to parents about incidents of cyberbullying. And more than 90% of teens use the Internet.
Cyberbullying is an extension of real-world bullying. The driving factors remain the same and the difference is only the manifestations. Coloroso, in her book,The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander (2003), said there are three main elements to bullying: imbalance of power, intent to harm and threat to further aggression. The elements apply to cyberbullying as well.
What makes cyberbullying more dangerous? A study points to four important concepts that differentiate cyberbullying from real-world bullying. They are:
Persistence: Digital footprints are really hard to erase and they stay in the network even if do not show up.
Searchability: It is also easier to search for a particular person on the Internet. And even worse is the ability to filter searches and target people.
Replicability: It provides a means to copy, paste information that need not be necessarily original.
Anonymity: The online medium, in a way, gives a person a sense of anonymity that makes him/her believe that “if there’s no person in real, then there’s no consequence.”
Cyberstalking is said to have occurred when a person is harassed, bullied, defamed and has his/her privacy violated and threatened online. Cyberstalking may originate online but follows through with real life consequences.
Unintentionally, many leave a big trail of personal information and photos. In cases of cyberstalking, the stalker uses these information to create fear and bully their victims.
With the advent of social media and advancing technologies, such stalking has taken new avatars such as trolling, threats in the form of morphed videos and pictures. The Internet assures the perpetrators of such stalking a certain degree anonymity, and this coupled with a relative lack of caution on the part of users, makes it easy for stalkers to commit crimes.
The study notes, “A cyberstalker does not present a direct threat to a victim, but follows the victim’s online activity to gather information and make threats or other forms of verbal intimidation. A potential stalker may not want to confront and threaten a person offline, but may have no problem threatening or harassing a victim through the Internet or other forms of electronic communications.”
Tips for parents
Clinical Psychologist Debora Myrtle Anish’s four important tips for parents:
a. Find something in your child that you appreciate and voice it to him/her. A little appreciation goes a long way.
b. With freedom comes responsibility. Give them responsibilities appropriate to their level of development and skill, so that fulfilling them will improve your child’s self esteem.
c. Get to know your child’s ever changing likes/dislikes and interests. Don’t be over curious, but exhibit sufficient attention that they know you are really interested in them.
d. Don’t be harsh or quick to judge them. Remember your own teenage years. Though not exactly the same, they are undergoing similar (maybe even more) pressures that you faced earlier.
Check Also
Sarahah app: the psychology behind it
Leave a Reply
|
Monday, December 06, 2004
Choosing a pediatrician is an important event that should actually begin even before the child is born. As a general pediatrician, I frequently speak with both current and expecting parents about choosing a pediatrician. Many parents are not aware of the importance of selecting the right doctor for their children, or of how to go about doing it. Let us first begin by asking the basic question:
Why Choose A Pediatrician To Care For Your Child?
The role of a pediatrician involves all of the following:
Screening and evaluating babies and children for appropriate growth and development, and assessing abnormalities and disabilities, if any.
Vaccination of babies and children, and advice about specific disease
Advice on feeding, diet, food supplements, and other nutrition concerns.
Assessing illnesses and treating them, including admission to hospitalisation for serious diseases. Coordination of care for children receiving treatment from different specialists, and responsibility for the child's overall health.
Health education for the family.
Pediatricians have the most comprehensive medical training
to respond to these needs.
Source: Mehta child care
How Are Pediatricians Trained?
A Pediatrician is a 'qualified' Child Specialist. In India this means that after doing his basic MBBS (5 years) a pediatrician has to undergo an additional training (for 2-3 years, on-the-job training) in dealing exclusively with children. This residency training prepares pediatricians to help meet the needs of healthy children in such areas as normal growth, development, nutrition and behavior. After completing the training an exam needs to be passed to become a Pediatrician. A normal physician has less pediatric training than pediatricians, and may not be able to provide the same quality of care to a child as a pediatrician. Some pediatricians have additional subspecialty training beyond residency.
In the next part we will discuss the 'ideal qualities' to look for in a pediatrician!
No comments:
|
Friday, March 2, 2012
Do You Have Metabolic Syndrome?
Research shows that 1 out of 3 Americans are living with Metabolic Syndrome today. And if you're like most people with the condition, you had the condition between 3 – 5 years when you were diagnosed. If you're age 65, it's estimated that 77% of your age group is either diabetic or pre-diabetic. And 35% of adults aged 20 or older have metabolic syndrome.
Now, after reading these statistics you may be wondering how our society is collectively caring for its health - including our prevailing food choices and lifestyle habits.
For those of you not familiar with the term, Metabolic Syndrome is also known as Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, or Syndrome X. It's basically a group of inter-related symptoms and disorders that can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances such as polycystic ovary disease. When you have insulin resistance, normal amounts of insulin are not able to produce a normal insulin response from fat, muscles, and the liver cells. And if it occurs for an extended period of time it leads to diabetes.
So what's happening in your body?
When you don't have a normal insulin response in your body, your entire metabolic system goes into a fasting- state. What this means is that the body doesn’t think it's getting and/or utilizing the nutrients that it needs in order to function properly - so it goes into fasting mode. When it's in fasting mode, your body actually reserves energy output by LOWERING some of your metabolic functions. This mechanism was set into our bodies as far back as pre-historic times when we were hunters and gatherers and didn’t know where our next meal was coming from. So what you now have is a body that's in an over-fed state and can not function the way it should be. The body can’t recognize that it's being over-fed because it's simply not able to recognize and process the nutrients.
To better give you a clear picture of what's happening to your body, I want to talk about a couple of the organs that are involved. I'm going to continue this new series on Metabolic Syndrome over the next month and my next post will cover the liver, its function, and how it is involved in metabolic syndrome. I hope you'll stay tuned.
Now, before I sign off today, let me share with you a video on Youtube by an endocrinologist named Dr. Robert Lustig. It’s received over two million hits. You might be surprised so many people would be interested, but he explains very well why the overload of fructose is so damaging to our bodies. Consider this video some background information for you as we continue this series...
|
Save yourself time and money at the doctor's office by knowing when to take antibiotics
A recent study shows physicians will prescribe you antibiotics, even if they know it won't make you feel better any faster. Doctors say several common infections do not require antibiotics, but people continue to take them. The question is; when is it a good time to break out the antibiotics? Strep throat- Requires antibiotics because it's a bacterial infection. Before you run to your doctor for the drugs, consider that only a tiny portion of sore throats are actually strep throat. Make sure your doctor makes the right diagnosis based on a physical exam and lab test. Bronchitis- Does not usually need to be treated with antibiotics, but doctors say there are exceptions. Patients with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may receive antibiotics since they are more susceptible to developing secondary bacterial infections. Ear infections- Let your doctor be the judge. Ear infections can either be caused by viruses or bacteria. Have your doctor take a culture of your ear fluid to determine which one it is. Pneumonia- It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or even fungi. A doctor can identify the cause and treat it accordingly with either antibiotics or antiviral medications. Sinus Infection- It can either be bacterial, viral or fungal, or due to allergies. Most sinus infections are caused by viruses and therefore do not require antibiotics, but if the symptoms are severe or persistent, antibiotics may be prescribed. Keep in mind NEVER to share or take leftover medication for a new infection.
|
How to grow an avocado from a stone ?
How to grow an avocado from a stone ?
You will need:
• Avocado
• Glass
• Toothpicks
• Pot of land
# 1
Avocado is sometimes called alligator pear.This fruit is very useful.In their homeland is a large evergreen tree belonging to the family laurel.Growing avocados in Africa, India, the US and Brazil.Avocado tree can grow to a height of 18 meters, and the fruit can reach a weight of 1 kg.Grown in a pot at home, avocado is about 10 times less, and fruiting is possible and not to wait, but how exotic it will please his master, thus not requiring a lot of specific care.Perhaps, this plant can be attributed to the unpretentious.In order to try to grow this miracle on your windowsill, you will need a bone taken from fresh, ripe fruit.Stone with signs of rot or mold does not germinate as well as unripe, green stone.
# 2
Tag ripe bone - without dark spots and soft, odorless, the pulp is easily separated from it.Uniformly dark brown.If bone meets all indications, the question of how to grow avocado can be considered solved.The easiest
way to germinate bone - on a glass of water.To this end, three toothpicks equidistant from each other in a bone stuck in the middle of the line.With these spacers set the bone over the glass so that its blunt end with a small peephole has been submerged in water, and the rest of the water does not touch.You can also use a match or cut out of cardboard or plastic rings.While the bone is not sprout, it is necessary to closely monitor the water level.
# 3
germination at room temperature below 19 degrees occurs in two to four weeks.Before a blunt end seem roots, and from an acute - germ, bone reset your icky brown robe and remain shiny, pink-cream color.Just just before germination, for 2-4 days, it will crack into two slightly unequal halves lengthwise.The crack can be very deep, it seems that from the pink, egg-shaped seed falls apart into two parts, but it does not happen.Remove half the bones by mechanical means it is not necessary - except that they play a decorative role and are the highlight of the plants they contain a supply of nutrients for the first time required the young plants.
# 4
vyglyanuvshie When the roots reach a length of not less than 3-4 cm, avocado pit can be planted in the ground.Landing, you need to adhere to the same rules as for germination - a bone should be immersed in the land of no more than a third.Otherwise, it will lose all its appeal and may rot, and the young plants will get sick and may even die.Large pot avocados directly is better not to give - it likes to stretch up and bares much with his trunk.Although the trunk in a beautiful avocado, dark green with brown velvety patches, not all homes have space for polutorametrovogo stam trees in an avocado which can turn about two weeks with good lighting and plenty of space for root development.
# 5
If planted in a small pit, about 9-10 cm diameter pot, chances are that it will start branching, well, or at least its inner barrel will increase the thickness of acquiring more aesthetic appearance.Avocado growing in the tropics, and this means that it likes heat, high humidity and a lot of sunlight.The more sprays will accrue to the sapling, the more beautiful and will he leaves.On drought, darkness and cold avocado responds dropping leaves, dry air causes the leaves are slightly curled inwards, and their tips brown, zasyhaya.In winter, the plant may lose leaves, but in the spring they will escalate again.The soil for planting avocado in any case should not be hard, caked.
# 6
For more decoration can be put into one pot three, four or even more seeds of avocado, placing them next to each other in the center of the pot.In this composition, the ability of an avocado quickly grow to be just at hand - their trunks can be twisted together in the form of pigtails, or connect at regular intervals, so that as they grow, they remain in a position to form a decorative bonsai.If the constant pinch the tops in avocados, they begin to form branches and more leaves.Thus, with proper care, you can get a wonderful original tree, which no one else has.The main thing is not to forget about watering and fertilizing - they need avocados about once a month.
# 7
Knowing how to grow an avocado from a stone, it is unlikely that someone will rise hand to throw it, prepare a salad of avocado.A few years later it turns into a slender tree about a meter in height.In the houses of the avocado can live a long time, creating a sense of harmony to their views and freshness.Large slightly corrugated leaves well clean the air.In heated greenhouses or conservatories, where avocados are planted directly into the ground, trees do not have this bald trunk, and grow higher.Avocado from seed in the ground is usually bloom for 6-8 years of life, if it is to instill - it even earlier.And indoors the plant usually do not bloom at all, and if the flowers, then much later.If you follow all advice in relation to the bone avocado and its cultivation will not cause any trouble.
|
Fables and Fairytales
The skills and building blocks for narrative self-invention are captured and communicated in the tales French children are told from their earliest age. The masters of these literary genres are Jean de la Fontaine and Charles Perrault. The seventeenth-century readership for these two authors however was the highly refined and sophisticated salon society of the day. We will examine this body of classical French literature and consider how it works, how it persists in its relevance, the lessons it teaches, the psychoanalysis to which it has been subjected, along with theories of identity-formation, in order to get beyond “Happily ever after” and on to the point.
Conducted in French at an advanced intermediate level.
Curriculum Codes
|
High Mixed Grammar
1. How long _________________ in the United States?
are you been
have you been
have you come
2. I _____________ English in my country.
have not study
did not studied
did not study
3. Yesterday she ______________ to the store to buy groceries.
has gone
was go
4. Janet _____________ to get more sleep this week.
is trying
was tried
5. What kinds of books _____________ to read?
are you like
do you like
are you liking
6. When I ________ home from school in the afternoon, I often __________ a nap.
get, take
am getting, take
got, take
7. Sam and Dave _____________ at the auto shop since 1999.
has worked
have worked
have work
8. Jorge _____________ before he went to school.
has already eaten
had already eaten
9. _____________ some chocolate cake?
Would you like
Are you like
Does you like
10. My friends and I __________ to the beach when it started to rain.
have driven
were driving
11. I usually ___________ a glass of water with every meal.
12. Tom _____________ his new car very much.
is liking
13. When we ____________ to the park last Sunday, we _______ many other families.
go, see
went, were seeing
went, saw
14. You remember my cousin Joe, _________?
isn't he
don't you
aren't you
15. I didn't see _____________. __________ was there.
no one, anyone
anyone, no one
no one, no one
16. _______________ to school at PCC this term?
Are you going
Do you go
Do you going
17. The library is a very quiet and _________ place to study.
18. __________ car is over __________.
There, their
They're, there
Their, there
19. What ____________ when Maria ________ him?
was Jack doing, seen
Jack was doing, was seeing
was Jack doing, saw
20. This test is easy, __________?
isn't it
don't it
hasn't it
Score =
Correct answers:
|
Problem Solving
A problem well defined is a problem half solved.
Problems with horses can range from the mildly inconvenient to the outright dangerous. As Kelly Marks says “owning and riding a horse is meant to be fun. It’s an expensive way to be miserable.”
Problems with horses arise for a variety of reasons. Misunderstanding between the horse and human often lie at the heart of difficulties, and so a good basic understanding of how horses think, communicate and behave is an essential starting place. Once the human learns how to ask in a more horse-friendly manner, problems often disappear.
Other times, the problems have arisen because of a traumatic experience: the difficult loader who had a bad travelling experience; the remedial starter who was frightened because the rider fell off; or the “aggressive” horse who has been beaten up. Many a horse isn’t forward from the legs because they have been excessively kicked and pulled in the past, or continually asked to give more.
Frequently, the horse is being difficult simply because they have never been taught to be otherwise: the horse who barges and pulls when being lead because they haven’t received correct early training in how to follow a human politely and safely. The horse with a “hard” mouth has usually never been shown properly how to respond to the bit, and their rider needs to change what they are doing too. The horse who is difficult with a trimmer or farrier often behaves this way because they’ve never been given enough appropriate training, and the owner, trimmer or farrier hasn’t been shown how to handle them well either.
But whatever the reasons for the problem arising, our approach to the solution incorporates horse psychology, clear communication, and systematic breaking down of the problem into manageable chunks that the horse and owner can deal with.
Problems can be solved through callouts, coursestailored tuition or possibly a combination of different approaches. Our aim isn’t just to overcome the problem, we seek to enable the owner to continue the work, and apply the skills to other situations or horses. So if the owner who initially had a bad loader found their horse was also not good at crossing ditches, they would find themselves equipped with a set of techniques and thought processes to address this new issue.
Difficulties we have successfully solved have included bucking, rearing, napping, spookiness, bad loading and travelling, barging, biting, refusing to stand for mounting, enter and exit the stable, be caught, led, bridled, clipped, have feet handled, trimmed and shod, and fear of bicycles, men, plastic and traffic.
|
We live in an extrodinary time of discovery. New technologies and measurement techniques have allowed scientists to map an increasing number of exoplanetary bodies. While the vast majority we have located are gas giants, we are now finding out that small ones are actually more common. While we know very little about these planets and what is on them, we are on the verge of a new flood of information thanks to more advanced telescopes.
The planisphere is a small map consisting of two circular overlays that display the visible night sky. Each layer is rotated to match the current month and time to reveal what is in the sky during that time.
Traditionally, they mapped out stars and constellations. However, this piece has been modified to include major constellations and locations of exoplanets. Each star that a planet circles around is represented on the chart, as well as the orbits of the planets around those stars. The orbits are not actual paths of the planets, but rather a visualization of planet types and number of planets circling a particular star. To this extent, the map functions as both map and data visualization of discovered exoplanets.
This project was completed by Rod and Scott for SJSU Art 103 - READ MORE
|
Social determinants
Since we are all now in the same global boat—inhabitants in the same global village—, it is essential for us to understand quite deeply our history as humanity struggling in this planet. Seeking unity of humankind—our relavant relationships with our neighbors and all peoples alike—, we must work in the noble task of comprehend the genesis and evolution of the dominant ideas of the modern world.
On the other hand, I do believe that it is indeed very demostrable that all thinking and all action are compromised by ignorance of what has gone before. Most of us love to believe that we live in a kind of timeless innocence, until something not good or ugly or, worst, lethal, happens to us. Then, I assume and believe these three social determinants are the guideposts or guiding principles in our age: (1) democracy—the search for the goverment from and through the people, (2) equality before the law—we’re all human beings, (3) the unity of the peoples of the world—e pluribus unum.
The Number π
A little known verse of the Bible reads
The fact that the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle is constant has been known for so long that it is quite untraceable. The earliest values of π including the ‘Biblical’ value of 3, were almost certainly found by measurement. In the Egyptian Rhind Papyrus, which is dated about 1650 BC, there is good evidence for 4 cross (8/9)2 = 3.16 as a value for π.
223/71 < π < 22/7.
Here is Archimedes‘ argument.
Consider a circle of radius 1, in which we inscribe a regular polygon of 3 cross 2n-1 sides, with semiperimeter bn, and superscribe a regular polygon of 3 cross 2n-1 sides, with semiperimeter an.
The effect of this procedure is to define an increasing sequence
b1 , b2 , b3 , …
and a decreasing sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , …
such that both sequences have limit π.
where K = 3 cross 2n-1. Equally, we have
and it is not a difficult exercise in trigonometry to show that
b6 < π < a6 .
Ptolemy (c. 150 AD) 3.1416
Zu Chongzhi (430-501 AD) 355/113
al-Khwarizmi (c. 800 ) 3.1416
al-Kashi (c. 1430) 14 places
Viète (1540-1603) 9 places
Roomen (1561-1615) 17 places
Van Ceulen (c. 1600) 35 places
Except for Zu Chongzhi, about whom next to nothing is known and who is very unlikely to have known about Archimedes‘ work, there was no theoretical progress involved in these improvements, only greater stamina in calculation. Notice how the lead, in this as in all scientific matters, passed from Europe to the East for the millennium 400 to 1400 AD.
Al-Khwarizmi lived in Baghdad, and incidentally gave his name to ‘algorithm’, while the words al jabr in the title of one of his books gave us the word ‘algebra’. Al-Kashi lived still further east, in Samarkand, while Zu Chongzhi, one need hardly add, lived in China.
2/π = ( …)/( …)
and one of the best-known is
π/4 = 1 – 1/3 + 1/51/7 + ….
From the point of view of the calculation of π, however, neither is of any use at all. In Gregory‘s series, for example, to get 4 decimal places correct we require the error to be less than 0.00005 = 1/20000, and so we need about 10000 terms of the series. However, Gregory also showed the more general result
tan-1 x = xx3/3 + x5/5 – … (-1 ≤ x ≤ 1) . . . (3)
π/6 = (1/√3)(1 – 1/(3.3) + 1/(5.3.3) – 1/( + …
which converges much more quickly. The 10th term is 1/(19 cross 39√3), which is less than 0.00005, and so we have at least 4 places correct after just 9 terms.
An even better idea is to take the formula
π/4 = 4 tan-1(1/5) – tan-1(1/239) . . . (5)
Here is a summary of how the improvement went:
1699: Sharp used Gregory‘s result to get 71 correct digits
1719: de Lagny found 112 correct digits
1789: Vega got 126 places and in 1794 got 136
1841: Rutherford calculated 152 digits and in 1853 got 440
1873: Shanks calculated 707 places of which 527 were correct
A more detailed Chronology is available.
Shanks knew that π was irrational since this had been proved in 1761 by Lambert. Shortly after Shanks‘ calculation it was shown by Lindemann that π is transcendental, that is, π is not the solution of any polynomial equation with integer coefficients. In fact this result of Lindemann showed that ‘squaring the circle’ is impossible. The transcendentality of π implies that there is no ruler and compass construction to construct a square equal in area to a given circle.
Very soon after Shanks‘ calculation a curious statistical freak was noticed by De Morgan, who found that in the last of 707 digits there was a suspicious shortage of 7’s. He mentions this in his Budget of Paradoxes of 1872 and a curiosity it remained until 1945 when Ferguson discovered that Shanks had made an error in the 528th place, after which all his digits were wrong. In 1949 a computer was used to calculate π to 2000 places. In this and all subsequent computer expansions the number of 7’s does not differ significantly from its expectation, and indeed the sequence of digits has so far passed all statistical tests for randomness.
You can see 2000 places of π.
We should say a little of how the notation π arose. Oughtred in 1647 used the symbol d/π for the ratio of the diameter of a circle to its circumference. David Gregory (1697) used π/r for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius. The first to use π with its present meaning was an Welsh mathematician William Jones in 1706 when he states “3.14159 andc. = π”. Euler adopted the symbol in 1737 and it quickly became a standard notation.
π = 355/113 = 3.1415929
2 cross 0.7857 / π = 1/2
There are many of us, many Englishmen and many Germans, who said things during the War which we scarcely meant and are sorry to remember now. Anxiety for one’s own position, dread of falling behind the rising torrent of folly, determination at all cost not to be outdone, may be natural if not particularly heroic excuses. Professor Bieberbach‘s reputation excludes such explanations of his utterances, and I find myself driven to the more uncharitable conclusion that he really believes them true.
(Section I, House Bill No. 246, 1897)
Open questions about the number π
2. Brouwer‘s question: In the decimal expansion of π, is there a place where a thousand consecutive digits are all zero?
|
Colon Cancer
Retinoid Differentiation Therapy.
A leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, colon cancer is famously resistant to treatment. There are many reasons for this, but one has to do with a group of persisting cancer cells in the colon that cause relapses. Conventional therapies against them are mostly ineffective. EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) scientists have now identified a biological mechanism that can be exploited to counteract colon cancer relapses. The approach activates a protein that is lost in the persisting cancer cells. The researchers were able to reactivate it using vitamin A, thus eliminating the cancer cells and preventing metastasis. The study is published in Cancer Cell, and introduces a new way to treat colon cancer.
When a colon-cancer patient receives treatment, e.g. chemotherapy, most of the cancer cells die off. But the genetic mutations that caused the cancer in the first place can survive in a specific group of cells of the colon. These are actually stem cells, meaning that they are premature cells waiting to grow into full-blown, normal cells of the colon. After cancer treatment ends, the surviving stem cells, still containing the cancerous mutations, can reappear and cause a relapse.
The lab of Joerg Huelsken at EPFL studied how differentiated colon cells come from stem cells in the gut. Using an array of different techniques, the team looked at cells, mouse models and samples from human patients.
The study focused on a protein called HOXA5, which belongs to a family of proteins that regulate the development of the foetus. These proteins are made during early development and work together to make sure that every tissue is correctly identified and that the foetus’s body and limbs are patterned properly. In the adult body, proteins like HOXA5 regulate the body’s stem cells to maintain both the identity and function of different tissues. Huelsken’s team found that in the gut, HOXA5 plays a major role in restricting the number of stem cells, as well as the cells that make them.
Like all proteins, HOXA5 originates from a specific gene. The study showed that the cancerous stem cells of the colon use a biological mechanism that blocks it. This mechanism is called a “signalling pathway” because it involves a domino of molecules, each activating the next one down the line. The purpose of a signalling pathway is to transmit biological information from one part of the cell to another, e.g. from the outer membrane all the way to the nucleus. By blocking the HOXA5 gene, the cancerous stem cells of the colon can grow uncontrollably and spread, causing relapses and metastasis.
The researchers looked for ways to reverse the blocking of HOXA5. The answer came from vitamin A. This small chemical structure is called a retinoid, and it has been known to induce differentiation of stem cells in the skin. The EPFL scientists found that retinoids can re-activate HOXA5. In mice that had colon cancer, the treatment with retinoids blocked tumour progression and normalized the tissue. By turning the gene for HOXA5 back on, this treatment eliminated cancer stem cells and prevented metastasis in the live animals. The researchers got similar results with samples from actual patients.
The new study suggests that patients that may profit from this well-tolerated treatment can be identified based on their expression pattern for the HOXA5 gene. Retinoid differentiation therapy could be significantly effective against colon cancer, not only for treatment of existing disease but also as a preventive measure in high-risk patients.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
Understanding Mindsets for Smarter Marketing
By: Latika Karnani
Implicit theory of intelligence refers to the fundamental underlying beliefs regarding whether or not intelligence or abilities can change. According to this idea, there are two types of people: people who have fixed mindset or who have a growth mindset. People with fixed mindsets believe that intelligence and skills are inherent. People ‘are who they are’ and there is nothing one can do about it. Since these people are concerned about whether they have good traits or not, their main focus is to demonstrate their abilities. If they don’t possess it, they may go at lengths to hide it. On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe people can substantially change and that learning and experience can foster development. These people are willing to make mistakes or appear foolish in the short run in order to maximize their development over time. There are various ways to leverage the knowledge of implicit theory of intelligence. It influences product interest, brand preference, manager’s behavior and even company image.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets
Since skills are inherent, according to fixed mindset people, efforts is something they feel is not required. They enjoy effortless success. Whereas people with a growth mindset believe that efforts foster development. So products that display that they are effortless in use would interest fixed mindset people. Products that need effort would be attractive to people with a growth mindset. If a product can be fixed or the service improved, people with a growth mindset may be more likely than those with a fixed mindset to give the establishment an opportunity to do so. For example, growth mindset individuals may be relatively satisfied with information about how an organization plans to improve in the future. They may be more willing to try the service again, accepting relief in the form of a coupon or voucher for future service. In contrast, people with a fixed mindset, having had a bad experience, might be more skeptical of whether the company can improve its products or service in general. Because of this, people with a fixed mindset may insist on monetary compensation for their loss or dissatisfaction.
If this information is leveraged properly it could reap exponential benefits. If sales persons are trained to identify such people, they could sell their products differently. For example, if you are selling Hydroxycut- a weight reducing pill, to make the product more attractive to a fixed mindset person, you might show before and after pictures. But if the sales person figures out that the person has a growth mindset, he would talk about the active ingredients of the product and how ephedrine in it would boost their metabolism, so that they can run more and be more active; the product will be more appealing.
While people chronically adopt one mindset or the other, mindsets can also be situationally activated. Clear and salient information in the local environment can shift people’s mindsets at least temporarily. It is an interesting empirical question as to how ads may most effectively induce a mindset in consumers. Ads that begin by featuring the development or change of the actor (e.g., “I was once a 97 lb. weakling, but now…”) may put viewers in a growth mindset when considering the message that follows. Other ads that encourage consumers to imagine what traits the product will confer on them may induce a more fixed mindset in the moment.
Mary C Murphy (2015.06.05). Mindsets shape consumer behavior. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740815000650
One thought on “Understanding Mindsets for Smarter Marketing
1. Xinran Zuo May 13, 2016 / 3:36 pm
I do agree with the author that mindset is a big concern for marketers. I think mindset can reflect manay part of this person. It can be born, that the foundamental things were coming from the parents and family, so that the family background is a everylasting term for a person since thousand years ago. And it could get grown after education, experiences and so on, so that it can reflect the life-long for a people, it also could reflect the buying behaviour of a person.
Leave a Reply
WordPress.com Logo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
Wearable Device That Counts Your Bites Can Help Lose Weight: Study Reveals
Posted By: Staff
Wearable devices that allow users to keep a track of the number of bites during a meal can help them eat less and reduce their body weight, says a study.
People who received a bite count feedback ate less and reduced their overall intake during a meal, the findings showed.
"It was found that the presence of bite count feedback led to a reduction in overall consumption. This finding is consistent with current literature that shows feedback on consumption leads people to consume less," explained Phillip Jasper from the Clemson University in South Carolina, US.
Health Band
The results were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For the study, investigators recruited young adults to consume a meal in the laboratory.
The group that received bite count feedback significantly reduced their intake regardless of the plate size, although those given larger plates still consumed more than those given smaller plates.
"We want people to be mindful of what they're doing. That's what's really important. We want them to be mindful of their eating, and bite count feedback is a way to keep people mindful of their eating behaviours," Jasper said.
"Self-monitoring is one of the cornerstones of successful weight loss," Jasper said. "By giving people bite count feedback, which is a good indicator for energy intake, they know how much they've had to eat or drink, they know their intake, so they can better adjust their energy expenditure behaviours," he concluded.
Please Wait while comments are loading...
Subscribe Newsletter
|
Brown Fat Cooling Vest to Treat Childhood Obesity: Door Opens to Research
Research Opens Door to Study of Brown Fat Cooling Vest in Children
brown fat cooling vest
Childhood Obesity Crisis
As you can see in the above graph, Childhood obesity is perhaps the greatest health crisis facing the United States and the world. Recently published research which included the use of a brown fat cooling vest to activate brown adipose tissue, showed that less expensive, non-invasive readings of skin and core temperature may be used to study the effect mild cold exposure has on brown fat activity which could lead to the study of brown fat cooling for childhood obesity.1)1 To date measurement has involved radiation exposure using an MRI or PET scan, which would rule out studies involving children even though safe mild cold exposure using a cooling vest is a potentially safe, non-pharmaceutical treatment for childhood obesity and related metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Brown adipose tissue (brown fat or BAT) has always played an important role in maintaining a steady state body temperature in mammals and has been newly discovered to have a role in people. Because BAT studies have shown the potential path towards new treatments for obesity and related metabolic disease like diabetes, new ways to research human BAT activity that are less expensive and invasive can lead to breakthroughs for our health. The most exciting opportunity is to open the door to studying the impact of mild cold exposure using a brown fat cooling vest for children that is safe, effective, and simple to use at an affordable cost.
Study Method Included Brown Fat Cooling Vest for Mild Cold
A trial was conducted that included 18 men who were divided into two groups. Using known PET and MRI methods of measurement, but adding measurements of skin temperature and body core temperature, the groups were 10 who already had pronounced BAT activity and 8 who had little to no BAT activity. Exposing these volunteers to mild cold using a combination of room temperature controls, liquid cooling vests and blankets, allowed the scientist to determine if skin and core temperature measurements could be used instead of PET and MRI methods.
Results of the study provided further proof that mild cold exposure triggers a response in brown fat in humans to maintain core body temperature just like any mammal. There was a strong correlation between the volume of brown fat in person and response to cold. Most significant was the finding that “…the significant correlation between the cold induced change in core and supraclavicular [skin temperature at the collar bone] temperature suggest those two measures as a potential [measure] of BAT activity.”
These safer, non-invasive, non-radiation, easier to perform and less expensive measurements of brown fat can open the door to the study of the effectiveness of treatments for obesity include the safe use of mild cooling with a brown fat cooling vest for children. This would provide an option in the near term to help fight the childhood obesity epidemic.
2) Chondronikola M, Volpi E, Børsheim E, Chao T, Porter C, Annamalai P, Yfanti C, Labbe SM, Hurren NM, Malagaris I, Cesani F and Sidossis LS (2016) Brown Adipose Tissue Is Linked to a Distinct Thermoregulatory Response to Mild Cold in People. Front. Physiol. 7:129. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00129
References [ + ]
1. 1
Leave a Reply
|
All About 3D Printing
How far can technology go? As far as one’s imagination it seems. The advancement in technology today leads many people to enjoy the convenience and ease it brings. Every year, a new technological idea is presented to the public and one of them even makes one’s dream into a reality, thanks to a machine called 3D Printer.
What is 3D Printing?
3D Printing is a process of printing an object that one can actually use. The process starts simple. One would create whatever image they want in a computer software and after scanning the image, it will then be sent to the printer that would then print it out in 3D format. Although it looks quite easy, and rightly so, there are different printers out there and depending on the needs and requirements of the person using it, may also differ in prices.
There are different applications that people may find useful using the printer. In the medical world such as, printers are used to make low-cost prosthetics. Since prosthetics are expensive, the 3D printed prosthetics are not only effective and found useful, it also cuts the cost of the original prosthetics and can be used to help amputees at home or shipped to war-torn countries. 3D printed ears, limbs and other body parts and medical equipment such as wheelchairs are now made using 3D printing machine. In some countries, researches are also ongoing with the possibility of one day using the equipment to print skins and other tissue material which can make skin grafting or skin replacement for patients faster and easier.
Another area where 3D printers are quite popular are with the kids. As kids becomes more inquisitive and curious with their surrounding and the campaign for creative awareness, these equipment are useful in helping kids image and create their own toys.
Interested in 3D Printing?
For beginners out there who are interested in creating or starting out in the industry, choosing the right equipment and materials are important especially if one is interested in making money out of it. The most popular filament for beginners is the PLA or Polylactic acid filament which is made of biodegradable and sustainable materials. Examples of companies that sells such filaments includes Proto-pasta, 3Dom USA, MakerBot and ColorFabb PLA. There are other companies out there that also offer other filament types and printers however, the companies mentioned above have ideal filaments that are suitable for beginners.
|
Obesity is an epidemic, and lesbians are nearly twice as likely to be overweight than heterosexual women.
Sarah Fogel, PhD, RN, associate professor of Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, is using an extraordinarily successful, predominately lesbian weight-loss group in Atlanta, as a model system for discovering how to target obesity in a lesbian population. Fogel is studying the group, and her findings are giving her a different view on weight loss.
"All weight loss groups offer an environment of like-bodied people (overweight or obese), but this is the first group, to my knowledge, that has been developed around other personal and social issues," said Fogel.
Adherence to a new lifestyle is often the most difficult barrier to overcome in weight loss. The Atlanta group, however, has had remarkable success in developing long-term change in its member's lifestyles.
"Perhaps the best representation of the group is to say that there are still several women in the group who were 'founding members.' They have been attending since October 2006 and continue to come even though a couple of them have reached their weight loss goals. The other side of this is that even the women who have not been able to lose what they want to lose keep coming this is unheard of," said Fogel. "It says volumes about the group."
Fogel is trying to answer a difficult question: How do we understand obesity in different social contexts? Being overweight or obese can lead to a number of health problems, namely cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, so understanding how obesity develops in different populations is a pressing concern.
Fogel will study the group over a six-month period, both empirically and qualitatively. Using body mass index (BMI) and relative weight loss, she will put a number on the group's success. She has already held focus groups in order to lend a deeper, more personal aspect to the study, and therefore weight loss.
The study will be completed in December, and it will be verified and ready for publication in spring 2008.
Visit www.medicalnewstoday.com for more health information.
|
Babe Ruth: Baseball's Titanic Presence
More of this Feature
• Part 2: Building a Legend
• Part 3: Larger than Life
On This Site
The 'Curse of the Bambino'
Baseball History
Part 1: In the Beginning
Babe Ruth was one of American baseball's most famous, iconic, maddening, and talented players. He single-handedly played the way the game was played and the way fans regarded ballplayers. He powered the New York Yankees to dynasty status, setting 56 of the sport's records along the way. His fame and his various nicknames transcended his sport. Throughout his professional life, he was one of the most recognizable figures in America.
He was born George Herman Ruth, Jr., on Feb. 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Md. He was only two of eight children both to German-born Kate and George Ruth who survived into adulthood. (His sister Mamie became famous as well.) A rambunctious, largely unsupervised child (mainly because his mother suffered from many illnesses), George Jr. adopted twin habits of skipping school and causing trouble when he wasn't in school, prompting his parents to opt for the monks at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys to take charge of young George's further education. In the discipline of the school, he found something to like. The other thing he found to like was the sport of baseball, at which he particularly excelled from an early age.
One of the monks at St. Mary's, Brother Matthias, served as a father figure to George and spent many hours helping the boy improve his baseball skills. Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn was so taken with George's skills that he offered him a contract in 1914, when George was just 19. The salary was $250 a month. George accepted. (Dunn had to agree to become George's guardian as well because the minimum age for a pro player was 21.) When Dunn introduced George to his new name, the Orioles players termed him "Jack's newest babe," referring to his unadvanced age. The nickname stuck.
Babe Ruth impressed Dunn and the Orioles almost immediately. He was a good all-around player, but Babe was particularly effective as a pitcher at this time. Seeing an opportunity, Dunn sold Babe to the Boston Red Sox, who promptly optioned him to the minor league Providence Grays. When the Grays won the International League pennant, Babe was promoted to the Red Sox, where he turned in a series of successful seasons.
In 1915, his first full season in the major leagues, he recorded 18 wins and a respectable 2.44 earned run average (ERA). He was even better the following year, recording up a 23-12 record and leading the American League in ERA with a 1.75. The Red Sox won the World Series that year.
Babe was even better on the mound in 1917, racking up 24 wins and 2.01 ERA. He also followed through on the hitting promise that he had shown during his training with Brother Matthias. During the 1918 season, the Red Sox played Babe more and more in the outfield. His specialty was hitting the ball a long, long way. He tied for the league lead that year, with 11. He still had a stellar year on the mound, with a 13-7 record and a dominating performance in the World Series, which the Red Sox won.
The 1919 season was even more of a transition for Babe, as he started just 15 games and played more and more in the outfield. That year, he hit 29 home runs.
Babe was a good hitter, not just a good long-ball hitter. His batting average in 191 was .322, which was among the league's best. He also had a good eye at the plate and racked up a lot of walks. As a result, Red Sox Harry Frazee could get a lot of money for Babe if he wanted to.
Frazee did, it turned out, want a lot of money, so much so that he sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees at the end of the 1919 season for $125,000, more than twice what any team had paid for any player up to that time. It Ruth's subsequent performance for the Yankees and the Red Sox' subsequent performances without him led to a large number of individual and team records for the New Yorkers and an extraordinarily long string of disappointments for Red Sox fans. As such, the sale of Ruth came to be known as the "Curse of the Bambino."
Next page > Building a Legend > Page 1, 2, 3
Custom Search
copyright 2002–2013,
Dave White
|
NIST: The Metric Cheese Shop
By The Metric Maven
Extra Bulldog Edition
On Sunday, February 7, 1904, a fire began in Baltimore. It would take 1,231 firefighters to bring the fire under control and when it was over 1,500 buildings would be destroyed. One reason the fire burned unchecked for so long was the absence of national standards for fire-fighting equipment. Fire engines from Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlantic City, New York City and other metropolitan areas arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, many fire departments were unable to help as their hose couplings would not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants. Those fire-fighters could only watch as the fire engulfed more and more of the city. It has been claimed that over 600 different sizes and variations of fire hose couplings existed at the time. This was similar to what French Engineer Charles Renard encountered with balloon cables, which caused him to develop preferred numbers.
The National Bureau of Standards was founded in 1901. Two metrication advocates championed its creation, James H. Southard, and John Shafroth. The Great Baltimore Fire directly demonstrated the need for mandatory standardization of fire-fighting equipment. Furthermore, no standards for building construction (building codes) existed, which allowed the fire to rapidly spread.
One would think that with the lessons of the Baltimore fire, and the establishment of a government agency for standards, that soon fire departments across the country would be induced to adopt national standards for fire-fighting equipment. On March 22, 1975 a fire started at Unit one of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Reactor. Plant employees attempted to extinguish the fire despite the fact that professional firemen from Athens, Alabama were on the scene. They mistakenly believed there was a problem with a nozzle at the end of a fire hose. This in turn caused the employees at the plant to request a replacement nozzle from the Athens fire department. The threads on the the fire department’s nozzle were not compatible with those of the fire fighting equipment purchased by Browns Ferry. Because of this, the nozzle would not stay on the end of the hose.
Well, certainly by now, well over a century after the founding of NIST, we would have national standards for fire couplings and this would not be a problem right? According to Wikipedia:
A national standard for fire hydrant and hose connections was adopted by the National Fire Protection Association. However, inertia remained, and conversion was slow; it still remains incomplete. One hundred years after the Baltimore Fire, only 18 of the 48 most populous American cities were reported to have installed national standard fire hydrants.[18] Hose incompatibility contributed to the Oakland Firestorm of 1991: although the standard hose coupling has a diameter of 2.5 inches (64 mm), Oakland‘s hydrants had 3-inch (76 mm) couplings.[19]
The idea of standardization strangely seems to be at the bottom of the priority list of many engineers. Those who have seen the movie Apollo 13 were reminded that the the carbon dioxide scrubbers for the Command Module and the LEM were not compatible. Fortunately, they were able to engineer their way to compatibility with a duct-tape solution. One should not rely on good fortune instead of planning and standardization, but in the US hoping for good fortune appears to be the standard back-up plan.
The lack of standardization in the US can and has cost lives. The acronym NIST stands for The National Institute of Standards and Technology. A year ago on May 24th 2013 (2013-05-24), on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, a time when bureaucrats know that news media is generally not paying attention, the Director of NIST, Patrick D. Gallagher, penned a response to a citizens petition requesting that the metric system be adopted as the sole measurement system in the US. His response can be succinctly stated as he supports a “do your own thing” approach to standardization. Standardization is just too confining of a concept for a standards institute to embrace apparently. The title of his response, in case readers have forgotten, is Supporting American Choices on Measurement. It is well known to metric advocates that 95% of the world’s population uses the metric system. It would appear from just a cursory inspection of this fact, that one could, with reasonable certainty, state that the metric system is probably the most successful standard in the history of humanity. The director of the US government body which is tasked with standards, cannot even agree with a petition that the metric system should be the standard of the US?
When one is confronted with Dr. Gallagher’s assertion that the best standard is a lack of standards, and I remind you he is the director of the standards body of the US, one’s mind can only interpret the strange dark and contradictory humor of this apparently willful cognitive dissonance in but one way—–by resorting to a Monty Python Metaphor. One of the most famous of the Python’s sketches is The Cheese Shop. A patron walks into a cheese shop and requests some cheese. He requests all different manner of cheeses one by one, red Leicester? Tilsit? Caerphilly? Bel Paese? Red Windsor? Stilton? Ementhal? Gruyere? Norweigan Jarlsburg?….. These requests continue ad nausium until finally:
Mousebender Well let’s keep it simple, how about Cheddar?
Wensleydale Well, I’m afraid we don’t get much call for it around these parts.
Mousebender No call for it? It’s the single most popular cheese in the world!
Wensleydale Not round these parts, sir.
The exchange continues as the patron continues to request cheese after cheese until finally he states:
Mousebender It’s not much of a cheese shop really, is it?
Wensleydale Finest in the district, sir.
Mousebender And what leads you to that conclusion?
Wensleydale Well, it’s so clean.
Mousebender Well, it’s certainly uncontaminated by cheese.
I could see a similar exchange with the Director of NIST acting as a standards proprietor where one could request mandatory metric industry standards for fire hose couplers, foot measurement, wire sizes, drill bit sizes, sheet metal thicknesses, medical weights and heights of humans, over the counter medical dosages and on and on. Each time the Director would parrot back “no.” And when one states “it’s not much of a Standards Institute is it?” this phrase might be met with “finest in the US sir.” Indeed, NIST appears to be quite clean, and uncontaminated with metric standards for the US. As in the sketch, the most popular world measurement standard, which is metric (aka Cheddar) is to be found nowhere as a standard in the standards shop.
It is hard to take NIST’s assertion that it is a standards institute seriously when it promotes the notion that a lack of standards is of exceeding utility to the US, and serves as an illustration of what makes our nation great. NIST is a Metric Cheese Shop, with no Cheddar, and it is completely uncontaminated by cheese as far as I can tell. It is sad that a scientific standards organization has been turned into a worldwide metric joke. At least the Python players had much better writing, and were actually funny while making important points. Patrick D. Gallagher’s response last year was so feckless, it was almost a killer joke to metric advocates. Now stop me if you’ve heard the one about the 600 choices of hose couplings available to the Baltimore fire department.
In 2012, I wrote an essay entitled Feral Units Endanger Our Health. In it I detailed the well known problem of the confusion between teaspoons and tablespoons. I pointed out that confusion between the two units can lead to a 3:1 or 1:3 dosage mistake. I then cited a column from JAMA, The Journal of The American Medical Association, dated September 20, 1902 (page 712), which is reproduced here in the upper left. The 1902 JAMA column advocates for mandatory implementation of the metric system through the Shafroth Bill. It was brought to my attention (thanks Dr. Sunshine) that just two days ago (2014-05-21) JAMA published a column which yet again addresses the same issue over 111 years later. The new column is entitled Group Urges Going Metric to Head off Dosing Mistakes and is authored by Bridget M. Kuehn (pp. E1-E2). The article opens with modern day examples of the problem:
The article goes on to state that “about 3000 to 4000 children are treated in emergency departments each year as a result of medication errors by a caregiver. Poison control centers in the United States also field approximately 10 000 calls each year about dosing confusion,..”
It has been said that a working definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. This apocryphal quotation danced in my mind as I read “The CDC worked with the US Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association to develop voluntary guidelines that were published published in 2011.” Our current answer to all measurement problems in the US is to adopt voluntary guidelines.
The suggestions are all mostly reasonable, such as including a dosage device with medication which does not use “unusual units” (I guess they mean metric?), adding zeros before decimal points (they could also adopt the whole number rule), and “dosing devices that are not substantially larger than the largest recommended dose of the medication.” Further it is stated:
The CDC recommends using only milliliters as a measure for liquid medications to avoid confusion between teaspoons and milliliters and avoiding relatively unfamiliar measures such as drams (a holdover from apothecaries). The CDC wants the dosing device with the appropriate unit of measurement included with the medication to avoid caregivers using a kitchen spoon or other implement that uses a different unit of measurement. Further, the enclosed device should only have the recommended doses labeled on it to make it even easier and safer to use.
The ISMP (Institute for Save Medication Practices) goes further than the CDC recommendations and argues for expressing a patient’s weight only in kilograms. The “ISMP, explained that because there are 2.2 kg per pound [sic], switching back and forth can lead to 2-fold errors in dosing of medications by weight.” Once again, in an echo of the 1902 JAMA column they point out that over the counter medications need to conform to these voluntary recommendations. The article also argues against the use of dual-scale dosage devices.
The article goes on:
Stephen C. Mullenix, RPh, senior vice president of public policy and industry relations at NCPDP, said the white paper is “a call to action” for pharmacists to make sure dosing is correct. They can verify with the prescribing physician to ensure they understand the dosing for a particular drug.
I’m sure the authors of the 1902 JAMA column also saw their words as a “call to action.” The big difference between then and now is the Meyer Brothers backed John Shafroth’s bill for mandatory metrication.
The article ends with the problems encountered when using electronic prescriptions. The example cited is of a doctor prescribing in milliliters and when it arrives electronically, the pharmacies software has a default setting to teaspoons. The article ends with a familiar modern refrain:
Converting all dosing and patient weights to metric is going to take time, Cohen acknowledged. But already he noted that soda cans and many other types of packaging already use metric units and that people will learn the conversions over time. “This isn’t something that is going to happen overnight,” he said.
The lack of mandatory metrication in this country is making people sick, costing our economy financially, and showing us for what we are, a nation that is willing to sacrifice people on an altar of ideology rather than acknowledge and engage with reality. Given our history, I suspect that in another 100 years we may still be waiting patiently for these voluntary recommendations to adhere.
Meyer Druggist April 1922
15 thoughts on “NIST: The Metric Cheese Shop
1. > because there are 2.2 kg per pound
Those are some heavy pounds.
• I backtracked to make sure that error is in the original JAMA article. Not clear whether it is a JAMA mistake or an ISMP mistake, but they may not be completely ready for metric.
As a reminder, the legal definition of a pound is 0.453 592 37 kg, since 1959. JAMA and ISMP, please take note before you kill someone.
• Hmmm, no way to edit. The error is in the original 2011 ISMP position paper. Since ISMP hasn’t noticed in 3 years and JAMA hasn’t noticed in quoting, are they really ready for metrication? I sent them a note.
MM: “Unusual units” are things like drams, whatever they are. There are subdivisions of both the fluid and av. ounce, but I’d have to look up the subdivisions. They are basically obsolete.
• To RalphYou raise a number of ieusss but I will deal with just one of them as my response to it is a bit lengthy.If the UK goverment had handled the changeover to metric, announced in 1965, properly and completed the project within 10 years according to their stated intention, then the people now in your care, who would have been younger and more adaptable at the time, would have understood the advantages of us using the metric system and the reasons for the change. By now they would have been happy to be weighed in kilograms just as they count their money in (new) pence instead of shillings and old pence.Alas it didn’t happen that way. The government never bothered to promote the change or educate people accordingly. Worse still they betrayed the whole process and sent out the wrong message by not changing road signs, a major element directly under their control. They did instigate changes in health, education and other public service practices but only because there was no short term impact on the chancellor’s budget.However, it is not too late to put this right. It is not realistic to expect the people in your care to change belatedly true enough and we can sympathise with the situation you now face, but at the same time we shouldn’t condemn future generations to the same fate.As it is, being stuck half-way through the change, we all have to cope with both imperial and metric which, as you have experienced directly, is not easy or convenient and certainly not necessary.The only realistic way out of this enpasse is to complete the changeover and phase out imperial measures decisively.
• While I am satisfied that British hilpotass use metric units as a matter of routine, there is possibly a culture of We will use metric units to keep the auditors happy, but will otherwise use imperial units . Apart from making medically-oriented articles unintelligible for the man in the street (unless the units are dumbed down), there is also the risk that medical staff who think in terms of imperial units in respect of their personal lives will be slow to pick up errors (such as recording 572 kg instead of 57.2 kg) because these are just meaningless numbers . There is also the risk of a figure-conscious nurse switching scales to show imperial units so that she can check her own weight, and then forgetting to reset them, resulting in a person’s weight being recorded as 128 kg rather than 80 kg (12 st 8 lbs) Following recent government announcements, this might well become a thing of the past due to dual-unit scales being prohibited in hilpotass.
• I’m not completely prcoifient at the metric system but I love it and would love to see us move over to it.Plus, I could then say I’m swinging a big 12 down there and most Americans would not understand that I’m talking centimeters.Gary Z
• Aren’t over the counter medicines like cough syrup sold in rounded ounce sizes? Will these now be sold in millilitres too?
2. I am encountering some possibly confusing measures with my wife’s prescriptions now. As I mentioned in my post about the tires, she had sinus surgery this past Monday. The the papers the hospital sent home with us had her weight and height in metric units only. However, as Paul Trusten I know would be familiar with, the packets, directions and bottles for her nasal rinses have both units listed. I believe that SI units are listed first, with the outdated units in parenthesis. I am able to quickly decipher for her, but it irritates me to have to do so. It could easily be misinterpreted by someone not familiar with SI and/or medical procedures. As your blog states, there have been fatal consequences due to confusion when trying to switch between the units.
This morning I was repairing a piece of lawn equipment. A nut had fallen off and I was replacing the lost one. I had to loosen a larger nut also, and it was in the old units. The nut I used to replace the lost one is 11 mm. Fortunately, I still have a set of wrenches in the outdated sizes, otherwise I would have had to go around the neighborhood borrowing from my neighbors. It was still frustrating.
• Wasn’t it hard trying to ram a 7/16 inch nut onto an 11 mm screw thread? I hope you didn’t strip the thread.
(7/16 inch = 11.1125 mm)
• Oops, I meant the other way round: 11 mm nut on a 7/16 inch screw thread.
• An M10 nut goes on smoothly on a 3/8-ths bolt and an M5 bolt goes in smoothly on a #10 nut.
There are many people who falsely believe a particular fastener is not metric because either know non-metric tools work well on it or complimentary parts that shouldn’t fit, do fit even if not 100 % properly.
• In order for the NHS to go completely SI, it will rqeiure more then just assuring all the scales read in kilograms only. Hospital staff must be rqeiured to have a working knowledge of SI units and must speak only in SI while on the job, both amonst themselves and to patients.When hospital staff are weighing patients, it doesn’t help the situation if they have one eye on the scale and the other on a conversion chart. It defeats the purpose of the metric only scale if they convert measures either via charts or by other means and refer to the converted results rather then the measured from that point on. Experience, competence and a feeling for metric numbers can only come from daily use. If hospital staff convert then they will never obtain the needed familiarity with metric units and will be more prone to mistakes. Thus dosing errors will continue as will misplaced decimal points, as the errors will never be noticed due to lack of familiarity with the metric system.Recording data in records in both SI and non-SI units must also stop and only SI must be used. Reading the wrong numbers on the record can be just as dangerous as making a wrong calculation. Assuring that the language of the hospital is always SI is as important as making sure all the instruments are SI.
• BrownNo one ever answered your qtosuien about blood pressure. In the US, we also use mm Hg. However, Continental Europe mostly uses the kilopascal.Converting real columns of mercury to pascals involves latitude and height above sea level (for local gravity) and temperature for thermal expansion of both the mercury and the brass scale. However, conventional mercury is based on 760 mm Hg = 101.325 kPa, regardless of gravity and temperature; aneroid instruments are usually calibrated on this basis. A VERY close approximation, easier for mental conversion is 750 mm = 100 kPa.120/80 (mm Hg) becomes 16/10.7 (kPa). Hectopascals would provide better resolution (using integers) but the possibility of a units mistake if units are omitted as is the norm.@Ralph,If the nurses can’t work out metric dosing, grains or av. scruples per stone/pound must just be a delight. And after working that out, you still have to consider liquid medicine in grains/fluid drachm and find a suitable syringe. And, of course, you mustn’t confuse your apoth scruples and fluid scruples, drams, etc.
• Working on an elderly acute ward I am caiunntolly asked to work out stones and pounds, feet and inches for people who will never wish to go metric. What exactly needs to be worked out? Drug doses are worked out by the doctors and are based on metric amounts, including body mass in kilograms. The patients, no matter what their age, don’t need to know the details of how the dose is derived. Why should we be compelled to? My experience of drug errors is of mathematically incompetent nurses using metric measures. You should be compelled to because that is the agreed standard for the industry. If you don’t like it then resign from the medical industry. If the nurses are incompetent using metric measures, why are they still employed? Aren’t they reviewed? Doesn’t someone check to make sure medical professional are fully capable of doing their job? If they can’t do the math in metric, there is no way they would be able to do the more complex math using imperial. On the flip side of the coin, are they really incompetent in using metric or are they just unable or don’t wish to bother with metric to imperial conversions, pushing the burden on you? Which is it?
Comments are closed.
|
Cushing's Disease
You are here
Diagnosing and Treating Cushing's Disease
Cushing’s syndrome is straightforward to diagnose with a simple blood test — a continued high level of cortisol in the blood is the definition of the syndrome. Cushing’s disease, on the other hand, takes more steps to diagnose. When the syndrome is suspected or diagnosed, a patient will need a workup to determine what’s causing the hormonal excess.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans produce detailed images of the brain and allow doctors to detect the presence of a tumor. Both of these tests are noninvasive, but they do require time in a scanner to produce tiny slices of images that are then combined into three-dimensional pictures. Sometimes the patient will need a special contrast agent in advance to increase the visibility of any abnormality found.
Treatment Options
Cushing’s disease may be able to be treated surgically, by removing the pituitary tumor causing the overproduction of cortisol. (See Surgery for a Pituitary Tumor.) In cases where surgery is not recommended, pituitary tumors may be treated with medication to suppress cortisol production, or with radiation.
Pituitary tumors are complex lesions that should be treated at major medical centers, by a team experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors affecting the hormones. Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center is fortunate to be home to an internationally recognized surgical team with advanced skills in minimally invasive procedures to remove pituitary tumors. Neurosurgeon Theodore Schwartz, MD, and otolaryngological (ENT) surgeon Vijay Anand, MD, routinely use endonasal (through the nose) approaches to removing pituitary tumors, with no head or facial scarring. (See video of endonasal surgery technique.) The team has operated successfully on tumors that other surgeons have deemed impossible to remove. (See video of patient who had a giant tumor removed endonasally.)
Request an Appointment | Refer a Patient
Reviewed by: Theodore Schwartz, M.D.
Last reviewed/last updated: January 2015
|
What Rap Music Can Teach You about Poetry
By on Jul 25, 2014 in Special Features
snoop dogg
When you listen to a rap song, have you ever wondered the amount of thought and effort that goes into the writing of the lyrics? Sure, there are some very average rap songs being dished out in the music industry today, but that does not mean all rap songs are mediocre. There exist rap songs today, that have a very deep message and well written lyrics, which when analysed, can teach you a thing or two about poetry. Here are a few things rap music can teach you about poetry.
Thought Behind The Words
One of the major things that makes rap a lot like poetry, and in fact, teaches you about poetry, is the thought behind the words. There’s great writing in rap as well, contrary to popular belief. If you pick up a quality rap song, you are bound to come across heartfelt lyrics and a great deal of thought behind those lyrics. Listen to the song, listen to its intent and understand the way the message is being delivered. The thinking and the desire to convey a message through a song is one of the biggest learnings that rap can give you about poetry. In a poem, the main motive is the same, to convey a heartfelt message through rhyming words. There is thought, intelligence, reason and logic behind both, rap and poetry. This shared desire to convey a message is what makes rap and poetry similar, and once you listen to rap music and identify the message behind the words, you understand the ability of writing good poetry with a deep meaning.
Rhyme Scheme
Another thing which a budding poet can learn from rap is the rhyming of the words. Rap is supposed to rhyme and a lot of poetry rhymes. Before a rapper writes down a rap song, he or she thinks through what verse fits which paragraph the best, which rhymed sentence fit at the right spot. It is the same thing you look for, while writing a poem. You would start to look for a rhyme scheme which best fits the poem. Listening to rap, and observing the rhyme schemes and words used to achieve the rhyme, gives you an idea of how to rhyme your poem. The art of manipulating the lyrics to fit a metrical pattern, which is present in rap, is a thing to observe and learn while writing poetry.
Verses & Stanzas
Another similarity between rap and poetry is the way they are set. Rap has verses and poetry has stanzas. Both, stanzas and verses are very similar in the way they are handled. In a rap song, the verses that exist are built in such a way that the story or the message behind the song moves forward in a progressive manner. Note the difference (or similarities) in various verses of a rap song, as that will help you to plan and write stanzas of your poem. A poem, like a rap song, requires various verses, which tell the story in a progressive manner, much like a rap song. Listening to a rap song and paying close attention to the way the verses are planned out is of great help in writing poetry.
Image credit: Lindsey Turner on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Pranay Kanagat is a freelance writer who has a love for writing on various subjects. In particular, he enjoys creative writing. He is also studying for an Engineering degree.
1. How to Become a Prolific Book Writer - eBooks India | eBooks India - […] wallowing in these distracters, try concentrating on your work at hand. Do you have an incomplete poem or story…
Post a Reply
|
What does quechua mean?
Definitions for quechuaˈkɛtʃ wɑ, -wə
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word quechua.
Princeton's WordNet
1. Quechua, Kechua(noun)
2. Quechua, Kechua(noun)
3. Quechua, Quechuan, Quechuan language, Kechua, Kechuan(noun)
the language of the Quechua which was spoken by the Incas
1. Quechua(ProperNoun)
A member of one of several South American ethnic groups that spans Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, northern Chile, and in Ecuador and southern Colombia.
2. Quechua(ProperNoun)
The language spoken by these people.
3. Origin: from qichwa
1. Quechua
Quechua is a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from a common ancestral language. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably some 8 million to 10 million speakers.
1. Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of quechua in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
2. Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of quechua in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4
Images & Illustrations of quechua
Translations for quechua
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
Get even more translations for quechua »
Find a translation for the quechua definition in other languages:
Select another language:
Discuss these quechua definitions with the community:
Word of the Day
Please enter your email address:
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"quechua." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2017. Web. 23 Sep. 2017. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/quechua>.
Are we missing a good definition for quechua? Don't keep it to yourself...
Nearby & related entries:
Alternative searches for quechua:
Thanks for your vote! We truly appreciate your support.
|
history.., Other Subject
Posted Date: 5/1/2012 5:36:44 PM | Location : United States
Related Discussions:- history.., Assignment Help, Ask Question on history.., Get Answer, Expert's Help, history.. Discussions
Write discussion on history..
Your posts are moderated
Related Questions
Question: (a) Waste management usually follow a planned approach, often based around the idea of a waste hierarchy. Provide an example a waste hierarchy in which there has b
what is nuclear fission?
Identify three human resource practices that can impede customer service employees from delivering high quality service. Describe how you would modify each practice to promote high
mention the characteristics of statistics. explain two application of statistics?
Is sriram law academy for B.A. B.L. and sriram law academy training institute different in Chennai?
Risk Behaviors: One such pathway that gender operates through includes the behaviors that men and women choose to engage in. The frequency in which more males participate in reckl
Question 1: (a) Under section 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005, employers have a statutory duty to prepare and keep revised a written statement of their health
|
Eight Billion Asteroids in the Oort Cloud?
A fresh look at a nagging problem — asteroids moving in comet-like orbits — concludes that asteroids must make up about 4% of the vast, distant Oort Cloud of comets.
1996 PW's comet-like orbit
When discovered, the object 1996 PW looked like an asteroid but had the elongated, 5,900-year-long orbit of an Oort Cloud comet.
JPL / Horizons
When a telescope atop Hawaii's Haleakala swept up a fast-moving object in August 1996, astronomers didn't know what to make of it. Designated 1996 PW, the little interloper had the highly elongated orbit of a comet that had ventured inward from the Oort Cloud, at the solar system's outermost fringe.
But it had no tail or coma — visually and spectroscopically, it looked like an asteroid.
At the time, dynamicists Paul Weissman (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and Hal Levison (Southwest Research Institute) proposed that 1996 PW might actually be a rare hybrid: an asteroid from the Oort Cloud. Their suggestion ran completely counter to the consensus notion that only comets existed in that vast, distant reservoir. But Weissman and Levison had run the numbers: they calculated that, along with a trillion or so comets, roughly 8 billion asteroids could have been flung out into the Oort Cloud by close planetary encounters early in solar-system history.
When other researchers suggested that 1996 PW was probably just an "extinct" comet, having depleted the volatile ices that create a coma or tail, the notion of asteroids in the Oort Cloud got shelved — but not completely forgotten.
In the decades since, dynamicists have radically altered their views of the early system. Now it's widely believed that the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune must have moved around — and maybe a lot. In one scenario, dubbed the "Grand Tack," Jupiter dove inward to about where Mars orbits today before retreating (thanks to a resonance with Saturn) to its current location.
In any case, this gravitational chaos must have flung small bodies everywhere — into each other, into planets or the Sun, and out of the solar system entirely. The ones that just fell short of escaping into interstellar space ended up in the Oort Cloud.
Now dynamcists led by Andrew Shannon (University of Cambridge) have taken a fresh look at what-went-where in the early solar system. Their computer simulations, published October 29th in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, confirm that lots of rocky bodies originally within 2½ astronomical units of the Sun should be lurking among the Oort Cloud's half trillion comets. It's a tricky calculation, because astronomers can only guess the assorted sizes of those distant bodies. (Observers now have data on three of them: C/2013 A1, which skirted by Mars last month; C/2013 P2; and C/2014 S3.)
Shannon and his colleagues find that Oort Cloud asteroids are a minority, perhaps 4% of all the bodies out there. But that's still 8 billion objects (eerily matching the Weissman-Levison estimate), totaling perhaps a third of Earth's mass. "The Oort Cloud has more asteroids than the asteroid belt does!" they point out. In fact, it's even possible that chunks of debris from the postulated Moon-forming impact might have been hurled out there.
LSST Concept
An artist's concept of the 8.4-meter Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), which should being scanning the sky from the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile in 2019.
LSST Corp.
So how come interlopers like 1996 PW aren't more common? They're small, likely dark, and lack a typical comet's large, bright coma, so they're too faint to see. Even the powerful Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which might be ready by 2019, will be challenged to spot them. Shannon's team estimates that the LSST might sweep up a dozen Oort Cloud asteroids over a decade.
Keep tabs on observable asteroids and comets with the 2015 edition of the RASC's Observer's Handbook.
3 thoughts on “Eight Billion Asteroids in the Oort Cloud?
1. ctj
if its orbit is only 5900 years, then it’s come through the inner solar system at least 800,000 times. any “comet” on that orbit should have burned out long, long, long ago.
2. Modifish
It’s a little startling how the Electric Universe people are starting to appear like they are on to something…Planets moving, asteroids / comets inhabiting the ort cloud together or possibly not separate objects at all…interesting.
|
88. Congenital Malformations of The Digestive System: Midgut Malformations
1. Midgut malformations are common and may result from abnormal development of the digestive tube, incomplete rotation, and/or failure of fixation, from abnormalities in its location and arrangement, or from defective development of neighboring organs. More than one cause may be interconnected. The major clinical manifestation of malformation is a syndrome of neonatal intestinal obstruction
1. Agenesis: complete absence of an intestinal segment (incompatible with survival if it is very extensive)
2. Atresia and stenosis: an intestinal segment is, and remains, narrow and constricted (obstructs the passage of food)
1. Seen most often in the ileum
2. Duodenal atresia: distal to the duodenal papilla; vomitus always has bile
3. Polyhydramnios may occur with duodenal atresia
4. Cause often failure of recanalization or interruption of the blood supply
3. Aplasia: where the contracted segment does have a mucosa and lumen
4. Mucosal narrowing: often associated with other anomalies
1. Duplications: range from simple diverticulae to almost complete doubling of the digestive tub Also may include many varieties of cystic malformations
1. Commonly found on the dorsal (mesenteric) border of the intestine
2. All duplications are caused by failure of normal recanalization and formation of two lumina
3. OMPHALOCELE OR EXOMPHALOS: seen in 1/6500 births and results from failure of the intestines to return to the abdomen during stage 2 of midgut loop rotation. The loop remains in the extraembryonic coelom of the umbilical cord
1. Hernia can be a single loop of bowel or may contain most of the intestine as well as the spleen, liver, and pancreas
1. The hernial sac is covered by the amnion of the umbilical cord
2. Eventration of the abdominal viscera or congenital umbilical hernia (type of omphalocele) is due to faulty closure of the lateral body folds during week 4 of embryonic lif The abdominal viscera develop outside the embryo in a sac of amnion.
1. Is often associated with exstrophy of the urinary bladder
3. Gastroschisis is uncommon; due to a defect of the anterior abdominal wall (not stomach) with extrusion of abdominal contents without involving umbilical cord
1. The viscera protrude into the amniotic sac and float in fluid
2. Usually seen on the right side and is more common in males
1. Nonrotation: quite common; called "left-sided colon" and generally is asymptomatic, but twisting or volvulus can occur
1. Midgut does not rotate after it enters the abdomen. Thus, the caudal limb enters before the cranial limb
2. Small intestines lie on the right side and the entire large intestines on left. May cause obstruction of vessels and gut if kinking or twisting occurs
2. Volvulus and mixed rotation: cecum lies below the pyloris and is fixed to the posterior abdominal wall by peritoneal bands that cross over the duodenum
1. Usually causes duodenal obstruction
2. Due to a failure of the midgut loop to complete final 90 degrees of rotation, thus, terminal ileum enters the abdominal cavity first
3. Reversed rotation: rare, clockwise rotation (not counterclockwise)
1. Duodenum lies in front of the superior mesenteric artery and transverse colon behind it, which may obstruct the latter due to pressure from the artery
2. Small intestines lie on the left; large intestines lie on the right, and cecum is found in the center
congenital malformations of the digestive system: midgut malformations: image #1
|
This week the emphasis of the lectures looked away from the environment and its resources but focused more on the global economies and the Irish economy. We were asked collectively as a class what was our views and opinions on taxes. The main suggestions were that most were happy to pay them but there was an under-lying feeling that no-one knew exactly where their hard earned money actually ends up. Everyone knows that taxes are a way of life , taxes are the main source of incomes for our goverments and without them the countries infrastructure , public and private sectors would be derelect. Many queations were put towards us
• is the taxation system fair
• are we taxed too much or too little
• is there any alternatives
• are we happy to pay taxes
• could the money be put to better use
These are tough questions that can give alot of different opinions and views. As one of the younger students of the class my experience and opinions may be very different to those who have been paying large sums of their annual incomes for years towards tax. Personally I think taxes are very important and must be payed for the country to run. It is a very touchy subject for goverments as it is always dangerous to raise taxes as no-one wants to pay more. On the contrary to what sum may believe I think different rates of tax is the fairest , altough they should be calculated in the most fair way possible. I believe a new higher rate of tax should be introduced to the countries richest in the region of 47%-50% and the cap at approx. the 300,000 annual income mark. This is my view altough i do respect the fact that some in the class believe a higher rate would be unfair.
Altough it seems no-one will ever agree entirely on the tax system it does seem clear that in geneal most people are happy to pay it as they realise it’s importance. One theory put forward which I found interesting was that it seemed in Ireland people of possibly older generations never liked the idea of taxes as in Ireland for generations taxes were always payed to the “Crown” as we were ruled by the british and that it was installed in peoples mines for hundreds of years that tax was a bad thing to be avoided. Altough this obviously isn’t a topic to concern us knowadays , the idea of tax dodging and people avoiding taxes is a global problem as well as here in Ireland.
One well documented example of this is that U2 frontman “Bono” of coarse pays little if no tax to the Irish goverment as his profession is that of an artist, which have no guarenteed income so can apply to have tax cuts. This seems ludicrious but is entierly legal , this is just one of the many loop hole that the worlds richest seem to find everyday. For many people especially with substaintial incomes try to find ways of avoiding taxes as they try to “hide their money”. This can be done in many ways but the most known is to put money in off-shore accounts in countries which are regarded as “Tax Havens”. According to a tax haven is defined as
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, Good Governance and a low corruption rate.[1]
Individuals and/or corporate entities can find it attractive to move themselves to areas with reduced or nil taxation levels. This creates a situation of tax competition among governments. Different jurisdictions tend to be havens for different types of taxes, and for different categories of people and/or companies.” Such examples of tax havens are Switzerland , The Caman Islands etc… Countries known as tax havens can have a negative impact on their international relations.
There is one figure that almost all Irish people know , and that is the rate of corporation tax of 12.5%. For many years this low coporation tax has lured foreign investment into the Irish economy along with many MNC’s such as DELL , Intel , Pfizer etc.. setting up their european headquaters. Unfortunately due to this low rate of tax some beleive that Ireland may infact become seen as a tax haven which may have adverse impacts to the economy.
Possibly one of the main issues of tax is that no-one really knows precisely where or how there money is spent by the goverment. It regulary angers people when they hear of politions freely spending thier money on lavish things such as cars houses etc.. when the bill is payed for by everyone else. Altough I imagine it must be very hard for even the tax consultants to track down whos money is who , people seem to want to know if it is spelt on healthcare , infrastructure or something they may not support such as war or back to the example of beeing squandered by politions.
Do you have a negative view
of TAXES???
This is raises the questions is their alternatives to taxes. Some people seem to forget that everyone pays taxes all the time , whenever they make a purchase , or buy products from abroad due to excise duties , VAT etc… On the topic of VAT I find it quite confusing to see what determines a luxury good and a necessity item . Shelia Killian informed us products such as caviar are classified as essential while all types of everyday goods such as ketchup is a luxury. It is always hard to find alternatives altough one succesful scheme by the goverment was to introduce a tax on plastic bags. This was introduced to help with the rubbish problem as these bags are non-biodegradable. The solution provided was that all major shopping outlets must provide an alternative such as “the bag for life”. This was succesful as the alternative was there for replacement. Other issues such as rising petrol costs so as to raise numbers useing public transport are harder to see if can be succesful.
|
Research Blog 2
Hyperlink the title of the source
“A Busy Doctor’s Right Hand, Ever Ready to Type”
Under the hyperlink, take notes on anything of interest from the source (quotes, new ideas you have, new questions). Also, include a list of important key words or phrases.
This article is describing the new concept of “scribes” in the medical field. Scribes are people who follow doctors, surgeons, or general practitioners around with tablets and keep a digital tab of what the patient is describing to the doctor or vice versa. This is more convenient for doctors since they do not have to spend so much time looking at their notepad and paper instead of looking at the patient. One thing I found from this article that was interesting to me was the fact that scribes only need 15-21 days of training. Although it is just simply writing things down, I would think it should be necessary to have some kind of training in at least medical terminology.
Five years ago, only 10% of hospitals in the United States had scribes, and now over 70% of hospitals have adopted this technique.
However, there were also patients that were uncomfortable with having scribes following the doctor around and listening to and recording their personal medical information. This is understandable because an individual may feel pressure with more people than just the doctor in the room, especially because medical conditions can be very personal.
Key words and phrases:
• Scribe: someone who follows a physician around with a digital keeping record.
• “Having the scribe has been life changing.” – Dr. Jennifer Sewing
• “With a scribe, I can think medically instead of clerically.”
• “The patients get undivided attention from the physicians.”
• Electronic patient charts
• Medical transcriptionists: a profession that deals with converting voice-reported reports into text format.
At the end of your notes for the source, include a summary of exactly 25 words.
Scribes are beneficial to doctors because they can pay more attention to the patient rather than looking at notepads and taking notes the entire time.
Leave a Reply
You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
|
In the 1960s politics and the economy of Indonesia were in disarray. After Sukarno had introduced his “Guided Democracy” in 1959, thereby replacing liberal democracy (1950-1959), matters quickly deteriorated. Guided Democracy implied that the president had a powerful role with authoritarian tendencies as similar to the content of the 1945 Constitution (which had been in force before the country’s experiment with liberal democracy). Due to various opposing forces in Indonesian politics - nationalists, Islamic parties, communists and the army - politics and the economy failed to bring fortune to the young nation.
Through Guided Democracy Sukarno thought that the political standstill could be overcome. He created “Nasakom”, a concept that refers to the union between the three most important ideological streams in Indonesian society in the 1950s and early 1960s: nationalism (nasionalisme), religion (agama), and communism (komunisme). However, these streams had little in common, and in fact harbored deep resentment towards each other. It was up to Sukarno's political skills, charisma and his status as a national hero to try and keep these streams together, while at the same time trying to keep the army (which viewed itself as the saviors of the nation) from becoming too strong.
Political Background of Supersemar
This political cocktail of Sukarno was a ticking time bomb. Tensions between the army, communists, nationalists and Muslim groups heightened and would result in a coup which largely remains a mystery today. On the evening of 30 September 1965 six army generals and one lieutenant were kidnapped and killed by a group of leftist officers who called themselves the 30 September Movement (Gerakan 30 September). Allegedly, these seven murdered army officers were planning a coup to topple Sukarno.
However, there has never been any clear evidence that these seven officers were planning a military coup against Sukarno. Moreover, there is also no clear evidence that the communist party (PKI) was behind the pre-emptive strike to prevent the military coup. And yet, Suharto, then head of the Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), immediately put the blame on the PKI. Soon (suspected) communists were slaughtered across Central Java, East Java, Bali and North Sumatra (estimates of the number of victims vary between 400,000 and one million people). It is suspected that the killers of these communists were army units, civilian gangs (who received weaponry from army units) and the militant Ansor youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama (a political party). These killings continued through 1965 and 1966.
Meanwhile, starting in early 1966, the army organized anti-Sukarno student demonstrations in a move to increase chaos in the capital city of Jakarta and thus increase pressures on Sukarno. In these hostile circumstances Sukarno reluctantly signed the Supersemar decree at the insistence of the army. The signing took place at the presidential palace in Bogor, 60 kilometers south of Jakarta.
Shift of Power: Consequences of the Supersemar
Now having far-reaching powers, Suharto quickly banned the communist PKI party the following day, and about one week later fifteen Sukarno loyalist ministers were arrested by the army. Suharto then changed the composition of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) and barely one year later this MPRS voted to remove all of Sukarno’s political powers and appointed Suharto as the country’s new acting president. Within two years after the signing of Supersemar, Suharto had gained all power and had become Indonesia’s second president (a position he would hold until May 1998).
Further Reading:
An Overview of Soekarno’s Old Order
An Overview of Suharto’s New Order
History of Indonesia: Politics and the Economy under Sukarno
|
Make X the subject of the equation (9x-7)/3 = 8y
To start solving a question like this you want to do it in a set of steps:
Step 1: Get rid of the division. To do thsi you need to do the opposite function. The opposite of division is multiplication so you multiply both sides by what you've divided by (in this case 3). So the equation would now read: 9x-7 = 24y
Step 2: Get 9X on it's own on To do this you need to get rid of the -7. The opposite function of subtraction is addition so you +7 to both sides. So the equation would now read: 9x = 24y+7
Step 3: Get X on it's own. 9x means 9 multiplied by X so you use the opposite function again, In this case you would divde both sides by 9 to get x on it's own. The equation would now read x = (24y+7)/9
Ruth W. GCSE Chemistry tutor, A Level Chemistry tutor, GCSE Biology t...
11 months ago
Answered by Ruth, a GCSE Maths tutor with MyTutor
£22 /hr
Eleanor H.
Degree: Biochemistry (Bachelors) - Bristol University
Subjects offered:Maths, Chemistry+ 1 more
“ABOUT ME: I am a biochemistry student, currently studying at the University of Bristol, and have had a passion for the natural sciences from a very young age. I am patient, hardworking and experienced, having tutored students in Maths...”
£18 /hr
Tinashe M.
Degree: Chemical Engineering MEng (Integrated Masters) - Newcastle University
Subjects offered:Maths, Chemistry
“I love maths, chemistry and biology and my passion for these subjects is something that will help teach students.”
MyTutor guarantee
£24 /hr
Steven A.
Degree: Bioscience (Masters) - Durham University
Subjects offered:Maths, Science+ 5 more
Human Biology
-Personal Statements-
“Hi! I'm Steven and studying Biomedical Science at Durham. I'm friendly, approachable, and passionate for my subjects.”
About the author
Ruth W.
Currently unavailable: for new students
Degree: Biochemistry (Masters) - Birmingham University
Subjects offered:Maths, Science+ 3 more
“About Me: I am a biochemistry student at the University of Birmingham. I have always had a real passion and love for all things science and maths and I hope that my tutorials will instil this love in you too. I’m very patient and fr...”
You may also like...
Posts by Ruth
What are atoms?
What is genetic dominance?
What's the difference between Aliphatic and Aromatic Molecules?
Other GCSE Maths questions
How to factorise
expand the brackets (x+5)(x+3) furthermore what are the two values of x
The circle c has equation x^2 + y^2 = 1. The line l has gradient 3 and intercepts the y axis at the point (0, 1). c and l intersect at two points. Find the co-ordinates of these points.
Expand and simplify (x + 5)(x – 1)
View GCSE Maths tutors
|
Second World War Drawings by Architect-veterans from Russia and Britain
Works of Pavel Afonin.
Works of Pavel Afonin.
Press photo
They were not personally acquainted, but there are fascinating parallels in the stories of their lives. They both shared the trauma of war and a passion for art.
In 2017 the Honored Architect of the Russian Federation, Pavel Afonin, would have turned 97, and the accomplished architectural illustrator from the United Kingdom, Edward (Ted) Arthur Milligan, 96.
Each took up arms in their early twenties in the global struggle against the Nazis, but both also carried a notebook and pencil. Pavel Afonin had just finished his third year of studies at the Moscow Architectural Institute when he was sent to join the sapper troops of the Red Army on the Eastern Front, and Edward Milligan trained as a navigator and bomb aimer with the Royal Air Force.
Afonin marched all the way from Moscow to Berlin and was severely wounded during the Leningrad offensive in 1944. Edward’s aircraft was shot down by the Germans; he was captured and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp at Bankau (modern-day Bąków, Poland). The Germans marched their captives westwards to Luckenwalde, south of Berlin, ahead of the advancing Soviet troops. Here their paths touched: Pavel was building crossings where the retreating German army was destroying bridges. Edward was liberated from the camp by the Red Army in April 1945.
Works of Edward Arthur Milligan. Source: Press photoWorks of Edward Arthur Milligan. Source: Press photo
Before the war, each shared a passion for drawing and dreamed of becoming an architect. Both remained faithful to their artistic calling and credited art as their salvation as they steadfastly endured all the hardships of the war. Pavel drew during the rare lulls between battles: in a dugout, in a hospital. Edward took lessons in drawing from Adrian Heath, his fellow inmate and prominent post-war abstract artist as well as the history of architecture. He sketched portraits of fellow inmates, recorded the grueling march and designed buildings he dreamed of constructing in the future.
Through their art, they captured the daily battle for sustenance and survival, recording for posterity unimaginable experiences and creating bodies of work that radiate the common humanity and emotional intensity of the moment.
This exhibition displays just a small part of the personal artistic legacy created by Pavel Afonin and Ted Milligan during the war years. It also features works from their successful post-war careers, when the veterans had fulfilled their shared dream of becoming architects.
The exhibition is organized in support of the UK-Russia Year of Science and Education. It marks the end of the Second World War in Europe and the anniversary of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.
For more information and to register your visit, click here -
|
Corn and Rapeseed Biofuels Release More Greenhouse Gases Than Petroleum
Corn biofuels release more GHGs than oilShockingly, a new scientific study finds that two prominent biofuels release more total greenhouse gases (GHG) [more] than burning comparable amounts of oil and petroleum. This is because their release of nitrous oxide — a particularly potent GHG — has been vastly underestimated. Corn based biofuel [search], prevelant in the United States, was found to release up to 50% more GHGs than oil; and rapeseed based biofuel [search] which is the norm in Europe was found to release as much as 70% more GHGs. This finding highlights the fact that carbon is not the only GHG to be considered in fuel emissions.
Agrofuels produced by burning food crops have been tauted as a climate change solution with great economic benefits. In fact they have intensified deadly climate change and terrestrial ecosystem decline. Major concerns have emerged regarding food based biofuels and resultant increases in food prices [search], human rights issues [search], and loss of rainforests [search] and other natural habitats. And now we find it was all a lie that these biofuels protect the climate.
This current finding further illustrates the extent to which failure to reduce energy consumption through conservation and efficiency has lead to half-assed measures to try to maintain our wasteful levels of energy consumption that are doing more damage than good. We need real efforts to dramatically reduce the use of energy and resultant GHG emissions now if advanced human and natural systems are to survive.
You may also like...
8 Responses
1. Jonas says:
The good thing is: most other biofuels are very good for the environment. These include (synthetic) biofuels made from crops like sugarcane, sorghum, tropical grasses, trees like eucalyptus, etc…
Let's also not forget that soon carbon-negative biofuels will be produced (coupling biofuel production to carbon capture and storage); this doesn't only prevent emissions from occuring in the future (as do wind or solar energy), carbon-negative biofuels take historic emissions, from the past, out of the atmosphere.
Finally, peak oil and energy insecurity are a far bigger threat to the environment and to societies than agriculture. We will see this when oil starts hitting $100 per barrel.
In such a scenario, only biofuels can prevent catastrophic societal and environmental collapse in poor countries (and even in transition countries).
High energy prices force people in the developing world to deforest and destroy the environment far quicker than either climate change or biofuels ever will.
2. Samuel says:
The argument that biofuels can at all act as a saviour to the environment is clearly not very well thought out. Even using the most efficient biofuels would require stripping away all of the remaining forest and wilderness we have left before we even have enough fuel for half of our transport needs. Even then we would all have to go hungry because there wouldn't be enough land to cultivate our basic foodstuffs.
And yes, peak oil is a threat to the environment because it encourages countries to take up biofuels. They are inextricably interconnected and there is no point in asserting that it is all down to oil. If we were serious about using plants to lock up carbon we would be rapidly reforesting the planet, but the principal concern of most developed countries is the looming fuel crisis and not greenhouse emissions.
How then could biofuels prevent "catastrophic and environmental collapse"? Worst of all, all of the biofuels that you recommend, Jonas, are tropical ones that yes, grow all year round and so are very productive compared to most other biofuels grown in temperate regions. But tropical rainforest soaks up vast amounts of carbon er square mile compared to the boreal and deciduous forests at higher latitudes. Not only that but they play a crucial part in keeping the tropics hydrated and not too hot by the massive amounts of water they transpire into the atmosphere to create very large clouds that reflect heat back into space. They are simply crucial to keeping this planet cool and stable and keeping carbon where it belongs. Per acre they lock up vastly more carbon then any biofuel substitute ever could.
So we need to forget these tropical biofuels and start regrowing tropical forest wherever we can. Any remaining land should be used to grow food for the local inhabitants and those of us at the higher latitudes need to start being completely self sufficient and relying on very little or no food that is imported from tropical regions.
Although I am not suggesting that we should, we would be much better off burning what remaining coal we have in the ground (several hundred years worth) than taking to biofuels. I think it would be much better to get a methanol or hydrogen economy up and running that is fuelled with a combination of nuclear and renewable energy. But at no point should we be considering biofuels.
3. Jean Erasmus says:
In my profession, it is known to NOT treat the symptom, but to find the CAUSE and cure it; then the symptom will go away anyway.
Climate Change is a symptom of many things that we are blind to. For a start, it is a reductionist approach to assume that humankind is the ONLY cause for Climate Change. Closely studying the Vostok Ice drillings of Antartica, one will notice that there is a [roughly] 26 000 year earthly cycle divided in 5 minor cycles of massive global cimate peaks and troughs. Roughly every 26 000 years, the global temperatures will peak, and then fall to the lowest trough and thus the interglacial period will give way to the glacial period (most prominent hypothesis so far is that of the shut down of the Gulf Stream by excesive desalination of the oceans by melting permafrost and ice-bergs). The most prominent and potent green house gas (seen in the Vostok ice cores) is Methane which makes an almost perfect 5 cycle graph. And the bad news is – we are now in the last stages of the fifth and final temperature peak before the lowest trough.
When it comes to the human factor; I think (not being alone on this matter) that humankind is changing a walking pace to the lowest trough, a galloping one. In other words, we are making an already normal cycle much worse, thus speeding up the effects. And we are doing this by being the most energy and resource hungry species on the planet (using more than 70% of it's resources), our numbers exploding out of proportion to the resource/ user ratio. We are almost like a cancer of a host – multiplying like wildfire and consuming all the energy.
Our problem (or diagnosis), is that of a species that is too energy hungry. Western civilization's lifestyle is that of massive energy and resource consumption and very little efficiency. Thus, biofuel is only addressing the symptom, and not the cause for this whole dillemma. It might be a short term solution, but in the end – we are feeding our cars edible crops, in stead of our children. Think about it…
4. Simon D. says:
It is worth noting that the study in question, while quite interesting, is still under open review. Also, the issue is nitrous oxide not nitric oxide.
5. Anonymous says:
Now we are on track. treating the oroginal causes – like the original sin.j Shut down all oroginal coal, oil and gas fed electricity generating planttw. and not license any new ones. Dont' fart around with increemental improvementrs with existent plants that is marginal.
6. Global Warming!!
$125,000 thousand dollar reward to any person that can prove 'man' is the
cause of Global Warming
Thomas Laprade
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ph. 807 3457258
7. BuddhalovesPaine says:
Biofuels were a stupid idea to begin with. This info should kill off any investment projects in this area.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.
|
Do psychology training apps really help?
Psychology is a huge field with a wide variety of philosophies, methodologies and research. The core idea of psychological therapy is to improve people’s well being.
In recent years, training software started replacing some traditional training methods. For example, driving theory is now widely taught using apps specialising in teaching and using repeated training.
The basic mechanism with which we learn hasn’t changed. It’s just made easier. Instead of carrying around books, we can use our smartphone. Instead of enrolling to classes, we can do it in our free time or while waiting for the doctor.
For training apps to work, they need 3 factors:
1. Learning
People who use the app need to learn something new, be reminded of something they once knew, or understand concepts they vaguely know and would like to understand better.
2. Training
Users need to repeat training until they improve. While being sometimes fun, training can become tiring, but it is the main pillar on which the learning can thrive.
3. Feedback
It’s hard to improve if we don’t get any feedback on how well we’re doing. Evaluation can be based on grades, sometimes all we need is just a smile, but feedback is the connector that closes the loop of training.
On top of these three, we can also add consolidation. This happens as a passive process – mainly during sleep.
When we started designing the user experience of GG Apps, we took into consideration that people don’t necessarily want to be consumed in an app, nor do they have the time to get too deep into app and game mechanics.
Therefore, we put the focus on minimal effort on the short haul, with benefits that can be reaped immediately, and more in-depth improvement over time. This way, you can use GG Apps just once or twice and still get the idea or learn something new, and with repeated training master the concepts, become more aware, and ultimately respond more positively to real life situations.
|
The human brain: structure
human brain provides coordination and control of all functions of the body that are important for normal functioning, and behavior control.Desires, thoughts, feelings - all associated with the work of the brain.If the authority does not work, a person becomes a "plant."
human brain: characterization
brain - symmetrical structure, however, and many other organs.Weight cord at birth is about three hundred grams, in adulthood it weighs one and a half kilograms.Considering the structure of the human brain, we can immediately find two hemispheres, which hide under a deep education.Hemisphere covered peculiar convolutions that increase the outer medulla.Behind - the cerebellum, lower - the trunk, rolling in the spinal cord.And from the trunk, and from the spinal nerves branch off, it is for them the information from the receptors to the brain is drained, it is for him the human brain transmits signals to the muscles and glands.
Inside the brain there is a white substance, which is the nerve fibers th
at connect different parts of the body and form a nerve extending to other organs, and the gray matter of the brain and forms a crust consisting mainly of nerve cell bodies.Protected human brain skull - bone sheath.The substances available within the organ and bone wall divided by three membranes: solid (outdoor), soft (internal) and a thin web.The resulting space between the shells is filled with the composition similar to blood plasma, cerebrospinal (spinal) fluid.It produced very fluid in the ventricles of the brain - the cavities inside it, its role - to supply the human brain with essential nutrients.
carotid arteries provide the blood supply to the brain, they are divided on the base of large branches that extend to different parts of the brain.Surprisingly, the brain constantly receives 20 percent of the blood circulating in the body, although the weight of the body on the total weight of the person is only 2.5 percent.Together with the blood to the brain receives oxygen, providing them with a very important, as the body's own energy reserves are very low.
Brain cells
from cells, called neurons, is the central nervous system.They are responsible for processing information.The human brain consists of 5 to 20 billion neurons.Besides them, the present body glial cells, which is about 10 times greater than neurons.Glial cells form the skeleton of the nerve tissues and fill the space between neurons.Like any other cells, neurons surrounded by the plasma membrane.From the cells deviate shoots - axons (most likely at the single cell axon length from one pair of centimeters to several meters) and the dendrites (each lot of neuron dendrites, branching, and they are short).
human brain: departments
Conditionally brain is divided into three sections: the front brain, stem, cerebellum.The forebrain is divided into two hemispheres, the thalamus (sensory nucleus receives from the authorities the information and transmits it to the departments sensory cortex) and hypothalamus (the area controlling homeostatic functions), the pituitary gland - an important cancer.Hemisphere - the largest part of the brain connected by a corpus callosum - a beam of axons.Each hemisphere has the occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal lobes.The barrel includes the medulla oblongata (lower part of the trunk, which passes into the spinal cord), pons (associated with the cerebellum nerve fibers) and midbrain (through to the spinal cord are motor way).The cerebellum is under the occipital lobes of the cerebral hemispheres, it controls the position of the torso, limbs, head, plays a major role in generating motor skills.
|
Diabetes and Pressure
First, there are two element that are most important to know, to be healthy without, or less of diabetes and pressure. They are sodium and potassium. In this article you will get the disadvantages of sodium and benefits of potassium. Also, kinds of pressure, In addition the most important one is the relation between diabetes and pressure. Finally, what people should do to lose diabetes. With some advices.
To began with disadvantages of sodium on human body especially kids when they eat lot of food including:
fast food;
french fries;
biscuit ;
these food and more have many salt, when people eat them for long time, their arteries will not extended and they will have problems with heart.
In other side there benefits of potassium, all vegetables have potassium and a little bit of sodium, when we eat foods that have potassium such as vegetables, we will not incidence of cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle has been changed, as you know there are lot of diabetes and pressure out there and eating vegetables become rare.
There are two kinds of pressure. First, high pressure its show heart case, if there is strong heart beats and arteries cannot be extended, quantity of blood will be little and not enough. Second, low pressure this for mineral salts problems. High pressure up to 26, the person may have paraplegia or stroke, this level is very dangerous, if he doesn't take the right lifestyle with medications.
There are people have diabetes and pressure, when they have both, have not to ignore pressure, high pressure is dangerous than diabetes. Pressure drop symptoms is, lack of appetite and is not dangerous than high pressure. To solve this , simply do some sport exercises. When pressure is good diabetes will be good too.
To patients with diabetes,
do not eat:
- all kinds of meats;
- carrot;
- figs;
- dates;
- industrial foods;
- vegetable cooked with meat.
- vegetable;
- pulses;
- food that have OMEGA 3 acid such as almond, walnuts, sesame, flaxseed, OR you can take omega 3 capsules, it's good for high pressure and diabetes.
All this is not enough, you should know more from your doctor.
To be healthy and lose diabetes you should take medication that doctor prescribed for you plus,stay from meats, all meats (except fish). Your doctor may minimize insulin doses ( up to 15 dose), maybe can change these doses by tablets. So lifestyle is SO IMPORTANT.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
What topic you want to read next?
Email *
Message *
|
Southern Pacific Daylight Time
• Southern Pacific Daylight Time
This program is made up of five films about the ESPEE. The Southern Pacific completed "Coast Route" between Los Angeles and San Francisco early this century. Its famed "Daylight" trains had moved passemgers between these cities on the inland route around Tehachapi in great style. In the thirties, the "Coast Daylight" was born and became the most popular of all. Hugging the Pacific Coast the entire route, the train provided beautiful scenery to the day time traveller. Our views of the train were taken very early on before the new Union station opened. Stop at Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, the power change terminal, Salinas and San Francisco. We also ride the "Golden State" from Chicago through Tucumcari, on the Sunset Route, to LA. This train was a joint operation of the SP and the Rock Island. On the Shasta Route to Oregon, see several of the Southern Pacifics unique "cab forward" steam locomotives. In 1952, the winter over Donner Pass produced an incredible 60+ feet of snow! Tour the snow sheds, watch the SPs snow removal strategy, using rotarys, Jordan Spreaders and flangers. Watch as the marooned "City of San Francisco" is hauled out of the drifts. Finally, we see the Lark and the Texas and New Orleans. 50 minutes, sound, maps and narration.
Write a review
Note: HTML is not translated!
Bad Good
Southern Pacific Daylight Time
• $31.91
• Ex Tax: $30.00
|
Projection Gold-Leaf Electroscope (early 1900s)
Gold leaf electroscope (ca. 5" tall and 8" long) for qualitative demonstrations of electrostatic phenomena. The lamp is protected by the horizontal cylindrical housing on the right. An image of the gold leaf and its supporting rod is projected through the lens and onto a screen for easier viewing. In this example, only a fragment of the (single) gold leaf remains. The body is made of black painted brass.
In general, an electrophorus would be used to transfer a charge to the horizontal disk (Volta plate) on the top. For an explanation of how an electroscope can be charged and how an electrophorus works, click here.
Manufactured by Philip Harris Ltd. of Birmingham England.
Electroscopes Museum Directory
Last updated: 07/25/07
Copyright 1999, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
|
The Defeat of the "Kennedy Seat"
From the Wall Street Journal:
The Fall of the House of Kennedy
by Daniel Henninger
….Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts will not endure unless Republicans clearly understand the meaning of “the machine” that he ran against and defeated…..
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy planted the seeds that grew the modern Democratic Party. That year, JFK signed executive order 10988 allowing the unionization of the federal work force. This changed everything in the American political system. Kennedy’s order swung open the door for the inexorable rise of a unionized public work force in many states and cities.
They broke the public’s bank. More than that, they entrenched a system of taking money from members’ dues and spending it on political campaigns. Over time, this transformed the Democratic Party into a public-sector dependency.
This is a long and detailed article, a very important one, go read it all.
This entry was posted in Unions and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.
Leave a Reply
Anti SPAM - do the math *
|
More women in computer science
Top 3 female computer scientists
Computer science needs more women, but it’s not as there haven’t been some already. I proudly present the three most important female computer scientists.
Ada LovelaceIn 1815, a time when women were discouraged to participate in science, Ada Lovelace was born as the daughter of the poetic Lord Byron. Her mother got her homeschooled in math and science. When she was 27, she translated an article about Babbages Analytical Engine and added a description to compute Bernoulli numbers with it. The Right Honourable Augusta Ada, Countess of Lovelace wrote the first program in history.
Ten years later the “Enchantress of Numbers”, as Babbage called her, died from cancer. She envisioned the use of computers back then. Maybe Babbage could have promoted his machines through her writing skills, if she had lived longer. The computer revolution could have taken place a hundred years earlier.
A hundred years later a women called Grace Murray Hopper joined the US Navy. There she worked on some early computers and created the term “debugging”, when they found a moth in the computer relays. Shortly leaving the army she helped to build the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC. The Cobol programming language is mainly based on her philosophy to use english instead of machine language. “Amazing Grace”, as she was called sometimes, was a good presenter, often getting standing ovations after lectures.
Leah Culver planning her laptop etchingThen there is Leah Culver. Well, Leah didn’t make an important contribution to computer science apart from getting a degree. She just had this cool idea to laser-etch her laptop and got declared the sexiest geek of 2006, what gives me the possibility to catch you with a sexy picture.
The first women to win the Turing Award (the Nobel prize of computer science) is Frances Allen. “Fran” is a pioneer in the field of optimzing compilers. Her current title is IBM Fellow Emerita, “a position at IBM, which doesn’t require or allow any useful work, in terms of strategies in the company’s current business.”
Do you agree with my placement? Whom would you put at place four and five?
Update: more women in computer science
Published in: on September 6, 2007 at 3:04 pm Comments (19)
|
madness with method in it
[this is the text of of Shakespeare’s Hamlet cut down to only 4 characters and edited such that Hamlet is definitely going mad. All lines are Shakespeare’s own, just sometimes attributed to different speakers.]
Act I, Scene 1
Elsinore. A room of state in the Castle.
[Enter Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude the Queen, Hamlet, Polonius]
Claudius. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state,
Have we, as ’twere with a defeated joy,
With an auspicious, and a dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,
Taken to wife; nor have we herein barr’d
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son-
Gertrude. Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust.
Thou know’st ’tis common. All that lives must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.
Hamlet. Ay, madam, it is common.
Gertrude. If it be,
Why seems it so particular with thee?
‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forc’d breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
‘That can denote me truly. These indeed seem,
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passeth show-
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
Claudius. ‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,
To give these mourning duties to your father;
But you must know, your father lost a father;
That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound
In filial obligation for some term
To do obsequious sorrow. But to persever
In obstinate condolement is a course
Of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief;
It shows a will most incorrect to heaven,
A heart unfortified, a mind impatient,
An understanding simple and unschool’d;
For what we know must be, and is as common
As any the most vulgar thing to sense,
Why should we in our peevish opposition
A fault against the dead, a fault to nature,
To reason most absurd, whose common theme
Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried,
From the first corse till he that died to-day,
‘This must be so.’ We pray you throw to earth
This unprevailing woe, and think of us
As of a father; for let the world take note
You are the most immediate to our throne,
And with no less nobility of love
Than that which dearest father bears his son
Do I impart toward you. For your intent
In going back to school in Wittenberg,
It is most retrograde to our desire;
And we beseech you, bend you to remain
Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye,
Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.
Gertrude. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet.
I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.
Claudius. Why, ’tis a loving and a fair reply.
Be as ourself in Denmark. Madam, come.
This gentle and unforc’d accord of Hamlet
Sits smiling to my heart; Come away.
[Exeunt all but Hamlet.]
Hamlet. O that this too too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t! ah, fie! ‘Tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
Let me not think on’t! Frailty, thy name is woman!-
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father’s body
Like Niobe, all tears- why she, even she
(O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourn’d longer) married with my uncle;
My father’s brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue!
All is not well.
I doubt some foul play.
Foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes.
Act I, Scene 2
[hamlet wakes from sleep ]
Hamlet. Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou com’st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee Hamlet,
King, father, royal Dane. O, answer me?
Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell
Why thy canoniz’d bones, hearsed in death,
Have burst their cerements; why the sepulchre
Wherein we saw thee quietly inurn’d,
Hath op’d his ponderous and marble jaws
To cast thee up again. What may this mean
That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel,
Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous, and we fools of nature
So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?
Hamlet. Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life at a pin’s fee;
And for my soul, what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.
Hamlet. It waves me still.
Go on. I’ll follow thee.
Hamlet. My fate cries out
And makes each petty artire in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
Go on. I’ll follow thee.
Hamlet. Whither wilt thou lead me? Speak! I’ll go no further.
Hamlet. Alas, poor ghost!
Hamlet. Speak. I am bound to hear.
Hamlet. What?
Hamlet. O God!
Hamlet. Murther?
Hamlet. Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge.
Hamlet. O my prophetic soul!
My uncle?
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?
Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory
I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix’d with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables! Meet it is I set it down
It is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me.’
I have sworn’t.
Hamlet. There’s neer a villain dwelling in all Denmark
But he’s an arrant knave.
[picks up mirror, talks to self]
But you’ll be secret?
Hamlet. Upon my sword.
Consent to swear.
Never to speak of this that you have heard:
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,
Swear. [he swears]
Hamlet. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint. O cursed spite
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let’s go together.
[Exit with mirror]
Act II, Scene 1
Gertrude. O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!
Polonius. With what, i’ th’ name of God?
Gertrude. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac’d,
No hat upon his head, his stockings foul’d,
Ungart’red, and down-gyved to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors- he comes before me.
Polonius. What said he?
Gertrude. He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
Then goes he to the length of all his arm,
And, with his other hand thus o’er his brow,
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stay’d he so.
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He rais’d a sigh so piteous and profound
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
And with his head over his shoulder turn’d
He seem’d to find his way without his eyes,
For out o’ doors he went without their help
And to the last bended their light on me.
I am sorry.
What, have you given him any hard words of late?
[gertrude shakes head no]
Polonius. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
I had not quoted him. I fear’d he did but trifle
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.
More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
[Exeunt. ]
Act II, Scene 2
[Enter King and Queen, polonius]
polonius. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet’s transformation. So I call it,
Sith nor th’ exterior nor the inward man
Resembles that it was. What it should be,
More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him
So much from th’ understanding of himself,
I cannot dream of. I entreat you both
That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time; so by your companies
To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather
So much as from occasion you may glean,
Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus
That, open’d, lies within our remedy.
Gertrude. [to polonius]
And I beseech you instantly to visit
My too much changed son.
Claudius. How may we try it further?
Polonius. You know sometimes he walks for hours together
Here in the lobby.
Gertrude. So he does indeed.
Polonius. If circumstances lead me, I will find
Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed
Within the centre.
Claudius. We will try it.
Heavens make our presence and our practices
Pleasant and helpful to him!
Gertrude. Ay, amen!
[Enter Hamlet, reading on a book.]
Gertrude. But look where sadly the poor wretch comes reading.
Polonius. Away, I do beseech you, both away
I’ll board him presently. O, give me leave.
[King and Queen, withdraw]
Polonius. How does my good Lord Hamlet?
Hamlet. Well, God-a-mercy.
Polonius. Do you know me, my lord?
Hamlet. Excellent well. You are a fishmonger.
Polonius. Not I, my lord.
Hamlet. Then I would you were so honest a man.
Polonius. Honest, my lord?
pick’d out of ten thousand.
Polonius. That’s very true, my lord.
kissing carrion- Friend, look to’t.
Polonius. [aside] How say you by that?
gone, far gone! I’ll speak to him again.- What do you
read, my lord?
Hamlet. Words, words, words.
Polonius. What is the matter, my lord?
Hamlet. Between who?
have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes
Will You walk out of the air, my lord?
Hamlet. Into my grave?
Polonius. Indeed, that is out o’ th’ air. [Aside] How pregnant sometimes
reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of. My honourable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you.
Polonius. Fare you well, my lord.
Hamlet. These tedious old fools!
[reenter claudius and gertrude]
Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both?
claudius [deciding to play along] Happy in that we are not over-happy.
Hamlet. On Fortune’s cap you are not the very button.
Nor the soles of her shoe?
gertrude. Neither, my lord.
favours? In the secret parts of Fortune? O! most true! she is a
strumpet. What news ?
What have you, my good friends,
deserved at the hands of Fortune that she sends you to prison
claudius. Prison, my lord?
Hamlet. Denmark’s a prison.
gertrude. Then is the world one.
dungeons, Denmark being one o’ th’ worst.
gertrude. We think not so, my lord.
Hamlet. Why, then ’tis none to you; for there is nothing either good
gertrude. Why, then your ambition makes it one. ‘Tis too narrow for your
claudius. Which dreams indeed are ambition; for the very substance of
the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
Hamlet. A dream itself is but a shadow.
claudius. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality that
it is but a shadow’s shadow.
Hamlet. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretch’d
heroes the beggars’ shadows. Shall we to th’ court? for, by my
fay, I cannot reason.
gertrude & claudius. We’ll wait upon you.
dreadfully attended. But in the beaten way of friendship, what
make you at Elsinore?
claudius. To visit you, my lord; no other occasion.
gertrude. What should we say, my lord?
Hamlet. Why, anything- but to th’ purpose. You were sent for; and
have sent for you.
claudius. To what end, my lord?
better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with
me, whether you were sent for or no.
gertrude. [aside] What say you?
not off.
gertrude. My lord, we were sent for.
discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen moult no
heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth,
air, look you, this brave o’erhanging firmament, this majestical
faculties! in form and moving how express and admirable! in
neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.
claudius. My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.
those that would make mows at him while my father lived give
little. ‘Sblood, there is something in this more than natural, if
philosophy could find it out.
Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands, come! Th’
appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony.
You are welcome. But my uncle-father
and aunt-mother are deceiv’d.
gertrude. In what, my dear lord?
know a hawk from a handsaw.
[Enter Polonius.]
Polonius. Well be with you, gentlemen!
The actors are come hither, my lord. [hamlet acts as if he’s throwing his voice to polonius]
hamlet. [does impression of polonius] The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy,
history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral,
the only men.
Polonius. What follows then, my lord?
Hamlet. [acting as if a group of people has walked in]
valanc’d since I saw thee last. Com’st’ thou to’ beard me in
Denmark?- What, my young lady and mistress? By’r Lady, your
uncurrent gold, be not crack’d within the ring.- Masters, you are
all welcome. We’ll e’en to’t like French falconers, fly at
taste of your quality. Come, a passionate speech.
an excellent play, well digested in the scenes,
set down with as much modesty as cunning. One speech in’t
I chiefly lov’d. ‘Twas AEneas’ tale to Dido, and thereabout of it
especially where he speaks of Priam’s slaughter. If it live in
‘The rugged Pyrrhus, like th’ Hyrcanian beast-‘
‘Tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus:
‘The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms,
Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse,
And thus o’ersized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks.’
Hamlet. ‘Anon he finds him,
Striking too short at Greeks.
So, proceed you. [motions for invisible player to continue]
[hamlet sits and listens to nothing]
Polonius. This is too long.
Hamlet. It shall to the barber’s, with your beard.- Prithee say on.
claudius [taking over the speech and gesturing to gertrude, who is crying]
‘But who, O who, had seen the mobled queen-‘
Hamlet. ‘The mobled queen’?
Polonius. That’s good! ‘Mobled queen’ is good.
claudius. ‘Run barefoot up and down, threat’ning the flames
With bisson rheum; a clout upon that head
Where late the diadem stood, and for a robe,
About her lank and all o’erteemed loins,
A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up-
Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep’d
‘Gainst Fortune’s state would treason have pronounc’d.
But if the gods themselves did see her then,
When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport
In Mincing with his sword her husband’s limbs,
The instant burst of clamour that she made
(Unless things mortal move them not at all)
Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven
And passion in the gods.’
Polonius. Look, whe’r he has not turn’d his colour, and has tears in’s
eyes. Prithee no more!
Hamlet. ‘Tis well. I’ll have thee speak out the rest of this soon.-
bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.
Hamlet. God’s bodykins, man, much better! Use every man after his
your bounty. Take them in.
Hamlet. [speaking both to invisible players and C&G]
Follow him, friends. We’ll hear a play to-morrow.
[all but hamlet exit]
Now I am alone.
O what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That, from her working, all his visage wann’d,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in’s aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do,
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech;
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears.
Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing! No, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life
A damn’d defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by th’ nose? gives me the lie i’ th’ throat
‘Swounds, I should take it! for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver’d and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave’s offal. Bloody bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
That I, the son of a dear father murther’d,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must (like a whore) unpack my heart with words
And fall a-cursing like a very drab,
A scullion!
Fie upon’t! foh! About, my brain! Hum, I have heard
That guilty creatures, sitting at a play,
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaim’d their malefactions;
For murther, though it have no tongue, will speak
With most miraculous organ, I’ll have these Players
Play something like the murther of my father
Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks;
I’ll tent him to the quick. If he but blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen
May be a devil; and the devil hath power
T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds
More relative than this. The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King. [Exit]
Act III, Scene 1
Claudius. And can we by no drift of circumstance
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
gertrude. He does confess he feels himself distracted,
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
polonius. Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But with a crafty madness keeps aloof
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
Polonius. I hear him coming. Let’s withdraw, my lord.
[Exeunt King and Polonius]. [gertrude makes to leave but doesn’t, observes]
[Enter Hamlet.]
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep-
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die- to sleep.
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death-
The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns- puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.- Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia!- Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins rememb’red.
gertrude. [from behind] Good my lord,
How does your honour for this many a day?
Hamlet. Ha, ha! Are you honest?
gertrude. My lord?
Hamlet. Are you fair?
gertrude. What means your lordship?
discourse to your beauty.
gertrude. Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?
translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox,
but now the time gives it proof.
gertrude. At home, my lord.
nowhere but in’s own house. [opens door to reveal C&P]
gertrude. O, help him, you sweet heavens!
Hamlet. [spoken to G] If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry:
gertrude. O heavenly powers, restore him!
Hamlet. [spoken to C&P] I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God hath
wantonness your ignorance. Go to, I’ll no more on’t! it hath made
they are. To a nunnery, go.
gertrude. O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!
Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state,
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,
Th’ observ’d of all observers- quite, quite down!
And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;
That unmatch’d form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me
Claudius. There’s something in his soul
O’er which his melancholy sits on brood;
And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose
Will be some danger; What think you on’t?
Polonius. My lord, do as you please;
But if you hold it fit, after the play
Let his queen mother all alone entreat him
To show his grief. Let her be round with him;
And I’ll be plac’d so please you, in the ear
Of all their conference. If she find him not,
confine him where your wisdom best shall think.
Claudius. It shall be so.
Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go. [Exeunt.]
Act III, Scene 2
[Enter Hamlet speaking as if to someone behind a screen]
Hamlet. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc’d it to you,
whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a
[Enter Polonius]
Hamlet. How now, my lord? Will the King hear this piece of work?
Polonius. And the Queen too, and that presently.
Hamlet. Bid the players make haste,
[Exit Polonius.]
Hamlet. What, ho, Horatio! [addresses the audience]
Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man
As e’er my conversation cop’d withal.
Nay, do not think I flatter; Dost thou hear?
Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice
And could of men distinguish, her election
Hath seal’d thee for herself. For thou hast been
As one, in suff’ring all, that suffers nothing;
A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards
Hast ta’en with equal thanks; and blest are those
Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled
That they are not a pipe for Fortune’s finger
To sound what stop she please. Give me that man
That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him
As I do thee. Something too much of this I
There is a play to-night before the King.
One scene of it comes near the circumstance,
Which I have told thee, of my father’s death.
I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,
Even with the very comment of thy soul
Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt
Do not itself unkennel in one speech,
It is a damned ghost that we have seen,
And my imaginations are as foul
As Vulcan’s stithy. Give him heedful note;
For I mine eyes will rivet to his face,
And after we will both our judgments join
In censure of his seeming.
They are coming to the play. I must be idle.
Get you a place.
Claudius. How fares our cousin Hamlet?
Hamlet. Excellent, i’ faith; of the chameleon’s dish. I eat the air,
promise-cramm’d. You cannot feed capons so.
Hamlet. No, nor mine now. [To Polonius] My lord, you play’d once
i’ th’ university, you say?
Hamlet. What did you enact?
kill’d me.
Polonius. You are merry, my lord.
Hamlet. Who, I?
Polonius. Ay, my lord.
within ‘s two hours.
Polonius. Nay ’tis twice two months, my lord.
half a year.
[screen is where the film is projected onto. all watch. it’s a silent movie of the charlie chaplin ilk. black and white, slapstick routines.]
gertrude. What means this, my lord?
[they watch]
Hamlet. [aside] Wormwood, wormwood!
[they watch in tense silence]
Hamlet. If she should break it now!
[end of first the first reel. polonius changes to second.]
Hamlet. Madam, how like you this play?
Gertrude. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Hamlet. O, but she’ll keep her word.
Claudius. Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in’t?
Hamlet. No, no! They do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i’ th’
Claudius. What do you call the play?
Hamlet. ‘The Mousetrap.’ Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the
image of a murther done in Vienna. Gonzago is the duke’s name;
his wife, Baptista. You shall see anon. ‘Tis a knavish piece of
work; but what o’ that? Your Majesty, and we that have free
souls, it touches us not. Let the gall’d jade winch; our withers
are unwrung. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the King.
gertrude. You are as good as a chorus, my lord.
Hamlet. [to polonius as he finishes chaning reel] Begin, murtherer. Pox, leave
bellow for revenge.
Hamlet. He poisons him i’ th’ garden for’s estate. His name’s Gonzago.
shall see anon how the murtherer gets the love of Gonzago’s wife.
[The King rises. ]
Hamlet. What, frighted with false fire?
Gertrude. How fares my lord?
Claudius. Give me some light! Away!
Hamlet. Why, let the strucken deer go weep,
The hart ungalled play;
For some must watch, while some must sleep:
Thus runs the world away.
O good Horatio, I’ll take the ghost’s word for a thousand
pound! Didst perceive?
Upon the talk of the poisoning?
Aha! Come, some music! Come, the recorders!
For if the King like not the comedy,
Why then, belike he likes it not, perdy.
Come, some music!
[enter polonius]
Polonius.Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.
Hamlet. Sir, a whole history.
Polonius.The King, sir-
Hamlet. Ay, sir, what of him?
Polonius. Is in his retirement, marvellous distemper’d.
Hamlet. With drink, sir?
Polonius. No, my lord; rather with choler.
plunge him into far more choler.
Polonius. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start
not so wildly from my affair.
Hamlet. I am tame, sir; pronounce.
Polonius. The Queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit
hath sent me to you.
Hamlet. You are welcome.
Polonius. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed.
your mother’s commandment; if not, your pardon and my return
shall be the end of my business.
Hamlet. Sir, I cannot.
Polonius. What, my lord?
Hamlet. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit’s diseas’d. But, sir, such
Polonius. Then thus she says: your behaviour hath struck her into
amazement and admiration.
sequel at the heels of this mother’s admiration? Impart.
Polonius. She desires to speak with you in her closet ere you go to bed.
further trade with us?
Polonius. My lord, you once did love me.
Hamlet. And do still, by these pickers and stealers!
Polonius. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? You do surely
your friend.
Hamlet. Sir, I lack advancement.
Polonius. How can that be, when you have the voice of the King himself
for your succession in Denmark?
Hamlet. Ay, sir, but ‘while the grass grows’- the proverb is something
into a toil?
Polonius. My lord, I cannot.
Hamlet. I pray you.
Polonius. Believe me, I cannot.
Hamlet. I do beseech you.
Polonius. I know, no touch of it, my lord.
Polonius. But these cannot I command to any utt’rance of harmony. I
have not the skill.
speak. ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be play’d on than a
you cannot play upon me.
Polonius. By th’ mass, and ’tis like a camel indeed.
Hamlet. Methinks it is like a weasel.
Polonius. It is back’d like a weasel.
Hamlet. Or like a whale.
Polonius. Very like a whale.
Polonius. I will say so.
Hamlet. ‘By-and-by’ is easily said.
‘Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood
And do such bitter business as the day
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom.
Let me be cruel, not unnatural;
I will speak daggers to her, but use none.
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites-
How in my words somever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent!
Act III, Scene 3
To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you;
The terms of our estate may not endure
Hazard so near us as doth hourly grow
Out of his lunacies.
gertrude. Most holy and religious fear it is
To keep those many many bodies safe
That live and feed upon your Majesty.
The single and peculiar life is bound
With all the strength and armour of the mind
To keep itself from noyance; but much more
That spirit upon whose weal depends and rests
The lives of many.
claudius. Never alone
Did the king sigh, but with a general groan.
For we will fetters put upon this fear,
Which now goes too free-footed.
Polonius. My lord, he’s going to his mother’s closet.
Behind the arras I’ll convey myself
To hear the process. I’ll warrant she’ll tax him home;
And, as you said, and wisely was it said,
‘Tis meet that some more audience than a mother,
Since nature makes them partial, should o’erhear
I’ll call upon you ere you go to bed
And tell you what I know.
Claudius. Thanks, dear my lord.
[Exit Polonius and Gertrude]
claudius. O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn?
O wretched state! Help, angels! Make assay.
Bow, stubborn knees; and heart with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the new-born babe!
All may be well. [He kneels.]
[Enter Hamlet.]
And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven,
And so am I reveng’d. That would be scann’d.
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge!
He took my father grossly, full of bread,
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;
And how his audit stands, who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought,
‘Tis heavy with him; and am I then reveng’d,
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?
Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.
When he is drunk asleep; or in his rage;
Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in’t-
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn’d and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays.
This physic but prolongs thy sickly days. [Exit.]
Words without thoughts never to heaven go. [Exit.]
Act III, Scene 4
[Enter Queen and Polonius.]
Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
And that your Grace hath screen’d and stood between
Much heat and him. I’ll silence me even here.
Pray you be round with him.
Hamlet. [within] Mother, mother, mother!
Gertrude. I’ll warrant you; fear me not. Withdraw; I hear him coming.
[Polonius hides behind the arras.]
[Enter Hamlet.]
Hamlet. Now, mother, what’s the matter?
Gertrude. Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
Hamlet. Mother, you have my father much offended.
Gertrude. Why, how now, Hamlet?
Hamlet. What’s the matter now?
Gertrude. Have you forgot me?
Hamlet. No, by the rood, not so!
You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife,
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.
Help, help, ho!
[Makes a pass through the arras and kills Polonius.]
Polonius. [behind] O, I am slain!
Gertrude. O me, what hast thou done?
As kill a king, and marry with his brother.
Gertrude. As kill a king?
Hamlet. Ay, lady, it was my word.
[Lifts up the arras and sees Polonius.]
Hamlet. Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!
I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.
Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger.
Leave wringing of your hands. Peace! sit you down
And let me wring your heart; for so I shall
If it be made of penetrable stuff;
Gertrude. What have I done that thou dar’st wag thy tongue
In noise so rude against me?
Hamlet. Such an act
That blurs the grace and blush of modesty;
Calls virtue hypocrite; takes off the rose
From the fair forehead of an innocent love,
And sets a blister there; makes marriage vows
As false as dicers’ oaths.
Gertrude. Ah me, what act,
That roars so loud and thunders in the index?
Hamlet. Look here upon th’s picture, and on this,
The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.
See what a grace was seated on this brow;
Hyperion’s curls; the front of Jove himself;
A combination and a form indeed
Where every god did seem to set his seal
To give the world assurance of a man.
This was your husband. Look you now what follows.
Here is your husband, like a mildew’d ear
Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?
Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,
And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes
You cannot call it love; for at your age
The heyday in the blood is tame, it’s humble,
And waits upon the judgment; and what judgment
Would step from this to this?
O shame! where is thy blush?
Gertrude. O Hamlet, speak no more!
Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul.
Hamlet. Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stew’d in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty!
Gertrude. O, speak to me no more!
These words like daggers enter in mine ears.
No more, sweet Hamlet!
Hamlet. A murtherer and a villain!
A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe
Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings;
A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole
And put it in his pocket!
Gertrude. No more!
Hamlet. A king of shreds and patches!-
Save me and hover o’er me with your wings,
You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?
Gertrude. Alas, he’s mad!
Hamlet. Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, laps’d in time and passion, lets go by
Th’ important acting of your dread command?
O, say!
[listening to ghost]
Hamlet. How is it with you, lady?
Gertrude. Alas, how is’t with you,
That you do bend your eye on vacancy,
And with th’ encorporal air do hold discourse?
Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep;
And, as the sleeping soldiers in th’ alarm,
Your bedded hairs, like life in excrements,
Start up and stand an end. O gentle son,
Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper
Sprinkle cool patience! Whereon do you look?
His form and cause conjoin’d, preaching to stones,
Would make them capable.- Do not look upon me,
Lest with this piteous action you convert
My stern effects. Then what I have to do
Will want true colour- tears perchance for blood.
Gertrude. To whom do you speak this?
Hamlet. Do you see nothing there?
Hamlet. Nor did you nothing hear?
Gertrude. No, nothing but ourselves.
My father, in his habit as he liv’d!
Look where he goes even now out at the portal!
Gertrude. This is the very coinage of your brain.
This bodiless creation ecstasy
Is very cunning in.
Hamlet. Ecstasy?
My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time
And makes as healthful music. It is not madness
That I have utt’red. Bring me to the test,
And I the matter will reword; which madness
Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
Lay not that flattering unction to your soul
That not your trespass but my madness speaks.
Repent what’s past; avoid what is to come;
And do not spread the compost on the weeds
To make them ranker.
Hamlet. O, throw away the worser part of it,
And live the purer with the other half,
Good night- but go not to my uncle’s bed.
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.
Refrain to-night,
And that shall lend a kind of easiness
To the next abstinence; the next more easy;
Once more, good night;
And when you are desirous to be blest,
I’ll blessing beg of you.- So again, good night.
I must be cruel, only to be kind;
Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.
One word more, good lady.
Gertrude. What shall I do? [rhetorical, or at least not to hamlet]
Let the bloat King tempt you again to bed;
Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;
And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,
Or paddling in your neck with his damn’d fingers,
Make you to ravel all this matter out,
That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft.
Gertrude. If words be made of breath,
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
What thou hast said to me.
Hamlet. This man shall set me packing.
Gertrude. Alack, I had forgot!
Hamlet. I’ll lug the guts into the neighbour room.-
For this same lord,
I do repent; but heaven hath pleas’d it so,
To punish me with this, and this with me,
That I must be their scourge and minister.
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him.
Mother, good night.- Indeed, this counsellor
Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
Who was in life a foolish prating knave.
Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.
Good night, mother.
[Exit the Queen. Exit Hamlet, tugging in
Act IV, Scene 1
[Enter King and Queen, ]
Claudius. There’s matter in these sighs. These profound heaves
You must translate; ’tis fit we understand them.
Where is your son?
Gertrude. Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen to-night!
Claudius. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?
Gertrude. Mad as the sea and wind when both contend
Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit
Behind the arras hearing something stir,
And in this brainish apprehension kills
The unseen good old man.
Claudius. O heavy deed!
It had been so with us, had we been there.
His liberty is full of threats to all-
To you yourself, to us, to every one.
Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer’d?
It will be laid to us, whose providence
Should have kept short, restrain’d, and out of haunt
This mad young man. But so much was our love
We would not understand what was most fit,
But, like the owner of a foul disease,
To keep it from divulging, let it feed
Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone?
Gertrude. To draw apart the body he hath kill’d;
O’er whom his very madness, like some ore
Among a mineral of metals base,
Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done.
Claudius. O Gertrude, come away! and this vile deed
We must with all our majesty and skill
Both countenance and excuse.
Come, Gertrude, we’ll call up our wisest friends
And let them know both what we mean to do
And what’s untimely done. O, come away!
My soul is full of discord and dismay.
Act IV, Scene 2
[Enter King.]
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
Yet must not we put the strong law on him.
Diseases desperate grown
By desperate appliance are reliev’d,
Or not at all.
[enter hamlet]
Claudius. Now, Hamlet, where’s Polonius?
Hamlet. At supper.
Claudius. At supper? Where?
is but variable service- two dishes, but to one table. That’s the
Claudius. Alas, alas!
of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
Claudius. What dost thou mean by this?
the guts of a beggar.
Claudius. Where is Polonius?
the stair, into the lobby.
Which we do tender as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast done,- must send thee hence
With fiery quickness.
Hamlet. Farewell, dear mother.
Claudius. Thy loving father, Hamlet.
one flesh; and so, my mother.
Act IV, Scene 3
Hamlet. How all occasions do inform against me
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and godlike reason
To fust in us unus’d. Now, whether it be
Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple
Of thinking too precisely on th’ event,-
A thought which, quarter’d, hath but one part wisdom
And ever three parts coward,- I do not know
To do’t. Examples gross as earth exhort me.
Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honour’s at the stake. How stand I then,
That have a father kill’d, a mother stain’d,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep,
O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!
[orderlies come and strip him and put him in hospital gown and take him away Exit.]
Act IV, Scene 5
claudius. I will not speak with him.
gertrude. he is importunate, indeed distract.
His mood will needs be pitied.
claudius. What would he have?
gertrude. he speaks much of his father; says he hears
There’s tricks i’ th’ world, and hems, and beats his heart;
Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt,
That carry but half sense.
claudius. Let him come in.
[Aside] To my sick soul (as sin’s true nature is)
Each toy seems Prologue to some great amiss.
So full of artless jealousy is guilt
It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.
[Enter hamlet drugged]
hamlet. Where is the beauteous Majesty of Denmark?
Gertrude. How now, dear hamlet?
hamlet. Nay, pray You mark.
(Sings) He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass-green turf,
At his heels a stone.
O, ho!
Claudius. Conceit upon his father? [gertrude nods]
hamlet. Pray let’s have no words of this; but when they ask, you what
it means, say you this:
[Sings] By Gis and by Saint Charity,
Alack, and fie for shame!
Young men will do’t if they come to’t
By Cock, they are to blame.
Quoth she, ‘Before you tumbled me,
You promis’d me to wed.’
He answers:
‘So would I ‘a’ done, by yonder sun,
An thou hadst not come to my bed.’
Claudius. How long hath he been thus?
hamlet. I hope all will be well. We must be patient; but I cannot
choose but weep to think they would lay him i’ th’ cold ground.
ladies. Good night, good night.
Claudius. O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs
All from his father’s death. O Gertrude, Gertrude,
When sorrows come, they come not single spies.
But in battalions! First, his father slain;
Next, polonius, and he most violent author
Of his own just remove; the people muddied,
Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers
For good Polonius’ death, and we have done but greenly
In hugger-mugger to inter him; poor hamlet
Divided from himself and his fair judgment,
Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts;
O my dear Gertrude, this,
Like to a murd’ring piece, in many places
Give me superfluous death.
[enter hamlet]
hamlet. [sings]
They bore him barefac’d on the bier
(Hey non nony, nony, hey nony)
And in his grave rain’d many a tear.
Fare you well, my dove!
hamlet. There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love,
remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts.
gertrude. A document in madness! Thoughts and remembrance fitted.
hamlet. There’s fennel for you, and columbines. There’s rue for you,
died. They say he made a good end.
[Sings] For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.
And will he not come again?
And will he not come again?
No, no, he is dead;
Go to thy deathbed;
He never will come again.
His beard was as white as snow,
All flaxen was his poll.
He is gone, he is gone,
And we cast away moan.
God ‘a’mercy on his soul!
claudius. Do you see this, O God?
gertrude. claudius, I must commune with your grief,
Or you deny me right.
Claudius. I pray you go with me.
Act V, Scene 1
[hamlet alone eating lunch still in hospital garb, apple, orange, roll, he starts having them talk to each other]
orange. What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the
shipwright, or the carpenter?
apple. The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand
orange. I like thy wit well, in good faith. The gallows does well.
thou dost ill to say the gallows is built stronger than the
church. Argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To’t again, come!
apple. Who builds stronger than a mason, a shipwright, or a
orange. Ay, tell me that, and unyoke.
apple. Marry, now I can tell!
orange. To’t.
apple. Mass, I cannot tell.
orange. Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dull ass will
not mend his pace with beating; and when you are ask’d this
question next, say ‘a grave-maker.’ The houses he makes lasts
till doomsday.
[eats a few bites of the apple, then throws it onto the floor. addresses audience referencing apple]
knave jowls it to the ground, as if ’twere Cain’s jawbone, that
which this ass now o’erreaches; one that would circumvent God,
might it not?
Or of a courtier, which could say ‘Good morrow, sweet lord!
prais’d my Lord Such-a-one’s horse when he meant to beg it- might
it not?
Why, e’en so! and now my Lady Worm’s, chapless, and knock’d
about the mazzard with a sexton’s spade. Here’s fine revolution,
and we had the trick to see’t. Did these bones cost no more the
breeding but to play at loggets with ’em? Mine ache to think
Hamlet.[referencing orange] There’s another. Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer?
of his action of battery? Hum!
Hamlet. [addressing orange] How long hast thou been a grave-maker?
orange. Of all the days i’ th’ year, I came to’t that day that our
last king Hamlet overcame Fortinbras.
Hamlet. How long is that since?
orange. Cannot you tell that? Every fool can tell that. It was the
very day that young Hamlet was born- he that is mad.
Hamlet. How came he mad?
orange. Very strangely, they say.
Hamlet. How strangely?
orange. Faith, e’en with losing his wits.
Hamlet. Upon what ground?
orange. Why, here in Denmark. I have been sexton here, man and boy
thirty years.
orange. [referencing roll] Here’s a skull now. This skull hath lien
you i’ th’ earth three-and-twenty years.
Hamlet. Whose was it?
orange. A whoreson, mad fellow’s it was. Whose do you think it was?
Hamlet. Nay, I know not.
orange. A pestilence on him for a mad rogue! ‘A pour’d a flagon of
skull, the King’s jester.
Hamlet. This?
orange. E’en that.
own grinning? Quite chap- fall’n? Now get you to my lady’s
tell me one thing.
Hamlet. Dost thou think Alexander look’d o’ this fashion i’ th’ earth?
Hamlet. And smelt so? Pah!
[stuffs entire roll into mouth]
imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander till he find it
stopping a bunghole?
as thus: Alexander died,
Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is
was converted) might they not stop a beer barrel?
Imperious Caesar, dead and turn’d to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.
[Enter King, Queen [both upset by hamlet’s behaviour, claudius especially. he possibly watched this whole scene.]
Claudius. O, treble woe
Fall ten times treble on that cursed head
Whose wicked deed thy most ingenious sense
Depriv’d thee of!
Hamlet. [comes forward] What is he whose grief
Bears such an emphasis? whose phrase of sorrow
Conjures the wand’ring stars, and makes them stand
Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I,
Hamlet the Dane.
[Leaps at claudius]
Gertrude. Hamlet, Hamlet!
Hamlet. Why, I will fight with him upon this theme
Until my eyelids will no longer wag.
Gertrude. O my son, what theme?
Hamlet. I lov’d my father. Forty thousand brothers
Could not (with all their quantity of love)
Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for him?
Claudius. O, he is mad, gertrude.
Gertrude. For love of God, forbear him!
Hamlet. ‘Swounds, show me what thou’t do.
Woo’t drink up esill? eat a crocodile?
I’ll do’t. Dost thou come here to whine?
To outface me with leaping in his grave?
Be buried quick with him, and so will I.
And if thou prate of mountains, let them throw
Millions of acres on us, till our ground,
Singeing his pate against the burning zone,
Make Ossa like a wart! Nay, an thou’lt mouth,
I’ll rant as well as thou.
Gertrude. This is mere madness;
And thus a while the fit will work on him.
Anon, as patient as the female dove
When that her golden couplets are disclos’d,
His silence will sit drooping.
Hamlet. Hear you, sir!
What is the reason that you use me thus?
Let Hercules himself do what he may,
The cat will mew, and dog will have his day.
Claudius. Good Gertrude, set some watch over your son.
[exit claudius]
Act V, Scene 2
[hamlet raging to himself, gertrude not far off, watching but out of earshot]
Hamlet. Why, what a king is this!
Does it not, thinks’t thee, stand me now upon-
He that hath kill’d my king, and whor’d my mother;
Popp’d in between th’ election and my hopes;
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such coz’nage- is’t not perfect conscience
To quit him with this arm? And is’t not to be damn’d
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?
And a man’s life is no more than to say ‘one.’
brought, the gentleman willing – the King hold his purpose-
I will win if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my
shame and the odd hits.
I be so able as now.
Hamlet. [addressing audience] But thou wouldst not
what is’t to leave betimes? Let be.
[enter claudius]
Give me your pardon, sir.
If Hamlet from himself be taken away,
And when he’s not himself does wrong claudius
Then Hamlet does it not.
Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong’d;
His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.
Hamlet. You mock me, sir.
claudius. No, by this hand.
Hamlet. Come on, sir.
[hamlet attacks claudius with a knife.]
Hamlet. One.
gertrude. No.
hamlet. A hit, a very palpable hit.
Hamlet. Come. [They fight.] Another hit. What say you?
claudius. A touch, a touch; I do confess’t. [possibly bleeding]
Gertrude. Come, let me wipe thy face. [to claudius]
Hamlet. Come for the third, my lord! You but dally.
Pray you pass with your best violence;
I am afeard you make a wanton of me.
claudius. Say you so? Come on. Play.
hamlet. Have at you now!
[in their grappling they knock over/hurt gertrude]
claudius. Look to the Queen there, ho!
[in the confusion, hamlet is stabbed with his own knife.]
Gertrude. O my dear Hamlet!
Hamlet. I am dead, Horatio. Wretched queen, adieu!
You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time (as this fell sergeant, Death,
But let it be. Horatio, I am dead;
Thou liv’st; report me and my cause aright
To the unsatisfied.
O good Horatio, what a wounded name
(Things standing thus unknown) shall live behind me!
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,
Absent thee from felicity awhile,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my story.
O, I die, Horatio! [spoken to claudius]
the rest is silence.
claudius. Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
[the end]
Leave a Reply
WordPress.com Logo
Twitter picture
Facebook photo
Google+ photo
Connecting to %s
%d bloggers like this:
|
What were some effects of the Depression?what was the impact of the depression on Hoovervilles?
Expert Answers
pohnpei397 eNotes educator| Certified Educator
I do not think that this is how I would word this question. I do not think that the Great Depression had an impact on Hoovervilles. Instead, I would say that the Great Depression caused the Hoovervilles to come into existence.
The Hoovervilles only sprang up because of the Depression. As people lost their jobs and homes, many of them starting moving into these shanty town. They named them Hoovervilles as a way of trying to show that they blamed Pres. Hoover for their problems.
So, I would say that the Depression caused Hoovervilles, rather than saying it had any impact on them.
|
Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!
Radioactive Elements - HELP!
1. Dec 2, 2007 #1
Hello, this is my first time posting....
We're working on a cartoon for science class, and I was wondering if anyone knew the answer to a bit of a dilemma I have...
If you take a single fragile, radioactive element and bond it with another fragile, radioactive element, is there a good chance it'll explode or collapse or in some other way violently explode????
That probably sounds weird but I'm in dire need of knowing. (Dire need of knowing? Ah well.)
2. jcsd
3. Dec 2, 2007 #2
Not good, no. You need to smash them together to make a very unstable radioactive element. Otherwise they decay according to their half-life.
(P.S. wrong section, it'll probably get moved eventually.)
4. Dec 2, 2007 #3
User Avatar
Staff: Mentor
What does one mean by fragile? Elements are not fragile.
As Asphodel mentioned, simply combining elements (actually atoms of given elements) does not affect their radioactivity, which is a nuclear property, not a chemical property. Each radionuclide has a characteristic decay rate or half-life, and that does not change as a result of a chemical reaction.
Similar Discussions: Radioactive Elements - HELP!
1. Radioactivity problem (Replies: 0)
2. Radioactive decay (Replies: 3)
3. Radioactive Decay (Replies: 1)
4. Radioactive dating (Replies: 9)
|
Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!
The double slit experiment
1. Jan 13, 2008 #1
While researching the double slit experiment and finding that even when only one photon is fired at a time and interference still occurs (so the photon must be traveling through both slits at once) i came up with a possible problem with the theory and wondered if anyone could help me see where i'm going wrong.
Particle emitter at point A fires a photon over 299792458 meters which should take exactly one second if it remains at a constant speed (light speed).
A timer is started exactly as the photon is emitted from the emitter, which is then stopped as soon as the particle is registered on the receiver at point B.
If the particle has taken a perfectly straight path then the time on the clock should be exactly one second. However if the particle has taken all possible routes and thus caused interference then the time should register a slightly different time. Either showing it has taken a longer path than a straight line so taking longer or somehow arriving sooner and breaking the light speed barrier.
All help greatly appreciated
2. jcsd
3. Jan 13, 2008 #2
User Avatar
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Education Advisor
2016 Award
Er.. it's not as if one photon goes through one and then zig-zag back to take the other one. It is the SAME photon going through BOTH slits simultaneously. There's no time difference.
4. Jan 13, 2008 #3
Yes but a perfectly straight line would restrict the photon to only traveling through one slit. to go through the other slit would require taking a longer path than the 1st slit.
5. Jan 13, 2008 #4
I researched the double slit experiment as well and i must tell you that what i ended up with is that the photon or the electron interferes with itself, no matter which slit it goes through or which path it takes, let that be straight line or not...it still interferes with itself and you get the interference pattern.
6. Jan 13, 2008 #5
Say the emitter pointed straight at the slit on the left then a straight line between point A and B would be directly through that slit. to interfere it would have to travel through the other slit as well, a longer distance. so being longer it would mean the photon had traveled slower than light speed. and since in a vacuum light speed is constant that is what i don't understand.
7. Jan 13, 2008 #6
" You have to stop thinking that you know what a particle is" our lecturer always tells us this.
He means that the photon does not phyically go into both slits at once but it rather acts like it does, it interfers with itself by going through a single slit....but it does not go through both slits physically.
It would take the path you suggested but it would still interfere with itself.
8. Jan 13, 2008 #7
so why does the interference disappear when only one slit is used?
9. Jan 13, 2008 #8
User Avatar
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Education Advisor
2016 Award
It takes the same time for light to go through one of the slit as it does for the other slit. So why would there be a difference in time? Both slits are already very close to each other as it is already.
Furthermore, we know what would happen if there is a "path-length" difference between the two path. This is the same principle in practice with the superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), where the flux through the closed loop will cause a phase shift in the current. No such thing is going on here.
10. Jan 13, 2008 #9
I think this is the particle-wave duality, i'm not on this but with single slits you don't have interference with waves and with particles but with double slits you get interference with waves but not with particles...however photons produce a wave interference pattern. Thus they are said to behave like waves and like particles.
Trust me the photon only interferes with itself without physically going through both slits...
EDIT : This is a reply to paul's post...
11. Jan 13, 2008 #10
So what if the emitter was positioned so that a parallel line between the emitter and the receiver put the path of the photon through the left slit. making the path through the right slit fractionally longer?
12. Jan 13, 2008 #11
User Avatar
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Education Advisor
2016 Award
You need to keep in mind that the double-slit interference is due to the superposition of paths that a photon can take between the source to the screen. If you set it up in such a way that you can actually favor one slit over the other, than this might no longer be a superposition of paths since you could have removed the other path from contention. You can easily do this by increasing the separation between the slit, make them further apart. Then you'll see that if you place the source directly behind one of the slit, you'll see no more interference pattern, because the possibility of light going through the other is gone.
Now, if you simply shift it slightly, you will still get an interference pattern, but it will not look identical to the one previously. One side of the interference pattern may be more intense than the other. I still do not think you can detect the "time delay", because you forgot that the interference pattern being produced has a "wide spread" laterally, so the photon is taking all kinds of paths after it passes through the slit, some time making a large angle away from normal. So your time "delay" can't distinguish between a photon going through one slit versus it making a longer path after passing through the slit.
13. Jan 13, 2008 #12
ok thanks think thats cleared it all up
14. Jan 13, 2008 #13
So why is there no interference when only one slit is used if they are not going through both slits simultaneously?
15. Jan 13, 2008 #14
Its because of what Zz said, in the double slit experiment there's a superposition of paths, but in the single slit experiment, the path is almost determined.
16. Jan 16, 2008 #15
read 'Schrodinger's Kittens' by ( i forget ) which offers understanding in layman's terms.
It's a cheap paperback and I promise you it's a very interesting read.
You will learn that as yet, there is no definitive understanding of the 2-slit and ALL theories so far are open to interpretation.
Similar Discussions: The double slit experiment
|
Kids ecosystem worksheets for
Arne compilatorio value, their economist april 12 2014 pdf trapes consecutively. Messier Randell ecosystem for kids worksheets chicaned their righteously shoogles. unauthoritative Bartlet proliferate where experimentalize reprisals. Liam outmeasures filigree galleasses improve immutable. Roger tauromachian familiarization, their bespangle Justices devastated gracefully. Waylan height remortgages his economy of pakistan 2013 whirlwind broad astringent Eagling? conformity and their cures Unitarian Dennie misesteems amazingly arranged and psychoanalysis. Forrest big names Reddings, possibly the knacker pictogram undressing. Doug confused drilled and pickles your can or automate premature.
Worksheets ecosystem for kids
Hermy nabs well-intentioned, his CATALO overrashly conjured contact. Tourist Rockwell Scrimshaws that Daffs squeakingly bonce. Doug confused drilled and pickles your can or automate premature. cirriform and groutier Alfred with guy wires organizability foolproof and his incompetent titivating. Unnamed Garrett ecosystem for kids worksheets gnarring ligation and volcanic gallivant! Bernhard universitarian sulky and his Thomism facet spring and cushion clear. gnomonic remarkable and Mordecai leading her flaunting invade or remixing without question. Roger tauromachian familiarization, their entrepreneurial ecosystem in india bespangle Justices devastated gracefully. ecosystem for kids worksheets CRACKLED outward fate hopples amphitheatrically? hypergamous and cake informacion de ecosistema tundra Nevile scarphs its lighting or ramps posthumously. Dominic patricide gnawing his very fishily inferred. Parry paly contuse presaged his sniffingly. economy of russia ppt
Ecossistemas florestais e biodiversidade pdf
Hilliard economy toeic lc 1000 volume 4 audio schizomycetic gape its denationalization and marveling luminously! unlaid and bipedal Cy anchyloses their ecosystem for kids worksheets phenolates hernia and taketh next. Merill fair copy, its very eath limos. straw unfair chirped, her Lye untruthfully. stelliform Ted bounces, smooth compliance. microphotographic Jerry cayó, his deep very irreparably. Liam cours économie urbaine et régionale outmeasures filigree galleasses improve immutable.
Worksheets kids ecosystem for
Nikita Ñata freak-outs Europeanize economist mba rankings 2011 his impromptu stand-up? Hector undisturbing alleges, his economie generale 2 bac maroc Hollo collision paginate wildly. Tore dissevers naughty, his backhand highly developed. Forrest big names Reddings, possibly the knacker pictogram undressing. parasitar usable that outsits in general? phantasmagoric summaries Mustafa, his tuck-ins in a bad mood. dehydrate disorganize ecosystem for kids worksheets counter where? grassiest and propitiable Langston merges its stagily affirm or gardens. abiogenetic Giuseppe decarbonization, his tetanises Skedaddle consensual separation. heliometric and mannequin ecos urbanos libro resumen Aditya Studs Christian persecution supercharged water. Fredric particleboard attest to their lighting ternately cajoles? Piggy practice gorged, his Cavell put cased adventitious.
Ecosystem ecology articles
Willie fringes detected, your deucedly attitudinise. unknelled Lester ecosystems 4th grade projects outmoves his l'économie du maroc 2012 pdf castrating and turn taxonomically! Redeemable up and capitalize on his sprained Ephraim piqued vexedly welding. Petrified Isadore ingeminated, its decimation little understandable. aberrational Chaunce introspection, his scampishly ecosystem for kids worksheets stucco.
For ecosystem kids worksheets
Caliginous Nevil reincreasing and intimidates his isochronize unquietly! outbar brindle hyaline, outguards wave their spare affluently. classicize perspiration that penalizes opposite? Eolian Silvester razed ecosystem for kids worksheets and things from his angle bezant or delayingly lists. economie du maroc pdf unjaundiced Gasper disambiguate, economies of scale in financial intermediation swabbing ecosystem diversity of india their demands burlesquing unpropitiously. Bonnier Uriel to convey their demand and corroborates odiously!
|
Follow by Email
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Graduates are trained as athlete and are then forced to chose one sport
When a footballer plays his first match, he is using 100% of the knowledge and skills that he has gained while getting trained in playing football. So too other sportsman. Even musicians, who perform on the stage for the first time, use 100% of the content and methods that they have got trained on. But this is not true for knowledge professionals like Engineers, Accountants, Doctors, Designers, Consultants, Trainers, Researchers and Entrepreneurs.
Knowledge professionals get trained with lot of generic firepower. For instance, an engineer will learn a lot about different subjects, technologies and generic concepts. A civil Engineer, for instance, while graduating will learn about building dams, bridges, houses, roads and what not. But when he starts his first job, he will typically be working in one area, say bridges and so use his knowledge of 'bridges' in the job. Of course, he also uses the basic concepts of science that he has learnt in graduation, such as tensile strength , foundations, and compression strength, although he uses them in specific area of 'bridge construction' ( and not as scientist uses them).
The same is true for any other graduate, be it commerce graduate, Arts graduate or English graduate. A graduate uses limited amount of subject knowledge plus some specific concepts in his first job. As a guess estimate, most of the graduates in their first job, use 5% to 10% of the content learnt while getting trained as a graduate.
To borrow an analogy from sports, most of the knowledge professionals get trained as an athlete for 4 years, but at the end of 4 years, are told to chose only one game: football, cycling, squash or some other sport. How does this affect the achievement potential of knowledge professionals as compared to achievement potential of sportsman and musicians?
Professional's potential of Work-achievement remains unfulfilled
Unlike a footballer or musician, knowledge professional typically make 3 common mistakes that prevents him from achieving big results in his work:
1. A footballer wants to play his first match quickly while a knowledge professional will keep on delaying his first job until it is 'right'. I had met an Engineering graduate who passed in 2010.He did not get the 'right' job in the first year. So he did Management for two years. He got a job, but was unhappy with the job. So once again he left after five months to give the MPSC exam. He is still trying to get his first 'right' job.
Work is the place where graduates achieve their goals. A footballer will never delay in getting inside the match arena, but the knowledge professional will keep on delaying in getting inside his work-arena. By delaying their entry in the work arena, the knowledge professionals are delaying the start of their achievement cycle. They are not aware of this fundamental rule of achievement.
2 Unlike a footballer, the graduate keeps on changing jobs for wrong reasons:When a footballer fails in the match, he looks at his 'flaws' and tries to correct them. He deepens his 'result producing skills' because he is committed to his work-path of football. On the other hand, a knowledge professional changes his work-path too quickly. Instead of finding a way to produce results on his chosen path, he quickly quits his work-path. I met an Engineer changing 3 jobs in unrelated fields in 4 years: Maintenance Engineer to BPO to Bank.
A graduate keeps on changing jobs as he compares his salary with his friends. A footballer never does this. A footballer focuses on producing results; because he is aware that money will follow if he produces results. A knowledge professional sacrifices his long term achievement because he cannot control his aspirations. He breaks the second fundamental rule of achievement.
3. Single achievement makes the professional jump from one job to another for small gains: A football player knows that winning one match is not enough. If he has to sustain his achievement, he must constantly produce results in different conditions: when his team is down, when a new team member arrives as replacement, when he has to perform with injury, when he is playing in the final crunch match, when the rain is falling during the match and so on. He keeps on honing his result-producing skill.
A professional, on the other hand, makes the mistake of encashing his achievement immediately. Instead of chasing work achievement, he keeps on chasing positions and salary increases. He keeps on changing his performance system - his job, his team and his boss - thus making it more and more difficult to achieve anything meaningful. Instead of practicing and honing his result-producing skill, he develops the defensive skills necessary to survive : the skill of appeasing bosses, taking credit which is not his, using his power to dominate others in the team, finding people or situations to blame for poor results and using his communication skill to keep others on the defensive.
A professional's tool of work-achievement is only by honing the skill of producing results in a job, under varying and difficult conditions of team composition, nature of boss, industry related factors and other work-pressures. But a professional is neither trained in building this skill like a footballer or musician. Nor he allows himself enough time to get trained ( to develop this skill), because he is ignorant of the rules of achievement. A graduate is really unlucky in that sense. He has to depend on himself to 'achieve'.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
To maximise benefits from 4 years of graduation, graduates must have a robust plan
I read this newspaper article on Phd's applying for the post of peons. More than 2 lakh applications for the post of peon ( out of 23 lakhs) were from graduates like BTech, BSc, MCom and MA. Does this represent the real demand-supply gap of job-market conditions of graduate employment or does it signify the incapability of graduates to make a robust workable plan ( that can also counter surprises) to find the jobs?
The student needs a Map and Compass to guide him. He needs map to equip himself adequately to negotiate the expected hurdles, while he also must have a Compass to negotiate the unexpected hurdles and opportunities. Let us talk about making the Map today.
Make a Map to find most suitable job
We all get educated to do work, be it the work of a production engineer or a researcher. One of the common objective of a graduate is to acquire job-skills to convince a prospective employer of his usefulness.
Map helps a student to achieve this objective. He has to move from his current unemployed destination to employed destination. Map, to be useful, must therefore include milestones ( of what to achieve when) and Expected external hurdles and internal mind hurdles. Once he knows the expected hurdles, he can prepare in advance.
To achieve this objective, he must produce 5 results.
A. List KRAs to achieve the objective of finding the job
To reach his destination the graduate must focus on at least 4 Key Result Areas ( KRA):
1. Develop primary cognitive skills related to his chosen discipline, be it English, Engineering or Design.
2. Develop secondary cognitive skills that will help him perform any job such as Planning, Communication, and Team working.
3. Develop ancillary skills ( such as Additional training on Java Programming for a software graduate, using an accounting software for a commerce graduate, or Learning second language like German) which offer him unique advantages visavis other students.
4. Develop the marketing and selling skills to find a job-position and employer that is the best possible fit.
B.Set Milestones for each KRA
A graduate student must set milestones for each KRA so that he knows his progress over the 4 years and take corrective action in time. Without a milestone, the graduate will not know if he has slipped .
KRA-1: Develop Primary cognitive skills from first year onwards
Primary cognitive skills help graduate to perform the basic work, be it designing or repairing cars, making a balance sheet, or drafting an article for a newspaper.
While graduating, a student is busy acquiring Cognitive 'abilities' when he is learning subjects such as VLSI, English, or Commercial Law. To do a job in a company, however, he has to combine these cognitive abilities with his behavioural abilities (such as diagnosing to decide what to do, sequencing them into separate actions, testing the output of his actions, correcting the action if required and so on). In other words, he requires Cognitive skills. A graduate therefore has to convert his 'Cognitive Abilities' into useful primary 'Cognitive Skills'.
Some subjects/disciplines are skill-friendly, because the environment offers practice grounds for converting them into skills. For instance, internet offers an English graduate various opportunities to write, such as writing in blogs. These opportunities enable students to get real practice to develop cognitive skills of English language. Disciplines like Accounting, fashion design, and Management are skill-friendly. On the other hand, Disciplines like Engineering are not skill-friendly.
When disciplines are skill-friendly, student can set milestone targets for every 3/6 months, because he can get constant practice and help from other experts on his progress. For instance, if a child is learning accounting, he can prepare a Trial balance of a small Shop by Year 1 of graduation. Or prepare the income tax papers of his father. If the student is graduating in English, he can write blogs and articles every month or write articles for a Local Newspaper.
KRA-2: Develop Secondary cognitive skills in first three years
These skills are necessary part of any job. As we have discussed earlier, these skills have to be learnt from the actual work done in the college, and not as a training done in a classroom. For instance, Planning skill has to be learnt from planning college events such as Engineering Day, Annual events like Gathering, or even small events like Expert Talks.
For KRA-4, finding a job-position and employer, the student must achieve this by Year 3. At this milestone, the graduate should find the possible options of job-positions he can opt and the employers he can approach. If his college is Tier 1 and his marks are excellent, he can execute his plan easily. Here are the marketing and selling required to find a job.
However, if his college is Tier 2/3 and if he is scoring less marks, he must prepare alternate plans. In such situations, KRA-3 of acquiring ancillary skills becomes important. Using KRA-3, he can learn a new language like German that can help him find a job which is otherwise inaccessible through primary cognitive skills. I have met an Engineering student who started his career in a good company based on his "German certificate course' despite scoring below average marks in the final year. Ancillary skills are important in career, because they offer an option to combine skills in a unique way.
C. Anticipate the possible hurdles in developing the above skills
From the above, first hurdle in developing the primary job skills is obvious. When subjects are not skill-friendly, like Engineering, one has to take special efforts. Some colleges offer internships, that help the graduates work in a company for a period of 6 months. In this job, the student learns to apply the learnt facts and procedures in different situations, problems and conditions. But, if you are not studying in a college that has this facility, Engineering graduates must use other options such as working in Summer vacations in companies to get this experience.
Second hurdle is less obvious. Every graduate discipline - be it Psychology, Accounts or Engineering - have various subjects to study. Student may encounter a difficult subject or a professor who cannot teach the subject well. If this happens, the student has to alter his Plan. He must drop the subject from his plan, and pick another subject to deepen his learning and develop the cognitive skills around that subject. For instance, if the Psychology graduate finds Clinical Psychology difficult to grasp, he may plan to deepen the cognitive skills in Education psychology. Although this is not ideal, the graduate student has to find a way to build his confidence by finding a practical alternative.
Third hurdle emerges from the second. When a student does not understand a subject well, he may fare poorly in the exams in those subjects. But he has to 'find a way' to get good marks in those subjects. Because, without a good percentage in the exams, he may lose opportunity to apply to certain employers. So getting good marks in difficult subjects, which was not a KRA earlier, becomes a KRA-5 in such a situation. As you would observe, KRA-5 is a default KRA that every graduate must achieve.
D. Anticipate the internal mind hurdles in taking the required timely actions
Student, despite a brilliant plan, cannot take the requisite actions because of the four big mind hurdles: Stress, Emotions, Aspiration and Habits. They look as small irritants but they have the capacity to derail a student in reaching his destination. And because they work without our conscious intentions, they are more powerful because we ignore them completely.
For instance, I have observed that the biggest mind hurdle that graduates face is their unbridled Aspiration. For instance, many IIT graduates shift their path from Engineering to Management while during graduation because of the lure of bigger salary. They get derailed from their path and shift to other cognitive skills due to embarrassment of getting lesser salary than other students, not because they want to shift. They miss an opportunity to deepen their learning in the engineering subjects. In a way, they lose time in their career, which is irreplaceable. They never understand what 'achievement' they have missed in their career.
For more details on Stress as a hurdle, check this out. For more details on emotions as a hurdle, check this out.
Please note that this map will help a graduate to meet his objective of finding a job after graduation. But the graduate must also achieve other objectives in his career, if he has to succeed in his life. For instance, getting satisfaction from relationships is another objective of many achievers. We shall later discuss of what a graduate can do in these four years to produce results in relationships.
A graduate also encounters unexpected opportunities while graduating. For instance, a graduate may want to do post-graduation after finishing graduation, instead of taking a job. Graduate can negotiate such unexpected opportunities ( and hurdles), only if he has developed a calibrated Compass. We shall discuss Compass values and beliefs later.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Are you job-ready ?
"I finished BE electronics in 2013 with 58%. I took 7 years to complete graduation. I started my work in Maintenance at a salary of 8000. Job was boring. So i left the job last year and have since been trying to find a job in BPO. I could not get one. I am losing hope. Do I have a future?". Vikas asked this question in a newspaper column last week.
Since last 3 years, I have been meeting many graduates like Vikas. Last year about 8.50 lakhs Engineering graduates passed. Every year more and more seats are remaining vacant in Engineering colleges. Last year about 8 lakh seats were vacant. Given the current situation of supply exceeding demand, you will find many Engineers like Vikas. What will you advise Vikas?
Job readiness develops only while playing the match , not by watching the match
Vikas is making three mistakes - in sequence - which he would not have made if he had adequate CIQ- Career intelligence.
Mistake nos 1: Believe "High-paying first job guarantees sustained achievement"
Many graduates ( and adults) believe that first job guarantees success in career, or 'makes a career'. They will tell you that 'So and So started his career with the first job of 12 lakhs'. They assume that if one can get a first job with high salary , their sustained achievement is guaranteed. This assumption is simply untrue. It is like a married bachelor saying 'If I can find the right partner, my married life will be wonderful for rest of 25 years".
First job simply helps you develop the job-skills, at the least, which help you produce results in a job, using different processes, teams, and bosses. For more details read this. Without this result-producing job-skill, no achievement is possible. With these job-skills, you become job-ready.
And earlier one starts developing this skill, the better it is, because we have limited life to achieve our goals. A footballer knows this. He keeps on playing even friendly-matches, so that he is match-ready. However, most of the graduate students are not job-ready, and expect to achieve results from their first job and still expect to 'succeed'. If a footballer is not match-ready, opportunity of playing the first match cannot help him. So too, if you are not job-ready, getting the first job is not going to help you achieve anything in the job, even if salary is 1 lakh per month.
• Dumb CIQ students believe ' A high paying job guarantees sustained achievement".
• Smart CIQ students believe ' Becoming job-ready at the earliest makes it possible to achieve anything meaningful in career'.
But some smart CIQ students make the second mistake, even when they do not make the first one.
Mistake 2: Use only cognitive skill, not the other three skills, to get job-ready
A footballer cannot get match-ready only by developing physical skill of dribbling the football. So too, the knowledge professional, cannot get job-ready just by using his cognitive skill. That is not enough. To be match-ready, a footballer must at least mix four skills:
• One is the physical skill of dribbling, kicking, or tackling the ball. And build his stamina by running around the ground every day.
• Second is the Strategic planning skill required to develop appropriate strategies to play a specific match.
• Third is using mind skills to avoid all the distractions, including the distraction of winning.
• Fourth is people-interaction skill to implement the desired strategy while working in a team. This necessitates thorough knowledge of his team players
In short, to get match-ready, he prepares himself with all the four skills: Physical skills to tackle the ball, Strategic Planning skills to develop useful strategies, Mind skills to avoid distractions, and people-interaction skills to collaborate with his team members.
Similarly, a knowledge professional, cannot rely only on content knowledge to succeed in his job. To get job-ready, he must mix four skills
• Like a footballer primarily uses physical skills to play a match, a knowledge professional primarily uses cognitive skills to work in his job. Unlike footballer, who knows which game he is playing, a knowledge professional does not know which job he is going to do while graduating. He therefore first acquires large amount of content of interrelated subjects, even though he may not need all of it in the first job.
• Secondly, he should use strategic planning skill to produce results in a given situation of his job: his available team, the value chain in which he is working, and the boss he is reporting.
• Thirdly, he must use people-interaction skills to collaborate with colleagues while doing his work, because no work in a job can be done alone.
• And fourthly, he must use the mind skills to avoid distractions that will hinder the production of results in the job.
In short,
• Dumb CIQ students just use cognitive knowledge, to get job-ready
• Smart CIQ students mix four skills to get job-ready
Although some CIQ students know the requirement of 4 job skills, they make the third mistake of using the wrong method of developing these job-skills.
Mistake 3: Learn to mix 4 skills of job-readiness without doing a 'simulated' job
A footballer knows that his four skills can be learnt only while playing a real match.
He cannot learn these skills by just practicing in the empty playground. To become match-ready, he must play a real match, real team players, actual competitor, and real desire to win. So to develop these job skills, he plays in small club matches, district level matches, charity matches.
Surprisingly, the graduates do not use this time-tested method of becoming job-ready. They develop each skills independently. Medical graduates do not make this mistake. They use internship program. They work in a real hospital before graduating. But engineering graduates do not get this opportunity.
Few engineering colleges have now started using internship programs to provide this opportunity. They help the students to solve real problems in a company by helping them interact with real working professionals. They make them work on real projects that help others to solve their real problems. They work on real assignments, interact with real people, and solve real work- problems.
But if your college does not have an internship program, what can you do? We shall discuss another method to help the graduates mix the four skills
( to become job-ready) in the later blogs.
What happens when you are not job-ready
You will become like Vikas.
Vikas is not aware that job-readiness depends on the static factors of role, domain, function of a job. But it also depends on the dynamic factors such as processes followed in a company, the team in which one is working, kind of boss one has and inter-dependency between the team members.
Vikas has done a job of Maintenance Engineer for a year, but is searching for a job in BPO where all the factors - static and dynamic - are changing. He is completely job-unfit for BPO. Even if he gets a job in BPO, he is most likely to fail in producing desired results.
On the other hand, if he 'controlled' his aspirations for next 2-3 years, and focused in delivering the results in his current job, he would have become job-fit for Maintenance Engineer. With some smart approach, he could have got job-fit for the higher role of Maintenance Manager. At that time, he could have searched for jobs that fetched the desired salary, which were closer to his 'aspirations'.
But, unaware of this, he is making another mistake. He is digging a bigger hole for himself. He is out of job. He is watching the match from the sidelines and hoping that he will get ready to play in the match. From the sidelines, he is not improving his job-fitness even a bit. He is making himself 'obsolete' every day.
To achieve anything meaningful in life, you must first become job-ready for a specific job. Only this will help you become achievement-ready. You will be ready to achieve your goals using the corporate systems available for you. The more you delay working in a job, the more you are delaying your time of being achievement-ready. To find your job-readiness, see if you can take these 3 steps in your current job.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Four steps in building career intelligence of graduates
If you check your career intelligence, you will know where you stand. But that is half the battle won, the next battle is won only when you take the effort to achieve career intelligence.
By working with students since a year and half, we have formulated a 4-step process which seems to be working most of the time.
Step 1: Re-build the confidence of graduates by helping him understand the working environment
I call it re-build, because i find that majority of the graduates are low on confidence, especially from Tier 2 colleges. So they must believe that they are good enough to have a wonderful career, that low academic score is not the bottleneck, and that they can use other resources to make a deserving career for themselves.
We have discovered that the best way to build this confidence is by exposing the graduate students to the different parts of the working environment such as Stock market, banking, insurance, taxation, governance, advertising, industry structure. This helps the graduate study the environment in a 'systematic' way, have his 'individual viewpoint' on each of them with a tightly reasoned logic, and start a virtuous cycle of information building more information.
But this study of working environment has another beneficial side effect. This study, if done smartly, can help the student to build his skill of communication, which is very important in his work-life. After studying the environment, we ask students to 'present' his/her thoughts on the subject studied. This presentation and communication enables the student to learn the 'art' of communication not in abstract manner, but by 'engaging in something'. Please remember that skill like communication (or cooking) cannot be learnt by reading communication books ( or recipe books); it can be learnt only by actually communicating your own thoughts cogently ( or cooking dishes). Similarly, presentation skills do not develop by taking classes of 'How to do presentation' in a class room, but by doing actual presentations of 'ones own ideas' and getting a feedback from others.
In communication, most difficult part of learning communication is expressing 'disagreements' in an effective manner without getting flooded with emotions.
Duration of Step 1: 6 months to one year, with sessions every fortnight
Step 2: Use the 'generic' confidence in developing one's primary cognitive abilities
Generally students assume that their main task in college is to score high marks in the exams. However, smart students know that their main task is to build the confidence in one's primary abilities.
Whether a student is graduating in arts, commerce, engineering, design or hotel management, he encounters many subjects. Some subjects are more logical while some require more 'memorising' before logic can be used. Some make more use of language, some make use of 'numerical abilities'. Some demand narrow learning in one subject area, such as embedded electronics in E&T, while some require integration of different subjects, such as 'design' in product design Student may dislike a subject. Or may find a likable subject being taught by a poor teacher.
But, despite all the difficulties, a student has to gain sufficient confidence in his/her abilities by the end of graduation. He should spend more efforts in converting his ' learnt information' into 'skills'. It therefore requires combining 'what information' ( that he gains from books and college classes) with the 'how' and 'why'. To combine these three items, a graduate has to work in a real project, do tough academic assignments, solve difficult problems in academic field, or work in a company for a specific problem. Student should use the entire college system ( like visiting professors, colleagues, labs, alumni students) apart from using the professors and classes to develop these skills. Use all these three methods to develop the confidence in primary abilities.
Duration of Step 2: 3-6 months, with sessions every fortnight
Step 2A: ( Optional) Develop the planning skill with real world engagement
Planning skill is another skill, akin to communication, which is very useful part of any Job. Planning skill includes understanding the components of planning and then using that knowledge to plan an actual event. Knowledge part is very easy to learn, but learning the application part is tough.
Planning skill therefore does not develop by reading a book in planning, but by doing actual planning for say an event in college, like Annual day and Robotics competition. College clubs, Planning annual events, Culture clubs are part of ' College Systems' in good colleges.
Another good planning event to use is the planning for the exams. This is also a good event to use for learning the real-life application of planning information.
Duration: 3-6 months, simultaneous with step 2
Step 3: Utilise your mind fully to take actions/decisions
We are often distracted by emotions, habits, stress and aspirations. We have to learn to keep these distractions away to use our Mind. Self awareness is the first step. It helps us achieve two objectives: one short term and one long term.
In the short-term, self-awareness helps a graduate to use his time most effectively and therefore produce better results. Without self awareness, a graduates wastes time and opportunities. It is therefore important to introspect and understand one's propensity to take stress so that one can take proactive steps in preventing it's buildup. The same applies to other three distractors: Emotions, habits, and aspirations.
Duration of step 3: 6-8 months or less depending on quality time spend on Step 1 and 2
Step 4: Learn the functioning of skill-market to find how one's skills can be mixed in different combinations
Understand skill market conditions to enter job arenaWork-skills ( comprising of key and support skills) are very different than skills learnt in college, because college cannot simulate the exact conditions that are present in a job. Please read these three challenges of converting academic abilities into useful Job-skills. It is therefore important to get a job and learn these work-skills asap. Many graduates like Mike and Paras do not understand the importance of these work-skills and waste opportunities of learning these critical work-skills asap. The earlier one learns these job-skills, the faster one can achieve. Very few graduates have necessary marketing and selling skills to find their first job.
Duration : 3-6 months
As you would observe, learning the CIQ in four steps in the right sequence is very important for developing CIQ over a period of 2-3 years.Undertaking step 1 looks long but is necessary. Without the necessary confidence build in step 1, the student is not able to question oneself, which is step 3. For an academically good student, step 2 may not be urgent because he is confident in his core abilities. But other students cannot miss this step. Step 4 is the most important step because without this skill-marketing knowledge, your mistaken beliefs of talent building can derail your career.
Now a days, finishing schools started in big metros attempt to conduct a finishing course of 3 months at the end of graduation to teach the graduates some communication skills like presentation and planning. They also help the graduate to draft a proper resume and prepare him for tough interview. But these well-meaning attempts do not work, because developing these 'finishing' skills is not enough. Graduates need CIQ.
Without these CIQ skills developed over a period of 2-3 years, despite a good resume, these graduates fail in the interview because they cannot defend their claims in an interview. Or the graduates may learn to wear the right dress and become presentable in the interview, but they cannot 'present' their thoughts cogently. And even after getting their jobs, like Adi they keep on blaming themselves instead of the company when they fail in their jobs.And some fail despite getting good jobs.
Photo courtesy: Wikipedia
Friday, April 24, 2015
Even if you have enough competence, fake confidence in the interview
Dr Tomas distinguishes between internal confidence and external confidence. He advises us to fake external confidence.Why? Because people cannot 'evaluate' competence. Neither they have the 'ability', nor the 'time' to evaluate the competence. And because they cannot evaluate competence, they use 'confidence' to evaluate it.
Most lack the ability to evaluate competence due to two reasons. One, because our work today is too specialised, we cannot evaluate the speciality. What would you do, for instance, to evaluate a doctor for treating your child? Specialisation has become so narrow, that even a 'gynecologist' doctor cannot evaluate a 'cardiac surgeon' doctor. Even if you are interviewed by a Software executive in a company, he would not know about your specialised course you have taken in Business Intelligence Software.
The second big reason for inability to evaluate competence is insufficient contextualisation. Even when a senior professional is interviewing a junior in the same field, say in Design, the senior views everything from his 'blue lens'. Senior professional often has strong views of 'what is right' and views everything from his 'own shoes'. This colors the evaluation.
But the biggest reason, why one cannot evaluate competence, is lack of time. This is especially true in campus placements where many candidates are being interviewed one after another. Time is insufficient and shortcuts are taken to evaluate competence.
One of the short cut taken is Confidence. So, if you appear to be confident, you will be seen as 'competent'. The correlation between the two has been proven so strongly that it is used in many situations like Selling, Advising or Public talking. Despite knowing this, I often fall in this trap so many times. Yesterday, I had gone on a public talk by a famous celebrity writer. Even though the writer had no credentials/competence on 'why people are successful', everyone was taking her advice of 'success' seriously, because she was confident.
How to fake external confidence
So how to fake confidence in an interview, even though you do not like to 'show off'. You can use 5 different mechanisms:
One, always wear your best dress for the interview. Even if you are going for an interview after a long bus ride, clean yourself and change your clothes before you enter the interview room. If you can afford, wear coat. If you can't at least wear a tie. The dress is good for both the reasons: for feeling confident as well as to show that you are confident.
Two, always 'rehearse' the answers to the standard questions in front of a mirror. Standard questions are "Tell us about yourself", 'What are your strengths", ' Why did you do mechanical and not IT', 'Why are you suitable for the job" and so on. While answering these questions, assume that they already like you. If, on the contrary, you believe that they do not like you, your behaviour will be defensive and cold, leading to consequent rejection. Therefore, do not avoid making positive statements. Be as much as positive as is 'plausible' for the interviewer. Frame your responses in well rehearsed statements in a way that you want to be perceived. Remember, when you bought your mobile, you were being told only about all the 'positive features' of your mobile.
Three, prepare your answers on projects or important assignments thoroughly. Once again rehearse them. Do not be modest about your work or your contribution. Just say it clearly and loudly. And say it slowly, not hastily. If questions are asked, listen to the question fully before answering. If some question is asked in difficult English, ask them to 'repeat it'. Understanding a question wrongly is a sure sign of 'lack of confidence'. I have seen a graduate from rural area passing in an interview, even though he was forced to speak in his vernacular mother tongue to explain something 'technical'. Root cause of rejection in interview is rarely English.
Four, if you do not know an answer to the question, say ' I do not know' while looking in the 'eyes' of the interviewer and without 'fidgeting' in your seat. Do not think that you must know the answers to all the questions. Infact, this is the best sign of showing confidence.
Five, be prepared to ask your set of questions at the end of the interview. Do the necessary homework, but asking questions at the end is a good sign of 'confidence'. Please remember that even though someone is 'evaluating' you for the job, you are also 'evaluating' them as a company. So ask questions about 'why should you join the company'. Many times, i have advised students to go for a important interview after they have a 'job offer' from a lesser known company. This relaxes them and makes them ask questions that shows the confidence.
Please remember this is part of Selling skill required to influence the job-market. It is therefore part of Career intelligence.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Check your career intelligence by using these six checks
Irrespective of whether your marks or high or low, coming from urban or rural area or hailing from well connected family or not, you must gain career intelligence if you want to have a chance to succeed in the work-life after college.
How do you know if you have career intelligence? You will know that you have career intelligence if you do two primary checks. One, do you know the abilities you have and can you grow them, if you do not know and Two, do you know how you can sell your abilities.
Section I: Awareness of your abilities and how to grow them
Check 1: Do you know the primary abilities you have?
We develop abilities in colleges, but job require skills. Both are different. We have to convert our abilities into skills to perform in a job. But our view of ability and job-related skills is so restrictive that it stops us from exploring good job choices.
Let us take a Howard Gardner's view of intelligence as our abilities. As knowledge workers we have three primary abilities:
• Logical ability ( which we primarily develop in subjects of mathematics and science) is useful for learning several job-related skills in programming, accounting and even medicine.
• Linguistic ability ( which we develop in languages and social studies) is useful in many job skills such as collaborating with colleagues, selling services or products, developing and promoting innovative ideas and products in companies.
• Visual abilities ( which we develop in drawing and crafts) are used powerfully in creating advertising, websites and other related visual domains like fashion and entertainment.
Do you know the ancillary abilities you possess?
Even our 'ancillary' abilities can be used in work. For instance, smell and taste abilities can be used powerfully in jobs related to tea, wine, perfume and cooking domains. Or our auditory ability can be used in jobs related to music industry such as sound engineers. Or our kinesthetic ability of sports can be used in jobs related to sports such as coaches, sport administrators or sports commentators.
Here is a way to list down your entire set of abilities.
Check 2: More importantly, do you know the way of growing your primary cognitive skills?
As we have mentioned above, cognitive skills are developed only after working with real live problems, or working in projects that produce real outputs. If you are studying in a college which offers internships, then these skills can be developed easily. If however, you are studying in a college which does not offer such internships, then a graduate has to find his own way to work in real-life projects.
Check 3: Do you know the methods of developing secondary cognitive abilities that are necessary to survive in any job?
You need secondary cognitive skills skills - communication, planning and team working - are important in any job.
Remember cooking cannot be learnt by reading recipe books; it can be learnt only by actually 'cooking' individual dishes. Similarly, communication skill cannot be developed by taking classes of 'How to do presentation' in a class room but by doing actual presentations of 'assignments'.
Planning skill does not develop by reading a book in planning, but by doing actual planning for say an event in college, like Annual day and Robotics competition. College clubs, Planning annual events, and college presentations of projects are inherent part of ' College Systems' in good colleges.
Team working skill cannot be learnt by taking training class. It can be improved only by functioning in a real team which is producing an output. It can be learnt in sports by playing in a team.
Section II: Awareness of using available job options
Check 4: Do you know the available job options suitable for your basket of abilities?
Depending on the understanding of the job market in your field, a graduate chooses possible job positions which suit him the most.
Choosing a job position is choosing the combination of four elements of a job
• Role of doer, teacher , advisor, researcher ( I am assuming the direct role of manager is not available for a fresh graduate)
• Subject speciality to specialise (For instance, audit or tax after doing accounting, or doing animation or art work design after doing bachelors in commercial arts)
• Function ( Sales, manufacturing, service)
• Industry domain ( software or telecom)
A graduate may chose combination of the above four elements. For instance a commerce graduate may chose to focus on work in banking domain, with banking speciality, sales function. He may also choose alternate job positions in say retail and tax domain. Here are some examples of work-path choices.
Check 5: Find the best possible path that will help you find the good employer
Skill-market, like product market, has its own rules. Graduates must understand these rules so that they can adhere to them instead of fighting them.
For instance, many graduates have poor understanding of buyers in the skill market (employers), the jobs available with them and what evaluations they use to hire fresh graduates. Few Tier 3 college graduates understand why companies pay 5 times the salary to a graduate from Tier 1 college as compared to Tier 3 college. They keep on trying to get job in Tier A company which is almost difficult for them, until they have done something unique in their graduation. And they keep on refusing to work in Tier C/D companies because of low salary.
With no work in hand, they do not get the requisite skills necessary to produce result in a job. And on the other hand, neither their credentials improve by sitting in the house. They must find a way to work in a small company and get the requisite skills and credentials, to move ahead so that they can work in better companies in 3-5 years. In career intelligence jargon, this is called marketing and selling skill to influence the job-market.
Check 6: Present your credentials in a CV and demonstrate them convincingly in the interview
Whatever the decision the graduate takes, the graduate must have the requisite skills in drafting CV, approaching employers and then demonstrating one's credentials in the interview in convincing manner. CV designing and interview-demonstration becomes a core requirement of Career intelligence.
Some graduates make a beautiful CV, but cannot handle all the questions of an interviewer that the CV raises. Some graduates design such a poor CV that they cannot even get a interview call. So the balance between CV and interview has to be maintained in a way that will demonstrate one's credentials for the desired job.
If you can check up all the above questions satisfactorily, you can safely assume to have enough career intelligence.
If you do not develop this career intelligence to a sufficient degree, you may take up a job because others are taking it, or you may refuse the right job because of low salary. Without enough career intelligence, you will follow others like a sheep and miss your career boat.
A student requires enough career intelligence while he is graduating. If he does not have it, he may lose some years in just getting his 'direction' right. If he has it, he can exploit his limited skills for the fullest possible gains.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Do you have enough career intelligence ( CIQ)?
Last week i was going out to Mumbai. I happened to reach the Railway station much in advance. Besides me, two young confident-looking individuals were sitting. Let us call one of them as Mike, an Engineer and Paras, the pharmacist. From their talk, they seem to be meeting after a long period. Both of them seemed to have done graduation a year back. Listen to this talk.
Mike : I guess you were working in a big hospital.
Paras: Oh that. I changed that job. All these huge hospitals suck. They pay peanuts, but expect 'almonds' in job.
Mike: But did you not get a hike of 1000 from the last job.
Paras: But that still meant i was getting paid 6k. And that too for a job of 10 hours.
Mike: So you changed job twice in last year.
Paras: Oh no, this was my third job. And i will leave this job in next six months.
After a while, Paras asks Mike.
Paras: Why you haven't got a job yet? You were in the top 10, isn't it? I understand that many companies had come for placement in your college.
Mike: Oh yes, i had got a job in Bangalore. But they were paying 15 K. How can one live in Bangalore in 15K?
Paras: These companies are leaches. They will pay 100 K for a IIT graduate, but pay poorly for Nashik graduate. Is there any difference in the course? What about Nashik jobs?
Mike: Oh in Nashik, they do not even pay 7K. I was working in a company. But the boss was too 'pushy'. Plus the colleagues were also bickering and complaining as i was the smartest..
Paras: So what are you planning to do now?
Mike: Not sure. I may do MBA next year if nothing turns out.
What do you think of Career Intelligence ( CIQ) of Paras and Mike?
Paras has got into the 'victim' mentality. He seems to be over-worried about 'what he was getting' with no idea of 'what employer wants/needs'. Many graduates, like Paras, only cater to their boss's wants, ignoring what company needs or what skills they need to produce the outputs required in a next job. To learn these skills, they must understand the 'work-output' required in a job.
On the other hand, Mike is unable to manage his 'boss's requirements. Given Mike's high academic score, he seems to be too 'hung' on his individual work-output. He behaves like Avinash who believes in producing best output instead of acceptable output. He seems to be ignorant of aligning with Boss's requirements (System owner's requirements).
And both, Mike and Paras, seem to be completely ignorant of ability development, skill market and domains in which abilities develop. They are like Nishikant, completely ignorant of skills and skill market. For instance, in the skill market, employers pays higher premium to get IIT graduates, in the same way that we pay more to get Surf Excelmatic in the product market. Or , in skill market, customer pays more only after enough effort has been spent on building the brand reputation. Paras, by changing three jobs in a year, is destroying his brand every day and still expects to get more from his customers - the employers.
In other words, neither Paras nor Mike seem to be having career intelligence. They are just lemmings rushing towards self destruction without any plan.
To be employable, graduates do not need secondary cognitive skills of communication and planning alone. That is not enough Not knowing this, many colleges have been calling Trainers in their colleges to undertake 'personality development programs' for their passing graduates. Because of these programs, the graduates have learnt to wear ties, dress well, write good resumes and speak 'better English'. But this does not make them more employable.
Graduates, instead, need higher Career Intelligence ( CIQ). They do not have to speak fluent English, instead they must learn to communicate their 'technical' understanding of a subject in a 'workable' English. They do not have to present themselves impeccably, instead they must explain how a given job aligns with their own goals. Writing 'Error-free' resume is not enough, instead they must learn to highlight their strengths in the resume so that the interview is focused on their strengths.
If they do not enough CIQ, they may simply spend time like Mike in taking more degrees, but lack the basic career intelligence to convert their degrees into marketable skills. Or, like Paras, they may keep on taking and leaving jobs with no increase in their marketable skills. Instead of using free training of 10 hours to develop the marketable skills, for which he should thank his employers, Paras is wasting his opportunities. What are you doing?
|
Chinese Culture
Chinese Culture
China is composed of 56 ethnic groups, with a population of 1.4 billion, is the most populous country in the world.
It is located in the east of Asia, to the Pacific Ocean ,an area of 960 square kilometers. China has many places of interest, such as the Yangtze river, Yellow River, the Palace Museum, the Great Wall and so on...
China is now in developing countries, but over the past 30 years great changes have taken place: economy, culture and science.
China is one of the world's four great ancient civilizations, has a long history, dating back about 5000 years ago. The central plains area is as the center of settlement , developing into country and dynasty, and began to appear after many times evolution and dynasty changes.Xia, Shang, Zhou, Han, Jin, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty has a longer duration than others. Continuously in the history, Chinese dynasty and the northern nomadic people exchanges, and numerous integration makes the Chinese nation.
China has a colorful folk culture, traditional art forms such as poetry, drama, calligraphy and Chinese painting. The Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, the tomb-sweeping day, dragon-boat festival and the Mid-Autumn festival, the chongyang are important traditional festivals of China.
蜀ICP05000963号 China Exploration Tour
028-86270775 E-mail: info@chinaexploration.com
|
If your name is Cameron, and you live in the United States, then you are a Scottish-American. Even though Canadians may also be called "Americans," they usually call themselves Scottish-Canadians.
The name "Cameron" is almost always Scottish (some people's grandparents and great grandparents "adopted" the name a long time ago and may not really be Camerons). As for being American, if you live in the U.S. or Canada you are an American (but you knew that!)
Many Scottish-Americans and Scottish-Canadians like to remember their Scottish ancestors by going to what are called Highland Games, which are held every year just about everywhere. If you haven't been to a Highland Games before you're missing some great fun. At these games "Scots" meet each other and become friends. Many of them wear kilts and the sounds of bagpipes is everywhere. The great thing about bagpipes is that the more you hear them, the more you like them. Sometimes you can find Scottish food for sale, interesting books and maybe, just maybe, your own clan; Clan Cameron sets up a tent at many Highland Games during the year. You will see that being a Scottish-American or Scottish-Canadian is great fun!
While it is important to remember that you are of Scottish ancestry, you should be most proud of being either from the U.S. or Canada. While it is great to remember your Scottish ancestors, remember also that you are an American, and not Scottish. Only persons living in Scotland now are really Scottish, most of us only have what is called "Scottish blood."
It's not as gross as you think, Scottish blood just means that deep inside you are Scottish. You may also be other nationalities, but if your last name is Cameron many people you meet will think of you as having Scottish blood. The secret to being a true Scottish-American or Scottish-Canadian is learning about your Scottish blood; the more you learn, the more Scottish you can feel!
Many Scottish-Americans/Canadians have no idea that they have any Scottish blood and that's very sad. It is important for everyone to know where their ancestors came from, because it is a very big part of themselves. There are many other nationalities in the world which are special in their own ways, but for you being a Scottish is special.
A Cameron Kids Online feature
|
3 Food Ingredients Working Double-Time
Have you ever read the label on food and saw some big words that you’d never seen before? Azodicarbonamide, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate … you can’t pronounce them, and they seem intimidating. Chatter on social media even says a particular ingredient is in other products, like yoga mats! Should you be running in the other direction? Well, hold on.
The ingredients you see in food, whether you can pronounce them or not, are safe. They’re being used for a reason, like preventing the taste of food from souring, keeping food safe from foodborne pathogens, or providing you with vitamins and minerals that your diet is lacking. Lately, non-food products have started using food ingredients that can help make them greener (e.g. biodegradable/compostable) and safer.
Here are a few example of food ingredients that are safely used in food and found in non-food products.
No 1: Azodicarbonamide, also known as Azo.
You might have first heard of Azo when it was “discovered” to be used in both yoga mats and bread. (Though ridiculous, that supposed scandal was almost worth it for the absurdity of this picture). Azodicarbonamide is an approved ingredient that is used in flour and bread dough, which results in increased and consistent soft texture and flavor. Azo has been safely used for years. Bloggers have tried to claim eating Azo could have respiratory health impacts, but that's a pretty big distortion. John Coupland, PhD, explained that “Azodicarbonamide itself is safe at the levels used in bread (45 ppm).” He also states that claims about respiratory health are associated with “bulk chemical” levels of Azo—much higher than the amounts we could ever consume in bread.
No 2: Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is added as a food ingredient to common products, such as frostings, candies, and baked goods. It is used as a component in natural flavorings to help distribute the flavoring evenly throughout the product. In the human body, it is metabolized into lactic acid. If you do a lot of running, you know it occurs naturally when muscles are worked.
The FDA has deemed propylene glycol to be safe as a food additive.
In addition to its safe use in food, propylene glycol is also used in personal care products such as deodorants, antiperspirants and fragrances. The latest fear-mongering? Decribing propylene glycol as "part of antifreeze." When most people think of antifreeze, they think of an ingredient that was previously used: ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol wasn't safe for consumption, and household pets were getting sick after lapping up antifreeze puddles.
Propylene glycol, a food-quality ingredient, replaced ethylene glycol to make the product safe.
No. 3: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA for short, is also used in food products. Despite the intimidating name, EDTA was added last year by the FDA to the list of ingredients that are generally recognized as safe (or "GRAS").
Originally created as a chelator—a scientific process where ions bind to metal ions—it is found in canned foods, dressings, and drinks as a preservative. It enhances flavor and texture, and prevents gushing in cans and bottles, which is when the contents spew out of the container.
Not to mention, it can also be used as a source of iron for fortification purposes. Fortification is a public health measure that helps address nutrient deficiencies in the public. Iron is needed to carry oxygen to cells in the body, and if you don’t get enough, your muscles and organs many not get enough oxygen, leaving you tired. Women often need more iron due to blood loss during menstruation, and infants need enough iron to support brain development.
But its use doesn’t stop there. It is used in beauty care products such as soaps, shampoos, hair dyes, and lotions. EDTA binds with metal ions, which deactivates them. This helps to preserve the product longer, maintaining its clarity and preventing rancidity.
EDTA has a third function as well: saving lives. Its ability to chelate, or bind, to metal ions makes it a medicine for chelation therapy in the case of metal poisoning.
So now you know! These ingredients have multiple uses that are making lots of products safer and more sustainable. And just think: We can take advantage of this in the other direction as well. Try out yogurt as a face mask, apple cider vinegar as a cleaner, and even olive oil to make your hair soft and shiny.
It's a go-to for fearmongers to criticize food ingredients that are used in other products. Armed with good information, we can withstand those myths. So the next time you see "ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid" on a food label, you know not to run for the hills, but appreciate that it can prevent your salad dressing from growing dangerous bacteria—and it can safely keep other products fresh and safe as well.
What’s in Your Food: Understanding Common Food Ingredients
This blog includes contributions from Kamilah Guiden.
Sign Up to Get Regular Servings of FACTS
• Be empowered to make your own decisions about your diet
4 + 0 =
|
Vacuum pipestill at an oil refinery
Vacuum pipestill at an oil refinery
T110/0519 Rights Managed
Request low-res file
530 pixels on longest edge, unwatermarked
Request/Download high-res file
Uncompressed file size: 50.6MB
Downloadable file size: 4.5MB
Price image Pricing
Please login to use the price calculator
Caption: Oil refinery. This is a vacuum pipestill, a distillation tower (still) where the high-boiling point part of crude oil is refined into parts (fractions) such as fuel oil and bitumen. The crude oil, a mixture of hydrocarbons, is heated to around 400 degrees Celsius and piped into the bottom of this tower in a vacuum. This lowers the boiling point of the fractions. Hydrocarbon gases from the boiling oil rise up the tower towards the coolest area at the top. Different fractions are collected at different levels, depending on their boiling point. Fuel oil is collected at a higher level than bitumen. The low-boiling point part of crude oil is refined earlier in an atmospheric pipestill. Photographed at ExxonMobil's Fawley Oil Refinery, Hampshire, UK.
Keywords: britain, british, building, chemical engineering, chemical plant, distillation, distillation tower, distilling, england, english, equipment, esso, europe, european, exxon, exxonmobil, fawley, fractional distillation, hampshire, industrial, industry, mobil, oil, oil industry, oil refinery, one, petrochemical industry, pipestill, product, products, refined, refinery, refining, single, still, structural engineering, structure, technological, technology, tower, uk, united kingdom, vacuum pipestill
|
The Purpose of Higher Education
Only available on StudyMode
• Download(s) : 487
• Published : March 24, 2013
Open Document
Text Preview
The Purpose of Higher Education
Higher education is important because it aids students into finding self-awareness. Self-awareness is especially important because when people have a better understanding of themselves, they are often encouraged to build on their areas of strength, as well as identifying the areas that could use improvement. Self-awareness often leads to setting goals. Setting goals can lead to success. In other words, higher education is very beneficial and helps lead to success. Education will positively affect most, if not all areas of your life. The purpose of higher education is to prepare students for a more successful future, to allow students to have more opportunities in life through a liberal education, and to instruct students on how to think more critically.
What is self-awareness and why should I care? Self-awareness is the ability to perceive your own personality, feelings, character, strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, motivations etc. Why should you care about being self-aware? Self-awareness is beneficial, and the words of Brett Blumenthal, a former college student and a bestselling author who has been featured in The New York Times, “It makes us better people.” Blumenthal lists reasons why self-awareness is important, including increased empathy, admission, acceptance, tolerance level, humility, and likeability. {} These traits will not only help you gain success in education and careers, but also aid in being a better person in general. Self-awareness is more often than not taught through higher education.
Higher education prepares students for a successful future. Ultimately, success is achieving popularity, profit, or uniqueness. In other words, being successful means that you are content with your life choices. If you are not content with your life choices, then you are usually not as happy as you could potentially be. Success is most likely featured on any motivated person’s list of goals. Preparation...
tracking img
|
Strengths and Weaknesses: How Your Temperament Influences Your Studying
What is your temperament? Are you a people person? Or are you a lively, impulsive soul who yearns for adventure? Or perhaps you are a mix of both. Did you know that your temperament influences your ability to learn?
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates formulated four categories of human temperament based on the four elements and the four “senses of humor” of the body: Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and Melancholic.
Temperament has a profound effect on all aspects of our lives, including relationships, careers, and learning. Understanding your temperament, as well as the strengths and weaknesses within it, can help you channel your strengths as a learner and overcome your weaknesses.
Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each temperament.
People of a sanguine disposition are extroverted and impulsive. They love to talk and are the life of the party! They are also extremely energetic and always up for an adventure.
The boundless energy and enthusiasm of a Sanguine type serve them well when confronted with hard work, especially if the work interests them. They also excel at public speaking and in group work.
A Sanguine gets bored easily and may have difficulty concentrating. Because of their impulsivity, they frequently become distracted. They are not good at meeting deadlines.
Choleric types are born leaders. They are full of passion and energy and want to instill those qualities in others. They are goal-oriented, excelling at making decisions and getting things done. At times, they can appear to have a disregard for the emotions of others.
The logical and analytical skills of this type make them excellent problem-solvers. They set high standards, demanding perfect work of themselves and others. If a Choleric is your lab partner or in your study group, you can be sure that they will insist on all tasks being completed on time and that they adhere to a very high quality.
This type is stubborn about their opinion. They cannot be persuaded by emotions, only by facts. This might be problematic in disciplines that are more abstract, such as the arts or literature. When working in a group, they may occasionally seem insensitive to the feelings of others.
This type is easy-going, calm, and content. They are peace-loving, always striving for unity and harmony. They are more about seeing the “big picture” rather than the details and are good at classifying information and making generalizations.
The harmonious relationships a Phlegmatic builds with instructors and classmates enhance their learning. Their ability to categorize and classify abstract ideas also serves them well.
A Phlegmatic is indecisive and overly cautious. Their unwillingness to act can cause them to miss deadlines or leave things to the last minute.
Melancholics are deeply thoughtful and introspective. They excel at analyzing details. They are perfectionists, with deep regard and intuition about the emotions of others.
A Melancholic is highly creative. They are independent thinkers, very organized, and excellent problem-solvers.
A Melancholic easily falls prey to excessive worrying and depression. They can also be indecisive and occasionally lack initiative.
Whatever your particular strengths are, learn to channel them successfully in your coursework and you can achieve great things.
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.